The Hidden Grimm
written by Lilia Le Fay
Maxine Lestrange has hidden all her life. Hidden for two reasons - one; she is the granddaughter of Bellatrix Lestrange - two; she can see things that other people can't. People, strange people who change in the blink of an eye into animalistic monsters that haunt her dreams. So she hides, hides from these visions and tries to overcome her madness. Until she is told that it isn't madness. That everything she can see is real.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
68
Reads
2,372
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter 64
Chapter 62 ~ Further Discussions on a Particular Slytherin.
There was a celebration going on in the Ravenclaw common room - no surprise as the house had once again claimed victory in a Quidditch Match, this time against Slytherin. It was a slightly chaotic but joyful atmosphere as all house members rushed to congratulate the team and hand found confectionary and cast glitter spells. Rose was immediately swamped by housemates and later by Jack, who decided to come forward suddenly and give her a hearty snog, the crowd then providing a humorous cheer for the moment, and Matt Dell, the seeker for the team, proceeded to reveal he had 'nicked' the snitch and let it fly about the room whilst displaying his excellent reflexes. Fauna indulged herself in several helpings of treacle tart that a group had brought back from the kitchens and even Avery and Ava joined in, though, as predicted, both started snogging various housemates thirty minutes in.
Stefan, however, just watched. The crowd celebration wasn't his forte and he was content to watch from by one of the large bay windows and occasionally sending glitter charms towards the group whilst consuming various refreshments that he summoned from afar. Maxine was beside him, the noise didn't get to him this time and he was reading through the Wesen book once more (though it was safely concealed between the covers of another volume). Content and comfortable, the sun was setting outside, a mark of the longer days coming, Stefan was happy. Mostly because Theon was far from his mind. Well, that is, until the school clock struck five and the sun was sinking below the horizon and Maxine stood up without a word and headed for her dormitory. He said nothing as she did this, simply watching her warily and realising what she was doing. It was the fifth time she and the boy had met since Christmas and it wasn't right. Their life being so dull and quiet at the moment, Stefan had to much time to think and his mind was always occupied on the matter when Maxine wasn't there. She had changed, as well, in a way that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Changed towards that poisonous Slytherin who Stefan was close to loathings for reasons he also couldn't pinpoint. He just had a feeling.
As she passed again, smiling as she walked and eyes far away, he did comment on her destination. Or rather, the comment slipped out of his mouth and wasn't intended to be said.
"You're going to meet him again, aren't you."
Maxine snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Stefan, face suddenly hard. He braced himself for the rebellious and icy reply that he expected to receive, but instead, Maxine's answer simply surprised and angered him.
"Theon is a pleasant person to meet with and I trust him and we have fun." Her gushing tone was even stranger, though it changed towards then end of her second sentence. "Stop having a go at me for enjoying myself more than-"
Maxine broke off, bit her lip, and then turned, showing a flicker of confusion herself, continuing towards the door of the common room before exiting whilst Stefan watched her with puzzlement. What on earth had that answer meant? The tone of her voice had not been right and the words...they hadn't fitted. He shook his head with a sigh, trying to ignore that problem. It's what they did the rest of the time - whenever Theon wasn't mentioned he and Maxine got along fine, their usual selves. But when the matter of the Slytherin boy arouse, conflict and strange moods sprang up, particularly from Maxine.
Something between her and Theon was happening and Stefan had to know. He had to.
"Where was Maxine off to?" Stefan looked up to see Rose standing there clutching a bottle of butter beer, eyes bemused and sparkling with energy from the celebrations.
He exhaled before answering. "Off to meet Hallow."
Rose's face immediately flickered with unrest and she moved to sit down next to him on the window seat. "Again?" Stefan nodded, her reaction making his displeasure increase, and Rose, after a pause, looked at him. "Stefan, she'll get over it. She'll see sense."
He looked at her and let out a bitter, half-laugh. "You know that's not going to happen." He turned to look ahead once more, speaking after another moment of silence. "You know, I have thought that I might be wrong. That Theon is a trustworthy person and I'm just holding up due to pride, but..."
"You don't see what Maxine sees in him." Finished Rose, blue-grey eyes suddenly serious. He looked back at her and she continued after a sigh. "Look, to be honest, I don't know what she sees in him...all I see in Theon Hallow is..."
Rose trailed off and turned her head down, but Stefan looked at her sharply. "You don't like him either, do you."
Rose signed, then titled her head back up. "No." She said quietly. "I don't know, there's something about him that isn't quite right."
Stefan nodded. "You see, that's what I feel." He wrung his hands and sighed hopelessly. "But I can't make her see that."
"And neither can I." Rose said regretfully. "We just have to wait."
"Yes but Maxine could suffer if we wait - I don't trust him!" Stefan was getting more worked up now. "We have to take action."
But Rose was still calm. "We wait, Stefan." She said insistently. "Besides - I know he was with the golden twins, but what can he do, really?"
He sighed and looked away. Him and Maxine had agreed a long time ago never to tell Rose and Fauna about their Grimm abilities, but sometimes its as very hard. The true reason why he was so wary of Theon was because of their danger and the true reason he had tried to keep Maxine away from the unknown and shady Slytherin was also because of their danger - the whole reason for keeping her away from Theon was for her own safety. But did she listen to him? No.
Stefan looked at Rose, whom he and Maxine had become pretty close to over the course of the few months they had known her, and confided slightly, hesitant but giving her a reason to why he felt that way about Theon. Or why he thought he felt that way about Theon. You see, despite the factors of safety and trust coming into it, there was also something personal there. Something Stefan didn't realise was there.
"Rose, look, me and Maxine - we share something that puts us in danger of normal people like Theon. It makes us have to be very careful with trusting certain people." He began, Rose immediately puzzled and intrigued. "I can't tell you any more, but all I can say is Theon could be a threat to us."
But Rose, of course, wasn't going to let him finish there. A curious Ravenclaw, she opened her mouth to question him, but was suddenly silenced by the unmistakable sound of someone knocking on the door of the common room. She and Stefan were the only ones to hear it, and he stood up to go to it as she did also, expecting first year who couldn't answer the riddle to be on the other side. But boy were they wrong.
Stefan opened the door and was soon gasping in horror, confusion and disbelief as he and Rose were greeted by the sight of Theon supporting Maxine - a crumpled, half-cocnious Maxine who looked alarmingly pale and clammy and was muttering under her breath. Theon was obviously having trouble supporting her as she leant her full weight on him - though that was not the reason that Stefan rushed forward at once to take hold of her, smooth dark hair off a deathly white face. Theon let her go reluctantly, but Stefan wasn't going to let him take her, and as soon as Rose and closed the door, began to verbally attack the boy.
"What the do you think you're doing?!" He raged, Theon looking alarmed. "What have you done to her?"
Theon opened his mouth in denial but Rose got there first, attempting to calm the situation. "Stefan calm down! This is not the time for that." She looked at Theon with hostility but answered in a voice free of rage. "Now tell us what happened."
Convincing panic spread across Theon's face. "I don't know!" He answered wildly. "One minute we were chopping up nettle leaves and the next she had fallen to the floor! She was writhing about and yelling and then she blacked out. She's been dropping in and out of consciousness all the way and I can't tell what's wrong with her."
Stefan tried to speak but Rose once again cut across first. "Right. Let's get her to the hospital wing now. You two can carry her together, I think." She looked at Stefan and nodded to him and, reluctantly and eyeing the boy with contained fury, Stefan allowed Theon to support Maxine as well, both boys supporting her whilst Rose lead the way with worry in her face.
Stefan was still angry, however, as he looked across at Theon, who in turn was looking at Maxine with concern. Anger was overruling his concern for Maxine, anger at a boy who he knew couldn't have had a part in the incident but seemed to be all to familiar with her. The concern, the panic...it was if the boy was taking his place.
Madam Ophelia Carr, the head healer for the school, was sitting down for her night shift when they appeared, at once springing up again to guide them to a bed. The room was very dim, the gas lamps not doing much in the way of light, but seemed to calm Maxine as she stopped turning and twitching, but Madame Carr was still both alarmed and worried as she approached them.
"Oh my goodness - what on earth has happened?"
"She-"
"She collapsed." Stefan felt satisfaction as he cut across Theon's beginning of a sentence, speaking as they lay her down on the nearest bed. "We don't know why."
Madame Carr came forward and felt Maxine's forehead, then observed the twitching. "I think she may be suffering from an extreme case of over tiredness - or rather, it's all I can suggest." She looked up at the three teenagers. "Were all three of you with her when she collapsed."
"No. Only me." Theon jumped in, earning a glare from Stefan, who, in turn, received a look from Rose.
The healer turned to Theon seriously. "How did it happen, then? Tell me straight, I need to know."
"We were just studying - it was nothing energetic - and then all of a sudden she collapsed and started moaning and writhing about before going unconscious." Theon answered, eyes wide with convincing concern.
Madame Carr withdrew and creased her brow. "Well that's certainly not right. I can't explain the moaning and writhing - my only other suggestion, as I said, is that she was over tired, which seems to fit." She looked at the three of them again. "Did any of you notice she was very tired recently? It's a common thing to happen as exams draw nearer.
Rose and Stefan both frowned, shaking their heads, but Theon surprised and confused both of them by speaking. "Yes, actually." He said clearly, despite Stefan looking at him with disbelief. "Come to think of it, she did say she was very tired to me when we met to study."
Madame Carr eyed Theon, then looked back at Maxine. "I suppose that settles it then." There was a pause as she examined Maxine's face, then turned back to them. "I'll keep her in here over night, just to be on the safe side."
"Will she be ok, though?" Questioned stefan, looking at the deathly white Maxine with concern and forgetting about Theon for a second.
"Yes, of course. It's not anything serious, I don't think." She pulled the folded-back bedsheets over Maxine before turning back to the three teenagers. "If one or two of you want to stay that's fine as we-"
"I'll stay." Said Stefan immediately, cutting across unusually. "Until she wakes up."
"And me." Theon followed up quickly.
Madame Carr looked from one boy to the other. "Well you can stay for a little while but you will need to go for dinner soon, and she can't wake up to banter or noise. If it is over tiredness then she'll be sleeping a long while." The healer paused and nodded to the chairs beside the bed "Take one of those each", before turning to Rose. "Are you staying?"
Rose looked at Stefan and he shook his head. "It's fine, Rose - they'll be missing you at the party. You can go back."
Rose unsure, paused, but then saw Stefan's reassuring look and smiled a quick smile before turning to exit, her footsteps echoed round the halls and gradually fading away. Madame Carr then turned back to the two boys and addressed them formally.
"Right, I'm going to go and get some water and blankets that we may need. You two wait here and I'll be back in a second."
Stefan nodded at the woman as she turned to go, watching the healer walk down the hospital wing before turning back to Maxine quickly. He was worried about her more than he'd let on, and angry that Theon was there. He was meant to be by Maxine's side - he was Maxine's best friend, for god's sake. Looking back round at the boy with anger, Stefan turned just in time to realise that Theon had not acknowledged Carr's departure and had bene otherwise occupied when his back had been turned. Stefan had been slightly to fast for the boy's anticipations, however. Because Stefan had looked just in time to see Theon slip the silver ring carefully onto Maxine's finger - just in time to notice that Maxine fell into a calm sleep and lay completely still, ceasing to writhe or moan as the silver band touched her skin.
