The feeling of being watched returned a couple of times through the rest of that week. Now she knew it wasn't her imagination. Someone was watching her! But who and why? Rufas and those in the Auror's office were disturbed by this. Hermione was now escorted to her meetings, to lunch, and anywhere else she wanted to go inside the ministry.
To make this easier for her, it was Ginny who had been assigned to be her escort. It made the situation look like the escort was simply that of two best friends enjoying each other's company. What wasn't known to most people was that Ginny Weasley was the seventh child of Molly and Arthur Weasley. So, one might ask? Well, as the only daughter and the seventh child, Ginny Weasley had the power of the magic number 7 behind her. It was this that gave her the extraordinary magical powers she possessed. In many ways, her magical abilities made her the strongest of all witches and wizards known, with the exception of Albus Dumbledore. Her powers even outstripped Voldemort. True, his powers for the dark arts had been greater, but that was simply because Ginny didn't use them. Those who made studying witches and wizards their career, knew however, that if Ginny Wealsey had chosen the dark path rather than the good side, she would have made Voldemort look like a weakling in comparison, and gave a huge sigh of relief that Ginny Weasley was on the right side.
Ginny and Hermione enjoyed each others company, so to outsiders the reason for the two always being together looked like anything but an escort, which Moody, Lupin and the others hoped might flush out whoever was trying to keep tabs on Hermione. Ginny had been moved into the Minister' Office and everyone assumed she was Hermione's Aide.
Another strange thing happened a couple of times again as well. It always happened while Hermione and Ginny were at lunch in the cafeteria. It was Umbridge. She kept coming up to them and trying to sit down with them, as if she wanted to be their friend. Ginny and Hermione were polite, but non-committal. Neither of them liked Umbridge at all, and for good reason. They knew Umbridge remembered what had happened at Hogwarts during her short reign there. How could she believe they would forgive and forget! Finally, they took to eating lunch elsewhere most days, but sure enough, those few times they did go to the cafeteria, Umbridge would approach them, croaking her "welcome".
The girls shared this news with Rufas and with the Auror's office. Both felt that Umbridge, who had lost her position, high standing and most of what you might call friends when she was so disgracefully ejected from Hogwarts and the truth came out about how she handled things there, was even more unstable now and very lonely. Hermione now held the position she used to, and that her attempts at friendship with Hermione was simply to help her feel closer to the "action" again. They did not feel as if she could be any real threat, but understood Hermione's and Ginny's revulsion towards the woman.
"Can we tell her to just kiss off?" Ginny asked. "She surely must have noticed that we aren't interested in a friendship with her, but she keeps trying anyway, the toad! I don't trust her and I don't like her. I would rather bat-bogey her than look at her!"
"I think you are doing the right thing by not going to the lunchroom to eat if you two are just going to sit by yourselves," Lupin said. "Might I suggest that if you really want to go to the cafeteria, sit with a group of other diners. I am sure they would be pleased to have you join them. I doubt Delores will approach you if you are with a larger group."
Ginny and Hermione looked at each other and nodded.
"We'll give it a try, although we usually like to sit by ourselves so we can talk," Hermione said. "We'll still do that, of course, but if we do, we won't go to the main dining room. Those times we want to eat at the cafeteria, we'll sit with others and see what happens."
The next time the girls went to the cafeteria, they sat with a much larger group. They had a good time and forgot all about Umbridge. That is until she approached them as they were leaving.
"Hem, Hem," Umbridge cleared her throat as she approached them. The two girls turned to look at her.
"I was just wondering if I could ask just a teeny little favor of you," Umbridge said, looking straight at Hermione.
"And what would that be?" Hermione said, forcing politeness into her voice.
Umbridge smiled widely, reminding Hermione of how much she did look like a huge frog about to swallow a juicy fly.
"I would like you to stop by my office sometime this week," Umbridge said. "I have some teensy little items I would like to discuss with you."
"Does it have to do with ministry business, Delores?" Hermione responded. "Because it is a very busy week for me, and I would have to find the time for Ginny and I to be able to come."
Umbridge's eyes darkened a little.
"I was hoping to speak to you alone, Miss Granger," she said.
"Excuse me," Hermione said. "I don't mean to be rude, but my name is now Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny is my personal aid and goes with me to all my meetings. It's Rufas' orders."
Umbridge's smile falted a bit, but she cleared her froggy throat again and said. "I apologise, Mrs. Weasley, it's just that I remember my former students as I knew them back at Hogwarts. Silly of me! And yes, I want to speak to you about ministry business, but on more of a personal level. I see you are on a first name basis with Scrimgemour?"
"Yes, again at his own insistance," Hermione said. "I will see what I can do, Delores. Right now, we have to get to a meeting, so if you'll please excuse us?"
"I hope to see you later then," Umbridge said as she turned to leave, the forced smile fading from her large lips.
"I can't get over the feeling that she is up to something," Hermione said to Ginny as they walked back to the office.
"I know," Ginny said. "I felt it too. To discuss ministry business but on a personal level? She wants something!"
"Yes," Hermione replied. "But what?"