Chapter 45 ~ Midnight Discussions.

"You will die....unless you can change...change your heart and your feelings...change all and you will live..."

A figure was looming over her speaking the words over and over again in a foreboding voice, the speech echoing around the place of her dream. Maxine screamed, slamming her ears over her head and trying to drown it out, but it just continued, again and again. She saw Stefan's face, long and solemn, eyes wide in panic and hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me?..."

"Tell me, tell me, tell me..." It echoed in her ears and guilt swelled in her heart. She was in a dark space, haunted only by the face of the divination professor, Stefan disappearing once more and the shrieks returning as Maxine tried to block them out. In the unrealistic haze, she saw Nick and Monroe, a face she had pictured to be Adalind Schade's, even Lily's little figure approached at one moment, only to speak 'Maxie? Maxie I don't want you to die!" In pitiful words that tore at Maxine's heart even more. And then it became even more bizarre and even more terrifying; Avery and Ava jeering at her, Theon falling to the ground as she lashed out at him for no reason, Augen the owl flashing before her and dropping bloody daggers and bakewell tarts oozing with red into her lap. And still the professor screamed on, her voice getting higher and echoing louder and louder until it only repeated the same three words that rang through the the dream as the faces looked on.

"You will die, you will die, you will die.."

Maxine's eyes opened with a jerk and she sat upright, panting with eyes wide in panic. It was a nightmare. Only a nightmare. None of it was real.

She sighed and lay back on her pillows, still panting and sweating as a result of the horrifying dream. Her mind came back to her and she remembered it, emotions returning as guilt and terror filled her. Because it hash been real. Her sub conscious had echoed her thoughts in sleep. She was going to die, Stefan too - unless they 'changed their hearts'. Whatever it meant.

All that evening she had tried to tell herself it wasn't true. That Professor Gale had been faking it. That it meant nothing and Professor Vinear had been right in his initial judgement of the first prediction. That she had dreamed it all and nothing had happened. Yes, even that last one had been tried. But none of them had worked.

She hadn't told Stefan. She hadn't told anyone. Because it seemed mad and because it affected him as well. And she wasn't going to tell him that he might die. She didn't know how to and she didn't even know if the prophecy was true. So, and indecisive and emotionally wrecked Maxine had turned in for the night.

Yet it still haunted her. And it would forever, she knew, until she told someone. Or until she decided what to do. With a sigh, Maxine hauled herself out of bed and wearily pulled on a deep blue cloak, hoping it would camouflage her in the dark. The only thing she could think of that might clear her mind at that moment was the fresh night air and to get to it she'd have to wander the castle and visit the astronomy tower. Therefore it was essential she was not caught.

Typically Maxine was ok about breaking the rules, but as she slipped from the common room and entered the dark corridor outside, she felt more than wary. Longing for the invisibility cloak that Stefan held safely in his trunk, she crept the inky halls with worry, jumping at the slightest sound. She didn't light her wand - the paintings would wake then and surely give her away. So Maxine was blind as she climbed the staircases towards the astronomy tower and tripped quite a few times in her journey, narrowly avoiding a collision with a suit of armour in one of the instances. But at last she reached the safety of the tower and the fresh, cold night air. The cobbles were freezing under her bare feet and she had to wrap her cloak tight around herself to keep out the cold wind, but the temperature certainly cleared her mind. So much to the point where she tried to make the decision of what to do.

And failed.

She couldn't tell Stefan, she couldn't. He'd worry and fuss and want to protect her even more - not that there was anything wrong with that, but...she didn't want to hurt him any more. Maxine, in her mind, saw herself as the poroblen behind the prophecy, not fate. She felt it was all on her to decide, but it wasn't. The only way she was going to decide what to do was by telling someone.

Ten minutes passed as Maxine fretted and worried and froze in the biting wind. Ten minutes passed and Maxine, weary in body and soul, gave up. Leaning on the tower wall, she let her head fall into her arms and wept.

Tiredness, worry, fear and terror did not help her, but the crying did. However, a minute into the sobbing that racked her body, a soft, tender voice floated into her ears from behind.

"Maxie?"

Jerking upwards, Maxine spun round, face blotchy with tears and eyes blurred because of them. But she saw the source of the voice clearly - a concerned, sensitive Theon whose expression seemed to make her give in completely and forget about the limits with this boy as he approached closer and moved to embrace her gently. She didn't she the satisfied smile as she cried into the collar of his sweater, nor the look of disgust as he turned his head down to view her. But the act came back soon enough as he held her back tenderly and asked in a soft voice:

"Maxie, what's wrong? Why are you out here at this time of night?"

Collecting herself now, Maxine withdrew and wiped the tears off her face, losing any level of self consciousness or wariness she had maintained before.

"I..." She faltered, then looked up at him hopelessly. "I can't tell you, Theon." 

Theon's reaction was heartening, though. Watch her face with concern, he sighed before looking down at her again. "Look, Maxie, I know I'm not your friend. I know you don't altogether trust me and that you were just being kind when you agreed to do the studying sessions. I know that we can't be close. But I do know you have to tell someone." His face was serious now, dark eyes staring into hers.

"I can't..." Her voice was small and pathetic as she choked out her words. "I can't tell anyone..."

"You have to." His tone was firm and insistent. "Otherwise it will never go away. It's that sort of problem, isn't it."

She nodded. Theon paused, sighed, then took her hands. "Do you want me to get Stefan? I take it you haven't told him? Or Rose or...what's the other one - Fauna?"

Maxine pulled her hands away and looked up at him. "No..." She shook her head slowly. "No, I can't tell my friends."

Theon creased his brow in confusion. "Why? Why can't you tell your friends?"

She sighed. "Because the thing on my mind affects them as well..." She shook her head I can't tell anyone close to me."

Theon paused, took a deep breath and looked at her. "Then tell me, Maxie." His voice was hesitant but at the same time had an undertone of firmness. "I'm not your friend. I barely know you. Whatever you say, it won't affect me. But I'm still someone to talk to, someone who could listen and help. Someone who is here."

Maxine raised her gaze to meet his, exhaling slowly. She was still unsure, and knew that she couldn't mention grimms or weaken or anything like that. Shaking her head again, she spoke honestly. "Theon, I'm not normal...I have secrets that I can't tell you and if you truly knew what they were you'd call me a lunatic. A freak." Her face was regretful and alogetic. "I can't tell you."

He looked away and sighed before turning his head back to her. "I'm sorry that I can't help in that case." He said solemnly. "But is there nothing you can tell me."

"I..." Maxine's voice trailed off. The predictions had nothing to do with hers or Stefan's Grimm abilities. And that was what was preying on her mind. The problems coming back to her, she felt her strength leave her again, facing the inevitable decision return. The words of the seer echoed in her mind again and she felt the fear and guilt return. Theon was right, she needed to tell someone. And, in her tired mind, she forgot about her guard against the boy and gave in. Forgot about the trust issues and saw him as a friend, not a boy she barely knew and wasn't meant to trust. 

"Do you remember the prophecy the happened?" She turned to him, meeting his eyes. "About Stefan?"

Theon ceased his brow and then relaxed it as he remembered. "The one Professor Vinear made a month back?" 

Maxine nodded, watching him closely. "Yes. That one." She sighed and he looked at her in the pause, eyes filled with concern.

"Maxine, what's happened? Vinear said himself that it wasn't true."

Maxine gulped, barely daring to speak the words that followed. "I...I got one too." Her voice was faint, weakened by the meaning of the answer the gave. But Theon heard, eyes wide with convincing panic that stirred her heart.

"When did this happen?" He asked, gaze still locked on her.

"Yesterday....when I went back for my textbook in divination." She looked up at him, expression riddled with fear. "Professor Gale spoke the same words to me, Theon. Exactly the same." Maxine felt fainter by the second and breathed the last words. "I'm going to die, she said..."

"No." Theon's voice touchingly denied the fact. "No, Maxie, that can't be true."

"It is!" She blurted out, speaking her true feelings on the matter in a sudden rush of fear. "Theon, she's a proper seer, and so is Vinear....me and Stefan, we're."

Maxine's strength went there. Speaking her thoughts aloud had a bad affect on her, though relieving, and she suddenly collapsed again, tiredness and emotion defeating her body. And Theon, ever the comforter, came forward to catch her, hugging her against him and providing something for her to sob into again. Maxine felt pathetic, but the steady embrace of Theon seemed to trigger her weeping, as if it was all she wanted to do, pouring out her emotions with it.

Theon, once again out of character and scowling at this, let her remain there for a few minutes, comforting and shushing her until withdrawing and taking her by the shoulders.

"Come on. You need to sleep on this and decide what to do in the morning." 

Maxine let him lead her away, out of the freezing air of the balcony and down through the castle towards heather Ravenclaw tower. She was so tired that she just allowed him to, almost dead to the world. Her emotions now out, seemed to have shut down due to her weariness and telling Theon had helped, though now she had let it all out she was exhausting. His brotherly prescence caused her to put her trust in him and though unconscious of it, a bond had formed between them during the late night confessions.

Theon answered the riddle for the common room with ease and she moved to sit down in one of the settees by the embers of the fire. There was no one around, everyone in bed, and Maxine, in her exhaustion, simply curled up on the couch. He smiled at her and then turned. 

"I can stay for a bit, if you like."

Maxine smiled back but hesitated. "No...you don't have to."

He laughed. "What if I want to?"

She chuckled in return, but realised how tired she was. "Thanks."

He moved to sit down next to her, arm protectively hanging round her shoulders as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She felt so secure...so safe. As if she were with Stefan.

Her next sleep was bereft of nightmares. It was peaceful and deep as her weary body welcomed the rest. She didn't wake up as Theon removed his arm from where it hung around her with disgust. She didn't wake up as he looked around and pulled out his wand carefully. She didn't wake up as he whisked an inaction and held his wand to her temple, extracting the memory of the prediction.

The plan wasn't going to work if she was that wary, he thought, though there had been great advancement because of the random meeting and his expert acting. Using a spell that he, an excellent spell caster knew well, he had removed that pesky memory. Though not the one of their conversation. She wouldn't puzzle over the subject of their talk though, only dwell over the bonding if that late night meeting. He had made sure of that.

Getting up, he approached the door of the common room quietly, looking back at Maxine with an arrogant and satisfied smirk before disappearing into the black.