Chapter 63 ~ Blind.

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"You have to admit, that was fun." Said Maxine to Theon as they strode along the corridor of the dungeon towards te stairs.

Theon laughed in answer. "Well it was after I got it right. I'd have never succeeded in casting it if you hadn't kept nagging at me to try again."

Maixne chuckled. "I'm glad to know my nagging did the trick, then."

Theon looked down at her teasingly. "Oh yes - it was very effective." He turned his head to look forward once more, changing the subject slightly witch his next comment. "I wasn't expecting mine to be a fox, though."

Maxine and Theon had been practising patronuses that session - or rather, Maxine had made him attempt at it for an hour until he finally got it right. Once again, she had enjoyed the meeting. Once again, Theon was the only thing on her mind. Not that she could help it.

It had been a week since she had collapsed with Theon and spent a a brief spell in the hospital wing and the spells from ring were becoming stronger; to the extent that she dismissed her horrifying visions and unexplained slip from consciousnesses. She barely discussed it, being even more absent-minded in class and more preoccupied with her battling thoughts, whether she realised they were battling or not. She wouldn't talk to Stefan or Rose about it - any mention of Theon put her into the same weird and over-animated state. She couldn't even think of Stefan when she was with Theon - as a result of the influential charms of the piece of jewellery, her mind couldn't concentrate on anything but the boy when she was near him. It was starting to affect her properly now; more month on from when she had first started wearing it, the enchantments on it were almost at their strongest.

But of course, she couldn't see it. She couldn't notice it. Maxine was completely Navarre of what it was doing to her. And now, as she answered Theon's comment, she did it peectly naturally, as if they had been friends all their lives and were completely comfortable with each other.

"Hmmm yeah...a fox doesn't seem suitable." She said, creasing her brow. Theon had produced a corporeal patron us in the end, which had pleased her immensely, but the result didn't seem right. To her, anyway, under the influence of the spells from her ring. "Maybe they don't always match up. I mean, a patronus isn't really a character test so I suppose you just end up with one."

"Yeah." Agreed Theon, making sure Maixne didn't see the smirk that was his true reaction and hiding it as he spoke again. "Still, it was fun. And your mustang patronus is awesome."

Maxine grinned. "Thanks." She stopped as the revamped the entrance hall, ready to go their separate ways. "Anyway, when shall we meet again?"

Theon also came to a stop, but he paused, then looked at her, hesitant to speak and making her extremely curious. 

"Max - I was wondering if we could, you know, see each other outside of these meetings. I mean, I love them, it's just..."

"No - I see what you're getting at." She cut in, not thinking as she supported and agreed with him. "I'd love to see you outside of our study sessions. We could see each other every Friday for-"

"Maxie, what I mean is..." Theon cut in, then trailed off. There was a pause as he looked up at her. "What I mean is can we see each other out of organised meeting times - like, just hang around together? Go to class together, study in the library - just do obscure things together. Be normal friends."

It was here Maxine hesitated. The look in Theon's eyes almost persuaded her at once, as did the persuasive and touching tones of his voice. She wanted to accept straight away, to say of course they could be proper friends, of course they could spend more time together. But a deep feeling within held her back, something she couldn't quite work out. Little did she know, her own instincts, as well as feelings, were fighting against the urge to answer, to agree.  Stefan may have been far from her mind, but even under the affects of the spell, he was in her heart. 

But still, the charms were to strong now. After that momentary pause, Maxine gave an answer that invoked a victorious feeling in Theon's heart.

"Of course." She told him, smiling, though her expression was a little tense. "Of course we can meet up. I'd love to hang out with you." She looked up at him and was saying the words before she knew it. "We can be friends."

"Maxie?" As always, Stefan had come along to pick her up from the entrance hall after the meeting with Theon had ended, always wary and eager to get her away from the boy as soon as possible. And the scene he had come across did not rest his soul, nor did the words he had caught as he approached Maxine. She and Theon were facing each other and her eyes didn't even leave his face when Stefan called, expression strange, smiling but tense, like when you're ill and still have to act naturally. 

"Yes Stefan, I'm coming." Maxine called after a slight pause, still looking at Theon. Why couldn't she take her eyes off his face? What was it with him? Still, they were friends now, and his smile was rewarding. Everything about him was rewarding, as if being with him fuelled something within. And that feeling seemed to grow when Stefan approached.

"Well I'll see you later, yeah?" Theon asked, holding his warm smile and soft look.

"Of course." She didn't move even as she heard Stefan approach. "You're welcome to come and sit at the Ravenclaw table for Dinner."

Theon opened his mouth to speak but Stefan got there first, eyes sharp and tone biting. "He can't sit at the Ravenclaw table. They'll tear him to pieces." His voice was a little to literal and implied that he was the one who would be leading that process.

Maxine ignored this and Theon saw with pleasure she wasn't listening to a thing Stefan said and decided to wind up the boy further. "Come and sit at the Slytherin table or something. We'll work it out." Stefan watched with horror as Maxine smiled and continued to stare at Theon and no mention of him made, as if he wasn't even there. He became even more alarmed as Theon then went on to add. "I need to discuss those weight spells with you - they're tricky but seem really useful."

Maxine nodded, grinning. "And I need ask you about the draught of mayhem that I failed miserably at."

Theon laughed. "It's the draught of Mayheim." He said teasingly. "And you didn't failed miserably at it."

Maxine, eyes still on Theon, laughed in return and answered naturally, completely at ease. "Yes I did, don't try and be nice. I completely-"

"Max!" Stefan couldn't take it, cutting across her mid sentence and finally drawing her attention of Theon with the slight panic in his tone. Watching the two converse was painful and disturbing....it was punt right, he told himself, it just wasn't.

Maxine, however, was oblivious and simply turned to look at him with one eyebrow raised. "Oh, there you are Stefan." She looked confused as he realised she had forgotten he was there. "You don't need to panic, I'm coming." She slung her bag onto her shoulder and approached him, though her eyes went back to Theon, a slight smile playing on her lips and eyes sparkling. "See you later."

Theon grinned, Maxine not seeing the hint of a smirk behind the apparently friendly gesture. "See you, Max."

That did it for Stefan. Leaving Maxine to walk off alone, her attention already having moved off him, he turned on Theon as Maxine turned her back, suddenly close to the boy and unusually aggressive.

"Now you listen here." Stefan's voice was low and bathed in loathing, actually surprising Theon, who was allay looking confused and innocent in case Maxine turned back to look at him. "I don't know what you're up to but I will find out. You've done something to her and I'm not going to rest until she sees you for the slimy, disgusting snake you really are."

And with that, Stefan turned on his heel and strode away, as, for the first time in a year, he headed to the castle grounds on his own and without his best friend, feeling as if a part of him was missing and he could kill Theon Hallow at that very moment.