Disclaimer: Only Maxine is mine. Everything else is property of the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
AN: Here's my birthday present to you all! Just like I promised! (For once, I wasn't lying...) I'm going to apologize early for what I'm sure is fail-Latin. I've never taken Latin, so I used Google Translate and some other tranlsation sites to get the Latin sentences you will read in this Chapter. Since Goolge Translate tends to fail, I'm sure this time was no exception. If any of you do know Latin, and you're utterly horrified by how I've mangled the language, please, please, please, review, or send a message! I will be all to happy for your help in correcting it! So, here's the second chapter in Max's Story! I hope you all enjoy it!
2
"We're going back to England?" I asked excitedly as Abby threw my bag at me and started ripping clothes out of the dresser. He'd barged into my room declaring that an urgent matter required our attention back home and we were to catch a flight out of Dallas Fort Worth International in three hours time. He'd then proceeded to wreak havoc on my hotel room, throwing clothes and emptying the closet and dresser.
"Yes, we are. Now quickly, put those in your bag. We've got to hurry!" he said frantically.
"Abby, we've got three hours until take off," I said as I began folding my scattered clothes and he continued to tear around the room. "We've got plenty of time. What's the rush for?"
"I'll tell you on the way, but for now, please, just cooperate? Postpone the interrogation until we're in a safer environment, please?" He looked at me with an almost manic look in his eye as he turned the last drawer of clothes upside-down on my bed.
"'Safer?'" Immediately I was serious. I picked up my belongings by the armful and began shoving them into my brand new un-fillable bag. "What do you mean by 'safer', Abby? This was supposed to be a safe house."
"Just pack. Can't talk now." His expression told me he was internally cursing himself for letting that piece of information slip. He picked up my hairbrush and ran into the bathroom for my toiletries. He threw them all into my bag and helped me with the rest of my things. Last to go in was my custom wardrobe board. "Why the hell didn't we just use that to start with," he muttered bitterly to himself.
"Rushing makes you miss things. Now why are you so bent out of shape? What the devil is going on, Abby?" I put my fists on my hips and glared at my mentor.
"Max, we don't have time for this," he pleaded.
"Tell me now or I'm not moving. Three hours is a long while." I sat down on the bed for good measure.
"Godammit, Maxine," he muttered. "Get the hell up now. We've got to go." He glared at me, his voice taking on that edge it gets when he's about to completely blow a gasket.
"Then tell me what's going on," I said, not backing down. Abby's face went deep red and his already bright blue eyes took on an electric glint. He took in my crossed arms, the determined set of my jaw, and the ice that had moved into my crystal blue eyes. I have always been a thousand times more stubborn than Abby and that fact has helped me win countless arguments. The flush in Abby's face receded, but the electricity remained in his eyes. He sighed.
"He's here, Max. In America – in Dallas for all I know – and he's looking for you." As Abby said this I could feel my face pale and fear creep through my bones.
"You don't mean …" I whispered.
"The information I received claims he used a portkey and brought almost the entirety of his inner circle with him. He smashed through Customs and disappeared. We need to go, now." That was all I needed to know. I got up and slung my bag over my back and Abby opened the door of the hotel room to grab his bag which had been sitting in the hall. He reached back and took my hand then ran to the elevator, dragging me behind. Outside the hotel, we slid into an alley and apparated to the airport. We stood in line at the ticket counter and then ran to our gate, but no matter how fast we moved, nothing was going to make the plane arrive any earlier. We sat in the center of our gate, watching the seconds tick by on the clock on the CNN ticker.
"Abby, stop with the leg bouncing. He's not stupid enough to attack in the middle of the airport." I tried my hardest to believe what I had just said.
"We don't know what he'll do, Max. I just hope he hasn't figured out where we've gone." Abby's leg continued to bounce, his heel tapping out a quick, regular rhythm on the floor.
I'd never seen my mentor so panicked. If he was this afraid of what was coming, then chances were we weren't going to outrun it. He was probably going to catch us, and we were probably going to be in for the fight of our lives.
A battle with the Dark Lord and his battalion of Death Eaters. Great. And we still had hours of waiting ahead of us. Why the hell were we flying, anyway?
"Abby? Why are we taking a plane? A portkey would be so much faster. And despite the ban, we could apparate. Better to ask forgiveness, right?"
"Both mean us getting held up at Customs, Max. International portkeys take days to register unless you create an illegal one, but then we'd both just wind up in Azkaban. No good. Apparition would end similarly. Flying is the fastest way home that doesn't get us thrown into the Death Eater Recruiting Station." My mentor explained all of this in a frantic, harried voice. His eyes stayed focused on the floor, his leg continuing to bounce. I looked up at the ticker on the TV. Damn, still two hours and fifteen minutes to go.
"We're not gonna beat this, are we," I said. It was more of a statement than a question. A fact, not merely a possibility.
"We are in deep shit, Max." The both of us just stared at the floor for a long time. Abby was no doubt trying to think of a way out of this, panicking on the inside because there was no plausible escape. My mind began running through all the information I'd learned since I was five years-old. Every form, method, and discipline Abby had taught me about my powers.
'Keep your focus… Know your strength… Don't over-do it… Know what you want, focus on its completion, and make it happen… When fighting, aim to incapacitate, never to kill… Always be strong and in control. Nothing is more dangerous that a mage whose power rages out of control… Know yourself, know your magic, know your enemy, know your purpose.' I chanted that last phrase over and over in my head. Nothing was more important than knowing my limits and knowing what I needed to accomplish.
I glanced up at the television again to check the time. As I watched, the screen turned to snow. I turned my eyes to the TVs in the other gates. All were broadcasting black and grey fuzz. "Abby." I nudged my mentor with my elbow, waking him from his thoughts. The lights flickered repeatedly, and then everything went dark. There were shouts and surprised screams from all around. No lights, no departure boards, no anything. If there was a back-up generator, it wasn't working.
"Here we go," Abby whispered grimly. I stood up from my chair and I heard Abby do the same. We did our best to peer through the darkness, searching and listening for the impending attack. I stood in a defensive stance, feet spread slightly past shoulder width, knees bent, hands up, open and ready to hurl a suitcase into the face of a Death Eater. I had a firm grasp on my magic, ready to wield it at a moment's notice.
Then suddenly the power came back on.
"Attention all Dallas Fort Worth International flyers. We apologize for the temporary power outage," a woman's voice stated over the PA system. "Our power supplier had a momentary maintenance issue. They have informed us that all problems have been resolved and we should have no further power outages. Thank you for your patience and have a nice day!"
Abby collapsed into his chair, his expression flashing momentary relief before returning to panicked anticipation. I stayed standing and just stared at the ceiling in disbelief. What the hell are the chances that during the same moments we're waiting to be ambushed by a reborn, psycho-murderer the power goes out in the whole bloody airport and it's got nothing to do with us?
"Gave me a friggin' heart attack, that did," I said as I finally flopped back into my chair. Abby merely shook his head as if he couldn't believe what just happened. I looked up at the CNN ticker again. One hour and fifty minutes to go. If only my powers let me speed up time!
We sat in a tense silence as we waited for our plane. I watched people come and go, walking quickly up and down the halls. I saw families exchanging hugs and tears, some in greeting, others in goodbye. 'Merlin, I hope I get to see my family soon,' I thought. And, barring a fight with Lord Voldemort, I would see them in just a matter of hours. More than twelve, but still only hours.
I turned away from the people and looked past Abby out the wall-sized window looking over the tarmac. Storm clouds were rolling in. Big, dark purple ones that blotted out the sun and turned late afternoon into pitch black night. Occasionally lightning flashed through the darkness, lighting up the purple to shades of grey and blue. I watched the clouds roll over the trees bordering the runways and make their way towards the building. Planes fell into shadow and lights went on, making the black tar on the ground shine against the overbearing purple. Soon the whole sky was blocked by the thunderheads.
An ear-shattering crash was let loose above the airport leaving windows rattling in its wake. Abby had jumped at the sudden rumble, shaken from the dark thoughts that had been plaguing him.
"Bloody hell," he whispered, shaking his head to clear away the shock. He turned and looked out the window. "Well that doesn't look good."
"Flights aren't cancelled," I said.
"Yet," he added, forever the pessimist. "See that fog bank coming in?" he asked me, pointing out the window. I looked toward the trees where sure enough, a soft mist was seeping through the branches. But it was strange. It writhed and swirled, but came no closer, never disentangling itself from the trees and moving to invade the runways.
"Abby, that stuff's not moving." He narrowed his eyes and adjusted his glasses, trying to get a better look at the fog. Then he suddenly sat back in his chair, eyes bugging and staring straight ahead.
"Shit," he muttered. I looked out at the fog again. It looked just like a normal fog, only that instead of rolling out and swallowing everything, it remained motionless.
"Abby, what are you doing? It's just a fog. I mean, sure it's weird that it doesn't move, but-"
"Dementors."
"What?"
"Dementors. Not a lot, but dementors nonetheless. That's what's making that fog. They're staying still, so it's not moving." Abby had reached down for his backpack now and was pulling his wand out of the side pocket. He stood up and tossed the bag over his shoulder simultaneously stuffing his wand up his jacket sleeve. "We need to go."
"Wait, Abby. Why are we leaving? The plane will be here in-" I glanced up at the ticker again. "Twenty minutes. We can make it! We don't need to-"
"Max," Abby looked at me with eyes overrun with panic. And yet, there was a touch of sadness in them, too. "I know you want to go home, but we've got to go. We can't endanger these people. We'll lose the Doom Patrol and catch a different flight. But we've got to go, now."
"Oh, I don't think you'll be going anywhere," said a cold, high voice. I stood and spun around at the same time, falling back into my defensive position, the black flames of my magic appearing at the bottom of the nearest suitcase. I felt Abby steel himself as well.
The man before us was tall, lean, bald, and incredibly pale. He wore sleek, dark Muggle clothes – a form fitting black long-sleeve shirt, slim black slacks, and shiny black leather shoes – which didn't seem to fit him. Not in size, but in demeanor. Everything about him screamed power, superiority, malevolence, and magic. It was all written in the red eyes set in his slightly reptilian face. He was nowhere near good looking, though by the set of his cheek bones and his facial structure, he'd been handsome once. He stood in front of me with arms crossed, the picture of smug ease. He glanced at my flames surrounding the nearby suitcase and a pleased, but unnerving grin spread across his thin lips. I cringed. This was a man I wanted no business with. Ever. And he was definitely not someone who should get hold of my secret. The bitter taste of fear stung my mouth as his glance landed on me.
"So this is the little mage girl, Lucius?" the man asked over his shoulder, his red eyes not leaving my own crystal blue ones. At the sound of his name, Lucius Malfoy stepped out from the crowd. He too was dressed in dark Muggle clothes.
"Yes, my Lord. That is the girl." Oh, shit. I heard Abby mimic my thoughts out loud. This was not good.
"Good, good. Now child, why don't you tell me your name, hmm?" The man, who I now knew as one of the Wizarding World's most dangerous psychopaths, leaned slightly towards me as if to appear more inviting. The gesture merely made him more sinister.
"And if I don't want to tell you?" I said defiantly. I'll be damned if this man gets the better of me simply because he's a bit scary.
"Max," Abby warned, his whisper barely audible to my own ears.
"I'll chain you down and put you through excruciating pain until you do," the Dark Lord calmly and quietly responded. Okay, so he's a lot scary. But I had my own secret weapon.
"To bad you won't get the chance, Tom," I spat his name with every ounce of contempt I had. Lord Voldemort's eyes flew wide and he reeled back as if hit. Bull's-eye. But the shock was soon gone and unbridled rage took its place. The Dark Lord pulled out his wand and took aim at my forehead.
"You'll pay for that, you brat," he hissed. He motioned behind him with his free hand and other black-clad people slithered out of the crowd. Abby had been silent so far, hopefully because he was wracking his brain for an escape route, but he finally decided to speak.
"Think, Max. We're in a Muggle airport. What's the worst thing that could happen right now?" he hurriedly whispered to me.
"Innocents get caught up in the fray," I replied. Rule one: always make sure dangerous demonstrations of magic were done far from innocent bystanders, especially Muggles.
"Good girl. Now what are we going to do about that?" he asked, still in teacher mode even in this horrid situation.
"I'm going to relocate everyone directly involved and everyone who's a potential danger to a risk free area while distracting the Muggles and security cameras. So they go to the Texan desert, and we'll go-"
"Max, despite how ridiculous your common sense might think this is, the best thing to do would be send us all to the same place. If we escape, he'll merely chase us down again and we may not be able to choose the location next time."
…
Why the hell does Abby always have to be right?
"Dammit," I muttered. Our exchange took only seconds but in that short span of time, the group of black-clad Death Eaters had encircled us, my fire had disappeared from the suitcase, and the Muggles were starting to get suspicious. Especially of the guy wielding a stick and muttering to himself. Lord Voldemort had been reciting an incantation for several moments now. Whatever his spell was for, I didn't want to find out.
I shifted my stance, spread my feet a little wider, bent my knees a little more, and summoned my strength. I'd taken years of martial arts classes to center my energy. They'd really helped me get a better grasp on my magic and I became a kick-ass hand-to-hand fighter as an added bonus. I closed my eyes, trusting Abby to have my back if something happened, and focused. Every camera with an angle on our position became encircled by black flames and went dead. I opened my eyes and took a quick glance at every Death Eater around us. I then closed my eyes again, focused my energy, and imagined the cliffs in the desert where Abby had taken me to train only a month before. Seventeen people faded from Muggle memories and Muggle sight and then disappeared from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport all together.
I opened my eyes as my feet hit red rock and the New Mexico sun beat down on my shoulders. The Death Eaters were either falling from the sudden landing or staring around in confusion. The Dark Lord continued his incantation as if the sudden location change hadn't happened. Behind me, Abby pulled out his wand and stood with his back against mine. I listened in to what Voldemort was muttering, trying to figure out what he was attempting to do with such a long incantation.
"Animus non crux crucis obex , vox est habitum intus." So he's speaking in Latin. "Somes domus a animus quod secundum a obex , vox."
'The soul cannot cross the barrier, the power is held within. The body houses a soul and behind a barrier, power.' So he's trying to create a barrier to split a soul from its power?
"Vinco non pervenio vox." 'The master cannot reach the power.' Power. Power as in… Magic! He's trying to separate someone from their magic! But that's impossible. You can't separate a wizard from his power.
But I'm not a wizard.
"Sterilis." 'Useless.' "Reddo vinco sterilis." 'Render the master useless.' Oh shit.
Voldemort's wand erupted in a flash of bright green light. The flash contracted into a concentrated beam that smacked me in the gut and turned black, just like the flames of my magic. I hit the ground with a thud.
It had all happened in a matter of seconds. By the time Abby turned around to see if I was alright, I was back on my feet, my black flames sparking at my fingertips.
"I'd save what magic you've got in those hands, little mage," hissed Voldemort. "It's all the power you'll ever have again." I knew he was half right. I'd done a quick mental body check after the spell hit me. I was physically fine, but the incantation had done just what Voldemort wanted it to. A strong barrier now encircled the core of my power. No matter how hard I tried to reach for it, I couldn't breach the barrier.
"What's he talking about, Max?" Abby questioned worriedly.
"He's blocked my magic," I growled over my shoulder.
"What," Abby whispered, disbelief evident in his voice. I chose to ignore him. We'd have this conversation after I obliterated the Dark Lord. My eyes narrowed as I amplified the power in my hands. No one renders me useless. No one. I glared at Voldemort with every ounce of venom I had in me and pooled the last of my accessible power into my hands. Everything I had left was going to make that bastard just as useless as I was.
My power morphed from black flames to small, marble-sized orbs of energy in my palms. I gathered my strength and hurled the marbles towards Voldemort. Just before impact they expanded and exploded into enormous beams of deadly power. Voldemort let out a yell as the Shield Charm he'd managed to produce shattered.
And then we were surrounded by a flurry of action. Death Eaters started firing curses from every direction. Abby's wand hand twirled and flashed at a speed I'd never seen before. My martial arts lessons kicked in and I started dodging the flashes of multi-colored light, side-stepping, spinning, flipping, jumping. My power was gone - blocked off - and I was defenseless in a long range fight. I honed in on the closest Death Eater and dashed towards him. Yeah, I was defenseless in a long range fight, but up close I could kick anyone's ass. Well, at least I hoped. Three punches to the gut and a kick to the head later and Death Eater number one was on the ground and incapacitated. I kicked his wand out of his hand, dodged another spell, and ran for Death Eater number two.
After a few more K.O.'s I looked back to check on Abby. His clothes were a little tattered and he had a few scrapes and cuts, but otherwise he was fine and dueling brilliantly. Hope rose up in me. Maybe we could beat this after all.
"I'm not sure what you're smirking about, child, seeing as your friend there is going to die." My head spun towards the voice that had spoken and I watched a very battered Voldemort rise up from the ground. The red dust of the New Mexican desert mixed with the blood pouring from the Dark Lord's wounds. "You're the first person to ever put me in such a state," he said as he brushed dust off his shredded shirt, a grim expression on his lacerated face. "You should be proud. But trust me, it will never happen again." With that, he raised his wand and curse after curse flew at me. I did my best to dodge the spells, but I got nicked quite a few times. New cuts and burns were appearing on my arms, legs, and face and I had no way to defend myself. Voldemort was firing spells too quickly for me to get in close and punch him out. I was screwed. "Say goodbye to your friend, little mage. You won't be seeing him again." Voldemort raised his wand and red light appeared at its tip.
"Max!" I heard Abby yell. Then Voldemort brought his wand down in a fierce arc and a wall of red light hurtled towards me. It was too big to dodge and moving too fast. I raised my arms up in front of my face hoping to protect my head just before the wall slammed into me and knocked me into the air. I flew a good twenty feet before colliding with the earth and skidding to a halt, a red dust cloud billowing around me. After a mental body check I realized I had no broken bones, just a few new scrapes and bruises. I tried to get up but… 'I can't move.' My eyes normally would have widened at the realization. I ordered my arm to slide under me and prop me up. No response. I told my fingers and toes to twitch. No response. I demanded my eyes blink. No response.
Abby was in my line of sight. His expression was one of utter horror and complete shock. He continued to battle with a renewed ferocity, attempting to reach me. I imagined what I must look like in his eyes: a fourteen year old girl who'd just been hurled through the air and now lay limp and immobile on the ground. Yeah, I'd be scared if I were in his shoes, too.
"Bellatrix! Fenrir! We are leaving," Voldemort ordered. I could imagine a sinister, pleased smirk on his face. His singed black shoe appeared before my eyes as two Death Eaters disengaged themselves from the battle and ran to where I lay. The big, bulky man who smelled of blood, Fenrir, lifted me up from the ground and threw me over his shoulder as he spun on his heel. There was a crack and then the sensation of being squeezed into a very tight space before the scenery changed and we arrived in what looked like a warehouse full of people with luggage. Screams and gasps echoed off the walls at the sudden appearance of four strange individuals, at least two of whom were bleeding. I couldn't see what was going on, but I felt Fenrir grab my ankle and place my foot on something. Then there was the horrible tug behind my bellybutton as a portkey carried us out of US Customs and into UK Customs. More screams and another side-along apparition later, I was immersed in country air. Fenrir turned to his left a bit and I could see a luxurious manor house behind a wrought iron gate flanked by very high hedges. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor, little mage," Voldemort sneered.
"After that I was placed in a warded cell. So long as the door was closed, the barrier around my power remained. I was tortured, beaten, and starved. They kept me as isolated as possible. The only ones allowed into the basement without Tom were Bellatrix and Pettigrew. But the Malfoy boy, Draco, he would sneak down when he was home. He'd bring me food and talk to me. He helped me a lot. Unfortunately for him, his house is Dark Lord Headquarters," I finished weakly. Ron and Harry were staring at me in disbelief. Ginny was doing her best not to cry, but Hermione had tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Albus stared at his desk, a grim expression on his face and his blue eyes clouded with dark thoughts. "Stop brooding, Albus. It's like you said. There was nothing to be done," I whispered. I was getting very tired.
"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," Ron said breathlessly. I looked at his face. His rage seemed drowned out by shock and sadness.
"How did you escape?" asked Harry. His own emotions colored his voice, making his question quiet and undemanding. At least in Harry's case it would be fine if I didn't answer immediately. However, Albus's eyes flicked up from his desk and focused on me once more, a spark of interest chasing away the dark tint. I sighed and stole the pillow from Ron's chair, hugging it to my chest before I began my explanation.
"Tom came down the stairs with Bella and Pettigrew. He said he was going to let me go free. That was the first time he'd ever offered me a line like that." I stared at the woven threads on the pillow and picked a fuzz off the fringe.
"He just let you go? Just like that?" Ginny asked in utter disbelief.
"No, Gin. He said I'd go free, but only if I joined him first. It was just another of his tricks. I told him no, like every other time, but then-" I paused here and looked at my brother and sister. This was going to send them into a panic. "Then a couple of Death Eaters hauled in Perce."
"What!" Ginny and Ron shouted simultaneously. Ron rose up out of his chair, made a choking sound and clutched at his hair as he sat back down heavily. Harry and Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Dumbledore looked at me once more before conjuring up a sheet of parchment and jotting down a quick note. He called Fawkes down from his perch, handed the bird the letter, and sent him out the window. I could only imagine what Mum's face would look like when she found a Phoenix tapping at her window.
"You've got to be kidding me," Ron groaned, still bent over in his chair. "They know not only what you are, but who you are, too."
"And it seems Voldemort has infiltrated the Ministry to some degree," stated Albus.
"Percy's okay, right?" asked Ginny. Her hand moved to settle on mine as I clutched the pillow tighter.
"Yeah, he should be." I said. "He stuck to the plan."
"Plan?" came Hermione's voice.
"Yeah," sighed Ron. He finally lifted his head up from his hands. "Our family decided that if we were ever to meet Max in a bad situation, we'd act like we hated her. It was all to keep the family safe. If she was viewed as the disowned and unloved black sheep, then hopefully whoever we were trying to fool wouldn't target the rest of us," he finished bitterly. Ron never had liked that plan, but I insisted on its institution. If I was ever caught, I didn't want to drag my family down as well.
"They brought him in and he immediately began insulting me, shouting at me," I explained. "I shouted right back. Tom saw his plan go completely out the window so he put Perce under the Cruciatus." Everyone in the room except Albus winced at that. "I figured if I could trick Tom into letting me have my powers I could at least get Perce out of there. So I pretended I wanted to torture Perce, too. And it worked."
"What?" All four teenagers stated incredulously.
"I was just as shocked as you are," I mumbled. "He dissolved his barrier. I didn't have much power, though. They'd kept me far too weak. But I was able to transport Perce back to the Burrow and get myself to the Hogwarts grounds." After I finished everyone merely stared in silence. I continued hugging the pillow to me and sagged in my chair. I was so tired.
"You are a very brave girl, Maxine, and these past sixteen months you have been braver than most. You more than deserve a rest and, I take it, you agree?" Dumbledore asked kindly. I nodded my head as my eyes started to droop. "I have already contacted Madame Pomfrey and I believe-" He looked up as one of the former head masters slid back into his portrait, nodding his head. "-That she is ready for you. Someone will be up to escort you to the Hospital Wing shortly. As for you four," Albus now looked to my siblings and their friends. "Someone will be up to escort you back to Gryffindor Tower."
"But sir," Ron started. I opened my mouth to snap at him, but Albus beat me there.
"You will be able to see your sister tomorrow if she is up to it, Mr. Weasley. For now, you all need sleep." Albus placed his fingertips together, and tilted his head down so that he could look at Ron over the rim of his glasses. It was one of Albus's favorite looks – the one that said "This topic of discussion is closed, and my word is final." Ron unhappily backed down.
There was a knock at the door and Professors McGonagall and Snape walked in. For some reason, the four Gryffindors glared at Snape with expressions that clearly questioned his presence in Dumbledore's office. "Ah, Minerva, Severus. Thank you for coming so late at night. I apologize for interrupting your sleep," said Albus.
"What is this, Dumbledore? Why are my students here?" asked McGonagall, fidgeting with her robe.
"Hi Auntie Minerva, Uncle Sev," I paused to yawn. "Long time no see." McGonagall and Snape both turned to what they must've thought was an empty chair. I don't blame them for not seeing me, as I am quite small now and all curled up behind a pillow.
"M-Maxine? Maxine Weasley?" stuttered McGonagall, awe written across her face.
"So you were the one making all the noise earlier? I should have guessed," deadpanned Snape.
"Sorry, Uncle Sev," I said quietly. The four teenagers in the room were looking at me like I was insane. Severus's practiced people-repelling attitude must work really well. McGonagall rushed over to my chair and enveloped me in a hug.
"I thought we'd never see you again, dear! Albus said you'd been captured! We had no clue where you were or how to get to you! Oh, thank Merlin, you're alright." I winced a bit as her arms squeezed my ribcage.
"Well mostly," I told her. She released me and looked me over, brushing my straggly hair out of my eyes.
"Minerva," Albus said. "Please escort Mr. and Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger back to Gryffindor Tower."
"Yes, sir," she replied, standing up and giving me a last pat on the head. I always liked Minerva. She mothered me when my own mother couldn't.
"Severus, could you please escort Miss Maxine down to the Hospital Wing? She's quite overdue for a rest."
"Yes, sir." Severus always spoke in that deadpan drawl, like he was bored with the world. But I knew he actually cared a lot about some things. He wasn't as bad as he pretended to be.
"But sir!" Ron and Harry had shot up out of their chairs at Albus's last instruction. Apparently they weren't big fans of Severus.
"Calm down, you two. It's fine. Uncle Sev's not gonna do-" again I had to break for a yawn, "anything bad." Ron and Harry looked at me like I had twelve heads. I merely closed my eyes and snuggled into the pillow I still held to my chest.
"Come along, you four," McGonagall said brusquely, all business once again. "Maxine will be fine. You can see her tomorrow." I heard shuffling as Ginny and Hermione got up. There were a few more words of protest quickly put down by Albus, and then their footsteps receded out the door and down the stone stairs. Silence reigned for a short while until Albus spoke.
"You may have to carry her Severus. It seems she has fallen asleep."
"Not yet," I mumbled into the pillow.
"I stand corrected," chuckled Albus.
"Can you walk, Max," Sev's voice finally changed from bored to worried.
"Yeah," I mumbled as I uncurled myself and set the pillow back on Ron's vacated chair. "Why do you talk in that annoying monotone when everyone else is around? They might think you were actually human if you spoke like a normal person." I looked up at Severus. He'd been a very good friend to me for years and had been the one to allow Draco to come see me while I was locked up. Uncle Sev was a really good man, but for some reason he never wanted anyone to know.
"Funny, Max. Now let's get you down to the Hospital Wing," he said kindly as he placed my skinny arm around his waist and his arm around mine to support me. My legs were getting kind of shaky.
"Thanks for sending Mum that note, Albus. She's probably been in a panic ever since Perce popped in." I smiled tiredly at the Hogwarts Headmaster. He simply nodded and requested I sleep well. Severus led me out of the office and down the stairs into the hall. As we started walking towards the hospital wing I said, "Thanks, Uncle Sev. For what you did when I was caged, I mean. Those visits from Draco were a lifesaver some days. He's a good kid. Watch out for him. I've got a feeling he's getting into something pretty messy."
"He is," replied Sev. "And so am I. Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. Narcissa already made sure of that. As did Dumbledore." He was using that deadpan tone again. Seems like that line of conversation was closed and never again to be opened. "It's your ribs right? That's what made you flinch when Minerva hugged you?" he asked, back to his normal - well normal to me - tone of voice.
"Yeah," I sighed. "Fenrir's got a mean left hook." I grimaced just thinking about the beatings I took from that man.
"I'm really very sorry I couldn't help you more, Max. I regret not doing something more. I should have-"
"Oh, shush it, Sev. We both know you couldn't blow your cover. You've been rising to your challenge for years. It was time I rose to my own."
"I'd say you rose above it even. From the pain I felt from my mark this evening, I'd say you about threw him over the deep end." Snape chuckled a little at that.
"Oh, he's been there for years. I was aiming for a fatal heart attack." This time Sev actually laughed a little. It wasn't something he did much – hardly ever, actually. But when he did laugh, I could see why Dumbledore trusted him so much. And why I did, too. His voice, when he wasn't pretending to be a big, scary, boogieman of a teacher, sounded like a man fighting for something. There was a deep sorrow in his voice, but also a deep purpose. It wasn't the voice of a crazed fanatic or evil cult member. No, Severus Snape was a man who had something important, something loved, that he fought for. No one on Voldemort's side had anything like that.
When we arrived at the doors to the hospital wing, Severus knocked lightly and within moments Madame Pomfrey's face appeared in the open door.
"Oh, Maxine, it's so good to see you again! Goodness, you look a fright. Well come on in, come in child. Severus, could you help her over here please? Yes this one will do, right by the window. I'm sure your family will be sending owls constantly. Now lie down, dear. There. Now, let's get you some clean clothes, hm? I'll be right back." Madame Pomfrey hustled to her office as Severus helped me to the bed she'd pointed out. She quickly returned carrying a pair of loose white pants and a big, blue t-shirt. "Here sweetie. Let's get you changed now." She pulled a divider down the aisle by the bed, shutting Severus out of view. A few minutes later and I was tucked into bed, in clean clothes, my ribs taped and beginning my healing process. Madame Pomfrey folded up the divider again, gathered her medical supplies and my old rags and walked off to her office once more.
"She's still quite the flurry of activity, huh," I said quietly. Nonetheless I got a stern "I heard that" from Pomfrey's office. Sev and I both hid our smiles behind our hands.
"I'll see you around then, Max. And please remember that here I am the bane of most students' existence. No more 'Uncle Sev', alright?" He placed his palm on top of my head and ruffled my hair a bit. He likes my hair a lot. I'm not sure why, but Albus once said it was because it is a similar color to someone else's hair. I could only think that that person must be very important to Uncle Sev.
"Yeah, yeah. It's "Professor" from now on. But don't expect me to give you the cold shoulder. I-"
"Don't work that way. I know." And with that he turned and walked out of the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey came back from her office with a tray of food and looked around.
"I'm guessing Severus left, then?" she asked as she set the tray on my lap.
"Yup. Muttered something about losing sleep for nothing, I think." I picked up the fork and dug into my scrambled eggs. Oh, joy, real food! I finished the eggs and began to scarf down the two slices of toast.
"Slow down, child! Your stomach is not used to being full," Pomfrey chided. "Throwing up will do you no good."
"Yes, ma'am," I replied through a mouthful of toast. When I finished my meal, Pomfrey picked up the empty tray and turned to go back to her office once more.
"Get some sleep, dear," she said as she left. "It'll help you heal faster." She didn't need to tell me twice. I called out a "goodnight" to her and then snuggled down into the bed. Goodness a bed! I forgot how good a mattress - even a cot mattress - could feel! I pulled the covers up under my chin and was soon enveloped by sleep.
AN: Thanks for reading! Please, please leave a review, even if it's just two words or something. Getting ya'll's feedback really makes my day! I'll be working really hard from now on to keep these chapters coming as regularly as I can. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please look forward to chapter 3! (Which, after it's first draft is 29 pages long...)
