Hermione looked around at her teammates. They'd been at this case for nine hours, with not a clue in sight. Ron and Harry were eating a quickly put together dinner with Quillic begging for scraps. Marian was glaring at the ceiling. Hermione knew her friend enough to know that she was deep in thought. She also knew her friend well enough to know that they would get along as house mates. They enjoyed similar tastes in music and books, and were both clean about their space. And Hermione had an extra room just in case of things like this.
Marian leaned forward and looked at the papers on the table. More specifically, the pictures of the victims. They ranged from blonde to red head to brunette and from young teens to late forties. They had nothing in common between the lot of them. But something had made the killer go after these women. She picked up one photo, then another. They were all wizard pictures of the victims when they were alive. Marain stared for a while longer before her eyes widened. "There's a connection," she said.
The boys stopped their teasing of Quillic with a piece of scrap meat and said, "What?"
Marian spread the photos out. "What do all of these photos have?" she asked.
They came over and crowded around the table. "Nothing," Ron said. "They're just normal photos."
Hermione stared and her eyes widened as well. "They're all wizard photos," she said.
"Exactly," Marian said. "Wizard photos of when the victims were alive. All of these people were witches."
Harry picked up the folder. "But why were some of them found in muggle living areas?" he asked.
"Maybe the killer doesn't like muggles?" Ron suggested.
"Do any of the witches have muggle families or relatives in those areas?" Harry asked.
Hermione walked over to a whole in the wall and tapped it with her wand, thinking of the information she wanted. There was a soft whirring noise before a stack of parchment floated out of the hole and landed on the table in a neat pile. She sorted through it and said, "All of the witches found in muggle residencies have relatives around there. I think our killer hates muggle borns."
Marian leaned back against the couch. "They would have killed me, as well," she said. "Not just witches. Maybe they have a grudge against girls because of a past encounter or something."
"Must have been pretty big to kill a total of 26 women," Ron said.
Harry leaned forward and was now looking at the crime scene photos. "The snake," he said. "Does something seem familiar about it?"
Hermione looked at it and said, "No. What about it?"
Harry shook his head. "It's like I've seen it before," he said. "But I can't remember where."
"Maybe it was on a sign?" Marian suggested. "Or a crest? Or a flyer?"
Harry's head snapped up. "A crest," he said. "Slytherin's crest is a snake. Just like these."
Ron perked up. "Then our killer's a Slytherin," he said. He looked a little too happy, but it was probably from the thought that he'd get revenge on his house rivals.
"Or trying to frame a Slytherin," Marian pointed out. Ron's face fell a bit.
"So," Hermione said, conjuring a white board. She grabbed a black marker and began to write. "We know our killer has killed muggle born witches. The killer also carved a snake on their backs that is similar to the Slytherin crest. This means the person is familiar with Hogwarts' crests and has some sort of connection with that house." She capped the marker and looked at the board. "It's not much, but it's something to go on." She turned to the group. "Anything else we can find that connects all of the victims together?"
Ron sighed. "Nothing," he said. "They don't know one another, as far as the investigation has shown; they don't visit the same clubs or cafes; they work in different places. There's nothing connecting them." He rubbed his eyes. "My eyes are hurting from thinking so much."
Marian smiled softly. "I think we better call it a day," she said. "A good night's rest will give us a new perspective on the case tomorrow."
The team agreed and they quickly tidied up the room. Hermione had to give Ron a pointed look when he put the dishes in the sink instead of cleaning them. "Ron," she said. "You can't leave your dishes out like that. This is our Headquarters and people will judge us by how it looks. So keep it clean."
Ron rolled his eyes and started to wash his plate, grumbling about meddling women. Harry started to laugh at his friend's humiliation. "That goes for you, too, Harry," Marian chimed in. Now it was his turn to grumble and wash his plate.
"Honestly," Hermione said. "You're not lazy, boys. You can wash a plate or two without dying."
Ron and Harry exchanged looks before dramatically 'dying'. Complete with chocking sounds and falling to the floor in a pile. Marian laughed, but Hermione only frowned. "You two are acting like Draco Malfoy when he's forced to work with a Gryffindor," she said.
"I resent that," Draco said, coming into the room. "I never died. I only suffocated." He walked over and kissed Marian's cheek. "I thought I'd take you to dinner," he said, smiling.
Marian nodded. "Let me clean up these papers," she said. Quickly, she piled the papers up and set it on the desk she had deemed as her. No one complained, though. They didn't have a use for a dog bed next to their desks.
Draco looked at Harry and Ron, who were still 'dead' on the floor. "I think they should stay like that," he said.
Ron opened an eye and said, "Sod off, Malfoy."
"Hey!" Marian said, frowning. "If you're going to talk like that to me, I'm leaving."
Ron's face turned red. "I meant Malfoy," he said.
"Yeah," Marian said. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Draco had to hold back a laugh at how motherly she looked like that.
"Not you," Ron said, sitting up. "That Malfoy," he pointed to Draco. "I meant Draco."
Draco gave a theatrical gasp. "The Weasel can say my name," he said. "Will wonders never cease? Ow!" He grabbed the back of his head from where his sister had smacked him. "What was that for?"
Marian smiled. "Because I love you," she said. "And don't call Ron 'Weasel'."
Draco grumbled, but said, "Fine. But I'm not calling him by his first name."
"Didn't ask you to," Marian said. She smiled sweetly up at Draco. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"I thought maybe a meal at the Golden Wand," he said.
Marian raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that expensive?" she said.
Draco shrugged. "A little, but we're going to celebrate your first day as an Auror, your first case, and, since you're moving out soon, I want to treat you to a nice dinner before you have to resort to minute made noodles and junk food."
Marian laughed. "So little faith in my eating habits?" she said. "Really, Draco. I'll eat something better than that. Anyway, I'm staying with Hermione for a few days until I find my own apartment, I mean flat." She grumbled to herself. "Stupid Enlish slang."
Draco looked at Hermione and met her brown eyes. She remembered how his eyes had shone when talking about his sister last night. That same look was in his eyes as they looked at her. Happiness. "Thanks," he said. "For taking care of her. Just let me know when she becomes too much of a pain." Marian pretended to look offended and nudged his arm.
Hermione laughed and shook her head, curls bouncing. "It's fine," she said. "Marian can bunk with me for however long she wants."
Draco smiled and Hermione was almost floored. It wasn't a smirk or anything that Draco had shown in their years before at Hogwarts together. It was a genuine smile. The one that she'd seen him give his sister last night when Marian had been drunk. His lips look really...kissable when he smiled. She suddenly realized that those lips had been asking her a question.
She looked up into his eyes and blushed a bit. He'd caught her staring! "I'm sorry," she said. "What were you saying?"
Draco smirked and said, "I said, would you like to join us for dinner? Blaise and Pansy will be joining us, as well, having not had the chance to celebrate with Marian last night."
Hermione smiled and said, "Sure. If I wouldn't be intruding."
"You won't," Marian said, smiling widely.
Hermione nodded. "All right," she said. She picked up her cloak and turned to Ron and Harry, who were ready to leave. "I'll be going with the Malfoys tonight," she said. "We'll have dinner tomorrow."
Ron glared at Draco. "If he hurts you, Mione, just let us know. We'll take care of him," he said. Harry nodded.
Marian rolled her eyes. "They've been watching too many Mafia movies," she said. She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and said, "Guys, can you take Quillic to the Manor? Thanks." With that, she walked out of the room with her brother and best friend following behind her.
AN: What do you think? Good? Bad? Completely and totally insane? Killer Beetles eating JuJu beans! Wait, what? Bob! Stop typing on my computer!
Bob: *runs away
Me: Sorry, folks. So, anyway, review while I go deal with my soon to be ex muse. Thanks. Bob!
