"What's this library fantasy?" Cho asked again, shifting down her body, sliding her hands over Hermione's stomach. "He catches us in the Restricted Section?" Cho rolled her eyes and pried Hermione's stiff knees open.

"Um, something like that."

Hermione was desperately trying to think of ways to slow things down when Cho dipped her head and kissed down her stomach.

"It's alright," Cho said softly, as Hermione jumped. "This is always a good bet. Just close your eyes and try to relax."

She kissed her bellybutton, clearly heading south, and that's how Draco found them when the door banged open.

Hermione wished to evaporate on the spot. Draco's jaw dropped, his eyes roving over her red knickers and bra. Hermione dimly registered Cho's breathy claims that they were "only studying," and "please don't tell Professor Snape!"

"Change of plans," he said roughly. "Granger and I have to go."

Hermione scrambled up, rushing to find her dress.

"Are you sure?" Cho pouted. "We were just getting started!" But she too was already reaching for her dress.

"Urgent business, I'm afraid. We'll reschedule." Draco's voice was clipped and cold. Hermione didn't dare look at him as she shimmied into her dress, silently cursing as she gracelessly tugged it up her hips.

A flurry of movement, and Cho's throaty voice said she looked forward to next time. Hermione was still trying to coax her tight zipper up as Cho slipped from the booth, closing the door behind her.

Hermione's chest felt impossibly hot as she continued struggling with her dress, staunchly ignoring Draco in the doorway. She heard him step closer to her, and when he moved her hands to the side to close the zipper, her face started burning.

Once she was dressed, he took her arm and led her out of the booth, past the boys whistling—

"Couldn't make it last, Draco?"

"Emergency Floo call. Just notified," he responded curtly.

"Sure, sure," she heard Flint's voice ring out. "The spoiled prat just likes to fuck on his own sheets."

"Oi! Is Chang still available then?" another called.

Draco waved them off, setting a quick pace to the fireplaces. He tossed the powder, and tugged her through with him into the silence of his bedroom at the Manor.

The whiplash of the past five minutes seemed to smack her upside the head — the hurried and panicked encounter with Cho, the information she'd learned about Charlotte, the red lingerie he was never supposed to see —

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she blurted out. "I tried to slow her down, but she insisted."

Draco was silent, and Hermione stared determinedly at the carpets, heart pounding in her ears.

"Were you successful?" he finally asked.

She looked up, and met his eyes for the first time since he'd left her alone with Cho in that booth. They were dark, but closed.

"Yes." She cleared her throat. "Cho will pass along the information. It's...it's Charlotte who is the hub." She turned to where he stood in front of the fireplace, watching her. "Charlotte controls the information and who gets messages to whom. If anything can get to the Order, it's through Charlotte."