Wish Upon A Star

Tailing Malfoy

Ron left the hospital wing first thing on Monday morning, restored to full health by the ministrations of Madam Pomfrey and now able to enjoy the benefits of having been poisoned, the best of which was that Hermione was friends with Ron again. Hermione even escorted them down to breakfast, bringing with her the news that Ginny had argued with Dean.

Harry seemed to brighten up at this news.

"What did they row about?" he asked, trying to sound casual as they turned onto a seventh-floor corridor that was deserted but for a very small girl who had been examining a tapestry of trolls in tutus. 

She looked terrified at the sight of the approaching sixth years and dropped the heavy brass scales she was carrying.

"It's all right!" said Hermione kindly, hurrying forward to help her. "Here . . ."

She tapped the broken scales with her wand and said, "Reparo." The girl did not say thank you, but remained rooted to the spot as they passed and watched them out of sight; Ron glanced back at her.

"I swear they're getting smaller," he said.

"Never mind her," said Harry, a little impatiently. "What did Ginny and Dean row about, Hermione?"

Ashlyn looked back at the girl who stared back at her and dropped the scales again. Ashlyn shifted her glance to the blank stretch of the stone wall and sighed. Malfoy must be on the verge of losing it. She knew whatever he was doing wasn't working. . .And she might have a solution for his problem, but she'll keep it with herself for the time being.

Maybe it was Harry's brightened up mood after hearing that Ginny broke up with Dean, but suddenly, his brain started working way faster than it usually would.

"Oi, Ashlyn," Harry whispered pulling her back. Ron and Hermione were having a rather heated argument about homework, and neither Harry nor Ashlyn wanted to get involved in that. The atmosphere was thick with tension, and those two fools wouldn't do anything about it.

"Malfoy," Harry said. "He's been going off the map. Where is it? Where d'you think he's hiding?"

"Hiding?" Ashlyn scoffed. "Why would you ask me that, of all people? And hiding? Why would he be hiding in the first place?"

"Ashlyn, I know you've seen the signs," Harry said exasperatedly. "And I know, he's doing something. I'm this close to figuring it out,"

"Well, then you'll do it on your own," Ashlyn said brightly.

Harry groaned. "See, I've noticed. He runs off the map, completely vanishes. Is he sneaking out of the castle?"

"What have I told you before?" Ashlyn pressed on.

Harry groaned again. "I know. Why can't you just speak normally for once? Can't you just spy on Malfoy or anything?"

Ashlyn snorted. "Spy on Malfoy? Seriously, Harry? Why are you so hell-bent on stalking him?"

Although, she didn't mind in the slightest. Drarry!

"I'm not stalking anyone," Harry said indignantly. "It's investigation. Malfoy's a Death Eater, we've got to find out what Voldemort wants,"

Ashlyn sighed. She had better not get involved. Plus, she preferred listening to Drarry, presented by Harry Potter.

She was in a particularly pleasant mood when she went to the Room of Requirement that evening. Harry had hit her with a relentless flow of what Malfoy had been doing these days, and Ashlyn was barely holding her fangirl in.