Expediency

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"YOOWL!"

Hermione fought against wakefulness. A heavy weight shifted on her chest and she felt a soft touch on her cheek. She was in Draco's bed again, his arms around her, his head on ...

"YOOOWWL!"

Or maybe not.

"Argh, Crooky, get off!" Hermione groaned. A fuzzy head was butting against hers. Exhaustion dragged at her bones and her mind felt sluggish and stupid.

"YOOOOWWWWL!"

She opened her eyes, glad to see the embroidered Gryffindor lion on her bed canopy. "What is it, Crooks? You want your breakfast?" She looked over at her golden mantle clock: ten minutes to eight. Thank Merlin it was Saturday.

Crookshanks leaped off the bed and ran to the door, clawing at the wood.

Hermione yawned and left the bed as well, pulling at her wrinkled hospital gown. She looked around for her fuzzy red robe before remembering it was still in the Slytherin dungeons, in the room where ... no, no, no, not before her morning tea.

Her cat called out again, his claws making spine-shivering screeches on the door. "YOOOOWL!"

"Fine!" She pulled a Weasley sweater over her head and hobbled to the door. "There! It's open! Go on then!"

But Crookshanks didn't leave; he crouched before the open doorway, eyes lowered. Hermione peered into the corridor to see a small tabby cat sitting on the stone floor.

The cat's pink nose twitched, and then it rose to its feet, stretching luxuriously, and pranced into the room. It halted in the center of the carpet and eyed Crookshanks, who emitted a small meow Hermione had never heard before from the half-Kneazle.

Hermione huffed. "It's lovely that you're making friends, Crooks, but this isn't the best ..."

She trailed off as the tabby cat, which Hermione now realized had suspicious markings around the eyes, sat up on its hind legs. Its form shifted, rising higher and higher until Headmistress McGonagall stood in the center of the room.

"Close the door, Miss Granger, and do stop gaping," McGonagall said.

Hermione hastened to do both as McGonagall looked around the room, likely noting Romilda's scattered clothes and empty bed, not to mention the pack of cigarettes on the window seat. Hermione avoided looking at herself in the mirror. Best not to know.

"I apologize for visiting unannounced," the Headmistress said. "But it was necessary."

"Is Draco alright? Did Tennant wake up?"

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