Magic? || Years 5-7

Knocked Off-Kilter: Year 6/Summer

 "What was that about?" Ron whispered as he rolled up the Extendable Ears and watched Malfoy disappear around the street corner.

"Dunno," Harry replied, eyebrows furrowed. "He wants something mended. . . and he wants to reserve something in there. . . Could you see what he pointed at when he said 'that one'?"

"No, he was behind that cabinet - " Ron began.

"You all stay here," Hermione whispered.

"What are you - ?" Amisty almost hissed, but almost as soon as the words left her mouth Hermione had already ducked out from under the cloak and entered the shop.

Ron immediately let the Extendable Ears down again, holding up the ends between the three of them.

"Hello, horrible morning, isn't it?" Hermione greeted Borgin brightly, an awkward bounce in her step as she hummed.

Borgin cast a suspicious glance at her as she roamed around.

"Is this necklace for sale?"She asked, fingertips resting against the glass case.

"If you've got one and a half thousand Galleons," Borgin replied coldly, clearly unamused by Hermione's mere presence in the shop.

"Oh - er - no, I haven't got quite that much," Hermione mumbled, running a hand through her hair nervously. "And. . . what about this lovely - um - skull?"

"Sixteen Galleons."

"So it's for sale, then? It isn't being. . . kept for anyone?" Hermione asked and shifted backward as Borgin's eyes narrowed. "The thing is, that - er - boy who was in here just now, Draco Malfoy, well, he's a friend of mine, and I want to get him a birthday present, but if he's already reserved anything, I obviously don't want to get him the same thing, so. . . um. . ."

Amisty winced.

"Out," Borgin ordered, gesturing violently toward the door. "Get out!"

Hermione nodded mutely, hurrying out of the shop with Borgin tight on her tail. As soon as she stepped through the door he slammed it shut, flipping the sign on the door over so it loudly proclaimed they were CLOSED.

"Ah well," Ron sighed, throwing the cloak over Hermione's shoulders. "Worth a try, but you were a bit obvious - "

"Well, next time you can show me how it's done, Master of Mystery," She snapped back, huffing.

Amisty rolled her eyes, tuning them out as they rushed back to Fred and George's shop and made up some lies about exploring the back of the shop as they were barraged with worried questions from Mrs. Weasley and Hagrid. Amisty stepped away as soon as she could get away with it, sneaking around to find George and tapping him on the shoulder.

"You leaving?" He asked, leaning over her and pushing a box back into place before it toppled over.

"Not yet," Amisty replied. "Soon, though."

George frowned, narrowing his eyes at her, "Is everything okay? Did something happen when the four of you snuck out?"

"What?" Amisty asked too quickly, feigning innocence. "We were here the whole time, what are you talking about?"

"I've been in the back for the past fifteen minutes, Am," George smirked, ruffling her hair. "You're not as sneaky as you think you are."

Amisty pouted, scrunching up her nose as she glared up at him.

"What's up?" George asked, nudging her toward a miraculously empty bench in the corner.

"I saw him," Amisty replied quietly, dropping down next to him. "In Knockturn Alley, at Borgin and Burkes."