Chapter 31 ~ Introductions and Warnings

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"Rose, Fauna, this is Theon." Maxine brought the shy-looking boy up as they walked up the steps back to the castle, and Rose and Fauna exchanged glances warily, as did Stefan react negatively. He stared at Maxine with a look that said 'What the hell are you doing?", cutting off her confidence and bringing silence before Rose answered politely but in a stiff manner.

"Nice to meet you, Theon." She turned down his handshake and looked at the outstretched palm warily before raising an eyebrow at her friend. Maxine, however, continued, her temper beginning to rise.

"Stefan, Theon, Theon, Stefan." She pulled her friend round to face the boy and Stefan simply coughed before turning away. Maxine had gone to far that day.

And Theon, looking hurt, only made her more angry at her friends. "Right - er, bye Maxine." He gave a small wave and turned to follow the other Slytherins, who were making their way down to Care of Magical Creatures. As soon as he was gone and Maxine had called 'Bye!', she turned on her friends with anger.

"You didn't need to act like that!" She said accusingly. Stefan opened his mouth to exclaim hotly but Rose got there first.

"And you didn't need to act like that either, Max. For god's sake, he's with the golden twins. What were you thinking?"

"Was with the golden twins." She told them, irritated in anger. "I was just helping him."

"He's probably lying, Max. Like all Slytherin's do." Stefan leapt in with a chance to insult the boy and only spurred Maxine's temper to greater heights.

"Well, Stefan, I never thought you'd be prejudiced!" Maxine went back to her friend angrily. "What is wrong with you today?"

Stefan, though before would have looked hurt, simply retaliated. There was nothing wrong with him that day, well, except for Theon seemed to be trying to take his place in life. "Oh, and I suppose there's something wronging trying to protect you?"

Maxine stared at him. "Can't you see that Theon is like you before it all happened? He needs a friend, for gods sake, friends! Not people answering coldly to him at first sight!" Her eyes flashed furiously and Rose and Fauna once again exchanged glances. Maxine had gone into overdrive temper and Stefan wasn't helping. 

"Like me? How could Theon in anyway resemble me? Would I ever go with the Golden Twins?" Unfortunately now Stefan was furious, and Rose took the opportunity to step in and calm both of them.

"Theon isn't our friend, you know that, Maxie, we just can't trust him. However, if he proves his worth, I would think differently, and I believe Fauna would as well."

Maxine looked from friend to friend and realised what she had done. Foolish. She'd been utterly foolish. Rose and Fauna were right...she just couldn't trust him...and Stefan, Stefan was too. She was silent for a second, cooling down as her friends exchanged glances.

"Thank you." Was her quick and dusted reply, though loaded with meaning, as she turned and walked away.