Usually in a case at this point where Eve had managed to pinpoint the source of the curse she would be enjoying the stage where she untangled the issue without needing to overuse any magic. It was a refreshing thing to do, puzzling her way through to help make someone’s day easier. Unfortunately, Eve was instead wondering exactly what Aiden ate on a daily basis to make him so goddamn heavy. 

She had thought about leaving him face down on Ruby’s carpet while she sorted this out but even though it would be cruel irony for him to wake up in such an uncomfortable place it would have gone against so many more health and safety codes on top of the ones she was already likely mucking up. He was going to get a deserved punishment at some point but that was not the way to go about it. So now Eve was stuck lugging his unconscious form down the stairs to be put safely in her car. He was tall enough that his feet dragged along behind her making a clonking sound that gave her a heart attack every time she took another step downstairs. 

“Please still be in the garden… Please still be in the garden…” It was her muttered prayer as she reached the hallway, her eyes darting backwards and forwards trying to make sure she was not about to be caught in one of the most awkward moments of her life so far. Her back was killing her as she made her way to the front door. There were not many moments in her life where she wished she was more magically adept but a levitation spell would have been unbelievably helpful right about now. She ended up leaning him against the back of Doris his face squeaking down the glass as she rapidly fumbled her way into opening the front door. 

“Dammit.” She swore as she realised that it was going to be awkward as hell to bend his gangly frame into the backseat as well as hefting him over the folded down front seat. She spent a moment of wondering whether she would only break his arm or neck doing that, before deciding it would be easier if she pushed him in through the boot. 

“When you wake up I’m going to get you lifting boxes so you can join me with a hernia.” She growled while she scooped out the blanket she kept in her boot carefully draping it over him and making sure he was positioned as carefully as she could in the tiny space. One last check of his breathing and she headed back inside the house. The quicker she sorted this out the better. 

Mrs Sutton was in the back garden as Eve came meandering through the house, trying not to jump at shadows or soil the carpet with her boots that felt dirtier than normal on her feet. Mrs Sutton was almost a statue in the bushes where her hands hovered in the air a trowel poised over the dirt next to a blooming crimson rose. She had lost herself and Eve brought her back to reality with a quiet cough. 

“Oh, it is you Ms Lagarde.” She returned in an even tone leaving the trowel in the dirt to focus on where Eve stood on the edge of the stone patio looking down at her. 

“I’ve made some progress Mrs Sutton I’ve located the source of the curse however there are a few more steps to take before I can remove it safely.” 

She received a stiff nod as Mrs Sutton waited patiently for her to continue on. 

“Now Mrs Sutton does your daughter have a friend called Dani?” 

“Did he do this?” The words were snapped so violently it took an effort to not recoil. 

“Not as far as I know but there was a note from them near the source so they might be able to point me to who has.” 

“Well Dani is the name of our next-door neighbour’s boy, The Sillitoe’s.” She indicated over the fence to the right.  

“Ruby and Dani have been good friends since they were children, though a bit more distant recently since they started going to new schools. You know how it is.” 

Eve didn’t but she nodded wisely anyway. 

“Thank you, Mrs Sutton. I’ll go see if I can talk to Dani now. I will return in a little while.” 

“Sure, Sure.” Mrs Sutton waved her off as an annoyance her eyes instead glaring at the right-hand fence. 

The Sillitoe’s house did not have a locked security gate, the gate was open with a sign marked into the base warning of anti-intruder charms that were used on site. This was the house of a sorcerer and yet other than the open gate it was mainly indistinguishable to the human owned house next door. 

Eve plastered on a solid grin as she knocked on the door. She hardly looked as the door swung open to a shadowy figure looming well above her in height and glowing ominously purple. 

“Hello there would Dani happen to be in?”