Ernie looked down at the mug at his hands, avoiding eye contact for a moment. "Well, it wasn't all her...a lot was. A couple crucios and a slap to the face, but then she passed me off to Filch and the dungeon. I'm a pureblood; they're not going to kill me. At least not yet..."
Ernie sighed, rising his eyes from the mug to look at Hazel. "Turns out they don't take kindly to you telling them that they're wrong about everything they're teaching..." he said, with the tiniest hint of a smile gracing his lips. But not too much of one, for it would hurt too much.
He wasn't sure whether or not to tell her why he had been doing it in the first place. He didn't really know how she'd react, and was a little worried to tell her about his involvement in the DA. Not because he thought she really supported the Carrows, per se, but he didn't know if she would quite appreciate the rebellion, either.