"You might have had the courtesy to tell me that you and Potter were persona non grata with the goblins before we got here," Draco hissed in her ear.
"Sorry," Hermione apologized, "I just got used to their extra surliness the past few years."
"It was almost not worth it getting The-Boy-Who-Lived present them with the 'Search and Seize' order for Umbridge's personal effects."
"No, they would suffer bad publicity if Harry left here minus a limb or two."
"Will you two quit joking about my potential maiming?" the subject of their conversation griped.
"Keep up, humans!" Ripfang snarled at them. Eventually he halted at a vault and opened it with no fanfare. "The door is on a timer. More than half an hour and it will seal shut." He showed all his teeth in a grimace which might have been a gleeful smile. "That document permits only one entry, so, alas, I would be unable to free you if you were...unluckily trapped."
"We'll keep that in mind," Harry informed him. He gestured to the other two. "Okay, let's get cracking."
"My eyes! My eyes!" Draco covered his face with his forearm after opening a lacquered wardrobe.
Hermione peered over her shoulder. "Ugh! All that pink. Harry," she called, "I'm coming up empty. How about you?"
"They must've not expected her to survive until release, because they packed everything," Harry commented. "Mm, nice soft sheets, if you can overlook the color."
"Harry, focus!"
"I dunno. This vault could make a comfortable bedroom, if you ignore the whole locking-in part."
"What are you blathering on about, Potter?" Draco asked as yet another trunk turned up with nothing of use. Who knew they made flatware with cats in the design?
"Well, actually, I've got to find another place to hang my wand holster. Hey, Malfoy, you've already offered refuge to one Gryffindor. I don't suppose you have another spare room in your flat?"
"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked in her 'tell me and don't take the circuitous route' voice.
He gave a feeble grin. "I was mistaken earlier. Ginny does still believe that you're responsible for her not getting a contract. She's so pissed at me for taking your side that she kicked me out."
She closed her eyes and counted to ten in Elder Futhark. "Harry," she spoke slowly, "you own Grimmauld Place. She can't kick you out of your own house."
"Well, she did." His bottom lip stuck out. "If I go back there, it's nag, nag, nag. And the worst part is, she sounds just like her mother when she does that. Not restful at all!"
"Potter," Draco slammed closed the last chest, "did you reset the Black wards?"
"Uh, what?"
"Morgana! Do you even know where the ward ledger is?" At Harry's blank stare, he added, "The book that controls who has access to the house. You can block her and anyone else you don't want to bother you."
"That would be great. Say, Malfoy, do you think you could help me with that?"
"Boys!" Hermione clapped her hands. "Deal with that later. Cats, now!"
Obediently the two continued the search. Harry froze when he pulled a canvas covering off a stack of boxes. "I think these crates might have what we need." He pointed to the warning of 'Fragile' inked in large letters.
Draco cast a quick Tempus spell. "Make it quick, Potter."
The sound of nails ripping from wood was heard then Harry crooned sarcastically, "Oh, look, kitties." He held up a plate with gold trim. "Bazinga!"
Tables so crammed the requisitioned room at the Ministry that there was hardly enough room for a path. Hermione had ordered them to bring back anything cat-related, so paintings, crystal, porcelain figurines, jewelry, and–yes–ornamental plates covered the surface.
"Mione, your parents are dentists." Harry rubbed her shoulders. "Quit grinding your teeth."
"All that work, and...nothing!" Her voice was filled with frustration. "This was my last hope!"
"Look," Draco moved to her other side, "it's late afternoon. Go home, sleep on it, and take a fresh look in the morning."
She bit her lip. "I know that's what I should do, but–"
"But Hermione Granger can't rest until all the I's are dotted and all the T's are crossed. Come on, you haven't changed from school. Don't make me stupefy you and force you to take a break."
"Is that legal?" Draco asked.
Harry shook his head. "Not really, but anyone who knows her would understand. I've got an idea: why don't you focus on a different problem? Come over to Grimmauld and let your boyfriend help me with my housing situation."
Ignoring the 'boyfriend' comment (although pleased that his interest had been recognized by others, if not Hermione), Draco twitted him as he guided her towards the door. "Don't you mean your unwanted pest situation?"
"You are so right. How did it all come to this?"
"Potter, this could all have been avoided had you shaken my hand the first day of Hogwarts."
"I can understand your presence," Hermione muttered to Draco, "but why is Harry back again?" They had arrived at the Ministry building bright and early to continue analyzing Umbridge's collection, and Harry was leading the way by several metres.
"He was so grateful for our help last night that he decided to see this through to the bitter end."
"Bitter is what I bet Ginny is right now. Did you really have to petrify her?"
"She was threatening violence and screeching like a harpy–don't know why that team didn't sign her–and then she started in on the Weasley mantra of 'all Slytherins are evil'. Honestly, can't you admit that the silence after she fell over made your ears ring? Besides," he added, "it was your idea to send her through the floo in that state."
Hermione giggled. "I wonder what ran through Molly's tiny mind when her daughter burst through the fireplace and slid along the floor. It's a good thing Harry locked the floo to all Weasleys right after."
"And added an anti-Howler owl ward. Although I have fond memories of her monthly breakfast diatribes, aimed towards one of her red-headed brood."
"It wasn't as amusing at close range. I'm surprised she didn't send me one after Rita Skeeter wrote those scurrilous lies about me being a two-timer, although enough gullible people did. You remember that year: one of your mis-aimed hexes ended up with my teeth getting straightened neater and quicker than muggle braces."
"You can thank me later. Here we are." They walked through the door which Harry had unlocked. "Where do you want to start today?"
She dug in her bottomless bag and handed each of them a large magnifying glass. "Examine each item. We're looking for anything that may not be a true cat or just appears 'off'. And before you start, Harry, ailuranthropes do not resemble my unfortunate condition in second year."
Draco quirked an eyebrow. "I sense a story."
"Curb your curiosity. Harry knows good and well what will happen to him if he spills the beans on that adventure. To work!"
"Bossy little thing, isn't she?" Draco commented to Harry.
"You should have been with her when it was time to study for OWLs. A right nutter she turned into."
"Boys…" Hermione gritted out.
Draco pinched a cheek. "Relax your jaw. I don't want to have to take you to a tooth healer."
For the next hour there was only sporadic conversation as each of them took a table and inspected each item before moving on to the next. Hermione straightened up to roll her shoulders and caught sight of Harry. He appeared fascinated with the plate display; his eyes were moving from one to another, seemingly at random.
"What's going on?" she asked, moving closer.
"Oh, it seems these are connected in some way." He pointed to one that had three kittens tumbling among improbably pink flowers. "They even share toys." Moving down the table, he pointed at one. "They bat that little ball from one plate to another. I guess the crazy cat-woman wanted to enjoy the playfulness of kittens without all the clean-up mess."
Hermione stared at the mottled orb which traveled from what appeared to be a formal parlor to a barnyard. "Harry!" she breathed. "Bless your seeker's eyes."
"You have something?" Draco wandered over.
"There was a movie a few years ago." Her voice took on a different accent. "'The galaxy is on Orion's belt'."