Hermione wondered whether she had just heard a murder plan and decided not to question it. These Slytherins were going to be the death of her. Her mind was on one Slytherin in particular: Draco Malfoy had not been in evidence much over the last few days, and though Hermione knew he was merely making big plans for when they returned home, she found that she missed his jagged wit and razor-sharp insults. She even missed the way he called her Mudblood, his tongue caressing the syllables like it was a pet name rather than a slur.