“We can't leave him there. He's an Order member. They're probably torturing him. What if Lucius Malfoy gets his hands on him?” Harry's chest was heaving with panic and rage despite the Draught of Peace and sedatives Hermione had given him prior to approving his rennervation.
“There is nothing that can be done until we have better intelligence,” Kingsley said, unmoved. He was always exactingly calm during meetings. His eyes darted around the room for a moment before stopping on Harry. “While you recuperate, Moody is already heading a new mission at Hogwarts. We are fully aware of the urgency of the situation, Harry.”
“I don't need to recuperate,” Harry snapped, his teeth bared. “I need you to help me get Ron back. There has to be something we can do. We have prisoners, we could do an exchange.”
Kingsley drew a long breath and shook his head. “If the Order attempted to open a negotiation channel, we could alert them to the value of their prisoner. You're grieving; until you have a new partner assigned to you, you are restricted from further missions.”
Harry stood up and walked out of meeting without another word.
“Keep an eye on Harry,” Kingsley said. “Remus, Fred, Charlie, don't let him out of your sight.”
As the room cleared, Kingsley remained at the end of the table. Hermione stood up to leave.
“Granger, a word before you go,” Kingsley said.
She stopped and turned back. Kingsley cast a privacy charm around them. She curled her hands into fists behind her back.
“You need to speak with Malfoy. I want everything about Hogwarts, immediately.”
Hermione stared at Kingsley guardedly. “Now?”
“Soon as you can, wait there until you speak to him. Tell him it's critical. Make clear this is a top priority for the Order.”
She nodded and started to turn before stopping. “Should I tell him why? That we're trying to get Ron back?”
Kingsley nodded slowly as he looked back at her. His expression was closed but his gaze as he studied her was meticulous. She often wondered what conclusions he was drawing.
“Yes. If he has a chance to get Ron back, that would be preferable to the losses we'll suffer attacking Hogwarts. I doubt they'll be foolish enough to kill him; Harry's tendencies are too well known. Until we get Ron back, Harry's useless. There are no solutions that won't be a risk for the Order. Losing Ron could easily be a critical blow for us.”
Hermione's mouth twitched at the unspoken implication. It was worth sacrificing Draco to recover Ron. Of course. That was why she'd consented in the first place. She knew that calculus to be true. Because war was larger than anyone.
But — but—
She swallowed. “Alright. I'll tell him,” she said in a dead voice.
After a moment, she added “You realize Harry's going to try to stage a rescue on his own.”
The corner of Kingsley's mouth twitched. “That's why I assigned Remus, Fred and Charlie. If I put myself on his detail, he'll try to go solo. He's less likely to leave them behind. I'm hopeful Remus can talk sense into him if he does anything stupid. Unless we put him in stasis somewhere the Weasleys can't access, I don't expect there's any way to stop him.”
Hermione started to speak and then hesitated. Kingsley arched an eyebrow.
Her jaw tensed. “Ginny. Should we tell him about Ginny? It might ground him slightly.”
She watched Kingsley calculate the question. She had realised a few years into the war that Kingsley Shacklebolt had been a Slytherin.
“Not yet. If we can't recover Ron within a week, we'll use it,” Kingsley said finally. “I don't want any information getting to them. If we're lucky, they'll preoccupy themselves by trying to gather their own intelligence until Moody and I can find a solution.”
“Alright.”
Hermione left the room and walked straight out of Grimmauld Place.
The room in the shack was cold. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself while she stood waiting for Draco to appear.
He came in less than five minutes.
He studied her face. “I assume this is about what happened at Hogsmeade.”
Hermione gave a sharp nod. “They got Ron.”
Draco's expression flickered. “It's Ron? I only heard it was a Weasley.”
“It's Ron. We — we need him back. It's vital. We have to recover him.”
Draco's expression grew cold. “Attacking Hogwarts would be suicide. The place is a fortress.”
“We have to recover him,” Hermione said without wavering. “It's not negotiable. I was told to tell you it's critical.” Draco's eyes flashed faintly. “Ron is crucial within the Order. Kingsley wants everything you can provide about the Hogwarts prison.”
He drew a short breath and jerked his head up. “Consider it done.”
“Thank you,” Hermione said, trying to catch his eyes for a moment. What if he died? What if this were the last time she ever saw him?
He didn't look at her. “I'll call you when I have something.”
“Thank you, Draco.”
He gave a hiss of irritation. His jaw clenched. “I'd prefer if you stopped calling me that.”
Hermione felt her stomach drop. “Draco, when I kissed you—”