Early Evening, March 20th


Sasha Schlagenweit lived in a nice apartment building, more suited for professors than students. Out of all his residences - his many, lavish residences - Lorelei had selected this one for several reasons.

As Lorelei was outside, pretending to struggle with a huge basket of flowers in her arms, a muggle moved to unlock and hold the door of the building open for her.

"Wow, thank you!" She mimicked Abby's tone and voice. No house elf, no dog, no gates or fancy wards to stop her. She just strolled through the mail room, up the stairs and to the floor where Sasha Schlagen - no, Sasha Snow lived.

Lorelei Hunt had never heard of a more ridiculous name.

She brought him the first day of spring, not winter. At Sasha's front door, Lorelei set her basket of flowers on the welcome mat.

She gently unrolled the trellis out of the basket, the flowers already tied to the twine. The trellis was nearly the same height and width of the front door when she held it up. The hall was empty, so she used a few sticking charms to attach the flower trellis to the door. Red peruvian lilies, red amaryllis, red clematis, red peonies, red azaleas, red tulips - red cascaded down, smelling like the greenhouse gardens she'd abandoned, her last gift from those glass coffins. 

Lorelei stood back, admiring her work. The petals curled out from the door, soft as red hair.

In the center of the flower trellis was a heart. No, not a real heart. A heart made of red oleanders, smelling faintly like apricots.

Smelling nothing like the poison they were.

Lorelei had one more thing to add.

With her gloved hands, she reached into the bottom of the basket. The cardstock had plain black lettering on it. Lorelei hung the note from the doorknob, and let a curse fly silently from her mouth. Anyone who touched the note for a second too long would soon find themselves suffering the same pain that poisonous flowers brought.[1]

Her work done, Lorelei picked up her basket and left.

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1.	Poison effects such as irregular heartbeat, blurred vision, vomiting, fainting or disorientation, possible death

”I’m sorry for the interruption, ladies and gentlemen, but this is as close as I can get to the next stop.”  The bus driver’s voice rattled slightly as it was projected through the intercom.  ”Looks like the road’s blocked off.”

Sasha looked up from his textbook at the announcement and could see the pulsing of colored light reflecting off the bus’ interior.  A few of the handful of other passengers had noses pressed against the window or were half standing, hovering in their seats to look out the front windshield.  Slipping his book into his backpack, Sasha rose and pushed his way through the back bus doors. 

Several blocks ahead, an assortment of police cars and ambulances were haphazardly blocking the road.  Up and down the darkened street, there were scattered clusters of onlookers - curious bodies all watching the commotion from a presumed safe distance.  After a moment’s hesitation, Sasha shifted his bag on his shoulder and started down the street towards home.  The closer he got, the more apparent it became that the emergency vehicles were all clustered out front of his apartment building. 

This was a university town; ambulances outside of student buildings wasn’t an unprecedented sight.  But, over-rambunctious parties or accidental overdoses never warranted more than a single ambulance and, maybe, a police vehicle.  This was an event of an alarmingly larger scale. 

A handful of officers were standing on the walkway in front of the building.  Sasha approached one but the officer spoke first. 

”Are you a resident?” the officer asked. 

“Yes, I am.  What’s happened.”

”It’s an open investigation.  I’m afraid I can’t offer any details.  On which floor do you reside?”

“I’m on the top floor.”

The officer suddenly looked far more interested in the conversation and he gestured for one of the other officers to join them.  ”Do you know what has happened?”

Unease quickened to alarm as Sasha shook his head.  “Why?  What has happened?”  Still, the officers remained reluctant to share any details.  “Is it safe to go up there?  Be up there?  My dog’s inside and I need to let him out.”

”Stand there for one moment.”  The two officers stepped away from Sasha and clustered around one of their radios.  After several moments, the officers returned.  ”I can escort you up to your flat.”

They rode in silence, Sasha fidgeting anxiously.  When the elevator door opened on his floor, the normally empty hallway was filled with people in uniforms and the low, steady din of many voices talking quietly at once.  A cluster of officers could be seen standing in the doorway of the neighbor’s apartment.  Another stood at the open door at the end of the hall.  As his escort ushered him towards his door, Sasha caught a glimpse of a black, zippered body bag just beyond the officer’s legs at the end of the hall. 

”Is this your apartment?”

Alarmed and confused, Sasha paused to try and take in the commotion but the officer continued to corral him to his own door.  “I … yes.  What’s happened?”  Fumbling with his key, Sasha only briefly registered the array of flowers hanging on his door.  Still, the officer remained as reluctant as ever to answer Sasha’s questions. 

”Do you mind if I follow you in and ask a few questions?  It might help us with our investigation.”  Sasha shrugged, nodded and pushed the door open.

Sasha shook his head and crouched, slightly, in an effort to put a hand on Baldur before he came barreling out into the chaos.  “Not well.  In passing, mostly.  We have different schedules.”  When his hands didn’t find the warm, damp of a dog nose, Sasha pushed the door open.  Baldur was a few feet from the door, staggering blindly in a circle, his chest heaving with shallow panting.  Several piles of vomit were scattered across the floor. 

“Scheiß!” Sasha started to move towards Baldur but was stopped when the officer grabbed his arm and pinned him against the wall.  ”You have something to do with all of this? the officer demanded before calling for backup and clapping a pair of handcuffs on Sasha’s wrists.