escaped last night."
"What!" Hermione said, her eyes going wide.
Draco was more intrigued than shocked. "How?"
"They're guessing he had assistance," said Ron. "He didn't break a single lock or ward. For all intents and purposes, it would seem that he strolled out of Azkaban and not a soul witnessed it. Well, apart from Ginny."
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "She was there?"
"Er, yes." It was clear that this part of the story made Ron a touch uncomfortable. "She had scheduled a meeting in the evening in a private interrogation cell. He managed to knock her out and then escaped."
This time Draco did look stunned. "Snape laid hands on Ginny Weasley?"
"She's fine," Ron was quick to reassure Hermione, who suddenly paled.
"He got her on the back of the head. She landed neatly. Hardly even a lump to speak of. Although try telling that to Harry-"
"Where is Ginny now?" Hermione interrupted.
Ron scrubbed at the back of his head. "She' s at the Burrow with Harry. I don' t know who is more upset, Harry or Mum. We already have people on Snape's trail, the only problem is that he hasn't seemed to have left much of one." He turned to Draco. "What's this about a meeting with my father? He says you sent an owl last week asking to speak to him about Snape's sentence."
"I did," Draco confirmed. He was sitting on the arm-rest of Hermione's floral sofa with his arms folded. He looked faintly amused. "But it certainly looks like the problem has been rectified."
Ron grunted. "Yeah, about that bit of a coincidence, innit?"
Draco gave Ron a withering look. "Not really, a coincidence would be your father telling me he couldn't assist in getting Snape a re-trial and then Snape conveniently escaping and then you finding me at the Manor this morning without Hermione as an air-tight alibi."
Ron turned expectantly to Hermione.
"Oh for goodness' s sake, Ron! Yes, he was with me the whole night! From about eight in the evening."
"That doesn' t necessarily mean he didn' t' have anything to do with it," Ron pointed out.
"Ronald-"
Draco stood. "You're right, it doesn't. And I'll have you know I might have done exactly that if there was no option for a retrial."
"Malfoy, you're not helping."
Ron shrugged. "At least we're being honest." He glanced hopefully in the direction of the kitchen. "While I'm here, any chance of a cup of tea? It's bollocks outside."
Hermione made an exasperated noise, turned on her heel and walked to the kitchen.
Ron regarded Draco for a moment. "About Snape's breakout, I'm aware that everyone who is familiar with the case is thinking it, but no one's game enough to say it. Well, Dumbledore would probably say it"
"By 'it' you mean that his escape qualifies as real justice?"
"Better justice than a life sentence, surely," Ron replied. "Not my dad' s version of justice, nor the Wizengamot's, obviously. And my saying this in no way lessens the enthusiasm of the search. We'll be doing things by the book. If we find him, he goes back in."
"Of course," said Draco, and there just enough condescension in his voice to irk Ron.
There was a long pause punctuated only by Hermione' s less than subtle banging in the kitchen. There was the sound of a metal utensil dropping to the floor and then Hermione's mild curse.
"So," Ron began, "I, uh, gather everything between you and Hermione is all sweet again?"
Old Draco would have told him to rack off and mind his own business, but New Draco didn't seem to have a problem answering.
"As much as it could ever have been called 'sweet' ". Malfoy was looking at him with speculation in his uncanny eyes. It was making Ron twitchy.
Ron nodded. "I guess you two weren't exactly the hand-holding, roses on St. Valentine's Day type. Myself, I can't see the logic of getting entangled with a girl right now"
Draco's smile was cool. "Logic has never had anything to do with it, unfortunately."
"Right," agreed Ron. He realized he was being and feeling slightly morose, and attempted to snap out of it.
The day he actually admitted to liking Draco Malfoy was the day he'd ask Terry Boot out to dinner. He was going to have to make an effort to be civil towards Malfoy, however, because he told himself he respected Hermione's decision.
"That silver picture frame behind you, that's my little niece. My brother Bill's little girl. It's her birthday today."
The change in topic and mood didn't seem to faze Draco. He glanced at the mantelpiece