Hermione woke up the next morning and a hangover was starting to make itself known. Groggily she sat up,grabbed her wand, and Accio'd a hangover potion from a notice-me-not pocket of her bag. She drank down the cool fruity liquid and let the effects wash over her almost instantaneously. As the medicine washed down her body, she slipped out of bed and went about beginning her morning ritual.
The hot shower sprayed over her body. She let the night's activities run off her and she felt more relaxed. Lucifer Morningstar was on her mind; he had a power that was extremely unsettling. His name was familiar but the only time she really heard mention of a name like that was during sermons at her parents' Parrish when she was a child.
Those were just stories to scare the children into behaving, however, she did learn about being a witch at 11 and that might not be as far fetched as she thought before. Yet, the question remained: what would a supreme being need in LA or on the physical plane of existence?
She pondered that question for the remainder of her shower and as she got dressed for the day. A knock at the door roused Hermione from the thoughts in her mind. On the other side was a squinting and bedraggled Harry. She took pity on him and gave him a hangover potion as well. as the potion took effect she went through her luggage for an outfit. She put on a pair of skinny jeans and a thin turquoise tank top she placed a thin cardigan on along with a pair of gray flats to complete her outfit. Harry got up while she was getting dressed to shower and dress also. He came back into the room in smart khakis, a hunter green polo shirt with a pair of well worn sneakers. Hermione nodded her approval.
"I'm famished. Where do you want to go for breakfast?" Harry asked, ready to eat his stomach growled loudly at his admission. Hermione laughed at his stomach's antics.
"Yes, let's ask the concierge for any recommendations for a delicious breakfast," Hermione agreed. They took the short elevator ride down to the front desk. The concierge was more than willing to give them a list of high end and local cafes nearby. They decided on a local cafe.
It was about a 10 minute drive from them. Hermione hailed a cab. The ride was smooth as they mentally prepared for the day ahead hoping for some quiet in their life since coming to LA. Hermione settled on a cup of strong tea and toast with strawberry jam. Harry got a heaping pile of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Neither spoke nor were words needed. As they were finishing their breakfast, several police cars sped past but stopped a short distance from the cafe. Curiosity got the better of them. So Harry paid for the meal before they walked over to the crowd forming at a nearby lot. The yellow police tape prevented them from getting any closer. However, they didn't need to, the distinct aura of dark magic surrounding the prone figure under a sheet nearby was palpable. Harry gave Hermione a look of apprehension.
Just then, a black charger pulled up and a blonde officer in a tailored suit exited the car and she approached a nearby officer. She had an air of authority as she spoke but at the same time some of the officers looked at her with disdain clear in their eyes. About 5 minutes passed before a black 1962 Chevrolet Corvette arrived with none other than a Mr. Lucifer Morningstar behind the wheel. The blonde turned at the sound of the engine and rolled her eyes at seeing Lucifer.
"What do you want, Lucifer?" The blonde asked with annoyance clear in her voice when Lucifer finally approached her.
"Why hello the illustrious detective Decker. How are you this lovely morning? I do hope that you are well," he replied suavely with eased practice at the detective's attitude towards him. At that moment he turned and instantly recognized Harry and Hermione in the crowd. He aimed an almost feral grin at the pair before he sauntered over to them.
"Hello again my British acquaintances. What brings you to the site of such disgusting displays of humanity?" Lucifer asked as he let some of his devilish charm loose to see if the night before had been a fluke. Harry and Hermione remained unfazed but he could see both of their jaws clenched slightly. This intrigued him further to find out the secrets of these people. Lucifer always gets what he wants in the end.
Hermione replied coolly," it's not our first bout with depravity." Harry stayed silent as Lucifer looked at her in shock. What had they seen being so young?
The strange aura was still there that he felt last night. He wondered if they were even completely human. Harry took this moment of stunned silence to maneuver Hermione away from the man with the darkness around him.
Death had darkened his door since he was a young child and it was nothing new to him. However, this was closer to home than he wanted to ever admit out loud. He never thought he would be a widower before his 30th birthday. His wife passed away from a blood curse that wrecked her body not long after their son was born. He was trying not to blame his son but those feelings kept creeping up from the recesses of his mind.
He thought for a long time about his decision and spoke with his mother about his son. He hated to feel like he was abandoning his son yet he was in no shape to care for himself let alone a helpless infant. His mother would be taking the infant for an indeterminate amount of time to allow the man a chance to heal enough to be the father he needed to be.
So, Draco nodded to himself as he packed his last bit of toiletries into his trunk. His mother had just arrived and was rocking her grandson before placing him into a pram so she could take her grandson to the park before taking him to her home in one of the Malfoy vacation cottages. Draco left his room to bid them goodbye. His international portkey would activate soon taking him to the other side of America where the sunshine was plenty and he could hopefully get some closure from the death of his wife and gain some clarity for his future.
"Goodbye, my little dragon. Please remember to write to me once you arrive," his mother implored the young man. Draco gave a slight nod to acquiesce his mother; he gave his son a kiss on the head before grabbing his trunk since he could feel the warmth of the portkey warning him of his imminent departure.
The trip was inconsequential. Along with a quite monotonous welcome to the States. Which Draco figured was better than being attacked or accused of more nefarious deeds. He decided that a light lunch was in order but he wanted to check into the hotel first before finding somewhere to eat. He booked a room in a muggle establishment, deciding to forego most of the wizarding world, hoping that he could start the process of healing away from the reminder of magic for a bit of time. He checked into the hotel unceremoniously and headed for his room. When he got off the elevator a familiar scent struck his nose, yet he could not place where it came from nor why he knew the smell. He shook his head before settling into his room. Draco decided on functionality over decadence. He was satisfied with the room and put his things away. After organizing his clothes and toiletries he decided to wander around the nearby shopping district to help get his mind off of his grief. He walked slowly down the sidewalk as if he was in a separate plane of existence to those around him, time seemed to slow down as he took each step towards his new life. He blinked and suddenly time seemed to go back to normal. He was standing outside of a small quaint cafe. He chose a couple finger sandwiches and a glass of ice water before settling at a table facing the street. He was mesmerized for a bit at the various people who passed him by, the thin window pane separating Draco from the rest of the outside world.
During his musing Draco failed to noticed two familiar faces come in. But the smell from the hotel assaulted Draco's nose, pulling him from his internal monologue. He looked around and his eyes narrowed when he realized who just entered. He had hoped that he wouldn't run into anyone he knew in LA. He was sorely mistaken. He put his head down and prayed they wouldn't see him. He wanted to hide from the people in his past. He was lucky for a moment, taking the chance to slip out the front door as they were at the order counter.
Harry and Hermione did some shopping after their encounter with Lucifer. Hermione hoped that a little book therapy was in order and found a hole-in-the-wall bookstore. She took in the comforting scent of well worn pages and the ink stained beautifully within. Harry watched as Hermione was in her element. He found a comfortable chair to sink into while his friend perused the shelves to her heart's content. He was beginning to nod when she returned with 5 thick books. Harry shook his head, but it was a smaller pile than when she was younger. They went to the cashier and paid before hiding in a nearby alley to banish the books to Hermione's room at the hotel.
Their stomachs growled letting them know lunch was needed so they walked to a cafe not far away. As they entered Hermione could have sworn she saw a flash of blonde hair that was all too well known, however when she turned there was no one in sight. She shrugged her shoulders before ordering the lunch special and some refreshing water. Harry grabbed her arm gently after he finished his order, shaking her from the confusion in the peripheral of her mind.
"Is something on your mind you seemed distracted at the counter," Harry asked.
"I'm not sure it felt like deja vu," Hermione answered, shaking her head slightly.
"What do you mean?" Harry was curious since not much stumped Hermione.
"I thought I saw Malfoy for a moment, but when I looked again there was no one there. I swear I'm on edge dealing with Lucifer. I guess it's just making me a little jumpy," Hermione replied as she rubbed her arm against a sudden chill.
"I can understand that. Do you have any idea who he could really be? I know how your mind works, I'm guessing by that look you have some sort of theory?" Harry asked and the contemplative gears could be seen on her face.
"I don't want to sound crazy but what do you know of the story of Lucifer in a biblical sense?" Hermione quizzed. Harry thought for a few minutes about the question.
" Well not much if you remember Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia weren't very religious so I don't know much about religion overall," Harry answered honestly. Hermione thought about how to explain her theory to her friend.
"As you know, I grew up in a Catholic home so we learned of Lucifer, an angel, in the bible who betrayed God. It was said he was extremely beautiful, charming and had a voice that could mesmerize the masses. Yet, he got greedy and wanted more power so he convinced some of the angels to go against God. A terrible battle happened, Lucifer's army lost and he was banished to hell for his disobedience. It's been a long time since I've heard the story as a child but that is the basics of it," Hermione stated as she came back out of lecture mode. Harry nodded along as she spoke.
" So essentially Lucifer wanted more and got his ass handed to him, correct?* Harry asked.
"Yes, pretty much," Hermione sighed. Harry chuckled at her statement. Then he got serious.
"So where are you going with this biblical Lucifer tangent?" Harry asked. Hermione paused for a moment.
"Well, and this is just conjecture at this moment, what if Lucifer was actually the Lucifer from the bible?" Hermione slowly answered. Harry was contemplative for several minutes as he nibbled at his lunch to keep himself busy. That was the question at the moment wasn't it. Plus they hadn't even discussed the dark magic surrounding the body earlier. Answers would come forth soon, not that the duo knew that just yet.
Lucifer thought the crime scene was stranger than the usual human carnage. He felt an aura that unsettled him. It was also strange how he could not get anywhere with Harry and Hermione. He must be losing his charm and they were able to slip away from him which never happens to him. After they left he turned back to Chloe Decker, determined to get some answers he tried to interrogate the detective endlessly. He knew she would crack soon; it was all about pushing her buttons until she snapped at him.
Chloe was at her wits end with Lucifer today thankfully he left her alone for a moment while she assessed the crime scene she glanced over to see where the thorn on her side went. He was speaking to a couple who looked uncomfortable to be in Lucifer's presence. Not that she could blame them. But selfishly she was glad to be out of his line of sight for a moment. She asked the responding officer what happened to the victim.
"There is no apparent trauma to the victim, not even a scratch; it appears that he just collapsed," his response confused her but the M.E. would do an exam to determine cause of death. She glanced back in the direction of the poor couple to see an unusual look on Lucifer's face. He was shocked. Just then the man grabbed the woman's arm and they hightailed it away. That was definitely getting filed away for later. Unfortunately, at that moment Lucifer decided to head in her direction. She knew that look, she rubbed the bridge of her nose before just walking away.
Of course, Lucifer, in his typical style bombarded her with incessant questions.
"Detective, what do you think happened to the poor chap?" Lucifer asked for the fifth time.
" Look, I've already told you we don't know yet. I'm waiting on the M.E. report which I won't have until tomorrow at the earliest," Chloe answered before looking at her watch.
"Shi! I have to go. Office Boyd, you are in charge of the scene until I get back," she barked an order at the closest uniform. She had to go get her daughter from school. Chloe sprinted to her car hoping Lucifer would find something or someone else to amuse himself with.