Chapter One – Written in the Stars
The warm night air of Florida caressed Maxine's senses as she let out a long sigh, and took a well-deserved drag of her cigarette. It was late, and she felt tired and satisfied. Today was her husband Alexander's 40th birthday, and she had rather successfully hosted a party for him, mingling with his friends, family and business-associates alike.
All the everyday stresses of her work life (based around international magical co-operation), and her lovely but demanding three children; Kieran, Isabel and Sadie, seemed to pale into insignificance compared to the feeling of finally getting to sit down at the end of a long week, and stare up at the crystal clear night sky, dotted with the sparkle of thousands of stars.
Life was not perfect, but it was more than good enough. She had a loving family, a rewarding job and a fabulous home, and as she surveyed her surroundings from a soft chair in her back garden, she felt pride wash over her.
Maxine's gaze was distracted by the sight of a pale face in the window, her husband smiled affectionately at her, an expression filled with thanks and love. She give a beaming, genuine smile back, taking in Alexander's features, his slicked-back dark hair and goatee beard contrasted with the pale skin covering his handsome features, and he was dressed in a fine, grey three-piece suit.
Yes, she was happy with all elements of her life across the pond, - she was the same person she always had been; just more mature, less naïve and... free.
Maxine hadn't completely cut herself off from everyone from her younger years, of course – she still spoke to several friends, and of course saw her family on a semi-regular basis... but she had purposefully distanced herself, so that she was able to fully move on.
Over the last nineteen years she had amassed a great personal wealth and wanted for nothing, nothing material, anyway.
Stubbing out her cigarette in her black enamel ashtray, she gave a quick wave of her wand, opening the sliding French doors so she could slip through, before shutting them behind her. Walking to the centre of the living room, Maxine sidled up next to her husband as he bid farewell to the final guest – a colleague who had lingered only slightly too long.
Alexander's arm snaked it's way around Maxine's waist as she stood next to him, and with the final click of the door, the last guest had gone, and he turned to face her, 'I'm not sure some people can take a hint.'
'No, it seems not,' Maxine's rich tone contrasted with the way her husband's American accent curled around his words.
She smiled as he pulled her even closer, planting a kiss on the sensitive skin just underneath her ear making her shiver. The tip of his nose ran the length of the shell of her ear as his hot breath danced over the side of her face.
Alexander's hands caressed the skin of her bare arms as he turned his head to give her a long, soft kiss. As usual, Maxine melted like butter under his ministrations, but the moment was ended all too soon by the flapping of wings from the open window.
'Fuck,' Maxine's curse cut through the silence as she walked over to the grand, black and white owl which she recognized as her mother's. Delilah dutifully dropped the crisp envelope into the woman's palm, and as she broke the seal and unfolded the parchment, her expression changed from one of annoyance to utter shock.
Maxine,
I am sorry to say that this letter does not carry good news.
Your grandfather was taken ill a few hours ago, and healers were called to his house to attend to him, however they feel his condition is worsening, and that he may not see out the night.
I ask that you return home as soon as possible, in order to be with him and the rest of your family at this difficult time.
All my love,
Mother.
Maxine reread the letter several times to make sure she understood, and a sinking feeling registered in her stomach. Her grandfather may have just passed his 100th birthday, but she still couldn't believe what she was reading. They had always had a special relationship, he had given her support and comfort through some of the most testing times of her life, and now all that was slipping away from her.
Alexander's attention was drawn when he saw a single tear-drop slide elegantly down Maxine's face and onto the unfolded piece of parchment in her grasp. It was an unusual bout of emotion from his wife, and he knew something was amiss.
In a more characteristic move, she stood up quickly and walked over to the window, letting the parchment float to the ground. Alexander made to retrieve it, and in doing so couldn't help but glance at its contents, and as he did so he understood why his wife has reacted so strangely to the message, and sympathy washed over him. He was as aware as anyone of the high regard in which she held Anthony, her grandfather, having become good friends with him himself.
His eyes flicked over to Maxine who was shrugging on her jacket, 'I'll arrange a portkey for you,' he said simply, and she nodded by way of response.
Around an hour and a half later, Maxine stood at the side of a nearby lake, and swearing softly under her breath at what was to come, she held out a hand and took a firm grip of the tattered red book in front of her, and felt herself being pulled away from the ground. After a blur of colours and a stark change in temperature, she found herself stood in the small wizarding village in the north-west of England that was the home to her grandparents. She pulled her hood up and brought it firmly around her face, so as not to be recognized, and swiftly apparated to the gates of a long cobbled drive, at the end of which stood a large detached house, with a striking white exterior contrasting against a sizeable mahogany door. As usual, she walked around the back, and slipped through the door and into the kitchen.
She was greeted by the sight of her oldest brother, Richard. A sullen expression was on his face, as his hand raked though his curly chestnut hair, he nodded at her but did not speak.
The gravity of the situation hit her as she noted the dull silence of the house, despite the fact she knew it would currently be holding most of her family. Quietly, she sidled past her brother, and tiptoed up the long staircase, carpeted in a soft cream. Eventually she made her way to her grandfather's room, and pushed the door open. Inside sat her mother, father, grandmother and two of her aunts, along with a smartly dressed male healer. They were all crowded round a large double bed where her grandfather laid looking pale and drawn, a thin layer of sweat coated his skin, and he was breathing a little too heavily.
As her family turned to look at her, for a moment Maxine forgot about what was going on, and she was taken back nineteen years when she used to spend so much time in the company of her family, and now what? The last time she had seen them had been four months ago, and even that was only briefly, and now here she was, only returning because her grandfather was on his deathbed. A flicker of shame ran through her at that thought, but she dismissed it quickly, knowing she had other things to focus on.
An unspoken understanding seemed to carve its way through the room, and the other members of her family stood up and exited, leaving Maxine alone with her grandfather, who she had admired since she was just an infant. Quickly she took a seat next to him in a low wicker chair, and reached out a hand to lay on the pillow next to him.
'I'm sorry,' she said softly, although she wasn't really sure why she was apologizing. Perhaps it was because she hadn't visited as much as she should have, or perhaps it was because of the current situation. Either way, he managed to give her a smile in response.
'Don't be,' he said simply, though his voice was croaky and weak. 'Our world is full of insanity, and one cannot always clearly see the right path. You have made me proud though, you must know this. Despite everything that's happened, you have remained true to yourself. The woman who sits before me is still the same fiery little girl who had a tantrum every time I sang that silly song about her having a face like an onion. You are strong. This family needs you.'
'I don't understand-'
'Do you remember when you were younger?' he interrupted her. 'You were the most popular girl at Hogwarts, a true Slytherin – a true pure-blood. Always the talk of the town. And then you disappeared, but no-one forgot about you, you know.'
'Grandfather, I really don't know what you're trying to say,' Maxine's voice had taken on a wary tone, she didn't like where this was going.
Anthony gave a strained, wheezy sounding cough, which eventually subsided enough for him to reply. 'It's time for change, Maxine – do it for me. Move back here. Bring Alexander and the children and move back to England. It will make a great difference to this family. Please.'
Maxine sighed heavily at his words, caught between a rock and a hard place. 'I'd have to uproot my whole family, and put them all under the subjection of the prying eyes of this society – you know how nosy some people can be. And how could I face... well, you know.' Her voice faded away toward the end, not wanting to even say what she feared the most.
'People will be nosy – they always have been, but you're better than that. You have had nineteen years of sunshine – a well-earned break, but now, it is time for you to come home, and help this family stay together.' Anthony smiled reassuringly at her.
'I don't know if I can,' her voice wavered.
Their conversation was cut short by her grandfather letting out a pained cry, causing the healer to rush back into the room, making Maxine stand up and back away. Could she really be led astray from the new life she had created, was it really the right thing to do? The questions swarmed around her mind as she sunk into a plump chair in the hallway – she hadn't expected that.
Money wouldn't be an issue, far from it, but to drag Alexander away from his work, and the children away from their friends, was a lot to ask. Guilt swarmed her senses, after all she'd done – leaving the country without so much as a goodbye, she owed her family this.
Maxine thought of all the sleepless nights she had endured when she first left, the loneliness that she had felt; the first three months of life in America had been almost unbearable, but she had been so hungry for escapism that she never considered moving back home, and here, now, she had the perfect opportunity.
The only thing holding her back, was the reaction of others to her return. Her brothers had always told her of the relentless intrigue that her sudden departure had procured, and she knew full well that if she returned, everyone would want their pound of flesh - want to know who her husband was, what her children looked like... She really didn't want to be the subject of everyone's discussion – but she knew she had nothing to hide.
If Maxine was honest with herself, she had known this was coming for a long time. Not the situation with her grandfather, but the eventuality of someone from her family asking for her to return. Despite being one of the most prestigious pure-blood families, on the inside things were far from rosy. Her brothers loathed each other, her mother and father weren't really together anymore and were both secretly seeing other people, they just occasionally went out in each other's company to keep up appearances and avoid scandal. Although Maxine was on good terms with all of them, she knew so many of the relationships were severed, and the thought of trying to help patch things up was daunting, but she felt a certain obligation to at least be there for them. And in that moment, her mind was made.
Maxine spent the next few hours going in and out of her grandfather's room, making small-talk with her family, and trying to devise a cunning plan to convince Alexander to come to England with her. That was the tricky bit, but she knew she shouldn't underestimate her powers of persuasion, if anyone could make him do it, she could.
She would have to get her act together, and learn to face her demons, particularly those that were close to home – she wouldn't let them chase her away now.
She wouldn't run anymore.
As midnight neared, Maxine sat slumped against the wall, a long discarded cup of tea next to her. She had just said her final goodbyes to her grandfather, and now sat on the floor next to her mother, who was crying softly, in an attempt to comfort her, Maxine revealed her intentions to relocate.
Anthony had previously decided to leave Maxine one of his properties in Wye Valley. It was an obscenely large house with a great mass of land surrounding it, and was a place that she hadn't been since she was a young girl. She remembered it's beauty and majesty being overwhelming, and had never dared to think that she might become the lady of the house there.
Her reverie was broken by her mother turning to face her, clamping a soft hand around her own, a sad smile on her face.
'Thank you so much,' her mother's voice was thick and teary. 'You don't know how glad we are that you're finally coming home.' With that, Maxine gripped her mother's hand and they settled back into silence – the calm before the storm.
