The Unknown of the Order (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

The Malfoys

Sarah sat just inside the tent they'd borrowed from Mr. Weasley, watching the manor house through the flap in the front. The building, as usual, was as quiet as it was dark. 

Sarah stood up and shook out her legs, one at a time, to get the stiffness out. Diego still hadn't returned. They'd been taking it in turns to watch the Malfoy house for anything suspicious, and to travel to rumored dementor haunts and eradicate the horrible creatures that fed on happiness. Dumbledore had been right, the countryside was crawling with them.

Sarah glanced over at the latest copy of the Prophet they'd procured. The paper was chock full of Fudge's blundering statements vehemently denying Voldemort's return or any claims that the dementors were leaving Azkaban. She picked up the paper and skimmed through it again, scoffing at the lines reading, "The minister insists that any persons claiming to have seen a dementor are 'merely victims of the loneliness that can overtake one during the holidays, or else of bad fruit cake.'"

She put down the paper and stepped outside the tent, if only to escape the pungent smell of cats for a few minutes. When she did, she heard the sounds of feet crunching along the frosty grass coming toward her. She spun around as she pulled out her wand, thrusting it into the newcomer's face.

"Relax, it's only me," said Diego, his hands held high.

Sarah lowered her wand. "Don't sneak up on me like that! Come inside, you look nearly frozen solid."

Diego followed her inside the tent, which was magically modified to be bigger on the inside, shaking off the chill as if it were a heavy coat. He looked absolutely exhausted. Sarah made coffee while he rubbed at his eyes and fixed his disheveled hair.

"I found loads of them in Surrey," said Diego. "I reckon Harry Potter really did see a pair in Little Whinging over the Summer."

"Of course he did," said Sarah, setting a steaming mug in front of him. "I've come to realize a way to know if something is one hundred percent true is if Fudge says that it isn't."

Diego took a sip from his mug. "There were almost more than I could handle. We'll have to start going dementor hunting together."

"Then who'll watch this place?" she said, gesturing toward the Manor.

"We haven't had a peep from that lot since we've been watching them," yawned Diego. "They're hardly as dangerous as the dementors."

"Lucius Malfoy was a known follower of You-Know-Who the first time, and Dumbledore reckons he still is," said Sarah. "Have you ever known him to be wrong?"

"No," Diego admitted, somewhat reluctantly.

"Dumbledore wants us to keep an eye on the Malfoys, so that's what we're going to do," said Sarah.

"Right you are, oh wise leader." Diego stood up and picked up his mug. "Better get to it then."

Grabbing her own mug, Sarah followed him to the tent's entrance. Diego pulled the flap back so that is was wide enough for the the two of them to see out. They sat down together and Diego conjured a large blanket to wrap around the pair of them. Sarah huddled in the blanket, enjoying the warmth and the company.

After a few minutes staring up at the silent house, Diego said, "It'll be Christmas next week."

"Will it?" 

With so much else to think about of late, Sarah had hardly noticed the holiday season approaching.

"What would you like?"

She smiled. "You're sweet Diego, but you don't have to get me anything."

"I want to. You're a good friend, a good partner, bloody hell, you saved my life the other day. It's the least I can do. So, what'll it be?" He stroked her hair so that it no longer draped over her shoulder but fell down her back, exposing more of her face and neck. "What about a necklace?"