Chapter 34 ~ Mystery and Rescue

Two weeks later, it was a quiet Sunday afternoon and the quartet of Maxine, Stefan, Fauna and Rose were in the Ravenclaw common room doing weekend homework. Well, three of them were. Maxine, however, had just lay down and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the painful throbbing of her head. She'd been getting migraines recently and sincerely hoped it wasn't another. Unfortunately, however, it seemed to be heading in that direction - even Stefan's soft and caring voice seemed to increase the painful ache of her mind.

In answer, she shook her, head, opening her eyes to see Stefan looking at her with concerned grey eyes. 

"Is it another of those migraines?" He asked, coming closer. "I can get that potion off Madame Pomfrey if you like."

Maxine attempted so sit up and this time answered in low tones. "No, no - it's not like that yet."

"Is it like a hangover headache, then?" Fauna questioned, entering the conversation and amusing those present.

"Don't tell me you've had a hangover before, Faun." Rose said to her friend with a smile on her face. "Even you..."

Fauna laughed as Maxine and Stefan did the same and then answered. "Let's just say I once went a bit over on the fire whisky one time."

"And when was this 'one time'?" Rose enquired, grinning with good nature.

"A New Year's Eve party somewhere. I don't remember cause I was completely and utterly pissed." Fauna laughed and replied with a hint of pride in her voice that made Maxine smile to herself. Even Stefan was grinning, as he was usually lost in girly conversations between the three but could not help but be amused by Fauna's recollections of intoxication. "I think my parents were there...I can't quite remember, to be honest.

"You're parents let you get drunk?" Rose said in disbelief. "Seriously?"

Fauna laughed. "They were absolutely hammered themselves, they had no idea what was happening."

The merriment continued as Stefan stepped in. "When was this?"

"Last year, I think." Replied Fauna with a grin. "Only I-"

She broke off as Maxine, who had been simply sitting, watching and trying to wish her headache away, flung herself forward off the sofa and fell to the floor. There was a second of shock, then Maxine set up and they clicked into play, Stefan coming forward. "Max?" He ventured, approaching the frozen face of his friend as she sat still on the floor. "Is everything ok?"

"I-" She halted, creasing her brow. "I'm fine."

But Maxine was definately not fine. Red hot hammers worked away inside her head and her eyes grew weak under the strain. She closed her eyes again and tried to ignore the ceaseless aching, but she had other problems as well. The cause of the tumble had been something entirely different and altogether confusing. As she'd been listening to Fauna with amusement, she had heard the clear words, in her head "I wonder if we'll spend it together. That'd be fun."
And, along with the strange words, Maxine had experienced a devasting mental blow. An unexplainable slash of pain that had caused her to jerk so violently she fell forwards off the seat. 

She registered she was on the ground now, hearing Stefan's concerned tones once more as she opened her eyes weakly.

"Max, are you sure you're alright?" He took her hand and hauled her up and back onto the sofa, looking up and causing other students who had been watching to quickly turn away.

"I've just got a headache." She lied. "I think I need some fresh air. Don't worry so much, Stefan."

He turned to look back at Rose and Fauna, who both shrugged. "Go for a walk then, Maxie." Advised Rose, less concerned than Stefan and simply accepting of Maxine's reassurance. "Only be sure to wrap up, it's freezing out there."

Maxine nodded and stood up, resisting the urge to close her eyes again. She disliked looking weak and didn't want to seem like a drama queen. Stefan wasnt helping, however, handing her her cloak before she could grab it herself. Snatching it off him, Maxine wrapped the kingfisher blue cloak around herself and headed for the door. Stefan irritated her unusually by following her, and in her painful state she snapped at him as they exited the common room.

"Stefan, you don't have to come with me."

He looked at her with patronisation. "Yes I do."

Maxine looked at him, then turned to walk down the corridor. She had said no more because she knew he was right and she was being stupid. Because no matter what, Stefan would always be with her.

Theon barely crossed her mind as the two of them, side by side, made their way down to the side exit out if the castle. During the past fortnight, the golden twins had stayed quiet in their plan, waiting for the right moment and allowing Maxine to forget about the boy. However, this hadn't happened. Maxine still remembered her words to Stefan in the library. "Not yet." Not yet had she spoken to the boy, but not yet had she condemned him.

She had no idea that the first was about to change.

Rose had been right, the air was cold and biting as they braved the outside and stepped into the crisp, still atmostphere. It was the middle of November, Christmas nearing and the cold growing more intense. There were frosts now, and the nights were very cold. Maxine, however, enjoyed breathing in the fresh, freezing air as she and Stefan wordlessly decended the sloping hill down to the black lake. Both were silent, Maxine inhaling the crisp air and enjoying the affect it had on her head and Stefan understanding and staying quiet, navigating their walk. They did it often, taking breaks to sharpen their minds before returning to O.W.L. work. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they didn't. Either way, they were with each other, enjoying silence and feeling or talk and thought. 

They approached the shore of the lake, treading through the outline of woods and making their way down to waters edge, treading on hard stones as they reached the viewing spot for the vast body of water. This had become a favourite place of Stefan's over the years of outcast and now it was for Maxine, as well. It was a calm, secluded spot, somewhat hidden form the other beaches along the shoreline. Despite the biting wind, Maxine let her hood fall and the wind wash over her face before leaning down to pick up a stone and attempt to skim it. Her mood improved as her skimming did, and very soon she turned back to Stefan, who was leaning on a tree nearby and turning his key in his fingers, staring out across the water in thought. The key reminded her of something and she put it to her friend as she rose, dusting her robe and approaching.

"Stefan, have you noticed anything weird about your key lately?" She asked, stepping towards him carefully so as to avoid the mud puddles inland.

He looked up and creased his brow. "No. Except that I've taken to fiddling with it." He cracked a smile, then turned back to her question. "Why - what's happened with yours?"

Maxine put an icy hand underneath her neckline and brought out the dulled metal object, inspecting it carefully. "I don't know...it's something I can't quite put my finger on." She sighed. "It's just...something."

Stefan came forward, holding out his own key. "Well what about mine? Can you see anything different? Because if one changed wouldn't the other?"

Maxine came towards him, taking the key in her hands as he passed it to her. She ran a thin finger over the metal and found nothing different. She moved the two sides to reveal the key part of the necklace. She read the germanic writing on the inscription. But there was nothing wrong. Pulling her own key out once more, she compared them. Stefan, at that point, creased his brow and questioned her, anxious to know what was wrong.

"What is it, Max? I can't see any difference."

Maxine creased her brow. "I don't know...something's just not quite right..." She looked up and laughed. "Now I sound psychic."

Stefan grinned, then, looking down at the keys again, examined them side by side. He was so close to Maxine, it was strange. But for once he didn't notice that. Because he'd noticed the difference between the two objects.

"Max! You're right, there is something wrong! It's-"

Suddenly his words were cut off as Maxine clamped one hand over his mouth and pulled away, listening in the silence. Stefan, confused, grappled and then realised what was up. Through the trees came yells of panic - someone was being attacked. The voice of a teenager, a masculine cry, echoed in Maxine's ears as she took her hand off Stefan's mouth. Then followed more shouts, coming form the edge of the woods. Maxine cocked her head, then looked at Stefan briefly before sinning round and starting to run back into the woodland edge, following the source. In shock and surprise, all Stefan could do was stand there for a second. Then he recognised the shouts and felt dread swell in his stomach, pelting after his friend in an attempt to stop her.
"Max!" He yelled urgently, racing after her as she ran through the trees. He had to stop her getting there - even if someone else was in trouble. Because the owners of the sneering tones that were taunting their victim were none other than The Golden Twins.

Maxine, of course, had already realised that. Not that she cared. Because she had also recognised the voice that protested pathetically against Avery and Ava.

She could hear Stefan behind, calling for her to stop. He was always more rational than her, and she knew that shr couldn't jus ignore him. With a quick swerve to the right, she pulled up behind a tree that bordered the woods with the flat near the quidditch pitch. She could see the Golden Twins and their subject by poking her head out from the other side of the tree and gained even more determination to her look as she viewed them. Turning back, however, she came face to face wih Stefan as he veered to the right, halted in front of her and at once started to speak.
"Max, you can't do this." He.said insistantly. Maxine was surprised at his tone as she realused he hadn't recognised the voice of the desperate victim. She didn't ponder on it, and never understood that Stefan was just trying to protect her.

"Stefan, it's-"

"Avery and Ava." Stefan cut in with a grim tone. "And their little golden gang. This will only end badly."

But Maxine, ignoring the fact that Stefan wanted her to be a coward and surprising him by not protesting but instead simply grabbing him by The shoulders and shoving him out fron the tree and to the right so he could view the golden twins alone with only one other. After a few seconds, Maxine pulled him back, happy that he had seen everything.

"It's just them, Stefan. Nothing to worry about." She took out her wand in a flash and didn't give Stefan a moment to object. "You attack them and I'll protect him. We have do this." And with that, she leapt out from behind the tree and raced out into the open with a look of ultimate determination.

But Stefan was slower. He took his wand out with reluctance and wore a look of suppressed anger and grimness. Then, after a short delay, he to ran out to confront the twins. Ignoring Maxine and the person she shielded as he immobilzed and jinxed Ava and Avery. 

Because the victim of the golden twins was Theon.