Pride and Polyjuice Potion

Chapter 7

It was a bitter Sunday morning and Hermione was enjoying a ridiculously early walk in the Hogwarts grounds. She had a book in her arms, as per usual, and was taking in the sublime scenery that surrounded her. It seemed that her only solace could be found in nature and pages of size 12 font. Only here could she escape from the stresses of everyday life.

Or so she thought.

Just as she was about to sit down in the perfect spot and begin reading, she heard a rustling of leaves behind her, something like quick footsteps or...

... or Viktor Krum jogging in a white wife beater and grey joggers. The man made it very hard for a woman not to fall in love with him. As soon as he saw Hermione, he immediately ran over to her.

"Miss Granger, what a pleasure it is to see you again."

They'd had a few conversations since when they first met that evening and found him to be increasingly agreeable. Now this was a respectable man, unlike that pure-blood phallus.

Merlin, why was he on her mind when such a fine gentleman was before her? Had she no self control?

"Up early for a run, I see?"

"Up early for a read?"

"Looks like I've been caught," she joked.

"I like that about you - your intellect."

Igor Karkaroff.

"Krum, what are you doing? Distracted by a girl, when you're supposed to be running? Never let me see such a thing again. How are you to win the Triwizard tournament if you're slacking off at every opportunity? Remember what you're doing this for. You need to bring eternal glory not only to yourself, but to the institution of Durmstrang itself. You will be nobody if you let us down."

Krum gave Hermione a quick apologetic look and continued on his run as Karkaroff followed behind him after giving Hermione a malicious glare.

Was he about to ask her to the ball? Surely not. Although she really had let herself hope for a moment that he might. He was incredibly attentive to her, had dashing good looks and, as much as she tried to deny it, she enjoyed being singled out by someone whom every other girl desired.

She decided to head back to the castle as she could hardly focus on her book now. All the other girls were asleep when she got back to her dormitory, so she decided to go sit in the common room for a little while and enjoy a nice hot tea to calm her down.

To her utmost surprise, she found Luna lying fast asleep on one of the sofas. What in Merlin's name was Luna doing sleeping here?

She must have made a sound because Luna woke up with a jolt. When she saw Hermione's face, her eyes began to swell, as if she were about to cry.

"Luna, what on Earth are you doing here?"

"Please don't hate me, Mione. It's just that, well, the Ravenclaws have kicked me out for good. They say I spend too much time with the Gryffindors so I might as well become one."

"Oh, Luna I could never hate you. I am so sorry about what they've done to you but just know that you're always welcome here. We all-"

"That's not even all of it though, I'm afraid," Luna sniffled. Hermione had never seen her friend in such a state and the sight of it worried her tremendously. "I was convinced that Blaise would ask me to the ball. Everyone was confirming the idea. Oh, Mione, I've been most dreadfully deceived."

"Oh Luna, don't worry about that. He has plenty of time left to ask you."

"No, Mione, you don't understand. He isn't speaking to me at all. Not since the lake incident. He won't even meet my eye. What am I to do?"

Hermione felt terribly guilty. These past few days had been so full of strange events that she hadn't even noticed her friend's misfortunes. She immediately pulled Luna in for a hug, trying in every possible way to comfort her.

"Luna, I was so convinced in him liking you. Hell - I even thought he was very much in the process of falling in love with you. I saw the way he looked at you when you were together. Whatever is going on must be a terrible mistake. If everything's not back to normal and he's not asked you to the ball within two weeks, I should be very much surprised."

"I wouldn't be so optimistic."

"Alright, let's say that is the case - which it isn't of course - but for argument's sake, he has somehow stopped caring for you. You are the most beautiful and kind girl in the whole of Hogwarts and he's a fool to lose you. But there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Everyone drools at the sight of you, girls included! You will have a multitude of people fighting over having the great honour of being your date to the Yule ball."

"But, Mione, I do quite simply prefer him to any other wizard in existence. I could not go to the ball with anybody else. Oh, but there is nothing to be done. May he live in my memory as the most amiable man of my acquaintance. I suppose I shall have to be content with that small chance of happiness I was so generously given."

Hermione soon realised that there was nothing that could console her dear friend, and so she decided to try and support her as best she could without giving her any false hope of Blaise's return to her life.