have he(art)

Things seemed quiet at the moment, and Maia wanted to take advantage of it as much as she could. Things had been so hectic at Hogwarts, between the attacks, the Wizarding World itselfs, and her own issues with the letter arriving on her birthday (a new familiarity with Professor Sprout arising from the occurence), and she figured she could find a place of solace somewhere when she didn’t have anything else to go. 

In one of the many nooks in a hallway that she regularly claimed as her own, Maia had a book propped up on her lap, eyes scanning over the pages. She was never as exceptional as her housemates when it came to academics, but she always loved stories. Art supplies laid next to her, hands covered in the regular splotches of ink and paint. She picked up on someone nearby, and without thinking, glanced their way. “Oh, um, hi.” 

Even though Maia said that she was going to explain, Daisy wasn’t particularly expecting her too. She wasn’t going to force the girl too either, knowing that everybody had issues that they would rather not talk about. She knew that she didn’t always feel like sharing everything. The most she could really do though was try and suggest that her friend share what was going on, while hopefully not coming across as too picky. It would certainly make their current situation easier though as she would have a better idea of what to say to her and how to comfort her. 

She smiled, happy that her friend was able to speak a bit easier and wanted to go somewhere that would be a little less public. At least if anyone walked into the common room and saw Maia upset, it would be more likely to be a friend than a stranger. “Let’s get going then! I’m sure we can take our time though, most people won’t be in the hallways for a while still.” Daisy didn’t want to rush her, though she was eager to leave. Part of it had to do with the fact that she wanted to give the girl her birthday present as soon as possible, worried that she would forget and then miss the opportunity for a bit. 

She grabbed the present and the letter, trying not to look too eager as she read it. But the girl was nosy and often times had remind herself not to be such a gossip. This was something she would not be sharing with anybody though, not when it made her friend so upset. Especially not when it was a friend she actually cared about, which was only a small handful of people. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to have more friends, it was just rather difficult when she’d previously been a bitch to everybody that she now realized she should’ve been friends with all along. It was also difficult when she still had a habit of being rather insensitive towards others and their feelings. 

“Oh Maia,” She couldn’t help but pout a bit after reading the letter. She’d known the girl lived in an orphanage, but she hadn’t imagined it was because of anything like this. The letter hadn’t gone into much detail, but it told her enough to have a few different ideas and scenarios running through her head. Daisy couldn’t hold back from giving the girl a quick hug anymore. “I had no idea, do you want to talk about it?” She asked unsure, already pulling back from the hug and starting them on their way to the common room. 

Unsure if she would even want to talk, but figured she should put it out there anyway. At least Maia would know that she would be willing to talk about it with her, try to figure out what the other girl should do with this news now. Daisy was unsure if there was really anything to do about the news, but the least she could do was figure out if she was going to write a letter back or not. Either way, she would be there to help her out. “It’s fine if you don’t, cause I’m sure I can figure out something to talk about to take your mind off of it.” She smiled. “But I would really like to help if I can.” 

For years, Maia had hidden her past in front of most students. Nobody wanted to hear that. Nobody wanted to hear the story of the orphan girl without a family. It would just bring people down, and she wasn’t even an open person to begin with. She’d heard it all before. I’m sorry. That must be hard. It’ll be okay. And she could never bring herself to do anything but smile and nod. She wasn’t looking for pity, but sometimes, she simply felt an urge to talk about her life with someone, the full truth of it. She could hardly ever bring herself to, but after bottling every single little thing up, it was bound to burst at some point. 

“Right-right, we should-we should go.” Her legs still felt wobbly underneath her, and she sucked in a sharp intake of breath, attempting to seem normal...okay. It was a useless effort, considering she was obviously upset, but she’d try anyways. She’d rather not anybody else find them. Daisy was one of the few people she was okay with knowing what had just happened. She already knew some of the story. Most others, Maia would have to explain the entire thing, and she didn’t think she’d be able to bring herself to do that. 

Okay, she could walk at least. That was a good sign. She stayed to the side, walking alongside the other girl as Daisy read the letter, and biting the inside of her cheek. The words replayed in her mind again, and it was so clear that her mother hadn’t changed at all. She was the same exact woman, attempting to get Maia back into her grasp. But she wasn’t here now, and although it was an unfriendly reminder of her past, she wasn’t going to let it happen. She had no obligation to write back, didn’t she? Although, the idea of her mom knowing where she was, knowing she was a witch...it shook her. 

There it was. The realization, the look of pity. But it was different coming from Daisy. Maia didn’t exactly know how, but she suspected it had something to do with the fact that they were actually friends. Everybody else, they were sad for a moment, but didn’t really care. But...Daisy did. Contrasting the grim situation for a moment, that warmed her heart for a moment...just the simple thought of a friend. “I know, I’ve hardly ever told anybody. Don’t-don’t take it personally, or anything, it’s nothing to do with you.” 

She paused for a moment, thinking over whether or not she should talk about it. If she kept it all hidden, things would be the same, or...would they? She’d still be mulling over the letter constantly. She had to tell somebody. “I don’t know if I-if I want to, but...I think I do. I don’t know, Daisy, I think-I think it’s time I tell you about it. I guess...I guess I need to get it out?” It wasn’t good to keep everything hidden. “Common room first, maybe.” 

A smile tugged at Savannah’s lips and she shrugged. “Beau’s ornery most of the time, but he’s a sweetheart when he wants to be. I don’t mean to pressure you into speaking to him if you don’t want to, I was just wonderin’ if you knew him.” Savannah knew her brother tended toward pushing people away, especially if he thought Savannah was recommending they talked to him. At least, that’s how it had been back home. At Hogwarts, their relationship seemed to be a bit better as they had come to rely on one another and watch each other’s backs. They were natural allies in this strange school, but Savannah doubted it would last very long once they returned home. She found the thought quite unfortunate, she liked being friends with her brother once again.

“I know how you feel, it’s been takin’ me a while to learn everyone’s names, too!” Savannah said kindly, though she had always been good with remembering names. It was a skill any politician worked hard at. Moving to a knew school where she hardly knew a soul, however, made for quite the challenge when it came to learning names and faces. There were just so many of them, it was like her first year at Ilvermorny but worse. At least starting at Ilvermorny she’d already had a few friends. “Hogwarts is beautiful, and I’ve enjoyed seeing it and meeting new people, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard at times.” She admitted truthfully, trying to focus on the positives as much as possible. It was obvious to her that Hogwarts’ students were as passionate about their school as Savannah Wilkinson was about Ilvermorny, and she couldn’t bring herself to speak poorly of her transfer school in front of its loyal students.

Maia didn’t exactly excell at the whole...talking to people. Most of the time, she simply blends into the background, making way for the important people to shine through. Although she didn’t know the other too well at this point, Savannah Wilkinson seemed like one of those girls. The only thing that stood out about Maia? Her hair. She loved it, even if it made a few people question her, and she thought of it as the one thing that allowed her to stand out from the crowd while still staying in her comfort zone. “Right...well, maybe I’ll run into him at some point.” She gave Savannah a small smile, although she didn’t have plans to seek out her brother, unless it was some sort of unexpected encounter. 

“Oh, it’s got to be harder for you, though. It’s uh-a lot easier to keep track of a few transfers than an entire school of students.” She knew all about how Hogwarts could be overwhelming at times, taking her years to truly get used to the school. Even during those points where she’d started to get better with putting herself out there, better with talking to others (even if she still isn’t perfect), everything was just too much at times. “It is beautiful, there’s so many hidden places, I doubt I’ve even seen it all.” She had a knack for finding abandoned crevices and nooks in hallways after all. “But I...I understand, it must’ve been difficult too, I know it was for me even in first year.” And with the added challenges of this year in particular? Maia couldn’t imagine it. 

PROMPT 005 - WANTED CONNECTIONS

Minding her own business was not a skill Daisy had ever been very good at. In fact, it was something that she still worked very hard on.  So, when she picked up the paper for the other girl with her free hand and saw that it said ‘Dear Maia’ at the top, she found it difficult to not rush to read the rest. She hoped that Maia might allow to read it, though it most likely wouldn’t be until after the other girl calmed down. If not, then she would most likely ask about it later, her curiosity usually got the best of her. Old habits die hard, which was why she worked harder. 

The frown on her face was evident as Maia tried to tell her that she was fine. Even if she was now calming down a bit from the anxiety attack, the other girl still looked like a mess. That meant Daisy couldn’t just ignore it and pretend like she believed her. No, that wasn’t what real friends did, which was exactly what she was trying to be at the least. Though usually it was Maia comforting her, so she wasn’t used to this sort of situation. In her mind she tried to think of everything the other girl had ever done for her to get her to calm down, unsure where to even start. 

“Even if I believed that, it’d be fine if you weren’t.” She said quietly, putting the letter and the package down on a nearby windowsill. The present would have to wait until some other time, as it was no longer the most important thing on Daisy’s mind. Now, the most important thing was making sure Maia was actually okay. Not the fake okay she was currently trying to pull off. It wasn’t working very well though, so she would have to drop the act eventually. The sooner the better, since she would actually be able to help then. 

She wanted to give the girl a hug, or at least a gentle hand on the shoulder since it looked like she needed something. But she was unsure if Maia would appreciate being touched at the moment, even if it was out of good intentions. “Is there something I can do to help?” Daisy figured that was a good place to start. Find out what exactly her friend needed in that moment and then go from there. At least then she wouldn’t accidentally do something that makes everything worse. “Even if it’s just get you some water or help you back to the dorm?” 

Her stomach dropped and it felt as if her heart skipped a beat as she noticed that the letter had fallen out of her palm. She’d been so distracted that she hadn’t even realized her grip was loosening, and only noticed when Daisy leaned down to pick it up. A part of her wanted to reach forward and snatch it back, but she couldn’t bring herself to, and from what she saw, she didn’t think Daisy read the rest. Another part of her wanted Daisy to read it. It was strange, something she hadn’t expected, but the other girl knew some of her past. Maybe it’d help. 

Even if she often struggled with calming herself down, she was familiar with how comfort worked. It’d been a strong aspect of her childhood after all, with a little sister to look after with every caring aspect of herself that she could possibly muster. The both of them had been children, but some of that stuck with her, and while the chance didn’t always arise, she knew how to help when needed. She’d done that for Daisy before, and now it seemed as if Daisy was trying to do the same for her. 

She noticed the package, but she could hardly focus on that, instead nodding at Daisy’s words. It was pointless to pretend she was fine when she was so far from it. “I, yeah, I guess. I’m not...I’ll-I’ll explain, I can explain, just give me a moment.” It was never a good thing to run away panicking, especially with a letter in hand. She took a few more steady breaths, calming down more and more as the moments passed. She was still nervous, and at risk of freaking out again if she thought about it too much, but Daisy offered some sort of stability. 

“Maybe...maybe we could walk back to the common room. I don’t think that many people are there, they’re all at breakfast.” She wasn’t sure whether Daisy would want to go back, but she’d offered after all. Maia wrapped her arms around her torso, eyes trained on the letter sitting on the windowsill, before looking back at Daisy. “You can-you can read it. It’ll make it easier to...explain.” 

Zelda shrugged casually, hoping to give off the essence that the fight hadn’t phased her. In reality, it had caused her to stay up late at night, racking her brain for possible scenarios in which she could defect from Grindelwald and somehow gain the trust of her peers again… But there was no way for that to happen, she was too far deep into things, especially after it was now public knowledge that she supported Grindelwald. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, nodding. “Yes, but I’d bet Hestia’s wishing she’d left me to bleed out.” Zelda smiled with pity for herself. “She wouldn’t be the only one.”

Maia’s face seemed like a friendly one – that was all Zelda could really say about the girl. She thought of her as an innocent, younger Ravenclaw, but as she watched Maia question Zelda’s wellbeing, Zelda’s own demeanour softened and she inched closer. “I’m not doing well, Maia. Keep it to yourself, but – I’m trying to think things out… See where I went wrong. It’s hard, when you’re as stubborn as I am.” 

Maia was far from the best at reading people. In both the ways of divination and body language, but she had her suspicions. Although she didn’t know how to manage her own, she was fairly in tune with emotions, something that stemmed from years of looking after Harmony. And she could tell Zelda had been affected by this, at least somewhat. She didn’t think it was possible to shrug it off completely, that kind of surplus of condience just...didn’t exist. At least not in her mind. “Well, no matter-no matter what Hestia thinks, not everybody would wish that upon a person. Nobody...nobody deserves that.” 

Her lips parted slightly as Zelda moved slightly closer. Even after she’d caught herself mesmorized more often than not, the girl was still breathtaking to Maia. For a moment, she forgot all about the tragedy, and the fight. But it was only a fleeting one. “I’m-I’m sorry to hear that, but it’s good that you’re, y’know, thinking things through? I hope everything ends up alright.” 

“Well” Amara began to explain, “I find it curious how I know one fact of intrigue about near about everyone in the room except you. Plus, I suspected that you might actually enjoy a cheesy joke. Or hoped, I suppose. It also kind of explains why you don’t seem to be enjoying your night near so much as everyone else is….”

Her lips tugged upwards as Amara spoke. She really was an interesting girl, and she supposed the curiosity might just go both ways, considering she knew hardly anything about the other as well. “I guess so, and you’re right, I did enjoy it.” A small laugh before she continued. “I don’t usually go to these kind of things, but I’m really trying to enjoy tonight. You, uh, you are making it pretty enjoyable.” 

Savannah smiled graciously, but in her heart she felt a bit sad for Maia. She hadn’t gone to the Christmas Ball? That was a downright shame. The Great Hall had been beautiful and so many families had all come together to celebrate with one another. Savannah had a decent time she supposed, mostly spending the evening with her parents. She’d made few friends at Hogwarts up to that point, and not many since. If she hadn’t seen those friendly faces, however, would she have had any fun at all? Savannah’s heart suddenly went out to all of the wallflowers at all of the events she had ever attended, with the sinking realization that she was not the first, nor would she ever be the last girl to find herself lonely in a crowded room of people. “Well, hopefully we can change your mind. It sure seems someone’s trying to make sure we have a good time tonight.” She said, holding up her roses.

“You’re a sixth year too, then?” She asked at the mention of her brother. “I promise he’s harmless, though he’s not always the friendliest.” Savannah warned. Beau was particular about his friends, and while Savannah respected it, she didn’t quite understand it. “We sure do.” Savannah confirmed at the mention of the other transfer students. “Most of them seem to have ended up in Ravenclaw, oddly enough.” She commented, wishing she herself had been placed there. It was a shame there weren’t any transfers in Slytherin House besides her, she could use a friendly face in the dungeons now and then. “Change is always difficult, isn’t it?” Savannah asked gently, not wanting to make Maia feel bad about just how awful Savannah found Hogwarts at times. “It’s been an adjustment for sure, and I’ll admit it’s not the way I thought I’d be spendin’ my last year of school.” 

She was used to looks of pity. Even as a young girl, when the few friends she had wanted to come over to her house, and she had no idea how to tell them how bad of an idea it was. Maia would usually let them down, and the ones that did come ended up calling home eventually, never saying out loud what was wrong but she always knew what. And then her father died, and she got all the sad looks of apology that only made the pit at the bottom of her stomach deeper, especially considering she was seven and had no idea how to feel. And then there was the orphanage; the kids treated her normally, but the caretakers sometimes had these sad looks in their eyes. Less now than she was older, but whenever she told people here at Hogwarts, she received the same expression. Although downplayed, she’d get it yet again whenever she mentioned hardly going to parties, or being lonely, or hesitation to participate along with everybody else. But Savannah? She didn’t do that. Instead there was a smile and enouragement, which Maia appreciated. “You’re right, I really am. Now I’ll just, you know, see how it goes.” 

“Mhm, sixth year.” She nodded at Savannah’s question, accompanied by a small smile. She thought she had a class or two with Beau, but wasn’t surprised at the fact that they hadn’t talked yet. They were in different houses, and Maia wasn’t the most social type, especially with new people. “He-he seems nice. Who knows, maybe I’ll talk to him some time in the future.” Likely as a chance encounter. “Oh, you’re right about that. There’s been so many-so many new people in our Common Room. Took me a while to learn who they all were.” It’d been a little hard to get used to, but it was just like the yearly new batch of first years, except...older this time. Maybe it wasn’t that similar. “A lot of the time, yeah. Must be a big adjustment. I-I hope you’ve been having fun, but I understand if it’s overwhelming. Things have been more chaotic than ever this year.” 

hestia-jones:

Hestia rolled her eyes, but accepted the girls hand anyway. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her, or that she wasn’t grateful for the comfort, but she just wished that she didn’t need it. She was always strong, she was a rock. In fact, half the time she even questioned if she herself had any feelings. Yet here the girl was, a freaked out mess over a little blood. Maybe a bit more than just a little blood, but still. She thought that at this point these kinds of incidences wouldn’t effect her anymore. That was what she’d been working towards at least. 

She felt like her eyes were saucers staring at the Great Hall, unsure if she would ever be able to go back in. Even if she could, she doubted that she could ever go back in there calmly again. “It’s fine, just be quick with it ok? I don’t want to be here any longer than I need to be.” She sputtered out. 

@iversaddie​

Addie looked from Maia to Hestia and she nodded quickly. The emotions she could see in their eyes were mirrored in her own, she was sure. Everything about this morning was awful, and especially after last night had been so nice. “I’ll be quick,” she said confidently, giving both of their hands a squeeze before letting go. “I’ll be right back.” At this time of day, the room was still fairly empty although she spotted a few professors - including Professor Sprout. Breathing a sigh of relief, Addie hurried to the professor’s side and beckoned to her, whispering, “I need to talk to you outside.” 

Professor Sprout was very good at listening to her students and so she went with Addie without a word of complaint, concern written on her features.

Maia nodded as Addie left, something in her feeling almost empty with the absence of Addie’s hand in hers. She didn’t absolutely need the comfort anymore. The panic attack had passed at this point, and all she really had to do to stay stable was try not to think about what happened. That proved to be easier said than done. She glanced at Hestia, seeing a bit of herself in the other girl. No matter their differences, the both of them were shaken. A part of her wanted to comfort the other girl, but how could she do that when she was struggling herself? It felt as if Addie took forever inside the Great Hall, but it was really only a few moments before the doors opened again. 

“Something happened,” She blurted out when she saw Professor Sprout coming with Addie. “We-we found...there’s been another attack.”

He smiled, “You’re being modest, that’s cute.” He chuckled. It wasn’t as if he could actually remember the details of what had happened. But, seeing how she didn’t just leave him there meant something. Plus, he didn’t enjoy feeling like he owed anyone anything, especially not his life. “Well you didn’t just leave me lying there, which counts for something.” Andrei took a small step closer towards her. “So I owe you for that much at least. Anything you want, you’ve got it.” He winked.

She pursed her lips together for a moment, not as a pretentious gesture but one that radiated her indecisiveness as to what she should say. Maia knew she hadn’t been much of a help, and nothing could convince her of such. She wishd she was normal, that she hadn’t immediately panicked instead of helping. “No, I didn’t. But really, you should thank the other girls, they did most of the-most of the work.” She blinked a few times in surprise when he winked, wondering if she was reading the signs right. She was repulsed by the thought. “Oh, you don’t-I don’t need anything, it’s alright.” 

Daisy was excited. Not only was her birthday approaching, but it was currently one of her close friends birthdays. Which meant she had to find he perfect present. That proved to be much harder that expected since security was so tight, and everything was still getting back to normal after the post-Valentines day incident. Usually she might’ve even attempted to throw her a small party in common room, but Maia most likely wouldn’t have even wanted that sort of thing anyway. Parties were more of Daisy’s thing, which was why she was upset that she most likely wouldn’t be able to have one for her birthday either. At least not a fun and exciting one like she’d originally hoped for. But, there was always next year.

She was just happy that they were still able to send and receive letters. Which meant that after much begging on her part, her parents had sent her a small package for her friend. It wasn’t much, but she knew that it would be enough. Plus, Maia had made it clear a while ago that she didn’t want a big deal made about her birthday. But it was something that Daisy just couldn’t help herself from. Every year the parties had gotten bigger for her, so over time she’d grown accustomed to it. Now, it was odd not to hold a big celebration come one’s birthday. The least she could do though was get a present, especially considering all that’d happened. 

Maia was a shy girl, which was part of the reason why Daisy wanted to be her friend. She was sweet, nice, the kind of low-key person she needed around her if she was going to actually stay true to herself. Within that though, Daisy found someone she could confide in during late nights when she couldn’t sleep. Maia and her could understand each others emotional struggles. And while the other girl was a good shoulder to lean on, the red-head found herself trying to push the other to branch out more. It was an interesting dynamic, but it was one that worked very well for the two of them. 

As soon as the package for the other girl had arrived though, it was like she’d disappeared. Only looking up right in time to see her leaving the Great Hall. Daisy quickly followed behind with the package in hand, just hoping that she’d gone the correct way. She smiled when she saw the other girl, not quite realizing the distress she was in yet. “Maia! I’ve been looking all over for you.” She laughed. “Nearly ran around this entire castle.” She said once she got close enough, although her smile faded when she realized her friend was not at all happy as she’d expected. “What’s wrong?” She asked, attempting to hide the package behind her back for the time being. She figured that moment might not be the best time to give it to her. 

No matter how hard Maia thought about it-which was a challenge considering her mind had currently been sent into a frenzy, and she’d been bombarded with too many different thoughts at once- she just didn’t get it. The many times she’d thought over her childhood, the happiest memories were the hardest to grasp. She’d been young then, too young to remember when her parents loved each other, and loved her. She knew they’d cared about her, based on faint memories, but that didn’t last. What she remembered all too well was when life began to go downhill. When her parents wouldn’t stop fighting. When she was forced to take care of little sister’s well-being, with only the bare minimum being done by her parents. When she had to learn how to fend for herself, barely even reaching the age of eight years old before she was whisked away to the orphanage. 

So why, would a mother that hardly ever cared for her, a mother more manipulative and cruel than kind, try to contact her again? She claimed to have changed, but Maia didn’t buy into that for a single second. She could recall times at home when her mother would try and change herself. The woman would vow to not drink as much, to work harder, to care for her children, but it never lasted more than a few days until they were back to the neglectful norm. If Maia’s mother could truly love, this wasn’t it. Did she even remember it was her birthday? Was it some sick joke she thought up while drunk? 

Her eyes, which had been shut tightly, snapped open as she heard someone calling her name, taking a few moments before she realized it was Daisy Hookum walking down the hall. She didn’t have too many friends, and was grateful for the relationship she had with Daisy. Maia had been skeptical of the other girl during their early years, although she was too skittish back then to talk to her much at all. But they later became good friends. She listened to Daisy’s struggles, while Daisy tried to help her out of her comfort zone. The bottom line was that she appreciated Daisy, but now was the worst time possible. 

She noticed Daisy was holding something, but couldn’t register what it was in the middle of her hysteria, and attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. During the time she’d been alone, she calmed herself a little, but the letter was still fresh in her mind. “Daisy, I-” She paused, letting out a breath and attempting to straighten her posture. “It’s okay, I-I’ll be fine.” As she attempted to cover it up, she hadn’t realized her grip on the paper had loosened, and crumpled object fell to the ground. 

Once more the auror went through the stack of paperwork before him. He had compiled all evidence that he and any of the others had been able to find. Everything from a full report on the injuries as given by the school healer and the two students who had assisted her to full genetic analysis of each scene. It all seemed so straightforward but he couldn’t help believe that there was something that they had all seemed to miss. There was only one thing that he was certain of at this point and that was that John Dawlish had not played accomplice. Dom had gone back himself to each scene to see if there was any trace of John attempting to erase his presence at the scene, but was unable to pick up on anything. Unfortunately, it would likely take a bit more than that to clear him even if the trainer knew with absolute certainty that he was innocent.

With a sigh Dom leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he contemplated whether or not to track down Phoebe and ask her if she could analyze the way that he had just in case he had missed something. He gave up the idea quickly, realizing that one didn’t have to be physically involved in a crime to be part of it and should it come up he had no way of proving that John hadn’t simply been the puppet master behind Charlotte’s actions. All he could do now was speak with Edward to see how best to proceed.

He’d just stepped from his makeshift laboratory when he saw her. “Hey” he said softly, approaching the girl slowly. Instinct took over immediately as he realized the ruggedness of her breathing. Her hand was clenched into a fist and he was willing to bet that whatever it was she was holding had brought this on. “Can you breath with me? In - out - and again….see, you’re okay. Would you like some hot chocolate? It’ll help, I promise”

Maia didn’t understand. She couldn’t wrap her head around why, after all these years, her mom was contacting her now. There were things she hated about the way she was brought up- so many things she wished she had, but one thing she was grateful for was the fact that she didn’t have to live with her mother anymore. There was the death of her dad, who wasn’t much better, but still stung, and then the separation from Harmony, which hurt the most, but the one good thing that came out of all of it was the fact that she’d finally been cared for. As much as she’d wished for a loving family in the past, the orphanage had been a step up from all the neglect at home. At least she didn’t have to fend entirely for herself anymore. At least she wasn’t constantly berated for her every action while her mother refused to do anything on her own. 

So why was the woman trying to fix things now? Maia knew nothing would ever be fixed, and hell, she didn’t want it to be fixed. She wanted a family, yes, but she didn’t want to go back to her mother either. The only (hopefully) living member of her family that she’d ever want to contact again was Harmony, and she had no idea where her little sister could be. Maia didn’t believe her mother either. The way the letter was worded proved her suspicions, and not to mention that stain she spotted. Her mother was still drinking. Her mother was still destructive. 

She looked towards the source of a nearby noise, her stomach dropping when she realized it was an auror. Maia had nothing against them, but they could be intimidating, and she hadn’t wanted anyone to find her like this. But this one seemed to want to help, so she quickly dropped her walls, unable to hold them up. She tried to breathe, and while she was far from completely okay, it got a little better as the seconds passed. “Hot chocolate?” She questioned. “I-okay. As long as it’s not...any trouble, or anything.” 

Pomona tried to keep an eye on all of the students, as much as she could. Her Hufflepuffs were her first priority, of course, as they were her direct responsibility here and her surrogate children - especially as it seemed less and less likely that she’d have children of her own. But she kept an eye on students from other houses as well, and Maia had been one she felt particularly burdened about. She’d felt that way since she first met the girl, but it grew even stronger after the attack, when Addie had taken her out to where the other two girls waited, both shell-shocked and silent. Hestia seemed to go out of her way to avoid Pomona, but Maia just seemed withdrawn.

So when she left the Great Hall so hurriedly, Pomona excused herself and went after the girl. Maia was fast, and it took longer than Pomona liked to find her again but she managed it eventually. Crossing the corridor quietly, she knelt down in front of Maia and held a hand out, not quite touching her arm but close to it. “Maia, dear, I want you to breathe with me.” She took several exaggerated, slow breaths, her gaze fixed on Maia.

She didn’t see the woman turning the corner first, having slid down the wall she was leaning against to the ground, clutching the paper in her hand. A thousand questions raised through her mind at once, confusion and panic overcoming her. Maia had no idea how her mother even managed to get a letter to her. She would’ve had to talk with the orphanage, and while Maia didn’t know much about how the muggle world contacted students at Hogwarts, she assumed it was some sort of process. And yet, a mother that Maia couldn’t remember ever caring for her managed to send a letter to her. She didn’t trust it though, based on the way she wrote, and she’d often claimed to have changed during Maia’s childhood. 

Her gaze moved up towards Professor Sprout, suddenly realizing she wasn’t alone. His vision was blurred and her heart racing, but she attempted to focus on Professor Sprout, and her breathing. Over the years, she’d learned at least somewhat how to handle herself, and this was all too familiar, having happened just ten days before. She took a few deep breaths along with Professor Sprout, choking up a few times, but managing to calm herself a little. “I’m-I’m sorry,” Maia spoke once she could. She wondered if the woman had noticed the paper in her fist.