Chapter Thirteen:
Solutions

Draco stood under the shower with his arms open, letting the warm water rinse his dirt-covered body clean. The rain had dried quickly after he landed and left his skin feeling sticky and grimy. It felt good to be clean once again.
Quickly stepping out of the shower, he got dressed and pulled his black Hogwarts robe over his regular clothing, just because he had to walk a ways to get back to the Slytherin Common Room and his body was chilled enough.
Taking a quick look in the mirror to make sure his hair wasn't too messy, he stepped briskly out of the locker room and into the long hallway leading towards the entrance hall.
He had planned on going straight to his dorm, but the sound of footsteps behind him made him slow his pace. They sounded like they were running, and he turned slowly to see who it was.
"Draco!" came Hermione's voice as he saw her – hair messy and robes wrinkled – rushing down the deserted corridor towards him.
A smile broke out on his face as he she caught up to him.
"Hermione," he said with a grin, noticing how she had to catch her breath before she could speak. "I thought you of all people would know not to run in the corridors. Being a Prefect and all."
Hermione laughed amidst her gasps.
"Nonsense!" she said with a smile, straightening up. "When you're a Prefect, you have the privilege."
This got a chuckle out of Draco and he felt a little better after losing to Gryffindor in the match.
"So," he started after they'd shared a laugh. "What do you want?"
Hermione started, looking to her right as she talked. "I just wanted to know what we were doing with our plant. You know – for the project."
Draco shrugged. "We don't have Herbology until Tuesday." he replied.
"Well," Hermione started, looking not into his eyes, but at his chest as though she couldn't look into them. "We could work on it outside of class, you know. Even though we're really far ahead – thanks to you."
Draco smiled. He was glad she appreciated his notes.
"Well, I'm glad you're not mad at me so much anymore about the whole note thing." he said as he caught her eyes.
Hermione's expression suddenly went somber and she folded her arms.
"That's the other reason I wanted to talk to you." she started. "I – um...was kind of a little rash, you know, in Herbology the other day. I blew up and I know I shouldn't have. Who knows the rumors that are going to be spread about me now!"
Yeah, tell me about it, Draco thought to himself as he looked away. He'd already heard a million of them in his own House. For the most part, they were only about Hermione, but a few had involved him and he was sure the Gryffindors were having a heyday making up stories of their own to explain why Hermione had burst out of Herbology class with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I wasn't able to catch up to you," he started, not knowing where he was going with it. "I ran after you and –"
"I know." Hermione cut in. "You were going to apologize and I didn't even give you the chance."
"Well, you probably weren't in a listening mood with Potter eavesdropping on you." Draco said, not being able to stop himself. But, to his surprise, Hermione nodded.
"You're right." she replied with a nod. "I was really mad at Harry. I mean – everything was going so well and then he had to go and ruin it! He usually does, though..."
What? Draco thought to himself. Hermione badmouthing Potter?
"I'm not saying he's a bad person," she went on. "But, he's been acting really...strange lately, you know? I mean – ever since we started going out he's been all over me." This received a raised eyebrow from Draco and she blushed. "Well, in a manner of speaking."
Draco nodded.
"I know. I've seen it. Him always kissing you. It didn't look too comforting, did it?"
"No," she replied. "I guess not."
There was an awkward silence between the two and Draco chuckled, just to add some noise to the hallway.
"Well," he started slowly. "I don't want to say something I'll regret, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow in Potions."
Hermione nodded.
They both stood there, looking at each other. Draco half expected her to hug him, but she didn't. Turning back down the hallway, she smiled. "Goodnight, Draco." she said over her shoulder.
Draco smiled as he turned his own way. He was about halfway down the hall when –
Suddenly, out of a side hall came a hand that grabbed him, pulling him off his feet and off his path.
Glaring down at him was his father.
"Father –"he started nervously. "What're you –"
"What in the world was that!?" his father yelled angrily, pushing him against the wall. Draco wasn't hurt, but it had shocked him none the less.
"I – uh – you just –"he started stuttering, but Lucius cut him off.
"I come down to the locker room to meet you and what do I find? You and Granger talking! TALKING!"
Draco shrugged.
"So what?" he said, pushing his father's hand off of his robes.
Lucius glared down his nose at Draco. If looks could kill, he'd have been dead before he even made it down the hallway.
"So what? My boy – what has happened to you? I leave you for a week and I come back to find you corrupt and conversing with Mudbloods!"
He was becoming emotional over Draco talking to Hermione, so Draco cut in, wanting to cut himself some slack.
"Father – I was only talking to Hermione because we're doing a Herbology project together!"
"HERMIONE?" Lucius bellowed. "You're calling this Mudblood by her first name now?!"
Draco rolled his eyes.
"Look, Father – I've got a long paper to write for Potions class, so if you don't mind –" And with that, he shoved by his father and started down the hallway towards the staircase that led to the Slytherin portrait.
Lucius straightened his robes angrily and sneered at his son.
"You just wait, boy!" he called after Draco. "You wait until the Dark Lord returns to power! Soon! I'm warning you! If you choose the ways of the Mudbloods, I can't spare you his wrath!"
Draco shrugged his father off and started up the stairs.

Ron sat in one of the large armchairs before the roaring Gryffindor fire; Potions book propped on his lap as he stared into the flames. Every so often, the room would be filled with a loud crack and a burst of light lit up the room for an instant. He was alone and was glad to be. He'd had a long day – with Quidditch playing on his nerves the entire morning and then having to put up with Harry being hot headed towards him for not siding with him.
That was the reason he had come down to the Common Room in the first place. He had to get away from the tension in his dorm room. Dean, Seamus and Neville were all there, but they were either busy with their own homework or too anxious to say anything or dozing off.
Glancing out the window, Ron saw the full moon behind a veil of clouds.
Sighing, he let the book fall from his lap onto the floor as he folded his arms behind his head, leaning back in the comfy chair.
With nothing but the fire to keep him company, he felt a little lonely. But, his loneliness only lasted a short while because suddenly something came into the room through the portrait hole.
The tiny creature was startled at first to see Ron sitting in the chair, then it slowly stumbled into the firelight, chuckling to itself.
"Ron give Dobby a scare, Sir!" came the squeaky voice of Dobby, one of the House Elves that worked in the kitchens at Hogwarts.
Ron grinned as he watched the little creature walk across the room towards one of the round tables, picking up crumpled pieces of parchment and throwing them into the fire.
"I didn't know the House Elves cleaned at night," he said as he leaned on the arm of the enormous chair he sat in.
Dobby chuckled as he went on tidying the room.
"Of course, Sir. We cleans the Common Rooms by night and the dormitories by day. 'Tis the way of the House Elf. Never to be seen, we are." he said, glancing up at Ron. "Tonight be an exception."
Ron grinned.
"Are you going to be here long?" he asked after a while.
Dobby shrugged beneath his uniform. "I comes and goes by night as I pleases after I cleans up the Gryffindor Common Room."
Ron nodded.
"Hey – do you think you could stay for a bit and talk with me?" he asked suddenly. The need for company was becoming too strong for him to bear.
Dobby stopped to consider this offer, then nodded, his large ears flopping.
"I suppose Dobby could, Sir. Dobby doesn't talk to others very often Sir, unless you counts Winky as a good conversationalist, Sir."
Ron grinned as he motioned for Dobby to sit in one of the comfy chairs. The tiny House Elf hesitated at first as though finding this act to be a little too comforting then sat down on the edge of the large chair.
"Can I ask you something, Dobby?" Ron asked as he looked over at Dobby.
"Of course you can, Sir." he replied brightly.
"Okay..." Ron started, sorting out how he wanted to word what he was about to ask. "I know this is probably a little awkward because I'm asking a House Elf and not a person – but, have you ever liked someone?"
Dobby smiled.
"You asks Dobby a personal question, Sir!" he said with a chuckle. "Dobby's never been asked about who he likes, Sir!"
Ron grinned. "Well, you're one of the only people I can talk to right now."
Dobby nodded.
"Of course – how can Dobby forget, Sir? Dobby's liked someone for a while now, Sir."
"Good." Ron said, resting his chin on his fist. "I need some advice. About liking someone."
"Sir asks Dobby for advice?" Dobby said sarcastically. "Dobby not knows what to say!"
"Well, I'll lead you on," Ron started. "About liking someone. I happen to like someone – well, someone for a while."
Dobby grinned. "Everybody likes someone, Sir." he said, grin still in place.
"I know." Ron went on. "I just – don't know how to tell them that I like them. That's my problem, you see."
"I see, Sir," Dobby replied. He thought for a moment, then went on. "What Dobby would suggest, Sir, is writing this person a note."
"A note?" Ron repeated, considering it. I guess I could... he thought to himself. "But, won't the person know it's me?"
Dobby shook his head. "That's why you write Anonymous instead of name, Sir."
Ron nodded, everything dawning on him.
"I see now," he said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of parchment.
Dobby got up off his chair and started towards the portrait hole.
"Dobby hopes Sir succeeds in letting his someone know how he feels!" he said over his shoulder as he left the Common Room.
Ron sat back in the chair, resting the parchment on his Potions book as he started to write. It would be early morning before he would fall asleep. He had a lot to write before he would be finished.