Chapter 49 ~ Departure.

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"Where's Rose? The carriages leave any minute." Stefan craned his neck to look over the crowd of students, most taller than him, for the girl, standing in the entrance hall with Maxine and holding his trunk. "Did you see her in your dorm, Max?"

Maxine nodded, brow creased. "Yeah, she should be coming - ah." Maxine paused and then emitted a sound of realisation, turning her gaze to the left of the main staircase.

"What?" Questioned Stefan, looking at her with confusion. Maxine, smiling slightly, nodded towards where she was looking, Stefan following the direction to see Rose and Jack having a last minute snog by a suit of armour, who was complaining loudly through his helmet. Stefan chuckled slightly in his throat, Maxine turning to him when he had registered what was happening.

"I'll go and fetch her." She said with a grin. "Can you mind my trunk for me? Thanks." Letting go of her trunk handle, Maxine pushed her way through the crowd and made her way over to the snogging couple. Looking back round at Stefan, she winked mischievously, making him grin as her guessed her plans. Sure enough, Maxine, instead of simply coughing or warning her friend she was there, raised a hand and poked Rose hard in the back, causing the girl to jump in shock and spin round. 

"Maxie!" Rose laughed, blushing slightly, Jack grinning behind her. "There's no need to creep up on my like that!"

"You mean creep up on you and your facially attached boyfriend." Maxine said teasingly, causing Jack to let out a single laugh and Rose to grin and flush even more. "And there is a need - the carriages are about to leave and we have to go." 

Rose bent down to pick up her trunk. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." She grumbled before turning back to her boyfriend. "See you at New Year." She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him once more before turning.

"Bye Rose. Have a good Christmas." Jack called, he himself leaning against the wall and watching them go. Rose turned her head round and flashed an amused smile back at him as Maxine began to haul her through the crowd, anxious to get to one of the better carriages. They soon reached Stefan, Rose finally objecting to Maxine's grip on her arm as they came to a halt.

"Maxie, you don't have to drag me like that." She removed Maxine's hand and rubbed her arm, Maxine turning to grin apologetically at her. 

"Sorry." She laughed. "But if I hadn't you would have lingered and started on yet another set of goodbyes."

Rose stuck out her tongue at her friend, Stefan grinning, though wanting to keep out of the more girly conversation. Maxine was just opening her mouth to speak again when Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper, called from outside.

"Ok if yer'd like to to come onto the carriages now, studen's." He called, standing aside as the crowd began to advance. Stefan pulled out his wand swiftly, levitating his and Maxine's trunks, Rose following suit. Maxine was just turning to follow her friends and the large group of students heading outside when a voice from behind halted her in her tracks, not only making her heart quake with a strange sort of fear but also with excitement. 

"Maxie? Are you going now?"

Maxine turned abruptly to see Theon, eyebrows raised and inquisitive and friendly, as always. But Maxine, ill at ease now that Stefan was present, answered stiffly and he grew a little bemused as she spoke.

"Er - yes. We're just - er - going now." She looked round at Stefan, though he was alternatively staring at Theon, who was receiving a double dose of it now that Rose was looking at him. Theon, however, didn't seem to realise they were staring, or - to a fact - even there. It as if she was the only one who was actually existent for him and his dark eyes were locked on her.

"Have a nice Christmas." His smile, soft and affectionate, making Maxine squirm even more as she felt Stefan's stiffness behind her. 

"You too." Her voice was tense, as if her whole throat had closed up.

And then, all of a sudden, he went even further. In the full view of her friends, Theon took a step forward and hugged her. It was only quick, but enough to drive Stefan into a further inner frenzy. And, pulling out of the embrace, Theon uttered a goodbye that caused Stefan to be furthermore alarmed.

"Stay safe, Max." And with that. the boy turned to go - but not before flashing another affectionate smile at Maxine.

There was a pause, then Maxine turned stiffly, levitating her trunk. Then, in an almost to normal voice, she said briskly: "Come on, let's get to the carriages. We don't want to be left behind."

Stefan realised then hat she was going to ignore it. But he couldn't let it pass it was.....there was something not right. Not only had Theon seemed entirely trustworthy and friendly towards Maxine, there had been something more. Something alarmingly more. And those words 'stay safe'...no, Stefan did not like the look of things.

If she thought he was going to ignore it, Maxine had another thing coming.

*   *   *   *

There was silence as they sat in their train compartment - silence from an angry Stefan, silence from a guilty Maxine and silence from a wary Rose, who knew she was caught up in the middle of something more than a little big. A few seconds passed, Rose watching the raindrops run steadily down the window and Stefan reading the Daily Prophet before Maxine turned to her friends and tried to begin a conversation in which they could steer clear of Theon.

"So guys - excited for meeting my family?"

Rose, seeing that this was her chance to help her friend out whatever had happened with Maxine and Theon, answered: "Well..." Rose laughed. "I've already met Lily and Albus - and of course, James." Her grimace at the sound of his name provided amusement and the mood in the compartment lightened slightly. "I am a little scared of meeting your parents, though."

Maxine laughed, more naturally this time. "They're not scary. Just, well, what you would call famous. But no - they're really nice." She turned to Stefan, a little dubious but wishing to make a normal conversation. "What about you, Stefan?"

There was a pause as Stefan looked up, exhaled slightly and gave in, realising that he'd have to tackle Maxine later. "Hmmm, I look forward to meeting your parents. Though, as Rose says, a bit nervous." He smiled, obviously pleasing Maxine. "And Lily's wonderful."

Rose gave a high-pitched girly squeak at tis point, much amusing Maxine. "Awwww yeah she's adorable." 

Maxine smiled. "You'll be pleased to know that we're sharing a room with her, then."

Rose let out another high-pitched squeak and she and Stefan laughed. She could feel her friend staring at her, but she refused to meet his gaze. "Though I do warn you," Maxine carried on from her last comment, "she is an early bird."

Rose groaned and flooded back in her seat. "I would have thought of that." She turned to Stefan. "Mind if I come in with you and Albus?"

Stefan laughed, slightly bemused, then turned to Maxine. "I'm in with Albus?"

Maxine nodded, grinning. "Mhm. I hope you get along." Her last sentence was teasing and Stefan grinned.

"Albus is good fun. Unlike James..."

"Maybe we should agree not to mention James." Rose cut in with amusement. "We'll just end up talking shit about him."

This produced laughs all round, for some unknown reason, and the trio were beginning to feel less tense after what had happened in the entrance hall with Theon when, as they finished chuckling, a snide voice came from the entrance of the compartment.

"You can't seem to help yourselves, can you."

James, as if on cue, had appeared at the door, accompanied by Josh, his most loyal sidekick and unfortunate choice of christmas guest. Maxine straightened her face at once, looking up at him.

"Hallo James." She was wary, suddenly realising how bitchy the laughter had sounded - and that he had heard it. "Excited for Christmas?"

"Are you talking to me now? When did that change?" James enquired with an hint of innocent. He was playing the good guy, Maxine could tell, but she saw through him. 

"I never stopped speaking to you, James, I stopped having anything to do with you." She answered, voice hard now. Unfortunately, her brother new exactly how best to wind her up.

"Taking your little friends?" He looked round the compartment, eyes flickering over Stefan and Rose. "I pity them, of course."

"For gods sake, get out." Stefan spoke before Maxine did. This was another example of Stefan's previous transition to a stronger character. And of course he wasn't going to let Maxine get kicked around.

James leant back slightly, squinting his eyes mockingly. "Ah, I believe we've met. Mini-Hitler, isn't it?"

Stefan, still cool as a cucumber as Maxine began to swell with rage, simply answered. "You heard me, James, just get out. You're making a fool of yourself."

"Stefan's right." Another member of the Potter clan entered the scene, speaking from behind and making her brother turn in confusion. "You stop it James - I'm not afraid to jinx you."

Lily Potter seemed so like her mother that James didn't say anything, simply stood there glaring at her. Maxine was smiling to herself now, amused at the reactions of her siblings and grateful to Lily for redeeming her bossiness. Lily had always been the little ruler of her two brothers and when she put the act into play, it definitely worked. Well, most of the time. But James, slightly to motivated to pick on his older sister, decided this time he'd ignore his little sister and turn back to the other one.

"Excited for Christmas, you ask?" He sneered pointedly, wiping the grin off Maxine's face. "How can I be, when you're-"

Halfway through his second sentence, James got what he'd been asking for. Two jinxes it him in the face - one a jellylegs jinx and the other one a tongue-tying curse. James jumped as the two spells found their target before starting to hopelessly wobble and splutter at the same time. With a look of ultimate venom, he tried to spit out an obscenity - only with his tongue in a knot it was impossible for him to do it without dribbling or sounding like drunk fish, both of which came into play. Finally, after this incident, James kicked the door as a last resort and allowed himself to be ruled away by Josh, glaring as he went.

Lily and Rose had hit the boy at the same time, both for the same reasons, and after he'd disappeared, high-fived, Lily taking a seat in the compartment and closing the door with a giggle.

"It sounds mean, but I'm glad I did that." She said, laughing.

"Same here." Stefan answered with a grin, taking a seat once more and looking at his friend teasingly. "Max was about to blow."

"Yes I was." Maxine admitted, smiling at her little sister and Rose. "Thanks guys - the flowers saved the day."

"Oh of course!" Before Rose could reply, Lily was bouncing. "Me and you are both named after flowers!"

Rose laughed. "Yup. Meaning we both have awesome names." She grinned at the eleven year old. "Anyway, how are you, Lily?"

"Fine thanks." Lily smiled. "I'm looking forward to Christmas - one of my friends is coming."

"Which one?" Maxine asked, reaching into her bag to remove her book incase it was needed at a later time. 

"Nina - Nina Davis. You won't know her." Lily answered. "She's not staying with us, either, just coming on boxing day." She winked at Maxine at this point and Maxine returned the gesture, both Stefan and Rose bemused by it.

"What happens on boxing day in the Potter Household?" Queried Stefan with amusement.

Both sisters looked teasingly at him. "Wait and see." Maxine told him mischievously. "We'll tell you when everyone's here."

"Not fair." Rose said, making a face at Maxine. "It'd better be tonight, or I'll die of impatience."

Maxine laughed. "Ok, ok, we'll reveal it tonight." She shrugged. "It's nothing big, anyway." There was a pause as she settled back in her seat, then turned to her sister.

"Is Albus bringing anyone back wth him?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah - two boys called Magnus and Eden." She shrugged. "They're alright. Better than Josh, anyway." She made a face.

"They'd better be." Replied Maxine with amusement. "Stefan's gonna be sharing a room with them."

Lily looked at Stefan. "If they get bad you can move in with us." She said, grinning. "Me, Maxie and Rose'll be up in the attic."

"Ah yes, the attic." Stefan answered with a grin, looking at his friend. "I've heard a lot about that." As their eyes met, Stefan received a shot of electricity in his mind and an image of a room. Blinking, he stared at her again, but her gaze had moved. With confusion, he turned back to the conversation.

"I am going to enjoy sleeping in my old room again." Maxine was admitting. "It's very pleasant."

"And very big. You basically lived in there before you came to school." Filled in Lily, seeming to jump at any chance to talk. Rose laughed but Maxine just looked at Stefan and smiled, Stefan grasping what the explanation behind Lily's comment was before turning his head to speak.

"You make it sound like I'm going to miss out." He said, grinning. 

Lily laughed. "Well if the Albus gets to much trouble, you can stay with us there." She offered again, though it was simply a joke which she accompanied with a grin. There was a quick pause then, but she soon filled it in again, turning to Maxine with a questioned that stirred the tension again.

"Maxie, who's that Chinese boy you were talking to the other day?"

Maxine, knowing full well it had been Theon, tried to steer away from the subject. "I don't remember talking to anyone like that yesterday, Lil. I only talked to Stefan and Rose." She sat up straighter, exhaling in the pause. "Anyway-"

"I now I remember, he's called Theon - isn't he?" Lily chattered on, oblivious to the discomfort she was causing. "Ugh, I don't like him. He's creepy."

Stefan couldn't help but look at Maxine, but she was still frozen, quickly diverting the conversation. "Isn't that the trolley?"

"He reminds me of a snake." Lily continued. "I mean-" She paused as Maxine's comment registered. "The trolley?" Lily jumped up and luckily, the trolley appeared, despite Maxine's distraction having been made up on the spot. Rose, looking at Maxine and pausing, also got up, both of them beginning to order as the young woman manning the trolley. Stefan, however, remained seated, staring at Maxine, who tried in vain to avoid his gaze. So what, everyone she knew now hated Theon? Judged him ups sight? She sighed to herself, rebellious towards the opinions of others now that she thought she knew and trusted him. Nothing was going to sway her, not even Stefan. She just wished it didn't have to be a problem that separated them. 

Stefan, though, was also resolving. He wasn't going to let Maxine make the mistake. And he needed to talk to her about that goodbye. Because Theon hadn't been acting right, it was to....familiar. As if something had happened between the pair that he didn't know about.

The battle would continue.