Percy Jackson and the Locket of Salazar

10) Is It Really Stalking if I'm in Love and My Friends are Weird?

"Big surprise," Ron whispered, as Draco had just stepped into the mouth of Knockturn Alley.

"Quick, or we'll lose him!" Harry hissed and sped our pace up.

"Our feet are showing," I said plainly, feeling the fabric flap at my ankles. "Don't you know that showing your ankles is inappropriate? Scandalous."

"It doesn't matter," Harry whispered impatiently. "Hurry!"

Harry was right. Knockturn Alley was deserted, the windows we looked into housing no customers at all. I figured it would be very suspicious to be seen buying Dark Items during these times, but I'd honestly been expecting the reverse. People buying Dark Items more, as a means of protection.

Draco was in Borgin and Burkes. I may or may not have gone down Knockturn Alley a few times in search of prancing items, and knew the general layout. That store sold a rather odd assortment of sinister objects as well as lemon candy. As it was the only store with any movement blurring through the gleaming windows, it wasn't hard for Hermione to spot him again. "Look! He's in there!"

"Minding our business is still free, but stalking can cost anywhere from three to ten years. Personally, I don't want to step out of prison when I'm twenty-six because my friends decided to play one-sided hide-and-seek with my boyfriend."

"Shhh!" Harry elbowed me in the ribs. Asshole.

Draco had his back to us, the ends of his hair curling from beneath his gelled hair. He was talking rather animatedly, gesturing in a way I hardly saw from him. He would shift on his feet every so often, momentarily disappearing behind a large black cabinet. The clerk of the shop, an oily man with bad posture, wore a look of fearful displeasure.

"If only if we could hear what they're saying!" Hermione whispered.

"We can!" Ron's eyes lit up as he fished around in his pockets. "Hang on — damn —" he fumbled with some boxes he hadn't had the chance to put away before we made our escape from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, eventually presenting us with a large box. "Extendable Ears, look!"

"Fantastic!" Hermione watched as Ron unfurled the flesh-colored strings. "Oh, I hope the door isn't Imperturbable —"

"No!" Ron was delighted, which meant I suffered. "Listen!"

We put our heads together, listening to the conversation happening inside the store.

Draco's voice rang loud and clear. "... you know how to fix it?"

"Possibly," Borgin said, sounding fatigued and unwilling. "I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?"

"I can't," Draco said stiffly. "It's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it."

I was a little shocked at Draco needed help with fixing something. Whatever it was that required work, it must've been a seriously complicated bit of magic.

Borgin, licking his lips nervously, replied, "Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."

"No?" I could hear the bite in Draco's tone. "Perhaps this will make you more confident." He shifted, disappearing behind the cabinet, and, no matter how hard my friends tried, we couldn't get a view of what was happening. We could see the frightened look on Borgin's face.

"Tell anyone," Draco said coolly, "and there will be retribution. You know Fenrir Greyback? He's a family friend, he'll be dropping in from time to time to make sure you're giving the problem your full attention."

"There will be no need for —"

"I'll be the one to decide that." Draco's voice was tinted with something sad beneath all the ice. "Well, I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep that one safe, I'll need it."