Both of them were looking at him when he walked into his cell. Josh and him had to be at the right angle but Malfoy could see him easily. Now he sat on the cot and leaned against the stone wall. Trying to decide how that had gone and what he had learned.
Sabrina's letter was informative and encouraging, in her way. Never had she written so honestly to him before this and he wished it hadn't taken him being in prison or whatever. That they could have talked like this before. He wanted to respond but couldn't. Didn't know how to talk to Hermione, so couldn't get it to her. She had said that she told her a lot from their visits. What expressions she thought he used and even how he had been sitting. So she got some of it anyways.
Quite a bit if her letters contents were to be believed and he thought it was. Even the trust situation had been mentioned indirectly. She isn't sure of you and doesn't like it so expect something and be ready to respond to her. He had done his best and she had told him the version she wanted to. He thought she had wanted to tell him. Must have if she did and that was interesting.
"Say something Rowle. You'll have enough time to think about it later." Malfoy drawled and he looked up at Josh. Who gave his small eye roll and they grinned at each other. The blond prat was entertaining and had been better then he ever was outside of this stone pillar.
"It's Thursday right? I think she had come from tea with your mother and your betrothed. And Parkinson." He said casually and Malfoy looked thoughtful. Josh looked incredulous or to him it did. Most people wouldn't have known but he spoke Josh Rosier and so could tell.
"Pans?" Draco asked and he nodded and then waited for the questions.
"Huh." He said and then a pause before he quietly carried on. "That could be dangerous." Thorfinn laughed at that. Couldn't help it.
"They would be one smart bitch if they teamed up." Flint said from the cell across from Josh and Draco chuckled at that.
"Anything else?" Josh asked quietly and they all stilled. Knowing he meant anything serious and he thought that over.
"No. She likes the kid and he's doing well. Sabrina loves having him there and says she finally has someone to boss around instead of the other way around. He loves to fly and she is trying to mitigate the dangers of that. France this summer." He said and held Josh's gaze.
"Anywhere but here will be better. At least they won't be stalked there." Was the eventual reply and he nodded. Having decided that he didn't want to spend his time with her reading papers, Josh loved it anyways and said they had fun doing it so he got a run down from him and Malfoy. He wanted to see her face and hear her voice. What was actually happening instead of what the public thought or saw.
"Short stuff sent me a note this time. Said she didn't want to buy the papers but he thought that if they targeted the kids she would fold. He's ready." Josh gave a firm nod and he wondered what all he had made provisions for. Thorfinn had just made the best blanket decisions he could but Josh would have wanted to know what would happen if things went this way or that.
"You were right about the Christmas pictures." He said and knew the others wouldn't comment. As long as they didn't exclude the other two, Flint and Malfoy let them have their moments. Nott was usually quiet and Thorfinn tried not to talk to him at all. Unless it was in a general conversation. The guy wasn't happy and didn't want to actually talk about it so he didn't bring it up. Draco had stayed outright that the witch needed to be spoken of and that it would be done politely. All had agreed and so they carried on. Their decent behaviour meant they had more freedom of speech and access to the steadily increasing diversions. Books mostly but decks of cards had come in with instructions for solitaire on it. Small things but they were curious and bored so it all helped. The younger ones had their NEWTs and they all read and talked about magic. Quidditch worked too except Nott and Goyle. Pucey had played too and most of them had enough technical knowledge to talk about past games and the back issues of magazines helped with that.
"I'll do what I can." Malfoy said as quietly as he could while a talk about Snape's worst punishments raged around them. He had caught his eye and it was deliberate and so he was paying attention. His level stare was his answer and Malfoy shrugged then answered after a minute.
"Her deposition. I read it. All of them but hers wasn't about my actions or not totally but what I deserved. How I deserved to be treated after what I had been through and how important what I didn't do was. How much it took." The corridor was getting quiet as their private talk was noticed and he eyed the blond.
Draco Malfoy liked to talk and they were directly across from each other so there was no stone to get through. Each pair could nearly speak privately often enough and he had listened to long conversations on nights when the cells were charmed so the barred doors facing each other let in sound. It was different from the quiet of the solid noise charms and the guards were trying things out.
Two periods of open conversation a day. Sometimes it was hours on end and sometimes the two hours regulated. They were spelled clean every day but the guards were talking about showers for each block of eight. Or their block anyways. They had a set of four rating guards and never seen anyone else here. Visits were held downstairs. They were lucky to be together. Josh and him. The whole group could have been worse and all had mentioned how happy they were not to have this or that person in with them. They were some of the shortest sentence and his the longest in this room. He tried not to think about that. Being here after they were all out. It was scary to think about them out there with no one. They apparently had each other but no men. Well she had Potter and Zabini. And Shacklebolt but still it wasn't comfortable. That did bring up a thought though.
"She sees a lot of Zabini." He said it and Draco looked his question. He gave a significant glance and moved into the corner only the blond could see and gestured money. Draco looked curious and then contemplative. He stretched out put his hands under his head and then turned his face to him. Back in his usual spot he looked to Josh who knew something about it and then to Malfoy.
"He's like a weather vane." Draco said at a lowish volume. Enough to be heard but not open to all. Not deliberately anyways and he thought about that.
Then the significant glance Malfoy was giving him. Blaise Zabini had been talked about as much as most people. He and Josh knew Hermione was spending time with him and he was Malfoy and Notts good fried as well. Closer to both of them they seemed to be to each other. The common rooms weren't large and that year seemed to get a lot of attention. No doubt because of Potter. Zabini was different from his year mates. More adventurous and even daring. He liked bets and he liked winning too. He thought their witch would win. Come out on top. That was interesting and would think about it. There was all the time in the world for that.
Today her hair had been more contained. Controlled was better. It looked good on her but not her. Like a mask or layer and that was less appealing. He knew so little of her that it felt like it was covering her up. So many hours had been spent thinking about her. In some way or another. Seeing Josh had helped. They couldn't be private but said a lot to each other anyways. Had spent so much time together had so many conversations that references allowed some cloaking of their meanings. She was his. Would be his and was raising his sister. Or supporting her. She didn't make it sound like Sabrina needed taking care of overtly. Just as if she were their sister instead of his. Sabrina loves her. Wrote it. 'Hermione is so easy to love. Her scars make it easier to see who she is. Look.'
He had looked. Tried to see her.
Her scars were fine, it was so much worse in his mind. Even after Josh had seen them. The ones on her neck anyways. Her arm had been mentioned and that word. He wondered what she thought about it and what Sabrina had said. Her coming of age had been quiet, at her request. The witch had gotten her the promised locket from the vaults and her simple sentence containing two words was humbling. Thank you. When he thought about it, what he owed her, it was too much. Sabrina said they had talked about a lot and written private letters. Helping her understand some of what she didn't know and the bigger picture of the war.
That it helped and she wasn't as angry at everything as she had been. It was over now. 'Hermione says it is over now. That like any other nation that fights a civil war it is up to us. To make sure it doesn't happen again. Move forward and close the gaps. I'm trying Thor.'
Sabrina's letter had barely been three quest tees of a page but it was full of her thoughts and feelings. Less what she had been doing and more about her. It was relieving. He knew she was alright, that she was going to school and doing well. Had a good friend and people looking out for her. Putting her first. That was such a relief, and shame, that it made him feel twisted up inside. That a witch who didn't need to, had done what he couldn't. Put Sabrina first. Before herself or anything else.
Neither of them had thought through the rights. For the witch anyways. Even she had only spoken of Sabrina being better off not with his aunt until school started. Her face had a harder look to it then and he wondered what their aunt had been doing. The witch had done something and not thought it through. Since then Malfoy and even Nott had commented on how out of character that was. It was one of the few times she had been spoken of so openly, in regards to him. Their situation.
His mind had pored over every word he had ever read or been told about the Bride Rights. It was simple to carry out. The simplest of the old Rights but that could be deceptive. Three years also wasn't a short duration for such magics to be in play. She had said she could feel the hook, that first day, his mind had fired with what that meant and he had to shut down his feelings or would have said something and regretted it. What that would have been he didn't know but wished he could feel it. Knew that the dampeners were keeping him from being able to. She could though and that wasn't comfortable. He didn't want to ask her but thought often about what would happen when the pull increased. He thought it likely that it would.
Those thoughts sometimes made him somber and sometimes were better for the silenced times. Cleaning charms were set for bodily functions and that one was covered. It wasn't easy to picture her though. He had never seen her and wouldn't. Wouldn't until he got out of here so it was other things. Her curls were a favourite.
Fertility rituals, he wondered if she would do it alone. Or with an elf or two watching. She was being tailed he wondered at Josh. Not surprised but also a bit exasperated at his friends overprotective nature. The witch could be at home without an elf watching her. The nearly tortured glances he got from his friend every now and then were hard to take. It was more sad now, after her visit.
She seen Greengrass and liked her. Narcissa thought it genuine and had indicated that she seemed to be settling in beside Hermione to wait. It was surprising. Somewhat anyways and he could tell his friend wasn't sure of it. Draco seemed to think it likely though. Neither of them were sure of the witch but he seemed to be certain of several things after his visit with his mother. Which had also been a flow of information in the cell block. What the woman thought they would want to know. All of them. Malfoy's sentence was only a year and Nott would get out before that so Draco seemed content to be in the know. It was also what his mother was doing and that she was doing well. The witch probably wouldn't say anything about herself to her son but all signs pointed her living. Going out in public and not being overly harassed. More than she could take.
It was that neither Josh or him knew what Hermione could take. A lot it seemed. He was sure they weren't bringing the worst of the papers in but still it was alright and she didn't seem bothered by them. Not overly at least and Draco pointed out it wasn't the first time she had been slandered. Regaling then with his view of her fourth year. He and Nott had grinned when her dress was mentioned. Both of them had paid attention to her. Noticed things about her. Knew things too. Nott had considered it. The way he spoke was sure. When he did. Malfoy had confirmed the level of thought more than once with eye contact. 'It will be worth the wait.' Said with a nearly emotionless tone and Draco's near flinch was enough. When he thought about it later to say that Nott meant it. Few witches got that kind of reaction from a wizard. He had turned her down and Thorfinn didn't think it was for the reasons he gave her, not completely anyways.
As usual he tried not to overthink her in that way. Theo hadn't had her. She didn't want him. Or hadn't then and when he had brought it up, about the short sentence, a lot had showed but none of it said she wished she had chosen Nott. At least he didn't think so. It was frustrating to not know her and today had made that plain. She wasn't sure of him. Others had been pushing her and he appreciated it. Thinking about it now. Wondering what she thought might happen. He didn't know and it was still so far away. Trying not to have expectations was all he could do. Her though. She should have expectations of him. Tall ones.