Beauty From Pain

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ginny leaned against the counter of Virago and watched as Hermione nearly paced a hole into the floor of the shop. She had been muttering to herself and chewing on one of her fingernails for nearly a half hour, and Ginny was getting dizzy simply from watching her. Luna was standing beside her humming a song and off in her own world, as usual. No help at all.

When Hermione turned and started her four millionth loop, Ginny asked, "Should we ask her what's wrong?"

Luna looked between the two of them and said, "Not yet. She needs to sort out her thoughts before she can talk to us about it. Once all that's in order, she'll come to us."

Luna was right, of course. She was always right, but that didn't abate Ginny's curiosity. Hermione never got like this anymore, not since they had graduated and left things like OWLs and NEWTs behind them. The only time Ginny had seen her even half this stressed was over things like government patents and such things for her shop, but Ginny thought all that was settled ages ago.

"Do you think it has to do with work?" Ginny tapped her fingers on the counter impatiently and said, "I mean with the shop. She doesn't have some new law to deal with, does she?"

Luna continued humming and ignored her question.

"What about her parents?" Ginny glanced to Luna, her fingers tapping a bit quicker on the counter. "She hasn't mentioned them in ages."

Luna began braiding a section of her hair, her humming now combined with off-key whistling.

Ginny rolled her eyes and then let a sly smile creep onto her lips. "Maybe it's about a certain Slytherin we know?"

"I don't think Blaise has anything to do with this," Luna finally chimed in. "He has his own problems with witches to sort out."

"No, Luna, not Zabini."

Luna finished braiding her hair, rested her head on Ginny's shoulder, and said in a sing-song voice, "Let her sort it out."

Gently resting her head against Luna's, Ginny sighed.

The pair sat in silence and watched Hermione pace the floor, brows furrowed and thumbnail stuck securely between her teeth. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait too long for Hermine to stop pacing and turn quickly to face the two witches. Ginny and Luna both stood up straight, eager to hear what was bugging the witch so much. She had a determined look on her face that was all too familiar to her friends, but it was the undercurrent of panic that commanded their attention.

"I think Harry and Draco are in trouble."

Ginny frowned. "What could the pair of them have possibly gotten into?"

Hermione pursed her lips. It really wasn't her place to tell them what she knew, even if it was mere breadcrumbs of information. Draco's vulnerability in speaking with her about his father, even if it was overshadowed with an apology, meant a great deal to her. She didn't want to betray his trust so quickly.

"If it has to do with an investigation," Luna said to Ginny, "we probably aren't allowed to know the details."

"I barely know anything." Hermione smiled gratefully at Luna. "I'm not privy to the details of the investigation, but I do know it has something to do with the Death Eaters they haven't tracked down yet."

Ginny's expression darkened, and a fierce scowl took over her face. "What're those bastards up to now?"

"Language," Luna scolded her quietly, but Ginny ignored her.

"If they're gallivanting across the countryside chasing after Death Eaters, and I wasn't invited," Ginny muttered darkly, "I'm going to curse Harry into next week."