A tiny part of her was tempted to ask him if he was the mysterious Death Eater who demanded her protection in exchange for his support, but the more she thought about it, the less that idea made any sense. They were polite and friendly with each other while he was in the service of the Dark Lord. That didn't mean that he was willing to keep her protected. They weren't exactly friends and to her disappointment, they'd never been lovers. What would be in it for him to demand her survival? Besides, he was no use as a Death Eater since his defection. Whomever was insistent that she be spared had to still be within the ranks of Lord Voldemort's most loyal followers. Deciding that was an issue to solve for another day, Hermione shook her head and continued with her next question.