"What a shame." Draco moved to the other head of the table, tugging her into his lap.

The silk of her dress bunched around her hips, and she tugged it down while situating herself.

She had become far more comfortable in Draco's lap since their last visit. She fought the blush rising in her cheeks, thinking of just how comfortable she was as his arm wrapped around her waist, his hand sliding along the silk barely covering her back.

Certain formalities had started disappearing at the Edinburgh dinners. The girls no longer stood by the wall. Instead, there was a relaxed socializing — girls instantly plopping into laps, eating freely. Her eyes flickered to Mortensen, who was accepting fruit from Pucey's fingers with a grimace, and to Susan, who was still wrapped tightly in Goyle's embrace. Theo's Carrow Girl was leaning over to pour herself a glass of wine and giggling with another Carrow Girl on Bletchley's lap.

Once they were settled, Draco's voice rose above the rest: "Anyone fancy a card game tonight?" He waved a hand, and the box with the cards and dice appeared. The boys cheered and slapped the table.

"You ready to give away your secrets tonight, Draco?" Montague jeered.

"We'll see, Graham. Try coming up with something worth knowing this time."

Hermione twisted on Draco's lap to watch the whole table. Draco dealt the cards, sliding them magically across the table to each player. The game started with the seat to the right of the dealer, so Higgs rolled the dice and the game began.

After two rounds, Goyle was out, happy to suck on Susan's neck without interruptions. Blaise folded early, complaining about his cards. Hermione watched him through her lashes, and caught the occasional lingering glance with Draco. A subtle tilt of his head or drum of his fingers. The first round of wagers began, and when Bletchley lost in the next round, he revealed what he'd overheard from a guard at Hogwarts.

"I know the biggest thorn in Umbridge's side. The bloody house-elves," he announced, to sounds of laughter and disbelief. "Slow to answer summons, serving dreadful food. Just disobeying everything."

Draco reached for his wine glass and said, "Maybe Granger here had the right idea trying to free the lot of them."

The table laughed, and she pressed her lips together as Draco started dealing the next round. She noticed that Blaise was spending more time holding Theo's eye.

Theo lost the next round. They learned that Yaxley and Dolohov were entertaining Belgian dignitaries tonight, working on gaining their allegiance to the Dark Lord.

Soon they'd have France surrounded on all sides.

Hermione nibbled on a slice of cheese to keep her stomach at bay.

Finally the round came where Draco started bluffing. She wouldn't have known from his cards, but she could feel the slightest of taps from his right foot. Montague, Warrington, Higgs, and Bletchley all folded. Blaise kept raising with him, but when Pucey and Derrick folded, Blaise followed. It was just Theo and Draco.