Pride and Polyjuice Potion

Chapter 27

Hermione decided she would have an early night that day. The past few days had been exhausting and she was in desperate need of the remedy only a good night's sleep could provide.

She lay her head down on the pillow, looking over at her bedside table where she had stored Cedric's undelivered letter. It made her wonder whether Draco had received her patronus. Even if he had, it was unlikely that he would respond to it.

The note she received not five minutes later entirely disproved her initial assumption. It was a note written in that same green ink with that same wax seal.

Divination classroom.

D.M.

Is all it said.

The good night's sleep would have to wait until later, she thought as she hopped out of her bed, slid on her slippers and crept her way out of the dorm. She was wearing only a grey oversized T-shirt, one that she had borrowed from Fred a long time ago and had never returned. She had meant to give it back. She really had.

There were some people in the common room, Harry included, who asked where she was headed, to which she replied simply that she had forgotten her textbook in the library. 

She quickly stopped by one of the mirrors and sighed at the sight of her wild mane of hair. Her hands tried to tame it slightly but she soon gave up. Not much she could do about it now.

Had he forgiven her? Is that why he wanted to see her? Or did he simply wish to scream at her for all the trouble she had gotten him into. And for lying - well not necessarily lying - but definitely avoiding telling him certain truths.

It had honestly become rather laughable, by this point, the amount of times she found herself roaming the castle at night. Today was perhaps a little earlier than the other times, she reassured herself but it was a stupid, futile kind of reassurance.

After some minutes travel, she made her way to the North Tower where she began to ascend the stairs, her heart beating faster and faster until she finally reached the circular trap door that was the entrance to the Divination classroom.

She placed her hand against the door, breathing in deeply in attempt to gather up some courage.

Just bloody do it already, she thought to herself, rubbing her temples aggressively. It's embarrassing at this point.

The trap door then swung open before her, taking her entirely by surprise, and a silvery ladder descended at Hermione's feet.

She immediately spun around and met his cruel eye.

"Struggling to open the door, were we?" asked Draco Malfoy with a raised eyebrow.

Once again, she was caught entirely by surprise.

"Oh, no, I mean yes. I think so. I don't know."

Where had all her sense and coherence gone? Had he stolen it from her?

"Get a move on then." His words were tinged with judgement.

He was down the ladder in an instant and Hermione followed quickly after, a little out of breath.

"Are we allowed to be here?" she asked naively on her way down the ladder.

Malfoy let out a snobbish laugh from below her.

"What do you think, Gryffindor?" he sneered.

Hermione's feet landed on the wooden floor of the small, compact little classroom that was overcast by a low ruddy light. It seemed as if it was full of the ruby embers left behind after you burn a piece of wood all the way through.