You tell her to do something and then you make her do it!"
Harry perked up a little at Draco's almost tangible frustration. "It might have slipped your notice, Malfoy, but the girl has her own mind."
"This recruitment drive thing," Ginny interrupted. "What exactly does the Ministry want you to do about it?"
"Given the circles I move in, the Ministry seems to think that I might stand a chance at coming into contact with the Recruiter, or get as close as I can to identifying the person," Draco supplied. "It would make sense, except for the part where I'm not at all interested in doing it."
"Bloody hell," Ron said. "And you're thinking that this has something to do with Tonks going missing then?"
The enormity of Draco's predicament was becoming more and more apparent.
The topic of Tonk's disappearance had a sobering effect over the group. "Yes, that and the recent killing in Knockturn Alley yesterday evening. It should be in this morning's news by now."
Ron craned his head around to the Hufflepuff table. "Damn! Where's that boy gone with the paper?"
"You told him to get lost, remember?" Ginny reminded, dryly.
"How are you supposed to identify this person if you have no idea where to start?"
"No idea, Potter," Draco admitted. "But I' ll set up a suggestion box. If you have any ideas, feel free to slip something inside it."
"I don't like this at all. Dad must be desperate if he's resorted to using Malfoy like that," Ginny said to Ron.
"Dad' s motives are not up for discussion." Ron' s voice was brittle. It was a long standing argument between the siblings.
"They should be! He is only in office as long as this state of emergency continues. It's an elected office, Ron. He has a mandate from the community."
Further discussion was forestalled by the appearance of Hermione at the Hall entrance, looking distinctly harried as she carried two kitchen towels packed with ice. She walked toward them and nodded at Ginny.
"Hi, you okay?" asked Ginny.
Hermione found a smile. "I'm fine. They've told you, then?"
"That they did," Ginny said gently. "Come and sit down."
"I will in a minute." Hermione frowned at Ron' s already swollen, closed eye as she placed the bag of shaved ice none to gently, against his injury.
Draco didn't hear what the friends said, for they spoke in whispers, but he roughly caught the word 'idiot' and then Ron's resigned sigh.
"Ouch! Easy," he hissed at her. He glanced up at Draco during this less than tender treatment.
Draco was pleased that the other boy could not seem to hold his gaze for very long.
He continued to stare at the pair, narrowing his eyes as Hermione's hand pressed over Ron's, holding the ice pack to his face. She was glaring down at him like an annoyed mother hen. Her hair was unbound that morning; a riot of fat, coffee-coloured curls that fell forward against Ron's forehead and nose, as she fussed over him. He made no move to back away, either.
It wasn't entirely irrational for Draco to feel jealous, seeing as Weasley and Granger had a history together.
'History' being the operative word. Still, he couldn't shake the unpleasant feeling.
Draco's irritation disappeared however, when she finished with Ron and then walked all the way around the long table, to him.
She sat next to him, took his left hand, placed it in her lap and put the second ice pack against his red knuckles.
He found himself staring down at her small hand wrapped around his larger fist, for a minute or so.
"How are you?" Draco blurted, gruffly. He had no idea where the question had come from. He had wondered it and then had voiced it.
Hermione gave him a searching look. Her eyes hid nothing. She was so ridiculously easy to read. "I should be asking you that question. Did you sleep alright?" she whispered. Her thumb was stroking his knuckles.
"Yes," he lied.
Ron, Harry and Ginny were gawking at them. Ron and Harry look flummoxed, but Ginny looked thoughtful.
Hermione shifted in her seat, suddenly aware of their audience. "What's this about me staying at Grimmauld Place?"
"Malfoy seems to think you' d be safer there. Or at the Burrow," Harry told her. "I happen to agree with him," he added, when he saw her small pout.
"That's unfortunate," Hermione said, in a very Head Girl tone of voice. "I' ll visit you both, but there's no way I'm going to be cooped up at Harry's or at the Burrow, for the entire summer."