Dark Divides [Max]

[Max Kameren]

When they stood Max leaned heavily against the wall, trying to get his bearings as Rowena sorted out the logistics of the Healers replacing them. After a second hit by the presence it wasn’t just the pain anymore; the room was spinning, his ears were ringing and Max was fairly sure he’d be vomiting sometime within the next hour. He stared down at the floor, trying to center his own aura and dull the pain.

He got Sarah’s attention when he sent out sparks for his apprentice, who no longer worked at St. Mungo’s. “Max, dear, what do you need?”

“A numbing potion, please. It needs to be from my personal stocks. Jackson knows where it is.” Sarah nodded and Max thanked her, his eyes looking through her more than at her. He couldn’t focus on any one object in his field of vision.

“Shall we?” Rowena asked shakily. Max nodded, putting his arm around her as the two battered healers headed down the hallway. When they moved it was apparent that his arm around her, while also meant as affectionate reassurance for her, was also so Max could use her guidance to walk straight without hugging the wall. “Does me nearly dying this mean you’re going to be nice to me again for a while?”

Max smiled wryly and shook his head, a bit afraid to laugh in fear of what else might come up if he opened his mouth. He leaned over and kissed his girlfriend tenderly on top of her head, his step swinging clumsily as he diverted his attention from the action of moving. He shrugged, responding to his question with one of his own: “Does this mean we’re cancelling dinner tonight?”

The two shocked healers fell into quiet as they stewed in the trauma of their afternoon. Max had been there to look for signs of a resurgence of magic from the Demon Wars, but had gotten way more than he’d expected. The presence had tasted Rowena’s blood, but this was different. The voice was familiar to Max, but somehow different. When they got to the aurors and asked him questions, Max wasn’t entirely sure what he’d say; this was beyond anything he’d seen, even as a child during the War.

The shudder that went through Rowena was met with one last comforting squeeze before the couple separated entering the break room. Emerald eyes scanned the room, recognizing several of the aurors who were there to question them. His tired eyes landed on Alex last, and he nodded at his uncle in a curt greeting from where he stood against the wall, leaning next to the door for a quick getaway whenever he had the chance.

“Numbing potion?” Jackson poked his head around the doorframe suddenly and made Max jump; he wasn’t used to not feeling people coming up behind him. “Whoa, sorry Max. Here.” He handed the bottle over, grimacing as he took in the sight of his bloody, exhausted friend. “You look like shit.”

“I feel like shit.” Max replied, unstoppering the bottle and throwing it back. “And I don’t even know if this damn thing’ll work.”

“What happened?”

“I’ll tell you when I know.” Max shook his head tiredly, bidding Jackson goodbye and crossing further into the room to sit down at the lunch table; within the next minute his legs would be asleep and, hopefully, his aura would quiet. He wasn’t sure anymore. Whatever the presence had done to him, it was entirely new.

“As you all know, there has been an attack on our Minister for International Magical Cooperation and his family. A fatal attack. And I’ve just been informed that that attack continued in this hospital. We must get to the bottom of this and quickly. Head Auror, I believe you have questions for my staff?”

Max sighed, turning his attention from Milton over to Alex with resignation. He wasn’t sure how much he could provide, but he and Ro were probably the aurors’ best bet for coherent answers after Richard's death, unfortunately.

[Alecsander]

Alex was discussing the night's events with Milton when the two healers stumbled in. Conversation in the room stilled, Alex turning to the door, seeing their pale and drawn faces. His eyes grew worried as he took in Max's condition, he had never seen Max look so bad. It reminded him of Curse. He frowned, wanting to go and check on his nephew. There was no time though, the situation was extremely tenuous, if even half of what he'd been told by Milton and the staff member who had found and brought in the Minister's family was true, war was coming. His face settled into stern lines, though he still tracked Max until he found a seat at the table before turning to Rowena.

“As you all know, there has been an attack on our Minister for
International Magical Cooperation and his family. A fatal attack. And
I’ve just been informed that that attack continued in this hospital. We
must get to the bottom of this and quickly. Head Auror, I believe you
have questions for my staff?”

"Healer Covington, start from the beginning."

As she told her tale the aurors clustered together and whispered behind him, Alex's face getting stonier as she continued. The aurors he'd brought were young, not one of them old enough to remember the Wars in any detail. To hear talk of demons and ancient runes and blood magic--there was no longer doubt that old and evil magic had been used here. But what purpose had it been put to? He stopped the healer in her recitation suddenly. "I-it drank your blood?" He was so startled the old stutter returned, though he fortunately used the right words.

"I will require Memories from both of you, Healer." He turned to Max, ensuring his tone remained professional although Healer Covington's story had greatly unsettled him. "Do you have anything to add, Healer Kameren?" Standing behind the Aurors, Wallace jabbed his fellow trainee sharply in the ribs at the name.

[Rowena Jones]

"Healer Covington, start from the beginning."

Rowena nodded, pausing for a second to collect her thoughts. "Do you mind if I sit down?" she asked, not actually waiting for an answer before she sat and began her tale. "I was called to attend to a patient whom my staff were struggling to treat. It's standard protocol when they come up against something unusual, especially when the patient's life is at risk as was the case here. His heart kept stopping. Upon seeing the runes in the skin, I sent for Milton but then the patient made some sort of connection with Healer Kameren," she recited, stopping to look in Max's direction as she remembered the seconds of fear she had felt when they'd first felt the presence. "He'd be better equipped to tell you about that Sir."

She rushed through the next part, quickly mentioning the sudden extensive bleeding and subsequent loss of the patient. "And then we were told the parents had been found so we moved to check on them. I entered the room to examine the mother first. I have developed several treatment options for victims of mental torture and I had hoped to be able to restore her memory somewhat. Unfortunately the damage is more severe than I had hoped so I cannot say for certain at this point if we will be successful."

"Then I turned to the father. He was marked similarly to the son, but was calmer and did not seem to be presenting any of the symptoms we had previously experienced. I, I should have been more careful..." she trailed off, her heart beating quickly as she recalled those seconds of pure terror and helplessness. "He grabbed me and took my wand. Oh!" Rowena stood quickly, wincing as she pulled at the area where she'd been cut. Max had closed it, but as was often the case with magical wounds, the area was still sore. She turned anxiously to Milton, "My wand. He still has my wand!" There was a slight note of panic colouring her voice as she realised how powerless she currently was.

Milton put a comforting hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her back to her seat. "Don't worry. A healer is bringing it right now. You'll have it back shortly."

Rowena nodded, trying once again to calm herself down but all the spikes of adrenaline were wearing on her. Her emotions had gone through every possibility that afternoon and she was exhausted. She wasn't sure how long she could last as she began to tremble again.

"It cut me on my side, and well I couldn't see but it sounded like it was tasting my blood..."

"I-it drank your blood?"

She nodded. "Well, licked it..." she clarified. "But then it pushed me away and the bleeding started like with the son and there was nothing we could do."

"I will require Memories from both of you, Healer."

"Of course Sir," Rowena agreed though she sagged at the thought of having to conciously think about the day futher. She just wanted to lie down and cry. Never would she have thought something like this would happen. Mungos was her second home, and this was the second time in a month she'd been held at wand point. Though the first had been relatively mundane, this one... this time had shaken her to her very core. She tried again to get her shaking under control as Alex turned to Max, but it only increased as her mind replayed the events of the day in a loop in her head and she remembered another vital fact.

"Sir, it sounded like it knew me," she said, not actually sure if she was addressing Milton or Alex. "And it definitely had some sort of connection with Ma, I mean Healer Kameren. But how is that possible?!"

[Max Kameren]

Throughout Rowena’s testimony Max nodded along with the rhythm of her speech, keeping his green eyes down on the table. He felt the potion he’d taken take hold, pins and needles numbing his body and hopefully his mind. The headache in his mind lessened, but only slightly. He looked around and felt less vertigo, but that could have also been sitting still. It was enough. Enough that he could function, speak, and conduct himself in public for now at least.

“I sent for Milton but then the patient made some sort of connection with Healer Kameren," she recited, stopping to look in Max's direction as she remembered the seconds of fear she had felt when they'd first felt the presence. Under the table Max took Rowena’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Even without Empathy he could tell reliving the ordeal was wearing on her. "He'd be better equipped to tell you about that Sir."

For the first time since Max entered the room he made eye contact with Alex, nodding along with Rowena. For some reason it hadn’t registered to Max that when Sarah mentioned aurors, Alex would most likely be there. It was off-putting, being in this situation with Alex around. Max had been in dangerous situations before and Merlin knew Alex had too, but it was odd having to review it in front of him. Suddenly he felt like he was a kid again, explaining a broken toy or a carpet stain to his dad. The frown on his face told Max Alex’s concern was a little more than occupational too.

"Then I turned to the father. He was marked similarly to the son, but was calmer and did not seem to be presenting any of the symptoms we had previously experienced. I, I should have been more careful..." For a moment Max’s listening nod turned to a headshake. Rowena couldn’t blame herself, this was beyond them. They were healers, not aurors. "He grabbed me and took my wand. Oh!"

"Don't worry. A healer is bringing it right now. You'll have it back shortly."

"It cut me on my side, and well I couldn't see but it sounded like it was tasting my blood..."

"I-it drank your blood?"

“Not in the way you’re picturing it.” Max spoke up for the first time, giving his uncle a knowing look. Max hadn’t been there personally, but mentions from Curse and detailed accounts from Eden left a vivid picture of Alex’s demon attack in his mind. That creature had been insatiable, madly driven for the magical curses bound into Kameren blood. This was different; it wasn’t a hunger, it was a taste. It wasn’t need, but intent.

"Well, licked it..." she clarified. "But then it pushed me away and the bleeding started like with the son and there was nothing we could do."

"I will require Memories from both of you, Healer." He turned to Max, ensuring his tone remained professional although Healer Covington's story had greatly unsettled him. "Do you have anything to add, Healer Kameren?"

Max bowed his head, grateful for the small formality of Alex using his official title and trying to ignore the aurors behind him. “Yes. I took notes but had to change robes between the son and the father, so they’re not on me. I can get them from my office and hand them off to Milton for you.”

"Sir, it sounded like it knew me," Rowena added. "And it definitely had some sort of connection with Ma, I mean Healer Kameren. But how is that possible?!"

“It wasn’t like before, in the last War.” Max struggled to find the words to describe what he was thinking. He let go of Rowena’s hand to wring his own. “Whatever it was, it knew about my… ability. It wasn’t mindless like the stone. It was personal. It had intent.” The healer’s eyes flashed up at his uncle, worried.

Whatever this was, it only felt like the beginning. But if this was the start, what would the escalation look like?

[Alecsander]

Max bowed his head, grateful for the small formality of Alex using his official title and trying to ignore the aurors behind him. “Yes. I took notes but had to change robes between the son and the father, so they’re not on me. I can get them from my office and hand them off to Milton for you.”

Alex looked to Milton, "Surely we can have someone fetch them, right Director?" He'd seen Max take the numbing potion, much less the way he'd moved when he'd entered. Alex didn't want him trying to stand but he also needed those notes quickly. He looked at Max. "Is there someone you trust for that, Healer Kameren?"

"Sir, it sounded like it knew me," she said, not actually sure if she was addressing Milton or Alex. "And it definitely had some sort of connection with Ma, I mean Healer Kameren. But how is that possible?!"

“It wasn’t like before, in the last War.” Max struggled to find the words to describe what he was thinking. He let go of Rowena’s hand to wring his own. “Whatever it was, it knew about my… ability. It wasn’t mindless like the stone. It was personal. It had intent.” The healer’s eyes flashed up at his uncle, worried.

"Perhaps we should loop Cain in..." Alex muttered, ignoring the outrage he could practically feel from Christians. Cain was still one of their best cursebreakers, and he had the inside knowledge on that part of the war. But if what Max said was true...

The head auror felt doom looming over him like a heavy pressing cloud. It couldn't be happening again, not in his lifetime. Powerful dark magic cropping up now couldn't be a coincidence. He sighed, looking back at the trainees, eyes narrowing in displeasure as they whispered to each other. It only took a moment before Wallace noticed him staring, starting guiltily and backing away from his partner. "Trainee Wallace, two vials please." Wallace struggled through his robes, almost dropping the little glass jars under the piercing gaze of the Head Auror. He well knew the reason his mentor had been reassigned, and was on thin ice now with his new mentor, Auror Kameren.

Alex took them and turned to Max and Rowena, drawing his wand. "If you don't mind, I will do the extraction."

It only took a few moments, Alex bending briefly over each healer, spooling out bright silver memories into their respective vials and then labeling them. He slipped them both chocolate as he did so, then tucked the vials safely into an inner pocket protected by spells.

[Rowena Jones]

“It wasn’t like before, in the last War.” Max said as he let go of Rowena’s hand. She missed the contact immediately, as if it had been grounding her, strengthening her. She wanted to yell at herself for being so weak but couldn’t even find the energy to rally at herself. She was drained, the adrenaline long gone, just leaving a bone weary exhaustion. She could do nothing more now than listen to the conversation around them. “Whatever it was, it knew about my… ability. It wasn’t mindless like the stone. It was personal. It had intent.”

Alex turned to Max and Rowena holding two vials and drawing his wand. "If you don't mind, I will do the extraction."

Rowena nodded slowly. She had no wand and it probably wouldn’t have been the best idea for her to do it anyway. She might have slipped up in her extraction and given them some other memory. God forbid Alex see his nephew and her doing things no uncle wanted to see. A small smile tried to appear as she thought of Max and she glanced at him, her earlier anger long forgotten. They’d have to talk about it at some point, but all she could think of right now was how happy she was to not be alone during all of this.

Alex approached her, forcing her to concentrate for just a little longer and she brought the requested memories to the forefront of her mind, shaking again as she did so. And then it was over and never again would still be too soon for her to think about that voice. She knew deep down, this was only the beginning. There had been too much familiarity in the encounter for her part to be over, but for now, she would allow herself to pretend that this was a one off.

She gratefully took the offered chocolate, letting the smooth sweetness of it melting on her tongue soothe away some of the lingering shock and then glanced up as a healer peeked in around the door.

"Healer Covington's wand sir," she said and at Milton's nod, came in to pass it to Rowena. As soon as she felt the hard wood in her hand, she felt marginally better. It might not be much good against creepy voices but she could at least cast spells again. Now if only she could leave and return to her office. She just needed some time away from all of this. That paperwork she had been moaning about earlier now seemed like the perfect distraction.

Milton had been watching his staff carefully and now that the memories were taken, he stepped in. “Alright you two, go home. I don’t want to see either of you for at least another 24 hours. Rowena, you know the rules.” At her halfhearted protesting –she was supposed to be on shift for another 8 hours and there was so much she had to do and she really didn't want to go home- he held up his hand to silence her. “I will make sure your shift is covered and that your staff are informed. Go and rest. Now.”

[Max Kameren]

"Trainee Wallace, two vials please."

Max took a breath, trying to pull the memory of their encounter to the forefront and pare off as much of his empathic reaction as he could. He had never had a memory extraction before; now he was curious how it would work for him. Would it be like being in his head? Would the aurors have to go through the same shock Max and Rowena had? Would…. Would Max want the man currently struggling to pull two vials out of his robes to put a wand to his head?

"If you don't mind, I will do the extraction."

Good. He approached Rowena first and Max put a hand on her knee under the table when she glanced over at him. It was only at a second glance Max realized his hand was still stained with her blood, and he shuddered at the thought. They’d pick up their argument later, he was sure, but for now Max was just glad she was okay. Max didn’t know what he would have done if the presence had hurt her.

"Healer Covington's wand sir,"

“And Healer Kameren’s notes!” Jackson pushed a wheelchair around into the doorway with probably too chipper of a tone. He followed the other healer through the doorway and peeled off to brake the wheelchair next to Max. He handed his fellow Potions Master his notebook, standing at the ready to help Max make the switch into the wheelchair when he was ready.

Max flipped through the book, glancing up at Alex. “Can I just rip out the pages for you about the incident? I need some of these other notes later today.”

“No you don’t.” Milton cut in, crossing the room to help Jackson. He took Max's notebook from his hands and handed it over to Alex in full. “Alright you two, go home. I don’t want to see either of you for at least another 24 hours. Rowena, you know the rules.”

They both immediately protested. Max plead his case alongside Rowena, not losing a beat in his speech as he pushed himself off the break room chair and maneuvered into the wheelchair. It was the week before the full moon, and Max had a lot of work left to do on the Wolfsbane potions before sending them out. They were down two apprentices now; Jackson couldn’t handle it on his own.

“I will make sure your shift is covered and that your staff are informed. Go and rest. Now.”

“You don’t think I can do the Wolfsbane potions solo?” Jackson arched a surprised brow down at Max.

Max looked up at his colleague, frowning at the question and looking around as if it were an obvious one. “No. Not on top of everything else. You don’t know where to send them either. Milton, please. I’ll leave when they’re done.” He took the wheels to turn to his boss, his green eyes pleading. He was met with a friendly smile and a shake of his head before Jackson took the handles of his wheelchair and spun him back around.

“Healer Covington.” Jackson turned to her with a smirk and a wink, pushing Max’s chair in her direction. “Can I trust you to discharge this patient? See to it he gets some rest.” Max rolled his eyes and leaned on the armrest of the wheelchair, sighing in annoyance.

[Alecsander]

Alex started with Rowena, pulling out the silvery memory and pouring it into the vial. He replaced the tiny cork and her name flared to life on the glass, a little light trail as it etched itself onto the vial. He repeated the process with Max, already determining that he would view them personally, there was really no telling what reaction he would get using Max's memories. Alex wanted to help his nephew, but settled with handing him chocolate for the shock along with a look that told him he eat it despite Max actually hating chocolate.

"Healer Covington's wand sir,"

“And Healer Kameren’s notes!”

Max flipped through the book, glancing up at Alex. “Can I just rip out the pages for you about the incident? I need some of these other notes later today.”

Just as he was tucking away the Memories two new healers arrived, one bringing the notes Alex needed from Max. Milton swiftly pulled rank and handed Alex the entire notebook over Max's protest, Alex took it with a nod, tucking it away in another protected pocket, his mind already processing the information given. Hadn't there been another case, a long time ago? Before the war. Something tickled the back of his mind, and he took a few moments to trace it down while turning to the aurors and giving them their orders. They quickly filed out to complete their tasks.

“Healer Covington.” Jackson turned to her with a smirk and a wink, pushing Max’s chair in her direction. “Can I trust you to discharge this patient? See to it he gets some rest.”

Alex tuned back into the Healer's conversation just in time for Milton to push Max towards Rowena, though his eyes remained distant as he analyzed the conversation. He still smirked at his nephew however, as he was passed off to his...girlfriend? It seemed likely. He'd never seen Max act this way with another person, Max always seemed to be subtly orientating himself towards her. "Rest." He added his own unwanted opinion to Milton's before saying his brief goodbyes to the director and Disapparating silently.

[Rowena Jones]

“Healer Covington.” Jackson turned to her with a smirk and a wink, pushing Max’s chair in her direction. “Can I trust you to discharge this patient? See to it he gets some rest.”

Rowena glowered at Jackson and his irritating antics. “I think I’m just as much as patient right now Jackson…” she pointed out, glancing at the blood on her robes where she had been cut. Even now, with them looking the way they did, Jackson was still up to his mischievous tricks. Maybe she needed to make her point again she thought thinking back to her last point she’d made where Jackson had been stuck just inches away from the freedom he so enjoyed at the end of his shifts.

Another time, she concluded. As much as she wanted to just go to her office, she knew that it was a lost cause. Milton’s mind had been made up and, as he’d proven when trying to get his Potions Master and his Head of Spell Damage together, there was no changing it. It was time to go home.

She glanced at Max. Did he want to go back to his? The thought of being alone after everything did not fill Rowena with much comfort. It’d been part of the reason she had just wanted to retreat to her office. At least then, there were always people just outside. She would have had the peace of solitude without being completely isolated.

There was the sharp pop of apparition as Alex left the room followed quickly by the rest of his team. Rowena looked at Milton to say goodbye and then turned back to Max and pushed him out of the room.

She leaned down as she pushed Max down the corridor, using the chair to keep herself up as exhaustion set in. “Max? I’m taking you to mine ok?” she said quietly. If he didn’t want to stay then he could go to his own flat from hers. It took them only a few minutes before they arrived at the large fireplace that served as the Floo portal for visitors, patients and staff. Normally, Rowena would have simply apparated home, but she wasn’t quite feeling up to such a focused task, she was barely sure she’d be able to Floo home.

She tossed the powder into the flames, clearly stated her address and took them both home.