Rylin Riddle

chapter 32

July 31, 1997 (sunday)

        I've spent every day in long sleeves or a sweatshirt of some sort. Theo is totally getting sketched out by it too. It's almost 30° everyday so I'm sweating my ass off.

        It's obvious Theo wants to have sex and trust me, I do too. I just can't let him see my arm. And it's impossible to get that intimate without taking off a bulky sweatshirt.

        This whole trip it's been like I'm not fully here. I talk and move but my mind is stuck on the death eaters. On the fact that we're hunting down Harry Potter and his friends.

        All I can think about is my dark mark, the other death eaters, and my father. I'm so worried they'll find me here and attack Theo.

        But Mr. Nott knows. He's a huge part of it all and Theo probably has no clue.

       I've noticed him wearing short sleeves most of the time though. I know for a fact he has a dark mark. Where does it go though?

       I want nothing more than to tell Theo. I want to tell him everything.

        I thought all this as I filled my cup up with water. Theo wasn't awake yet but I woke up due to sweating to death. I heard the floorboards creak and whipped around.

        Mr. Nott stood in the kitchen doorway, looking me over. I need to get out of this room.

I can't stand being around him.

        I tried to loop around him but was stopped before I could leave.

        "Does my son know?" He asked, keeping me gated in the room.

        "Know what?" I asked, playing dumb.

I'm not just going to let him control me.

        "The mark on your forearm." He replied, even toned. I looked down at my sleeve as if I was checking for it to still be there.

        "No. He doesn't." I told him. It's true.

        "Why haven't you told him?" He looked me over.

        "I can't. I don't want him to know."

Lie.

        "It doesn't matter, he'll have a matching mark soon enough."

What? Fuck no.

        "Where's your mark?" I asked him as he turned away to leave this area of the house. I'm not pushing the fact that Theo could be turned too. "Same place as yours." He smiled and patted his forearm, leaving me standing in silence.

What the hell?

***

        I spent the rest of the day avoiding Mr. Nott. He had on short sleeves and no mark was visible.

How is it still gone?

        Theo and I were laying in his room now, me on top of him. The fan was blowing around the room, thank Merlin. Finally some decent airflow to prevent myself from sweating to death.

        Theo had a movie playing but I wasn't paying much attention to it. I was too deep in my own thoughts for that.

THEO POV

        I put on a muggle movie for us but Ry doesn't seem to care much. She looks tired and seems like she's off in her own world constantly.

        This whole time she's been here, she's been distracted. I can tell somethings off. She's not acting normal or right in any way.