From the outside, the office in the dingy backstreet off Diagon Alley was unremarkable looking. There was paint peeling from the windowpanes and the sign hanging from the porch was not exactly inviting, having had several letters blacked out and altered.

VERY DEFECT V AG N Y

None of this seemed to have put off the witch sitting in the corridor, although in her distraction, she probably hadn’t noticed the state of the building. Fiddling with her wand and running one hand through her black hair, the resemblance to the usual soignée image beloved by The Prophet was negligible. Parvati Patil frowned as she looked at her from out of the dusty office door window, and then turned to her partners.

“She’s still there. Shouldn’t we let her in?”

“Sure, in a minute,” Seamus replied, not looking up from his game of Gobstones.

“She’s a potential client,” Parvati reprimanded. Merlin knew they could not afford to turn away clients.

“Well, let’s hope so,” Dean replied, and started laughing when his Gobstone squirted Seamus in the face. He looked up and smiled at Parvati. “We need to let her think we’re busy, though. No one wants to hire a private detective if they never have any cases.”

“She looks worried, though, and ... well ...” She trailed off, biting her lip.

“Why are you so worried?” Seamus asked as he wiped off the Gobstone spit with a rather grubby handkerchief. “It’ll just be some mad bint who’s lost her Crup.”

Parvati whipped around. “Don’t you recognise her?”

“Huh?” Both Dean and Seamus looked up at her this time, suddenly interested.

“Merlin, you two take the piss all the time about me reading the society pages, but it pays off, you know.” She stood there with her hands on her hips, enjoying her moment. “That ‘mad bint’ out there is the extremely glamorous, extremely famous and highly notorious, Karis Flint.”

“You mean ...” Both of them looked at her with open mouths.

“Yes, lads. Blaise Zabini’s mother is sitting in our reception area and wants our help.”

“Jeez, perhaps she’s offed another husband!” Seamus exclaimed, excitement lighting up his eyes.

“Don’t be daft, she won’t need our help for that,” Dean replied. He vaulted over the desk and towards the door to peer over Parvati’s shoulder. “Besides, she looks upset about something, and you’re not going to be upset about murdering your eighth husband when seven others have gone down the same route.”

“Alleged murders,” Parvati put in hurriedly. “There was never any proof.”

Dean raised one eyebrow but with a cursory nod conceded her point. “Alleged, then.” He straightened his robes. “Right, Seamus, clean yourself up and remove the Gobstones, I’m going to greet the lovely Karis.”

“I saw her first,” Parvati objected.

“But I’m more her type,” Dean replied. Then bending down he gave her a peck on the cheek. “Cheer up. You’re still my number one girl.”

“And mine,” called Seamus as he Banished the set of Gobstones into a full-to-bursting cupboard in the corner.

“Only because I can perform a decent Scouring Charm,” she muttered as she siphoned off the Gobstone goo from the table. Catching sight of her reflection in the window, Parvati hastily adjusted the clip in her hair, and wiped away the blob of mascara underneath her left eye. Then she took a seat at the side of the main desk, and pulled out a quill and pad of parchment. Taking his cue from her, Seamus sat on the edge of the desk trying his best to look nonchalant as he flipped though a file (It was empty but Mrs Flint wouldn’t know that).

“These are my colleagues, Mrs Flint,” Dean said as he escorted her into the office. “Seamus Finnegan and Parva-”

“Parvati Patil,” finished Karis Flint. She walked over to Parvati and held out her hand. “We’ve met before.”

Parvati took the proffered hand. For some absurd reason she had a feeling she should be curtseying to the woman, but instead, she Summoned a chair for their client and offered her a coffee.

“You’ve met her before,” Dean muttered as he rummaged in the cupboard for some biscuits that weren’t a mass of crumbs.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I was with Lavender, helping her pack, when she and Blaise left for South America. The lovely Mrs Flint turned up and started shouting.”

“Why?”

Parvati shrugged. “Not sure. Lavender left them to it and wouldn’t say much. You know what she’s like - won’t hear a word said against him.” She glanced over her shoulder; Seamus was leaning towards Karis attempting to make small talk. “Get back there before Seamus starts pretending we solved a really big case.”

Dean grinned at her then, pulling his face straight, he sauntered over to his desk and sat down in a very businesslike manner. Parvati watched as he took a slight breath and leant back in his chair, not betraying any of the nerves he must be feeling.

This could be their first big case. Apart from Mrs Figg, who had been sent their way by Harry when Mr Tibbles had gone missing, and Seamus’ discovery of a fledgling counterfeit Butterbeer racket, they’d had nothing very interesting to solve. Money was tight; they were living on baked potatoes and cheese as it was. Karis Flint’s place in society �“ her contacts �“ could propel them onto centre stage. The Agency of ... Damn, they still didn’t have a name ... The Agency formally-known-as The Avery Detective Agency ... could be big, but only with the right clientele.

“So why is she here?” Parvati muttered to herself.

“Thank you,” Karis murmured when Parvati set the tray in front of her. “I am rather parched.”

“It is unusually warm for April,” Parvati agreed. “Would you prefer something cold?”

Karis shook her head and started to sip her tea. There was a silence whilst the three of them waited for her to talk. Seamus, becoming edgier by the second started to flip through the file. Fearing he’d soon set light to something in his nervousness, Dean, after exchanging a look with Parvati, started to speak.

“Would you like to tell us why you require our services, Mrs Flint?”

“I’m not sure where to begin,” she replied. “I’m not sure any of this is strictly necessary. But ...” She took a breath. The cup in her hands started to clatter in the saucer, so she placed it back down on the table. “Lavender asked me to call you in.”

“Lavender?” Parvati shared a look with the others. Their expressions mirrored her surprise. “Is she back?”

“Yes,” Karis replied archly. “Yes, Blaise and she arrived back in London yesterday, quite unexpectedly. That’s what makes it so tricky, you see. We were having a dinner party, a select, but important, gathering, you understand.”

“And they messed up your place settings?” Seamus muttered in an ironic undertone to Dean.

“No,” she replied coldly, obviously unamused at his tone. Glaring at Seamus, she turned towards Dean, leaning across the desk and angling her body towards him �“ and him alone. “Mr Thomas ... Dean, Lavender asked me to call you in. She says you’re the only people she can trust, and that I should trust you, too.”

“Mrs Flint, would you tell us what has happened?” Parvati asked, her voice soft as she tried to break up the intimacy that seemed to be growing between Dean and Karis Flint.

Karis didn’t look at her, but continued staring at Dean. “On the death of his father, my husband, Jonah, inherited the Flint estate. Last night was my birthday and he wished to present me with a family heirloom.” Licking her lips, she picked up her tea again and took another sip. “His aunt wasn’t happy with the idea, but really there was little she could do.”

“Mrs Flint,” Parvati interrupted, “are you talking about the Cordalis Diamonds?”

Karis smiled slightly. “I see you are up to date with the gossip, Miss Patil.” She inclined her head and then turned back to Dean. “Your secretary is right. Jonah was going to present me with the necklace.”

“Was?” Dean queried.

“They were stolen,” she replied. “Jonah had this idea about dimming the lights, fastening them around my neck, and then everyone would see them when the lights came up.”

“So what happened?” Seamus asked.

She dragged her eyes away from Dean and perused Seamus, perhaps wondering what his role was in this set up. Then she closed her eyes to recall the events. “The lights were extinguished. I heard Jonah opening the box, and felt his hands around my neck.” She smiled to herself. “He even kissed me on my shoulder. Then, when he illuminated the room, that’s when we discovered the switch.” She opened her eyes and her smile was now grim. “Miss Patil, what colour are the Cordalis Diamonds?”

“Purple,” Parvati replied promptly. “Deep purple.”

“And yet, this was the string around my neck,” Karis declared. She rummaged in her bag and threw something across the desk.

“They’re blue!” Parvati exclaimed.

“Exactly,” Karis replied. “They’re not a bad copy, but they are the wrong colour.”

Dean held the necklace up to the light, making a great show of examining it and then passed it to Seamus, who ran it through his fingers, looking thoughtful.

“Mrs Flint,” Seamus said at last. “Have you called the Law Enforcers about this?”

“Oh, no,” she said. “I can’t possibly do that.” She paused and swallowed. For the first time since she’d appeared in the room she looked very unsure of herself. “The thing is I know who stole them.”

“Who?” Parvati asked, although she was pretty sure she knew. Karis Flint was only going to put herself out for one person.

“My son,” Karis choked. “We had this huge argument because he needed money, and now he’s disappeared along with the diamonds. I need you to find him before Jonah calls in the Ministry.”

“Okay,” Dean murmured as the three of them approached the Flint residence. “How are we going to play this?”

“Find Zabini, of course,” Seamus replied. “Never trusted that slimeball. Typical that he’d do a runner.”

Parvati snorted. Seamus, she knew, still nursed a faint crush on Lavender, despite him swearing the opposite. She knew how powerful first love could be, though. Her sweet first kisses with the boy from Beauxbatons still made her smile, that memory surviving even if the rest became a blur.

“We don’t know he’s done a runner,” Dean said neutrally. “We can’t assume anything.”

“That’s what his mam thinks,” Seamus retorted.

“Lavender knows him better,” Parvati snapped. She pulled out a list of the people who had attended the dinner party. “Look, why don’t we all go and see Lavender, then we can divvy this list up.” Grimacing, she studied the names. “Tabitha Flint, Merlin, I remember her from school �“ looks like a bubble-headed bimbo, but is a right cow. I better take her, she’ll eat you both alive.”

“That’s Jonah’s sister, right?” Seamus said as he peered over her shoulder. “And Marcus is their brother and former Slytherin Quidditch captain. I’ll take him.”

The three of them stopped in front of an imposing town house towering above them in a quiet, but well-to-do area of Central London. The Flints lived near Muggles but apart from them. The high wrought iron gates were as effective as any Muggle-repelling spell at keeping out unwanted attention.

As instructed, Dean placed his hand on the metal gargoyle face attached to the gate handle. After a few seconds, the gate swung open admitting all three of them before closing with an imperious clang.

“Bagsy me speak to Malfoy,” Dean muttered. He punched his fist into his palm. “I promise I’ll be gentle.”

Parvati pulled a face. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We all know Draco from school. He’s an arrogant sod and he’s not going to talk to you. He might talk to me, or at least let something slip.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t see him pinching the diamonds, though. The Malfoys are loaded. He doesn’t need the money.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Seamus muttered.

“Huh?” Parvati looked at him in astonishment. “What have you heard?”

“Your man, Malfoy, likes a bit of a flutter on the gee -gees” He smirked. “Malfoy dropped a packet last weekend at the last flying horse race of the season. The goblins were toasting him in bars up and down the country.”

Parvati didn’t ask how Seamus knew this. As he told both her and Dean, it was his job to know things, and the fact that he was able to slip effortlessly in and out of the bars in Knockturn Alley without raising an eyebrow was down to his knack of looking inconspicuous.

“You’re far too beautiful, and Dean’s far too ugly to pull off this kind of caper unnoticed,” he’d told her once, a self-deprecating grin on his face.

“H’are you the persons my lady ‘as ‘ired to find the young master?” enquired the rather plump witch, wearing crisp grey robes, who answered the door. She stood to one side as they entered, eyeing them beadily.

“That will be all, Esther,” Karis commanded from the staircase. She walked down, her step measured, as she held out her hand to Dean. “I didn’t realise you’d be bringing your subordinates, Mr Thomas.”

“They’re my partners, Mrs Flint,” Dean replied quickly before Parvati could leap in. “The three of us bought out old man Avery �“ equal shares.”

“How interesting,” she replied, obviously not at all interested. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she lowered her voice, “As long as you’re all discreet, then I really don’t care, but if a whiff of this reaches The Prophet, then you won’t see a penny.”

“Discretion is our watchword,” Dean replied. Parvati stifled a snort, knowing that he’d read that recently in a Muggle detective novel. He scowled at her and turned back to Karis. “We’d like to speak to Lavender first. She might know where your son is.”

Karis pursed her lips and gave them a frosty look, but gestured towards a room on the right on the first floor. “My son and his girlfriend were sleeping there.”

It was a listless voice that told them to enter. Lavender was curled up on a small single bed, her face blotchy from crying. Parvati, who had spent seven years with Lavender and witnessed every conceivable mood change, was shocked at her appearance.

With her hair hanging past her shoulders, and a dull pallor despite the suntanned face, she looked the very picture of ill-health. Parvati rushed to the bed and hugged her tight.

“Thank you,” Lavender mumbled. “Thank you so much for coming. I don’t think I can bear much more of this house. They won’t let me leave and I’m so worried about Blaise. He could be in danger.”

“Danger? I doubt it,” Seamus muttered. “Lavender, your man’s done a runner with the diamonds. His mam called us in to find him and avoid a scandal.”

“No, she called you in because I asked her to!” Lavender said, fiercely returning to life. “Blaise has not ‘done a runner’ and hasn’t stolen the diamonds. Gods, we had no idea they were here. We only turned up last night.”

“Crime of opportunity,” Seamus retorted. “Lavender, face the facts. He’s not here and neither are the diamonds.”

She stood up from the bed and, hands on hips, stared across at Seamus. Then her eyes flicked towards Dean, half acknowledging his presence, until she finally settled her gaze on Parvati. “Is this what you think, too?”

Parvati bit her lip, not knowing quite what to say. She wanted to support her friend but none of them really knew Blaise that well and the sad fact was that Lavender was biased. “I trust you,” she said at last. “So if you say he didn’t do it, then that’s good enough for me.”

“Not very professional, Miss Patil,” Seamus murmured, looking away.

“Lavender,” cut in Dean. “Can you tell us your version of events? Starting from when you got here.”

After glowering at Seamus, Lavender gestured for them to sit down. “We arrived yesterday afternoon, just after four. I thought Karis knew we were on our way, but ...”


“What the hell do you mean she doesn’t know we’re coming? Merlin, Blaise, I thought you’d sent an owl!” Lavender exclaimed as they stood in the Muggle street outside his mother’s house.

“I ran out of money,” Blaise muttered. “Look, it’s fine. She’s my mum and she’ll be delighted to see us.”

“Really?” Lavender looked at him in disbelief. “Blaise, it’s her birthday, she’s probably doing something and we don’t even have a present for her.”

“Okay, so ‘delighted’ might be stretching it, but she’s not going to chuck us out. And after living in mud huts in the Amazon, we don’t need a lot of space.” He slid his hand around her giving her waist a squeeze and grinning as she squeezed back. “Just wait; we can have a proper bath.”

“With scented bath oil?” she asked, and sighed pleasurably. “Lead on, Zabini. I’m up for this even if your step aunt, or whatever relation Tabitha calls herself, is there.”

“Pain in the arse, that’s all she is,” he murmured then placed his hand on the gargoyle to gain entry.

“Master Blaise, what a surprise!” huffed Esther Purbright when she opened the door to them “H’and this must be your young lady. Delighted to make your h’acquaintance, Miss Brown. H’I’m an ‘uge fan of all your stories in The Quibbler. You ‘ave been to so many h’interesting places.”

Lavender caught Blaise’s eye, trying not to laugh. She’d never met Miss Purbright, but Blaise spoke of her with a reluctant fondness. His mother’s housekeeper, she’d been a permanent fixture during all the impermanent husbands. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Miss Purbright.”

“Call me H’Esther,” she wheezed.

“Hestia?”

“No ... H ... ESTHER,” the housekeeper replied, with great effort.

“What is all this noise?” Karis’ voice reached them from the dining room. “Esther, please do not tell me you’ve allowed the tradesmen to use the front entrance.”

“H’it’s the master,” Esther called. “Young Master Blaise, I mean, h’and ‘is h’intended.”

“Blaise!” Karis dashed out of the dining room. “You came back for my birthday. How sweet of you, my darling boy.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Blaise replied and, chucking both his and Lavender’s bags on the floor, he kissed his mother on her cheek.

“Ugh, darling. You could have washed,” Karis said, letting go hurriedly. She turned to Lavender. “You’re looking ... well, Lavender.”

“Hideously unwashed, too, I’m afraid, Karis,” Lavender replied, incredibly pleased her voice wasn’t betraying the nerves she felt. At the best of times, Karis made her feel like a gauche fourteen-year-old, but now with her week old unwashed hair, and grimy Muggle clothes, she felt like a grubby toddler caught with her hand in the biscuit jar. “We’ve been travelling since Tuesday and the Floo connections haven’t been at all kind.”

“Well then, the sooner you get bathed and changed the better,” declared Karis. “Esther, show them to the third spare.”

“Third?” Blaise pulled a face. “Mum, that’s tiny.”

“Unfortunately, my darling, you’ve rather caught us on the hop. Tonight we have a slew of guests staying with us. I would give you the first spare, but Aurelia is there.”

Blaise groaned. “Aurelia Savage is Jonah’s aunt,” he explained. “Pries a lot and disapproves of everything. She won’t like us sharing a room for one thing.”

“She can’t tell me where to put my guests up im my house,” Karis replied sharply. “Now, shoo upstairs and have a bath. Lavender looks dreadful.”

Lavender pulled a face behind Karis’ back, not altogether sure if Blaise’s mother was intending to be a bitch. Then she caught sight of herself in the mirror across the hallway and decided Karis had a point.


“Aurelia Savage is a Flint, then?” Parvati asked as she took her notes.

Lavender nodded. “She brought them up when their mum died. She’s an absolute cow but they all do what she tells them �“ even Jonah and it’s his bloody house now.”

“And Zabini?” Dean asked mildly.

Lavender shot him a withering look. “The old bat suggested I stay with my parents as there weren’t enough beds here. Blaise listened to her and then very politely told her to get stuffed.”

“Then what happened?” Seamus asked.

“We had a bath ... together,” Lavender replied and smirked. “Seamus, you’ve gone all pink.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get the picture, Lavender,” Seamus grumbled. “You’re still blissfully happy with Zabini. Doesn’t explain why he’s done a runner and left you here.”

“He hasn’t,” she said, determination in her eyes. “I know Blaise and there’s no way he’d have left me here. You have to find him for me.”

“Lavender,” Parvati said, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. “His mum has told us that they argued ... about money."

“Yes,” Lavender sighed, “they did, but it had nothing to do with the diamonds. He just wanted what he was entitled to.”


“Oh, Lord, what is that on the bed?” Lavender asked.

“Looks like a dress. Mum must have found you something to wear tonight.”

Lavender held up the brown satin dress and held it up to her. It was beautifully made and obviously expensive but not her style at all.

“Cheer up,” Blaise said. “You’d look good in a sack.”

“Just as well,” she moped as she struggled into the dress, which appeared to be a size too small, “because I feel like a sack of potatoes in this. Merlin, it’s tight!”

Blaise smirked at her, his eyes drawn to the fabric tight across her breasts. “You certainly look as if you’re ... er ... bursting with enthusiasm.”

“Don’t make me laugh, Zabini,” she replied, and started to giggle as he approached her, still with his towel around his waist. “I’ll split the dress.”

“Then,” he whispered, taking her in his arms and pushing her onto the bed, “I’ll have to take it off, very, very carefully.”

“Blaise,” Karis called from the landing. “Can you come out here for a moment, darling?”

He closed his eyes and swore softly. “Great sense of timing, Mother,” he muttered, reluctantly pulling himself off Lavender and wrapping the towel back around his waist.

Lavender sighed as she watched him go. Standing up she examined herself in the mirror. The dress really was horrible. Not only was it tight across her bust, but the material was straining across her hips too. Probably one of Tabitha’s cast-offs, she thought gloomily. Still it was just for this evening. Tomorrow she would visit her mum and pick up some of her things.

“Where’s the painting that was here?” she heard Blaise say.

“Painting?” Karis sounded faintly hesitant. “Ah, yes. It’s in storage, darling. Didn’t suit the decor.”

“So you don’t want it anymore?”

Lavender stopped looking at herself in the mirror and tiptoed to the door. Blaise had left it slightly ajar and peering through the crack, she could see Blaise leaning against an ugly looking piece of furniture and gesturing to an empty space on the wall.

“I wouldn’t say that exactly...” Karis prevaricated. “You know what I’m like, I shall probably get bring it out of storage when I want a change.”

“It’s mine, though!” Blaise argued. “Mother-”

“Call me Karis. You know how I hate to be called ‘mother’. It’s so aging,” she interrupted and started to walk away.

“Karis,” Blaise muttered through gritted teeth. “The painting is mine and I need the money. If you don’t want it, then I’d like to sell it.”

“Yours?” she replied, with a raised eyebrow. “Not till I’m dead, Blaise.”

“Er ... no,” he stated. “That painting was left to me by my father. You have no right to keep it from me. Lavender and I need the money.”

“Your father?” she queried, sounding amused. Lavender saw her smile at her son, then walking back towards him she patted him on his cheek. A calculatedly patronising gesture.

Blaise stepped back from Karis, his mouth agape. “You’d tell everyone?”

“I told you to marry the Greengrass girl,” Karis said succinctly, stepping away from him. “She has money and could have funded you in whatever ridiculous expedition you wanted to go on. Instead of which you’re having to rely on whatever pittance The Quibbler pays poor sweet Lavender.”

“Which is why I want to sell the painting,” Blaise implored her. Lavender watched as he struggled to remain calm in the face of his mother’s implacability. “Moth �“ Karis, please! You don’t even want it.”

Lavender tilted her face but couldn’t see Karis’ expression. All she heard were the muttered words as she walked back down the stairs. “Jonah likes the painting, Blaise, so I’m not letting you sell it.”


“So it was a row about money, then?” Dean asked gently before Seamus could start on her.

“Yes, it was about money. We’re practically broke,” Lavender admitted. “Xenophilius is a lovely man but his head is permanently in the clouds and I haven’t had a Knut from him for the last couple of months.”

“And Blaise must feel guilty, living off you,” Dean continued, lowering his voice and staring intently at her.

“He does,” Lavender said.

“Then don’t you think it’s possible �“” Dean’s voice was insistent.

“NO!” Lavender exclaimed coldly. “Get this into your thick head, Dean, and you, too, Seamus. Blaise would not have stolen the diamonds. He would not have run off and left me here.”

“How can you be so sure?” Parvati asked timidly.

Lavender got up, and walking over to a large bag, pulled out a large tattered t-shirt. “What’s the date, today, Parvati?”

“April the twenty-ninth.”

“And what is happening in three days time?” Lavender’s voice was soft, but all three of them could hear her words and couldn’t miss the aching sadness in them.

“The Battle of Hogwarts Memorial Service,” Seamus muttered.

Lifting the t-shirt to her face, Lavender inhaled then turned to face them. “We could have stayed in South America indefinitely. Yes, money’s short, but Xeno would have sent some funds through, eventually. We came back because we wanted �“ no �“ needed to be at that service. We lost someone too, remember.”

Parvati looked away from Lavender and glanced across at both Seamus and Dean, both of whom were shuffling their feet in embarrassment.

“I need you to find him for me,” Lavender said at last. “Jonah has decided that Blaise and I were in this together and won’t let me leave. Karis is quite sure Blaise did it, but thinks she can hush this up as long as the necklace is returned.”

“So where do you think Zabini is?” Seamus asked in a muted voice.

Lavender clutched the shirt closer to her and shook her head. “I really don’t know. He was angry with his mum and wanted to leave, but I calmed him down. We decided to stay for the meal. Merlin knows we haven’t eaten anything decent for months, and then Blaise would try and persuade her to give him the painting in the morning.”

Parvati listened to her friend, her brow furrowed as she thought it through. “When did he go missing, Lavender?”

“That’s the trouble,” Lavender replied. “It was before the big ‘reveal’. Blaise was talking to Draco, I think, and that other girl from their year ... Tracey something?”

“Tracey Davis,” Dean stated. “Yes, Karis told us that she’s Marcus’ fiancée. Her dad was here as well, wasn’t he?”

“Oh yes.” Lavender shuddered. “The lovely Gordon Davis. Unfortunately, I was put next to him. He’s rather a revolting letch, kept leering and asking me to call him ‘Gordy’. Still, at least it wasn’t Lucius Malfoy.”

“So what happened? Why did Blaise leave the table?”Seamus demanded.

“I don’t know,” she cried in anguish. “Karis had sat him at the other end of the table. I was trapped between bloody Marcus and Gordy. Blaise was talking to Draco and Tracey, and they were laughing about something that happened at Hogwarts. Had something to do with a bathroom or a toilet, I think.” She shook her head as if trying to clear it and shake a memory loose. “Then Blaise got up, said he needed some air �“ Draco and Tracey were smoking quite heavily so that might have been the case, and he left the room. He was gone for a while, Karis was getting annoyed, so in the end she told Jonah to get on with it. He doused the lights and ...”


“They’re beautiful,” Lavender said dutifully as she stared at the large baubles adorning Karis’ neck. She’d never heard of the Cordalis Diamonds, but from what she’d managed to glean from her short time here, they were very old and very valuable. “Blue diamonds �“ how unusual.”

“Blue?” Karis replied, and smiled condescendingly. “The Cordalis Diamonds are purple, Lavender.”

Narcissa looked across from Karis, flicked an imperious gaze at Lavender and then spoke. “Your son’s girlfriend is quite right, Karis. Your diamonds, if they are diamonds, are blue.”

“What!” Karis clutched at the string in her hands, examining the necklace. Then she pulled hard, causing it to snap. “Is this some sort of joke?”she hissed to Jonah.

“No!” he blustered. “Aunt Aurelia gave me the diamonds this morning when she arrived. I checked them myself. This is not the same necklace.”

“Someone has stolen them!” Aurelia declared. “And there’s only one person missing from this table.”

“Are you accusing my son?” demanded Karis. She rose from the table. “That is utterly preposterous. Lavender, go and find Blaise.”

Ignoring the fact that the request sounded very much like an order, Lavender fled the room, calling out Blaise’s name. Behind her, she heard someone start to wail hysterically. Lavender gritted her teeth. No matter where she went and what happened, Tabitha Flint had to be the centre of attention.

“H’are you looking for Master Blaise?” Esther asked as Lavender ran along the hallway nearly sending the housekeeper flying. “’E was chargin’ up those stairs when I saw ‘im last. H’is there a problem?”

“Diamonds,” Lavender gasped. The dress was so tight with the exertion that she was struggling to breathe. “The Cordalis Diamonds have been stolen.”

“OOOH.” The Housekeeper’s eyes were round with excitement and the possible intrigue. “H’and they suspect the young Master.”

“It’s a mistake,” Lavender called back as she carried on running.

“H’I’m sure it is, ducks,” Esther replied. “H’after all, Master Blaise isn’t the h’only one who needs money.”

“What do you know about it, you nosey old cow,” muttered Lavender as she started to run again. “Merlin, Zabini, why do you have to disappear on me now?”

Parvati reached across and plucked at Lavender’s hand. Pulling her down to the bed, she gave her a hug. “We’ll find him for you, okay. But ... uh ... what was that you were saying about his dad? You kind of trailed off at that point.”

Lavender stiffened; she stared at the t-shirt in her hands and seemed to take heart. “Nothing to do with the case. Blaise didn’t know his dad very well, that’s all. He died when he was very young.”

Parvati frowned slightly as she released Lavender but didn’t say a word. Instead, she stood up, patted down her robes and fixed a smile on her face. “Right, then, boys, we need to start interviewing people.”

“Yup,” agreed Dean, walking to the door. “Thanks for the information, Lavender. We’ll let you know what we turn up.”

She nodded faintly and then lay back down in the bed. Parvati watched her friend stare open-eyed at the wall, waiting for someone who to all intents and purposes had gone.

“Zabini made himself scarce at exactly the right moment,” Dean muttered when they were out in the hallway. “Do you think she’s letting herself in for a fall?”

“She trusts him,” Parvati replied. “Look, Dean, I know Blaise is a Slytherin and none of us ever liked him at school, but you weren’t there in that final year. He saved our skins once or twice and certainly saved Lavender.”

“But can we trust her judgement?” Dean looked to Seamus for an answer.

“Toilets,” Seamus murmured.

“Seamus, mate, if you need a slash, just ask that servant, she’ll tell you where they are.”

“No, you twat, Zabini left the table after a conversation about toilets. I’ve remembered something from our sixth year.”

“What?” Parvati looked at Seamus in puzzlement. The only incident she remembered connected to bathrooms was when Moaning Myrtle haunted the girl’s bathrooms, and she was pretty sure Seamus wasn’t planning on asking her to help out.

“OH!” Dean grinned at Seamus, clapped him on the back and strode towards the ugly cupboard that Blaise had been leaning on. “Montague and the Vanishing Cabinet, he Apparated back inside a toilet, didn’t he?”

“The Knut drops!” Seamus exclaimed. “What if Zabini was still after his painting? He might have decided to search for it while his mam and stepdaddy were otherwise occupied.”

“Doesn’t explain where he is, though,” Parvati muttered, still not quite sure what they were getting at. “If Blaise found a Vanishing Cabinet, then why hasn’t he reappeared?”

Dean crouched by the cabinet on the landing, running his hand across the mouldings. As he reached the floor, his hand came into contact with something that had rolled underneath. “A wand,” he said slowly. “Anyone know if that’s Zabini’s?”

Parvati took it from him, examining the dark mahogany wood. It looked unyielding but she was surprised to find it had some spring in it. “I think this is his,” she said, searching her memory for the last time she’d seen Blaise. “Lavender will know.”

“Let’s not upset her,” Dean muttered. He touched the carpet, and then lifted his hand to show them something else he’d found. “Blood and quite a lot of it. There’s some damage here and I’m pretty sure Zabini wouldn’t have dropped his wand without a fight.”

“You mean ...” Parvati stared at him in horror. Her stomach began to churn at the thought of what they might have to tell Lavender.

“He could still be alive,” Dean said. “But without his wand ...”

“Don’t say it!” Parvati exclaimed. “Just blast the bloody door off that cabinet.”

“No!” Dean ordered. “Not if he’s inside. Look, there’s always a way of getting into these things.” He resumed his examination of the mouldings. “Ah-ha, what have we here?” He smiled grimly at them both. “I’m pretty sure this lever will open it, so stand clear.”

Parvati stood back, pulling Seamus with her, but kept both her and Blaise’s wands raised. If he was in there, then something had dragged him in.

“Ready?” Dean muttered. They nodded. “Three-Two-One ... and ... OPEN.”

With far less noise, the door to the cabinet door creaked open. Gingerly, Dean, standing to the side and using his wand, opened it wider.

Seeing nothing untoward, Parvati approached. “There’s nothing there,” she said. “It’s just a dusty old empty �“ AGHHHH!” She shrieked as a gnarled, green hand shot out and grabbed her hair. Pulling her forwards, the hand dragged her into the cupboard, closing the doors with a loud clap. She shrieked again. There in front of her was a fierce green face with long fangs. “Help me!” she tried to shout, but the door was closing fast. The beast clamped its fangs into her wand arm and shook it until, in utter agony, she dropped both wands. She could hear Seamus and Dean hammering on the doors, and then heard Lavender’s voice too, as she dashed out of her bedroom, but Parvati couldn’t reply. The animal had clamped its hand over her mouth and was leering over her.

“No!” rasped a voice.

And then she felt someone alongside her, kicking out at the animal. It gave her heart to know she wasn’t alone, so with stupendous effort wrenched herself free and scrabbled for the wands. Her breaths were coming out now in shuddering gasps as she tried to edge away from the creature. Remembering the stories of the Vanishing Cabinet at school, she wondered if she’d slid into another room, but she could hear Lavender’s shrieks and feel the vibrations where Dean and Seamus were pounding at the cupboard.

“It’s some form of Kappa,” the other person groaned. She couldn’t see a thing, but Parvati recognised Blaise’s voice. “If you have a wand, don’t use it. It’s so cramped in here, any hex will rebound.”

“What do you suggest then?” she hissed.

“Lie still and wait for whoever’s out there to come and get us,” he replied. “This thing reacts to movement and light. When they get the door open, get ready to move, got it?” She nodded. “Who are you, anyway?”

“It’s Parvati,” she whispered, stifling an insane urge to giggle when she realised he had no idea who else was out there. “We’ve been hired to find you.”

“We?”

“Me, Dean and Seamus. We run a detective agency. Lavender made your mother hire us.” She broke off when Blaise put one finger on her lips.

“Get ready to move, NOW!” he yelled, and pushed her firmly with one hand towards the door.

There were hands to grab her. Not Kappa hands but two pairs of hands, hauling her to the light. “Help Blaise!” she said weakly.

Dean shoved her towards Seamus and grabbed Blaise’s arm. The Kappa reacted angrily, clawing at one of Blaise’s legs, but this time he was prepared, and using his other leg, he stamped on its head. The thing snarled, but fell back into the cupboard.

“Thank Merlin for that,” Blaise croaked. He lay back on the carpet staring up at them all. Then his eyes flickered towards someone hurtling along the landing.

“You’re safe, you’re safe,” Lavender cried, flinging herself into his arms and half pounding the breath out of him.

“Yeah,” he gasped. “I’m safe.”

“Not until you return my diamonds, you’re not, Zabini,” commanded the cold voice of Jonah Flint. He stood over them, pointing his wand directly at Blaise. “Give them back now, or I’ll call in the Ministry.”

Jonah Flint was a burly man. Younger than his wife by a good ten years, it was hard to see why Karis had decided on this man as her next victim �“ or alleged victim, Parvati reminded herself. Certainly, he didn’t fit her usual type. He had his own teeth for one thing, and his hair was thick and dark.

With his wand pointed directly at Blaise, he looked cool, calm and utterly in control. But he’d reckoned without his wife.

“Lower your wand, Jonah,” she said calmly from the top of the stairs. “Now that Blaise has returned, I’m sure this can all be resolved.”

“All what?” Blaise replied. He winced as he tried to stand up then gave up. Instead, he leant into Lavender allowing her to smooth his shaggy, black curls from his face.

It had been nine months since Parvati had seen Blaise. At school, despite being a Slytherin and a loner, he was very much noticeable because of his undeniable good looks. He’d always had the smartest robes �“ not flashy but well cut. Obviously being trapped inside the cabinet had changed things, but not half as much as his time abroad with Lavender. Sporting much longer hair and a beard, he was unrecognisable as the cool boy from school. One thing hadn’t changed, though. Blaise Zabini’s look of contempt as he surveyed everyone, except Lavender, was straight out of Hogwarts.

Jonah lowered his wand. “I want the diamonds back, Zabini.”

“Karis, what is he talking about now?” Blaise asked. He seemed to gain strength from Lavender’s ministrations, and with her help, he stood up.

“I would like my diamonds back,” Karis replied succinctly. “If you don’t return them, then he’ll have you prosecuted. Be a good boy, darling. The scandal will be frightful if you don’t.”

“You know all about scandal,” Blaise muttered. Closing his eyes, he started to sway. Lavender pulled him towards her, but it was Dean who steadied him.

“Mrs Flint,” Dean said. “If your son has the diamonds, then I could search him, but I can’t see why he’d steal them and then lock himself in that cabinet.”

“It makes a very good hiding place,” Jonah snarled. “He probably threw them in there as soon as he knew the theft had been discovered.”

“But the real Cordalis diamonds have been swapped with the fakes haven’t they?” Seamus asked. “Surely that means the thief had to have some time to get the copy together.” He paused and looked at the assembled group. “I’ve examined that string of beads. They’re not diamonds, but it’s not a Geminio’d copy, either. Whoever had the fake diamonds made needed time to get it done, and they needed to know what they looked like.”

“There have been articles in the press for weeks,” Jonah said. “He could have seen a picture long before he returned to this country.”

“Not in the Amazon, you prat,” shouted Lavender. Any semblance of calm she’d been holding onto since Blaise’s disappearance was rapidly evaporating now he’d been discovered. “We don’t exactly scan the social pages out there, you know?”

Blaise smiled at her and pulled her close. “I think Flint’s just annoyed we’ve discovered his hiding place. Look, I don’t care. You can search me all you want. You’ll find nothing that doesn’t belong to me.”

“What does that mean?” Karis asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“I found my painting,” Blaise replied, and reaching into his robe, he pulled out a rolled up scroll of canvas. “Quite a decent store cupboard down there, Mother.”

“You know what will happen if you take that painting, don’t you, Blaise,” Karis said, the threat implicit in her voice.

“Yeah, well, being shut up overnight in a dark place clears the mind,” he murmured, shooting his mother a dark, brooding look. “You spill the beans and it affects you, too.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Karis replied calmly, “but if you really want the painting so badly, I’m sure Jonah won’t miss it too much.” She turned towards Parvati. “Your arm is bleeding. I’m afraid my guard is a touch vicious. Perhaps you should call into St. Mungo’s on your way out.”

Parvati exchanged looks with Dean and Seamus, hearing the dismissal in Karis Flint’s voice. This was not going to be their case after all, it seemed.

“Mrs Flint,” Dean murmured. “We did find your son, which was part of the remit for this case. If you do not require us to find the diamonds then that is your prerogative, but we will be submitting a bill for services rendered.”

Making a show of examining the bite in her arm, Parvati grinned at Seamus, both of them amused at Deans’ business-like voice.

“Yes, yes,” Karis replied. “You will get your money. Just send me the bill. Now, then, Jonah, darling, shall you call the Law Enforcers, or shall I?”

“Er ... hold on.” Jonah stared at his wife. He started to shuffle on his feet looking very flustered. “Look ... Karis, darling. Don’t you think this is a touch awkward? We have the Malfoys here, and Gordon Davis. We can’t very well accuse them of theft.”

Karis Flint was a tall woman, and pulling herself up to her full height, she was at least half a head taller than her husband. “And yet you were perfectly happy to let my son take the fall for this.”

“No, that’s not what I meant-” he blustered. “Karis ... darling ... listen to reason.”

“Do what you want,” she said coldly. “But I want to wear those diamonds, Jonah. You promised they’d be mine, so find them, or I will call the Ministry.” Her eyes flicked towards Blaise, warming slightly as she studied him. “Get some rest, darling. Esther can bring your food to your room.”

“And the painting?” Blaise asked evenly. He shifted away from Dean, but not from Lavender, perhaps sensing that she needed him close by.

“As you said, it’s yours,” she replied succinctly, and, after a withering look at her husband, she sashayed away, down the stairs and to her houseguests.

“You heard my wife,” Jonah muttered gruffly. “Get those diamonds back. You can start by searching the house �“ discreetly, though, and if you find anything, you come to me before you do anything. Understood?”

“Implicitly,” Parvati replied, when Dean didn’t say anything. She smiled lopsidedly at Seamus. “Discretion is our watchword, after all.”

They all watched Jonah stomp off, no one saying a word until he was out of sight. Then Lavender started giggling, the sound dragging Parvati straight back to their school days when Lavender had been unable to keep herself together at moments of tension. She cast a glance at Blaise, wondering if he’d be amused or irritated, but he only looked weary, the night’s incarceration taking its toll.

He caught Parvati’s eye and half smiled. “You should get that bite seen to. Tracey’s training to be a Healer, I’m sure she won’t mind taking a look,” he said and running one hand through his dusty hair, he yawned. “For a Slytherin, she’s not all bad.”

“Shouldn’t you go as well?” Parvati queried.

“That thing didn’t get a chance to bite me,” Blaise replied, and after giving Lavender a kiss, he turned back and grinned wickedly at them. “That’s the thing about us snakes, you never know if we’ll bite back.”

“Can we talk to you, Zab ... er ... Blaise?” Dean asked, correcting himself. “We need your version of events.”

“Not now,” Lavender said firmly, leading him back to their room. “He’s going to rest.” As she opened the door of the bedroom, she turned back and smiled at Parvati. “We’ll talk later, okay?”

Parvati nodded. A part of her, a small petty part, resented Lavender leaving her now. But they were no longer the same girls who swapped make-up and cherished dreams. The year fighting and the months apart had seen to that.

Seamus squeezed her gently on the shoulder. “C’mon, petal, let’s find Davis. She can patch you up.” He lowered his voice, “You know Lavender’ll come good; she just has her head in the clouds where Zabini’s concerned.”

Grateful for his understanding, Parvati reached up and with her good hand, ruffled his sandy hair. “I think her thoughts are elsewhere,” she replied dryly, “but I know we’ll talk later.”

Dean was watching them both thoughtfully. “Let’s split up, search the rooms faster. Parvati, you should take Davis, I’ll search her dad’s room. Seamus ... fancy searching Malfoy’s?”

Seamus grinned. “You have to ask? Dean, mate, is it my birthday, or something?”

***

The door to Tracey Davis’ bedroom was closed when Parvati arrived. She gave a cursory knock and, thinking no one was there was about to go in, but then a voice cried out.

“Who is it?”

“Parvati Patil,” she replied. “I’ve been hired by the Flints to find the Cordalis �“”

“Yes, I know,” interrupted Tracey. “Uh ... give me a minute. I was sleeping and ... um ... just need to ...” Parvati could sense the hesitation in the woman’s voice, “... okay, you can come in now.”

Taking a breath, Parvati fixed a smile on her face and entered the room. It was bigger than the room Lavender and Blaise were sharing by some margin. Tracey appeared to be a favoured guest, although, as she was engaged to Marcus, that was understandable. The carpet underneath her feet was thick and pure white. Parvati clasped her injured arm close to her chest, desperate not to leave any blood in such a perfect room.

“You’re hurt!” Tracey exclaimed, and in a flash had Summoned a small bag from her chest of drawers. “I’m training to be a Healer. Let me look.”

“Mm, I was told that, actually. It’s part of the reason I’ve come to you, Miss Davis.”

Tracey looked up sharply, perhaps hearing something in Parvati’s voice. “You can call me Tracey, if you want, unless your profession forbids it, but we were at school together.”

“We didn’t move in the same circles,” Parvati said mildly, but she held out her arm and yielded to Tracey’s examination.

“No, but I knew your sister quite well. The Ravenclaws didn’t seem to mind us,” Tracey replied. “This is nasty, what happened?”

Heaving a sigh, Parvati began to tell her the story of the Kappa guard in Karis’ cabinet. As she talked, Tracey pulled out a wad of lint, and began to clean the wound. Then she smoothed a tincture on the puncture marks.

“So Blaise Zabini lives to fight another day,” Tracey remarked ironically. “He always manages to avoid trouble. Of course, it helps having an influential parent.”

“He didn’t steal the diamonds,” Parvati replied. “He wouldn’t have had time to make the copy.”

“And you think I did?”

Parvati examined her arm; the wounds were healing now, and the pain had lessened considerably. “I need to search your room, Tracey. We are searching all the rooms, but I’ll do you the courtesy of letting you stay as you’ve healed me.”

Tracey pulled a face. “Could you possibly ‘do me the courtesy’ of coming back later? Only, I really am rather tired, and I was trying to get some rest.”

“Uh ...” Parvati stood up. “I could come back in about �“” she stopped speaking, hearing a thud in the wardrobe from the far corner of the room. “What was that?”

“NOTHING!” yelped Tracey. “Uh... probably a Boggart. You know what these old houses are like.”

Whipping out her wand, Parvati leapt towards the cupboard. “I can deal with Boggarts. Don’t you remember our lesson with Professor Lupin?”

Before Tracey could speak, Parvati had cast ‘Alohamora’ on the door and stood brandishing her wand, ready to face her deepest fear.

She shrieked in shock when the figure tumbled to the floor. Parvati wasn’t quite sure what her deepest fear was these days, but it sure as hell wasn’t a cringing and naked Draco Malfoy. Despite thinking that this was highly inappropriate, Parvati started to giggle. “Oh, my word, what is going on here?”

“Nothing!” Tracey exclaimed. “Draco just ... um ... needed to use my bathroom. No need to mention that to anyone, though.”

Biting her upper lip in an attempt to stop laughing as Draco tried unsuccessfully to cover himself up in one of Tracey’s skirts, Parvati stepped away from the wardrobe. “I’ll ... um ... come back later,” she said walking to the door, but as she opened it, she faltered. “I don’t want to worry you, but Marcus is out there.”

“Shit!” Tracey hissed. Leaping from the bed, she unceremoniously bundled Draco back into the wardrobe.

“Can’t you just Disillusion me?” he whispered.

“No time!” Tracey muttered as she locked the wardrobe door. She winked at Parvati. “Plus it’s much more fun knowing he’s locked up in there.”

“Tracey, are you in there?” Marcus called and thumped on the door.

“Yes, darling,” she trilled girlishly. “I’m just helping Patil with her enquiries.”

Marcus entered, a glowering look on his face as he faced Parvati. “What are you doing in here? My fiancée specifically asked to be left alone this morning. We all had a dreadful night last night, and she can hardly help you with your enquiries; none of us have any idea where that bastard Zabini is.”

“Blaise Zabini has been cleared,” Tracey drawled, reclining on her bed. “He was found in that hideous cabinet on the first floor. Although ...” her brow furrowed, “I don’t see why he couldn’t have just Vanished the diamonds, or Transfigured them into something else.”

“Do you ever listen to anything I tell you?” Marcus demanded. “The Cordalis Diamonds cannot be Transfigured or Vanished. It’s part of the reason they’re so valuable, you stupid witch.”

Expecting Tracey to react to Marcus’ harsh tone, Parvati was surprised when she merely shrugged and closed her eyes. “I’m still awfully tired, Marcus. Would you leave me to sleep? Patil has said she’ll return later.”

“Is that true?” Parvati asked Marcus. “Mrs Flint didn’t tell us the diamonds couldn’t be Vanished.”

“Yes, it’s true!” Marcus said witheringly . “I doubt Karis knows, though. She’s not interested in the family history, only how to accessorise her bloody outfit.”

She could feel her hackles rise and wondered why Tracey put up with him. It certainly explained why she was fooling around with Draco, although in Parvati’s mind there was little to choose between the pair of them. “I will search your room, then, Flint.”

“What?” Marcus tried to grab her arm but she whipped away. “Why would I want to steal my own family’s diamonds?”

“You don’t appear to like your sister-in-law much. Perhaps you’d rather your fiancée wore them,” Parvati suggested.

“Go ahead. Search my room,” Marcus ordered. “It’s utterly preposterous, of course. Jonah is the heir, so unless you’re suggesting that I’m about to murder him as well ...” He smirked at Parvati, and sat on the bed next to Tracey, patting her thigh.

She removed his hand. “I think you should go with her, darling. I wouldn’t put it past her to try and frame you.”

***

Annoyingly, the diamonds were not in Marcus’ bedroom. If anyone ever deserved to go to Azkaban it was him, Parvati told the other two. Seamus and Dean were equally glum, as nothing had turned up in any of the rooms.

“Malfoy’s room was clean,” muttered Seamus. “I was really hoping we’d get something on him, the ferret-faced bastard. I know he needs money.”

“They don’t know we’re looking for them, either,” Dean said. “As far as they’re concerned, Zabini took the diamonds, so they’re not on their guards.”

“Ah.” Parvati stopped fiddling with her hair. “I ... um ... sort of let it slip that we’d found him to Tracey. She’s very nice, and I can’t see her pinching the diamonds.”

Dean tightened his mouth and she knew he was biting back a retort.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “But she was cleaning my arm, and I told her about the cupboard.”

“It’s only her,” put in Seamus, “I doubt it matters.”

“Um, well, actually,” Parvati stammered. “Marcus knows because she told him �“ but that’s okay because I then searched his room �“ and-” She giggled. “- Tracey is carrying on with Draco. He fell out of her wardrobe �“ stark naked.”

Even Dean, for whom any mention of Draco was anathema, grinned at that. “Okay, so those three know, but as we’ve searched their rooms, then it’s not a problem,” he said.

“I haven’t searched Tracey’s yet,” Parvati admitted. “Marcus interrupted us and I thought it was better to search his room first.”

“Okay,” Dean sighed. He looked tired, and Parvati knew why. He’d been working on the accounts late into the night and although hadn’t said much, it was clear the money situation was dire. “I checked over Draco’s parent’s room as well. Clean as a whistle.”

“Just the aunt left, then?” Seamus said.

“What about Tabitha?” Parvati asked as a thought occurred to her. If Marcus Flint hadn’t liked Karis’ possession of the diamonds, Tabitha must have been apoplectic. She might have had hysterics when they’d gone, but remembering her easy tears whenever a teacher came close to reprimanding her, Parvati knew she was a consummate actress.

“Done,” Dean murmured, avoiding Parvati’s eye. “Nothing there except ... um ... girl things. Embarrassing, actually, she stood over me and insisted I search through her knicker drawer.”

“Surprised she didn’t ask you to frisk her.”

“Meow!” Seamus’ face split into a grin at Parvati’s arch tone. Then he started laughing. “She did, didn’t she, Dean? Oh, man, you’ve got an admirer.”

Dean shuddered. “I told her I’d send Parvati in for that.”

Parvati raised one eyebrow as she looked up at him. “Good.”

“You getting jealous, Parvati?”

Shaking her head, Parvati smiled slightly, not knowing quite what to say. Jealousy wasn’t an option between the three of them. “Knowing Tabitha Flint, she’d scream sexual assault once you’d finished,” she replied lightly.

***

Aurelia Savage was in her room sitting at a writing desk when they arrived at her room. A stately looking woman in her sixties, she gave them the merest glance down her pince-nez before returning to her letter.

“My nephew warned me you would be dropping by. I expect you want to interview me. Well, it will have to wait; I need to finish my correspondence.”

“Madam Savage,” Parvati said politely, “Jonah has asked us to conduct a search of all the rooms.” She flinched when Aurelia fixed her with a frosty look. “It is purely precautionary. The thief may have hidden the diamonds in your room, knowing that no one would dream of suspecting you.”

Aurelia stared at her then inclined her head. “You may continue, although I sincerely doubt whether a thief could have got in here. I am punctilious about locking my room. One never knows what unsavoury people characters my nephews will bring home.”

“Is this your home?” Parvati asked.

“Not now,” Aurelia replied. “I lived here after my brother’s wife died and helped raise the children.” Her mouth formed a thin hard line. “I moved out shortly after my nephew married.”

Parvati moved towards the bedside cabinet and started searching.

“Madam Savage,” Dean said, “Could you tell us a bit more about the Cordalis diamonds? You brought them from your house, I believe.”

The old woman looked him up and down. “Half-blood, are you?”

“Not sure,” Dean replied, “but probably Muggle-born.”

Pursing her lips into an even thinner line, Aurelia turned to Seamus. “And you?”

“Half-blood,” Seamus said non-commitally. “Is that important?”

“Merely that you have no understanding of family history, and the importance of our past,” she replied then turned her attention to Parvati, who, after conducting a search of the wardrobe, had now opened up the bedside cabinet. “What about you, girl? You don’t look as if you’re from this country.”

“Pure-blood,” Parvati murmured, “and I was born here.” She looked up from the drawer, and stared into her interrogator’s eyes. “We all have ‘history’, Madam Savage. Yours and mine might be better documented by the Ministry, but it doesn’t make us more important.”

“Touché!” Aurelia smiled slightly. “You are right, of course. These days it is money that counts. Why else would my nephew have married that woman?” She put down her quill, and turned her chair around, facing the three of them.

“The Cordalis diamonds have been in the Flint family for eight generations. Tradition demands that they are given to the head of the house’s wife. When Jonah’s mother died, I was given temporary custody of them.”

“Could you tell us when you last saw them?” Dean asked.

“I removed them from my Gringotts’ safe yesterday morning,” Aurelia stated. “I checked them myself �“ those goblins are not at all trustworthy in my book. I have a certificate of authentication from the jeweller, Charles Castilian. I then handed them to Jonah when I arrived here. I offered to keep them in my room, but he wanted to show them to Gordon Davis.” Aurelia shook her head slightly. “Ghastly man. Highly influential, of course, which is why Jonah invited him.”

“You felt the authentication certificate was necessary?” Seamus said, pouncing on the slight hesitation in her statement.

“I did not want to be accused of a substitution,” Aurelia replied icily. “However, if I had orchestrated that switch, I would not have erred with the colour.”

Parvati frowned to herself. The mistake with the colour puzzled her because anyone who knew anything about the Cordalis diamonds would know they were purple and not blue.

Unless the switch was supposed to be discovered ... but why?

“Who do you think stole them, Madam Savage?” Dean’s voice brought Parvati back to the here and now.

“Well, if it’s not that son of Karis’ �“ or that brazen girl he’s attached himself to �“ then I can only assume it is Karis, herself.”

“Why?” Parvati broke the astonished silence. “Why would she steal them? They’re supposed to be hers.”

Aurelia waved her hand dismissively and returned to her letter. “All I know is that my nephew married a woman with the appearance of great wealth. She moved in with all her possessions, including an impressive amount of paintings. However, over the past few months, she has been redecorating and the paintings have been put ‘in storage’.”

“But if she’d stolen them, why call us in?” Seamus asked, more to himself than to Aurelia.

Aurelia Savage snorted. “Look at yourselves. The three of you are barely old enough to have left school. Obviously, Karis doesn’t think you can succeed.”

Dipping her quill in the pot of ink, she began to write again, so the three of them took that as their cue to leave.

“Of course,” Aurelia called, just before Parvati closed the door, “that doesn’t mean you cannot prove her wrong.”

After they’d searched the rest of the rooms, Seamus, Dean and Parvati sat in the kitchen of the Flint house drinking tea. Holding a quill, Parvati went through the parchment notebook, adding or deleting ideas as they thought of them.

“We haven’t searched Zabini’s room,” Seamus said quietly. “It is possible that they’re in there.”

“He was trapped in that cupboard!” Parvati replied, not really paying attention.

“He could have stashed the jewels in his room earlier, made himself scarce when he realised the fakes were the wrong colour, and then got trapped in the cupboard. He knew about Vanishing cabinets and probably thought if he could hang onto his wand, then he’d be fine. Montague Apparated out after all.”

“He didn’t know about the diamonds,” Parvati protested. “And I believe Lavender; he wouldn’t leave her.”

“There’s always Lavender.” Dean’s voice cut through the silence and before Parvati could react, he continued. “Hear me out, Pav. They were short of money, weren’t they? Lavender told us she hadn’t been paid for months, and that Blaise was desperate to get back to South America.”

“Dean, she wouldn’t have had the time to fake those diamonds!” Seamus interrupted before Parvati spoke. “She didn’t have any idea what they looked like.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Dean replied. “Look, I know she’s our friend, but we have to be professional and ... uh ... I did a bit of research into the Cordalis Diamonds after Karis left our office.”

“Which proved Lavender stole them, or something? I can’t believe you’re saying this,” Parvati snapped. “She’s my best friend, Dean. She’s our friend. She wouldn’t steal!”

“The Quibbler ran a story about cursed diamonds a few months ago and the Cordalis Diamonds were featured,” Dean continued doggedly. “All I’m saying is that Lavender might have lied when she said she didn’t know anything about them. And ...” He paused and removed a copy of The Quibbler from his robes. “The picture of the diamonds is poor quality. They look blue.”

Parvati snatched the paper from him, nearly tearing it in her anger. She skimmed through the article until, at last, she found the passage she was looking for.

“Look,” she exclaimed plumping her finger on one line. “It says purple, Dean. Not blue diamonds, but purple. Even if Lavender did know what the diamonds looked like, she would NOT have got the colour wrong.”

Abruptly, Dean pushed back his chair, jogging the table and causing his tea to slop over the rim of the mug.

“See!” Parvati said, her voice rising, “You don’t have an answer, do you? What is your problem with Lavender?”

“I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HER!” Dean yelled, suddenly annoyed. “But you’re so bloody blinkered about her.”

“Dean, cool it!” Seamus raised his hand and grabbed Dean by the arm, pulling his friend down to his chair. He turned to Parvati. “You need to calm down as well. Dean isn’t suggesting she’s taken the diamonds.”

“Could have fooled me!”

He ignored her. “He’s right. We need to be professional, and we haven’t searched the room. Plus ... don’t you think all that stuff with the painting is dodgy?”

“Oh, that’s Lavender’s fault too, is it?”

“NO!” Seamus sighed. “Please, Parvati, sit down and listen.” He stopped and waited for her to resume her seat before continuing. “We don’t know Blaise very well, and Dean doesn’t know him at all.”

“But he knows Lavender,” she insisted.

Using his wand, Dean siphoned up the spilt tea. “The Lavender I knew liked pretty clothes, jewellery and make up. I lost that year when you all seemed to change and I don’t know this girl at all.”

Parvati pushed her chair back scraping the legs on the cold, stone floor and not bothering to apologise to Seamus because the sound always set his teeth on edge. “You’ve changed, too, Dean. The boy I knew back at Hogwarts would never have suspected one of us.”

“Parvati, don’t go!” Seamus called after her, but it was too late. He turned to Dean. “Nice one, mate.”

“I’m being honest,” Dean pointed out. “I have no bloody idea why Lavender has hooked up with Zabini. All you two ever say was that the seventh year was ‘different’. Well, yeah, it was bloody different for me, too.”

“The war changed us,” Seamus said as he rose from his chair, “but we’re not that different, are we? You know Lavender. She may have loved pretty things, but she wasn’t dishonest.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find Parvati. Why don’t you come along, too?”

Dean shook his head. “I think she needs to cool down. You know what I’m like. I rub her up the wrong way when she’s in this mood.” He smiled slightly. “I think I’ll go and talk to that housekeeper. She might have a theory, if I can work out what she’s ‘h’on h’about’.”

Seamus chuckled and clapped Dean on the back. “Parvati’ll be right. I’ll see to that,” he said as he left.

Dean took another gulp of his tea, but it was too cold for his taste. Picking up his cup and then the other two, he walked to the sink, and began rinsing the mugs.

“’As your meetin’ finished, then?” Miss Purbright asked from the pantry.

“Mmm,” Dean replied, not turning around from the sink.

“The young lady seemed rather h’upset with you,” she observed.

Dean nearly dropped the mug he was holding. “Uh ... you heard all of that?”

“There h’ isn’t much h’I don’t miss, young man,” the housekeeper said. She walked across to the sink, and removed the cup from his hand. “You want my h’assistance, don’t you?”

“Uh ...” Dean had the grace to look embarrassed. “Sorry, yeah, I wouldn’t mind hearing your story, Miss Purbright. You do seem to know what goes on around here, so I ... er ... wondered if you could shed some light on the events before the dinner party. Account for people’s movements and all that kind of thing.”

Esther pursed her lips. “H’I shall make us both another cup of tea, and tell you exactly what h’I know.”

As she approached the door, Esther pulled her robes straight and fixed an icy smile on her face. Aurelia Savage loomed large in the porch. Esther did not like Madam Savage because Madam Savage was rude to her mistress. Having worked for Madam Flint for just over nineteen years now, Esther knew her mistresses foibles but did not discuss them. She wasn’t keen on her mistress’s latest husband or his family. The Flints were ‘old money’ and didn’t they know it? Looking down on Karis but appreciating her wealth, the Flints had never fully welcomed Karis and her son into the family. Esther smiled to herself. Master Blaise didn’t like them anyway, and the mistress didn’t need anyone’s approval.

“Ah, Esther,” Aurelia said, not looking at her properly. “Tell my nephew I have arrived.”

“He is in his study, Madam. Shall I show you the way?”

“I am well aware of the location of the study,” Aurelia replied icily. “Unless your mistress has seen fit to change that, too. I shall await him in the drawing doom. You will tell him I am here and fetch me some tea.”

Esther didn’t reply but walked forwards until she came to the study.

“You h’aunt is ‘ere,” she informed Jonah as she opened the door, stopping when she realised he was not alone but was sitting with Gordon Davis.

He looked up from the large glass of brandy, smiled thinly at the housekeeper, and rose from his seat. “My aunt has brought the Cordalis Diamonds, Gordon. You must see them, they are quite magnificent.”

“I thought Karis wanted tonight to be a surprise,” she heard Gordon say. “She won’t want me looking before tonight.”

“What she doesn’t know ...” Jonah said and smirked. Then he appeared to remember his wife’s housekeeper was by the door. “She won’t mind me showing you, Gordon. After all, once Marcus and Tracey marry, we’ll be related.”

“Yes,” Gordon replied. “We really need to hurry that little arrangement on, Jonah.”

“My brother has no objections,” Jonah said, sounding arch. “He is only waiting for a position so he can support his wife.”

“What did Jonah mean by that, Miss Purbright?” Dean asked.

“Mr Davis is co-proprietor of The Daily Prophet,” she replied. “When Marcus marries his daughter, it is h’understood that he will take a position at the paper.”

Dean frowned. “As a journalist? I didn’t think he was that ... uh ... smart.”

“H’indeed not,” she replied. “On the board, I believe. Mr Davis thinks the Flint name will be appealing to the advertisers. At least that’s what my mistress says.” She drained her cup. “Will that be all?”

“Uh ... yeah, except ... You haven’t noticed anything suspicious since the robbery, have you?”

She furrowed her brow. “Not really, although Mrs Malfoy was in my kitchen this morning. She said she wanted a cup of tea, but h’I can’t see that type of lady h’ever raising a finger, not when she could just ring her bedside bell to summon me.”

Dean showed no sign of interest, but inside he was burning with curiosity and excitement. If the Malfoys are involved, then I’ll have them.

***


“Parvati, slow down,” Seamus called. He strode along the landing of the first floor, not yet breaking into a run, waiting to see if she’d listen to him.

Parvati faltered and half-turned her head. “What do you want?”

“You to talk to me. To stop walking away.”

“I’m annoyed,” she snapped. “It’s probably best if I’m by myself.”

Seamus caught up with her, and plucking her sleeve, pulled her to face him. “We have a job to do, and we can’t afford to forget that. Dean’s right.”

“You think Lavender --” She stopped speaking, too lost for words to continue.

“No, I don’t, but we have to treat everyone the same because if we don’t find these feckin’ diamonds, Flint and the rest of them will assume we’re in on it with the pair of them.” He looked into her eyes, waiting for the fury to disappear from them. At last, she smiled, wanly it was true, but still a smile. Seamus kissed her on the cheek and then ruffled her hair.

“What would I do without you, Seamus Finnigan?” she sighed, leaning against the wall to stare into his eyes.

“Without me, you’d probably be happy in some Ministry job, or designing robes for the rich and famous,” he said, grinning ruefully.

She smiled back at him and touched her hand to his cheek. “I am happy, you know that.”

“Even when you’re rowing with yer man in the kitchen?” he asked, his voice soft.

“Even then. I know Dean’ll calm down. I just rub him up the wrong way,” she replied. She straightened up and moved away from him, fixing her focus on the job in hand. “Right, we need to start thinking what to do next.”

“We need to talk to Zabini,” Seamus replied firmly. He held up his hand in anticipation of her protest, but Parvati just nodded. “You agree?”

“I agree they have to be treated the same, but I don’t think he did it.”

“You really trust the guy?”

“I trust Lavender,” Parvati replied. “I trust her judgement �“ totally.”

“That’s good to know.” Lavender opened her bedroom door and approached them both. “I overheard you. You’d better come in.”

“Are you sure?” Parvati asked tentatively. “Isn’t Blaise sleeping?”

“Nope,” he called from the other side of the door. He poked his head around the door, looking bleary eyed but far better than when they’d dragged him out of the cupboard earlier that day. “I’m fine. Come in and search where you want.” With his arm draped over Lavender’s shoulders, he turned to face Seamus. “I want some food so I’ll leave you to it, Finnigan.”

Then, taking Lavender by the hand, he addressed Parvati. “You wanted to talk to me about last night.”

“Uh, yes,” Parvati replied. Exchanging a look with Seamus, who stepped back, she smiled at Lavender. “We just need to know what you remember about the dinner party. If anyone behaved oddly, or if you saw anything suspicious.”

“Well, apart from the fact that Draco appeared to be groping Tracey under the table when he’s supposed to be Tabitha’s boyfriend, then ... no ... sorry, I can’t be much help,” Blaise said and started to walk slowly towards the stairs. He frowned as he looked around him. “There were more paintings on the wall when I was here last. And I could only find three in that cabinet.”

“Is your painting valuable?” Parvati asked.

Blaise shrugged. “Moderately. It’ll keep us going for a while.”

Wandering towards the stairs, Parvati was surprised when Lavender dropped back to walk with her.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you we were coming back,” Lavender said. “It all happened so quickly and I didn’t have the money for an owl once we’d paid for the Floo connections.”

They smiled at each other and in that instant, some of the jealousy Parvati had been feeling towards Blaise left her. Lavender was still her friend; they’d shared too much at Hogwarts for anyone to come between them.

A small muttered curse from Blaise stopped any more conversation, and looking over his shoulder Parvati could see why he was swearing. Karis and Aurelia had just appeared from the drawing room obviously discussing something. They looked up, Aurelia frowning, but Karis smiled widely.

“Darling, you’re looking much better. And Lavender, just the person I wanted to see,” she called, ignoring Aurelia’s icy glare of disapproval as she walked away. “Blaise, Draco’s in the drawing room with Marcus, you could play cards or whatever it is you do with your friends.”

“I’m hungry,” he replied smoothly. “I’ll catch up with Malfoy later.”

“Well, I want to speak to Lavender. Girl things, darling, so run along and make yourself scarce,” she said, a note of steel entering her voice.

“Don’t leave me alone with her,” Lavender implored.

“Lavender, you’ve faced tarantulas in the Amazon and snakes more poisonous than Doxies,” hissed Blaise, but as he turned his head, he winked at Parvati. “My mother can be as smothering as a Lethifold, so please, if you can, stay with her while I get some food.”

Looking amused when Parvati followed Lavender, Karis led them up two flights of stairs and towards a much larger room at the top of the house.

Karis and Jonah’s bedroom was a sumptuous mix of old and new. A thick scarlet rug lay on polished mahogany floorboards. On the plain white walls, Karis had hung only two pictures, but these were both in ornate frames. Plush crimson curtains hung at the large window overlooking the garden, and the sun filtering through the glass picked out an exquisite set of china figurines on the mantelpiece. Karis gestured for the girls to sit at the window seat, then she walked across to her wardrobe.

“That dress you wore last night was ghastly,” she began. “It really didn’t suit you at all, my dear. Far too tight for one thing. You need something better for tonight.”

Before Lavender could protest, Karis had pulled out another dress. “This,” she continued, “belonged to my mother. I was much taller than she was, and we were different builds, so I have never worn it, but I think it might suit you, Lavender. The blue will match your eyes.”

“Er ... wow,” Lavender was dumbstruck and Parvati could see why. Even though the dress was old, it was stunning. Pale blue silk, with a fitted waist, it shimmered iridescently under Lavender’s fingers. “This is beautiful, Karis. Uh ... thank you.”

“Well, try it on,” Karis said impatiently. “If it needs altering, then we need to give Esther some time to fix it.”

Giggling nervously, Lavender pulled off her clothes and wriggled into the dress, with Karis assisting her.

“Oh my,” Parvati breathed. “You look amazing. Mrs Flint is quite right about that colour on you, Lavender. It really brings out the blue in your eyes.”

“It will stop my sister-in-law smirking, anyway,” Karis replied, arching one eyebrow. “I adore my husband, you know, but I could have done without his family.”

There was a knock at the door. “Karis, are you in there?”

“Yes, Jonah, I’m here with Lavender and her friend.”

“I have Gordon here,” he said, sounding apologetic. “He’d like to see the figurines.”

Karis rolled her eyes and pulled a face. “Horrible man, but useful, I believe,” she muttered to Lavender. “Why don’t you wear the dress back to your room?”

Recognising that they were being dismissed, albeit politely, Parvati picked up Lavender’s discarded clothes, and followed her out of the room. It wasn’t only Jonah and Gordon who were there; Tracey was leaning against the wall, her arms folded and a look of boredom on her face. She smiled slightly at Parvati then studied Lavender. “Wow, that’s an improvement,” she mocked. “You look almost respectable.”

“Eh?” Gordon turned his head and swept his eyes over Lavender, taking in the dress that complimented not only her eyes, but her figure, too.

“Oh, a girl dressing up to her name,” he brayed. “Wouldn’t mind having you work at The Prophet, Miss Brown. You’d certainly make staff appraisals fun.”

Dodging his hand as he raised it to stroke her upper arm, Lavender trod on Parvati’s foot, who yelped. Tracey frowned, but whether from disapproval at her father or Lavender’s clumsiness, Parvati wasn’t sure, for Tracey said nothing. Tugging Lavender’s arm, Parvati limped away.

Then something struck her. She turned around and watched Gordon, who was still gazing after Lavender, his eyes firmly fixed on her bottom. “What do you mean dressing up to her name? This dress isn’t brown.”

“Don’t you know anything, Patil?” Tracey drawled, when her father didn’t answer. She started to sing. “’Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green. When I am King, dilly dilly, you shall be Queen.’ Only Zabini isn’t quite the rich prince you hoped for, is he, Brown?”

“Can’t see anything better,” Lavender replied lightly. “Certainly not in this house, anyway, Davis.”

“Well done,” Parvati murmured. “I’m surprised you didn’t hex her.”

“Didn’t want the dress ruined if she hexed me back,” Lavender whispered back. “You know how good a duellist she was at school.”

Back at Lavender’s bedroom, they found not only Seamus but also Dean. He smiled at Lavender, but the smile faltered when he saw Parvati.

“Dean was just telling me that old Ma Malfoy was caught with her hand in the biscuit tin,” Seamus said, not bothering to look up from the weird mask he held in his hands. “Lav, what the hell is ... Oh wow, you look ... er ...”

“Respectable, according to Davis,” Lavender replied coolly. “And be very careful with that. It’s fragile.”

“Is it valuable?”

“Only to Xenophilius,” she said, laughing. “It’s a prize for a Quibbler competition. Genuine North American mask made from Jobberknoll poo.”

“Urgh!” Seamus fumbled the mask, but with great presence of mind, lowered it back in the box. Then he sniffed his fingers gingerly.

“I’ll show you the bathroom,” Lavender said, giggling at the expression on Seamus’ face. “You two stay here and ... er ... talk.”

Parvati watched them go, aware the whole time that Dean had his eyes trained on her. “What’s this about Narcissa, then?” she asked, trying to sound calm.

“Not much,” Dean replied. “Miss Purbright saw her in the kitchen. It’s probably nothing." He paused and fiddled with his wand sending a small spark to the floor. “What did Lavender mean? Does she know we argued?”

“I didn’t tell her, but she probably sensed it.” She swallowed, not wanting this chasm between the pair of them to continue. “Look, I don’t agree with you about Lavender and Blaise, but I know we need to treat them as suspects, so ... um ... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have flown off the handle.”

“I don’t want Lavender to be involved, you know,” he muttered. “But we do have a job to do.”

“And you don’t trust Blaise,” she stated.

“Not really. That stuff with the painting is dodgy. Karis backed down too quickly and it niggles at me. You know that feeling when something doesn’t quite feel right?”

Parvati stared at him, her eyes widening as something clicked inside her brain. That silly rhyme. “I need to see Padma,” she declared. “Dean, sorry, I must go and see her now.”

“Why?”

“I can’t explain; it’s just a hunch.” She ran out of the room and started to charge down the stairs. “Don’t let them call the Law Enforcers, Dean, not until I get back, okay?”

“Sure!” He lifted his hand to wave her off, but Parvati had already opened the front door.

“You won’t be able to get out,” he shouted as he ran after her. “The Flints have stopped everyone �“ oh!” He stopped abruptly, watching Parvati as she placed her hand on the gargoyle and demanded to leave.

“They must have forgotten about us!” she called back. “Stay here with Seamus. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Then, with a fleeting wave and a huge smile, Parvati Disapparated.

Walking back into the house, Dean sloped off towards the kitchen. He’d been avoiding talking to Zabini, but, as he’d said to Parvati, the business with the painting niggled at him and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. However, he was hesitant because he didn’t think it pertained to the actual case; Zabini had every right to tell him to get stuffed.

“Thomas!” the authoritarian voice made Dean’s hackles rise. He stopped walking and smoothed a neutral expression on his face.

“Flint.” He eyed the man warily, knowing that the thug he remembered from school was barely covered by this veneer of adult sophistication.

“I don’t suppose you’re any closer to solving this?”

“We have a fair idea,” Dean bluffed. “But I can only discuss it with your brother.”

“Must be Zabini’s bint,” Marcus said. “She’s the outsider.”

“The Malfoys aren’t part of your family,” Dean replied. “What makes you think they’re so innocent? And the Davises?”

Marcus blinked, obviously shocked that someone of Dean’s ilk was daring to speak to him in this manner. “We are all pure-bloods.”

“And that stops you being thieves,” Dean said blandly. “Funny that, because there’s this guy called Mundungus Fletcher ...”

“Don’t you dare compare us with someone like him. Fletcher is nothing but a common �“”

“He’s a pure-blood,” Dean interrupted. He half smiled at Marcus and stepped closer, no longer afraid. “You don’t scare me, Flint. You can’t hex the shit out of me and get your housemates to back you up anymore.” He saw Marcus flinch, his eyes flicking from Dean’s face to the wand in his hand. “Just try it. I’m a bloody sight faster than I was in my first year.”

Marcus glared at him, indecision and a small spark of fear flaring in his eyes. “You better find those diamonds,” he blustered. “And I’m telling you, that tart of Zabini’s is the culprit.” He stepped back, halting abruptly when he bumped into someone.

“You were saying?” murmured Blaise, sounding calm. Leaning against the banister, his cold eyes appraised Marcus. Not by a flicker did he acknowledge Dean’s presence, bestowing all his attention on the man directly in front of him.

Marcus was a burly man, but Blaise was taller. In addition to that, the former’s bulk was starting to creep from muscle to fat. There could be no doubt who would win in a physical fight. Dean gripped his wand firmly, wondering what to do if they came to blows.

Swallowing, Marcus turned around slowly. “I was merely reminding Thomas that everyone is a suspect,” he rasped. “Even your girlfriend, so he should be searching your room.”

“It has been searched,” Dean replied firmly.

“I will leave you to it, then,” mumbled Marcus. Turning sideways, he backed off down the hallway and sidled to the drawing room. “Would you like to join us in a game of poker later, Zab ... uh ... Blaise? Draco and I don’t play for very high stakes.”

“Perhaps,” Blaise replied. He said no more until Marcus had disappeared and then he looked at Dean. “Jonah is looking for you. He wants to know whether you’ve got anywhere.”

“How can you do that?” Dean demanded, and when Blaise merely stared at him, he continued. “You listened to that git insulting Lavender, and you didn’t do a thing.”

“And that bothers you.” Blaise didn’t move, but studied Dean, an almost amused look in his eyes

“It bothers me that you let it go,” Dean retorted. “I don’t know you very well, Zabini, but according to Parvati you love Lavender �“”

“It’s not your business,” Blaise replied, and started to walk away, “but I’ll beat that shit out of a hefty heap of Galleons at cards tonight �“ and I won’t take an IOU.”

“And that’s enough?” Dean demanded. “You don’t seem to care what he said about her, that he thinks Lavender stole the diamonds because she’s an outsider.”

Blaise stopped walking. He turned around slowly, but with purpose, and ran one hand down his face, stroking his beard almost unconsciously. “She is an outsider,” he murmured. “And I thank Merlin everyday for that. You really think I give a toss about their opinion on her - or yours about me?”

Dean stood for a while watching Blaise stride away, heading not towards the drawing room where Marcus was, but to the library. He knew he’d insulted Blaise, but the other man didn’t seem offended. It was as if he expected the slur and even relished it. Once again, he pondered Lavender’s choice of partner. He knew things had changed in the year he’d been away but had never quite felt the gulf as he did now.


“Where did you get to?” Seamus asked when Dean walked into Jonah’s study. “And where’s Parvati?”

Dean shook his head slightly at Seamus and sat down on one of the empty chairs. Jonah Flint sat behind a large oak desk, a stack of letters on one side waiting to be owled. Sitting at the window seat, Karis flicked through a magazine, barely looking up as Dean began his apologies.

“Miss Patil is following up a lead,” Dean began, looking straight at Jonah. “She left the house about half an hour ago, and will be back once she has confirmed a theory.”

“And this theory will get the diamonds back will it, Thomas?” Jonah queried. “Your associate has told us that you’ve searched all the rooms and found nothing.”

“Not in the rooms, no, but that doesn’t mean they’re not in the house somewhere. The kitchen, perhaps, or ...” Dean stopped and glanced across at Seamus. A theory was forming in his mind but he needed to run it past at least one of his partners first.

“Or where?” Karis asked, her voice sounding shrill. “Surely you don’t intend to search my bedroom.”

“I was thinking of the study,” Dean replied quickly, although the Flints’ bedroom was another possibility. “Someone could easily have stolen the diamonds and hidden them in here, hoping for a chance to return.”

He knew Seamus didn’t quite believe him. They’d been friends far too long for Seamus not to recognise when Dean was being evasive. But Dean hoped the partial lie had fooled Jonah and Karis, and prayed Seamus would follow his lead despite having no clue what he was thinking.

Jonah shrugged. “You may search my study. As you said, anyone could have come in here. It isn’t locked.”

“Thank you,” Dean replied. He looked around the room, noting a lighter square on the wall opposite. “Did you have a painting there, Mr Flint?”

“Huh?” Jonah followed Dean’s gaze and for a moment looked furious. However, after exchanging looks with his wife, he licked his lips and replied, “It was a mirror �“ an antique mirror. It broke. The cord was ... rotten, you see.”

“Shattered everywhere,” Karis put in. “I had to wear slippers on my feet for ages afterwards. We simply haven’t got around to replacing it yet.”

They were babbling, adding more information than was necessary, and in that moment, Dean knew they weren’t telling the truth. Whatever had hung on that wall it had not been a mirror, but why lie? What was the point?

He opened his mouth to speak, but just then, a shriek rent the air.

“Draco, you didn’t have to,” Tabitha wailed. “I would have married you, anyway.”

“What on earth ...” Karis jumped up from the window seat and ran to open the study door. “Tabitha what is going on?” She gasped. “Are they my diamonds?”

Dean and Seamus leapt up at the same time. Standing at the top of the stairs, Tabitha Flint was holding a string of large and very definitely purple diamonds.

“I found them in Draco’s wardrobe,” Tabitha sobbed. “He knew how much I wanted them, but I never thought he’d steal them for me.”

“I didn’t!” Draco retorted, but his argument was cut short by Tabitha’s increased sobs and Jonah marching up the stairs with his wand pointed straight at Draco’s chest.

Tabitha’s screeching had caused everyone to come running. Narcissa reached her son first, closely followed by Lucius. She flung her arm across Draco and pulled him out of Jonah’s way, leaving Tabitha to collapse in her brother’s arms, weeping for Draco to confess because ‘it would all be fine as long as Jonah got the diamonds back.’

“How dare you accuse my son!” Lucius bellowed and pointed his wand at her. “This is preposterous. An obvious set-up!”

“How dare you threaten my niece!” Aurelia Savage thundered. Moving with an agility that belied her years, she stood beside Tabitha and held out her hand.

With a trembling lip, Tabitha handed the necklace over. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it, Aunt Aurelia. Draco knows how unhappy I am that she’s getting the heirloom.” She cast Karis a venomous look, before dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

Remembering Parvati’s judgement on Tabitha, Dean was quite convinced this was a performance. There was something far too hysterical about Tabitha.

“What’s going on?” he heard Seamus whisper behind him.

“Tabitha Flint’s putting on an Oscar winning performance,” Dean muttered back.

“Huh?”

Dean stifled a laugh. “Sorry, it’s a Muggle thing. She says she found the diamonds in Draco’s room.”

“But we searched his room,” Seamus replied, a vexed expression on his face. “Thoroughly!”

“Perhaps he hid them somewhere else,” Lavender whispered, as she and Blaise sidled up behind Seamus, “and moved them later. I’d like to see him wriggle his way out of this one. Karis can’t stand the Malfoys.”

“Let me speak,” Draco yelled. “Tabitha, I have no bloody idea what you’re going on about. I didn’t steal the diamonds. Someone has obviously planted them in my room.” He glared venomously at Dean and Seamus. “Those two, for instance. They’ve always hated me.”

“I know I’m going to regret this,” Dean said, addressing Karis as he approached the group, “but we didn’t find anything in Malfoy’s room when we searched earlier. And, believe me, we searched everywhere.”

Karis raised her eyebrows, and looked across at Jonah. He was looking confused, obviously wondering if he should take this further. With a small nod of his head, he gestured for Dean to continue.

“Miss Flint, where did you find the diamonds?”he asked.

“In the wardrobe, wrapped up in a towel.”

“What the hell were you doing in my wardrobe?” Draco demanded, wrenching himself free from his mother.

“More importantly, why were you in a man’s room, Tabitha? That is the behaviour of a hussy!” Aurelia declared haughtily.

“Draco made me,” Tabitha wailed, wringing her hands together. “He said if I didn’t come to his room, then he’d finish with me. This was the first time, Auntie. I promise.”

“Lying cow!” Draco shouted. “Your niece has been desperate to get her kit off since I got here. I’ve been the one holding out because snogging her is about as stimulating as being in a class with Professor Binns.”

“The diamonds were found in your room, young man,” Aurelia accused. “And you will hold your tongue when you speak of my niece. Jonah, send for the Law Enforcers. A long spell in Azkaban is exactly what this impertinent wretch needs.”

“NO!” Narcissa Malfoy pulled out her wand. “You will not take my son away. It is not his fault.”

“Sweet Circe,” drawled Karis, “whose fault is it then, Narcissa? Are you going to blame the Dark Lord again? Was dear little Draco Imperiused?”

Narcissa glared at Karis, then took in the assembled pack around her. Obviously realising there was no escape, she lowered her wand. “It is my fault,” she said at last as she stood up straight. “I stole the diamonds, and hid them in Draco’s wardrobe before that ridiculous man,” she glowered at Seamus, “ searched my room.”

“Narcissa, what are you saying?” hissed Lucius. He turned to Jonah. “She is lying. I trust that you don’t believe a word of this. All my wife wishes to do is to protect our son.”

“Either way, it’s one of them,” Jonah replied coldly. “Tell me why I shouldn’t call the Law Enforcers.”

“Are you buying this?” Seamus whispered as Dean stepped back towards him and Lavender. “Only ... it seems a bit ... um ... convenient, don’t you think?”

“Esther said Narcissa was acting suspiciously,” Dean replied.

“Yeah, but wouldn’t she have hidden them in the kitchen? Ma Malfoy isn’t going to want to incriminate her son, is she?” Seamus chewed the side of his mouth. “Where’s Parvati?”

In a low voice, Dean filled Seamus in on Parvati’s sudden departure, all the while keeping an eye on the row ensuing between the Lucius and Jonah. However, when Jonah pulled out his wand with the intention of calling the Ministry, both Dean and Seamus saw the danger.

“Protego!” they shouted, and the force of their combined shield sent both Lucius and Jonah bounding off opposite walls.

“What the hell!” Jonah yelled at Dean and Seamus. “Where do you get off hexing me?”

“It was a Shield Charm, darling. Narcissa was about to Stun you,” Karis said. She bent over Jonah, helped him to his feet and then smiled across at Dean.

Jonah eyed Dean and Seamus suspiciously but nodded his thanks. “I will see you’re paid for your time,” he muttered. “But you’re not needed now. The Law Enforcers can take over.”

“No,” Draco shouted. “I want them here. My mother is taking the blame because she thinks I did it.”

“Draco, be silent,” Narcissa ordered, but she sounded far less confident now.

“Mother,” he said gently. “I know you didn’t put the diamonds in my room.”

“How do you know that, Malfoy?” Seamus asked.

Draco swallowed, took a breath, and stepped slowly down the stairs towards them. He turned towards Karis and Jonah. “I took your baubles. I’m up to my eyeballs in debt and it was far too tempting. So, when you invited us here, and Jonah boasted about the Cordalis Diamonds, I snuck into his study and made a copy with Geminio.”

“He’s lying,” Blaise muttered, speaking for the first time.

“How do you know?” Lavender asked.

“He’s opening his mouth for one thing,” Dean whispered back, and catching Blaise’s eye, he started to laugh. “And then there’s the fact that if he’d cast Geminio, then the diamonds would be the right colour.”

“He must know that!” Seamus said and grimaced. “Much as I hate the ferret, he isn’t an idiot. This is him pulling a stunt. It’s a double bluff. He knows we know about Geminio.”

Lavender giggled. “I hope Parvati appreciates your poetic way with words, Seamus.”

Seamus smiled sheepishly at Lavender. “She doesn’t complain.”

“Er, can we stop talking about your ‘blarney’ and get on with this case?” Dean snapped. “I want to interview Malfoy. He might talk to us if Jonah isn’t threatening him.”

Draco had reached the bottom step. With a sigh, he handed his wand to Seamus, and acquiesced at the suggestion that they interview him in the study. He shivered when Jonah insisted he would be present, possibly already regretting his confession, but when Blaise offered to come along, he nodded gratefully.

“Don’t come along, Mother,” he called over his shoulder. “Zabini will ensure things are fair.”

As Dean opened the study door and let them all go through before him, he caught sight of Narcissa weeping in her husband’s arms. In stark contrast to Tabitha, whose crying had ceased remarkably quickly, Narcissa was desolate.

“You stole the diamonds, then?” Dean started. He sat on the corner of Jonah’s desk and examined his fingernails, casually accusing Draco.

“Of course not,” Draco began. He was calmer now, even though Jonah looked as if he’d cheerfully consign him to a vat of Bobutuber pus. “My mother thinks I did, though, and I don’t want her taking the blame.”

“So how come the diamonds were in your room?” Dean asked. “In your wardrobe.”

Draco shrugged. He looked nonchalant, but Dean remembered that look from school. Draco was as adept at hiding his feelings as most Slytherins. There was something going on, something behind his apparent confession and then retraction. Looking across at Seamus, who was standing by the window, Dean cocked one eyebrow. Seamus took his cue.

“Are you saying someone planted them, Malfoy?”

“Seems a natural conclusion,” Draco replied, relaxing slightly. “Or that they were never there in the first place.”

“Are you accusing my sister now?” Jonah demanded, hammering his fist on the desk.

Draco smirked and swivelled around to Blaise. “Tabitha wants to get married, doesn’t she? She doesn’t want to get a job and thinks marriage is the best way forward. She made a play for you last year. In fact, she thought she still had a chance, which was why she gave Brown that hideous dress to wear. You, Blaise, were supposed to realise what a slut you were with and dump Brown for the far classier Tabitha.” He smirked. “Tab doesn’t understand that a girl showing off her tits in a dress that tight is always going to be attractive, no matter the blood status.” He leant back in the chair and looked directly at Jonah. “I was the back up, I suppose. Although, I should tell you, I would rather be in Azkaban than married to your sister.”

“You bloody little shit!” Jonah spat.

“Well you don’t have any money, do you, Jonah. Not even your rich wife can keep up with your spending habits.” Draco smiled nastily at Jonah, and then turned back to Seamus. “I’ve seen you drop a few Sickles on a horse, Finnigan. It’s not the big league, but you appreciate the thrill, don’t you?”

“I understand the addiction,” Seamus replied. “But I’ve never let it get a hold of me.”

“Lucky you,” Draco murmured. He stared out of the window watching as the clouds scurried by in the sky, perhaps wondering how soon he could get to the next race. Then, with a sigh, he continued. “I’m broke. Marrying Tabitha was supposed to get me out of debt because my inheritance comes in as soon as I get a wife. I also thought the Flints had money. But I was wrong about that. The lovely Karis has money �“ or had �“ but that’s all getting pissed away by this arse and his leech of a brother. I don’t know how your mother puts up with it, Zabini. Jonah must be a bloody good shag.”

“I should probably hex you for that,” Blaise remarked, “but I’ve wondered the same thing.”

Jonah flushed an angry shade of puce and started to splutter some ill-formed words of rage, but Dean forestalled him. A final piece of the puzzle had clicked into place. “Mr Flint, will you get everyone assembled in your drawing room? I would like to talk through all the aspects of this case. I think we know who, how, and when this crime was committed.”

If Seamus was astounded by Dean’s statement, he gave no sign of it, save for a small jerk of the head. The pair of them watched as Zabini, Malfoy and Flint left them in the study, and then began to confer.

“It’s Jonah, isn’t it?” Seamus said, excitement quickening his voice. “That bastard stole his own diamonds for the money and has been trying to blame everyone else. Merlin, I’d hate to be in his shoes when Karis finds out.”

Dean grinned. “Well, let’s go and see what happens. Shame Parvati isn’t here, she’d enjoy this.”

“Perhaps we should wait for her to come back?” Seamus sounded wistful, and Dean knew why. This was their first big case and they’d cracked it together. She should be here, sharing the triumph.

“I’d send an owl, but I don’t think Jonah’s going to lend us his. Look at that stack of letters waiting to be sent.” He flipped idly through them, noting the addresses were all to outfitters, or furnishers. “I think he’s settling debts, or asking for more time to pay, perhaps.”

***

One thing Jonah Flint was good at was assuming an air of authority. All his guests were in the drawing room when Dean and Seamus appeared, and Esther stood by a side table, pouring cups of tea and serving delicate sandwiches from a large silver platter that looked goblin-made. Seamus wondered if it was solid silver, or whether it was a steel replica covered with a faint shimmer of silver leaf. Like so much in the Flint household, nothing was as it seemed.

Dean cleared his throat, and cast Seamus a quick look. In return, Seamus smiled encouragingly. It was better that Dean gave ‘the speech’. He had more gravitas than Seamus on occasions like this.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet Seamus and me in here,” Dean began. He nodded to Jonah. “And thank you very much, Mr Flint, for assembling everyone so promptly. My partners and I have solved the mystery surrounding the Cordalis Diamonds. What you decide to do with the information is up to you. Our agency is not allied to the Ministry, and if you decide not to prosecute, then we will not press the issue.”

“Why would we not prosecute?” Aurelia demanded. “The Malfoy boy is clearly the thief. I fail to understand why he isn’t halfway to Azkaban by now.”

“Because Draco Malfoy did not steal the diamonds,” Dean murmured. He sat down in an armchair, and spread his hands out on the coffee table in front of him. To his right, on the sofa, Lavender was holding hands with Blaise. She smiled at Dean, waiting for him to continue.

“From the start, the one thing that bothered us was the colour of the fake diamonds. Why go to the trouble of having the copy made, if you’re going to mess up the colour? My other associate, Miss Patil, was most insistent that no one would have got that wrong �“ not even if they were in the depths of the Amazon, and the only picture they had was a rather bad one from The Quibbler.” He stared at Lavender and swallowed. “I’m sorry, but for a while I thought you’d done it. It was only when I remembered that you were far more than just a pretty girl who liked nice things that I began to see how wrong I was.”

“That’s okay,” she muttered. “We haven’t had much to do with each other for a long time.”

He smiled gratefully at her before continuing. “So, the colour change bothered us all. Everyone knows that the stones are purple. A copy made by casting Geminio wouldn’t affect the colour. That copy wouldn’t last very long �“ a month or two at the most �“ but that would be plenty of time for the thief to make his or her escape with the real necklace.

“So, why make such a basic error? An error that would be discovered within seconds. There is only one possible explanation.”

“Spit it out then,” Jonah grumbled. “I can’t wait for this.”

Slightly disconcerted by Jonah’s impatience, Dean glanced at Seamus. He, too, was looking puzzled. Clearing his throat again, Dean decided to plough on. In all likelihood, it was probable that Jonah had no idea they’d got to the truth.

“You stole the diamonds, Mr Flint. Draco has told us you need money and you’ve nearly run out of paintings. But not only did you steal them, but you left a very obvious copy so you could notify the insurance company straight away.”

“What utter rot!” Jonah roared. “They are a family heirloom and my wife desired them. I would not steal them.”

“Is this true, Jonah?” Karis voice cut across his bluster. To Seamus, she’d never looked quite so shattered, not even when she’d been sitting in the corridor outside their office worried about her son. It was Jonah’s lies, Seamus realised, that were breaking her.

“NO!” Jonah declared, crossing the room to his wife and taking her hand. “It is not at all true. Karis, darling, you’re my wife and I love you. There are no secrets between us.” He jerked his head around to Dean. “My wife knows about my debts. She suggested selling the paintings. The diamonds were her recompense and I would not cheat her out of them.”

Dean closed his eyes. He was quite sure Jonah was telling the truth now. His theory was wrong. They had nothing �“ they hadn’t even found the diamonds -- so Jonah was quite within his rights not to pay them.

Where the hell do we go from here?

A hammering at the front door caused them all to start. Dean met Seamus’ eyes; he, too, was looking downcast. Their theory had come to nothing. After a nod from her mistress, Esther walked to the door, returning a minute later with Parvati.

“Hello there, have I missed something?” she asked. Her eyes were lit from within with knowledge she was obviously longing to share.

“My sister found the diamonds in Draco’s room, but your associates believe I stole the diamonds,” Jonah replied haughtily. “Why not join in the fun, Miss Patil? You could accuse my wife, perhaps, or my aunt.”

As Lavender moved to one side, Parvati sat on the arm of her chair. “I’ll ... um ... wait,” she replied. “Although that is rather surprising, the diamonds happening to turn up like that,” she stole a glance at Dean and then Seamus, “don’t you think?”

“Miss Flint. Where did you find the necklace?” Seamus spoke quietly from his chair, not sounding at all confident but as if he were trying to make sense of something.

“I told you,” Tabitha declared. “I found it in Draco’s bedroom. In his wardrobe.”

Seamus shifted in his seat slightly. “Coincidence, that. You happen to be in his room, and happen to look in his wardrobe.”

“I have told you why I was in his room,” she said, casting Draco a venomous look. “And I looked in the wardrobe because I noticed it was open.”

“Bollocks,” Draco growled. “The wardrobe was locked. I didn’t want anyone sneaking around amongst my things.”

“Why not?” Seamus asked mildly. His hand was shaking slightly as he spoke, yet he didn’t stop. “We’d already been through your room once, so what was the problem with someone else peeking in your wardrobe?” He turned back to Tabitha and bestowed one of his cheeky smiles on her, flirting slightly. “Miss Flint, sure if I was with a man like this, I’d always be worried about what he was hiding from me. I’m not at all surprised you wanted a peek in yer man’s wardrobe.”

She sniffed and then tried out a wobbly smile on Seamus. “The wardrobe was locked, but the key was in the pocket of his cloak. I wanted to see what he was hiding, so I unlocked it.”

“And were the diamonds there, or did you plant them?” Seamus whispered kindly. “Did you find the diamonds in someone else’s room and decide to frame Draco? Can’t say I blame you if you did do that. He’s not been the greatest of boyfriends.”

“The diamonds were in his wardrobe,” she said firmly. There was a steel glint in her icy blue eyes, and although no one could be sure without Veritaserum, Seamus was convinced she was telling the truth.

“Which lands this right back in Malfoy’s lap!” Jonah said, smirking. “I’m calling the Law Enforcers.”

“You have the diamonds back,” Lucius interrupted. “And I’ll pay you compensation. Just don’t call the Ministry, please.”

“Why would I have got the colour wrong?” Draco protested. “I’m not stupid.”

“You wouldn’t,” Parvati agreed. “No one would have got the colour wrong on purpose. Draco Malfoy isn’t stupid. He is, however, resourceful. Are you going to tell us where you found the diamonds?”

“I was framed,” Draco insisted. “How many times do I have to tell you that? Tabitha has it in for me because I don’t want to marry her, so she must have put them in my wardrobe.”

“Your locked wardrobe!” Parvati said, her eyes glimmering. “No, you found the diamonds in someone else’s room and decided to steal them yourself. You knew your room had been searched, so you locked them in your wardrobe. What you didn’t take into account was Tabitha’s curiosity.”

“Where did he find them, then?” asked Gordon Davis. It had been the first time he’d reacted to anything in that room. All through this debate, he’d puffed on a large cigar whilst ogling Lavender from across the room.

Parvati ignored him and looked at Tracey. “I’ve just been to see Padma,” she said. “She works at St Mungo’s, like you, but she’s in the research department. For the past year, they’ve been looking at genetics and in particular at the increasing incidence of Muggle conditions in wizards and witches. It’s all very interesting, you know.”

Karis yawned. “I’m sure it is, dear, but what does this have to do with my diamonds?”

“Everything,” Parvati stated. She crossed the room and stood by the hearth, then, when she was sure all eyes were on her, she continued, “The one thing I really didn’t understand at the start of this case was why the diamonds had been exchanged for a necklace that was the wrong colour. It was a good copy, too, not cheap glass, so why go to that expense and then mess it up? Of course, as I’m sure my colleagues have already explained, a Geminio’d copy isn’t permanent. This better copy was supposed to last. The thief didn’t want any link between this night and the theft, when the fake was eventually discovered. That was why they made a substitution of such fine quality.”

She paused for breath, sure of herself, but unsure exactly what the reaction would be when she revealed the knowledge she’d gleaned from Padma.

“Daltonism,” she said, after taking another breath, “is a Muggle condition affecting approximately one percent of their population. It is even rarer in the magical world, but there are still cases of it, especially where there is a Muggle ancestor. Daltonism affects the eyes. It causes colour blindness, and the sufferer has particular difficulty in distinguishing between different shades of blues, purples, violets and ... lavender.”

Lavender gasped. “Oh, of course. That silly song.”

“Exactly,” Parvati replied, and smiled at her friend. The rest of the room looked at her in bewilderment, except for two people, who suddenly looked rather wary.

“Draco Malfoy found the Cordalis Diamonds in Tracey Davis’ room,” said Parvati clearly. “I don’t know where exactly, but I’d hazard a guess it was her wardrobe.”

“Why was Draco in Tracey’s room?” Marcus demanded. “Really, you’re talking as much crap as Thomas was earlier. You don’t have a bloody clue.” Reaching out to grab some sandwiches, he upset the platter causing them to spill on the carpet, but did nothing to assist Esther in picking them up. “If this Dalton thing affects people with a Muggle relative, then Brown is once again the chief suspect and you can stop impugning my fiancée.”

“Oh, for Circe’s sake, Marcus, shut up!” Tracey said wearily. “Look, it’s true. I stole the diamonds, and yes, I am colour blind.” She stared at Parvati, daring her to speak. “We have some Muggle blood somewhere in our family tree, and I’m a half-blood.” She shrugged. “It never bothered me, but for reasons of self preservation I kept it quiet from my housemates.”

“Don’t say anymore!” Gordon ordered his daughter. “They’re not sending you to Azkaban. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Well, I’m not letting Marcus marry her now,” Jonah exclaimed. “Half-blood and a thief �“ not in the Flint family.”

“Thank Merlin for that,” Tracey drawled. “If I’d had to put up with much more of Marcus’ pathetic attempts in bed, I think I’d have hexed myself. Even Draco was a step up after that.”

Parvati heard Lavender giggle, and was hard pushed to stop herself from breaking out into laughter, too. The identical looks on both Draco and Marcus’ face, as Tracey mocked them, were something special. Marcus seemed in shock, unable to even string together a swear word to hurl at Draco. Despite her earlier scorn of Lavender, Parvati couldn’t stop a small flicker of respect and liking for Tracey flaring inside of her, for the way she’d played both men.

Jonah sat back in his armchair, and signalled for Esther to pour him more tea. Taking a sip, he carefully placed the cup back down on the side table and looked at Gordon. “You will still employ Marcus at The Prophet, and Karis and I wish you to buy our figurines. In fact, you like them so much, you will buy them at twice the market price.”

Gordon gulped but nodded his head in agreement.

“And you can buy my son’s painting,” Karis chipped in.

“Anything else?”

Karis looked from Blaise, to Jonah and then back to Gordon. “That is all. But I would like you both to leave now. If I have to suffer any more of your insufferable letching, then I think I’ll be forced to reconsider.”

As one, the two Davises rose and left the room, now stunned into silence.

"B-but," protested Lavender. "No, Tracey -"

Parvati hushed her with a look.“Come with me,” she murmured. “I think you’ll like this bit.”

"She knew that dress was blue," Lavender hissed, but Parvati merely nodded. Together they mounted the stairs until Parvati found Tracey’s room. She knocked before going in, waiting for Tracey to say ‘enter.’

Tracey was pulling her few clothes out of the wardrobe and levitating them into a small trunk. She smiled when she saw Parvati.

“Why do you do this, Tracey?” Parvati asked gently, as she took her hand and led her to the bed.

“Steal, you mean?” She pulled a face. “Perhaps it’s a compulsion, like Draco’s gambling. Or maybe I just like pretty things. Sorry, I have no idea.”

“No, I mean why did you cover up for your father?”

“I didn’t,” Tracey said gruffly. She stared at her feet, no longer looking at Parvati.

“Daltonism only occurs in males,” said Parvati. “You know that, though, don’t you? It’s why you sang that nursery rhyme. Your father can’t distinguish between blue and purple, so pale blue would look like lavender to him.”

“Very clever,” Tracey sighed. She stood up and resumed packing her trunk, not bothering to fold anything now.

“But why take the blame? And why were the diamonds in your room?” Lavender asked, puzzled.

“Oh, Lavender blue. You may have found your king, but Marcus is way short of being mine. I didn’t want to marry him, but the only way I could get out of it was if Marcus called it off. Dad wanted me to marry into this horrible family, but he can’t force me, now. I found the diamonds in his trunk. He always uses the same hiding place, and I removed them. I was going to return them, you have to believe that, but Draco discovered them first.” She paused and closed the lid on the trunk. “This works out very well for me. Dad being the culprit might still have meant I was left with Marcus.”

“Why did he steal them?”

“Who knows,” Tracey replied dryly. “It could be a compulsion; we certainly don’t need the money. But personally I think he’s bored, so he devises these elaborate schemes. At least when he’s doing that, he’s not chasing after witches my age.”

Levitating the trunk to the door, she twisted her head around and smiled at them both. “I was rude to you earlier, Lavender, and I’m sorry, but I was on edge. I thought Dad might make a play for the figurines, as well.” Then, with a wave of her wand, she opened the bedroom door. As an afterthought �“ just as she was leaving �“ she spoke again. “Dad likes you, Lavender, not just because you’re female, but he likes your writing. If you ever decide to return to England, then I’m sure he’d find a job for you at The Prophet.” She smirked at the expression on Lavender’s face. “You look horrified, but if you tell him you know the truth, then the job will definitely come with no strings attached.”

Out of the bedroom window, Parvati and Lavender watched the Davises leave. Tracey turned at the gate, and raised her hand in salute to them. She was laughing as she left, but Gordon looked haggard.

“Would you take up a job at his paper, if he offered you one?” Parvati asked as Gordon Apparated away.

“I’d think about it,” Lavender replied. “We won’t live abroad forever, but for now it suits us both.” She linked arms with Parvati, and rested her head on her shoulder. “Thank you for coming and sorting this out. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“We’re friends Lavender, all of us,” Parvati whispered. “There’s no way we wouldn’t have come.”

“I haven’t been much of a friend this past year, though,” Lavender stated. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to escape for a while, forget about the bloody war.”

“I know, and I’m fine. I have Dean and Seamus.” She smiled warmly. “It’s not the same as having my best friend around, but they try their best.”

Whatever Lavender was about to say next was interrupted by the sound of a strong argument coming from the dining room.

“Merlin, that’s Blaise!” Lavender yelped, and started to run to the stairs. “He never loses his temper.”

“Uh, you were saying,” Parvati commented, aghast at the sight that met their eyes.

A wandless Blaise was holding Marcus by his lapels up against the wall. “I want an apology!”

“It didn’t bother you before,” Marcus cried. For a big man he was surprisingly whiney, but then that could have been because he hadn’t expected Blaise to react.

“Before, I was going to take all your money, you bastard. But now you’re broke, and I have Davis’ Galleons, I’m going to take great pleasure in hurting you.”

“Karis, can’t you control your son?”

“As your brother called Lavender a ‘brainless half-blood tart’, I’m really not surprised he wants to hit him.” She glanced up at Lavender. “Sorry, Lavender, darling, Marcus can be so stupid about people.”

“Blaise,” Lavender said softly, “he’s really not worth it.”

There was a long pause. Blaise stared down at Marcus and then with heavy deliberation released him. “Let’s go, Lavender. We can stay at your mum’s, can’t we?”

“Or ours,” Parvati piped up. “We can make room.”

“Perfect,” Blaise replied. He walked over to his mum, and kissed her on the cheek. “Sorry, Karis, I don’t like the company here.” Then, clasping Lavender’s hand, he strode out of the room.

Parvati nudged Dean. “Have they paid us?” she whispered.

“Yup,” he replied, tapping his cloak robe pocket. She heard the very satisfactory sound of Galleons clanking together. The money would keep them going for another few weeks, even if they didn’t have another case.

“We should buy a new sign,” she said.

“We can’t until we’ve decided on the name,” Seamus muttered. “Although Finnigan and Associates has a classy ring to it, I think.”

Dean and Parvati snorted. Then the three of them walked to the hallway after bidding goodbye to the Flints and their guests and waited for Blaise and Lavender.

“Why did you say they could stay with us?” Dean complained. “I was looking forward to just being the three of us tonight."

“I thought it was about time we got to know Blaise,” Parvati replied. “After all, it’s thanks to Lavender we were hired. We owe her something.”

***

“A Muggle pub,” Blaise murmured. His eyes widened, and for a second Dean thought it was in horror, but then he started to laugh. “This is brilliant.”

“It’s an Irish pub,” Seamus hollered over the noise. “They have them all over London. We’ll stay here for one or two, pick up some food and then get back to the flat.”

“Won’t Parvati mind you staying out?”

Seamus and Dean shook their heads. “Nope,” Dean replied. “She likes her space and, besides, she wants to catch up with Lavender.”

“Cool,” Blaise murmured. He looked at both of them curiously. “Which one of you is Parvati seeing? It’s hard to tell.”

“That, Zab ... uh ... Blaise, would be telling,” Seamus replied, and with a smile on his face, he approached the bar. “Three pints of Guinness and three whisky chasers, please.”

“Looks like Parvati and Lavender are going to have a lot of space and time to chat,” Dean called. “Hope Lavender doesn’t mind what state we return you in.”

***

Lavender didn’t mind at all. Sitting next to Parvati on the sofa as they drank large gin and tonics, and munched through bowls of crisps, she was enjoying the luxury of being able to kick off her shoes and relax without having to check the floor for spiders, or worry she was messing up Karis’ place settings.

“Are you ever going to choose?” Lavender asked as she contemplated her friend.

“Between them?” Parvati replied, and shook her head.

“Must be complicated, though,” Lavender said, taking another swig of her drink. “Living together. Working together. And ...”

“It’s surprisingly easy once you’re in the situation,” Parvati remarked. “Especially when they realised that me living with the both of them didn’t mean they’d acquired a house-elf.” She paused and started to pleat the fabric of her robe. “That last year at Hogwarts taught me to grab at life and every chance offered, like you did with Blaise. Making a choice would cause far more problems than it solves �“ especially when the problems are only ones of convention.”

“You have to get a new sign,” Lavender said after a while. “‘Very Defect v Ag n y’ doesn’t sound at all professional. We should think of a name, before the men get back. ‘Patil’s Private Eyes’, or ‘Parvati’s Personal Serv’ -- oops, that makes you sound like a hooker.”

Parvati laughed and stretched out on the sofa. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Lavender sighed. “Blaise gets so involved with his sodding potion ingredients that he sometimes forgets I’m there. And he’s a moody git at times.”

Parvati snorted. “You’re not exactly mild-mannered yourself, Lavender, especially when you haven’t had your chocolate fix at certain times of the month. How on earth did you manage in the rainforest without Honeydukes?”

“I was fine!” Lavender declared mock-haughtily. “Hermione was the worst in our room.”

“Only when Ron had wound her up �“”

“Which was most of the time.” Lavender started to giggle. Picking up the bottle of gin, she poured two measures and added some tonic. “This is good. Sitting here, relaxing. Being us.”

“Until they get back,” Parvati observed. “They must be getting along. I thought they’d be back by now.”

“Good,” Lavender breathed. “I want you all to like him, or at least understand why we’re together.”



About an hour later, after the three men stumbled through the door bearing curry in plastic boxes, the five of them sat around the kitchen table eating piping hot chicken tikka massala on top of spicy pilau rice.

“Blaise,” Seamus said, as he handed him a can of lager, “can I ask you something?”

“You can ask,” Blaise replied slowly. “I might not answer, though.”

Seamus took a swig from his can. “That painting. Lavender said your ma was adamant you weren’t getting your hands on it, but she caved in very quickly.”

A silence descended on the room. Blaise stared at Seamus; his gaze flicked to Dean and Parvati. All three had stopped eating, waiting for his response. By his side, Lavender reached across and squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to say a word,” she murmured.

“Do you have a confidentiality clause when someone hires you?” Blaise asked.

“We do, but if the client imparts some information that pertains to a serious crime, then we are duty bound to inform the Ministry,” Parvati replied solemnly. Then she grinned. “As long as it’s not murder, we’ll keep quiet.”

Blaise chewed his bottom lip as he pondered. “Thing is, I’m not sure this is a crime. Much depends on the actual wording and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the document, but from what I can remember ....” He smiled at Lavender. “Sorry, I’m being obtuse. Lavender says it’s an infuriating habit of mine.”

“Forget I asked,” Seamus said. “I was just curious, that’s all.”

Taking a long drink from his can, Blaise studied the three of them again. Then something seemed to warm in his eyes. Placing the can on the table, he took Lavender’s hand in his, and leant forwards. “Chester Zabini was not my real father. My mum was already pregnant when she met him. She threatened to tell everyone, which could mean I’d lose any inheritance I had from him.” He paused and, with his other hand, stroked Lavender’s hair. “I don’t care about the painting, but I was left a house in Italy, which I don’t want to give up.”

Dean gave a long whistle. Although this could technically be fraud, Blaise was, to all intents and purposes, Chester Zabini’s son. It was only his mother’s word that could be called in to give lie to his inheritance. “Why did Karis back down?”

“From what I remember of the will, Chester named me as his beneficiary. He didn’t say ‘I leave my son the house in Italy’, but ‘I leave the house in Italy to Blaise Zabini.’ I think that’s good enough for a court of law, but I’m not sure. What I do know is that in my mother’s case, Chester wrote ‘I leave the rest of my estate to Karis Zabini, my wife and mother of my son.’ “

“Which means if you lose out, then so does she,” Parvati concluded. “Wow, that’s quite a good reason for her to cave.”

Blaise laughed. “Yeah, several thousand Galleons worth of reasons.” He drained his drink, and gave Lavender’s hand another squeeze as she stifled a yawn. “You look tired. Shall we go to bed and leave these three to celebrate their case-cracking skills?”

“Stay,” Dean demurred.

But Lavender stood up with Blaise and flashed a smile at her friends. “Blaise is right, I’m shattered. Besides, three, in your case, is company, but five is definitely a crowd.”

The three of them watched as Lavender and Blaise, threaded their arms around each other and meandered slowly out of the room to the lounge, where they were bedding down for the night.

“Three’s company,” mused Parvati. “Interesting ...”

“Huh?” Both Dean and Seamus looked at her inquisitively.

“Three’s Company Detective Agency,” she said slowly. “What do you think?”

“Brilliant!” Dean exclaimed as he planted a kiss on her cheek. “See, I knew there was a reason you’re my number one girl.”

Seamus poured her another drink. “You’re a star, Parvati.”

“To teamwork,” she replied.

“To us.” Dean returned the toast, smiling.

“To Three’s Company,” Seamus announced grandly. “And to Old Man Davis, a diamond in the rough, whose crime has kept us solvent!”