his ill treatment of Draco. "I' m inclined to agree," she said, softly.
It was hard to square that image with the Lucius who had risked his life to free Draco from the Recruiter's hideout in Wales. It had been quite the daring rescue when you considered that Lucius was wanted on both sides of the fray: dead by the Dark, and alive by the Light
"So are you planning on avoiding Malfoy indefinitely?"
Hermione shrugged. She hit the button again since the lift seemed to be taking its time. "He'll be back at Malfoy Manor once the Committee clears him, which will happen soon enough. I' m guessing he' ll be busy getting reacquainted with his home and his money."
"You really believe he' s only back to see about the manor and his inheritance?" Ginny asked, sounded intrigued.
"His family fortune and status have always been of utmost importance to him. He has always made that quite clear."
"What about revenge?" Ginny prodded. "Spending all that time and energy hunting down the person responsible for his mother's death is hardly a selfish act."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it?"
"All I'm saying is I think he might have other concerns other than ordering new drapes for his house and counting his piles of money. I'm finding it hard to believe you haven't still got feelings for him."
"That was a long time ago. I was very young," reminded Hermione. With a frown, she pressed the lift button again, more forcefully this time.
"As opposed to being very old now, oh crone of twenty-three?" Ginny replied dryly.
The lift arrived.
Hermione gave her friend an amused, sideways look as they entered. "I was younger. You remember our youth, don't you?"
Ginny snorted. "Vaguely."
"I made a mistake. God knows he tried enough times to warn me off. I didn't take the hint, did I? Why are you so intent on defending him all of sudden? You certainly weren't singing his praises a few years back. And does Harry know you two are having late night hair cutting sessions?" Hermione asked, tucking a short coffee-coloured curl behind her ear.
"I have never sung Draco Malfoy's praises, to be sure," Ginny replied coolly. "And I'm not asking you to forgive him, but it's just that you haven't seen him, Hermione. He'swell I know it sounds cliched but he's changed. Suffering changes a person."
They arrived at the fourth floor, labelled 'Maximum Security' in a dial inside the lift. Hermione held out her palm, ushering Ginny out first. "If he suffered, it was his choice. I didn't make him leave, Ginny. Remember that. He's missed the boat."
"Maybe he felt he had no choice? We were all still children, really. It might have been a bad decision but sometimes we can only make decisions based on our limited understanding of things. And somehow I don't think Malfoy had much experience in anyone caring very much about him unconditionally. What happened on that last day of school would have done anyone's head in. I mean, you died, Hermione. Ron says Harry nearly took Zabini's head off."
"You don't leave the people you love," Hermione said, as they were halfway down the corridor. "That's about as simple a rule to understand as you can get. Harry gets it."
Ginny's expression darkened somewhat. "Sometimes I wonder"
Hermione spun around to give Ginny an incredulous look. "Harry would never leave you!"
"Not for lack of thinking about it, I can tell you!" Ginny seemed surprised at how vehement she sounded.
"Harry harbours some stupid notions," Hermione agreed sympathetically. "But above all other things, Harry is reliable."
They reached another set of gates beside which a young female guard was seated at a tiny desk. She'd been dozing, but quickly stood to attention when the women approached.
Ginny and Hermione wordlessly surrendered their wands and any other restricted magical items they carried on their person. For Ginny, this happened to be a weather predicting locket that Bill had given her for her twentieth birthday.
Hermione removed a piece of blank, rolled up parchment from inside coat and showed it to the guard.
"I need to bring this in with me."
The guard nodded, having already been informed about the item. "You may have twenty minutes with Snape today," she told Ginny.
"I may have as much time with my client as I need, thank you very much,"
Ginny retorted, sounding annoyed.
The young woman shook her head. "Twenty minutes, Miss Weasley. Only he's due to be questioned by the DMLA at ten thirty."