Prologue

»Maxym, could you pass the butter please?«

Maxym nodded, finished her mouthful, grabbed the butter next to her and passed it to her father.

»Honey, are you busy today? We are supposed to go and pick up the new dining table this afternoon.« Maxym's mother looked at her husband expectantly.

»Yes, I can do that. I haven't much planned today, no meetings or anything, so I'll be home on time,« came the prompt reply.

Maxym's mother, Sophia, nodded and took a big sip from her coffee cup.

»And you, Maxym? A little tutoring for the silly boy next door again today?« Maxym's father turned to her with a wink.

Maxym shook her head. »No, I don't have to go over there today. And Paps, don't call him stupid. Tobias just gets confused with maths sometimes.«

»That's right. Jim, nobody's stupid, some people just have a little more trouble.« Her mother agreed with her.

»If that's the case,« Jim said with a grin.

»Since you're free, you can help me go shopping?«, said Sophia.

»Oh Mum, do I have to? I'm on holiday after all, and school starts early enough.« Maxym rolled her eyes. She had actually planned to meet up with friends in town. »And why do you have time, anyway? I thought you were on duty today?«

Her mother reached for another slice of bread. »No, I'm just on call and so I'll only have to go to the clinic if they need me.«

»Oh, well, I'll help you with the groceries this morning, but then I'm going into town. We all want to have ice cream today before school starts again next week.« Maxym tried to find a compromise.

»Sure, that works« agreed Sophia.

»Are you excited for the new school year?«, asked her father.

Maxym shrugged. »It'll probably be quite fun. Luckily I'm in english, maths and history with Isabel.«

»Don't talk too much to her and not pay attention to the teacher,« her father admonished her.

Maxym groaned loudly. »Geez Dad, we would never do that.«

»Yeah, you say that now... I'm just warning you.«

Her mother stayed silent. She knew that her daughter was quite smart and as long as her grades were good, it didn't matter to her if her daughter didn't follow the lessons every now and then. After all, she was old enough to know how important her degree was for her future.

»Have you got some exercises s yet, so you could prepare something?«, her father didn't stop.

»No, Dad, we haven't, and we won't get the list of books and other stuff until Friday either, and I'll go shopping with Mummy then,« Maxym recited.

»Good, alright then.« Satisfied, Jim bit into the slice of bread.

»What are we going to do this weekend? There must be a new play at the theatre.« Her mother loved to make plans for the weekend.

Maxym shrugged.

»That sounds good, sweetheart, we can book the tickets online tonight.«

»I suppose you mean I'll reserve the tickets online while you guys are breathing down my neck, checking to make sure your daughter is doing it right,« Maxym replied with a smirk, sticking her tongue out at her father.

Jim stuck out his tongue as well and Sophia said, »Then it's a deal.«

The family had just finished breakfast and Jim had helped himself to another cup of coffee and opened the first page of the newspaper. Maxym helped her mother clean the table. As Sophia filled the dishwasher and Jim turned to the next page, the doorbell rang.

»Are we expecting visitors?« asked Jim.

Sophia looked out of the kitchen into the living room, that also served as a small dining room for the family, and shook her head. »Not that I know of.«

»I'm meeting Isabel at the bus stop, but not until after lunch,« replied Maxym, looking towards the front door with interest.

Jim folded the newspaper and got up from the chair. He walked down the small hallway from the living room and opened the front door.

Maxym and Sophia could only hear unintelligible mumbling and wondered who had rung the bell.

After a short while her father came back into the living room and Sophia also joined her daughter and husband; after all, she was also curious who was visiting them so early.

»Who was it, honey?« Sophia asked her husband, rubbing her wet hands on a towel.

Jim glanced at his wife. »We have a guest«, he said monotone and took a step to the side. All further words stuck in his throat.

Sophia, still not understanding why Jim's mood had so abruptly changed, looked at the person who had come into the living room behind her husband.

»Ah, oh...« her voice failed.

He hadn't come for a long time. It had been the best thing for everyone. Until now.

Sophia tried to remain polite, but she had not been prepared for such a visit.

Maxym, who was sitting in an armchair in the far corner of the living room, and thus could not see who had come to visit, did not understand why her parents were standing stock-still in the room.

She slowly got up and joined her mother.

»What's going on here?« she asked, now realizing who had disturbed her that morning.

»Maxym, it's good to see you,« the guest greeted her.

She just closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb. This couldn't be happening. Did it really have to be now?

»Don't you even want to say hello to your father?« the guest tried again.

»You mean her biological father,« Jim had found his voice again.

The guest nodded apologetically at the landlord. »Of course.«

In front of them stood Draco Lucius Malfoy, Maxym's biological father.