Jade rolled up to the King's Cross station and stopped as an officer walked towards her car. Jade and Corey flashed him their credentials and he nodded, letting them pass through.
"Sometimes I wish I can have a badge." Corey said, looking behind, seeing Liam behind them with his police car.
"Why?" Jade asked, taking the keys out of the ignition. They unbuckled and got out of the car, grabbing their belongings.
"Do you know how many free drinks you can get with that? And you don't even need to wait in line when you go clubbing. Flash the badge and tell the bouncer that you're here for an investigation and WHAM…you're in!" Corey said.
"Hey, how does this look on me?" Liam asked, wearing a pair of aviator glasses. "Do I look like I'm going to get promoted or what?" Liam asked, fixing his hair.
"You look like you're ready to crash a bachelor party and strip down to your metallic colored thong. By the way, what color is it today?" Corey asked, seeing Liam's lip curl with disgust.
"I don't wear thongs. What straight man wears thongs?" Liam asked, seeing Corey chuckle.
"Spend a night with me and I'll show you how." Corey winked. Liam leaned away.
"You've got problems Corey…like legit issues. You should go see a shrink." Liam said.
Jade walked into the station and another police officer stopped her before going in. "Forensics." Jade said, showing her identification that hung from her neck. Jade, Corey and Liam walked towards Platform 9 ¾ where Marshall, Thatcher and Hermione Weasley stood near, talking to each other.
"There she is." Marshall said, pointing to Jade.
"Jade!" Hermione said, kissing Jade's cheek.
"Mrs. Weasley was just telling us that you two know each other." Marshall said.
"Since Hogwarts." Jade said, seeing Marshall and Thatcher give her a confused look.
"It's a school. Anyways, let's forget about that. Come Jade, you have to see this." Hermione said, leading Jade towards Platform 9 ¾.
"I don't see any body parts." Liam said, looking around. Hermione turned around to look at him and blinked.
"You are?" Hermione asked.
"Liam Wallace, I'm on Jade's team." Liam said, shaking Hermione's hand who greeted him warmly.
"Well it's very nice to meet you Liam." She said.
"I'm Corey; I work in forensics with Jade." Corey said and Hermione smiled, shaking his hand as well.
"I'm Hermione Granger, Head of the Auror Department and Jade's best friend." Hermione said.
"No shit! We're her best friends too!" Liam said excitedly.
"Are you both wizards?" Hermione asked.
Corey and Liam gave Hermione the exact look a muggle would look when a wizard asked them a question like that.
"Are we both wizards? Like a fucking crystal ball, a broom that flies and all that jazz?" Corey asked.
"Um…yes." Hermione said.
Corey and Liam started laughing uproariously and everyone turned around to look at them. Jade looked around nervously, seeing her superiors staring at them. Maybe taking Liam and Corey along wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Minnie, you are funny." Liam said.
"It's Her-my-oh-nee." She said.
"They don't understand actually. They're muggles." Jade explained to Hermione.
"What did you call us?" Corey asked.
"I think explaining will take an extremely long time and frankly speaking, we can't afford it. I'm afraid they're just going to learn without briefing." Hermione said.
"Sounds good." Jade said, following Hermione.
"What? Learn what? Are we-" Liam instantly shut up when he saw Hermione walk through the brick wall. Jade looked at her friends, seeing them stare open mouthed.
It was thoroughly amusing, a bit more fun than killing people, to see your own friends realize that you were something that they never dreamed of...the irony.
"Sweet mother of Jesus…" Liam started to pray.
"I knew it! This is the government's doing! It's all a conspiracy!" Corey said, looking at the brick wall again.
"I'll see you both on the other side." Jade said.
She walked through the brick wall and in an instant, she was at the very station where the Hogwarts Express picked her up and dropped her off for the seven eventful years of her life. She walked towards the crime scene where the pieces of the body were lying around and next to it were folded yellow cards standing near each of them.
"Look who made it." a voice said. Jade tore her eyes away from the body and looked at Harry who was standing in front of her, grinning.
"Hey Harry." Jade said, as he kissed her cheek.
"It's a good thing our departments are working together now…not so good for the victim though." Harry said, nodding at the body.
"Did you confirm the death?" Jade asked, walking towards the body.
"No, we were waiting for you guys. By the way, us Wizarding people think you muggles are arrogant." He said, seeing Jade smile and set up her camera.
"You're not the only ones who think muggles are arrogant, muggles do too." Jade said.
"Where are these sons of bitches anyways?" Blaise Zabini asked, walking towards Harry who looked around to see if anyone from Jade's department were around. Blaise had long straight black hair and dark brown eyes.
"Blaise you have to keep your bloody voice down." Harry ordered.
"Er, sorry." Blaise said, looking at Jade. "Are you the muggles?" she asked.
"Blaise I wish you were a radio so I could turn you off!" an irritable voice said.
Jade saw Draco walking towards them. The last time she had ever seen him was eight years ago when they received their diplomas. Physically he had matured than his slender and pointed figure in Hogwarts. He added a little more muscle and was quite leaner. He looked surprised to see her, just as she was to see him.
"Why does everyone tell me to shut it? Do I look like I'm in the mood to be quiet? This is a crime scene! Speaking and screaming is encouraged! What do you do when you see a dead body-"
"SHUT UP!" Harry yelled.
Blaise clamped her mouth shut but Jade felt the after effects of her voice ringing in her ear.
"Excuse me while I inspect the body." Jade said, walking away.
Jade stood over the body, seeing two feet, two legs, two thighs, a lower torso, an upper torso, two arms and one hand. Images ran through her mind and there were a million questions and discussions running through her mind but there was something that seized Jade entirely. "No blood." She said. It was mind boggling. The flesh was intact and the cores of the bones were seen but not even a drop of blood anywhere. She couldn't figure it out and most importantly, it sent her nearly helpless. She looked around, trying to find at least one speck but couldn't. She looked up, seeing a camera filming nearby and looked back down to the body.
Whoever the killer was, he was meticulous and a genius. Jade would have loved to shake his hand…before she killed him of course.
"It's a nice camera you've got there." Draco said, appearing next to her.
Jade quickly looked up, meeting Draco's eyes. He slightly narrowed his eyes, trying to take a glimpse of her mind but Jade looked away, mentally shutting down. She was always prepared to shut her thoughts down to other wizards especially Hermione and Harry who were highly skilled in Legilimency. If even the smallest glimpse of her memories were exposed, her life would be over. They would know who she really was and the years of taming the monster in her would be for nothing. She would visit Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna from time to time and learn to perform Occulmency while around them but she was around muggles almost always, sometimes she wasn't fully prepared to shut down as quickly as she'd like.
"Yes. It's very useful for detail." Jade said, looking back up to Draco who kept his thoughts sealed.
"Very romantic." He said, catching her off guard.
"Er…pardon me?" Jade asked.
"The body I mean." Draco said without embarrassment. He looked back at the body and cocked his head at an angle as he gestured his hand toward it. "It's very poetic, the way the body is presented to us. Like the killer is playing at something." Draco said.
Jade scrutinized him. In the last four years, she never met anyone that appreciated the 'art' of murder. Everyone that she knew or saw had a very negative reaction to whatever they saw which was predictable and annoying as well. To see that someone else shared the same fascination and admired the work intrigued her. Draco turned around, looking back at Jade.
"What?" he smiled.
"I just didn't expect your reaction, that's all." Jade said. Draco smirked and placed his hands into his pockets.
"Well that's because we hardly know each other." He said.
'You can say that again.' Jade thought.
"Can you say fuck me sideways and blow me twice? You're a fucking magical person?" Liam shouted.
Everyone stopped to stare.
"Can you stop doing that? You attract attention." Jade said.
"You owe us magical strippers! Witches and wizards accepted, thank you very much!" Corey said, just as madly.
"I have just the place for such shows! Have we met?" Blaise piped in. Corey looked at Blaise and Blaise looked at Corey and it was as if a fairytale had come true.
"Stop hitting on anything with two feet and a head." Draco said.
"Potter has two feet and a head; you don't see me hitting on him. It's what's between the legs that count." Blaise said.
"I apologize, Blaise is naturally revolting." Harry said to Corey who bit his lip, his eyes wide with admiration.
"Revolting is my middle name!" Corey exclaimed.
"I'm Blaise, nice to meet you!" Blaise said, holding out his hand to which Corey immediately took.
"I'm Corey; I can already tell we'll bond well!" Corey said, shaking Blaise's hand.
"This is like my worst nightmare." Draco groaned, looking up and shutting his eyes tightly.
Jade shook her head and looked at Liam who scratched his head in confusion.
"I'll explain later but for now, I really need you to find the footage on that camera up there." Jade told Liam, pointing at the camera she saw earlier.
"Fine but owe me a biiiig motherfucking drink…or two." Liam said. He left quickly and Jade looked at Draco who was good humored.
"You both look cute together, albeit he's a little short." Draco said as Jade lifted up her camera.
"He's not my boyfriend. Not only me, he also wouldn't dream of us being together." Jade said.
"So is it safe to assume that you're single?" Draco asked.
Jade paused again. His eyes were smiling but she couldn't break into his thoughts.
"Safe to assume." Jade said.
Draco tipped his head and turned to leave. "Well then, I'll leave you to do your own work." He said. He walked away and Jade looked after him. He was amusing and dangerously interesting. Jade would have never thought to use those adjectives for a man. She turned back around and looked at the body which pulled at her brain even stronger. She took a few pictures at different angles and turned to see Corey deeply immersed in a filthy conversation that included crude hand gestures with Blaise as Draco and Harry chatted, standing a few feet away from them.
"Corey." Jade called, seeing him turn to Jade.
"Yeah Jade?" he asked.
"I need you to tell me the cause of death." Jade said. Corey excused himself from Blaise who looked love struck and jogged towards Jade.
"Isn't she cute?" Corey whispered.
"Charming." Jade said.
Corey snapped on a pair of gloves and squatted down with Jade to inspect the body.
"Not even a drop of blood can you believe that?" Corey asked as Jade sighed deeply.
"No, I can't." Jade said.
"What do we have so far?" Marshall asked.
"Female, five foot five, around 120 pounds in her early twenties. We can't exactly determine the sudden cause of death because face it, she's got no head." Corey said.
"She doesn't have a hand either." Jade said.
"What does that mean?" Thatcher asked. Jade and Corey shrugged.
"Honestly can't say." Jade said.
"Where's Officer Wallace?" Marshall asked.
"He went to retrieve the footage from the camera over there." Jade said, pointing to the camera.
"All right, so here's the big question." Hermione appeared. "Why is there no blood?" Hermione asked.
Even the words 'no blood' made Jade feel unstable.
"Exactly. What does it tell us about our killer? What is he trying to say to us?" Marshall asked.
"The killer is a professional." Corey said. Everyone looked at Corey who moved for them to see the body clearly. "Every cut you see is impeccable. He…or she knew their shit well. From every joint and part, they sliced perfectly, surgical." Corey said.
"And the lack of blood?" Thatcher asked.
"No idea." Corey said.
Everyone looked at Jade, expecting her answer.
"We're not quite sure but you should expect another body very soon." Jade said.
"Why the fuck for?" Thatcher asked.
"Regina." Marshall warned.
"I'm sorry but that's his signature on the body. He hand wrapped and gifted us this body and ordinary murderers wouldn't do that, especially if it's well thought out and prepared like this." Jade said, gesturing to the body. "We're going to have another gift from our secret admirer." Jade said.
Thatcher was probably wondering why Jade was so fucked up from the way she was looking at her. Jade gave the rest a few chills up their spines. The body was taken to the morgue and Jade packed her things back.
"Hey Jade, Blaise is going to drop me off. You don't mind do you?" Corey asked.
"No, let her drop you away." Jade said, seeing Corey grin. Corey left and Jade zipped up her bag.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted Draco who started to walk up towards her.
"You know I hope to God you still remember to buy me those drinks and explain your double life." Liam said, sliding in front of her, blocking Draco.
"Double life?" Jade asked.
"Fuck shitting yes." Liam nodded.
"Jade, are you free tonight?" Hermione asked with Harry next to her.
"Er-"
"We're having dinner tonight and you can't say no! Hugo and Rose miss you as it is and I've called Luna in anyways." Hermione said.
"Then I guess I'm coming over for dinner." Jade said, seeing Hermione smile.
"See you later then!" Hermione said. She left with Harry and Liam patted Jade's hand.
"I'll be waiting in my car; I know which bar to go." Liam said.
Draco and Jade watched him leave. "You're quite the people person aren't you?" Draco asked.
"Not by choice." Jade said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"It was nice seeing you again." Draco said.
"Same here." Jade said, seeing Draco smile. He gave Jade a small wave and left.