Pride and Polyjuice Potion

Chapter 18

What was supposed to have been a relaxing half term break had ended up being two weeks of hellish stress and disappointment. This was not to say that she wasn't beyond grateful for Tonks and Remus' hospitality - she most certainly was. Had they not been staying in such close proximity to Malfoy Manor, she would have surely had two weeks of paradise and distraction.

After that cruel incident on that cruel November morning, she did not meet any of the Malfoys, or Theodore Nott, for the remainder of her stay at Lusca Lodge. Two days, that was, of peace and indulgence, until Harry and Hermione were due to return to Hogwarts.

They were both terribly sad to leave their hosts and the beautiful county of Wiltshire, and terribly relieved to return to Hogwarts and to their beloved friends. Hopefully, things would return to normal, and - other than the Yule Ball - things would remain remarkably quiet.

Harry and Hermione bought their hosts a beautiful bouquet of flowers and wrote them a sweet message in order to thank them for their kindness and then set off for King's Cross.

The train journey to Hogwarts was busy with news from the half term holiday. One or two new Yule Ball couples had formed over the break and were the topic of much discussion.

Hermione remained mostly silent, only speaking when she was forced to. This was by no means a sign of her not wanting to speak to her friends, although it saddened her to think they might assume so. It was more to do with the fact she had all of a sudden became a vault of secrets and lies. She could not tell them of her half term without revealing that which she most ardently desired to be suppressed - or better still - forgotten. She could not make things up either. When it came to her friends, she did not possess the skill of lying easily. She valued her friends too highly to treat them in such a way. And so, she remained silent.

Luna, it seemed, knew of something between her and Malfoy, but it was unclear exactly what she knew. As far as Hermione was concerned, all she knew was that she had taken off her shoes and dipped her feet in the Great Lake the night of her birthday before returning to Gryffindor Tower. But she knew that wasn't true. Luna was perceptive and intelligent - she wasn't in Ravenclaw for no reason! But thankfully, the girl tended to keep things to herself and so Hermione concluded that she need not worry.

~

He usually rejoiced in leaving Malfoy Manor and returning to Hogwarts. His house never had the status of a home ever since that fateful day.

But at least in his house he could hide himself away from the world and a certain brunette Gryffindor.

Why did she always have to stick her dishevelled head of hair in his business and bother him when he needed to get away? Had she not come, he would never have condescended so disgustingly that afternoon that he visited Lusca Lodge. He would not have revealed his innermost secrets entirely in his letter to her. They would not have kissed on his rooftop.

That kiss. It played over and over in his head. How she had leapt towards him, thrown herself into his arms and how he had pulled her violently into him. The warmth of her mouth, the irresistible movements of her tongue. He wanted all of her in that moment.

And he was stupid enough to tell her so. To make an utter fool of himself. He had got carried away.

Although she seemed to welcome it at first, he thought. And then she took a step back. He couldn't have that. He couldn't have her being unsure. He had willingly made himself so vulnerable in that moment but she just didn't fucking know or perhaps she didn't care enough. Or perhaps it scared her. Talk about Gryffindor courage.

He concluded that he had simply made a mistake in the heat of the moment, driven purely by lust and nothing further. Who in the right mind would have denied a girl who quite literally threw herself at him, begging to be touched?

It meant nothing.

He knew not what evil force had driven him to ask her to the ball. He would no longer let it get the best of him.

The quill his fingers fiddled with would not stay still. It would not stay firm enough for him to scribble away his thoughts, and so while his friends were all chattering away beside him, he remained silent, staring out through the window at the changing landscape. It could hardly stay fixed. It was constantly wavering and switching abruptly. Inconstant. Fickle.

~

They finally arrived at Hogwarts, and the Gryffindors that had been on the train were eager to see the rest of their house that had remained at Hogwarts.

The girls immediately searched for Padma and Parvati, who they knew had not left for the holidays.

Finally, they found Padma.

"Hello there, Padma," Ginny squealed. "We've missed you so much! Where's Parvati?"

"I've missed you lot too," she beamed, pulling them all in for a group hug. "As for Parvati you ask, well I have big, big news!"

She paused for dramatic effect and all three girls leaned in, bursting with curiosity.

"She has eloped with Viktor Krum!"

Hermione's face dropped by about a mile and the blood in her veins ran cold. Not only had this monster killed Andromeda and destroyed Tonks' childhood, but he had now taken one of her dearest friends. She would kill him, she would end him, she would destroy him. Every second became more unbearable - to think he still roamed free! It was impossible.

Luna and Ginny weren't sure how to feel. They both looked at each other in confusion, unsure what to say.

"Oh, come on you lot," Padma chucked. "You could try and look a little happier for her. Isn't this incredible news?"

"No," spoke Hermione. "Not one bit."

"Gosh, I would've hoped for a little more excitement from you lot. Perhaps you're just jealous that my sister actually managed to bag Viktor Krum when you tried and failed miserably."

"That's not what I meant at all."

"Poor little Hermione has lost her little crush to not one, but two other girls. Perhaps it might teach you not to try and steal your bestfriend's love interest."

Hermione was silent, not quite being able to believe what she was hearing.

"That's entirely unfair," said Ginny. "You know Hermione had nothing to do with Ron asking her to the ball, she even rejected him!"

"I can only assume that you three are jealous of Parvati and I because I've got a date to the Yule Ball and Parvati is having the time of her life in Bulgaria," Padma scoffed. "I thought you were supposed to be our friends. Friends support one another instead of being ridden with jealousy."

They had gone to Bulgaria together? It couldn't be. There was no way they could have travelled so far without the teachers saying anything.

"Padma, you're being terribly cruel," said Luna softly. "You know we'd never behave like that. We are your friends."

"I wouldn't know about that anymore," she scowled. "Now if you don't mind, I need to go speak with my boyfriend."

The blonde, the brunette and the ginger were left to stare at each other in awe.

"Bulgaria?" Ginny asked in disbelief when Padma was out of earshot.

"We have to alert the professors, send out a search party, something," Hermione cried. "We cannot waste any time."