Disclaimer: Own all of this? That lucky person is JKR, not me.
Author's Note: Just for clarification, automatically assume that all dialogue (unless otherwise stated), is in Chinese, with Harry/Draco under a translation charm. An exception to this rule is when Harry and Draco are talking in private (i.e. in their hotel), where they will be speaking in English.
Chapter Two — July 2nd
"So what exactly is Wyclyve going after this time?" Harry asked, shuffling through papers at the desk while Draco laid belly-down on the couch next to him, reading.
"Viviane's Lake."
"He's going after a lake?" Harry snorted. "Good luck carrying that back to Britain."
Draco looked up from the book he was reading to glare at Harry. "Viviane's Lake is not a large body of water, Harry."
"Then why is it called a lake?"
Draco sighed, "Didn't you even look up the items the files specifically tell you to?"
"I don't remember reading that in the files," replied Harry, frowning.
"I'll bet you didn't read past the first page," Draco drawled.
"I read the first two pages, thank you very much!" Harry burst out, scowling when Draco smirked. "Fine! So maybe I don't read all of the pages. You research them all anyway. Now are you going to tell me what this Viviane's Lake is?"
Draco smirked in triumph for a moment before handing Harry the book he was reading, sliding his finger down the page to point at a marked section. "Viviane's Lake is actually the nickname of a magical mirror. All it takes in a drop of your blood and everyone you love and come to love in the future will die. Furthermore, every time you look into a reflective surface, you'll see your beloved asking you why you didn't save them until you die."
Harry made a face. "That is sick. Why would anyone make something like that?"
"Legend has it that Viviane was a goddess who fell in love with a wizard. The wizard craved the powers that the goddess gave him as gifts and pretended to return her love. It worked for years and both were content until one day, when the wizard fell in love with a witch. He gave up the goddess' gifts to him in exchange for a life with the witch. The goddess was heartbroken and angered to find out about the façade. In revenge, she transfigured the lake she and the wizard first met at into a mirror. She then cursed the mirror and watched as the wizard's loved ones died and left him. She thought that without any of those people in her way, he would return to her. On the contrary, when the wizard found his lover dead the next morning, he killed himself in a love suicide. Viviane died of depression soon after," Draco explained, tapping the book. "The full story is in here."
"Well that was stupid of her," Harry scoffed, looking up from the book. "So why does Wyclyve want this mirror?"
Draco shrugged elegantly. But then again, Draco did everything elegantly. "To sell, most likely. From what we know, Wyclyve usually sells the artifacts he goes after once he gets back to Britain. You know that."
"Yes, I suppose. But according to our informant, he's been more serious about getting this artifact than any of his past findings. And according to the black market, Viviane's Lake isn't worth nearly half as much as the other objects he's procured," Harry pointed out, handing Draco a piece of paper. The numbers was charmed to change to the most recent black market prices.
"We should meet with the informant soon," said Draco, "Send an owl asking if they'll meet us and if so, when and where. And buy something to eat while you're at it." Yes! A perfect excuse to go out!
Harry quickly scratched out a letter to their informant, addressing it to Phier. Harry doubted that was the informant's real name, but it was the only name they had been given. "I'll be right back," he nodded to Draco before slinking out.
xXxXxXx
Harry walked through the wizarding section of Wan Chai, the district in Hong Kong he and Draco were staying in. It didn't take long to find the Owl Post Office and send off the letter. Now he was inside the same flower store he had bought the roses from the day before.
"Welcome, Mr. Potter. Buying flowers for your boyfriend again?" The young florist asked in accented English, peeking out from behind a bucket of flowers on the counter that she had been trimming with flicks of her wand. She had recognized him as the Boy-Who-Lived the first time he stepped into the store and had excitedly greeted him in English instead of Chinese.
"Not my boyfriend yet," Harry reminded the girl. "But yes, I'd like to get him flowers again."
She laughed and waved her hand as if swiping the thought away. "I'm sure he'll be your boyfriend soon enough. I'm a little busy today, however, and I hope you won't mind if my younger sister helps you today?"
"Not a problem at all," Harry conceded.
The florist gave him a grateful smile and walked to the 'staff only' part of the store as a younger witch came out. She had long, curly, chappatsu hair and she was wearing a cream-colored apron on top of a pink, sweet Lolita outfit. "Hello, looking for courtship flowers, Mr. Potter?" She asked, her tone much too snarky for someone dressed as if she belonged in an Alice in Wonderland movie. Harry glanced at her nametag. Avril, it said.
"Yes," Harry replied. "I sent red roses, yesterday. Have you anything else to recommend?"
"Too typical. How about red tulips for a declaration of love," Avril suggested, pointing with her wand and drawing flowers into a bouquet toward her as she spoke. "red chrysanthemums, also symbolic of love, and of course yellow roses show..."
xXxXxXx
…
Yellow roses show our friendship (be careful of the thorns; our friendship was never too smooth).
Blue roses represent a mystery, a never ending quest for the impossible.
Hibiscuses are symbolic of your delicate beauty (though, do not think it too girly, for I must admit you are handsome as well)
Jonquils are a request for returned love.
And puzzle, for your love for a challenge and a clue.
Draco smiled as he finished the letter accompanying today's gift. Draco had eyed the flowers with distain when the bellboy handed them over that afternoon. What kind of person would make such an odd bouquet as a gift? Loony Lovegood, perhaps, Draco had thought, but the note from the day before was much too…sane...for someone like her to be the one sending the gifts. Now that he had read the reasons for the tacky-but-thoughtful flowers, Draco was almost completely placated. It was still strange that someone — a friend, apparently — fancied him to the point of sending gifts. Not that he didn't deserve them, of course. All Malfoys deserved adoring fans.
Draco opened the box containing, according to the note, the puzzle supposed to contain a clue. He gasped, picking up a single puzzle piece for a closer look. It was a picture. Which one, Draco couldn't tell, as it was spread out into a thousand little pieces. Quickly dumping the puzzle onto an empty area on the table, Draco started putting the pieces to the mystery together.
** Phier is pronounced "Fire".
A/N: To those who might be wondering…the Wylcyve case will be explained more next chapter. These picture puzzles are real things that you can get made; stores that do this are all over Hong Kong. And for chappatsu hair and Lolita outfits, etc, please Google it if you need help for understanding. Also…
Tacky Flower Bouquets for Reviews?