DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter...
A/N: I know, I said this was on hold for a while, but I decided it was safe to post the next chapter. It's not very long, but it's getting a little progressive. Please enjoy.
Chapter 15: Truths Revealed
The deaths of both Mrs. Edgar and Mr. Wormwood seemed to have brought a permanent gloomy feel to the house. The children were rarely smiling. Mrs. Wormwood never came out of her room. Even Dame Victoria had quieted down, with the exception of her occasional snappy order at one of the children.
Maddy did not feel welcome in this house anymore. She seemed like an outsider looking in on a mourning family. Try as she could to stop it, her mind kept floating back to that fateful Christmas when she, Harry and Sirius felt unwelcome while the Weasley children were waiting to hear what had become of their father.
She avoided the library, for that was where the children always were, and their unhappy faces were enough to break her heart. She would have to leave soon, or she too, would be caught under the spell of despair.
One afternoon, Maddy had been passing Mrs. Wormwood's room, when she heard the door open. Mrs. Wormwood peeked her head out.
"Miss Maddy?"
Maddy turned sharply and glanced at the woman. For a moment, she did not recognize her. Mrs. Wormwood was no longer the beautiful, noble-looking woman she was before, but instead, she resembled an old biddy. Her hair, which was once a heavenly blonde, was lank and gray. There were vivid wrinkles on her face, and her eyes were droopy and bloodshot.
"Yes?"
A long bony finger beckoned Maddy into the room. Every curtain was closed, and every drawer was thrown open, its contents spilling across the floor. Mrs. Wormwood closed the door behind Maddy and stood beside her, gazing around the room.
"Horrible, eh?" Mrs. Wormwood's voice cracked. When she spoke, Maddy could hear a strange rattling noise in her chest.
Maddy shook her head; "No…It's understandable…"
Mrs. Wormwood gave a laugh that resembled a bark. Maddy shuddered involuntarily. Sirius used to laugh like that.
"That was always your problem, Miss Maddy…"
Maddy looked at her quickly. For a fleeting moment, Maddy thought that Mrs. Wormwood had read her mind.
"You always understood everything. You could relate to anyone. You were perfect…"
Maddy frowned. "I'm not perfect, Ma'am…"
A withered hand clapped Maddy's shoulder. "I know you aren't, dear, but one can pretend…"
Maddy thought there was some kind of hidden insult in Mrs. Wormwood's comment. She didn't respond and continued to stare at a pile of photographs beside the bed.
"Oh come on, Maddy, you can tell me…" Mrs. Wormwood moved to the bed and stared at her, expectantly.
"I-I don't know what you mean…"
"You were in love with my husband from the moment you met him. You made up some wonderful life, studying at fifty different schools…claiming you were a witch…" Mrs. Wormwood shook her head. "You did it all to catch his attention. If one word of it were true…I'd eat this bedpost…"
Maddy felt her face grow hot, "You'd better like the taste of it, cause you'll be enjoying it for a while. I never lied about any of that."
Mrs. Wormwood laughed again, "Please, Miss. No one at the party knew you, even Mr. Potter…" Maddy's heart gave a strange jolt. "I tried to figure out if he knew you and he didn't. He would have gone to school with you…"
Maddy took a deep breath and looked up from the photographs, "Harry did know me! Harry and I…" she broke off and bit her lip. Was she about to tell Mrs. Wormwood about them?
But, Mrs. Wormwood understood. "So, you and Mr. Potter were involved?"
Maddy nodded.
Mrs. Wormwood nodded as well, "I see. Well…you certainly get around Miss Maddy…"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maddy asked angrily.
"Well, you certainly have a thing for married men. First Mr. Potter and then Mortimer…" she made an odd sound when she said Mr. Wormwood's name.
"I…never! No!" Mrs. Wormwood was getting it all wrong! "No! Harry and I were involved during school! Then he fell in love with Ginny, and I left and hadn't seen him since!"
Mrs. Wormwood raised an eyebrow, "So…you did go to school together?"
"Yes!" Maddy insisted.
"But you said…"
"At the dinner we said we didn't know each other, because it was awkward seeing each other after that many years! And we didn't exactly say good-bye in the most pleasant of ways, so things were still a little tense…"
"Why?"
Maddy was getting irritated. This was none of Mrs. Wormwood's business! "Ginny is my cousin!"
"Oh!" A look of understanding spread across Mrs. Wormwood's wrinkled face. "Oh dear…"
Maddy crossed her arms. She was waiting for Mrs. Wormwood's apology. It didn't come. Instead, the woman continued to stare at her in an accusing way.
"But what about my husband?"
"What about your husband?" Maddy asked exasperatedly.
"Did you ever have an affair with him?" she exploded.
"No!"
Mrs. Wormwood looked disbelieving. Maddy looked right into her eyes and told her again that she hadn't. The old woman still didn't seem to believe her.
"What will I have to do to get you to believe me? Take a lie-detector test? Drink a whole bottle of Veritserum?"
"A whole bottle of what?" Mrs. Wormwood looked curious.
"Nothing!" Maddy answered, annoyed.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Dame Victoria appeared.
"What's going on in here?"
Her eyes fell onto Maddy, who was standing at the end of the bed, looking rather angry. Dame Victoria waved her hands at her.
"You shouldn't be in here. Get out! Get out!"
Maddy scooted toward the door, but Mrs. Wormwood's voice stopped them.
"No! Mother, I was having a conversation with Miss Maddy…"
Dame Victoria looked at her daughter-in-law, and then back at Maddy. She could have sworn she heard shouting.
"But dear-"
"It is rather important, Mother…"
Mrs. Wormwood stared at the elderly lady, whose gaze fell upon Maddy. She moved to the door, and held the knob.
"Do you wish me to leave?"
Maddy started to nod, but Mrs. Wormwood shook her head.
"No, you don't need to…I just have a few more questions for Miss Maddy…maybe she will answer them a little more honestly if you are here…"
Dame Victoria nodded and stood behind Maddy, pushing her a little closer to the bed. Maddy was starting to feel nervous. She had never been interrogated like this before.
"Miss Maddy…did you ever have an affair with my husband?" Mrs. Wormwood asked evenly.
"No." Maddy said, firmly.
Dame Victoria started to make a sound that resembled a scoff, but Mrs. Wormwood held up a hand for silence.
"All right then, did my husband ever try to make a move on you, or vice versa…"
Maddy didn't like this. She didn't like this at all. "Y-Yes…" she caught herself quickly, "But not vice-versa…"
Mrs. Wormwood nodded, "Yes. Now, what did you do, when my husband made a move on you…"
"I-I panicked…" Maddy said shakily. She could remember the night vividly in her mind. "I struggled with him…and…and then…then something happened…and he couldn't hold on to me anymore…and I ran…"
"Where did you go?"
"Charles…I ran to Charles's house. I was scared…" Tears started to prick the edges of her eyes. This wasn't true. She had met up with Charles in the driveway.
Mrs. Wormwood nodded. Maddy had the feeling that she suddenly believed her. Dame Victoria looked as if she hadn't believed a word.
"Yes…yes…" Mrs. Wormwood said slowly.
Maddy wasn't sure why Mrs. Wormwood was saying 'yes'. Was she agreeing that that was what happened? If she already knew, then why did she bother asking?
"Jane, dear…you don't believe this, do you? Why couldn't he hold on to you anymore?" Dame Victoria snarled.
Maddy shook her head, "I-I don't know. It was some kind of magic. Something protecting me…"
Dame Victoria laughed harshly, "Ha! Magic? We're supposed to buy that?"
"Mother!" Mrs. Wormwood butt in, "I believe Miss Maddy is telling the truth."
"But…Jane…she says…she claims…magic…" Dame Victoria sputtered.
"Miss Maddy is a witch…" Mrs. Wormwood said idly.
Dame Victoria moved away from Maddy slowly.
"And my husband was a drunk…"
Both Maddy and Dame Victoria looked up. Mrs. Wormwood looked very solemn, and she appeared to be staring at her toes.
"Mortimer liked to drink…" she said quietly. "I tried to deny it; I tried to hide it…but I couldn't…" She looked up at Maddy, "I suppose he was drunk when he…he…"
Maddy nodded, "Yes…there was a bottle of whiskey on the desk…" She could remember knocking it over onto the floor. "There may still be a stain where it fell over…"
"We will inspect it immediately!" Dame Victoria said quickly.
Mrs. Wormwood held up her hand, again. "There will be no need. Miss Maddy, you are excused. I would now like a word with my Mother-in-law…"
Maddy nodded curtly, and exited the room. The marauder that was somewhere deep down inside her, longed to listen in on their conversation, but she resisted. This was not a time to get into more trouble.
-----
A quiet knock came to Maddy's door later that night. She looked up from her book, and removed her glasses (not many people knew she wore these). She stood up and moved toward the door.
"C-Come in…"
Mrs. Wormwood peered into the room, now looking like her normal self. She entered slowly, smiling lightly at Maddy.
"Hello…"
Maddy smiled, weakly; "Hello…"
"I-er-I wanted to apologize for accusing you of…well…of something you didn't do. I feel terrible…"
You should… Maddy thought smugly.
"Thanks…" Maddy replied, shaking away the rude comment she was going to make.
Mrs. Wormwood walked over to the chair near Maddy's desk. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Mrs. Wormwood drew a shuddering breath.
"Have you ever lost someone, Miss Maddy? Someone close to you?"
Maddy was caught off guard by her question, but was prepared to answer honestly, "Yes, I have…"
"I mean…" Mrs. Wormwood interrupted, "I mean, someone really close to you. I don't mean, you getting up and leaving, but having someone die…so you'll never see them again…"
Maddy nodded. Mrs. Wormwood didn't see her. Maddy really didn't feel like talking about it, but as she had told the children, she had lost many people in her life.
"I have lost almost every fatherly figure that has ever come into my life…" Maddy said at last. "I thought for many years, that I was cursed, doomed to have everyone I loved die…"
Mrs. Wormwood turned to face her, "But…but in the magical world, you can do things we can't. You can…can make things better. Make things come back. You have potions and…and spells to fix things right?"
Maddy wasn't sure what Mrs. Wormwood meant. "Yes, we have potions and spells to make things better, but not everything…"
"But…Magic. Shouldn't magic be able to fix everything?"
Maddy shook her head, "No…magic can't fix everything. Some things are too dangerous for magic to fix…"
Mrs. Wormwood started to pace around the room. Maddy had a strange feeling she knew what Mrs. Wormwood was thinking of. Of course, Maddy could never do it. She would never do it.
"Oh, Miss Maddy…can't you bring the dead back to life?" Mrs. Wormwood said, distraught.
Maddy froze for a moment. She was right. Mrs. Wormwood was asking the impossible of her. "No, Ma'am. I'm afraid I can't…"
"But you must be able to! You have magical powers! You-You must be able to do something!" Tears started to form in Mrs. Wormwood's eyes.
"No, Ma'am…I wouldn't do it."
"But you can!"
Maddy didn't answer right away. Sure she could, but she never, in a million years, would dream of actually performing such a ritual.
"I can, Ma'am, I just don't have that kind of power. It's dark…dark magic…and he won't be Mortimer when he comes back. He'll be something dark; something inhuman…"
"I don't care what he comes back as! I just want him back!" Mrs. Wormwood had a mad look in her eye. It frightened Maddy.
Maddy continued to shake her head, "I won't do it. I can't do it! I couldn't put you in that much danger. He wouldn't be able to love. He'd be dangerous…"
Mrs. Wormwood started to look angry. "But you must! I must have him back! I must!"
Maddy grabbed her by the arms, "You must learn to live without him! You must learn to move on! To forgive! Do not forget the reasons you have to continue living here! Look at your children! What would they do without you?"
Mrs. Wormwood started to sob, "My children hate me…"
"No," Maddy gathered Mrs. Wormwood in her arms, "No, they don't hate you. You're their mother. They love you."
Mrs. Wormwood shook her head, "No, no, they hate me. They hate me! I should just send them off to an orphanage…"
Maddy held Mrs. Wormwood at arm's length. "Jane Wormwood! Don't you dare say that! Anyone would give to have the four loving, caring, wonderful children you have! You have been blessed with them. Don't give that up!"
"What would you know…" Mrs. Wormwood spat, "You don't have any children."
"No, but for six years I pretended that those children were mine, and I loved them more than anything in the world!" Maddy didn't even have to think about what she was saying anymore. The words just seemed to tumble from her mouth.
Mrs. Wormwood looked back at her horrified, "You what?!"
"I have never been able to have children!" Maddy screamed. "The one thing I want the most in this world, and I've never been able to have any! What more could you expect from me?"
Mrs. Wormwood fell silent. Everything that Maddy had been hiding over the years was suddenly coming out into the open.
"Did anyone know this?" she asked quietly.
Maddy didn't respond.
"Harry?"
Maddy nodded. She remembered telling Harry that in their fifth year. Or it might have been the summer before fifth year, she couldn't quite remember.
"And he didn't care?"
Maddy shook her head. Harry had never cared. He said that they would figure out a way to raise a family somehow. Even if they had to adopt. As long as it wasn't a black haired little boy named Tom Riddle. Maddy had laughed. Harry didn't.
"Then why the hell are you not with him now?!" Mrs. Wormwood looked at her in disbelief.
Maddy looked at her, shocked. She had never expected that kind of reaction.
"A man like that?! You don't find one of those very often! And you gave him up?! What is wrong with you?"
"I didn't give him up! He left me!"
"But you didn't fight for him! You had to prove to him how much you loved him! Miss Maddy!"
Maddy shook her head. She hadn't fought for him. She had pouted, and yelled, and walked away. Everything could have been so much different. She could have married him. She could possibly had a family already.
"You have to go to him…" Mrs. Wormwood said, gently, "Go to him and tell him how you feel…"
"But he's married…" Maddy said, in a small whisper.
"If it's meant to be, it'll happen…" Mrs. Wormwood's disposition had changed drastically from the moment she entered the room.
Maddy understood every word that Mrs. Wormwood was saying, but after everything that had happened between her and him, she couldn't imagine ever being with him again. She was positive he still loved Ginny.
"Let him know…" Mrs. Wormwood's voice sounded far off and distant, as Maddy continued to gaze off into space. "Tell him you love him. It's the only way…"
I have to tell him…it's the only way…or he'll never knew…I have to tell him I still love him…
A/N: Oh boy...here we go. Will Maddy return to Harry? Will he take her back? I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Hehe. I know, I'm evil. Please review though! If I get more reviews, I might update sooner:-) Thanks!