Free to Go

[Max Kameren]

“Am I free to go?”

“Max, stop asking that. This is an interview, not an interrogation.”

The Potions Master arched a confused brow and looked around the dim interrogation room he sat in until his eyes fell back on the Auror in front of him. A slow grin rose in his cheeks when he felt Franks’ aura bristle with agitation.

When asked for a memory of his attack for evidence purposes by the Ministry, Max had declined. He didn’t want his torture available for viewing in the Department’s pensieve, even if it was guarded by Alex as Head Auror. Especially because Alex was Head Auror: it was possibly naive, but Max wanted to protect Alex from seeing what his nephew went through down in the Catacombs. Instead he opted for a series of interviews telling the story his own way, in his own words. It was an element of control he’d lost in the Catacombs and was slowly gaining back.

Franks huffed as he looked over the parchment the quill had been writing along to Max’s words, nodding his head. “Actually Kameren, I think we might be done here.”

“So…?” Max smiled and Franks rolled his eyes.

“You’re free to go.”

“Thank you!” The tall Potions Master pushed himself up from the table and opened the door, letting Franks out ahead of him before he stepped out into the hall of the Ministry. He sought out Alex in his mind, finding him exactly where he would expect: the Head Auror’s office. Max made his way through the offices in that direction, finding the door closed.

He knocked; he knew better than to barge in, he’d heard the horror stories. “Alex? Got a minute? I watched the memory.”

[Alecsander]

“Alex? Got a minute? I watched the memory.”

The door swung open, an exasperated yet amused voice emerging. "Must you antagonize Franks so?" Alex closed the door from where he sat behind the big desk, strewn with papers. He'd only barely gotten Franks and Potter working productively again. He hoped they didn't get sidetracked.

"What was in it?" He took off the reading glasses, rubbing the exhaustion from his face. He'd been at this from very early this morning, for weeks actually. Tracking Winston. Tracing the route of Curse's cigs when they went to get tested and a half dozen other personal cases plus all the department's. He was glad Xav would be returning tomorrow, she was his best researcher and his right hand, he hadn't realized how much he'd come to rely on her skills. He looked up at Max and smiled tiredly. "You're looking better."

[Max Kameren]

"Must you antagonize Franks so?"

Max shrugged without missing a beat and took a seat in a chair opposite the Head Auror’s paper-strewn desk. “I’m just testing him! Mental fortitude and all that: how is he going to stand up to Winston Warghollow if he can’t handle me?” Max chuckled, his eyes scanning momentarily over Alex’s research out of curiosity. He knew he wasn’t allowed to know specifically where Alex was tracking, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious.

"What was in it?" He looked up at Max and smiled tiredly. "You're looking better."

“I am better, thanks.” Max smiled warmly at his uncle as his thoughts drifted momentarily to his weekend. It was strange being this happy weeks out from being tortured and nearly killed, but here he was. He was in love, and he was finally getting answers to questions he’d been asking for almost half his life. Somehow in the week after his attack he’d progressed more than he had in years. But even with his new horizon every question that was answered seemed to spawn more questions. It was maddening, and Max could see by the pile on Alex’s desk that the madness was catching.

“There are more Empaths, Alex.” Max couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at the admission: he wasn’t alone. There were more like him. There were more like him alive, living in the world with his same condition. “In the vial Dad met a woman in Russia with my condition. I checked his notes and found how to contact her. I’m leaving for Siberia to interview her in two weeks.”

Max’s tone shifted immediately with worry as he stood, leaning against the desk in closer to his uncle. “Or, I want to go in two weeks. It depends on the watch… and you.” His green eyes shifted down to the pages on Alex’s desk momentarily, just looking for an escape from his uncle’s hard questioning gaze.

“I’m worried about Rowena. Whatever this is – “ Max’s four fingered hand pressed against a Warghollow’s snarling Azkaban mugshot “ – I’m the only person she’s got. If I leave she has no one to turn to. But I have to go, I have to learn more about this.” Max’s inner turmoil over this new information played out on his face as his mind took him back to the Catacombs. He’d remembered his lessons with Alex, he’d done what he was supposed to and still barely made it out with his life. The only weapon he’d had that made any kind of difference was his Empathy, and if there was anything more he could do with it he needed to know.

“Is there anything we can do? Either through the Aurors or the Watch – Is there anywhere she can go that’s safe?” Max pleaded with his uncle with real worry behind his eyes. If there was nothing Alex could do, Max wouldn’t go.

[Alecsander]

“There are more Empaths, Alex.” Max couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at the admission: he wasn’t alone. There were more like him. There were more like him alive, living in the world with his same condition. “In the vial Dad met a woman in Russia with my condition. I checked his notes and found how to contact her. I’m leaving for Siberia to interview her in two weeks.” 

Alex couldn't hide the happy grin that took over his face, nor did he try, "that's great, Max!" He cast his mind back, wondering when Curse had gone. And he hadn't said a word to Alex, the bastard. He remembered a trip he had taken, he'd been gone weeks and when he'd returned, he'd refused to answer questions. Max could have used used this information years ago!

“Or, I want to go in two weeks. It depends on the watch… and you. I’m worried about Rowena. Whatever this is – “ Max’s four fingered hand pressed against a Warghollow’s snarling Azkaban mugshot “ – I’m the only person she’s got. If I leave she has no one to turn to. But I have to go, I have to learn more about this.” Max’s inner turmoil over this new information played out on his face as his mind took him back to the Catacombs. He’d remembered his lessons with Alex, he’d done what he was supposed to and still barely made it out with his life. The only weapon he’d had that made any kind of difference was his Empathy, and if there was anything more he could do with it he needed to know.


“Is there anything we can do? Either through the Aurors or the Watch – Is there anywhere she can go that’s safe?” Max pleaded with his uncle with real worry behind his eyes. If there was nothing Alex could do, Max wouldn’t go.

"You know she can come to the Estate," Alex said, trying to reassure the worry he saw echoed in Max. "There's also the Fidelius Charm..." He trailed off, thinking. He recognized the fear and worry in Max's eyes, his voice. He reminded him so much of Curse sometimes. Alex would do anything for his family. 

[Max Kameren]

“Is there anything we can do? Either through the Aurors or the Watch – Is there anywhere she can go that’s safe?” Max pleaded with his uncle with real worry behind his eyes. If there was nothing Alex could do, Max wouldn’t go.

"You know she can come to the Estate," Alex said, trying to reassure the worry he saw echoed in Max. "There's also the Fidelius Charm..." He trailed off, thinking.

Both good ideas that Max kicked himself for not thinking of on his own. The Estate would be a tough sell for Rowena but Max had a good idea on how to convince her to stay: the Library. Hell, Ro could probably get lost in Alex’s books for his entire trip if left to her own devices. The Fidelius Charm could make a good backup for Rowena’s home, and if Max volunteered as secret-keeper before leaving on his trip it was yet another layer of security.

The catch: convincing Rowena of any of this.

“Thanks Alex, you’re a genius.” Max ran a hand through his hair as he thought, “I might need to borrow the library to convince her. Ro’s stubborn, somehow worse than Eden and Elle combined.” His girlfriend would be decidedly against the idea of moving from her home for a week while he was gone.

The younger Kameren turned to leave, but a curiosity pulled at him until he turned back. His emerald gaze darted to the desk then back up at his uncle, brow furrowed in concern. “Any progress? We’ve finished the interview, is there anything else I can do?”

[Alecsander]

“Thanks Alex, you’re a genius.” Max ran a hand through his hair as he thought, “I might need to borrow the library to convince her. Ro’s stubborn, somehow worse than Eden and Elle combined.”

"As long as you don't mess with my shelves," he joked, shuffling around papers absently. Perhaps it was time to get a new perspective on some of these. He tugged a newsprint from under Max's palm, organizing his desk as he thought. Though he was as much a neat-freak as his brother had been a clutterer, the papers spread out like this helped him make connections. There were too many cases.

“Any progress? We’ve finished the interview, is there anything else I can do?”

Alex raised a brow at Max. "You know I can't say that Max. But you know I will get him." his emerald eyes hardened into stone. A thought occured,to,him. "What do you remember about the rune you slashed on Rowena's arm?"

[Max Kameren]

"As long as you don't mess with my shelves," he joked. Max chuckled along with his uncle, but a doubt about keeping that promise lingered in the back of his mind. Rowena was notoriously obsessive with book organization. Already he’d caught his own bookshelves slowly migrating over to her confusing multi-level organization system, he wasn’t sure if he was yet at the capacity to fight off Rowena if she decided the Kameren library wasn’t up to her standards.

He nodded with a grateful smile and turned to leave, pausing at the doorway when curiosity turned him back around. Warghollow had said he’d be back for him, after all, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t worried. “Any progress? We’ve finished the interview, is there anything else I can do?”

"You know I can't say that Max. But you know I will get him." The confidence of his uncle’s aura comforted him somewhat and he smiled sheepishly, nodding his head. He trusted the aurors would eventually catch him again; the real question was how his loved ones – including Alex – would be hurt in the process.

A shift in his uncle’s aura stopped Max from turning to leave and he looked up questioningly. "What do you remember about the rune you slashed on Rowena's arm?"

“Oh. Uh…” Right, the earthquake. It felt selfish to admit but in the wake of his attack his connection Rowena’s curse and the subsequent destruction in Hogsmeade had nearly left his mind. He’d intended to talk to Alex about what he’d seen and done, but with helping out in Hogsmeade and at Mungo’s he’d been putting it off until his torture wiped it off his radar entirely.

“I can try and draw it for you, if you like?” In a few strides Max was back standing across the desk from his uncle. He took out his own notebook from his pocket and flipped to an open page, taking the pencil he kept with it and making a crude recollection of what he saw. With his hand still healing he held his pencil awkwardly and the rune was childish and blocky despite his efforts.

“Like that, but obviously better.” Max shrugged apologetically, ripping out the page and handing it to Alex with a grimace. “It when up her wrist lengthwise and glowed bright red. I slashed it with a letter opener from her desk and it disappeared. If only they all did that, right?” Max smiled awkwardly at the joke at his own expense, the runes marked into his cheek pulling with the motion as if to make themselves known. “What else did she tell you about that night, then? Do you need a memory?”

[Alecsander]

“I can try and draw it for you, if you like? Like that, but obviously better.” Max shrugged apologetically, ripping out the page and handing it to Alex with a grimace.

Alex inspected it as Max talked, describing the location and actions of the rune. Rowena's memory hadn't been all that helpful in that regard, but what else it had revealed had been... interesting.

“It when up her wrist lengthwise and glowed bright red. I slashed it with a letter opener from her desk and it disappeared. If only they all did that, right?” Max smiled awkwardly at the joke at his own expense, the runes marked into his cheek pulling with the motion as if to make themselves known. “What else did she tell you about that night, then? Do you need a memory?”

He put the paper down, he'd have to show it to Ari later, probably Cain too for good measure. He rubbed his face again and smiled tiredly at Max. "Yes, you and Rowena will have different recollections, I'm sure."

[Max Kameren]

Max nodded and found his wand in his pocket. “Do you have a vial?” He answered his own question but opening his opposite hand and a drawer in Alex’s office rattled open, shooting a small vial across the room for the Potions Master to catch.

His eyes closed as he put the wand to his temple, picturing the horrible scene of his girlfriend nearly dying in his arms as vividly as he could as he pulled his wand away. A white glow ignited from the tip and a strand slightly longer than his thick dark hair pulled away with the wand, drifting with the motion as he deposited it in the vial. “That should work, sorry if it doesn’t.” He shrugged. “Bit of a stressful time, empathy-wise. I don’t know how that affects it.”

“Anything else then, detective?” Max arched a brow as he took a step back, half-smiling as he opened the door. “Am I free to go?”

[Alecsander]

Alex watched with a slight exasperation as Max procured the vial and started withdrawing the memory. It must have been hard to relive, and Alex hated to ask for it, but it was necessary. He needed more pieces to put the puzzle together. There was so much they didn't know. That he didn't know.

“That should work, sorry if it doesn’t.” He shrugged. “Bit of a stressful time, empathy-wise. I don’t know how that affects it.”

He took the vial with a nod of thanks, tucking it away safely after labeling it with a quick spell. Max moving towards the door brought his attention back, his mind wandering as he once again worried at the problem. Trying to understand, trying to make things click into place.

“Anything else then, detective?” Max arched a brow as he took a step back, half-smiling as he opened the door. “Am I free to go?”

Alex picked up a crumpled paper and lobbed it at his nephew. "Get out you git!" But he was smiling as he said it.