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Chapter Twenty Five

Three months later, Maia stood in her kitchen in the house she shared with James. The summer had passed quickly and had been spent helping James and Maia move into their new home, and Remus and Sirius move into theirs, decorating both houses.

James' parents had generously bought them the house as a graduation present for James, insisting that it was an investment for their future.

Maia had tried to insist on using some of the money she and Sirius' Uncle Alphard had left them, but Mr and Mrs Potter would hear nothing of it and Maia had instead put it in her savings account, half-thinking that she could save it for any future family.

James and Maia lived in the community of Chudley, which wasn't a fairly average sized wizarding town, whereas Remus and Sirius lived in Ottery St Catchpole which was a small village, with lots of muggles nearby.

They were around a 30 minute walk away from each other and Sirius and Remus spent far more time at James and Maia's than they did in their own home anyway. Peter, Frank and Alice were round frequently too - Peter had found a part time job in the menagerie in Diagon Alley after failing to decide on a career and getting qualifications that would allow him to do anything too professional.

Alice and Frank were living in a flat in London and Maia had never seen them happier. She was absolutely certain that there would be a happy announcement soon.

Today was the first day they were all due to start their training for their future careers - James, Sirius, Alice and Frank going to the auror office, Remus to his internship at the ministry and Maia to St Mungo's.

Humming to herself Maia flicked her wand in the direction of the cooker, aiming to make the bacon turn over in the pan. It wiggled a bit but didn't turn and she sighed - she was terrible with household spells, despite her other skills.

She blamed it on her mother - she'd never seen anyone carrying out all the clever little household spells or been taught, given she'd grown up with a house-elf to do everything. She'd seen James' mother doing these sorts of things and she was just so brilliant, but she'd never picked it up.

Sighing, she stuck her wand in her back pocket and reached for the tongs on the kitchen counter to turn the bacon over by hand, while leaning over to put the toaster down with her other hand.

A moment later she heard footsteps behind her and smiled to herself - living with James had already proved so much better than she ever thought it would be. It was just so much fun and she loved having more time with him all to herself than they'd ever had before.

She grinned when she felt him getting closer to her, his breath almost on her neck, before he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

" Morning love," James said, in such a tone she could hear the smile in his voice. His lips brushed her cheek and she knew he was disappointed that she'd gotten up before him, leaving him alone and their bed, and devoid of the opportunity to hold her in his arms like this.

" Good morning," Maia grinned, " making you bacon for breakfast. That alright? "

As she stood with her back pressed against his chest she felt his chuckle rumble through his chest. " Anything you make me is alright," he told her, his lips brushing her cheek with every word.

She nodded and continued to tend to the bacon. She smirked slightly when she heard James' groan of frustration from behind her before he whined, " Aren't you going to turn around and give your boyfriend a kiss? "

" I suppose so," she sighed, mock dramatically.

She set the tongs down on the worktop and turned around in his arms to see that he was pouting at her. He seemed to think pouting at her would get his own way but he failed to realise that Maia found the pout so funny she often dragged it out and let him carry on pouting.

" So kiss me," James sighed, his lips curving into a smirk as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her, large warm hands resting on her waist.

Maia grinned and pushed herself up on her tiptoes, giving in to his demand. She kissed him slowly and his lips moved perfectly with her own in a well practised rhythm. When she tried to pull away, James deepened the kiss, one hand coming up to tangle in her hair as he pressed her back against the worktop.

Only a very loud crack that resonated through the whole kitchen made them spring apart.

Well used to that particular sound, Maia tried her very best not to growl as she peered around James to see her brother standing in the middle of her kitchen.

" Sirius! " she snapped, " how many times have I told you not to do that?! "

Sirius shrugged, casually taking a seat at her kitchen table, " Morning sis, James. Any breakfast going? And if you could cut out the snogging when I want to eat, it'd be great. "

James chuckled while Maia continued to scowl at her brother, " If you're going to apparate straight into the middle of my house, you can't be offended when I'm snogging my boyfriend. In fact, just for that comment ... "

With that she reached out and took two handfuls of James' shirt and pulled him down so she could press her lips to his. She kissed him hard, catching him by surprise. She broke apart just when he started to respond and turned to the toaster and the cooker with a smirk playing on her lips.

She glanced over her shoulder as she pulled a few plates out of the cupboard and saw James standing there with a slack, dazed expression on his face.

" Oh do sit down James," she sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned back to the cupboard, " luckily for you, dear brother, I had a feeling you'd be coming round this morning - "

" I should hope so," Sirius replied from behind her, " twin thing. "

Maia continued as if he hadn't spoken, " So I made enough for all of us. "

" You're brilliant," Sirius grinned in appreciation. " James, for Merlin's sake, sit down and stop staring at my sister. "

Maia giggled as she looked over her shoulder to see James still looking dazed after the rather spectacular kiss she'd laid on him as he sank into a seat around the kitchen table, " Sirius, I live with him. He can stare all he wants. "

She then heard a knock at the door and after turning off the cooker, crossed the kitchen and went into the hallway to answer the door.

She grinned when she opened it to see Remus looking at her. She invited him in warmly and as she led him down the hallway, into the kitchen, she spared a playful glare for Sirius.

" Look Sirius, someone knows how to knock on the door," she told him, before busying herself with splitting the food she'd cooked between four plates.

Remus chuckled as he shrugged out of his cloak, " So Padfoot apparated straight in again, did he? I told him not to - I know how much it annoys you. Told him to respect your privacy, but ... well, he obviously didn't listen. Don't mind us dropping by, do you? I told Sirius it was his turn to do the food shopping this week, but he hasn't dragged himself down to the shops yet. "

" I am here," Sirius pointed out, waving his hands in the air.

Maia snorted, " Don't worry - we can't miss you. And just so you know, I'm not cooking your breakfast everyday for the rest of your life, Sirius Black. "

Sirius sighed, " Aw sis, don't be so ... grown up. "

She rolled her eyes though a smile crossed her face as she walked back to the kitchen table and set three plates down in front of the boys, before putting the fourth down in the last remaining space and taking a seat too.

" So," Remus said as they all tucked into their breakfast, " first day, how are we all feeling? "

Half an hour later, Maia glanced at her watch. " I need to get going," she told the boys, " you three need to get going to the ministry soon too. "

She crossed the room to pluck her cloak from the stand by the doorway. She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and fastened it under her chin before grabbing her bag and throwing it onto one shoulder.

" Good luck today then, you lot," she said with a smile, " and for Merlin's sake stay out of trouble. "

" Ye of little faith," Sirius scoffed while Remus smiled warmly at her, " Have a good day, Maia. "

" I mean it," Maia said, leaning across the table to rest a hand on James' cheek, " No causing trouble. Not on your first day. "

James shook his head at her, " What do you take me for? " he mumbled, before drawing her down to meet his lips in a brief kiss. " Good luck love. "

At the end of the day, where she and the other trainee healers were taught in a large teaching college attached to the hospital, Maia walked into her home with a smile. The training consisted of firstly strictly theoretical work but they would slowly progress to working on the wards under a mentor for a day a week, then a few days, before being permanently on the ward.

" James? " she called out, glancing around as she started to unfasten her cloak.

" In the living room," she heard him call, " we've got a visitor. "

Intrigued, Maia frowned a little as she hung up her cloak. James' tone wasn't particularly casual - it sounded like he was warning her not to say anything risque, she thought, which meant their guest most likely wasn't one of their friends. Or James' parents - he'd said "visitor" not "visitors" and his parents were more than likely to turn up together.

She walked into the living room to find Professor Dumbledore sitting in an armchair, clutching a cup of tea and wearing a relaxed smile.

" Oh, Professor Dumbledore! " Maia exclaimed, surprised, before turning to frown at James who was sitting on the sofa with a rather serious expression on his face. " Erm ... James ... please tell me you didn't get into trouble? "

Professor Dumbledore chuckled, that familiar twinkle in his eyes, " My dear Miss Black, do sit down. Mr Potter has not been misbehaving. "

Maia smiled as she sat on the sofa beside her boyfriend, not quite sure how to act with the old Professor sitting in her kitchen. The whole situation was very strange. She cleared her throat, " I ... um ... didn't know you knew where we lived. "

He smiled at her kindly, " There are ways to obtain this information, my dear. Very nice place, by the way. I'm afraid I come to ask a great and dangerous task of you in these difficult time. "

The war, Maia immediately thought.

There were more and more records of disappearances and people turning on their friends by the week. More destruction, more sightings of the dreaded Death Eaters and more stories that put everyone in the wizarding community on edge. It seemed no-one was safe.

She glanced at James - he looked serious. Dumbledore had clearly already told James about this. She felt slightly comforted when James gently placed his hand over hers, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand.

Maia nodded, willing the headmaster to continue.

Dumbledore continued, " Voldemort is growing more strong by the day and we need to be fight him. I have a few ideas about what his plans are, and my ideas usually turn out to be remarkably simply, I need a team of people to join up with me to help bring him to his downfall. I need the very best and I would very much like your help. I do not ask that you make any decisions now but I am holding a meeting for all those I think might be suitable, to discuss this further. I need people who are dedicated, skilled, and want to see the back of Voldemort. Do you think you could come to the meeting? "

Maia glanced at James again - he'd already said yes, she knew. It was written all over his face, and she knew she was going to say yes too.

How could she not offer whatever skills she had to rid the world of the most evil wizard who had ever lived? It would be dangerous, she knew, but how on earth could they stand by and not fight for the cause?

" Yes," she said, " yes, of course. "

James nodded and squeezed her hand, while the Professor nodded. He didn't look at all surprised - having known these people for seven years, he knew them well enough to know that they would help him.

" Thank you, Miss Black," the old man nodded, " I have a few more calls to make and I will contact you again before the end of the week with the final arrangements for the meeting. I won't keep you any longer. "

James rose to his feet at the same time the headmaster did.

" Thank you, sir," he said, " we'll see you soon then. "

Dumbledore handed his now empty mug back to the young man and smiled at the couple, " You will. Thank you for the tea, James. I'll see myself out. "

When Professor Dumbledore had left, the front door closing behind him, James turned to look at Maia - his strong, stubborn, determined, brave Maia.

He felt a sudden rush of pride for the woman in front of him and as he surveyed her face he could see the slightest flicker of fear in her eyes and frowned - she was such a stubborn woman and she never liked showing him how she felt when she was scared or upset, instead trying to hide it. He often thought it stemmed from the abuse she'd been through at home - maybe it had been easier for her to hide her fear or pain.

" Are you alright? " he asked her.

She nodded, " Fine. "

James rolled his eyes as he took her hand and sat down on the sofa, pulling her with him, " I do know that when a woman says she's "fine" it rarely means she's fine. "

She chuckled a little, leaning into his side, relaxing against him before letting out a loud sigh and becoming serious, " In that case, you've learnt well over the years. I am fine though. Just ... Voldemort. The danger. I worry ... something might happen to you, Jamie. "

She felt him stiffen at the unexpected turn in the conversation and he turned so he was facing her, looking at her with a very careful expression. " Maia, love, don't," he said, his voice level - too level, she thought, too controlled - he was worried too.

" James, I'm just saying - "

To her surprise, he cut her off, " Maia, please. I know. I know you're worried and you think if Voldemort carries on the way he is right now, the future is ... bleak. I know what it's like to start worrying about if everyone you love is going to make it through, to wonder when you're going to get a phone call or a knock on the door with the worst possible news, wonder when all this is going to be over. "

Maia nodded, " I'm sorry. I just ... I just worry. I ... you, Sirius - " she broke off, not sure how to continue, regretting ever starting the conversation.

James took a deep breath and reached out to thread one hand through her hair, allowing his hand to rest on the back of her head, " The best place to be is at Dumbledore's side. And ... and you're my Maia. And if ... " he swallowed hard, " if you don't mind, I just can't. I can't think .. or talk about ... what would happen if ... if ... "

She nodded, understanding his struggle to phrase his feelings and she rested her free hand on his leg gently, " It's ok. I'm sorry. It's just ... scary. "

" I know," he sighed, " but Dumbledore can do anything. He'll defeat Voldemort. He will. And I'm never ever going anywhere. I love you far too much for that. "

Maia nodded and responded by leaning forward and kissing his lips gently, tenderly. He slowly wrapped his arms around her as she climbed into his lap and she ran her hands through his hair as he deepened their kiss, pouring all his unsaid words into the kiss.

When they broke apart, Maia shifted her weight and James folded her into his arms, forcing her settle down in his lap, resting her head against his chest while he rested his cheek against her hair.

They both knew the topic was well and truly closed for the day. Of course the dangers out there still existed and the thought of losing each other was still very real and very terrifying, but they both knew that if they dwelled on that forever, they'd never get anywhere. Instead, it had to be enough that they were together right now and they had no plans to let go.

" Tell me about your day then, Healer Black," James smiled, absently playing with her hair as they cuddled together. " Did you get a cute little uniform yet? "

Maia smiled too, " Technically it's Trainee Healer Black, and I don't have a uniform just yet but - "

As he listened to her recounting every detail of her day, he tightened his arm around her and pulled her closer, determined that he would always be able to have this woman in his arms.

The more he allowed his mind to wander and think about their current situation, the more he thought about their future. If anything ever happened - Merlin forbid - to his Maia, he would like to know that she'd been his is every way possible. Perhaps there was no point hanging around - he already knew he wanted to spend forever with her. Maybe he should just go for it.

" James? Are you listening? "

He chuckled when he realised he hadn't actually been but pacified her with a gentle kiss to the forehead, " Of course I am. "

" You weren't at all, were you? "

" No," he admitted, " sorry. "

She chuckled, nestling further into his chest. " Honestly, James. "

" I promise I only wasn't listening because I was thinking about you," he told her, wrapping a long dark curl of her hair around one finger.

" Then you're redeemed," she told him, grinning when he responded by kissing the top of her head gently again, " now, tell me about your day instead. "