She was better prepared that day. She flitted in and out of her Occlumency in between her questions and notes, ignoring Fleur's concerned gaze across the room.

On Wednesday morning, Hestia informed her personally that Pansy would be released that evening. True to her word, Hermione didn't meet her at Azkaban or come calling at Grimmauld, but she did send Plumb to stay with her. Narcissa was tactful enough not to press her about it.

Hermione tossed and turned that night, pressing her face into Draco's pillow. Try as she might, she couldn't find joy in Pansy's release. Not when she was the one who'd put her there in the first place.

The Edinburgh Charter was approved eight days after the Council's first official meeting. And as the Council transitioned into assisting the governance of the International Magical Military Tribunal, one of the first rules of business was to set trial dates.

Hermione listened to the voices argue that day with a half-Occluded mind. After some debate, Yaxley's trial was set first — on Monday 5 July. There had been a tense standoff between the Swiss and Italians over who should be next, but the Italians won — Blaise Zabini's trial would be second; Bellatrix Lestrange's third, in absentia.

Hermione's mind sharpened at the discussions of Bellatrix, but she kept quiet. If she'd learned anything from Lucius Malfoy, it was the value of keeping your cards close to the vest. Especially when it might be key to Blaise's survival. And Draco's.

Then they listed Draco Malfoy's trial fourth, in absentia, and she drifted.

As the days dragged on, the question of what kind of political upheaval she'd cause by withholding the information began to weigh heavily on her. She pored over the fine print in her contracts and binders, and determined that because she was only on the Advising Council — not an official member of the Tribunal's Secretariat — she had no obligation to provide information regarding the charges against Blaise prior to his day in court.

Even after ruling out legal consequences, the idea still vexed her. She'd yet to make any real friends on the Council, but Hestia had won her trust — providing background information on lunch breaks, steering her away from skirmishes with a simple cough or a tap of her quill. If she kept this information from Hestia, what might she lose?

What might Draco lose?

She finally voiced her fears to Narcissa, who declined to advise her either way. "Trust your instincts," she said. "Only you can judge what you stand to gain or gamble away."

By the end of the second week, Hermione had decided to tell Hestia directly. She was fully aware of what Hermione planned to do for Draco, but had chosen to mentor her nonetheless. And the consequences of not telling her seemed to outweigh the risks of telling her. But Hestia had to skip Friday's meeting. And Hermione felt her heart sink at the news, knowing the Council would enter a one-week recess the following week so the members of the Secretariat could prepare for the trials.