"Is this the Granger girl? I heard she vos caught, but I did not know who took her."

The Granger girl. Hermione could feel her heart pounding.

"Yes." Lucius swirled his glass lazily. "She is my son's property." And with a lilt of his voice and a tilt of his head, Lucius focused like a shark. "I believe you were acquainted with her during your time at Hogwarts?"

Viktor smiled thinly. "She vos my date to the Yule Ball. Good for appearances, but she stepped on my toes all night." He looked down at her, letting his eyes trail over her skin. "I have not seen her in four years, but she has certainly grown more attractive."

It hadn't been four years. It had been one year, at Bill and Fleur's wedding. They had talked. They had almost danced. They'd kept in regular contact before then. She remembered his long letters, the summer invitation she'd declined due to O.W.L.s.

Viktor was trivializing their relationship on purpose.

"In fact, I vould very much like to… negotiate for her. Tonight." His eyes were liquid as they roved her body. "She vos, how do you say… a good girl before. I vos not allowed to touch."

Lucius paused, and Hermione held her breath as he calculated. "I'm afraid she's highly requested, Mr. Krum. You'd have to get in line." Minister Grubov laughed, and Lucius joined him.

Lucius's eyes flicked to the door, and Hermione followed them to see a Death Eater bringing in a thin brunette girl to Charlotte. The girl was shaking as Charlotte led her over to Minister Cirillo, her lips stretched in a strained smile.

Anna.

"As it is," Lucius said lightly, "she is my son's slave. You will have to speak with him about any trading." He turned abruptly to Grubov. "Minister, I hear you have begun the process of a Muggle-Born Registration. How is that coming along?"

Hermione tried to keep up with the political discussion through her attempts to keep an eye on Viktor. The only times he would glance in her direction would be to let his eyes linger over her body.

After ten or so minutes of conversation, Lucius excused them and brought her over to meet the Japanese Minister, who was using a Translation Charm to speak with Mulciber. Hermione glanced at Cho, but she too was avoiding eye contact.

In the far corner, Minister Cirillo was chatting with Yaxley, one hand on her drink and the other on Anna's backside. Hermione tried to follow the conversation with the Japanese Minister, but she was too distracted, watching the Swiss girl shiver and twitch out of the corner of her eye.

That was supposed to be her. And Lucius had thrown that girl into Cirillo's path instead. Her stomach twisted with guilt and relief as Cirillo finally ended the conversation, took Anna by the elbow, and escorted her to a side door. She hardly had a chance to steady herself before Lucius was grasping her by the elbow and saying his goodbyes.