She grimaced as her temples began throbbing. She would have to consider all of this later. For now, the Manor would remain locked down, and Narcissa would be safe inside its walls. She replaced the books on the shelves and stepped out of the small archive room. Lucius's bookshelf slowly closed behind her, and she swept from the room.

That evening, Hermione had dinner with Narcissa in the dining room. It was a small meal, and as Hermione pushed her roast around, she tried not to think about what they would do when they ran out of food.

Narcissa didn't say a word about Bellatrix or Lucius, seemingly set on grieving in private. Hermione followed her lead, pretending not to notice the redness around her eyes.

"I found the Malfoy archives," Hermione said over her vegetables. Narcissa gave a polite hum, and Hermione played with her napkin. "The… heir of Malfoy Manor must perform counter-spells to lift the restrictions. So, I suppose it's good that you and I are safe here for now, but we can't move freely until Draco comes home."

Narcissa lowered her fork with a weary expression, her eyes closing. "Not Draco. Dolohov."

A prickling coldness shot down Hermione's spine. "He's dead. Dolohov is dead, so—"

"Hermione," Narcissa said softly. "Inheritances are entailed on estates. It doesn't matter that Antonin Dolohov is dead. The Dolohov estate owns the Manor now that Lucius is dead."

Hermione stared at her, balling her napkin in her fists. "So, we're waiting for some Dolohov distant cousin to come waltzing through those doors?"

"Yes. It would be up to Gringotts to find them. But I'm sure Gringotts has a copy of the counter-spells somewhere. They serve as a registry of sorts, for older families."

It felt like the room was tilting. "Well, it will take some time, at least. In the current climate, there's no way the goblins will be able to transfer a massive property to a relative of a known Death Eater—"

"I wouldn't be so certain." Narcissa pressed her lips together. "The goblins pay no mind to petty matters like human governments, Hermione. Gringotts is very much operational."

The truth of Narcissa's words hit her like a blow to the gut.

Of course it was. She'd learned about this in History of Magic. The Ministry had never been able to control Gringotts, and neither would the True Order.

Narcissa placed her elbows on the table, pressing her forehead into her palms. "I'm sorry, Hermione. We may not be as safe here as we thought."

Hermione sucked in air. "No use in worrying about it before it happens, I suppose."

"Yes."

They finished their dinner in silence. Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that Lucius Malfoy was far too clever for that end. He wouldn't leave them in such a vulnerable position. But then her doubt crept in, and she settled on Occlumency to bury her anxiety.

After dinner, Hermione offered to sit with Narcissa in the library for a few hours. She declined, blaming a headache. The black vials clicked in Hermione's pockets as she prepared to climb the stairs, and she paused. If there was a chance the boundary spells could come down at any moment, she needed to gather everything now. She couldn't be caught without everything on her person.