Catching Up (Elyah & Max)

Max had had a good summer, and had meant to send a letter time and time again to Elyah, but his efforts had been interrupted a number of times. Before he could send it, it was the first of September and he was on the train. Max had looked for the Hufflepuff, but once again been distracted by a bunch of Gryffindors and the game of exploding snap they'd been playing.

Today, Max had been exploring with Freddi when he went streaking off. With a sigh, Max hurried after him, in the hope that his cat would be going to find the witch he'd been meaning to see for quite some time now.

A few minutes later, the familiar face of Elyah emerged and a grin touched Max's lips. "Elyah! I'm so sorry I didn't write, I meant to but I got distracted again and again. I'm real sorry. How was your summer? Did you spend it with your dad? What did you guys do? I bet that was so cool!" Max rushed through the questions, hoping to get all the answers to them.

Elyah's summer was the best. Ever. At least it was the best summer she had in her life. Her father had come into her life, as a big part now, and after an arrangement with her mother, where she made specific that she wouldn't like to have contact with Elyah ever again, she had moved in with her dad, as he now had custody of her.

And that was actually the best thing that could happen. Elyah wanted to get away from her mother, and that was when her dad appeared. Perfect timing, someone would say, but Elyah would have appreciated a bit more if her father, if Nero, hadn't left at all. But she was not going to try change the past but make a better tomorrow for herself. And her dad.

Their summer was spent quietly, mostly getting to know each other more. Elyah started to see how much she looked like her father, and she was sure her dad was probably thinking the same. He was really spoiling her with all that money of his though, and sometimes it made Elyah believe he was trying to 'buy' her trust instead of earn it. But they had talked over it and she started understanding that Nero was simply trying to make her as happy as possible. Offer her anything she needed.

What she had been expecting though was a letter, or more, from Max. Maximilian had promised to write her throughout the summer, and Elyah was waiting eagerly for days. But not even one owl arrived, and that made Elyah sad. Very sad. Her father had probably seen that something was bothering her, but Elyah wouldn't speak to him about Max, not yet at least.

Before she knew it though, it was the first of September, and Elyah found herself on the Hogwarts Express, heading towards a new year. A different year. Her father had promised to write to her, and she really hoped it wouldn't turn out like Max's promise. So far, boys seemed to be awfully stupid. How could she fall for a boy if they were like that?

But Elyah couldn't hate Max, even if she wanted to. He had not written to her, he had broken his promise, and she wanted to confront him about it. If he had tried to find her and apologise, tell her that he had meant to write to her and that something had popped up, she would have forgiven him. But no. He never appeared. He never looked for her. And that made the now Second Year very mad.

Wanting to be alone, Elyah had headed off towards the lake, a place where she had found herself many times. It calmed her down, and it was what she needed the most right now.
She was in a foul mood and wouldn't like to be disturbed. But of course, something had to destroy her peace.

The usual tiny ball of fur, Freddo, appeared on her lap and started to brush himself against her, purring excitedly. Elyah simply waited for what was to follow, and soon enough, Max's voice popped up, making Elyah ball her hands into fists.

"Elyah! I'm so sorry I didn't write, I meant to but I got distracted again and again. I'm real sorry. How was your summer? Did you spend it with your dad? What did you guys do? I bet that was so cool!"

Picking up the little kitten, Elyah placed it aside, and pushed herself up, fixing her uniform before crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, Max, if you wanted to know you should have written a letter and asked me about it. You wouldn't have got distracted."
Oh she was mad, and Max was about to find how much.

"El, I did try to write. But, I get so distracted, by everything. I did, actually, start to write a letter!"

The disappointment was obvious in Max's features, but as much as Elyah wanted to simply hug him and tell him that all was okay and forgiven, she couldn't. In her life she had learned that when people make mistakes and are confronted about them, they don't make them again. At least most of them don't.
So Elyah decided that this was going to be a lesson for Max. Because in no hell would she ever allow him to make this mistake twice.

But as he passed her the paper, Elyah did take the time to read through it really fast, spotting the three different colors that existed, probably because he had tried to write to her more than once. But Elyah still didn't feel like forgiving him that easily. He should have tried harder, even if he didn't particularly know what to write. He should have come up with something!

"I do wonder more and more, every day, why the hat put you in Gryffindor," the young witch said as she passed the paper back to Max with a disapproving look.

"I know, it's really lame, but I didn't know what to say to you, writing things down isn't easy because everything is moving in my head so quickly that I want to tell you, but I couldn't get it down. I really did want to hear from you!"

Listening to him speak though, Elyah had to nod her head at what he was saying. This was Max, after all, and everyone knew Max just couldn't focus on one thing. He had to do it all.
But that was the Max Elyah had grown to... like. As a friend of course. And even though she was mad at him, really mad, she still didn't want to lose him. Because he was her special friend. Her best friend.

"And you didn't write to me, either, you know!"

Though as he tried to turn this on her, Elyah stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. He couldn't really be doing this, could he?
"Oh please! Of course I didn't! You said you would write to me, and I waited and waited and waited. Until I got mad and decided that if you didn't write to me, I wouldn't either. You are the man!"

Huffing, she turned her attention elsewhere, not wanting to look at Max any longer. He was a spoiled little brat and he had just managed to make her even madder.

"I know I said I would write to you! And I did mean it! But, you know there might have been a bad reason for me not writing! I could have been hurt, in hospital, you know there is the disease thing going around at the moment... I wonder if they found the cure to that..."


Max's words might have actually touched Elyah, if it wasn't for his rumbling on that made him lose his point. Max was a little chatterbox, and Elyah had grown accustomed to that by now, but still, to this day, it surprised her how he could go off in his own world, completely ignoring what was happening around him. It was amazing.

"We both know you were fine! If something had happened to you, I would know. So stop whining, little baby." Sometimes, Max just got a little bit too much on her nerves.


"But, no, my fault. I should have written. And it has nothing to do with being a man, Elyah. That's just silly.

As he went on rumbling and explaining how doing things had nothing to do with whether you were a girl or a boy, Elyah turned her attention at the sky, not even bothering to listen to another one of his 'lessons', cause simply, she was not interested, and instead of calming her down, Max was achieving the unbelievable, which was fire her up even more. He was pushing his luck here, and he wasn't bothered at all by that.

"So, come on, I've said sorry. Now you have to tell me what you got up to! Because you got to live with your dad for the first time, and I just know you want to tell me all about it!"

But the way he knew her so well caught Elyah off guard. She didn't know how to respond to that, be she certainly didn't want to forgive him right away. No, Elyah wasn't that sweet. She had learned things the hard way in her life, so sweetness was not something she had managed to collect from people. Hard stares and nasty comments about her mother, and how much of a bastard she was, was all she kept hearing about.

Elyah was a difficult child. And Max would have to play by these rules.

"Yes, I did spend the Summer over to my dad's. I am going to stay with him from now on, actually. My mom doesn't want to see me again, actually. It's not like she ever wanted to.. She just took me home for Summer cause I couldn't stay at Hogwarts.."

Sighing, Elyah moved away, taking a seat nearby the lake, on the grass. She felt so burdened with everything.

As Max took a seat next to her, and put an arm around her, Elyah sighed and even if she didn't want to allow herself to forgive him so soon, she reluctantly leaned in closer to him, allowing herself to get comfortable into his embrace as she closed her eyes. Inhaling his scent, a small smile touched Elyah's lips. Max always had that calming, yet arousing effect on her. Sometimes, she didn't want whether to hug or push him away.


"Your mum is stupid if she doesn't want to see you, El! And, even if she doesn't you have your dad now, right? And he's famous, and rich, so you can have everything you ever want. Besides that, you have me, and Freddo!"

Elyah frowned a bit, knowing that Max was right. Her mother was indeed stupid, since she just easily gave up on her own child. And it hurt Elyah, even if she was trying to hide it. Cause she might have not been the best mother, but she was still her mom! How could a mother give up on her own child like that?

But Max's next words were far more comforting, and as Freddo jumped in her lap, sitting comfortably, Elyah let out a small chuckle and leaned up to kiss Max's cheek. Mood lifted and grumpiness gone, Elyah had almost completely forgotten why she was mad at Max.
"You know that I don't like it that my father is so famous. And I don't want his money. He knows I can't be bought by that. But he loves me. More than my mother ever did, for sure. And he's trying so much to get to know me and like.. be a good father. I truly love him.."

Smiling widely, Elyah spend some time thinking about her father, about Nero, and how good he was with her. He had spent almost all of his summer checking to see if she had anything she wanted, or whether there was something more he could offer her that he hadn't yet. He was the best dad. Flawed, and that was what made him the best.

"And Freddo here loves me since the first day he saw me. I really can't understand why. I despise cats."

Max's blush wouldn't go unnoticed by the Hufflepuff girl, if only the cat in her lap would stay still. Every time she turned her attention elsewhere, the little devil would nudge her with its petite feet in order to get her attention back. And it would always work cause Freddo was simply a pain in the ass. He would do anything to have Elyah's attention. So, luckily for Max, Elyah did not notice the red color that took over his cheeks when she pulled back from the light peck on his cheek. For her it was something normal, but for the Gryffindor boy, it was obviously another story.

As he went on speaking about how he understood what she meant, but it would still be cool to have anything you'd like, any time you want it, Elyah giggled. Maybe for Max, who didn't have that privilege, it was indeed something he was envious about. But for Elyah, it was the same thing. Money or not, he was still her father. And she cared far more about that, than whether she could buy new clothes or a broom.

"Maybe next holidays we could meet up, or something? So I can meet your dad. That'd be cool! Is it true he invents other stuff, not just brooms?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself? I am sure he would love to meet you and answer all of your questions!" The mischievous look was hidden before Max could get ahold of it, but Elyah knew exactly what her dad would do to Max. Maybe if he got a little scared, he would start to act more like a man, and less like a boy. He was growing older, her had to learn some lessons in life. And if she wasn't able to teach him those, her Father would.

But then the subject was turned back to the devil in her lap, and Elyah rolled her eyes at Max's statement. The fact that she would never be able to get away from him was becoming very uncomfortable, cause they were still young. And it was very creepy.
"Well, I would appreciate some time away from you two, as well. Too much together doesn't do us any good!"

"So, do you think Balan will be in a better mood this year?"

At that, Elyah let out a small chuckle. Professor Balan was a nightmare. A hot nightmare, but still, not something you'd like to have around your house.
"When was he ever? I doubt he'll be very good with us this year. I still don't know what gets him so worked up every time! My dad would say that he needs to get laid."