Just Another Step [MAX]

[Rowena Jones]

After their dueling practice, Rowena had been excited at the prospect of spending even a few short moments with Max at some point during the work day. She’d been pumped up on adrenaline, on a high from her win and just generally happy with the fact that they were back on track and enjoying each other’s company.

But then there was the fact that maybe they needed a bit of a chat. Unexpectedly meeting his younger sister had raised the question of what exactly were they? Despite the minor hiccup on their first date, Rowena was very much enjoying spending time with Max. He had an unusual way of making her relax just by smiling at her, even at work where she was usually her most uptight. And the kissing, the kissing was excellent. She’d forgotten how fun a good snog could be.

And if that’s all it was going to be, then she was oddly ok with that. With everything else going on in her life at the moment, it was nice to have Max to counter balance it, have someone to make sure she didn’t get too absorbed in work. But at the same time, she knew she was on the edge of a precipice. If she didn’t set herself some firm boundaries, she was at high risk of falling hard and fast for the Potions Master. And if he wasn’t on the same page, didn’t at least see this thing between them as something that had serious potential, then she needed to know sooner rather than later.

So suffice to say it, she’d been anxious to see him again that day after the duel. But it hadn’t happened. As it was wont to do, her time at Mungos had become unexpectedly busy and she’d rushed from her expected meetings into several emergencies. By the time she’d cleaned up and gone to find Max, he’d gone, or he’d been in an emergency of his own. And that trend had continued for the next two days. Now it was Thursday afternoon and she’d seen him only a couple of times in passing, rushing around the ward or between offices, but hadn’t even had the chance to ask him how he was let alone ask him if they were in an actual relationship.

Now, with her latest 18 hour shift coming to a close, she really wanted to see him. Rowena didn’t even care if they had the talk at this point. She’d agreed to let him lead the way when it came to milestones between them so she’d just try to limit her own feelings until then. But she really would like the chance to spend just a few minutes with him in private.

She thought back to her last words to him and her cheeks tinged pink at how suggestive she’d been. So far, all they’d done was kiss, and she supposed there’d been that accidental groping too. Her blush deepened as she remembered that incident. Speaking of, she needed to get that accident form to Milton. He’d been very apologetic about the whole affair and Rowena had finally gotten all the details.

Apparently, some drunken patients had thought it would be an excellent idea to top up their Quidditch Cup antics with some drugs and how convenient that they were in a hospital that must have a stock of interesting potions and other nice things that would do just the trick. Mungos had obviously been prepared for such an incident and had stopped the group but two of them had managed to escape and subsequently cause the mess that Max and Rowena had found themselves.

Rowena had waved away Milton’s apologies. As much as being caught in a duel wasn’t high on her ‘Fun Things To Do’ list, she couldn’t really complain too much. It had helped fix the rift between her and Max. Not that she’d admitted such to the Head of the Hospital. Milton and Albert were smug enough as it was with what they suspected happening between their Head of Spell Damage and Potions Master. She was not going to confirm anything.

Which was probably why nothing more than kissing was happening between them. Most of her life was at the hospital. If their personal relationship was going to move forward, she kind of wanted to separate it a little from her work. But, as she thought with a deep sigh, nothing much of anything was going to happen if she couldn’t even see him for more than a couple of seconds.

She grabbed the Accident Report form off her desk. She didn't need to take it in person, magic was a useful thing for trivial tasks like this, but Milton's office was on her way out anyway... and maybe he'd need her to do something before she left. She was off until Saturday. Almost 32 hours of time to herself and she had no plans. Milton had actually forbidden her from coming into Mungos on her days off so she usually just did more work from the comfort of her home with her two cats draped around her. She supposed she’d just do as she always did and research. And she did want to look more into ways to duel people capable of Wandless Magic. It wasn’t a bad way to spend her time, it was just she’d rather see if Max was available, even for a little of that time. Maybe she’d send him a text, she thought as she knocked on Milton’s office door.

[Max Kameren]

“So do you think she’ll stick around?”

“Hmm?” Max’s quill stalled on the paperwork he was filing with the question, his mind entirely elsewhere. After their duel the other day, Max and Rowena were on different footing again. She’d met Evie now, and his sister liked her; besides the impossible-to-please Eden, Evie’s approval was the toughest to get. Now, Max was thinking past the joking ‘friend’ label they’d used the other day. He wanted more, but wasn’t sure how to ask for it. The thought nagged at him every moment he sat still for the last day and a half since, pulling him out of his regular concentration.

“Harper. After the Quidditch Cup kerfuffle I’ve been thinking about taking on a third Potions Master. If she tests well, I’d like to offer Healer training to Harper so she can take it.”

“Oh. No, she won’t want to. She knows she can make more independently.” He shook his head as his quill resumed on the paperwork he was signing to release Harper from his apprenticeship; after two years working under him, his apprentice was ready to take her test at the Ministry and become a full Potions Master in her own right. She was easily one of the brightest assistants he’d trained in the decade he’d been taking them on, and she would be sorely missed. It was hard work breaking in a new apprentice, and Max would dearly miss the extra pair of knowledgeable hands around his office. “I think she’ll wind up at the Ministry’s patent office.”

“Pity, she could do so much more good here.”

Max shrugged in acknowledgment; it was true, but being a Potions Master was a deceptively lucrative career if you approached it correctly. The Kamerens’ problem was that they were too concerned with helping others to properly profit from their skills. He smiled pleadingly up at Milton as he passed the paperwork back to the Head of Hospital. “You could give us a raise?”

The older wizard smirked. “Nice try.”

A knock sounded on Milton’s door and Max preemptively blushed when he felt who it was. He tried to shake off the redness in his ears as the door opened to reveal Healer Covington dropping off some paperwork of her own. “Ah, Ms. Covington. Preparing for your exile?”

Exile? Max’s ears perked at the mention; was Rowena finally not going to be working long enough that they could talk? Max had tried her office several times over the last day but every time got an increasingly-amused Bryn telling him to try another time. Max was about to have nearly 24-hours off before his night shift tomorrow: maybe it was finally time they caught up? He stood to trade places in the office with her. When he met her eyes a small, affectionate smile flashed across his face too quickly for Milton to detect.

[Rowena Jones]

“Ah, Ms. Covington. Preparing for your exile?”

Rowena smiled painfully at Milton while trying not to pay too much attention to Max. “I do wish you’d reconsider. I’d really rather be here tomorrow. There’s Ms. Heather to consi-“

“Ms. Covington, if I see you within a mile of this hospital tomorrow, then I shall insist that you take all of your considerable Annual Leave immediately, which I believe equates to over a month…!” Milton interrupted with a smile that belied his tone. Rowena wouldn’t put it past the man to do exactly that. A month ban from the Hospital… she couldn’t help the panic she felt at the thought. “And Ms. Heather will be fine without you for a day. Your staff are some of the best we’ve seen in many years thanks to your diligence. I’m certain they can manage,” he added and Rowena relaxed slightly at the praise and truth of the statement.

Max standing up brought their attention to him and Rowena nodded her head in polite greeting, trying desperately not to grin maniacally at the sight of him. She missed Milton rolling his eyes at them as he wondered how they thought they were kidding anyone. You didn’t need to be an Empath to feel the tension between them. But if they were going to insist on playing these silly pretend games…

“Is that the Report?” he asked and Rowena nodded, handing over the folder.

“Yes sir. Was there anything else you needed before I leave?”

Albert was definitely a bad influence on him Milton thought as he peered over the rim of his glasses at his staff. He really should be insisting she leave but maybe one last small push. “Actually yes. There’s a few files in storage down in the Catacombs that I need. I wanted to give some of them to you, thought you’d find them interesting, some stuff on Mind Magic. I’d get them myself, but if you’re offering, I suppose I can let you stay here a little longer.”

He glanced at his Potions Master. “Max. You’re almost done with work aren’t you? Go with her. Magic is a bit haywire down there at the moment because of the construction. Better that no one go alone. Just try not to get stuck in any lifts this time eh?” he said with a wink.

[Max Kameren]

Max stood but quickly realized there was no place to escape. The office was relatively small for the Head of the Hospital, leaving barely any space for him to slip out the door. Either way Max hadn’t been dismissed by Milton, and the way the old man’s amber eyes kept flashing towards him while he spoke with Rowena made him feel like he couldn’t excuse himself. He stood against the back wall silently listening to his colleagues, waiting to be called upon. The addition of Rowena in this enclosed space with their boss made Max uncomfortable; the tension between them was palpable even to those who didn’t know them, making it particularly anxiety-inducing when it doubled up on him.

“Is that the Report?” he asked and Rowena nodded, handing over the folder. 

“Yes sir. Was there anything else you needed before I leave?”

Max felt the small streak of mischief go through Milton and prepared himself for what was about to come; they’d already succeeded in their quest to get the Head of Spell Damage and the Potions Master together but still persisted. At this point Max and Rowena didn’t need more encouragement. “Actually yes. There’s a few files in storage down in the Catacombs that I need […] Max. You’re almost done with work aren’t you? Go with her. Magic is a bit haywire down there at the moment because of the construction. Better that no one go alone. Just try not to get stuck in any lifts this time eh?” he said with a wink. 

The Potions Master nodded dutifully, shooting Rowena a silent look commiserating over Milton’s continued redundant matchmaking. “That was nearly believable, Milton. Good effort.” Milton grinned playfully between them before waving them out, turning his chair around.

The two healers exited the office in a tense quiet. The boundary between them during the work day was getting hazier now; how was Max supposed to interact with Rowena now? He knew how to be professional on-the-clock, but what about times like this, where they were both technically not working but still in their robes under St. Mungo’s roof? They weren’t fooling anyone with their formality anyway, what was the worst that could happen if he just reached out?

They stopped in front of the nearest Catacombs lift and Max pressed the button to call one to them. This wing of the hospital was much quieter than the others, especially in the evening. Max couldn’t feel another soul coming near them. It was safe. Without a word he reached out his hand and took hers, letting their entwined fingers hang between them as the lift sounded and the doors opened.

[Rowena Jones]

Rowena met Max’s look and shrugged. Those files did sound interesting. And if Milton was going to insist that Max accompany her, well, she wasn’t going to complain. She snorted in amusement at Max’s comment and smiled in farewell towards Milton as he shooed them out.

The silence was deafening between them as they walked to the nearest Catacombs lift. It had been a few minutes since she’d first entered the office and seen Max and they’d yet to exchange a word. Instead, electricity crackled between them as the tension built further. Rowena was hyper aware of Max’s presence but unsure what to do. She was a little nervous what would happen if she broke the tension, they were still technically at work, though she noted, as she glanced at her watch, she was now officially off duty. Nevertheless, she remained silent waiting for Max to make the first move.

When he reached for her hand, her breath left her in a whoosh and she smiled up at him hesitantly as they stepped into the lift.

“Hey,” she said finally. Without the exhilaration of the duel running through her and with all the unanswered questions between them she was more unsure than usual. She reached over to press the button that would take them to Storage and then moved closer to Max. “You’ve been busy lately,” she remarked. “We never did get to talk on Tuesday. I came by your office to see you and you weren’t there.”

There was a small lurch with their lift and Rowena scowled upwards. If they got stuck again, she was not going to be impressed. She may have been happy to stay at Mungos and continue working but she couldn’t do that from inside a metal box. If that was her choice, she’d rather go home. She glanced up at Max with a thoughtful smirk. Maybe he could come home with her? Milton had said he was also done with his shift right? She couldn’t cook but they could order something in and maybe have that talk that she’d been thinking about for the past few days.

Before she could bring up that possibility, the lift binged, signaling their arrival. Rowena sent up a quick prayer of thanks to whatever was out there that it everything had functioned correctly and stepped out, still happily clasping Max’s hand. It didn’t take her long to realize her thanks had been premature.

She frowned. “I definitely pressed Storage right?” she asked Max as she took in her surroundings, or rather lack of them. They were in an empty tunnel. A few broken bookshelves and tables were set against the wall and a light was shining above them but this definitely wasn’t Storage. She turned to get back into the lift but it had already gone. “Fuck!” she exclaimed, pressing the button to summon it back. She watched as the light on the button lit up... and then flickered and dimmed. She pressed again. Nothing happened. "Damnit! I am never coming down here ever again" she swore.

[Max Kameren]

“Hey,” Max made the first physical move, but Rowena spoke first. He smiled down at her in greeting, squeezing her hand affectionately. Rowena reached to press the button to direct them and Max pulled her back like he was spinning her back in a dance, wrapping his arm around her. “You’ve been busy lately,” she remarked. “We never did get to talk on Tuesday. I came by your office to see you and you weren’t there.”

“I know, sorry. It’s testing week for the apprentices so Jack and I are flying solo until we can find new apprentices. Harper’s passing for sure, so my days just got longer.” He shrugged, proud of his apprentice’s accomplishments but dreading the work ahead of him. He stooped slightly to kiss her on top of her head. “Did Bryn get you any of the notes I left? I tried to come by your office twice but he cut me off at the pass.”

The lift jostled threateningly as it went around a corner, causing both healers to shift suspiciously. As much as he liked Rowena now Max didn’t want a repeat of their last encounter in the Catacombs. He definitely didn’t want to spend the few hours of rest he had stuck in a lift again. At least they’d enabled magic in the lifts again; if they needed to, they could apparate out. Max’s vigilance didn’t end until the lift came to a stop, sounding their destination. Rowena led them out, tugging Max by the hand.

Inspecting their surroundings took only a second before Max was already pressing the button for them to get the lift back. He cursed under his breath as he watched the lift refuse to respond, instead closing and moving away. They were in an older part of the Catacombs, one that from the looks of it had been abandoned due to mold.

“I definitely pressed Storage right?”

“I thought so…” Max ventured further down the tunnel as far as the single light could illuminate; it was definitely an older wing of the Catacombs. The furniture was old, and there was a drippy humidity to the air that felt sickly. Storage shared a wall with one of the lounges for staff, but Max couldn’t feel another aura near them. He lit his hand and ran it along the wall until he found a placard. “Fuck. Yeah, this is the old Long-Term lounge.” He shook his hand, skulking back to where Rowena was trying the lift button again to no avail.

“Fuck!” she exclaimed, pressing the button to summon it back. She watched as the light on the button lit up... and then flickered and dimmed. She pressed again. Nothing happened. "Damnit! I am never coming down here ever again" she swore.

Max’s emerald eyes examined the water-damaged tile ceiling above them, listening and feeling for any other lifts possibly coming by. “Are we sure Milton and Albert are trying to get us together and not kill and bury us under the hospital?”

His hand reached out for Rowena’s once again, this time clasping it tightly for travel. “Can we apparate in the Catacombs? I’ve never tried before.” Max hadn’t been to Storage in the Catacombs before and couldn’t direct them there; in all honesty, he’d already had enough of Mungo’s dank tunnel city for the night already. He closed his eyes and thought of the only place he wanted to be after multiple 18-hour days in a row: his apartment. More specifically his bedroom, in an effort to avoid Eden. He concentrated and twisted on his heel.

[Rowena Jones]

“Are we sure Milton and Albert are trying to get us together and not kill and bury us under the hospital?”

“At this point, I’m not sure anymore,” Rowena scowled darkly as she squeezed Max’s hand for comfort. At least she wasn’t alone. Dark, abandoned tunnels weren’t really her thing.

“Can we apparate in the Catacombs? I’ve never tried before.”

“I don’t think so? I’m sure it was a Security thing. But that was before the stuff with the lifts. And with Construction going on, maybe? But you’re risking splinching us if-” she trailed off as Max closed his eyes and she braced herself for the pain of losing a body part if this didn’t work. Max better be preparing himself for a rant if it didn’t work too. This was so risky!

When they reappeared she glanced quickly at herself to make sure everything was where it should be. Huh. Looked like apparating was a go. Maybe she could pop back directly to the Storage Room and grab those files quickly at some point this evening. They had sounded very interesting. Then again, Max had taken them away from her workplace and she was under strict orders not to return until her next shift. She shuddered again at the thought of a month long ban and she wasn’t confident enough in her ability to escape Milton’s all-knowing abilities. He’d find out if she went back. That research would just have to wait.

Where had Max brought them anyway? She bit back a laugh as she took in her surroundings and raised a questioning eyebrow in Max’s direction. “Is this your bedroom? Getting ahead of yourself a little there aren’t you?” she cocked her head and smirked. “After all, aren’t we just friends?”

[Max Kameren]

With a turn and a quick pop, the two were in the center of Max's bedroom in Muggle London. It was a relatively large bedroom for a 2-bed rental in Highgate, with a second section of the room that stepped up on a platform with an indentation in the wall for his desk and a large window opposite it. It was part bedroom, part library; the platformed area's walls were nearly entirely covered with makeshift built-in bookshelves, so full that stacks lay precariously atop each bookcase. The desk was littered with stacks of brown leather-bound notebooks identical to the one he kept in his pocket, each dated in the corner for Max's reference. There was no art on the walls; the only area that wasn't occupied by bookshelves was a large corkboard across from the bed in the sleeping area, where photos of his friends and family were pinned. With a wave of his hand the lamp on his nightstand and the two standing lamps on the platform illuminated them. 

While he watched Rowena take in their surroundings it dawned on Max the freudian slip his choice of destination turned out to be. "Couldn't navigate the Catacombs by apparating, sorry. I can get the research for you tomorrow instead, if Milton won't let you." Max stepped up to tidy the desk, trying to busy himself and ignore the heat rushing to his face. 

“Is this your bedroom? Getting ahead of yourself a little there aren’t you?” she cocked her head and smirked. “After all, aren’t we just friends?”

He hung his head in embarrassment. Alright, that was deserved. He'd pay for that 'friend' comment for the foreseeable future, apparently; in front of his 11-year-old sister, sure they were friends. Here in his bedroom, though...?  "Sorry, it's a muggle building so we have to apparate directly into the apartment. I didn't know if Eden was home and figured she wouldn't like a surprise from us." He knew his best friend was still luke-warm at best on the idea of Max dating her old-school rival. He felt around for Eden's aura in the apartment and let out a breath in relief when he got only silence in return. "At least she's out for now."

Well... now what? Short of wanting to get out of the Catacombs Max hadn't really planned this. He covered his face in his hands, running his hands through his hair as he tried to figure out his next move. "Are you hungry? We could get takeout, or I could throw something together." 

He crossed past her and opened his bedroom door into the rest of the apartment; a small living room was the center of the floorplan, with comfortable but old couches and a wooden coffee table. Eden's bedroom door was reflected across from Max's. The kitchen had an open doorway and could be seen from the living room. As soon as Max opened the door Snitch made herself known, the long ginger feline circling curiously around her new visitor.

"What do you drink?" He asked, kneeling by the liquor cabinet in living room and trying to pick the more well-cleaned glasses.

[Rowena Jones]

"Sorry, it's a muggle building so we have to apparate directly into the apartment. I didn't know if Eden was home and figured she wouldn't like a surprise from us."

Rowena grinned. “S’ok. I was just teasing you. I was going to ask if you wanted to come to mine for dinner after we’d gotten the files anyway.” This was much better though, minus the minor awkwardness of going straight to the bedroom. Max had been to her house twice now, however briefly. It was interesting to get another sneak peak into his more private life.

"Are you hungry? We could get takeout, or I could throw something together."

She hummed a yes, still looking around Max’s room. “Starving actually. Forgot to eat lunch. Archie Baldwin just published a new paper on Long Term Transformative Spell Damage. He made some interesting points but some of his facts were outdated. Surprised they got past the editor really.” She said, turning to look at Max with a wry grin. “You can cook?”

She followed him as he crossed the room, not really feeling comfortable with standing alone in such a private place while she was unsure what their exact relationship status was. A ginger cat appeared at her feet as Max opened the door to the rest of the apartment.

"What do you drink?" He asked, kneeling by the liquor cabinet in the living room and trying to pick the more well-cleaned glasses.

"Urm, G&T if you have it? Or I'll just have whatever you're having?"

“This is Snitch right?” she asked, crouching down to let the feline examine her hand before giving her a good scratch behind the ear. Besides chocolate, cats were definitely her weakness. “She’s adorable. Don’t think mine were ever that cute. Monsters even as kittens,” she said with a laugh as she straightened up. She loved Pumpkin and Spice to the moon and back but they’d always been a handful. She supposed that had partly been her father’s plan; get her two cats that required her to stop working so much and pay them attention. Thankfully, now that they were older it was a lot easier. As long as they had food and water, they were quite happy to sleep the days away.

“So food? I can try to help? Though I warn you I burn pasta…”she said moving closer to him. “If you’re tired though, we can order something? I’m not fussed. Food is food.”

[Max Kameren]

“Starving actually. Forgot to eat lunch. Archie Baldwin just published a new paper on Long Term Transformative Spell Damage. He made some interesting points but some of his facts were outdated. Surprised they got past the editor really.” She said, turning to look at Max with a wry grin. “You can cook?”

“Yeah I can cook.” The statement came out a bit more defensive than he intended as he swung out of the bedroom and into the living room; it was a running theme in his family to claim he couldn’t, but every instance where food was ruined and Max was present, it was Curse doing the cooking. His father had been such a legendarily bad cook that it somehow ruined Max’s reputation too. He grimaced at the thought, coming to stop at the liquor cabinet in the living room. “I don’t know what we have in the kitchen, though. What do you drink?"

"Urm, G&T if you have it? Or I'll just have whatever you're having?"

“Straight tequila it is.” Max replied, pulling out scotch and gin and setting them on top of the cabinet. He poured a finger of each into a glass and stood, cocking his head in the direction of the kitchen behind him before disappearing into it.

Being away for a few days at a time made the contents of their kitchen generally a mystery to Max; Eden’s job allowed her to move more freely, so she tended to handle more of the groceries than Max did. He said a little prayer as he opened the fridge in hopes that Eden hadn’t gone on a cooking binge in the past 48 hours and there was still food in the house.

For once he got lucky. He started pulling vegetables and eggs out of the fridge, tossing them on the counter as he mocked together the ingredients he needed for a quick stir-fry. He found tonic water in the back of the fridge and finished off Rowena’s drink with a lime wedge and some ice, sliding it across the kitchen island to where she was distracted by Snitch’s curious mewing.

“This is Snitch right?” she asked. Max nodded as he measured out rice to cook, setting the vegetables to chop themselves. He set water on the stove to boil. “She’s adorable. Don’t think mine were ever that cute. Monsters even as kittens,” she said with a laugh as she straightened up.

“I think she’s a kneazle?” Max replied, pausing in his preparations for a sip of scotch. “Same as a cat basically, but she’s more of an arse when she wants something.” He leaned on the kitchen island to watch Rowena interact with Snitch, smiling. Eden would call Snitch a traitor for this, surely.

“So food? I can try to help? Though I warn you I burn pasta…”she said moving closer to him. “If you’re tired though, we can order something? I’m not fussed. Food is food.”

Max shook his head, gesturing to the pots on the stove behind him. “’S fine, making something easy. It’ll be faster than ordering.” As if to illustrate his point the vegetables finished their chopping and settled on a large cutting board on the island next to him. He took the broccoli and dropped it in the boiling water. “Only thing to wait on is the rice, then I can throw everything together. So,” Max pushed out a barstool under the island for Rowena to sit in opposite where he stood to cook. He leaned his elbows on the island, meeting her amber eyes as he took another sip of his drink. “I think we have business to tend to, Ms. Covington.”

[Rowena Jones]

“This is Snitch right?” she asked, crouching down to let the feline examine her hand before giving her a good scratch behind the ear. “She’s adorable. Don’t think mine were ever that cute. Monsters even as kittens,” she said with a laugh as she straightened up. The cat continued to rub against her legs and she grinned.

“I think she’s a kneazle?” Max replied, pausing in his preparations for a sip of scotch. “Same as a cat basically, but she’s more of an arse when she wants something.”

Rowena smirked at Max. “I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of a cat Max. Did you not see Spice Tuesday morning? Bloody menace kept me up all night because I was trying to keep him safe from the alley cat mob.” She took her drink from the counter and took a sip.

“So food? I can try to help? Though I warn you I burn pasta… If you’re tired though, we can order something? I’m not fussed. Food is food.”

“’S fine, making something easy. It’ll be faster than ordering.”

Rowena nodded, sitting down on the offered stool and enjoying watching Max move around the kitchen. There was something nice about seeing someone you liked do something so domesticated. “I didn’t mean to sound so surprised at your ability to cook by the way. I just can’t do it. I guess I assume everyone is as challenged as I am,” she said with a wry grin. She’d just taken another sip of her own drink when Max spoke.

“I think we have business to tend to, Ms. Covington.”

She gulped it down and met his gaze nervously. “We do Mr Kameren?” she said, her tone hesitating between anxious and teasing. “Care to elaborate?” After having agreed to Max's terms in that she'd let him lead when it came to things between them, she'd known this was going to happen sooner or later. It was nerve-wracking not being in control but she took some measure of comfort in that he wouldn't be cooking her dinner if he was about to say this wasn't working.

[Max Kameren]

“I think we have business to tend to, Ms. Covington.”

“We do Mr Kameren?” she said, her tone hesitating between anxious and teasing. “Care to elaborate?”

Max opened his mouth to make his statement but the words seemed to fly off like a flock of birds. He reached across the counter for her hand, absorbing her aura as he tried to pull his thoughts back together. His brain didn’t trade in words; malleable emotion was harder to describe. “Sorry, I’m trying to think of a way to ask you this that doesn’t sound like we’re in primary school.” He grinned.

“I just… I really like you. It’s been about a month since we’ve started seeing each other more, and I know we both work all the time so we haven’t actually been able to see each other much in that time.” That wasn’t a bad thing, for him; they both loved their jobs, and there would be no negotiating more time off for either of them. For Max it was a worthy obstacle. “Would it be easier if we, you know…” He shrugged, “Went public, I guess? I’m not saying we need to start snogging in the hallways at Mungo’s, I’m just tired of hiding and using Bryn as a mediocre messenger.”

He ducked his head, pained from the extended earnestness of this conversation. It was hard for Max to go too long without breaking the tension with a sarcastic comment. “Would you want to be my girlfriend officially, I guess is what I’m asking?” He flushed red, breaking eye contact and letting go of her hand in favor of his scotch glass. Max was much better at absorbing others’ emotions than he was at expressing his own. “I’m sorry, I’m terrible. At this.” He turned back to the stove to try to hide from his own awkwardness, stirring the broccoli in the boiling pot.

[Rowena Jones]

Rowena watched Max flounder and took his hand, waiting for him to elaborate.

“Sorry, I’m trying to think of a way to ask you this that doesn’t sound like we’re in primary school.” He grinned and Rowena relaxed somewhat, a grin of her own starting to tease at the corners of her mouth. After that statement she was pretty sure she knew where this was going and she liked the direction the evening was going.

“I just… I really like you. It’s been about a month since we’ve started seeing each other more, [...] I’m just tired of hiding and using Bryn as a mediocre messenger.”

She squeezed his hand and laughed. "Yeah, Bryn isn't the best for that. I didn't get any of the ones you left this week."

“Would you want to be my girlfriend officially, I guess is what I’m asking?” He flushed red, breaking eye contact and letting go of her hand in favor of his scotch glass. “I’m sorry, I’m terrible. At this.” He turned back to the stove to try to hide from his own awkwardness, stirring the broccoli in the boiling pot.

By this point, Rowena's grin reached from ear to ear. She took a sip of her drink and stood, walking around the island to wrap her arms around Max and lean her head on his back. "You're adorable," she teased, "and I really really like you too so that would be a solid yes to being your girlfriend." She giggled and stepped back to let Max cook, watching him happily. "It really does sound like we're in primary school doesn't it?"

"At least Jackson shouldn't be too smug," she smirked. "Did he tell you what I did or has he been trying to keep it hushed up?" She'd contemplated long and hard on what was suitable punishment for locking an injured Max in a room and forcing them to talk, as if it was any of his business really. That it had worked was besides the point. They'd been on the clock and he'd kept them from their jobs. She hadn't wanted to do the same thing, or do anything that would endanger patient care so a lot of hexes had been out of the question. It had been pure coincidence that she'd crossed paths with him just as he was leaving Mungos.

Quick thinking and a strong sticking spell later, his feet had been fixed to the floor just a few steps from freedom. She'd plucked his wand from his hand in his confusion and informed him with a grin that, 'the spell will wear off when you stop being an insufferable jerk, or when she came back in a few hours'. He wasn't the only one good with Charms. She passed through the lobby a few times just to see how he was trying to explain himself to people asking why he wasn't going home yet and grinned as he'd tried to make the whole thing look like nothing. She'd finally taken pity on him, or rather his wife who was no doubt waiting for him back home, and tossed him his wand back with a smirk as she'd passed him. Since then, she hadn't seen or heard from the Potions Master, though she supposed he was busy too with testing his Apprentice. She wasn't complaining.

"So boyfriend," she grinned, sitting down again, realising she was still wearing her Mungos robes, shrugging out of them to reveal casual black clothes and glancing at Max with a wry smile. "I still feel like I don't know the silly details about you." It was funny that they'd skipped over small details such as birthdays and favourite things but talked about bigger issues, such as Empathy and Alzheimers. "Desert Island. No magic. Three things. What would they be?"

[Max Kameren]

Max’s anxiety released in a wave as Rowena’s arms closed around him at the stove. He leaned back into her and closed his eyes, taking a moment to revel in his own happiness and the warmth of her aura. If he could take a sample of the atmosphere right now in the room, he would; he wanted to keep this moment for longer than it would let him. He let down his boundaries so Rowena could feel it too, their mutual happiness permeating the room as strongly as Max’s cooking.

"You're adorable," she teased, "and I really really like you too so that would be a solid yes to being your girlfriend." She giggled and stepped back to let Max cook, watching him happily. "It really does sound like we're in primary school doesn't it?"

“Suppose I would be pulling your hair to tell you I like you rather than making you dinner though,” He smiled wryly over his shoulder, turning off the boiling broccoli and straining it. He pulled a large pan from a cabinet and placed it on the warm burner, heating it up and pouring a dab of oil in it. He shook his head, chuckling as a thought occurred to him. “The whole of Mungo’s is going to give us hell for this, you know. Get ready for a million I-told-you-so’s.”

"At least Jackson shouldn't be too smug," she smirked. "Did he tell you what I did or has he been trying to keep it hushed up?"

“Oh, he told me. Loudly.” Max’s admonishing tone was given away by the grin on his face at the mention of his hapless colleague. “He told me to tell you that was cruel of you, but merited. You’ve earned the grudging respect of the Potions Team.” Max tossed the chopped vegetables and boiled broccoli into the pan and began to sauté them, seasoning as he went. He cracked a few eggs and scrambled them in with the vegetables. “’Course, now the Potions Team is about to be just me and Jack again, but I’m sure you’ll win over our new apprentices just the same.” He smirked.

Max stirred the cooked rice in with the vegetables and eggs, seasoning liberally before setting everything on a cold burner to rest. He wasn’t the greatest at winging it when it came to cooking, but this stir fry/egg fried rice combination would hopefully do the trick. He summoned two bowls and prepared their dishes, sliding Rowena’s across the table with a fork. “Bon appetite,” He smiled, taking a sip of scotch before serving himself.

"So boyfriend," she grinned.

“Yes, girlfriend?” He replied, a playful smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"I still feel like I don't know the silly details about you. Desert Island. No magic. Three things. What would they be?"

“No magic? Hmm.” Max came around the island to sit next to Rowena, his long legs unintentionally tangling with hers as he tried to fit in the island’s uncomfortable space; this kitchen wasn’t quite designed for someone as tall as him. His emerald eyes fell on his drink glass. “Bottle of Ardbeg: if I’m trapped on a desert island I’m not going out sober.” He smirked, moving the rice around in his bowl as he thought. “Second: One of those muggle tablet-readers, so I can read every book rather than just one. Third…” He trailed off as he tried to come up with a third option. His green eyes searched around the room, looking for inspiration for the question before coming back to Rowena. He leaned forward and stole a kiss, sitting back in his chair and taking a bite of his food [THERE HAPPY GEMMA]. “…You. You’d go crazy on an island with no work to do, surely you’d find a way to get us saved.” He grinned.

“My turn, then.” Max stroked his beard as he tried to think of a question, his eyes narrowing. A somewhat morbid thought came to him, a question that was simple, but said a lot. “What’s your boggart?”

[Rowena Jones]

“Oh, he told me. Loudly. He told me to tell you that was cruel of you, but merited. You’ve earned the grudging respect of the Potions Team. ’Course, now the Potions Team is about to be just me and Jack again, but I’m sure you’ll win over our new apprentices just the same.” Max smirked.

Rowena laughed. “Well there we go then. I have both achieved my life’s ambition and gained a new one. After all, how could I live with myself without the Potions Team’s respect?” she said, a teasing glint in her amber eyes. She watched as Max finished preparing their food, her stomach grumbling in anticipation.

"So boyfriend," she grinned, sitting down again, realising she was still wearing her Mungos robes, shrugging out of them to reveal casual black clothes and glancing at Max with a wry smile. "I still feel like I don't know the silly details about you.” She took a bite of her food with a satisfied sigh and pondered as she ate. “Desert Island. No magic. Three things. What would they be?"

“No magic? Hmm.” Max came around the island to sit next to Rowena, his long legs unintentionally tangling with hers causing her to giggle. “Bottle of Ardbeg: if I’m trapped on a desert island I’m not going out sober.” He smirked, moving the rice around in his bowl as he thought. “Second: One of those muggle tablet-readers, so I can read every book rather than just one. Third…” He trailed off and she waited, holding off on her comments to his first answers, as he thought about his last one. She met his gaze when he looked back at her and happily kissed him back. “…You. You’d go crazy on an island with no work to do, surely you’d find a way to get us saved.” He grinned and Rowena shook her head at him playfully.

“So basically you’re telling me that I’d have to deal with a drunk boyfriend who would get annoyed when the battery on his tablet died and who expects me to figure out how to get us both off the island. Well that sounds like an amazing holiday,” she said sarcastically before conceding. “I probably would though. No way am I dying on an island in the middle of nowhere. Might leave you there though…” she smirked.

“My turn, then.” Max stroked his beard as he tried to think of a question, his eyes narrowing. Rowena hmmed, devouring her food as she waited for his question. “What’s your boggart?”

Huh. She hadn’t expected that one. She had to think about the answer so she took her time chewing. “Well I haven’t actually come across one since we did it in Defence in Hogwarts. Were you in my class that time or did we share it with Hufflepuff…? I can’t remember but,” she paused, her cheeks tinting a little, “Merlin, this is so stupid. I was thirteen so don’t judge! ItwasyourfathertellingmeIfailedPotions,” she said in a rush before taking a large sip of her drink.

“Now though? It would probably be something along the lines of being helpless. Pretty abstract but they’re creative creatures. I’m sure it’d find a way.”

She took the last few bites of her dinner and sat back with a satisfied smile. “Thanks for dinner. That was exactly what I needed. Guess that’s another reason to keep you around. You can keep me fed when I forget to eat. Max Kameren, Potions Master and Rowena’s Chef.” She grinned at him. “Seriously though, what’s the one thing you really want to accomplish? Like if nothing else worked out, you’d still be happy because you had that? Or is that too deep?” she winced.