Chapter 5—The One Where She Ran Away From Home
By the time the term ended a week later, Maya and Charlie had agreed never to speak of the party again. Their friendship was more tentative than it had been, but Ivy had helped patch things up. She had explained to Maya that the plan was for her to be the one that Charlie snogged when Bill finished turning him, but Bridgette had pushed her way into the center of the circle.
They shared a compartment on the way home. "How do you think O.W.L.S went?" Charlie asked.
"I think I did alright in Defense, Charms, and Transfiguration. History of Magic was a disaster and I'm not sure about Herbology and Potions," Maya answered.
"Are you taking Care of Magical Creatures next year?" Charlie asked. "Professor Kettleburn said that there would be field trips."
"I'm thinking about it," Maya said. Charlie continued to question her, but Maya begged him to stop and just sit quietly for a while. She felt a sense of foreboding about going home, like something was terribly wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She soon fell asleep, leaning against the window. Charlie laid her down and put his jacket under her head for a pillow. When they were pulling back into King's Cross Station, he woke her up.
"Thanks," she said. "I'll send an owl about summer."
"Come and visit us," he pled. "Please."
"I'll try," Maya promised. Her mother was waiting for her and Maggie at the station.
A week later, Maya learned why she had been dreading going home. Throughout the week, she heard her parents fighting nearly constantly and she noticed that they had started sleeping in separate bedrooms. One day, Maya had gone out shopping with her mother and sister, but came home early. Her father was home, but he wasn't alone. He was meeting with a lawyer in the study when they arrived. Maya's mother was supposed to have prepared Maya and Maggie for this, but couldn't tell them.
"What's going on, Dad?" Maya demanded, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"You were supposed to tell them," he said firmly to her mother. "Darling, your mother and I love you and Maggie both very much, but we've decided to get a divorce."
"What do you mean you're getting a divorce?" Maya shouted. "Wizards don't divorce."
"They do when the wedding was a muggle wedding, dear," her mother said, calmly. "We'll be moving back to our old house and you'll visit your dad…"
"NO!" Maya shouted. "I want to know why."
"We just don't love each other anymore," her dad said, though Maya didn't believe it. During one of their fights, she was sure that she had heard her mother shouting something about another woman.
Maya had heard enough. She ran from the room, crying, and locked herself in her room. She sent her owl to Charlie explaining that she needed to come to the Burrow immediately, but that he mustn't tell his parents she was coming. He owled back that Bill would be by to get her that night as he had graduated and could apparate.
When Bill arrived, he helped Maya get her bag and took her hand, apparating them to the Burrow. Then, he snuck her into the house and into Charlie's room. Maya had told Maggie that she was going out that night, but swore her to secrecy. Maggie agreed and was making plans to go to Penelope's house for a week soon.
When Charlie saw Maya, he pulled her into a hug and let her cry against his chest. Bill cast silencing charms around the room to avoid waking their parents. "What's wrong, love?" Charlie asked.
"Mum and Dad are g-g-getting a d-d-divorce," Maya sniffed.
Charlie sat her on his bad, her head resting against his shoulder. Bill gave him a small nod and left the room. Maya fell asleep leaning against Charlie, and he pulled her onto his bed with him. When he tried to move, she woke and started to cry, so he stayed with her in his bed all night. The next morning, Molly was going to wake Charlie, but Bill volunteered.
"Mate, wake up," Bill ordered. "Mum will do her nut if she finds you lot like this."
"Sorry," Charlie said. He slithered out of bed, out of Maya's grasp. He ate his breakfast with the rest of the family. While he was helping to clear away the table, he snuck a small stack of toast for Maya, and left, telling his mother he needed to get dressed.
Maya was awake when he returned. "I was hoping to wake up at Hogwarts and find that it was all a bad dream," she said. Charlie handed her the toast. "Thanks, Charlie."
"You'll have to go home at some point, you know," Charlie said. "Mum's probably going to find you in here sooner or later."
"Can we go for a fly?" she asked.
"Yeah," Charlie said. "Wait by the window. I'll fly up to get you and you can use Bill's broom." She nodded. Charlie was cornered when he reached the kitchen. Maya's mother had shown up looking for her.
"Charlie, dear, you know Mrs. Binning," said Molly. "She's Maya's mother."
"Yes, Mum," Charlie said. "How are you Mrs. Binning?"
"We can't find Maya," she said. She looked scared and tired. "Do you know where she is?"
"I can't say," Charlie said, not really lying, but not telling the truth either. "You're sure she's not at home?"
"No," she said. "She wasn't there this morning when I went to get her for her music lesson."
"I don't know what to tell you," Charlie said, choosing his words very carefully.
Mrs. Binning left the Burrow, making Molly promise to send her a message if she happened to hear from Maya. After she was gone, Molly rounded on Charlie. "You were too careful in how you worded your answers, Charlie," Molly accused. "Where is Maya?"
"I can't say, Mum," Charlie said.
"But you know," Molly accused.
"Yes," Charlie answered. "I won't lie to you, but I can't tell you where she is. I'll try to get her to go home, but I can't force her."
"You have until 5:00 tonight before the Aurors get involved, Charlie," Molly warned, but let her son slip past her into the garden. He grabbed his broom and Bill's and flew to his window. Maya was waiting.
"Took you long enough," she accused.
"Your Mum was here," Charlie answered. "She's really worried and wants you to come home."
"No," Maya said.
"Then let us at least tell her where you are," Charlie offered. "If we don't, the Aurors will be here at 5:00." Maya agreed to think about it and climbed out the window onto Bill's broomstick. They flew around the orchard a few times and landed in a clearing. Charlie told Maya to wait for a moment and left her alone. He returned with a basket of apples and a beater's bat. "We're going to play Apple Schmear."
"What's that?" Maya asked. Charlie explained the game to her. Basically, she would have the beater's bat and they would fly into the air. Charlie would toss apples at her and she would hit them. She thought it sounded silly at first, but once she got started, she found that it was oddly relaxing.
"You knew that would help, didn't you?" Maya asked when they landed. Charlie nodded. "Let's go tell your Mum to call my Mum." They went into the house and Molly scolded Maya for running away, but put a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of her while she sent a message to Maya's mother that she was safe and healthy at the Burrow.
Mrs. Binning arrived an hour later and yelled at Maya for running away. She ordered her to return home with her, but Maya refused. "I'm not coming back right now," Maya stated. "And if you force me, I'll run away again."
"And I'll know where to find you," Mrs. Binning warned.
"I won't come here and I won't tell Charlie where I am," Maya threatened. "I'm not coming home today."
"You're to be home by Saturday," Mrs. Binning said, turning to leave. Maya nodded, but a fresh batch of tears had found their way to her eyes. Charlie led her into the yard and down to the river. His brothers were playing quidditch in the orchard, but he knew that wouldn't help Maya.
They sat on the small dock at the edge of the property and dangled their feet over the side. Maya leaned her head on Charlie's shoulder and let him hold her hand as they sat together in silence. Molly brought them sandwiches for lunch, but they did not speak or move. By dusk, Molly was calling them for dinner. Maya didn't really want to move, but let Charlie pull her up and lead her inside. She didn't eat much, and spent the dinner mostly pushing food around her plate. After dinner, she and Charlie returned to the garden outside. "In by 11:00," Molly said as they silently walked out. Charlie nodded his understanding.
They sat on the bench in the garden watching the fireflies for a few moments. "Are you ever going to talk again?" Charlie asked.
"What do think happened with my parents?" Maya said quietly. "I mean, how do they go from loving each other one day to deciding to get divorced the next?"
"It didn't happen overnight," Charlie said. "This has probably been building for a while. You said it yourself before that they fought a lot."
"They did," Maya replied. "Maggie used to sneak into my room at night when we'd hear them shouting at each other." Maya started to cry, so Charlie rubbed her back. "I shouldn't have left her. She's all alone there."
"Maggie's tough," Charlie promised. "I'm surprised she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor."
"Not helping, Charlie," Maya warned. Charlie sighed, but stayed silent.
At 11:00, Molly called them back into the house. "Maya, you can either stay in Ginny's room or in the den with Charlie and Bill," Molly said.
"We'll take the den, Mum," Charlie answered. Maya nodded, but said nothing. So, Molly let the boys set up some camp beds in the den. Bill wasn't thrilled, but had taken a liking to Maya and, so, agreed to chaperone Charlie and Maya in the den.
Once the den was set up, Maya went to change and brush her teeth before bed. It was the first time she had looked in a mirror all day. There were bags under her eyes and she was pale. "No wonder Charlie doesn't want to kiss me," she thought. She went back to the den to find Charlie offering her the most comfortable of the beds in the room. She lay down and listened quietly while Bill and Charlie settled.
Maya didn't sleep much that night. No matter what Charlie said, she couldn't stop feeling guilty about leaving Maggie alone in the house and was almost tempted to ask if she could come over too. The next morning, however, her fears were calmed when she received an owl from Maggie that she had gone to Penelope's house.
"Feeling better?" Molly asked, handing Maya a plate with pancakes and bacon.
"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Maya lied. She couldn't bear to tell Molly that she was exhausted from 2 nights of very little sleep. After breakfast, Maya went and took a shower, relishing the calm that the bathroom gave her in the chaos that was the Burrow.
For the rest of the week, Maya kept as much to herself as possible. Charlie sensed that she was still not dealing with anything and tried to press her into talking to him, but she worried that if she started talking, she'd start sobbing and she didn't want to do that to Charlie. By the time Friday night arrived, Maya was dreading going home. She and Charlie stayed up late that night, blowing off curfew and sitting in the garden. "I don't want to go home," Maya confessed finally.
"I know," Charlie replied. "You'd be welcome to stay if your parents would let you."
"They won't," Maya said, sadly. "I'm going to be grounded for the rest of summer for running away. My Dad will probably barely let me leave my room, if he bothers to see me at all."
"If he locks you in, owl me and I'll send Bill on another rescue mission," Charlie promised. Maya chuckled.
"Your Mum will be so pissed if you do," Maya warned. "You'd probably be grounded forever. Will you owl me when you get your grades?"
"Of course," Charlie promised. "We can try to arrange a meet-up in Diagon Alley to get our books. Promise me you'll at least think about Care of Magical Creatures. The class promises to be loads of fun this year."
"I'll think about it," Maya promised. If she was being honest, she had already decided to take the class for Charlie. They sat in silence for a long moment before Maya said, "Who did you want to kiss? At the party?"
Charlie smirked. "I can't believe you're bringing that up now," he joked. He was blushing furiously, and added, "I thought you knew."
"It was Ivy, wasn't it?" Maya asked, sadly.
"No," Charlie answered. "It was you. I wanted to kiss you at Christmas and on Valentine's Day and at any other opportunity I've had."
"So, why haven't you?" Maya asked.
"I haven't had another good opportunity," Charlie answered. "Would you have slapped me if I had kissed you?"
"You're going to have to try it to find out," Maya joked. For the first time since her arrival, she was smiling broadly. It was Charlie's favorite of her smiles and he leaned in to kiss her. Their lips had barely touched when they heard Arthur clearing his throat from the doorway.
"Curfew was an hour ago," Arthur said. Charlie sighed and stood, offering Maya a hand.
"We have THE worst timing," Charlie said. "I promise to find an opportunity to test whether you'd slap me."
As Charlie walked into the house, Arthur stopped him and said, "Don't do anything you don't want to tell us about, son."
"Fair enough, Dad," Charlie replied, heading to his room.
Maya's mother arrived early the next day to retrieve Maya and bring her back to London. Maya thanked the Weasleys for their hospitality and promised Charlie that she'd write. He hugged her tightly and promised to rescue her if she needed it.