When Mourning Comes [Alex]

[Max Kameren]

Broken glass, chipped and scratched paint. In the early morning light Rowena’s home lit the rubble of her shattered life with that same purple glow that comforted him when he would wake up with his girlfriend in his arms, happy and warm. Max sighed sadly at the thought, biting his lip as he watched robed aurors search through the halls, scratching shards of glass beneath their boots. Those memories were just that now: memories. The touch of the Shadowloved had tainted his house, just as they did with everything else.

Max stood in the kitchen, emerald eyes following the aurors as they inspected the damage, tried to piece together what horror had befallen the woman he loved.

An hour ago he’d left her behind at St. Mungo’s with Mary and Elle tending to her; it killed him to leave her again, but he needed to tend to her home. Alex and the aurors needed questions answered, the home needed tending to, and then there was Pumpkin. The cat was starving and terrified after days in a silent home with her owner and brother motionless on the floor. He’d amassed what he could to take care of her and would take Pumpkin to his apartment for the time being; hopefully Eden and Snitch wouldn’t mind.

But in the meantime he would maintain. He would watch over Rowena, he would take care of her home, he would speak to the aurors. To heal she needed to be left alone, and Max could do that for her. He couldn’t protect her when she needed him, but this he could do.

Max leaned against the counter, holding his hand out for Pumpkin to run under as he felt the auras meander through this familiar place. Max and Pumpkin, the last remaining unscathed pieces of Rowena Covington’s life. Well, mostly unscathed, he thought as watched Pumpkins’ thick ginger fur run through the space in his hand.

Suddenly he looked up at the familiar aura standing in the kitchen, staring tiredly forward at him. He pushed back at Alex in silent acknowledgement, thankful for his help.

[Alecsander]

Suddenly he looked up at the familiar aura standing in the kitchen, staring tiredly forward at him. He pushed back at Alex in silent acknowledgement, thankful for his help.

The house was cold, damp. Wind whistled through shattered windows and Alex knew if he went outside the sky would be blue and cold, the sun high and far, no use to anyone looking for warmth. The atmosphere in the house chilled, and Alex knew his nephew had returned. They had pushed her to her breaking point, and she'd snapped, destroying the house. It was always a tragedy, few survived reaching that point, but Rowena had. Shaking his head, he left Theo piecing together the living room and went looking for Max.

He found him in the kitchen, stroking an emancipated cat. Alex stayed in the doorway. He'd couldnt perform the spell that cleaned the place of stray hair in fear of contaminating the scene. Instead his eyes watered and he'd sneezed several times already. He felt the push of Max against his aura and tried to offer his support.

"Max."

[Max Kameren]

The shock and pain of the last few hours had settled into a numb pit sitting in the center of Max’s chest, emanating outwards. Despite his efforts to bite it down to only affect him Rowena’s townhome was a bit colder, a bit greyer than it was outside. The world was a bit bleaker around Max, pulling everything down in his gravitational pull.

"Max."

Max pushed back at the familiar aura in acknowledgement but didn’t speak, keeping his eyes down on Pumpkin. There was a banality to Alex’s observation of his girlfriend’s ruined home that bothered him. Average victims wouldn’t pick it up, but Max could sense it; the auror had seen many a scene like this one. But this was different, this was Rowena. Max wanted to urge the world into stopping. Rowena was important, not just to him. Whatever was happening in the Wizarding World, Rowena Covington was the center of it. And Max was too, now.

“Michael Warcombe. Find him, he’s at least partially responsible for this.” Max sighed as he spoke, his voice a neutral monotone. He was too exhausted to feel anything anymore, all he wanted was to push through. He wanted this over with, so he could settle Pumpkin at his apartment and join Rowena again. “What have you found?”

[Alecsander]

“Michael Warcombe. Find him, he’s at least partially responsible for this.”

Alex nodded wordlessly, filing the name away for future use. Warcombe. He didnt ask how Max knew, but drew closer to his nephew, trying to find a way to comfort him but hsving no words. As he drew closer Alex's sinuses were overwhelmed at last and a fit of violent sneezes drove him back to the doorway, puncuated by curses.

"What have you found?”

The head auror wiped his streaming eyes on his sleeve and gave a quick summary of the more interesting things he had found so far. "And, um, i wrapped the other cat up. In case you want to bury him." He added at the end. He liked cats, possibly more than dogs, they just didn't like him. Or rather, his sinuses. "What can I do, Max?"

[Max Kameren]

Alex tried to draw closer, but Pumpkins presence left him retreating to the perimeter of the kitchen in a torrent of sneezes. Good, Max didn’t want to be comforted. He didn’t deserve to be reassured after how blind he’d been, and surely didn’t need to be coddled for what was to come. "What have you found?”

The Healer kept his eyes on the ground as he stoically listened to Alex’s review of their progress, trying to distance the clinical words of the investigation from the emotional attachment to the place Alex referred to. The information they found was Rowena’s: her notes, her wand, her home. Her body. Her mind. He shuddered. "And, um, i wrapped the other cat up. In case you want to bury him." He added at the end.

Shit, Spice. In the rush to care for Rowena he’d forgotten about the other cat, crumpled in a pitiful ball in the living room. He knew a place he could take him to be buried. He deserved a peaceful place, it would be what Rowena would want. “Right, thank you.”

"What can I do, Max?"

“Find them.” The answer was automatic, and came with a tense fury barely buttoned up behind it. The temperature in the atmosphere rose slightly and Max met Alex’s eyes in a storm of silent rage. Max was a healer, he told himself. He didn’t have the agency to act, not as Alex could. “Stop them. Kill them, if you need to. Don’t let what she's been through be for nothing.”

[Alecsander]

"What can I do, Max?"

“Find them.” The answer was automatic, and came with a tense fury barely buttoned up behind it. The temperature in the atmosphere rose slightly and Max met Alex’s eyes in a storm of silent rage. Max was a healer, he told himself. He didn’t have the agency to act, not as Alex could. “Stop them. Kill them, if you need to. Don’t let what she's been through be for nothing.”

"Go see her." Was all Alex said in reply. Warcombe. Michael. He repeated the words to himself, turning and leaving Max alone in the kitchen. He well understood the feelings Max had, he felt echoes of that day years ago here. Where he had failed.

"Theo..." Alex drew the senior auror aside, speaking with him in low tones before leaving back to the Ministry, taking as much evidence with him as they had gathered so far. Theo resumed combing through debris.

[Max Kameren]

“Stop them. Kill them, if you need to. Don’t let what she's been through be for nothing.” Max meant every word. He was devastated and numb, but at the pit of his stomach he felt a burning anger like he’d felt in the Catacombs, when Winston Warghollow had threatened his sisters. He wanted to reach out with his aura and tear at the Shadowloved the same way he had beneath St. Mungo’s. He wanted to see Michael captured and punished for his crimes; he would watch on and smile as he met the fate he’d subjected Rowena to.

"Go see her."

In his pit of simmering rage the atmosphere of the townhome darkened and warmed with an uncomfortable humidity, and Pumpkin backed away to hide in the pantry. Max nodded curtly to his uncle and turned away from him.

When Alex turned away to address the other aurors Max turned off on his own, setting his jaw as he stepped out into the hall. At the end of the hall he found the pitiful wrapped lump that had once been the spirited Spice. Best to take care of the poor creature now, just the first step in trying to rebuild Rowena Covington’s life. He gathered the feline up in his arms, glancing over his shoulder at the aurors one last time before apparating away.