"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively as Draco had greeted her at the door of her apartment with a glass of expensive scotch, which made Hermione a bit nervous. She had spent the last minute and a half sipping the smoky liquid, trying to avoid eye contact.

"He's at work."

"What's going on, Draco? Not that I don't appreciate the drink, but you clearly want to tell me something."

"Yes. It's probably best to just say it. We're moving out."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. "I know, after the wedding."

"Hermione… we're moving out at the end of the week." Hermione opened her mouth to speak, although she wasn't quite sure what words were forming, but Draco kept talking in a slightly haughty tone that she knew was covering up bundles of nerves. "As you know, we've already picked out a house."

"It's beautiful," Hermione agreed softly, thinking of the gorgeous house and the manicured lawn. She had imagined spending so much time there, visiting her favorite couple, but it had seemed so far away at the time, as though she were imaging a different life. In some ways, she was.

"Thank you." Draco squeezed her hand.

"Why are you moving so soon?" Hermione tried not to sound pathetic, but didn't think she was very successful.

"It's nothing against you, Hermione, it's just that we've been waiting until the wedding is over, and we've decided to at least push it until we have a final word on my father's sentence. Don't give me that guilty look; I'm not blaming you. It would just be ideal to have him there, if at all feasible. Obviously we won't wait decades, but… Anyway, since we don't know how long it might be, we're not going to keep putting off the move just to please Mother. Besides, I'm cross with her for not attending Lucius's hearing. I know they aren't on wonderful terms, but it would have meant a lot." Draco was looking off into the distance, and now it was Hermione's turn to wrap her arms around him in a tight squeeze.

'After she let go, Draco was back to business. "We'll of course cover half the rent for the next couple months; I know it's terribly short notice."

"It's not about that, Draco. I'm going to miss you two." Draco smiled and put his arm around her. "Mostly Harry, though," she added grumpily. Draco just laughed in response.


Hermione could hear the tap, tap, tap as she nervously drummed what was left of her nails underneath the worn wooden table at the Three Broomsticks. She was determined to focus on the task at hand and put off her impending change in housing arrangements. Hermione had spent the bulk of the previous day researching the mysterious Lucinda Lestrange. She was Bellatrix's cousin by marriage, but had publicly disavowed the family numerous times, though Hermione couldn't help but note that none of those times were during Voldemort's power. She played both sides well, but one thing was for certain: the woman was adept at politics. And somehow, Hermione had been sucked into a political game she didn't even know the rules to.

"Ms. Granger." Hermione was wrested from her thoughts with a sugar-coated voice, far from the stern one in the courtroom, though they belonged to the same tall figure. Hermione reached out to shake her hand; long red fingernails contrasted with Hermione's short and jagged set while Hermione nervously choked out the name Lestrange. She was trying not to be prejudiced; after all, she was best friends with a Malfoy and here on behalf of another one. Still, it was hard to speak her torturer's last name with any ease.

"Please, sit," Hermione heard herself say.

"Thank you." Ms. Lestrange studied Hermione openly. "You were very impressive in the courtroom last Friday."

"You as well."

Ms. Lestrange smiled. "I've been doing it a little longer than you." Hermione heard a touch of bitterness creep up in the woman's voice before she flashed a graceful smile.

"I would like to hear more about what you mentioned at the hearing last Friday regarding being overheard while talking to your client."

Hermione swallowed nervously. She knew that the conversation would wind its way here, but she was not prepared for the direct approach. She had planned to assess the witch before determining how much to reveal about her suspicions. "Well, it's just as I said; confidential communications were overheard."

"Your use of passive tense is noted. Who overheard these communications, and how?"

"Well…" Hermione studied the witch, trying to ascertain her trustworthiness, but the woman was a blank slate. "I would like to know that as well, to be frank with you."

The woman across from her nodded knowingly as Madam Rosmerta brought two firewhiskys. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, but I hazarded a guess."

"Good guess," Hermione replied with a smile, inwardly wondering if it was too good of a guess. "Cheers?"

"To Lucius," the other witch offered. Though finding it a bit strange that the woman would suggest toasting to her client, Hermione went along with it. Hermione was a bit embarrassed after she downed her firewhisky in a shot and the witch opposite her had just taken a sip.

"That's unfortunate that you don't know who it is; that would make things more straightforward."

"Ms. Lestrange—"

"Lucinda, please."

"Lucinda, then." Hermione paused, removing her finger from tracing the rim of her glass to fold her hands in her lap and face Lucinda straight on. "You said in your letter that we might find common ground in our goals. What were you referring to?"

"Your goal of a favorable result in your case, of course."

"I was asking about your goals."

Lucinda smiled, revealing a slight gap in between her front teeth. "My goal is to remove Fudge from the Wizengamot. I can provide you several altruistic reasons for this. He relies on inadmissible evidence, cares much more for power than for justice, and is a toxic presence that rules through fear. But you know all of this already. What you may not know is that I'm next in line for his job."

"Why not come forward with your information, then? Why come to me?"

"You may not have known that I covet Fudge's seat, but nearly everyone else does. Going to the press is not an option; Fudge still has them in his pocket despite the fact that he is no longer Minister. He has close relationships with several reporters at the Prophet that he's rekindled. And I don't think our current Minister cares much what goes on at court; he's an ex-Auror and his idea of justice ends at capture."

"All those things about Kingsley and Fudge, though, they're as true for me as they are for you."

"You have a sterling reputation, Ms. Granger, and zealous representation of your client wouldn't be untoward considering you're his lawyer; I have to take a more neutral approach due to my job title and any attempt on Fudge coming from me will look purely political."

"Which it is."

Lucinda let silence descend for a moment, taking another small sip of her firewhisky. "Yes."

"Why tell me all of this? I could just trace this back to you."

"A calculated risk. I think you care more about the outcome of this case than ruining my reputation. Besides, it could be beneficial for you to have the Head of the Wizengamot owe you a favor. As I said, you're squeaky clean, but I don't think you're the type who would discount the value of that connection."

It was difficult to argue with the witch sitting across from her, though Hermione wished she could have. Unfortunately, gone were the days that Hermione thought signatures on a petition would be enough to get anything done. "What is it that you know regarding the deliberations?"

"Does this mean you'd like to work together?"

"To bring down Fudge?"

"Precisely."

Hermione looked up and met Lucinda's eyes. "I think I can agree to that."

"Excellent. In that case I think it's time for another round."

Hermione was glad she had agreed to another round because she was quickly infuriated. Apparently Fudge had blindly relied on Zabini's more colorful claims during deliberations, and the admittedly true statements about Hermione's presence at the Department of Mysteries and Lucius standing by while Lucinda's cousin tortured Hermione. Worst of all, he mentioned that he "heard a rumor" that Hermione was sleeping with Lucius.

"I have to ask if it's true," Lucinda asked, her tone not as apologetic as her phrasing.

"It's not. Just something I made up to see if conversations were safe. When I didn't see it in the Prophet the next day, I assumed that privacy had been restored. I was sorely mistaken."

Lucinda shrugged. "You underestimated people's estimation of you. Even Zabini and Fudge couldn't characterize it as truth without corroboration." For some reason, Hermione felt a twinge of annoyance at Lucinda's comment, but she brushed it off and dug into her food before determining a plan of attack on Fudge. It would mostly involve Hermione doing her due diligence in the appeals process, which would be unsuccessful with Fudge leading the appeal as well. There was nowhere to go but Kingsley, so she would just have to make sure that when it came to that, she had as much on the ex-Minister as possible.


"So, is it true that you had lunch with Lucinda Lestrange today?" Hermione was in the middle of slurping her hot soup that Draco had prepared when Harry asked the question, arms crossed and eyebrows knitted.

"Yes. Care to tell me what your facial expression is about and whether or not I should check to see if I'm being followed next time I step out for a bite?"

"You went to the Three Broomsticks and were seen with a Lestrange. Even I heard about it and I was practicing all day," Draco cut in.

"How did you hear about it, then?"

"Coach saw you at lunch," Draco explained with a shrug.

"Harry?"

"I dropped in on you to see if you were available for lunch and Neville mentioned it."

"Lovely. And now you would like to lecture me about spending my time with Slytherins while you sleep next to one every night?"

"I'm right here," Draco cut in. "I will also add that Lucinda was in Ravenclaw."

"You know her?" Hermione asked, dying for a second opinion on the witch.

Draco nodded, motioning for patience while he chewed. "Old family parties. I don't know anything useful, though."

"I do," Harry interjected, still looking like a big brother scolding his little sister for being out too late. "She's apparently quite ruthless when it comes to politics."

"And?"

"And you're not."

"Says who?"

Harry's face softened into concern. "I thought you did."

Hermione smiled sadly. "I thought so, too." She shrugged and returned to her food. Harry dropped the subject, and Draco turned the discussion to the impending move. Hermione tuned him out as she sipped her wine.


The following morning, Hermione arrived at the office early as usual, and spotted Susan; she was already at her desk. Taking a deep breath, Hermione hesitated for a moment before asking Susan if she they could chat for a moment.

"Certainly, Hermione. What is it?"

Did you sabotage my case?, Hermione thought to herself, but she settled for: "Susan, is there anything you want to tell me?" After running everyone over in her head again and again, all signs pointed to the witch in front of her. She didn't want them to, but she couldn't avoid the situation any longer.

"Tell you?" Susan's face was a picture of innocence and concern. She pushed her long straight hair behind her slightly oversized ear, as though to signal that she was listening.

"Susan… I hate to ask, but I feel that I must. Did you have anything to do with…"—what was the nicest way to put this—"spying on Lucius and me?" That probably wasn't the best way to phrase that.

Susan took a minute to process Hermione's too-straightforward question. Her thin lips formed an 'o' as she stared at Hermione, disbelief slipping into indignation. "So this is what you think of me?"

"Susan…"

"No, Hermione. Even though you represented my aunt's murderer, quite well I might add, I have done nothing but support you by taking up the slack on the cases we are actually supposed to be working on; you know, those that can't buy other representation. Those cases that you supposedly started this whole office for in the first place." Now Susan had paused to aggressively shake her head, having built up her anger throughout her speech.

"Susan, I care about those cases too, but Lucius was one of those cases. He would have been thoroughly unrepresented had I not stepped in."

"I've heard you're representing him on appeal. I suppose there's no lawyer that would do that, either?"

"And what would you have me do, abandon him?"

"Why not? Are you going to talk to me about loyalty when you're accusing me of this with no evidence? I thought you had some integrity, Hermione."

"Susan, I didn't mean it like that. I was just asking."

"I'll finish my cases and be out at the end of the month. I'll try to work from home." She was already packing this with her wand.

"Susan, please don't leave, I'm sorry I offended you."

"No, you're not. You're sorry that I'm leaving." And with that, she walked out the door, rolled parchment floating behind her.