She didn't ask any further questions until they were both seated at the kitchen table where generations of Nott house-elves once prepared meals. It was easy to see why the girl chose the kitchen. Warm and inviting, it was nothing like the dark and dreary rooms in other parts of the mansion. If she discovered that she slept on the rug in front of the massive fireplace each night to prevent having to go into one of the cavernous bedrooms upstairs, Hermione wouldn't have been surprised. Both women sipped at their tea, unsure how to progress. Finally, Hermione knew that she would have to breach some delicate topics. Sometimes it was best to just be blunt.