Narcissa blinked down at her, lips twitching. "Thank you, Hermione. But I think you are apologizing to the wrong person."

"His door is locked." She shut her jaw with a click, regretting speaking so quickly. "I mean to say, he… he doesn't want to see me." Something sparkled in Narcissa's eyes, and Hermione felt her face heat. "Or, he's resting, I'm sure."

"Resting, certainly. It's been a trying few weeks for him. For the whole family, really."

Hermione nodded at her feet. "Er—would you like to come in?"

"That would be lovely," said Narcissa.

She stumbled into her chair, fidgeting as Narcissa fluttered into hers. "How is he? What—"

She jumped, distracted by the two teacups that had just appeared at the small table between them.

Narcissa gave her a tense smile and hummed into her teacup. "His ribcage needed to be regrown, but aside from that, he's been in good condition."

Hermione felt her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. Her vision blurred, and she blinked away the shapes. Remembering his body on the gazebo floor, the way his torso had slammed against the pillar…

She'd done that. She'd broken countless bones in his body, puncturing his lungs. And then she'd fumbled over him for what felt like hours instead of calling for Mippy immediately.

Hermione's lip trembled. A cool hand with soft skin dropped over hers, and she looked up to see Narcissa leaning close to her.

"Don't fret, dear. He's healing as we speak." She settled back in her chair and said, "And if I know my son, I know he probably deserved at least a slap across his mouth." She smiled at Hermione and sipped her tea.

They found conversation to steer away from Draco's health or the Battle at Dover that had injured him originally. All Narcissa revealed about the incident was that they had stayed in a cottage on the outskirts of the remains of the castle while Draco recovered, and that Lucius was traveling, as she'd suspected.

Hermione had no desire to press her on either topic. She hadn't seen Lucius since he'd wagged his finger in her face and threatened her, and she was glad for it.

Recently promoted General Lucius Malfoy.

She swallowed her fears about what his absence might mean for her friends.

As Narcissa stood to leave, she said, "I heard you've taken an interest in the papers."

Heat bloomed in her cheeks. Hermione held her breath, waiting to be chastised. Instead Narcissa produced a copy of that day's Prophet from her robes, with a smile.

Hermione couldn't help but return it. "Thank you, Narcissa."

Once she was alone, she flipped open the pages, finding another small attack in York the day before. The author claimed George and Angelina had been involved again. Hermione frowned, trying to piece together the places they were supposedly choosing, but couldn't find any commonalities. She turned to page three for the list of Undesirables, and was shocked to see Katie Bell added to the list, just underneath Bill and Fleur Weasley. Hermione tried to remember Katie from the Ministry holding cells. She hadn't been there.