A Changed Lestrange (1-2) (under editing)

7: The Midnight Duel That Never Was

"How?" was all Hermione could say to Ashton at dinner time, looking to her right with nothing but the utmost surprise on her face, as she and Ashton saw a perfectly fine Harry sat on the table, deep in conversation with Ron. "How did he get away with that?"

"Got lucky, maybe," said Ashton carelessly, biting into a piece of his steak and kidney pie.

"I'm going over there," Hermione said to herself, getting out of her seat and going over to where Harry and Ron were sitting, and Malfoy had been standing for a moment before leaving, clearly trying to pick another fight. 

Ashton groaned, looking longingly at his pie before he, too, got out of his seat to see what Hermione was going to say.

"Excuse me." they both looked up to see Hermione.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"— and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"It's really none of your business," Ron said. 

"Goodbye." said Harry.

"What were they talking about?" asked Ashton. 

"A midnight wizard's duel," sighed Hermione. "Crabbe and Malfoy against Harry and Ron. Honestly, you think they'd learn."

***

Ashton was trying his best to get some sleep and ignore the fact that two idiots were still awake in his dormitory — loudly staying awake, he might as well add — while Seamus and Dean fell asleep (Neville was still in in the hospital wing). Ashton might've looked like he was asleep, but he couldn't have been less tired. He was just waiting for the inevitable muttering that would tell him they would try and get out of the dormitory, and —

"Half past eleven," he heard Ron mutter at last. "We'd better go."

Ashton could hear the rustling of clothes as they pulled on their dressing-gowns and went down the spiral staircase. He followed suit, already with his dressing-gown on, sneaking across the floor, making sure not to hit the creaky spot that would wake everyone up, taking his wand and creeping across the tower room, down the staircase, and checking to see if Harry and Ron were still in the common room. 

A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. Ashton was about to start following them, when he heard a voice speaking from the chair nearest to the portrait hole: "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

It was Hermione, wearing a pink dressing-gown and a frown.

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"

"How about you just all go back to bed?" said Ashton calmly from the bottom of the staircase across the common room. Ron and Harry's head whipped around in shock, and even Hermione looked half-shocked. 

"You as well?" groaned Ron.

"Isn't it so obvious that Malfoy is baiting you? You think he's got the nerve to duel you anyways — especially at midnight, the prime time for Filch and Mrs Norris to lurk around the corridors?"

"We didn't ask for your input," snarled Ron. Ashton smiled. 

"All right, then," said Ashton. "Go. Let yourselves get caught by Filch. I'm sure he's been wanting to get those chains of his out again —"