Chapter 21 ~ A Letter and A Friend.

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Maxine slipped past a group of first-years and poked her head out from behind a suit of armour. Usually, after a fight, she would just walk out into the Great Hall, but since the entire Golden Club were ready to murder her, she was doing all she could to stay out of their way for the time being - though it was going to be difficult with Ava sharing her dormitory.

She could see Fauna and Rose at the table, talking among themselves and ignoring the two members of the golden club who were trying to make themselves heard in some sort of debate - probably about Maxine. Ava and Avery themselves were absent, in fact half of the club were in the hospital wing trying to rid themselves of the effects from the marvellous jinxes Maxine's savour had fired. But Maxine wasn't looking for any of them, she was searching for Stefan. She knew it would give her hell if she just walked in asking for him, so she needed too sneak around and try and arrange a private meeting. 

She sighed, her search not positive. Stefan was absent from the long Ravenclaw table, probably for the same reason she was. Turning away to walk back up the stairs and try her luck elsewhere, Maxine came face-to-face with the Griffindoor Ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, or as he preferred to be called, "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington". 

"I did not think you were the sort to hide and spy, Miss Lestrange." He flinched slightly at the name and raised his eyebrows alarmingly. "Or were you simply seeing what the menu was like this evening? I believe there is a certain abundance of Bakewell Tart."

Maxine's mouth watered at the mention, it being her favourite dessert, but she pushed away the weakness and answered. "No, I am not usually one to hide and spy, Sir Nicholas, but I think it unwise for me to enter the hall at the moment due to my group of enemies."

"Then why are you spying, Miss Lestrange? Surely the images of food will simply tempt you." Was the ghost's reply, brow creased.

"I am looking for someone - or I was. However, he does not seem to be present." She informed him. Sir Nicholas' eyes lit up with recognition, but he still enquired;

"And who would it be you are looking for?"

"Stefan." Maxine answered. "Mr. Stefan Burkhardt. You haven't seen him, by any chance?"

"I believe-"

The ghost cut off as Maxine reeled back and nearly fell against the suit of armour, knocking her head hard against the chest piece. Sir Nicholas looked around, wondering if it had been a jinx, but apart from them there was no one present in the corridor before the great hall. 

"Miss Lestrange, are you alright?" He asked, watching her blink rapidly and rub the area on her ahead she had hit on the suit of armour. 

Maxine nodded, but in fact she was thoroughly shaken from a few seconds of bewilderment. So the ghost hadn't seen it. 

But Maxine had. Or rather, she hadn't seen it, it had swamped her mind and sent a force at her that had caused her stumble. Clear in her brain the image of the owlery had flashed through, and the bright wings o a snoy owl had also swept before her, the background of the image dark.

She coughed, trying to recover. "Yes - I'm fine. Just erm...tripped." She smiled at the ghost, who had raised his eyebrows. "You were saying you might know where Mr. Burkhardt is?"

"Yes." Sir Nicholas answered, still eyeing her warily. "Yes, I think I saw him heading for the west tower."

Maxine's heart quaked, but she still questioned. "Do you know where in the west tower?"

"He was carrying a piece or parchment." The ghost replied. "Possibly he was on his way to the owlery." 

Maxine swallowed but forced another smile. "Thank you, Sir Nicholas. I shall head there."

The ghost nodded, and glided forward in the direction the hall, though still watching Maxine as she moved away to climb the staircases.

Maxine, as she climbed the stairs, dismissed the possibility of divination skills on her part and hurriedly decided that it must have been a sub-concious reflex. It wasn't usual, though, for students to visit the owlery at this time, usual post came in the mornings and people left it at that, unless they wanted to send something - an during her one and a half week friendship with Stefan, not once had she seen or even heard of him sending a letter or package. 

Passing Peeves on her journey, who was throwing ink on a squealing  group of sixth-year-girls, and also a pair of fifth-years making out in an alcove, Maxine reached the ascent to the owlery in ten minutes, after a few delays such as the blood baron walking through her. The laughter and light from the main part of the castle had disappeared by the time she was a far out as the west tower, but she liked the silence. And she knew some else who also felt that way.

The smell of owl droppings and rotting animals reached Maxine's nostrils as soon as began to climb the stairs up to the crafty enclosure where the owls roosted. It was raising her head to survey the balcony before the entrance that she noticed the heavy breathing now that her footsteps had stopped. She walked forward to lean on the battlements, looking down at the ominous drop below and then straight ahead to survey the dark outline of the forbidden forest and the faint, orange glow from the window of the game keepers hut. Finally, she bent her head to look upwards and survey the clear, deep blue sky studded with stars. She'd always been awful at Astronomy, and couldn't identify many constellations, but Ursus, the great bear, was there, and the plough. The was even the made up one that she and her foster family often joked about. On the eve when James had been born, Harry Potter had been buying meat from a muggle butcher's, and coming out of the shop a bird had presented him with a white, slippery gift upon his head. But, looking up to see where the offending animal had been, he had suddenly seen the shape of a cow in the sky. If course, though it wasn't a 'proper' constellation, James' cow would always be the most important to the entire Potter family, and to Maxine herself.

She kept staring upwards, letting it go silent. Yes. There is was. The unmistakable whisper of breathing, a slight but noticeable unseen movement. She'd grown up with an auror and she wasn't stupid. Plus magical hide and seek had been a popular game in the Potter household. 

Making sure she was right, Maxine kept staring straight ahead but reached a groping hand out to catch the silvery material that kept her friend hidden. With a quick tug, Stefan had been exposed and an invisibility cloak hung from Maxine's hand.

For a few seconds all that Stefan could do was blink at her stupidly, but Maxine had already noticed the letter in his hand that drew her attention. He held it before him, drooping from his hand, written in clear, slanting writing. But the word Maxine caught in a flash of focus was "Keep the key safe, and remember, don't leave Hogwarts."

The letter Stefan was holding could only be from one person. It it couldn't be addressed to him.

"Maxine, this isn't-"

Stefan was cut off from his explanations Maxine lunged for the letter and tore it from his grasp, folding it open to read the message she had longed to feast eyes upon for three weeks.

"Maxine,

This is may end up a jumble of words to you, but as it is being written on an illegal jet (a muggle form of aircraft) going through thick cloud and producing a lot of turbulence, I hope you can forgive me. Myself and Monroe have been busy with important buisness, and I'm afraid we couldn't make contact with you before because it would have put you in danger. 

Keep the key safe and remember, don't leave Hogwarts. I know you may feel alone and cut off from the world right now, but if you weren't in that situation then they'd find you, and you know what would happen then.

I sincerely hope you managed to persuade your parents to let you board at hogwarts, otherwise this letter could be read by others , but there's no need, I suppose, to even say this because it won't matter in the long run. Yes, I'm rambling again.

I'm giving you my address in Portland, though, so we may keep contact, though my messages may be a little irregular. To send, however, you'll have to address to your ministry of magic's international owl service.

I must stop now, for we seem to be nearing the ground, just remember, stay safe, even though it sounds infuriating.

-Your friend and fellow Grimm, Nick Burkhardt."

Below read Nick's address in America, Maxine flickering her eyes over it with joy. At last she could contact him! Maybe even arrange a meeting, and ask questions about...about everything! She was so happy, feasting her eyes upon the letter, that she'd forgotten Stefan.

Maxine turned abruptly as she realised he was not beside her, but her heart calmed down as she saw the dark shadow in the owlery, leaning to let a large tawny owl nibble his finger.

"Stefan."

The boy turned round abruptly, face both expectant and wary. He walked forward, pale face almost ghostly in the night.

"Stefan, why did you take this?" Maxine held up the letter. At the moment she was not actually angry, just confused and curious.

He flushed. "I saw it on the table at breakfast - Avery made a grab for it - but I got there first - I knew you wouldn't want him messing with your mail. I wanted to leave it in your dormitory or something, but I couldn't get hold of you."

"But you read it." Maxine stated. "Why?"

"The letter wasn't sealed properly, it slipped out of the envelope when I was carrying it, and when picking it up, I saw his signature to you." He shook his head. "'A fellow Grimm'..." He looked at Maxine, trying to determine what she was feeling. But at that moment, it was impossible. Maxine wanted some sort of answer, and she wasn't betraying her own emotions yet.

"Stefan, how much more of the letter did you read?" She asked, staring at him.

"I saw the bit about you being in danger or something - and about the key." He answered awkwardly.

Maxine surveyed the letter again and looked back up at her friend after a pause. "When was this sent, Stefan?"

He blushed again. "The day before yesterday."

"When you asked Rose and Fauna to keep an I on me." She worked out, almost to herself. She turned to him again with an intent look on her face. "You realise this is serious then. That people are trying to kill me?"

Stefan's eyes became wide. "But - why? What have you done?"

"I haven't done anything, Stefan. They are trying to kill me for some reason I don't know yet but have an idea of, and because I have this." Maxine pulled out the key from underneath her collar.

Stefan's reaction was a little different to what she had expected; instead of gawping further or looking confused, he instead stared at the key for a second and then reached inside the top of his shirt and pulled out...

Stefan had a key.

Maxine's mind was racing. How could that be the case? Nick had told her there were originally seven keys, of which he had two and the royals had four, and then she owned the last. She looked at Stefan's in amazement. Had he some how got it off the royals? Was he - was he one of them? No, no he couldn't be. Or were there more keys than the Royals and the existence knew? Were there - instead of seven - eight keys?

"Where did you get that?" She asked solemnly.

"My Mother gave it to me before she died, when I was very little. She said it belonged to my Father." He stared at Maxine. "Why? What is so special about them? Why do people want to kill you if you have one of these?"

Maxine sighed and let her key drop from her hands to rest on the front of her shirt, then turned her eyes to look deep into Stefan's. 

"If I'm going to explain, Stefan, you have to admit you can see what I see."

"What do you mean?" He asked uneasily.

"You denied it that time after the Duelling Club, you thought you were mad or you were to much of a coward, and I'lll admit, I shouldn't have punched you, but you need to stop hiding. You hated me - and you may still hate me, because I exposed your fear, uncovered something you've been trying to hide for many years." Maxine replied, eying her friend with caution. For all she knew, there could be a replay of the post-duelling club argument. If so, Stefan was really a lost cause.

"I don't hate you, Maxie!" He answered, shaking his head. "How could I, when you were the only one who ever welcomed me, the only friend I ever had?"

"Then what was with all the poisonous glares, and you ignoring me the past four days?" Maxine asked with confusion and a tone of disbelief.

"I was running on a one-track mind; to keep hating you and keep hiding. I'm a coward, I know. But by the time I done a weekend of that I was sorry except I didn't how to say it. I was worried about you, after reading the letter, so I asked Fauna and Rose to keep an eye o you - not much, but I felt I had to do something. When I walked in on you being attacked by Avery and I was about to 'save' you, but you got away first. Avery didn't guess I was going to defend you, but he gathered up some stuff and proclaimed he was going to gather his forces and sort you 'once and for all'. And that's when I realised you really were in deep shit." Stefan admitted.

Maxine smiled slightly. "I still haven't thanked my saviour." She sighed. "Without you I would have been in for a rough time."

Stefan shook his head. "You needn't thank me, I've been a right arsehole over this weekend." He took a deep breath, and, as if heartened by her words, bravely spoke the words that Maxine had been longing to hear ever since she discovered his surname.

"And you're right, I see things. Muggles. Some change when I look at them - their bodies and faces change into these monsters." Stefan shuddered slightly and reached inside his pocket for another piece of parchment, this one bearing written german and picture of the blutbad. "I knew I was wrong to keep denying it as soon as I saw this. It made it all so real."

"Have you ever seen one before?" Maxine asked quietly, heart so full of joy she could not adjust her volume.

Stefan nodded. "Yes." He looked at the paper. "A blutbad, the title say's it's called."

Maxine nodded and was silent, but Stefan broke the pause a few seconds later.

"And you see them, too? These creatures?"

"Yes." Maxine answered. "Yes, I can see them. But until a month ago I was like you, just kept on hiding from the world and trying to block it out. I thought I was mad. Then, I met this man. The one who wrote the letter to me. He is a grimm, he sees the things we see, which are called Wesen."

"But is he a wizard as well?" Stefan asked.

Maxine paused. "No." She turned her friend. "I don't know why we're both, but there must be more like us."

Stefan nodded, then laughed after a short silence. "I never thought I'd know what was wrong with me, I was always scared. But now I know there's nothing wrong with me - there's like a new energy, a joy that I've never known before."

Maxine regarded her friends alight face with the same feeling. "It's strange, isn't it? But right now, I feel even more happiness. I'd never wanted a friend before, never even thought about one, really. But I think it's like what Fauna said; we're natural friends and our bond was 'meant to be', you could say." She smiled. "You are a friend no other can replace."

And with that, she hugged the new-found grimm with all her heart.