He brought me flowers. A small bouquet of Morning Glory, to be specific.

And he told me to look up for the meaning behind the flowers and I'm not gonna lie that it's making my heart skips a little. Just-- a little. I mean, I don't really see him that way.

"The perp apparently been sending her flowers." Alex said out loud.

"Flowers? That's very thoughtful of them." Dorian said, sarcastically. Alex snickered. "What kind?" his uncle asked.

"Morning Glory,"

"Morning glory, morning glory..." Dorian absent-mindedly repeated as he racked his brain for the meaning, while his hands busily rolling his pizza piece.

"Was it adoration?" Ralph suggested.

"No, that wasn't it," Dorian shook his head and took a bite. He slowly chewed as he kept thinking.

"Affection?" Alex guessed. Dorian face lit up and finger gun to his nephew. "AH! A-hec-hion!" said he through his full mouth.

Alex softly laughs.

"I guess that's how he managed to captivate the witches' attention, hm?" Ralph said.

Alex thought for a moment before turning to his uncle, "And that's probably explain the smells?"

A small smirk appears on Dorian's lips, "That most likely be it," and Alex quickly jotted on his notes. "Alright, next?"

The younger Evcans continues reading the next paragraph.

Often times, I ask him to reveal himself to me, and yet, he kept giving me the same answer, patience.

Patience, patience, patience! I don't have that kind of patience. Especially in the midst of horrible things that has been going on around here lately. Call me paranoid, but I don't really wanna risks it. Not to someone that I never met, not really.

"I have to admit that I'm actually glad that Natasha still has her common sense," Alex said his thought out loud, while flipping to the next page. "I think deep down she might sense something isn't right about the person she was communicating with."

"That's probably why she's been missing and not-- you know," Ralph make a head-slicing gesture over his neck.

Alex pursed his lips up, slowly nodding in agreement to the suggestion. Maybe there is still hope that she's actually alive and well. Or, in the worst-case scenario, she might be held captive and tortured.

Sighs.

"What's on your mind, detective?" Dorian interrupted his thought.

Alex breathes through his nose and put the book down to his side. "You know, reading Natasha's diary makes me wonder though, have you read the other witches diaries?"

Dorian casually shrugged as he rolled another slice. "I did actually." and took a huge bite.

Alex straightened up, "You did? And?"

"And nothing." Dorian answered through his chewed.

"Nothing? As if no clue or just no mentioning of the perps at all?"

Swallowing his pizza bit, Dorian took his time to form his words and said, "All the girls mention about their meeting with the charming witch slash wizard, how all the letters make them feel special and loved and all that jazz, and often end with their excitements of meeting the perps." he paused, "Except for Imelda's,"

Alex furrows his brows, "What-- make hers different?"

"Hmmmm, well-- at first she did mention about the perp and then, all the sudden it stop, and she started to mention about her crush; someone from another House." said he. "But she still mentioning about exchanging letters with the perp and it was sweet for a while, until at a point where she starts to write about the perp letter were getting more and more aggressive."

Alex took a ragged breath, "Aggressive how?"

Dorian pressed his lips together, "I wish I knew-- That actually was the last entry of her diary."

The room filled with heavy silence.

"So, like you never found any letters or any suspicious parchments?" Alex breaks the silence.

"Nope. And after all this while, I have a deep suspicion that the killer probably took their time to go search the victim's stuff and destroy all the possible clues."

Alex pursed his lips up, thinking.

In summary, the perp chooses it victims at random (maybe or by casting some type of spells that only allows certain people to read), that whoever are curious enough would reply to all those mysterious letters and they kept in touch until the time is rig-- ah, time.

"So, like how long it usually takes for the killer to make their first move though?"

Dorian arched his brows before slowly turning it into a deep frown. He let out a sigh, "Exchanged student programs usually be held around end of the year, and the first murders usually happen in the first month of the programs and kept happening at least after a week of the previous murders--" his uncle rambles while his hand busily picking up the pizza boxes from the table.

He then stood up and absent-mindedly walks towards the kitchen, still continues rambling. "I remember that one time during potion exam, your uncle rambles like that and our professor at the time thought he was asking answers from his seatmate." Raphael whispered.

Alex chuckles softly at that. "I guess old habits dies hard, hm?"

Ralph grins at that.

"AH!" the older Evcans exclaimed and quickly returned to the living room. Sparkles could be seen in his eyes as he said, "It's always during the midnight moon on the third week of the first month, second and third on the next, first and second on the third month!"

"That's quite specific," Alex commented. 

"Right?" Dorian sat down, "At some point, I wonder if the killer actually aiming for the full moon to kill."

"They're not?"

His uncle shook his head, "All these dates, this killing, all happen few days or even weeks before the full moon phase."

"That's weird." Ralph and Alex said simultaneously. 

Dorian snickers, "Welcome to my world!" 

"So, if they're not aiming to kill on the full moon, then why? I mean, since they're carving runes and sigils, all that jazz, y'know-- like, magic usually is more powerful during full moon, right?"

"That is what we are taught, yes." Dorian said. "And one question that always haunts me, is why kill the victims, when their fresh blood is way more useful?"

"I take that the killing happens before the flesh-carving?"

"Not all victims. The killing before carving happens on the first and second victim, five years ago." 

"So you're saying--"

Dorian's nodded. "Remember when you told me about the killer probably not the same killer that I pursued 10 years back?"

"Yeah?"

"You were right." A brief smile appears on the elder Evcans, "They may use the same killing method, but I believed that they have a different goal in mind," he paused as he looked at his nephew, waiting eagerly for the answer that never came. "And no, Alex. I have no idea about whatever the goal is,"

Alex scratched his forehead, "So, two killers, different goals, same method?"

"Mostly likely be,"

"Could it be the newer killer is related to the previous one then?"

"We can't erase that possibility," Dorian answers thoughtfully, "I'll just double check with previous suspects' and see if they still have any relative that we might missed."

Alex nodded, jotting down something on his notes. 

"I'm sorry to interrupt but," Ralph suddenly spoke, granting him an instant look from the two Evcans. "Er-- You see, when you mention about the killing before carving only happen on first and second victim ight'?"

Dorian slowly nodded. Furrowing his brows curiously at where the question is going. 

"So... My concern is what about the next victims? Like, do they give permission for the killer to carve on them or...?"

"Good question," Dorian finger guns at his friend. "But I'm afraid that I don't have a definitive answer to that." 

"Maybe the killer cast an Imperio on the victims?"

"Hmm, one of the possibilities. Or it could be that they were carving it by themselves?"

Alex winced.

"Since it's ancient and not much information about the symbols and everything, I think our killer might've told the victim some fake, romantic phrases about it and the victims falls for it." 

The younger Evcans bit the inside of his lips, thinking hard. The fact that it could happen is really, mentally disturbing. He guessed that the killer may be someone who is really charming, a sweet-spoken, and or, a manipulator.

Ralph grabbed his head with both hands and cried, "I don't understand anything!"

"That's alright, mate." Dorian patted his friend on the shoulder, grinning. "The most important thing is, how much does everything help you so far?" he asked, directing the question to his nephew.

Alex thought for a moment. All the question he had so far, already have the answers, though some are still just a mere speculation, but speculation can turn into a solid answer with the right moves and all. "Well, I still need to look more into some, but I think I know where to start with it."

"Good, that's good. Just remember to ask for help whenever you need one," he reminds him.

Alex nodded, then paused as something across his mind.

"What is it?" Dorian asked, seeing the little shift on his nephew's facial.

Alex shrugged, "Eer well... I- er wonder if I can ask for help from someone I knew from the school?"

"It's uh, depends on that someone... Who if I may ask?"

"Er, well... He's an acquaintance of Maxwell?"

"Maxie's?" Dorian raked his brain, trying to recall Maxwell's family tree, remembering which relative of his were attending Hogwarts. 

"He's um, come from Zabini's Household." Alex finally said, interrupting his uncle thoughts.

"Zabini?" Dorian arched his brows, "Agatha's son?"

"You knew his mother?"

Dorian halted at the question. He definitely knew his mother. They went out once. "Erm--ahem, Uh, yeah. I mean, in my, y'know, line of works, I have to know everyone," he explained it as if it was a very obvious answer.

Alex eyed him skeptically, while Ralphael just watched his friend digging his own grave with fascination.

 "You slept with her, didn't you?" Alex guessed.

Dorian inhaled sharply and slump his shoulder, dejectedly, "Yes, yes I did." he murmured. Alex just shook his head and snickers, "You could just tell me you know."

"Yeaah, but--"Dorian voice trailed. 

"Your boy is growin' up, Dory. It's maybe a time to talk about this thing, y'know," Ralph winked. Dorian rubbed his neck awkwardly. His friend is right about Alex's growing up and everything, but he can't help but to think that his nephew is still just a little boy.

"Talk to me about what?" Alex asked, curious.

"About se--"

"NO! I'll-- We'll talk about it next time." Dorian quickly intervened. "Aaaaanyway, about Zabini, it's really up to you... Since I don't really know him, per se, if you think you could trust him with your life, then yes."

Alex nods understandably. "I'll, I'll be careful."

Dorian sighs, giving his friend a brief glare, and look at his wristwatch, "Well, you still have an hour to go. Wanna wrap this up or--?"

Alex rolled on his shoulder. He started to feel a little stiff after all the reading and thinking.  "I think--" he let his eyes wonder as he thought about it. If time let him, he would want to talk more about the case, but he knew he need to take a short break before going back to Hogwarts. Then, his eyes caught on a framed picture of his parents, uncle and principal Julia that were hung on the wall near the hallway to his uncle's office; his uncle and father were grinning widely while his mother was smiling shyly next to his father, with Principal Julia rolling her eyes at the two wizards.

A small nostalgic smile curved on his lips, "Can we go and visit mother and father?" he asked.

Dorian eyes softened. "Sure, why not? "

"I'm just gonna stay here and make myself at home, yea?" Ralph said, slumping himself on the long couch, using his arms as his pillow.

"Just don't go into my office." Dorian warned, slightly glares at Ralph who were grinning mischievously at him. 

Alex just laughs at their interaction. 

*****

A/N: I am alive hahahah

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