Slipping Secrets (Rhya Riddle- Book 2)

Finding Harry

Marcal and I did not speak to each other as we left for Diagon Alley. I left through the flames first, spinning into the public Floo entrance to Diagon Alley. I was shortly followed by Lucius, Draco and Marcal. Without turning around I continued down the dark side street into Knockturn Alley. I paused as I entered the row of shops that ran along it. For all my acting, I had forgotten that I'd never been further into Knockturn Alley than passing by the prominent entrance. I would have to wait for Lucius to catch up.

I leaned against the grimy brick wall that lined the street, then lept away from it in disgust as a cockroach the size of my head scuttled along it and out of sight. Instead I peered in the window of a dusty tattoo parlour as I waited. A large man turned his head slowly to look at me as a tattooist inked the pattern of a glaring skull on his back. I pulled a face at him and turned away as I heard my uncle's footsteps behind me. To my surprise Marcal wasn't with them.

"Where's my brother?" I asked immediatley as we set off down the street.

"He's gone to meet someone, he'll catch up with us later," Lucius said, and behind him I could see Draco smirking.

"What?" I asked my cousin as he wore that smug look.

Draco shook his head. "Nothing."

Hmm....

Lucius stopped outside a darkly lit shop called Borgin and Burke's. He looked around the street to make sure nobody was watching us before he entered.

There was a bell on the door that tinkled dully as we shut ourselves in, and a stooped man came out from the back of the shop. He straightened up immediately as he saw my uncle. "Mr Malfoy, sir, a pleasure as always. And this must be Master Draco, I have not seen you in a long time... and who is this young madame?"

His voice was croaky as he spoke, sucking up to Lucius who looked at him as though he were a rather mutated looking insect.

"Rhya Lestrange," I told him coldly.

"Lestrange? Oh, you must be Bellatrix's daughter. I've recently come into sale with some of her old possessions. They're not cheap, but for you I could make a large exception.”

“We’re not buying today, Borgin,” Lucius snapped, just as I was about to ask about prices. I shot my uncle a scowl but did not argue. I could tell that getting rid of his Dark Arts stuff was important to the family name, so I stayed silent for Draco’s sake.

As Lucius and Borgin began to haggle, Draco and I began to move around the room, looking at all the different sorts of objects that littered the place. There was a large bottle of what looked like molten gold sitting next to the corner of the shop. I saw Draco strut over to examine it, and I waited until he had his back turned before I jumped forward to interrogate him. I slung an arm around his shoulders, despising the fact that I had to stand on my toes, but I couldn’t drag him down to my height without making our size difference obvious.  “So…” I began casually. “Marcal wouldn’t have happened to tell you who he’s meeting? Would he?”

Draco’s only reaction was to flush slightly and he managed to mumble, “Madonna Mc Gonnigal, I think.”

“What?” I asked so loudly that both Lucius and Borgin turned around to stare at us. I dropped my voice. “What on earth is he meeting her for?”

“I think he mentioned ice cream…” Draco’s cheeks got redder and he pretended to be extremely interested in a large shrivelled hand on display at the far wall of the shop.

I couldn’t believe my ears. Did this mean that my brother and she were… together? I was impossible. Marcal wasn’t allowed to have girlfriends, he was my brother; he couldn’t be distracted from being there when I needed him by some blonde little girl! What if they kissed in front of me? I would definitely have to kill her.