Chapter 2
A/N: Here it is finally, Chapter 2 ! Tell me what you think I wont bite. Ah , found a couple of mistakes in my first upload of this chapter. Corrected them now *phew* . Anyway enjoy!
"So as I was saying Potter, we need to see the scene of the crime." Malfoy finished. The case was complex. Dead female, age 22, found in her home, no signs of a struggle from what the files say. Apparation wards still up at time of death, no detection of floo network activity.
"Well she didnt just off herself," Ron pointed out.
"How observant Weasley," Malfoy drawled.
"What was the victim's name?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Maia Bones" Kingsley stepped in. All four were surprised to see their boss again. "Her cousin is Susan Bones, the two are not very close anymore. Some family skeletons in the closet. If you want to find out more about it you can ask Susan you two were on her team previously," he said pointing at Hermione and Draco. " I want this case worked fast, Hermione you will lead and answer to me directly with the latest news. I want to be kept updated." He left promptly after briefing them further.
"So where do we start?" Ron asked Hermione.
" I told you we need to see the scene of the crime," Malfoy said rather rudely to him.
"Yeah, well I wasn't asking you Malfoy," Ron spat back.
"Malfoy is right," Hermione admitted. "We need visit her apartment."
Malfoy smirked.
They arrived at Maia's apartment just outside of Diagon Alley. "Well this doesnt seem like a bad neighborhood," Harry pointed out. They had arranged for the Purgers who took away Maia's body to meet them at the apartment. Daniel Snow, sandy brown hair and a crooked smile with bright blue eyes greeted them. His co-worker William Carter looked bored but his eyes were haunted. He had coal black hair with very soft brown eyes. "She was lying here when we found her," Dan pointed with his wand and drew out a silhouette of her body on the kitchen floor. "She had this look on her face, one of pain and hurt," said William softly. It was the first thing he had said since they got there. "Mr Carter did you know Maia?" Hermione asked on a hunch.
" I .. " he looked around helplessly.
"We will find out anyway."Harry shrugged. "You may as well tell us."
He looked ready to stand his ground, before he thought better of it. " I knew Maia recently,"he admitted.
"We went out once, she was smart, funny but she was still hung up over this over guy, we never spoke much after that. We were set up by a friend,"he explained.
"Do you know who this other guy is?" Hermione asked.
"No she said he worked for Gringotts though. She didn't deserve this you know," he said his brown eyes baring his hurt. "She was a good person."
After a couple of questions that yielded no results, Dan asked to leave. " Pass my regards to Hannah," William said as Dan left. "So do you need anything or can I leave too?" he asked.
"Yes if we have any further questions we will owl you. Right now we're just going to check the rest of the place out," Hermione answered in a kind voice.
" We need to find this other guy who Maia liked. Malfoy, Ron you two ask the neighbors if they saw anything again, perhaps one of them remembers something that might be useful. Anything they heard or saw and anything about this mystery man. Harry ,you can help me search this apartment for any clues," she delegated.
"Do you have to put me with the Weasel?" Malfoy asked disgusted.
"You two need to start working together, the sooner the better," she answered in a no-nonsense tone.
Ron and Draco left muttering under their breaths, leaving Harry and Hermione to the task at hand. Maia's apartment was spacious and with the blue curtains and books neatly arranged, they knew Maia was a Ravenclaw at school. "She was smart, so any traces of this guy that she liked, if she didnt want people to know, nobody would find anything without some hard digging," Harry sighed.
Her kitchen was almost spotless besides the pair of unwashed mugs lying in the sink. "She made spaghetti and meatballs for supper," Harry said. "Maybe it was date night?" Hermione pondered. It was entirely possible she supposed. She wanted to find out everything but she couldnt deny, it seemed pretty straightforward. "This mystery man is sounding more guilty by the second," Hermione finally said.
There were a plenty of pictures of the blonde haired ,blue eyed beautiful girl with her school friends in her bedroom. Maia had just one of her and her family though. It seemed quite old and tattered. "Maybe we should look into her family as well," Hermione murmured. After finding her bed perfectly made, her hairbrush and other accessories on her dresser and a muggle poster of the boy band One Direction hidden in her draw, they decided they needed a break. Hermione messaged Ron and Draco to meet them in Diagon Alley for lunch before they got back to the apartment.
Harry and Hermione decided on a little coffee shop next to Flourish and Blotts. They had just sat down when they were greeted by Lavender Brown. "Hermione ! Harry ! Fancy seeing you here," she gushed. "It's nice to see you too Lavender," Harry said politely.
"Are you guys here on Auror business? Oh it must be about that poor Maia Bones! Dreadful wasn't it? I hope her family comes to the funeral," she said with pity.
"What do you know about her family?" Hermione asked curiously.
Lavender took her cue and got seated to tell her juicy story. Some things never change, Hermione thought to by Harry's expression he was thinking the same thing.
Lavender oblivious to this all, launched into her story," Maia's dad and Susan's dad were brothers. Apparently they were close as kids, literally grew up together. But Maia's dad was a squib." Lavender's face turned into some sort of sympathy look and Hermione had to remind herself to keep quiet and listen.
"Her dad got very depressed after Maia's mum passed away. He couldnt take care of Maia and eventually he committed suicide." Lavender paused for dramatic effect.
"But that wasnt the big issue, I mean it was, but the main issue was that nobody could really take care of Maia long enough, she kept getting passed from distant relative to another. Her aunt Sarah was the one who kept her last, until she died that is."
"That sounds horrible," Harry said. "Assuming it is true," he added quickly.
Before Lavender could voice her outrage at Harry to dare suggest her a liar, Ron and Draco walked in. Well Ron walked in, Malfoy kind of pranced in, like a stupid unicorn, Hermione thought angrily.
Lavender took one look at Ron and ran for the hills, or cave, wherever she lived really.
"So what's up with crazy bat lady over there?" Ron asked pointing at his ex's hastily retreating figure.
"You dated her," Draco pointed out.
"Didn't think you kept up to date with my love life Malfoy," Ron said smugly.
"You were snogging everywhere !" Draco said exasperated. Really as if he would keep tabs on weasel bee. To further his embarassment Hermione asked quite intrigued, " Who did you keep tabs on?"
He would be damned if he told her he knew about Potter's two girlfriends, Cedric's girl and Weasel bee's sister. Luckily he was saved by the waiter,Elliot, who came to take their orders. He arrived a few seconds later with their drinks. So to change the topic he asked, " So Potter still doing Weasel's sister?"
Harry choked on his butterbeer. Ron turned a shade as red as his raspberry soda. He had become quite taken with these and had them whenever they went out. Hermione just looked disapprovingly over her mug of coffee. Good, that should distract them for a while, Darco thought pleased with the reactions.
"I am not doing Ginny, Malfoy," Harry said with gritted teeth. Ginny and him were complicated. He was complicated. She went to Egypt with Bill and Fleur because it was good for her. Those were her words. Harry knew she went to get away from him since he started dating Cho again. What was he supposed to do? Ginny and him had barely begun dating when they broke up during the war. And Cho was there, she was there for him when it was all over. Ginny had gone to Egypt then. Messy. That word described his love life. And it described his office right now. Hermione was going to kill him.
Draco sipped his lemonade as the show continued. Harry really wanted to hit him.
Harry and Ron avoided the subject of Ginny like the plague. But now that Harry was single, Ron couldn't help but wonder if his best friend and sister would try to rekindle their old flame. He honestly didnt know if he would be okay with it. Harry and Ginny had both hurt each other before and he didn't want to pick up the pieces of their broken hearts again.
"You heard him Malfoy, my sister and Harry are not together," Ron forced out.
" Isn't that lovely?" Malfoy drawled.
Elliot-this was the second time this guy saved them from a fight- brought them their food.
"Thank you," Hermione murmured as she was greeted by the welcoming smell of her chicken toasted sandwich with salad on the side. All talk of Ginny seized as the four ravenous aurors tucked in.
"We should get back to the apartment, " Hermione motioned to Harry. " And you two should get back to questioning the neighbors," she said to Ron and Draco after they had spotlessly finished their meals.
"Yes boss," Ron muttered.
The first house that he and Draco had went to this morning was Madam Rosmerta's. The first lady that he had a crush on, he had to interview her with Draco Malfoy. Draco knew about his crush somehow because he roared with laughter when he found her name on the door.
"Sod off Malfoy," Ron had told him angrily.
Madam Rosmerta had invited them in and Draco had muttered quite a few things under his breath like, "you don't know how long Weasley has been waiting to hear that!" Ron had subsequently 'accidently' hit the door on Malfoy's face. "Would you like something to drink?" Romerta had asked playing host and then ran off to get them some drinks before they could answer. "Think Weasley wants more than drinks," Malfoy had said smirking at his own joke.
Madam Rosmerta had come back bearing a tea tray and some cookies. Ron had really wanted to some have but he knew all the dirty jokes Malfoy could make about him eating Madam Rosmerta's cookies. So instead he drank his tea in silence while Draco watched him with wide incredulous eyes before starting to question Madam Rosmerta.
"Madam Rosmerta, as I'm sure you've heard, Maia Bones has been found dead in her apartment next door. We just have a few questions for you," Draco had started in a uniformly manner.
"Yes, yes ask away my child."
"You were here on the 7th of February 2015?"Draco launched straight into his list.
"Yes I was," she replied. "I had been watching strictly come dancing. Oh, how I wish I could dance like that again,"she said wistfully.
"Did you hear anything suspicious? Did you see Maia that day?"
"One question at a time boy!" she had said rather sharply. " I saw Maia earlier that day, she was rushing off to go meet someone. She seemed quite excited yet distracted. We were not very close but we were on neighbourly terms. We kept out of each other's business. She wasn't the type to borrow sugar from next door," she said chuckling at the fond memory.
"Madam Rosmerta, did you know who Maia was dating?" Ron had asked for the first time.
" I dont recall her ever introducing us, so I don't know his name. I can tell you he was tall, medium built with brown hair. Think he works around here somewhere," she had said shrugging.
Ron brushed off his thoughts about his disastrous morning with Draco and Rosmerta. Who else was Maia Bones neighbours with? He thought to himself. As if answering his unspoken question, Malfoy said," Come on Weasley we have a Professor to see." Malfoy was grinning. That was never a good sign. "Right, okay, we're off to see..."Ron said reading from the document," ..Professor Snape?!" Yes, there it was in writing, the potions professor's name. Professor Snape.
A/N : Who wants to meet Proffesor Snape ? Hehe. Go on review. I dare you :D