The days became warm and sunny. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, giant squid waving its tentacles from the lakes surface, also enjoying the weather. The best Rose Granger-Weasley could do to soak up the sun though, was to sit by the window while doing her homework. She would sit on the window seal with one leg swinging over the outside castle wall, a quill in her hair, and a book in her face. Exams were two weeks away and every student was depressed to have to miss the gorgeous weather. A few people had thought to be geniuses because they had taken their books outside to study and enjoy the weather at the same time. The heat had made them fall asleep and they were now either in the hospital wing for server sunburn treatment, or walking around the castle as if they had a bad diaper rash.
Though the subject was no longer deeply discussed, Max's ransom letter still hovered above them in every class and every conversation. She had stopped him from leaving twice now and was scared to death that she was going to wake up and find that he had left, never to be seen again. She had tried to make him, not forget, but distract him by piling pile after pile of homework and studying on him. And to her surprise, he studied, and he did every bit of homework she had given him; as if he was trying to distract himself too.
Classes were where she could do very little for him. He no longer hummed light heartedly, a constant tapping of his foot replaced the music. He would tap during meals, classes, homework, and even until he fell asleep, which was most commonly on the sofa in the common room. Al and Scorpius even found time to worry about the ransom though buried in work maybe more so than Max was. Al hadn't let go of his Ministry idea and Scorpius was still arguing for him to drop it.
Days were spent before exams in Professor Neville's greenhouse taking extra advise and tips, make up lessons and repeats. They were surprised the first day they were scheduled to meet in the greenhouse, to find half their class there as well. Everyone really like Longottom and even some of those who didn't need extra tutoring, were there to listen to a few of his short stories about his last few years at Hogwarts when he had fought against Voldemort.
"Al, tell you what." Neville said as the students were filing out. "You bring your Umple shrub and I'll examine it. If it is in proper condition; I will give you extra points."
"I helped care for it!" said Scorpius quickly.
"You did not!" Al protested.
"Yeah, remember, you told me to feed it one time and I did!"
"You through food at it then tore off a vine when it wrapped your arm."
They were all teased now for having walked in on Professor Donima naked. "SHE WASN'T COMPLETELY NAKED!" Scorpius would shout. Fred teased them the worst though. "I run all this way looking for you guys to keep you from getting into trouble and you go and do to yourself something that will haunt you for the rest of your life!"
The whole school turned up for the final match against Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. This match would decide who wins the Quidditch cup. Al and Scor turned up dressed in yellow and black with crossed fingers.
"Unbiased, huh?" Rose smiled.
"We might win, Rosie!" said Al biting his lip until it was red.
"I doubt it." She rolled her eyes, propping her head up on her elbows to watch.
After the game commenced, her head shifted from her hands to stretch out for a closer look. Then to peer above the cheering crowd, then to bobbing up and down with the rest of yellow and black supporters, cheering. Hufflepuff wasn't going down as hard as she thought they would. They were putting up quite a fight. Ninety to seventy! Ninety to eighty! One-hundred-ten to one-hundred! One-ten to one-ten!
Rose had grabbed the Hufflepuff scarf from around Scorpius' neck and waved it in the air. Al's lip was chapped and Max's purple eyes were wide and his yellow hair clinched in his fists. ("She caught the snitch! She caught the snitch!" the commentators sang. "Hufflepuff wins!)
The Hufflepuff and Slytherin supporters screamed with delight. Slytherin team ran out onto the pitch and embraces the Hufflepuff team, hugging and thanking them. All except Stewart who looked as though this was behavior of such to be punishable. Professor Kemp strode out with Madam Hooch who was holding a large, shiny, silver cup. She presented it to them mumbling words that Rose couldn't hear. The Slytherin team grinned and cheered for a moment until Keith did something that no Quidditch captain had ever done in history. He took the beautiful cup, the magical, prize won, trophy, and snapped off one of the glossy handles. There was a hush around the entire stadium as everyone stared, shocked and horrified at what he had just done. Silently, Keith strode across the pitch, his footsteps being heard through the stiff air. And he handed the sliver handle to the Hufflepuff team grinning, and shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain.
An eruption of noise tore through the silence as everyone roared their approval. Rose even screamed herself horse and the Hufflepuff team cheered and clapped, punching that silver handle into the air as if the entire cup was theirs. This tiny piece of metal was the most of a Quidditch cup Hufflepuff had gotten in a century. The annual winning team picture was snapped, not of just the Slytherins, but of a rare, one of a kind, never seen before shot of both winning teams together. Slytherin holding most of a whole Quidditch cup, and Hufflepuff smiling with the handle.
Rose was amused to find next morning, not only the picture in the Quidditch case, but half a cup, and on a pedestal, the handle.
"It's going to be sad." Said Rose sitting in an oak tree in the gardens a week before exams. "We're all leaving in less than a month and won't see each other for an entire summer. We won't see Yoman, or Professor Dalbert, or Professor Kemp,"
"Or Professor Longbottom." Scorpius joined in.
"We'll see Neville." Said Al. "Rosie and I. You won't."
"This may be our last time sitting in this tree for the whole summer. I doubt we'll have time to come back later." Said Rose. "You are all coming back next semester right?"
"I am." Said Scorpius.
"Of course we are." Said Al.
They looked over at Max who was trying to balance two acorns on top of each other. "Maybe." He said not looking up from his task. "Dad and I are always moving. I hope so."
"I never asked what happened with Bailey." Said Al.
The acorn tower fell and Max clinched his fists.
"They're still engaged." He said gruffly.
"I still think you should write to your dad about Will." Said Scor.
Max threw the acorns from the tree looking angry. When they talked about Belladonna, he would become gruff and serious, but when Will was mentioned he'd become angry. Rose supposed that when he was reminded of his brother, he was also reminded that his friends weren't allowing him to go, each day passing, was a day that Will could be free.
"There is no in between with him." Said Max. "He either won't care, or he'll care enough to try to talk her out of the ransom and get himself killed."
Max was chewing on the end of his quill like he always did when thinking hard.
"Look whose here." Scorpius leaned over to whisper.
Max looked up to see Danielle stride over and plop herself on the other side of the tree they were leaning against and pull out a book.
"Augh, not now." Max wined.
"You don't have to live with her." Rose whispered.
They ended up moving to the lake which was a bad idea. Though the water kept their feet cool, all but Rose got distracted and began skipping stones. She wished she could join them. She had the ability of course, but there was always so much work to do. Rose commonly had a battle with herself, something like the angles on your shoulder. Should I study? Or should I join my friends? They look like they're having so much fun. But I want good marks. They're begging me to join them. But exams are in three days! This happened often and her right angle nearly always won. She had nightmares occasionally, that her friends found her boring and decided to leave her for someone more fun. Her mind wasn't open enough to allow super creative dreams anyway.
Rose woke at four in the morning, not because she wanted to, but because exams started that day and she couldn't get herself back to sleep. She headed downstairs to the deserted common room, holding a school book and parchment. Rose spent the rest of the morning with a cup of tea studying for History of Magic because she thought that if anything, that would get her to sleep, but the book itself was interesting.
"Won't you stop that?" said Max as they walked toward their first exam for Potions. Rose was walking stiffly onward with an armful of books pressed to her chest. "You'll do fine, you've done more studying, more revising than any of us."
"They're gonna lay down a sheet of parchment and I'm not going to know any of the answers. I've forgotten everything, Max." She said.
"Just watch Al, he'll give you tips if you need them."
"I'm not cheating." She said severely.
"Then don't complain if you fail."
Professor Killpii strode around the room with a raised eyebrow, watching everyone. The exam wasn't difficult at all. Not only did Rose remember exactly how to brew a laughing draft, but every time someone was about to put the wrong ingredient into their cauldron, or had forgotten to do something, Professor Killpii would make an exasperated 'tut' with his tongue. Nobody thought that he meant to or that he realized, but nobody was about to stop him.
Al came trotting beside them on the way out to the greenhouses, holding a large potted plant with beautiful silver, crescent shaped leaves. Scorpius was following behind looking glum. The two boys had been separated in class, meaning Al couldn't help Scor with his potion and Scorpius, though nothing blew up, defiantly wasn't going to get tops marks for his potion.
"That's alright, bud." Said Neville to Scorpius during their Herbology, half written, half practical exam. "I was abysmal in potions, believe me. And look where I am now! Don't worry, there'll always be that one class."
Al did get extra points for his perfect shrub and Rose had fun catching the spitting Cilly seeds which would have been impossible to catch if you didn't know the pattern. Max didn't know the pattern.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was the most fun though. Professor Dalbert had picked a series of spells, and had the kids shoot them at dummies near the end of the room. There was something so satisfying about the feeling of that much power shooting from your wand tip and knowing that you made it happen. Max and Rose preformed everything perfectly.
Transfiguration was terrible, not for her, but for Max. They had a long work sheet that they filled out with special 'no cheating' quills. Professor Donima would stride back and forth across the room, waiting for the time to run out. Max had his head down the whole time and kept asking Rose how much time they had left, not daring to look at the hourglass right beside Donima. He hadn't looked at her straight on since their incident and the Professor would glare and pull her robes tight around herself when seeing them. They then had to turn a pin cushion to a tiny pumpkin. Points were given for how fresh the pumpkin was, and taken away if it was still full of cotton. Max still had needles sticking from his that he tried to remove before she made it to their table.
In Charms, they had to make a bird sing the school song. And finally in History of Magic, Rose was relieved to find, that she knew every answer. They class burst from the doors and screamed and cheered, all ecstatic to be done. Fireworks were set off and papers were thrown around. Rose slipped away, not wanting to be in that group if a teacher walked out on them.
The four friends stretched themselves out by the lake to bask in the sun. School was over. No more exams. No more classes. No more homework. No more studying.
"We only have one week left." Said Scor. "One week, and we're back home."
To Rose, it was a bitter sweet thought.
"Yeah… one week." She heard Max mumble beside her, more to himself than anyone else. To her, one week meant home, to him, one week meant the death of his brother.
Rose woke to Danielle's usual snoring and not being able to get to sleep, had tried to start homework but remembered that she didn't have any. She was actually quite depressed about school being over, for a whole week she wouldn't know what to do with herself. She made her way down to the common room to find Max sitting on the couch way to early. She stopped to watch him before entering. He was rocking back and forth slightly on the worn sofa cushions as if frantic. In his hands she saw the ransom letter and something hard gripped her stomach, he was going to try… twice she saw him stand up, change his mind, and sit back down. Rose couldn't imagine what tortured thoughts were whirling in his head right now. She had almost walked over to him and told him off for considering going, but then she would think about if it were Hugo. She realized that if it were her, her brother, her life, she would have left the day she had received the letter. She sunk down to the steps, to watch, hoping that he wouldn't find her because the amount of time she had been watching him already, would be considered creepy. She would have gone back to bed, but she couldn't risk letting him leave. She half considered offering to go with him if he refused to listen, but then she would think about explosion and it would scare her to stay.
"Max?" Rose turned to see Calvert stagger from the tiny common room bathroom looking dazed and exhausted.
"Calvert?" Max said in surprise. Behind his back was the letter that was shaking in his hands. "What are you doing down here?"
"Fell to sleep." he yawned.
"In the bathroom?"
"Don't judge me, it's been a long day. Hey, are you alright?"
"Yes." Said Max. Rose froze, he lied. He- he actually, undeniably lied. If he was anything, it was not okay. She blinked the thought away and watched confusedly as he doubled with what sounded like a painful grunt. Calvert staggered back looking worried.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.
"I don't feel well." Max coughed. "Go!"
"Are you sure? Cause you don't look very-"
"I said Go, Elias!" Max half shouted.
"Fine, alright, I'll go! Geez." Rose hurried up into the girl's staircase to avoid Calvert stumbling across her. He was muttering something like, "Lunatic." As he passed, unaware that Rose was but two feet from him.
She tip-toed down the staircase and peered pass the wall to see Max crouched down on the floor holding his head. What the heck just happened? He lied, then he doubled over in pain. Was he that conflicted when he lied? Did it physically hurt?
He sat on the floor for a little bit thinking. She knew it was time to hide again when she saw him punch the floor, shove the letter into his pocket and start toward where she was.
Rose laid awake in bed after that. Moonlight was shining through the window next to her, illuminating her thumbs that were tapping that back of her folded hands. Was she wrong in making him stay here? To keep him from going? He wasn't going to tell a teacher or the Ministry. Should she? What happened if her Al and Scor succeeded in preventing him from paying the ransom? Would Will really die? And if he did, would his blood be on their hands? Max would certainly not want to be her friend anymore. The thought made her sick. But if he did go, he would most certainly die. Belladonna was a Drury, ruthless. And as far as Rose knew, she had no emotional connection to the boys, or Max at least; she had been with Will for four years. She most likely wouldn't hesitate to kill Max. Rose grabbed her hair in frustration and turned over on her pillow. This was hopeless. If it wasn't for that letter, that stupid letter; the year would have passed as a happy memory of moments. It would have been different if they had gotten it earlier, they would have had more time to consider their options. This whole thing was completely unexpected. She thought for a moment in the dark about how the end of the year would have turned out if she hadn't had met or made friends with Max. She certainly wouldn't be a part of this, she would be happy and celebratory with all the rest of the school. Would Max have left already? Would there be a rumor of a kid disappearing? Would she read in the paper over the summer of a child named Vladimir D'artagnan Everard, a Gryffindor Hogwarts student's body discovered in an abandoned house in Norway? Would she have strained her brain to see if she remembered a boy named Vladimir; his name would have been Darren all year if she hadn't have met him anyway. Would she have shrugged the boy's death away and get back to her oatmeal?
Why did the evil Belladonna Drury kidnap Will? What did she need with him? And why was she all of the sudden interested in Max? What in the world did he have that she couldn't get from anyone else? It wasn't like he overheard personal information because he would have told them already… probably. Rose wished for a moment that, that was the case, all Belladonna would have to do, would be to erase his memory of that and be done with it. And what in the world was so special about Max? He was a metamorphmagus who can't lie, and can heal five times faster than the average human. Maybe that's what Belladonna wanted, his healing powers! She hoped that wasn't the case, any way to extract blood cells by magic would likely be painful or fatal. These weren't her problems to solve per say, but they were her best friend's, so she supposed that made them hers too. She supposed she was like her parents before her, being pulled into a battle that was not her own because she was too closely involved with the owner. This wasn't her battle, but she was going to fight with him. By 'fight' she of course meant use logic and reason to figure things out rationally. She didn't see how she could do take part in this physically. Belladonna would kill her, besides, Max would stun Rose before he let her come along. She looked at her glowing watch to see that it was four in the morning. She rolled back over and curled into a ball. Six days before someone dies. She thought.