A/N - Hello all! I want to thank MaryRoyale for the idea with the cake (and the discoveries related to it) in this chapter. I had to research the particulars, so any mistakes related to that are my own. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks so much for continuing to read and review!

Chapter 14

Surprises

"Blackmail, eh?" Draco said with a smirk after Lucius had relayed his conversation with Miss Granger the night before. "Granger is full of surprises." Severus snorted.

"I think you underestimate her, Draco," Severus said. Lucius had to admit that after he had thought about it last night, he was a bit impressed that she had actually used the situation to her advantage.

"You're probably right," Draco said, still smirking. His expression turned thoughtful a few seconds later.

"The only problem would be discovery of the Resistance's camp. If the owl is seen by the wrong people at the wrong time, it would be disastrous."

"Owls can also be tracked," Lucius replied.

"And the Malfoy owls are distinctive," Severus added. The Malfoys used only eagle owls.

"We wouldn't use one of our own owls," Draco said.

"And why would a Malfoy use a post owl?" Lucius asked. "That would be even more suspicious."

"I know you have Polyjuice, Father," Draco said. "Of course, you wouldn't go as yourself." Draco's brow furrowed for a moment. "It would be better, though, if it didn't go by owl at all." Both men stared at Draco for a few moments.

"You are suggesting what, exactly?" Lucius asked, already having a suspicion of Draco's plan.

"The Dark Lord expects me back in service in a few days," Draco said. "I can pass Granger's note on myself."

"No," Lucius said immediately. It was one thing to risk the Resistance using an owl, quite another to risk his son.

"Father," Draco said in his exasperated tone. "It won't be any different than all the other times I've passed on information."

"Anonymously!" Lucius snapped. "This will have Miss Granger's signature on it. If anyone opens it, it could easily be taken to the Dark Lord." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I can charm the envelope so only Shacklebolt can open it," Draco said. "And we've already decided that there won't be anything incriminating in it. Even if someone else manages to get a look at it, they won't know where she is."

"It would be safer to have it hand carried, than send it with an owl," Severus agreed. Lucius glared at him. Severus held up a hand. "If the Resistance is discovered, it only hurts our cause. We will need them eventually, if only to bring in the rest of the Dark Lord's followers." Lucius knew what Severus said was true, but that did not mean he had to like it.

"I will say again this is a dangerous game you are playing, Draco. One that could get you killed." He looked to Severus as confirmation. The man had been left for dead after all.

"To be fair, I was not attacked because the Dark Lord discovered my duplicity," Severus drawled. Lucius scowled when Draco smirked.

"It will make her happy, Father," Draco said. "More likely to cooperate. Isn't that what we want?"

"I do not care if she is happy," Lucius snapped. "We only need her to work with us. Her emotional state does not concern me." Draco sighed heavily and glanced at Severus.

"You were prepared to make this concession when an owl was going to be used," Severus said. "I do not think Draco using his contacts to get it delivered makes it any more dangerous."

"You do not think that the Dark Lord will not be watching him closely when he returns?"

"He believes Theo's version of events," Draco said. "Theo told me he hasn't been questioned again since the Dark Lord visited me. Besides, I can easily deliver the letter before I report to the Dark Lord. He won't expect it and he won't have anyone watching me then."

"That you know of."

"Have you detected anyone outside the Manor?" Draco asked. Lucius said nothing. "I thought not."

"Draco, you must not underestimate him," Lucius insisted.

"Give me a bit of credit, Father," Draco said tiredly. "I've been doing this for months and he hasn't been any the wiser." Lucius' jaw tightened as his son spoke of his betrayal so casually. It could come crashing down around him so easily.

"Lucius," Severus said. Lucius looked at the other man. "I walked this line for years, and he still, to my knowledge, has no idea whose side I was really on. Draco knows what to do." Lucius sighed. He was so tired of all of this.

"Since it is obvious I will not change your mind," Lucius said with a sniff, "I will collect Miss Granger after lunch to escort her to the library." Severus nodded in agreement.

"I will join you," he said. "We can both look over the note she wishes to write."

"Very well," Lucius said as he rose from the chair near Draco's bed. His son was doing much better, but the Healer had ordered him to remain in bed for at least two more days. Given the Dark Lord's insistence he return to service after only a week of recovery, instead of the two that Lucius had hoped for, the Healer did not want Draco doing anything except resting. Severus rose as well and followed Lucius into the corridor.

"I did not get a chance to speak with you yesterday, but Miss Granger was asking what had become of her classmates after the battle."

"I assume you did not tell her anything," Lucius said.

"No," Severus replied. "I reminded her that I had not been present. But I doubt this is the last time she will ask."

"No," Lucius agreed. He was actually a bit surprised she had not asked already. He supposed she did not think they would tell her and had not bothered. Given she knew Severus' true loyalties and still saw him as her professor, it made sense he was the one she had asked.

"I do not think she will ask again if I am there," Lucius said.

"Perhaps not," Severus agreed. "But I think you need to be prepared if she does. You will have no such excuse." Lucius nodded in acknowledgement. He certainly hoped they found the answers they needed soon. This was getting entirely too complicated.

Hermione looked down at the parchment and chewed on her bottom lip. She needed to include something that would prove it was her, something only she and the rest of their group would know. Or something only Ron would know. Otherwise, they would think the note was a fake or that she had been coerced into writing it. She also wanted it to make sense in the context of the note in case it was intercepted.

She had left off any salutation, again in case it was intercepted by anyone. It wasn't that Voldemort wasn't aware that Ron and Kingsley were part of the Resistance, and she was sure he would assume that she was with them. But she had no intention of calling attention to it. Finally, Hermione wrote out the last sentence and then signed her name. She turned to Mr. Malfoy.

"I'm finished." She passed him the piece of parchment and watched as he read it. He silently gave it to Professor Snape who read it over as well.

"The last?" he asked.

"It's a reference to something that happened when Ron and I were foraging for food one day," she replied. "He and I are the only ones that know about it. They won't believe it's really from me without some kind of confirmation."

"You do realize that something like this could have been plucked from your head using Legilimency," the professor said.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "But it's the best I can do and I have to at least try to let them know I'm all right." He looked back down at the note and then gave it to Mr. Malfoy. The latter folded it and sealed it with magic and then tucked it into a pocket in his robes. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"How do I know you're actually going to send it?"

"I gave you my word, Miss Granger." She looked at him skeptically and he glared at her. But she had to admit, that despite being reluctant to answer her questions when she first arrived, he had always followed through on requests when he said that he would.

"It will be delivered," Professor Snape said. Hermione nodded and glanced at Mr. Malfoy. He looked annoyed that she had taken Professor Snape's word without comment. A few seconds later, however, his face became that unexpressive mask that he wore so often.

"I have gone over the books in the first two rows of the Dark Arts section," he said. "They are all safe for you to peruse." She stared at him in surprise. He had actually removed the curses from some of the books? He shifted, his gaze leaving hers for a moment.

"I, thank you," she finally said. He nodded once and moved off into the stacks. She glanced at Professor Snape who had pulled a pile of books towards him, looking through the titles, studiously ignoring her. She wondered if it had been his influence that had convinced Mr. Malfoy to do this. The professor was a half-blood after all, some of the books must have been dangerous to him as well.

But she was becoming aware that the two of them had been friends for some time. It was the reason that Mr. Malfoy had saved the professor. It only stood to reason that Professor Snape had used the library before. If there were books that would have been an issue for him, she assumed that the Malfoys would have taken care of them already.

Which meant that Mr. Malfoy had done this for her. Hermione wasn't sure what to think about that. It did make sense to give her full access, she supposed. It would be rather tedious for one of the Malfoys to not only always be with her in the library, but to follow her around whenever she wanted to read another book. It was likely a simply measure of convenience for them.

Still, as she stood and walked towards the Dark Arts section, she saw Mr. Malfoy casting spells on the books in another of the rows. She watched as a few books lit up. He removed one and began casting diagnostics over it and then removing whatever it was that would have caused her harm. When he glanced up and saw her watching him, Hermione couldn't help the tiny smile that formed. He nodded once in acknowledgement and returned to his task.

As she stepped back into one of the rows that he had already worked through, the smile became a bit larger. Hermione began to scan the titles, feeling better than she had in many months, even before she had been brought here.

Lucius replaced the final book in the row on the shelf. There were three books sitting on the floor at his feet, all with varying types of curses on them that he hadn't been able to remove easily. He had glanced through them and doubted that any of them would be useful in their research, but he would look at them more thoroughly later. He conjured a box and set the books inside, tucking the box under his arm. Pulling his watch from his pocket he noted that it was nearly time for tea. He would need to head off the Weasleys, one of whom normally brought the tea tray to his study.

Lucius walked back to the sitting area where he had left Severus and Miss Granger. They appeared to be discussing something in one of the books Miss Granger had been reading. Lucius paused for a moment, noting the seemingly easy way they conversed. Despite the fact that Severus had not treated her well when she was a student, Miss Granger seemed to have no issue talking with him. Of course, Severus had never held her and her friends at wandpoint, nor had she been tortured in his home. She knew where his true allegiance had lain, even as Severus had acted otherwise.

Lucius pulled himself from his thoughts. Why did it matter if Miss Granger was comfortable with her old professor? As long as she continued to assist in the destruction of the Dark Lord, that was all that mattered. Lucius continued towards them and they both looked up at his arrival.

"The third row is now safe," he said. Miss Granger looked at him, the same small smile she had given him earlier making another appearance. Lucius inexplicably found himself wanting to return it. Scoffing in his head at his foolishness, he maintained his aloof expression.

"Thank you," she said. That was twice in as many hours that she had thanked him. He felt caught out for a moment before he nodded once.

"I shall return momentarily," he said, then turned quickly and strode from the library towards his study.

Hermione sat back in her chair with a sigh, trying to stretch some of the stiffness from her neck. She looked down at the book in front of her. What had at first seemed a promising lead had turned out to be nothing more than the same rubbish she had already read. If anyone had found another way to keep themselves immortal besides Horcruxes or the Philosopher's Stone, they had found no evidence of it so far.

She looked out over the library. There were so many books here, it would take years to go through them all. The Dark Arts section alone would likely take weeks, even if all three of them worked on it full time. Hermione knew that Professor Snape was brewing potions for Draco and couldn't be in the library all the time. Even Hermione, as much as she loved reading and research, still needed to take breaks and she had no idea what Mr. Malfoy's schedule was like. She was positive that she wouldn't be allowed in the library without one of them with her, at any rate.

Professor Snape had gone into the Potions section although he had told her earlier that he had made his way through the majority of the books there over the years. He had not come across anything that appeared to be some kind of life extending potion.

Hermione knew that Voldemort could have invented his own spell to keep himself from being killed. Even something as simple as a shield charm that would block against any kind of curse, the killing curse included. If that were the case, she had no idea how they were supposed to destroy him. Taking him by surprise so he wouldn't have time to cast it would be the only way. Which seemed entirely unlikely, given that he did not move around much and when he did, only a select few were aware of it.

She sighed, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. Never one to give up, she stood and picked up the book in front of her. She would return it and continue the search. Before she had taken more than a few steps, however, she saw Mr. Malfoy walking towards her, a tray floating in front him. The smell of scones hit her and Hermione's stomach growled lightly. She realized she hadn't sat down to a proper tea in an extremely long time.

Mr. Malfoy settled the tea tray on the table where Hermione had been working. He looked up at her and frowned. Hermione knew that she was staring but couldn't force herself to stop. Since she had been here, she had been fed regularly, some meals including tea, but never at actual teatime. For some reason, this simple act of normalcy made her want to cry.

"Miss Granger?" he questioned.

"Sorry," she said quietly and slid back into her seat. She laid the book she had been holding on the table. Mr. Malfoy did not question her further and they proceeded to make their tea in silence. Professor Snape joined them a few minutes later.

As Hermione nibbled at her scone and sipped her tea, she listened to the two men conversing about one of the books the professor had been looking at earlier. As she watched them, she felt a bubble of hysterical laughter threaten to escape. She was sitting in the library at Malfoy Manor listening to two marked Death Eaters discuss possible ways to destroy Voldemort. What level of madness had her life reached?

Thankfully, they were so engrossed in their conversation, they didn't seem to notice Hermione's impending break-down. She set down her food and stood from the table. They both looked up at her, but she said nothing as she grabbed the book and hurried back towards the shelves. She heard their conversation resume as she turned the corner into the Dark Arts section.

Leaning back against the nearest bookcase, Hermione closed her eyes and attempted to calm herself. She had finally been allowed from her room and given mostly free reign in the library. They had permitted her to write a note to her friends. This was definitely not the time for her to lose it. The very last thing she needed was for them to think she was unstable and to lock her back in her room again with nothing to read but horrible poetry or ridiculous romance novels.

When she felt sufficiently composed, Hermione continued to the stacks, returning the book in her hands and searching for another. She was determined to find the answers they needed.

The next two days passed in the same way. Mr. Malfoy would come to her room after breakfast and bring her to the library. She would spend the majority of the day there, having lunch and tea in the library before being taken back to her room before supper. Mr. Malfoy spent most of his time going through the remaining Dark Arts books and removing the curses from them. He occasionally sat and looked through a book that he had come upon. Professor Snape was researching as well, although he was concentrating on Potions instead.

She and Professor Snape discussed things from time to time and Hermione found it much easier to speak with him than she had when she was his student. She wasn't sure if it was because of their common goal or the fact that he no longer had to serve Voldemort, perhaps a bit of both. Mr. Malfoy wasn't a part of their discussions all that often, simply because he was usually in the stacks working on the cursed books, but when he was, Hermione was pleasantly surprised to find that he actually listened to her. Truthfully, given both men were far more well-versed in the Dark Arts than she was, not to mention Mr. Malfoy's stance on blood purity, she had expected them to scoff or dismiss her ideas out of hand. They didn't always agree with her, of course, but she was never made to feel inferior or stupid. It was a bit disconcerting if she were honest.

Hermione had given up on the notion that Mr. Malfoy had any other motive for working with her than simply wanting revenge on the man that had killed his wife. She still wondered why they had chosen her, however. It could have been because Draco was simply in the right place at the right time. He had given her no indication that he had been actively looking for her. But if that were the case, Hermione wondered why she had been brought the cellars at all. If Draco wanted her help, why hadn't he just brought her to one of the guest rooms in the first place? It was something that she had been wondering about quite often recently.

She had thought about asking Mr. Malfoy, but he hadn't exactly been forthcoming about things in the past. They seemed to have come to some kind of truce and she didn't want to ruin it. She would have just asked Draco, but he had never joined them in the library. According to Professor Snape, Draco was still recovering and his Healer was not allowing him out of bed.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Mr. Malfoy came towards them with the tea tray. Hermione still felt a pang every time he brought the tea in, but nothing as emotional as the first time. Today she smelled lemon and wondered if it might be Madeira cake. It had been one of her favorites growing up.

Smiling to herself, Hermione remembered the first time she'd had the same cake at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley had arranged the candied lemon peel into W's on the cakes. Ginny had told Hermione that it was something her mother had always done.

As Hermione tidied the parchment and books she had been looking through, an ache opened in her chest. She had no idea what had even happened to the rest of the Weasleys after the battle. She hadn't asked Professor Snape again and had been hesitant to ask Mr. Malfoy. She wasn't sure if he would tell her for one and if she were honest, there was a part of her that didn't want to know. She wasn't sure how much more heartbreak she could take.

Pulling in a breath, Hermione stood from the table and walked towards the seating area where Mr. Malfoy and Professor Snape had already settled. She wasn't really paying them much attention, her thoughts still focused on her friends. She heard Professor Snape snort. He gave Mr. Malfoy an amused look and nodded at the cake. Hermione glanced at it herself and froze.

There, on the top of the cake, was a 'W' made out of candied lemon. She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. Both men turned to look at her, frowning in confusion.

"What is it, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape asked.

"The cake," she managed.

"Do you not care for Madeira cake?" Mr. Malfoy said, his brow furrowed.

"No, I, I mean, yes, I," she trailed off. Her heart was pounding and she was finding it difficult to breathe. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. She was imagining things, simply because she'd been thinking of the Weasleys.

"Sit down," Professor Snape said, grasping her arm and leading her to a chair. He was looking at her in concern, they both were.

Hermione continued to stare at the cake as the thoughts whirled through her mind. That first night, the roast her mind had insisted was Mrs. Weasley's; Hermione had brushed it off because it was impossible. But she'd had similar thoughts about other meals over the past few weeks. She had always chalked it up to wishful thinking on her part, her mind latching on to something to make her feel more comfortable. But she was having a hard time denying this.

Hermione pulled in a breath and tried to settle herself. It wasn't working. She had no idea how or why Mrs. Weasley would be here. She didn't think in a million years that Mr. Malfoy or Draco would have chosen her as their 'prize'. In fact, given what she knew about their circumstances and what Mrs. Malfoy had done, Hermione wouldn't have thought that Voldemort would have let them choose anyone at all. But the evidence was staring her in the face and she could come up with no other explanation.

"Miss Granger, do you require a calming draught?" Professor Snape asked.

"No," she said. She closed her eyes again and shook her head. When she opened them, both men were staring at her. She let her gaze move to Mr. Malfoy. He looked troubled, obviously wondering what in the world was wrong with her. She took another breath.

"How long has Molly Weasley been here?"

Lucius attempted not to react. He wasn't sure if he was successful, given Miss Granger had not taken her eyes off him. He stilled his features and looked back at her.

"I beg your pardon?"

"That is Molly Weasley's Madeira cake."

"What makes you assume so?" he asked coolly.

"She always arranged the candied lemon in a 'W' to decorate the top of the cake," Hermione said. "I've never seen everyone else do that."

"A 'W'?" Lucius said in confusion which he did not have to feign. He had thought it an 'M'. He'd had no idea just why the woman would do that, but now that Miss Granger had explained, it made sense.

"I am sure you mean an 'M', Miss Granger. We are Malfoys, after all." Miss Granger's eyes narrowed and he was quite sure she did not believe a word he said.

"Your House-elves put 'M's' on top of your Madeira cakes?"

"Yes," he replied. They had no House-elves but she did not know that.

"Really? Then why did Professor Snape point it out to you when you brought the tray in?" Miss Granger said, arms crossed over her chest. "Surely he's had this cake here before, being such an old friend of yours and all." Lucius' nostrils flared in anger.

"Lucius," Severus said. Lucius glanced at the other man trying to display his fury at what he knew Severus was suggesting, without conveying it to Miss Granger. This was not what they needed right now. Lucius was well aware that Miss Granger would insist on seeing the Weasley woman and they could not risk that. Not with Draco still recovering and the Dark Lord possibly visiting at any time. It would jeopardize everything.

"It is really none of your business who is working in my household or how the cakes are made," Lucius finally said, voice clipped. He could see the almost imperceptible shake of Severus' head.

"I want to see her," Miss Granger said.

"See whom?" Lucius asked.

"Don't play these stupid games with me," Miss Granger snapped. "I know Molly Weasley made that cake. This isn't the first food I've been served that I thought might be hers."

"Well, then, I am sorry to inform you that you are mistaken. Perhaps all that time on the run has distorted your taste buds," he retorted.

"You are so infur-"

"Enough!" Severus demanded, interrupting them. "Lucius, this is ridiculous."

"I will thank you to keep your mouth shut," Lucius hissed. Severus ignored him and turned to Miss Granger.

"Yes, Molly Weasley is here," he said. "She was forced upon Lucius by the Dark Lord after the battle."

"Cease immediately," Lucius snarled. He would not have the Granger girl know of his humiliation. Severus simply stared back at him, but he did stop speaking. When Lucius glanced at Miss Granger, she had sagged back into her chair and there were tears spilling down her cheeks. He bit back a sigh.

"I want to see her," she said quietly, not even attempting to quell her display of emotion.

"That is not possible," Lucius replied.

"Why not?" Miss Granger demanded.

"If the Dark Lord should decide to read her mind, we would all be dead," Lucius replied bluntly. Miss Granger opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again, brow furrowing. It was obvious that she wanted to disagree, but she could not fault his reasoning.

"She's all right though?" she asked in a small voice.

"She has not been mistreated." He was annoyed at the implication, but he could not exactly fault her for the question. Miss Granger looked down at her lap and attempted to get hold of herself.

"What about the rest of them?" she asked, finally looking up at him. The tears had stopped, but her eyes were still glassy.

"The rest of whom?" Lucius asked, although he knew exactly what she was asking. He had no desire to tell her, however. If she knew that the Weasley girl was here, she would be all the more adamant about seeing them.

"The rest of the Weasleys." Her even tone was a testament to how badly she wanted to know, as she did not even snap when she answered. Lucius glanced at Severus who gave a tiny nod. Lucius sighed.

"The eldest and his wife were taken by the Carrows," Lucius said. Miss Granger made a small noise of despair. "Another, perhaps the twin, although I am not well versed on Weasleys, was sent to Azkaban. Miss Weasley was initially taken by Rodolphus Lestrange." Miss Granger looked up at him in horror.

"Initially?" she repeated.

"Rodolphus was killed many months ago." Lucius paused. "Afterward, she was given to Draco." She sat up straight in her chair, mouth open in shock.

"Ginny's here?"

"Yes," he said.

"I want to see-" but he held up a hand to stop her.

"The same reasoning still applies." Miss Granger stared at him for a moment before she nodded. The tears had returned in full force, however.

"Is she all right?"

"Draco has not mistreated her," Lucius said.

"I didn't think that he had," Miss Granger replied. Lucius was a bit surprised by her immediate trust of his son. "I meant from before."

"I do not have much interaction with her," Lucius said after a few moments of silence. Miss Granger nodded again, seeming to understand this.

"I want to talk to Draco then."

"Draco is still recovering," Lucius said bristling at her request.

"You can take me to him."

"No," Lucius said. He might have answered her questions, but he was not going to give her free reign of his home. Miss Granger's eyes narrowed and he knew that this would not be the last time she would make this demand.

"And Mr. Weasley?" she said. Lucius glanced at Severus again and then back to Miss Granger. This was something he did not want to tell her. Of course, it was simply because he did not care to witness the emotional outburst that was sure to happen once she knew.

"Please just tell me," she said quietly and he was sure that she knew the man's fate. Still he hesitated. Finally, she looked up at him. "He's dead, isn't he?" Lucius swallowed.

"Yes," he said. Miss Granger drew in a shuddering breath. Lucius could tell that she was trying to control herself, but she soon lost the battle as her shoulders began to shake. She brought her hands up to cover her face as she sobbed. Lucius glanced at Severus who had made no move to comfort the woman either. They had an argument that consisted solely of looks and gestures until finally, Severus walked towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned and buried her face in his robes. Lucius saw Severus' hand tighten on her shoulder and he stood stoically as the woman cried.

It was only a few minutes later that she pulled away from Severus and attempted to compose herself. Her cheeks were red, whether from crying or from embarrassment at crying all over her former professor, Lucius wasn't sure. She looked up at Lucius.

"Who did it?"

"Rodolphus," Lucius said. "Weasley broke through his bonds and attacked Rodolphus when he first attempted to remove Ginevra." Miss Granger nodded, small smile of satisfaction on her face. Truthfully, as much as Lucius had detested Arthur Weasley, he could not fault the man's protection of his family.

"If you could take me back to my room now. I find I've lost my appetite." Lucius studied her for a moment before he nodded and rose from his chair. She stood as well, beginning to make her way to the staircase that would take her to the upper floor of the library and the entrance they always came in. Lucius followed.

Their walk through the corridors was silent. Miss Granger sniffled from time to time but said nothing. When they reached her room, she walked inside and curled up on the settee. Lucius watched her for a moment.

"Miss Granger," he said quietly. She looked up at him. "I am sorry."

"Thank you," she whispered then pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Still Lucius hesitated.

"I will see you when I bring your dinner." She nodded but said nothing. Finally, he left the room and closed the door. Once in the corridor, Lucius cast the transparency spell on the door. He watched as she broke down into sobs once more. There was a tightness in his throat that he could not identify. He reached for the doorknob, resting his hand on it for a moment as he continued to watch Miss Granger. He thought of going inside but knew he would not be welcome. He rewarded the room and locked the door. Cancelling the transparency spell, Lucius sighed and instead of returning to the library, made his way to his study. He suddenly had no appetite either.

Hermione lay spent on the settee, her sobs now hitching breaths. The Weasleys had become her surrogate parents when she joined the wizarding world. Mr. Weasley had been one of the kindest, most genial men she had ever known. His family had meant everything to him. The fact that he had died trying to protect his daughter did not surprise Hermione one bit. And his family had witnessed it.

More tears leaked from Hermione's eyes at the thought. Gods, Ginny. What must she have gone through when she had been trapped with Rodolphus Lestrange? Especially since Mrs. Weasley had killed Bellatrix. Hermione was quite sure that the man would have exacted his revenge. She shuddered. She didn't even want to contemplate it. Thank Merlin Ginny had been given to Draco after Lestrange's death. And that was a sentence Hermione never thought she would say.

She was glad that Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were now together. It was good that they had one another, as Ron and Charlie did. But the circumstances of the other living Weasleys horrified her. Neville had told them plenty about the horror that were the Carrow siblings. Hermione could not imagine what Bill and Fleur were likely going through.

George was in a different kind of hell, to be certain. Hermione was sure that the dementors were back guarding Azkaban. After having just lost his twin before being sent there, she wasn't sure that George would still be sane when he got out. If he even did.

It wasn't as if she had made any headway in the research they had been doing. They didn't even know what they were looking for, exactly. Hermione curled further into a ball, the hopelessness of the situation weighing down on her. Even knowing Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were all right, physically at least, couldn't keep her from pulling further into herself. She couldn't even see them, couldn't tell them about Ron and Charlie. Even if she could, that didn't change Bill and Fleur and George's fate. It didn't change the fact that Mr. Weasley was dead. It didn't change the fact that most of the rest of her classmates were probably suffering the same things. It didn't change the fact that she had no idea what had happened to her professors. It didn't change the fact that her parents were still lost to her, almost certainly for good. It didn't change the fact that they were no closer to figuring out how to destroy Voldemort.

It was all too much. All of it, the war, the deaths, the torture, the pain. No matter how hard she tried or what she did, it wasn't enough. Hermione closed her eyes as the despair rolled over her and she succumbed to her tears once more.

Lucius rapped lightly on the door, Miss Granger's breakfast tray hovering beside him. When there was no answer, he knocked again. At the lack of response from within, he cast the transparency spell on the door. Miss Granger was still lying on the settee where she had been last night when he had delivered her supper. Her tray had been returned to the kitchens uneaten. From this angle, he could not see her face and assumed she was asleep. He hesitated for a few moments before deciding to deliver the tray as planned. She had eaten nothing since lunch the day before.

Lucius stepped inside the room and approached the settee, saying her name so as not to startle her. She did not respond, but when he reached the front of the settee, he saw that her eyes were open.

"Miss Granger?" She stared blankly in front of her and made no move to indicate she had heard him. "I have brought your breakfast." He stood and stared at her as he settled the tray on the table. She had done nothing but blink. She was still wearing the same robes from the day before.

"Miss Granger," he said sharply. She did not even flinch. Lucius frowned. It was as if she were catatonic. "Miss Granger, you should eat." There was an infinitesimal shake of her head. He bit back a sigh. He knew that what she had learned about the Weasleys had upset her and that was why Lucius had let her be for the evening. She had gone other days without a meal or two, she would not starve. But now, something kept him from leaving.

After Narcissa's death, Draco had barely eaten either. Lucius had not had any desire to eat himself but forced himself to keep his strength up for his son, as well as Severus. It was why the food that Liddy had prepared for them had lasted as long as it had. Lucius had watched as Draco had grown thinner and his son had not had much in the way to lose in the first place. While Miss Granger looked healthier than she had when she first arrived here weeks ago, she still could ill afford to go too long without eating. Lucius knew the toll grief could take on a person.

He was worried about her. As soon as the thought entered his mind, he tried to force it away. But he couldn't. Of course, if she could do no research in her current state then she was not exactly helpful as far as the prophecy went. But Lucius could not ignore that small voice in his head that said it was more than just that.

He bit back a snarl at the thought. He did not care about the woman. He needed her help, yes, but care for her? Ridiculous. He turned and strode to the door. If she did not want to eat, then that was her affair. Miss Granger would get hungry enough eventually. Just as he put a hand on the doorknob, he heard the hitch of a breath and then the small noises that indicated she was crying once again.

Closing his eyes, Lucius grimaced. While he had left her to her grief the night before, now he could not stop himself from turning around and moving back towards her. He stopped in front of the settee and moving her tray to the side table, sat down on the table facing her.

"Miss Granger," he said, in a much softer voice than he had the first time. He saw her eyes flick to his for a moment, likely surprised at both his tone and the fact that he was sitting rather inelegantly on the table before her. Then she returned to staring through him. Her tears had not stopped, but she was making little noise. Lucius hesitated. He was sure she would not appreciate any kind of comforting gesture from him, as she had with Severus the day before. He could offer his condolences again, although given how he had felt about Arthur Weasley, Lucius doubted she would think him genuine. Especially since he had already expressed his sympathy the night before. Still, he felt the need to say something.

"I realize that you are upset about what you learned yesterday," he began. Her eyes flicked towards him again. He decided to appeal to her Gryffindor tendencies. "But you must keep your strength. If you want to help those that are still in captivity, the Dark Lord must be destroyed." She stared at him but did not respond.

"Eat your breakfast," he said. When she did not move, he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to say something he had no desire to say. "Please." Her eyes widened and she blinked at him. Then she slowly sat up.

"I want to see them," she said.

"I have told you that is not possible." She was already shaking her head before Lucius finished speaking.

"They don't need to see me." She looked down at her lap. "I just, I need to see them myself." Lucius stiffened, his anger immediately flaring at the insinuation that she did not believe what he and Severus had told her the day before.

"It's not that I don't believe you," she said immediately. "I don't think that either you or Draco would mistreat them."

Well, that was a surprise, he thought to himself. But he visibly calmed.

"I just, I need this." She paused and bit her lip. "Please."

Lucius paused, contemplating her for a moment. He could disillusion and silence her and she could see them from a distance. Mrs. Weasley rarely left the kitchens, but she did deliver tea to his study regularly. Lucius supposed that he could have Miss Granger hiding somewhere in his study when the older woman arrived. It would not be difficult for Miss Granger to observer the younger Weasley. The girl often spent time in the conservatory which could be accessed from a second floor balcony as well as the first floor. He could bring Miss Granger to the balcony. Still, Lucius was not about the capitulate immediately.

"I will consider it," he said. Miss Granger's mouth narrowed and he held up a hand. "It will require a bit of planning in order to be sure you are not seen." She seemed satisfied at that and nodded once. Then she moved towards her breakfast tray, pulling it towards her.

Lucius rose from the table, watching her as she took a bite of eggs. When he was satisfied that she was actually going to eat, he moved around the table and turned toward the door.

"Mr. Malfoy," she said before he had taken more than a few steps.

"Yes?" he said turning back to face her.

"Thank you," she said. "For being honest with me." She gave him a small smile and he nodded in reply.

As he walked towards the door, Lucius felt a small smile of his own force its way to his face. He scowled almost immediately, glad his back had been to her and she could not see him. Ridiculous he thought to himself as he left the room and warded the door.