Disclaimer: Everything is J.K.R.'s
A/N: And it is the moment we've all been waiting for! yay!
"I'm Mallory."
What?
"How?" Harry demanded, glaring at Max.
"Is your memory really that bad that you could never see it? It was right in front of you, Harry. How stupid could you get?" Max questioned, raising her eyebrows. Things were coming out of her mouth that she couldn't control. Things she never meant to tell him but always wanted to say…
"You can't be Mallory. You're too.."
"Heartless?" Max suggested. "Thanks, Harry. I really appreciate it," she cooed, shaking her head. Harry stared in disbelief.
"How can you prove it?" he asked.
"Do you remember the first day we met?" she questioned.
"Yes. And I thought Malfoy was bad.." he trailed off.
"No, Potter, the first time you met Mallory," Max sighed. Harry paused, thinking back.
"I do," he admitted, remembering how horrible she was at first. Suddenly it all fell into place. How could he have not seen it before? The similarities, not only in appearance, were right in front of him, literally. Mallory had grown, sure, but her eyes remained the same dark shade of blue, her hair still black as his and just as messy. Her face had gotten leaner, but the angles were similar enough to send chills down his spine.
Similarities in personality were evident, as well. Though when he knew her Mallory had not yet developed a bitch syndrome she shared the same snarky attitude, controlling personality, and unmistaken passion.
"See?" she asked, voice weak in the moonlight.
"You are her. You are my Mallory," he exclaimed, reaching out to grab her hand. She evaded him, slipping into the shadows.
"I'm not your Mallory anymore, Potter. I am Max Connors," she said, emotion drained from her voice.
"They're the same person!" Harry defended.
"No, Harry. Mallory was a girl who was just trying to fit in, kill some time before life started for her. She died the moment I stepped on the train to Hogwarts," Max exclaimed, eyes boring into Harry's. She hated telling him these things, because she knew that by letting the truth out the both of them were only going to get hurt.
"So you just used me, knowing fully who I was, and then dumped me when you would have the chance to please your father?" Harry inquired. "I should have hated you all along."
"No, Harry, I'm not the bad friend here," Max confirmed. "My father didn't tell me anything about the wizarding world until school. I knew nothing of who you were or why you were there. It was you, who left me. It was you who forgot."
"You could have made me remember," Harry muttered.
"It was too late! You promised we would be friends forever. What did you plan on doing, Potter? Leaving your only friend for a new world of magic? Face it, the moment you got your letter I became I silly muggle," Max played her words carefully, making sure to twist the truth just enough to make Harry feel guilty enough not to rat her out.
"You recognized me, though," was his only defense. It was a good one too, and had Max not been as determined as she was it might have worked. Had Max not been Max she would have lost right there. A Connors did not give up so easily, though.
"It was too late. Mallory was a silly façade I had to leave behind. It was time to become who I was meant to be," Max explained, raising her head.
"Then what are you doing here?" Harry asked, shaking his head. He knew who she was meant to be, hated it with every piece of his being. He was not sure, however, if who she was meant to be was who she was. If so, what was she doing here? Unless Harry had been right, of course, and she was trying to get information out of him.
"I don't know!" Max cried, surprised at the truth in her words. She immediately tried to make up an excuse. "I guess I saw some of the Harry I used to know for a moment, but let's face the music, Potter. The magic changed you; we can't be anything more then enemies," Max stated, glaring. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was slowly killing any chances she had of befriending the boy, completing her mission. None of that mattered now; it was just her and Harry. Voldemort, the outside world, it was all forgotten, consumed by the reunion of friendship. It should have been bittersweet for them, but somehow the sweet was lost among the hate that bounced between their bodies, tearing them apart
"And it didn't change you?" Harry replied.
"I know my place," was her response.
"So you're willing to forget all that we had, all the promises we made-"
"And you broke," Max interrupted, but she was ignored.
"For a life of being a Death Eater?" he asked.
"Do you think I ever wanted this?" Max yelled, the words flowing more truthfully then she ever knew. She couldn't remember it ever being like this. She couldn't remember ever feeling so much chagrin. "I do what is expected of me."
"Really?" Harry asked. "Because I expected more from you, Mallory," and with that he turned on his heel and left.
"I'm not Mallory!" she called after him, but it was no use. He was already gone.
--
Max slumped against the wall, the world crushing down on her. How did things end up like this? Not only did she ruin all chances of completing the mission, but she wasn't even sure if she wanted to do it anymore. She buried her head in her hands, talking to herself.
"I have to," she spoke with determination. "I've no other choice."
The truth coming out with Harry had also opened some fresh wounds. She's forgotten how much it hurt when Harry had forgotten her, breaking his promise. Max had become skilled at hiding all emotion and not caring about things that didn't matter, but she was slowly learning that the friendship she had with Harry did matter.
"Had," she repeated. "I don't have it anymore," she confirmed. "But I will," was added as an afterthought.
And she wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not.
