Pride and Polyjuice Potion

Chapter 23

Hermione wasted no time - she ran to Dumbledore's office. If he had arrived in the past hour, that is most certainly where he would be. Facing an expulsion, most likely.

She knocked on his office door relentlessly, even pulling out her wand, preparing to shout: 'Alohamora', but it opened for her before she could.

There she found Dumbledore sat alone at his desk.

"Ah, Miss Granger, good evening. How can I be of service to you?"

"Where is he?" she asked, panting from all the running she had just done.

"Whoever do you mean?" He asked, raising his eyebrow knowingly.

"You know who I mean," she said, in exasperation. "Malfoy of course."

"Ah, you just missed him."

"Professor, you cannot expel him, you simply cannot. You need to bring him back here and tell him that you have un-expelled him or whatever you call it. Really, you have to trust me."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes, believe me. He was gone all this time trying to find Parvati and bring her back," she cried, deliberately leaving out the vengeful side of his disappearance. "And he succeeded, he brought her back. Or we might have lost her forever."

"Yes," the wise wizard replied, "that is true."

Hermione exhaled in relief.

"Oh, good, so you won't expel him then?"

"Hermione, I never had any intention to do so," he said slowly. "I'm not sure why the thought crossed your mind."

"So he told you?"

"No," said Dumbledore. "But there are some things I simply know."

"My goodness, I am so sorry, Headmaster, for having disturbed you. I really thought he might have been expelled. Please, do forgive me."

"The stars are spectacular this evening, Miss Granger. I would highly recommend you stop by the Astronomy Tower."

"The astronomy tower?" She repeated with a confused frown.

"Yes, hurry along now."

The witch did just so and, unsure exactly why she was being so compliant, made her way to the Astronomy Tower. Perhaps, she was a little to used to following orders.

~

She walked, slowly but steadily, from Dumbledore's office to the Astronomy Tower. She had exhausted herself from running and would abstain from it for at least a little while.

Through long, ill-lit corridors, up and down various staircases she travelled until she reached that final staircase with its winding spiral of steps.

At the very edge of the tower, leaning against the iron railing was a head of ice-white hair, staring at the snow that fell before him.

"Malfoy," she whispered and he turned around immediately.

"Granger," he replied, his eyes full of something.

"You're back."

"Yes."

She decided to start with the easier thing she had to say to him.

"You brought Blaise and Luna back together, didn't you?"

He made no reply so she tried the second, far more important thing on her mind.

"I also wanted to thank you for bringing back Parvati-"