Narcissa lifted her chin off her hands, stared her sister down, and said, "Are you threatening my son?"

Bellatrix scoffed. "Don't be absurd. He's the future of the Blacks." She grabbed Narcissa's wrist, pulling her hand close and weaving their fingers together. Then her anger seemed to vanish. She sent her sister a soft smile that sent chills down Hermione's back. "I can protect him and his weak heart. And I'll do it for you, Cissy."

She reached for Draco with her other hand, plucking up his limp wrist and clasping their fingers together. She tilted her head, pressing her cheek to their clasped hands. "Until he's strong enough to kill it," she whispered.

Bile crept up the back of Hermione's throat. She directed her attention to Lucius, watching carefully across the table, seething.

Another scream from below, choking off and then garbling into a wild pitch. Hermione looked down, imagining Ron's bloody and beaten body thrashing in pain. Blinking rapidly, she breathed in and out. A lake, clear and calm—

Narcissa peeled herself away from her sister. "We have very different ideas of what makes a weak heart, Bella."

Bellatrix looked down at her empty right hand, like the sight of it offended her. Her eyes turned to ice. "Perhaps we do. Your need for affection outweighed your sense of loyalty long ago. Now, you're no better than our mother — a simpering housecat whose purpose is to host tea during the day, spread your legs at night, and pop out children nine months later." She snatched her wine glass, lip curling as she brought it to her mouth. "And you weren't even particularly good at that, were you?"

"That's enough." Lucius's voice shook the room, his tone so low, Hermione had to search for the source. The plates and glasses trembled with his restrained magic.

"Ooo," Bellatrix giggled, stretching to whisper into Draco's ear, "Daddy's home."

Lucius pushed back his chair and rose to a looming height. "You have threatened my son, insulted my wife, and, frankly, served the most appalling soup I've ever had the displeasure of tasting. Excuse me, but it's ten past the hour I agreed to suffer through."

Bellatrix cackled, still grasping Draco's hand.

"Always so quick to get to it." She turned to Narcissa. "I knew he wasn't one for foreplay." Lucius stood stiffly, refusing to take the bait. Bellatrix's face fell into a mock pout. "All I wanted was to spend a little time as a family before Draco goes to Switzerland."

A thick silence settled over the room. Hermione could count the heartbeats between them all, hardly daring to breathe.

"Switzerland," Lucius repeated incredulously. "I thought Switzerland was your project."

"Yes, well the Dark Lord thinks that a Malfoy's political cunning may be just what we need over there. And since you just returned from such a long assignment, Lucius, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for Draco to rise to the challenge."

Narcissa stood, icy rage radiating off her shoulders. "So, because you've failed to infiltrate the Swiss Ministry, you're dragging my son into your mess? Holding him ransom for — for what?"