Chapter Thirty-One No Sweet Dreams
Fire engulfed her. Hermione. Maxima.. A distorted version of their faces reflected back in the flame. But the fire did not burn hot, despite how she stood in the hearth. It burned cold like ice, a void of all warmth and happiness. The reflected faces merged, revealing Maxima, Maxima holding blades of steel covered in blood. Cold flame lept from her fingers, she was death.
Maxima woke up screaming. Her skin damp with sweat and her body shaking. It isn't until all the lights are on that she's convinced she's awake. That she isnt still burning. She looks toward the now familiar objects place in what used to be regulus Blacks bedroom and wonders what the boy would think of her occupying his room. Would he call her filth, comment on the dirt in her blood? She wonders what kind of man the boy would have become.
He had given his life to thieve a horcrux, surely that said something about his characters, his thoughts on blood purity. Was she even a muggleborn, her life as a potter would make her a pureblood, so much of her life had existed in a fight for blood equality. It was destabilizing.
"Mistress is in need of calming drought. Bad dreams she has. But Kreature helps" the elf hands her the potion and she downs it immediately. The relief is almost instant.
"Kreature?" Begins maxima looking at the elf, "why do you call me mistress?"
It was true, despite the horrid treatment of siirius and all others the elf was quick to call blood traitors and filth, the elf had never been anything but kind to her. Even in her presence he dipped his head almost respectfully.
The elf looked at her frightened and wide eyed before responding.
"Kreature serves the Nobel house of Black,
and you mistress-"
The elf is cut off by Sirius entering her bedchambers, worry etched into his brow. He must have heard her scream. She felt guilty for wrenching him from sleep, she knew how little he got, for no matter the hour he could always be found in the library. Sirius black, the reader, it almost felt like a lie as she thought it.
Kreatcher disappears with "blood traitor" hissed in Sirius direction. Maxima raises an eyebrow in the perculiar actions of the elf. She hates the bind that the elf had to the family, but had read upon the bind, the elves were truly happier and lived longer if they had a family. She was embarrassed by the ignorant way she had protested their work in favor of SPEW, and the dreadful name. She had meant well, but well intentions often did harm.
"l'm fine "she reassures Sirius before he can pester her with questions. He looks at her sharply, unconvinced but sits on her bed, accompaning her before while she falls back asleep. It is still the early hours of the morning, and exhaustion weighs heavily on her.
"the woods are dark lonely and deep
but I have promises to keep
and miles to go before I sleep" Sirius recites, his voice soft slowly lulling her to sleep.
"Frost, wizard?" murmurs maxima, an old game she once played with Lupin.
"No, muggle" corrects Sirius as her eyes flutter close.
Sirius checks and rechecks the wards on the house, his insomnia keeping him awake. Her nightmares served as a reminder of the danger that still existed- Voldemort and his followers still marched on. The world didn't stop despite of his losses.
Sirius thought to his friends, gone, and hoped that she could really save them all, that she would. He knew the potion would have to be used next full moon, he hoped she would forgive him for not disposing of the potion when he said he would-for her, he'd destroy the whole world, the whole timeline. For her.