Hermione took a quiet step backward, preparing to turn on her heel—

"...our son. And now he's off… dangerous and... He's out of his depth—"

Narcissa's voice cut out as she ranted. Hermione let the words wash over her, heart hammering in her ears. They were talking about Draco.

A few more heartbeats, and her self-control shattered. She tiptoed forward, ears straining for a response.

Was Lucius home?

She wasn't eavesdropping, she told herself as she crept forward, guilt twisting in her gut. She was simply going to take her time before knocking.

"... becoming a liability," she heard Narcissa hiss. "Even the Dark Lord must see. Remind him why these revels exist in the first place… not just to wet their cocks—"

Hermione's brows jumped, and she stifled a gasp at hearing such crude language from Narcissa Malfoy. She craned her neck to peek through the crack in the door and found her pacing at the opposite side of the room, in front of the fireplace. The Floo.

A low baritone rumbling from behind a pair of chairs, where Hermione couldn't see. She took a shaky breath and knocked faintly at the door, praying Narcissa wouldn't hear her.

"I will not watch my language. Your friends are running wild here in England without the Dark Lord's oversight. Do something about it before our son gets killed."

She was talking about Edinburgh. Hermione's mind tumbled through the ways that Draco could be harmed by the events that had taken place there, but before she could process it—

"I have to go. Miss Granger is at my door, and I'm late for breakfast with her. I'll send your regards."

Hermione held her breath as Narcissa's heels clicked towards the door.

"Good morning," Narcissa said. Her face was flushed, but not a hair was out of place. "I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"It's me who should be apologizing," Hermione rushed, heat creeping up her neck. "I came looking for you, and then I — heard voices. I didn't want to interrupt, but I wasn't here for very long—"

"Of course, dear," said Narcissa smoothly, the anger of the previous conversation melting away. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't take breakfast with you. I have several urgent matters to attend to."

Hermione nodded her acceptance and said in a small voice, "Draco is gone?"

Narcissa took a deep breath and nodded. "He is in Italy. Dealing with an unexpected incident. I'm afraid I can't say much more than that." She pulled a thin letter from her robes and extended it to Hermione. "He asked me to give this to you."

Hermione stared at the parchment. "For me?"

"Yes," Narcissa said. "He had to leave rather abruptly, and he wanted to put your mind at ease."

Hermione blinked, gaping up at her. "He said that?"

"Technically, I believe he said, 'that bloody witch will give me hell if I disappear.' But I'm sure those were his true sentiments."

Hermione's fingers paused in grasping the note, and she looked up to see Narcissa smirking. Her cheeks heated, and she ducked her head.