Chapter Ten
Hermione woke to the disconcerting feeling that she was being watched. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, but she could tell that there was at least one other pair of eyes focused intently on her body. Tilting her head slightly in the direction of the disturbance, she hesitantly pried her eyes open. She hadn't been wrong. A gorgeous pair of silvery grey eyes mere inches from her own were open and fixated entirely on her.
"Good morning," Lucius said. His usual confident air was replaced by a nervous, uncertain demeanor.
"Good morning."
Hermione smiled before leaning up to capture his lips in a short kiss. Lucius' confident air returned immediately and he moved his body closer to hers to continue and deepen the kiss she started. Several wonderful minutes later, Hermione snuggled close to Lucius' chest as they both tried to catch their breath.
"A girl could get used to starting her mornings off like that more often," Hermione teased.
"It would be my pleasure."
Neither was in a hurry to rush to get out of bed. The morning was still early. They had plenty of time to spare to just enjoy being in each other's presence.
"I was afraid last night was all one unbelievable dream," Lucius admitted after several minutes of silence between the new lovers.
"An unbelievably amazing dream," Hermione added.
She had been more than pleasantly surprised to learn the difference of an older man with vast amounts of experience and unlimited time in an extraordinarily comfortable bed and a sweaty, inexperienced teenager with a few stolen minutes at a time while their friend searched for firewood in a magic tent that smelled of cat urine. Her eyes had been opened the previous night to the revelation of what everyone always talked about. She had no idea one of the most basic biological functions could cloud her judgment, produce such exquisite toe-curling sensations and make even her stop thinking for a few moments. She had surprised herself with her boldness the previous night, but did not regret a second of it. The adrenaline that had been coursing through her entire body following her near sexual assault by Rabastan Lestrange and the scary, raw magic coursing through Lucius' entire body created ideal conditions for the most incredible, mind-blowing hours of her entire existence.
"When I woke up and saw you were still here," said Lucius as he pulled her still diamond-and-nothing-else clad body closer. "I was sure it had all been a dream. I was afraid to touch you out of fear that I would wake up to find myself all alone again."
"You are not alone, Lucius."
"No, I am not. Thank you."
"And after what you did last night," she continued. "It's going to take a hell of a lot to get rid of me now. I fear I may have found myself addicted."
His deep laugh shook her head lying on his chest. It was a sound Hermione knew she would never get tired of hearing. Hermione Granger learned her mission in life at that moment. Keep Lucius Malfoy laughing.
"You, my dear, are not the only one. I plan on many, many, many repeats of last night."
Hermione leaned up to kiss him once more, convincing herself that she could drown in this man's affections and die happy.
"I wouldn't be opposed to that," she replied.
Hermione and Lucius had two solid weeks to themselves with no interruptions or uninvited guests. They were both immeasurably pleased that Rabastan Lestrange had the good sense, or at least the healthy fear of Lucius, to not intrude on their solitude after the almost violent events of the grand reception. While they were pleased to not be disturbed by any Death Eaters or annoying Ministry personnel, they were both troubled by the virtual radio silence from the resistance. Within their own cocoon in Malfoy Manor, neither of them had heard anything from anyone. Remembering Neville's words that something big was about to happen, Hermione could not keep her mind from imagining all of the worst case scenarios.
"Care to tell me what had you so worried?" Lucius asked her on Saturday evening in the middle of May. They were both engrossed in the latest Transfiguration and Potions periodicals.
Hermione dropped the potions magazine onto the sofa beside her. She had read and reread the same paragraph about recent developments in a supposed cure for vampirism multiple times without retaining anything. Her mind was restless and it was obvious that she was unable to hide that fact from Lucius.
"Why haven't we heard anything from Neville or Kingsley or George?" she asked.
"It has only been a few weeks, Hermione," he responded. "I am certain there is nothing to worry about."
"Maybe."
She retrieved her magazine and tried to read the same article once more. After approximately thirty seconds, she dropped it again knowing her mind was too preoccupied to read. Lucius set his journal down with hers.
"Neville said something big was coming and that was six weeks ago," she continued. "Why haven't we heard anything? I can't stand this feeling of being left out."
"Believe me when I say I can most assuredly empathize."
"Don't get me wrong, Lucius. I have very much enjoyed these past few weeks alone with you…"
"As have I."
"But I can't shake this guilt at being safe and tucked away in our own little world when my friends are out there facing god knows what. What are they planning that is so big? Do they need help? When is it going to happen? Has it already happened and it didn't work out like it was supposed to? Why has no one told us anything?"
Lucius kissed the top of her head in an effort to calm her down. She was well on her way to a full-scale panic attack if she didn't stop her line of thinking.
"I'm not used to being left behind," she whispered, immediately feeling like a petulant child.
"I understand that you feel useless, my darling, but we must trust that the resistance is well prepared to accomplish their goals without us. We may prove to be more of a hindrance than a help."
"Of course you're right, but…"
The rest of her sentence was cut off by the visitor alarms suddenly sounding. No one had bothered them for weeks. They almost forgot what to do. Lucius calmly reminded Hermione to take a swig of the potion she was still carrying around on her body. After the transformation into the object of Rabastan Lestrange's obsession was completed, Lucius calmly walked to the front door. Hermione stayed in the study but she still had a good view of the entrance.
"Good evening, Antonin," Lucius greeted. "I began to wonder if you had forgotten where I lived."
A small part of Hermione was relieved that the visitor was Dolohov instead of Rabastan. Only a small part. He was still a dangerous Death Eater determined to capture her after all.
"I have been out of the country for a few days," Antonin replied.
Lucius made to shut the front door behind Dolohov, but Antonin stopped him.
"I am not alone, Lucius."
Hermione could feel the atmosphere of the entire house change with those five words. Lucius' entire body tensed up and for a moment Hermione was afraid there would be a repeat of the crackling, raw magic outburst of a few weeks earlier. While the raw magic definitely enhanced their carnal activities following the reception and near rape, Hermione could not be positive that this time Lucius wouldn't lose control and hurt someone or himself in the process. Sensing Lucius' abrupt change, Antonin reached for his wand, ready to stop him if needed.
"Rabastan wishes to apologize for his behavior," Antonin explained, his voice cool and detached despite the volatility of the circumstances he found himself in.
"I am not interested in his apology, Antonin," Lucius spat.
"I understand your reluctance, Lucius."
"Reluctance?! He tried to force himself on my goddaughter!"
"I am inclined to agree with you, Lucius," Antonin continued. "If it had been my goddaughter in Miss Black's position I would've behaved in the exact same way that you did."
"Then why are you here defending him?"
"Because you and I both know what a vulnerable state you are in."
Whatever Lucius was expecting Dolohov to say, that wasn't it. Hermione could sense his confusion from across the entrance hall.
"What do you mean by that?" demanded Lucius.
"The moment the Dark Lord removed your mark, you became vulnerable to the likes of people like Rabastan. He hasn't forgotten how you used to treat him. How you behaved as if you were better than the rest of us because of your name, your money, your proximity to the Dark Lord," Antonin explained. "If Rabastan wished to, he could have you and your son executed. Then who would protect Miss Black? Rabastan would never allow her to return to her mother."
Hermione's mouth grew suddenly dry at Antonin's words.
"Come on, Lucius! You know how the game is played. You were once the master at it."
"Why are you so willing to help me, Antonin?"
"We were friends once. I've not forgotten that."
Lucius was fighting an internal battle to decide if he would take Dolohov's advice or risk whatever Lestrange might be capable of. After a few minutes, Lucius sighed and dropped his shoulders.
"All right, Antonin. I will allow him in."
As if on cue, a smirking Rabastan Lestrange entered the front door. No doubt he had been in a similar position as Hermione to see and hear everything without being seen or heard himself. In his hands he carried a bottle of some kind of alcohol that he immediately thrust into Lucius' hands. He also carried an ostentatiously large bouquet of breathtaking flowers that Hermione was certain were for her. Shuddering at the thought of having to be in his presence again, Hermione moved away from the door and returned to the sofa. She did not wish to hear the men speak. Several more minutes passed before Lucius entered the room again.
"They are in the drawing room," Lucius announced. "Rabastan would like to make a formal apology to you for the other night."
"Do I have to, Lucius?"
"Personally, I would rather you hexed his disgusting head off of his puny neck, but I am afraid Antonin is right. There is a game we must play whether we wish to or not."
Unfortunately, Hermione couldn't argue with him. This was all just one large game where the losers died and the winners lived to see another day. To protect Lucius and the life she had with him, Hermione knew she had no choice. She rose from the sofa, straightened her skirt and pushed past her lover in the grand entrance hall. Her shoes clicked across the floor with a deafening regularity. As she approached the door she reminded herself to take a deep breath before pushing it open.
Both men rose from their seats the moment Hermione entered the room. Careful to not show how anxious she was to be in Rabastan's presence so soon after he almost succeeded in raping her, she graciously accepted their greetings. Thankfully Lestrange was satisfied with simply kissing her hand once. He presented the bouquet to her with his insincerest apologies. Hermione placed the flowers on a side table before taking a seat in her usual chair.
"You both left the party at the worst possible time," Rabastan said after the awkward silence between the four of them became unbearable for him. "You missed all of the fireworks."
Lucius caught Hermione's eye with the barest hint of a smirk on his face. No, they had not missed the fireworks that evening. They had their own private show upstairs. Hermione felt her cheeks blush and desperately hoped no one else noticed.
"You said earlier you were out of the country, Antonin," Lucius said in an attempt to turn the discussion away from that night. "Where did you go?"
Antonin took a deep drink from his wine glass before answering.
"Russia," he responded, but did not elaborate.
"Business or pleasure?"
"Neither. My uncle died. I was his only surviving relative."
"I am very sorry for your loss," Hermione said granting the Death eater a small smile.
"Thank you, Miss Black, but we were not close. It did give me an opportunity to follow up on some rumors I have heard about revolutionary activity stemming from the country."
Hermione's insides froze at his words. Was he referring to the rumors of Percy Weasley rallying support in Russia to help the resistance? She desperately hoped Antonin found nothing.
"And were you able to learn anything?" she asked, surprising herself with her audaciousness.
"Unfortunately not, Miss Black. Either there is no truth to the rumor or they are simply too well organized at present."
"No need to worry, Miss Black," Rabastan added with a leer. "We wizards are more than capable of protecting our witches from any blood traitor rebels who might believe they can overthrow our Dark Lord."
To give herself something to do, Hermione got up from her chair to refill her own glass of wine. Her time living with Lucius had given her an appreciation for fine wine. She had also learned that a couple of glasses helped to stem the ever-present anxiety that constantly threatened to overtake her completely. She was refilling her glass when the alarms sounded again. Startled by the noise, she dropped the entire bottle to the floor with a resounding crash. In mere moments Antonin was at her side helping to clean up the mess.
"Dear dear, Lucius," Rabastan laughed. "It appears your own paranoia has startled Miss Black. Why the need for such harsh perimeter alarms? Are you hiding something you shouldn't be?"
Hermione feared her heart would beat right out of her chest. Lucius gave Rabastan an insincere smirk and headed for the front door to greet their new guest. She wasn't sure who it could possibly be. Their usual visitors were already present. Before she could do a mental rundown of every Death Eater still alive, she heard an extremely familiar voice in the hall.
"Good evening, Father."
She knocked her glass off of the table it had been resting on when she heard Draco's voice. What was he doing there? He had not visited the manor the entire time she had been living there. How could she possibly pull off this charade? Draco would know his own cousin!
"Careful, Miss Black," Antonin warned as he used his wand to repair the broken glass.
"He has an intruder alarm that doesn't even recognize his own son?" Rabastan asked. "I thought they were close."
"None of our business, Rabastan."
"Just curious is all."
The two Malfoys entered the room. Draco crossed the room to Hermione. He pulled her into a warm hug and kissed her cheek.
"What a pleasant surprise to find you here, Isla," Draco said. "I didn't know you were still visiting."
Hermione caught Lucius' eyes and could almost hear him tell her to play along. She didn't know what he told his son in the entrance hall. There hadn't been enough time for Lucius to tell him the truth.
"Oh, yes, Draco," she answered, trying to keep her voice from wavering. "I wasn't in a rush to hurry back. Lucius has been the consummate host."
Draco released her from the embrace to greet the other two men with firm handshakes.
"I am very sorry to interrupt," he said. "But I need to have a private word with my father. With school still in session and being Horace's apprentice, I get so little free time to visit. I have to come when I can."
"Of course," Rabastan replied. "Antonin and I will be glad to keep your cousin company while you and Lucius have a chat."
Lucius gave Hermione a final indiscernible look before exiting the room with his son. Suddenly quite nervous once more, Hermione tried to occupy her hands. She attempted to fill her recently repaired glass with more wine only to find the only remaining bottle was empty.
"It appears that we are all out of wine," she announced to the two wizards left. "I should go to the cellar to retrieve more. If you will both excuse me."
Rabastan quickly jumped from his chair…
"Allow me to assist you, Miss Black."
… and was knocked back down with a single swish from Dolohov's wand. Hermione had to resist the urge to laugh when she realized Rabastan was somehow stuck in the chair and unable to get back to his feet.
"Forgive me, Rabastan, but you do have an uncomfortable history with being alone with Miss Black," Antonin said. "I will provide Miss Black with the assistance she needs… without fear of your clammy hands all over her!"
The last part of Antonin's sentence was directed at Rabastan in a harsh whisper but the sound was loud enough for Hermione to hear. She tried unsuccessfully to assure Dolohov that she required no help. Antonin would not hear of her skulking off to the sub-regions of the manor alone.
"Thank you, Mr. Dolohov, but it was really unnecessary of you to come. I've been down in the cellars many times."
It was, of course, a lie. She had only been down there a few times and never without Lucius for company. A memory of the last time she was down there with him a few days prior popped into her head and she hoped Antonin could not see how flushed her cheeks suddenly became. Once the initial barrier of the first touch was crossed, she and Lucius had been able to keep their hands and their lips to themselves.
"I don't trust you by yourself while Rabastan is around," Antonin admitted as they descended the cellar stairs. "He is like a dog with a bone. He won't stop until he devours it or until something new distracts him."
"If you don't trust him, why is he your friend?" She could not believe she was being so bold with this man who still terrified her.
Antonin stopped on the stairs abruptly enough that Hermione fell into him. He caught her and set her back on the stairs with gentle hands. The act surprised Hermione. This was a man who had murdered countless people in the past. He had a reputation for enjoying torturing Muggles. He tried to kill her in the Department of Mysteries and would've succeeded if she had been unable to cast a silencing spell on him. How could one person be so evil but then be capable of such tenderness?
"Lucius has no doubt told you something of mine and Rabastan's histories?" he asked.
"Yes, a little."
"As he should have considering we are such frequent visitors to his home."
Antonin clasped her hand in his to lead her down the stairs once more. She was a bit unnerved by the contact, but she was not scared. Unlike Rabastan, she knew that Antonin Dolohov was not interested in hurting her. She was grateful for the disguise the polyjuice potion provided her. Somehow she knew his feelings would be different if he was aware of who she really was.
"I spent many years locked up in Azkaban, Miss Black, only to get out for a little while and get locked back up in it. Like I told you the night of the reception, adjustment has been difficult. Rabastan provided me with a place to live when I had nothing. Now that I have a little bit more to my name he has continued to remain a loyal friend. I owe him a great deal."
Antonin released her hand from his the moment they reached the end of the staircase. Hermione lit all of the torches with her wand and crossed to the nearest wine rack. Lucius showed her what he always served their guests a few days earlier. The bottles were up high. Even on her tiptoes she was unable to reach. She started to summon the bottles until Antonin easily took a few down for her.
"Thank you. I think three should be plenty for the five of us."
"I agree," he replied. "You don't want to encourage Rabastan to stay any longer."
A giggle escaped from her mouth before she could stop it. With a quick look at Antonin, she saw a hint of a grin on his lips as well. So there really is a human being under there after all?
"May I ask an impertinent question, Mr. Dolohov?"
"You may."
"Why do you stay with Mr. Lestrange if his actions bother you so much?"
"Misguided sense of loyalty, I suppose. Sometimes I ask myself the same question."
"What would you rather do? Where would you rather be?"
The questions kept falling out of her mouth. She didn't understand why she was willingly engaging herself in a conversation with him. If she was smart, she would run back up the stairs as fast as she could and not spend another moment alone with this murderer.
"I just recently purchased a small cottage in the West Country. It should be ready to move into very soon."
"That sounds lovely. Somewhere quiet, I assume?"
"Yes. I'm sick to death of being around people."
"I understand. I wouldn't mind running off and disappearing from the world too at times."
Antonin gave her another small smile before gesturing her towards the staircase.
"We better get you back upstairs before Lucius comes searching. As entertaining as it was watching Rabastan lie in the dirt, I would rather not find myself at the business end of Malfoy's wand."
They climbed the staircase in silence. Both of them were wrapped up in their own minds to keep a conversation going. By the time they crossed the expanse of the house back to the drawing room, Lucius and Draco had completed their private discussion. Draco rose from his chair to give his "cousin" another kiss on the cheek before making his excuses to head back to Hogwarts.
"We were just about to send out a search party, weren't we, Lucius?" Rabastan teased. Antonin glared at him before waving his wand to end the sticking charm from earlier.
"I'm very sorry to keep you both waiting," Hermione apologized. "This is a very large house."
Lucius asked her if she was all right with a single lifting of his eyebrows. She smiled at him to reassure him that she was perfectly all right.
"It's getting rather late and I find myself very tired," she announced. "Would you gentlemen please excuse me?"
All three stood from their chairs. The guests wished her a good evening before Lucius walked her over to the hidden staircase behind the bookshelf. Instead of simply shutting the door behind her, Lucius started to follow her up the stairs. When the bookshelf clicked shut, he pulled her close to him and kissed her.
"Are you sure you are all right, my darling? Dolohov did not do anything?"
"I'm perfectly fine, Lucius. I promise. He was a perfect gentleman. I'm just tired all of a sudden."
He kissed her again and the two voices in the drawing room met their ears. Lucius and Hermione stopped moving to hear what was being said.
"You two were certainly gone a long time, Antonin," Rabastan teased. "Was she a little more willing with you than she was with me?"
Lucius hand tightened on Hermione's waist. She smoothed his hair and kissed his head.
"Absolutely not, Rabastan. I wouldn't try to take advantage of a young woman who was clearly not interested in me."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Rabastan was clearly insulted.
"It means that if you opened your eyes half as much as you opened your mouth, you might learn something about the people around you."
"Like what?"
Antonin sighed.
"Like how those two are clearly sleeping together."
"You must be joking, old friend. That's ridiculous." Rabastan laughed.
"I've noticed something between the two of them for a while now. Glances at each other, quick touches when they think no one sees them."
"You have lost your mind, Antonin. I've never noticed any of that."
"Use your brain, Lestrange! She is an attractive woman living alone with an attractive man. She's been here for months and with the exception of your train wreck of a party, no one has ever seen them out of the manor together."
"You've said yourself that the girl is shy."
"Then explain what happened at your party to me? Why was Lucius so upset with you?"
"I've already apologized for that, Antonin! I had too much to drink and she smelled… delicious."
Hermione shuddered in disgust. Lucius kissed her cheek.
"Lucius wanted to kill you. He might've even done it if she didn't stop him. That is not the behavior of two people who are only sort of fond of each other because her late father was cousin to his late wife."
Rabastan stopped speaking for a few moments, likely to let everything sink in. It did not take him long before he started laughing again at the thought.
"Ridiculous! Absolute rubbish!"
"Then explain to me why she was so jumpy this evening?"
Silence again.
"She was perfectly fine and normal until the alarms went off. You wondered why he had alarms set up to warn when his own son arrived and you thought that was strange. Then when she heard Draco's voice in the hall she dropped her bloody glass! It's obvious that they have been sneaking around having an affair for months and the son has no clue."
"Sounds to me, Antonin, like you've been reading too many witches' novels."
"It also explains why they haven't been seen out in public together except for that night you practically threatened him with violence if they didn't attend your damned party," Antonin continued. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but as long as Lucius is around, Miss Black has eyes for no one else."
"Well, then maybe I need to make it so Lucius isn't around anymore."
The threat made Hermione's skin break out in goose bumps. Rabastan was not a man to trifle with. Lucius leaned down to capture her mouth in a passionate kiss once more.
"Go to bed, my darling. I will be fine. I will meet you up there as soon as I can."
With another kiss Hermione climbed the stairs the rest of the way to the second floor. She wanted to kill Rabastan. How dare he come into this home and threaten to get rid of Lucius? It was unthinkable. Her irate thoughts occupied her completely until she arrived in the second floor corridor. She pushed the door to the master suite open.
"Well, well, it looks like my suspicions were correct."
Draco was seated on the foot of the large bed. He must have doubled back to a side door to sneak back into the house when no one was looking. Hermione froze in the doorway. She wasn't sure how to proceed.
"I suspected you were sleeping with my father."
"No, we're…"
"Don't lie to me! What other reason could you possibly have to enter his private room at night? You are certainly no house elf warming up the sheets or turning back the covers."
"Draco…"
His name just slipped out of her mouth. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him. Everything was happening so fast. She didn't know what to do.
"That is something else that is bothering me," he continued. "You have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I certainly have no idea who you are."
Hermione said nothing. He couldn't know the truth. She wasn't sure he could be trusted to keep the secret of her identity.
"Clever idea though, I must say. Polyjuice, is it?"
She nodded despite her better judgment.
"My cousin Isla would never set foot back in this house again. Clever of my father to attempt to conceal you, whoever you are, as a copy of her. She loudly proclaimed to my entire family when I was fourteen that she would never return to this house as long as my father was alive. Clever. Keeps the real Isla from just showing up one day."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Don't lie to me!"
His voice was the same voice she remembered from school. How many times had he screamed at her or insulted her or made her life misery with just the simple use of his voice?
"The question now remains is why is my father hiding you. Who are you?"
She was not going to say a word.
"Why go to the trouble of hiding you in plain sight? I saw a photo of you and Father in the Daily Prophet after Lestrange's party. Completely shocked me. Almost choked on my pumpkin juice. Knew it couldn't really be my cousin. Then I remembered a nasty habit of my father's and it all made sense."
Draco rose from the bed and crossed the room to stand just inches from her face.
"Father likes to keep trophies of all of his women. Keeps locks of their hair as a souvenir to remember them whenever he is done with them. I stumbled upon them once when I was young and never forgot the pride he showed in explaining to me what they were. No doubt he has a lock of your own real hair locked away somewhere too."
Draco reached over to roughly pull her hair.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Why would he go to so much trouble to keep you hidden?"
"Please stop!"
"Who are you?! Who could be so undesirable that my father has to hide you with polyjuice potion?"
The moment the word "undesirable" came out of his mouth, Draco's eyes narrowed.
"Bloody hell! Granger?" His tone when he said her name was soft, no malice left in it.
Hermione did not know how to respond. Should she admit who she really was? She was in such danger right now. If Draco could not be trusted, he would simply have to go downstairs to announce who he found upstairs. Yes, his father would try to stop him, but Lucius would be outnumbered. Rabastan was looking for an excuse to injure or even kill Lucius. This would be an excellent opportunity. And then Antonin would have her… for whatever plans he had.
"Please don't tell anyone!" she begged in a whisper.
At the last possible second she decided to trust him. She couldn't explain why she did so. Something in his eyes when he said her name maybe. The moment the truth came out she was terrified that she made a mistake. Tears began freely falling from her eyes. Draco did something completely out of character. He put his arms around her and pulled her close to him.
"Luna will be so glad to hear you're okay," he whispered. "She has been so worried about you."
Hermione pushed herself gently out of Draco's arms. She couldn't believe that Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin that frequently called her 'Mudblood' and who attacked her in the Room of Requirement during the Battle of Hogwarts, was hugging her. It was unreal! She must have fallen and hit her head on something. Some people just simply do not change.
But you share his father's bed every night, Hermione. Are you so certain that people do not change?
"I didn't know Father was helping," Draco admitted, letting his arms fall off of Hermione. "How long have you been here?"
"Since late January. He saved me. I was moments away from being captured and he saved me."
"I came here tonight to ask if he would hide someone for me for a few days."
"Who?"
"I can't tell you. Honestly, it would be best if neither of you ever saw them. It's much easier to say you haven't seen someone when you haven't actually seen them. This house is large enough I could hide an army in here without anyone knowing."
Draco began to pace the room nervously. Hermione could feel that the effects of the polyjuice potion were wearing off. Every few moments Draco turned to look at her again, almost as if he could hardly believe he was standing with Hermione Granger in his father's bedroom.
"You may be aware of this, Hermione, but something big is being planned. I don't have a lot of information. It's best that I don't, but be prepared."
"Are you the one on the inside of the Umbridge Home?" she demanded, vaguely remembering the conversation she had with George when she had only just arrived to the manor. "We heard something was going to happen, but no one will tell us anything!"
"I'm not the only one anymore," he answered. "There's more. I will make sure that Weasley gives you more information. I can't imagine being cooped up here with no news. It must be maddening."
Draco crossed to an armchair near the fireplace where he'd placed his travelling cloak. He fastened it in preparation to leave.
"I'm headed to see Luna right now."
"Please give her my love."
"Of course." He smiled a warm, genuine smile at her for the first time in their association. Six years of schooling he had never once grinned at her that way. "She is going to be so happy."
Draco pulled her back into another embrace. Hermione wasn't certain she would ever get used to displays of affection from the tormentor of her teenage years. He turned to the door, but before he opened it to leave, he looked back over his shoulder at her.
"We will have to leave the discussion as to why you are so comfortable in my father's room for another visit, I'm afraid."