I'm Not Scared [Elyah & Max]

It had been a rough time for Elyah since she had come to the school again. The attack was something unexpected, and the damage that had been caused was great. Lives were lost, some were still missing and Elyah kinda felt bad that she was able to get away before anything had the time to reach her and cause her any harm. She was one of the lucky someone would say. But she hated it. Because other people didn't have that privilege. They weren't safe. And it was all the Ministry's fault.

Hogwarts was the safest place on earth, she knew. And for such dark force to be able to enter this castle, it only meant one thing. The Ministry was growing weaker and weaker by the days. Or that was what it looked like at least. How could they possibly have allowed something like this to happen?

Wrapped in her Hufflepuff scarf, Elyah made her way towards the Forbidden Forest, wanting to spend sometime alone. People didn't wander around as much anymore, afraid of what might happen again. The danger was not gone, she knew it, and if her father learned that she was wandering all alone in the Forbidden Forest, he would be -the least to say- displeased with her. And very mad. Maybe a little too mad. But she could handle herself. She always had.

The young witch was positive she was pretty much alone in the Forest. And she liked it that way, since she was never one to be friendly or anything. Except with Max. He was so very different from her, always getting on her nerves, messing up with her potions -and sometimes her essays too!- but he had found a place in her heart before she could even register what was happening. Maybe it was the fact that he was indeed so much different from her, and from the rest of the world that made him so special in her eyes. She didn't know, and she certainly was not ready to admit it to herself, even more to him.

But the truth was that the little Hufflepuff witch was starting to develop her first crush. She was slowly falling for Max.

Lost in her thoughts, Elyah didn't even bother looking around the Forest, and so she didn't notice Max, sitting high up in a tree. Not until he landed right in front of her, causing Elyah to jump a couple of feet back with a startled yelp and quickly point her wand at the sudden surprise.
But once her eyes focused on the only person she didn't expect to see, Elyah froze.

"Hey! I didn't know you came out here! Or did Freddo bring you?"

Maximillian Hollingberry was standing right in front of her with his usual big smile in place, as if nothign had happened. Elyah couldn't move. She was happy, shocked, angry... so many things at once and she could not handle all of them! Where had he been? Why hadn't he written a letter to her or something? She was so worried! Hadn't he been worried about her at all?!

"How are you? I've found something cool! I will show you, if you want, but, I know that you're probably going to have a lot to talk about, because everyone does at the moment, and it's very higgledy piggledy... You know?"

"I..uh.."
Elyah was trying to form words that could potentially lead to a sentence, but she was still way too frozen to think clearly. She had spent all these days, locked away, not talking to anyone, because Max had not made an appearance. He had not informed her that he was safe, and had her believing he was hurt, missing, or worse, killed.

Though as his arms wrapped around her, Elyah was glad she didn't have to talk. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him holding him close to her and breathing in his smell. She had missed him so badly, and a sigh of relief left her as she was now sure he was okay.

"I've missed you, though, but I didn't know if you'd actually be interested in the forest. But, now I know. And this is awesome!"

"Max, you scared the hell out of me, you idiot!"
Pulling back, Elyah punched his arm, taking out her frustration, and just as quickly, she pulled him back into another hug.
"Why didn't you say you were okay? I thought you were hurt, missing! You idiot boy, you can't just disappear on me!"

"I thought it was pretty obvious you were okay? Freddo came to visit you!"

What?

Elyah was confused. She had not seen the cat at all, and that was the main reason why she had believed something was wrong. Or maybe she was grieving so much, worrying that something bad had happened to him, that she had not noticed the cat following her at all. Could that actually be possible?

Her eyes focused on Max as his hands moved to his neck, revealing the necklace her father had given her. He was wearing her necklace, something that made the girl smile just a bit. It was cute to say the least, watching your crush keep something of yours close to him. But he didn't do it for the same reason. No, he couldn't actually like her like that.

"I figured you'd sent me this as a show that you were okay, and in it's place Freddo seems to have given you my tie. Or, at least I thought he had taken it. I thought that was enough to make you know. I knew you were okay. And, don't you think if I'd been hurt Freddo wouldn't have hounded you all the time to come to me?"

"That was your tie?! I thought a girl had brought a boy up there or something and he had forgotten his tie! How could I have know?!"
Elyah had to rub her temples to soothe the headache that was starting to form. Yes, she had indeed seen a tie left on her bed, on her pillow to be exact, but she couldn't have imagined it was Max's.

"Thank Merlin, I didn't throw it away."
But that didn't mean Max was going to get it back, anyway. She had a very nice plan on how to use his tie.
But he was right about Freddo. If anything had happened, that animal would have come to her before the news reached her ears. She would know before anyone else. How had she not thought of that?

"I'm sorry for not telling you I was okay. I shouldn't have assumed anything."

As he handed her back her necklace, Elyah took a good look at it, before fumbling with the clasp herself, managing to open it a couple of seconds later.
"I want you to keep it, so it will always remind you of me."
Walking up behind him, Elyah closed the clasp as soon as the chain was around his neck and smiled.
"Now, you will always have something of mine with you."

And once again, she pulled him into a hug, hiding her face in his back. He was growing taller and taller, Elyah was starting to feel so small compared to her. But she loved his hugs and his awkwardness a bit more than usual.

"It has my initials in the label at the bottom. Mum put them in there after I lost three last year."

Elyah had to giggle at the response Max gave, and also at the thought of him losing so many ties. What in the name of Merlin did he do with those ties?
But it had been idiotic of her not to check for any initials or anything on it. If she had only been more careful, she might have figured out that Max was alive sooner. She might have sought out for him!

"I must admit, it was rather idiotic of me, not to examine the tie. But one way or another, you always manage to come back to me..."

Looking away, Elyah tried to hide the look in her eyes. A look that gave away the mixed feelings she had about the situation. About what she felt exactly for Max. She didn't want to accept it. No. It was dangerous and Max was just her friend. And she wouldn't let anyone destroy that. Not even herself.

"Well, if you could return it, I'd be super thankful, because I haven't told mum I lost it yet, and I really don't want to get a Howler for it!"

A smirk touched the Hufflepuff witch's features. Oh under any other circumstances, she might have considered giving him his tie back, mostly because she didn't want him to get in trouble. But now that she thought better about it, she was in no way going to give him back that die. He would have to take it over her dead body. Which probably meant never.

"Nah, I do not think I will, Max. Freddo brought it to me, so it's mine now!"

And then he started talking about how the necklace belonged to her, and that there was no particular reason for him to keep it, unless she truly wanted him to have it. Elyah stood in front of him, rolling her eyes the whole time as he kept talking and talking. That was who Max was, and even if she loved him for that, she would not pay him enough mind for such matters.

"I mean what I say, Max. When I say I want you to keep it, you keep it, okay?"

"Okay, I'll keep it. But, if you want it back, you have to promise you will just say. Because it is your necklace, and I really don't want to take it from you if you want it. But, I will keep it safe, for you."

Elyah had to smile and nod to whatever he was saying, not really paying him much mind. All she wanted was for him to just accept her words, and her presents, and be done with it. But Max was not like that, you always had to persuade him. Well, not always. But 95% percent of the time that was the case.
Thankfully though, he accepted it, and didn't speak another word about that. Instead, he was already thinking of something different.

"Now, come on, I have to show you my awesome find!"

Then she was pulled along, towards the tree where Max had made footholds in order to climb up. Was he building a tree house in the Forbidden Forest or what?
Listening to his instructions, Elyah slowly moved up the tree, after him, curious to see what he had find. Truthfully though, she had no idea what it could be.

"Oh, and speak softly. We don't want to frighten them!"

Elyah suddenly stopped.
"Them?" But Max was off again, and Elyah climbed up after him, and got comfortable next to him. Then he started talking to someone else, and only then did Elyah notice the little Bowtruckle that got into Max's hand.

"Don't worry, she's friendly, I wouldn't bring her up if I didn't trust her."

"Max, is that a Bowtruckle I'm seeing?"
Elyah made sure to keep her voice low, not wanting to scare away the little thing, but the smile on her face proved how incredibly happy she was. She had read about Bowtruckles and always wanted one, but couldn't believe that she was seeing one right now!

"Oh Merlin, it is so beautiful!"