Cabbages and things... (April 2042)

Jessy nodded "Aye Mon Captian" she said as she sped her broom up following Tav's lead, her wand in hand, in case and keeping a sharp eye out for anything.

"Fun is about to being" she said more to her self, though posture was entirely serious.

They passed through their cloud cover, descending rapidly near the coast. There were a few scatter houses and cottages below, but most seemed either empty or with people who didn't venture out much. Tav kept a careful eye peeled on the spell tracker, not wanting it to shift again without his careful watch. To his amazement, it seemed to still itself again.
"I don't get it." he shouted over to Jessy. "Makes no sense..."

They landed gently, hidden by a bluff. Casting a concealing charm over the brooms, Tav motioned them on, wands out for anything.
"I've got no idea what to expect, so let's just be careful." he murmured.

-

Against their knowledge, they had just set down not far from an elderly wizard's home. Thankfully for him, Eberhard wasn't currently at residence... he was at his neighbours. But Tav and Jessy did not know they were even tracking a person, so that is already too much information.

Jessy nodded "Of course" she said looking around, it was odd to her as well that that a spell would move...how would it do that... perhaps someone had it on them..

"Is this spell in a book or some thing? Like an object?" she asked in a hushed tone, while scanning the area around her for anything out of ordinary.

"If it were that might explain why it moved... someone might have it" she suggested as it sound possible.

Tav shrugged, then tilted his head, obviously thinking his answer through before giving it.
"Some spells don't need to be attached to anything in order for movement to occur. Especially those in the darker regions. Mate of mine mentioned some wizards tracking a lost spell down for nearly a hundred years as it bounced all over the world." he shook his head, having a hard time imagining spending that much time hunting one spell. "But I'm hoping this one's not in the same category."

Her suggestion held merit, he mused. That would explain the seemingly random coming and going... starting and stopping.
"That's what I'm afraid of." he sighed. "Don't think whoever has it will give it up without a fight."

Soon they had ventured up to a beautiful lush meadow, the rocky cliffs in the background framing the lovely Scottish coast. Two houses stood a good hundred metres apart, one far older and closer to the sea with the other a good deal younger but hardly youthful itself. Ivy and flower gardens seemed to have taken over both houses, giving them a beautifully natural glow.

Smoke pleasantly drifted up from the younger house's chimney, a fragrance aroma following to drift with the soft breeze. Sausage and hot cakes...
Tav checked the spell again and his eyebrows knitted as he motioned to the smoking house.
"It's in there. Think of a good approach, Jess?"

Jessy tilted her head as well though it was more out of the scene before her, whatever she expected the location of their spell to be in this was not it... but then she recalled the old saying, don't judge a book by its cover.. she supposed in this case it was very true.

At her captian question she nodded, though she wouldn't call it an approach exactly...

"We should gather information first I think...wouldn't happen to have a invisablity cloak on ya?" she asked. Not really liking blasting into the house unless it nessesary.

"Lets see whose home, and get a lay out of the place" she suggested, guesturing to the windows as a good place to look.

"Ah, sorry... don't." he lightly chuckled. Edwin had one and he wished he had borrowed it from him. Instead he fished into his deep pockets (magically stitched to be that way by his dear wife) and pulled out a pinkish vial. "But I do have an invisibility potion. Half for you and half for me. Basically works similar to a cloak, as long as you stay away from mirrors... that shows your outline."
He gave the vial to her first, being the gentleman he was.
Secretly, he was hoping no one was 'home' but the smoke was enough to throw out that idea.

Jessy nodded, "Wonderful, it will do, thanks" she said as took the Vial.

"Bottoms up" she said before drinking down half the potion.

She made a face at the tasts before she faded from veiw. "Does this have time limit Captain?" she asked curious.

Such a clever girl, he mused, remembering the first time he'd used the potion with his father. He'd forgotten to ask about the time limit and had spent the next week without being able to see his hands... Embarrassing to say the least.

"Ah, this doesn't have a timing... some do. But this one you just say the counter-spell and it billows in smoke out your...uh nose." As a joke one time his 'uncle' Edwin had made it to escape the rear and they'd had way too much fun with that... anyway, back to seriousness.
He downed what remained of the potion and then made his way to the nearest window. Wand at the ready, unsure of what was inside, he peeked in.

What he saw was not at all expected... a little girl, adorable with her laughing blue eyes was cuddled into an older woman's lap, both of them happily playing with another child, an older boy with a pirate's hat.
Tav motioned for Jessy to listen and then cast a listening spell on the window.
"...ta walk da plank!" the boy growled, brandishing an imaginary sword.
The older woman gasped, feigning fear as the girl's eyes widened along with her smile.
"Ya can't make me, Custardly Casper!" She giggled.
"Nana! She can't keep laughing." The boy groaned, smacking his forehead.
His grandmother chuckled.
"I can't very well do anything about that, ducky."
"Uh, how done is done?" An older man asked from what had to be the kitchen doorway. He had some sort of batter smeared across his cheek and looked lost in a pink and yellow flowered apron.
"Oh." The older woman rose to her feet, kissing the girl's hair. "I forgot about you. So very sorry." she laughed, brushing past him as he awkwardly smiled and blushed.

"Uh, Jessy..." Tav muttered, leaning back from the window. "He's registering as the spell."

Jessy smirked and nodded as Tav explained the counter spell.

"I almost thought you were going say smoke comes out a completely different location..." she muttered with a snicker.

She watched the happenings with the children and the lady you could have been the grandmother she wasn't sure. "This is... unexpected" she whispered while watching the family.

Jess blinked at Tav, the old funny firendly looking man was who or what they were looking for?

"You sure? I mean look at them... They hardly seem like foolish nodogooders" she said rasing an eye at them.

"I mean, we can't barge in with our wands firing.. Talk to them first?" she suggested.

Unexpected and odd... Tav blinked several times, before nodding.
"Talking sounds fine. But remember what they say about appearance. We'll be careful."
He cancelled the spell on the window and checked his clothing and Jessy's to be sure they both looked entirely muggle. Even his eccentric aunt Esis would say they did, so he led the way to the front door.
"What do you think we should pretend we are?" he wiggled his eyebrows. Acting was always fun, even in such situations.

Victoria, which was the grandmother's name, peeked into the tiny oven in the kitchen and then promptly secured the cloth from the man.
"Oh it is done, Mr. McHarren." she assured him, pulling a golden cake out.
"Ah, good. I was afraid I would overcook it."
She laughed lightly, setting the warm cake on the counter.
"Oh it's lovely!" Eliza, the youngest of her grandchildren, cooed. Large eyes seemed to melt as she stared at the cake. "Will we have it for tea?"
"Yes, can we?" Aaron, the eldest, begged.
"Only if Mr. McHarren desired to have it with us."
Both children cast anxious hopeful faces to their neighbour.
A smile crept into his wiry beard and he grinned.
"Of course, dear ones."
Shouts of ecstasy could be heard even beyond the front door.

Jessy nodded "Of Course... but sure the kiddies don't need to be scared half to death" she said matter of factly as she heard the faint shouts of laughter from the house.

She thought for a moment "Erm.. Muggle detectives? in a way we are there equivlent anyway. We can still ask questions with out sounding awkward" She suggested.

To say Tav liked the idea, was the understatement of the century.
"Ah, Sherlock and Watson eh..." he teased, touching his wand to himself and then toward Jessy. A bit of waving and an incantation later found them dressed in appropriate muggle Scotland yard attire. "We can use normal ranks... so nothing to worry about there. We're both be sergeants and not worry about it."
He knocked on the door and then as an afterthought, transfigured a nearby tree into a projection of a squad car. "That was close." he muttered.

"Coming." The older woman opened the door with a cheerful flourish. "Oh, officers? May I help you?"

Tav adopted his more serious side, nodding gravelly.
"We were wondering if we could ask you a few question, ma'am."
"Oh look, Eliza! Police officers in shiny uniforms!" the young boy shouted. "Sound the alarm, the Zulu's are comin!"
The older woman blushed, reaching to take the paper horn the child had begun blowing on. "Not now, Aaron. Go keep Eliza busy with Mr. McHarren. Do come in, please."

Jessy had a hard time restraing her self from chuckling at the boys anttics and winked at him as she walked past.

She looked around the house trying to find anything out of the ordinary. Though nothing stuck out yet..

"I am Sergeant Night Madam" she said introducing herself, figureing it would be getting the off on the wrong foot not to..

She wasn't sure where Tav wished to start with questions, but she decided to start with a general one that might reveal something.

"Have you noticed anything strange happening recently Ma'am?" she asked.

Tav admired the inside of the cosy house. It was immaculate; both in cleanliness and order. That was enough for him to wonder if there was a chance that someone living there was magical; so far he hadn't seen anything 'un-muggle'.
"And I'm Sergeant McConn." He added, glad Jessy had taken the point to introduce herself. He'd almost forgotten that little fact. Probably because in most situations, people already knew who he was.
"Victoria McRanne." she returned, motioning to the couch in the sitting room. She in turn took a chair opposite as they sat. "Strange? I'm afraid I don't understand."
The door which led to the kitchen opened a crack and the little girl peered out, wide curious eyes taking in the unusual visitors.
"Just anything unusual." Tav supplied.
She pursed her lips, going over everything that had happened that year.
"Nothing comes to mind. May I ask what this is about?"
Tav exchanged a glance with Jessy and then ploughed into what he hoped was the right direction.
"Could you tell us something about Mr. McHarren?"
Apparently, it was the wrong question to ask, as the older woman immediately grew defensive.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with Mr. McHarren. I most certainly will not tell you anything."

Jessy blinked, still discretly observing anything to give her a clue to anything that could give them an advantage..

She held up a hand at Mrs. McRanne, it was her right to not say anything, though it gave her the feeling she did know something.. it wasn't clear to what that was yet.

"Easy Mrs. McRanne, we are not asscusing anyone of anything, we're looking for something. Mr. McHarren may know something about it" she said hoping to easy the older woman out of her defensive stance.

"If we could talk with him that would be a great help" she said friendly as she could. If the old man was a harmless as he looked they should have no problem.