Angst in the Archives [Max/Michael]

[Rowena Jones]

Today was going to be a good day, Rowena could just feel it. How could it not be? She was in love, she was getting answers, Max was getting answers and Michael was back from her past, bringing all the good memories from that time with him. And he'd even taken her awkward attempt at setting boundaries amazingly well, brushing off her insistence that they couldn't be more than friends with a laugh. He apparently hadn't meant to make her feel like he wanted more, had just been concerned over her well-being, which in retrospect was fair enough. He'd first seen her after a huge fight with Max. She couldn't fault the man for being friendly and worried about her. And now he was still insisting on helping her with her search for ancestors and any connection which might explain why a big bad evil was targeting her.

She'd tried to tell him it wasn't necessary, that he surely had enough to do with his actual job, but there he was waving at her from by the Ministry Munchies cafe, his usual grin present as he beckoned them forward. He already had a large stack of papers next to him and Rowena's excitement grew at the prospect of research.

Rowena grinned up at Max, pulling him forward. She'd come here when she'd first started her research into her family, but with no name to go off, it had been hopeless. Now everything was different. She was a Ravenclaw and she had names. Surely she could find answers now.

And Max, her wonderful amazing boyfriend, he was going to get answers too. She just knew it. After all the tragedy of the past month, something good was going to happen to them. "I love you," she said just before they reached Michael.

[Rowena Jones]

Michael had spent the past few hours collecting papers on the Ravenclaw family in preparation for Rowena's arrival. She'd been ridiculously happy last time he'd seen her at dinner. Well at least she had been after her initial embarrassment on her choice of restaurant. Michael sneered at the thought of her wide smile and sparkling eyes, all because of that Max Kameren. Well today, he'd be the one making her happy. He sat at the Ministry cafe, nursing a coffee perusing his stack of documents, noting which ones were important.

He glanced up to see Rowena walking into the Atrium, quickly pushing away his irritation as he noted who was with her. He'd gotten the impression they were doing this research alone, but her boyfriend was right there with her, holding her hand as if he deserved to do such a thing. But if nothing else, Michael was adaptable. Their blossoming relationship might put a bit of a wrench in his plans but he could work with it. He stood, plastering a large smile to greet them and beckoned them towards him.

As they approached he held out the brownie and coffee he'd bought for Rowena with a friendly smirk. "Thought you'd need some sustenance before we dive in," he said teasingly before glancing in Max's direction. "Sorry, I didn't know you were coming." Not that that would have changed anything. "I've got us a table in the Archives, and there should be a few tomes waiting for us too," Michael said returning his attention to Rowena.

[Max Kameren]

Ministry, Rowena. Ministry. Rowena. The last couple days Max ran between the two constantly; trying to prepare for his trip and aid the Aurors’ investigation of his attack was chaos quelled temporarily every evening with his girlfriend next to him. There was so much to tend to that it nearly made Max thankful he didn’t have Mungo’s on top of it. It only made sense with the two of them following their respective research paths that Max’s two favored destinations would converge: Rowena at the Ministry.

When Rowena had mentioned casually that she was meeting Michael to search the Ministry’s archives the Potions Master had jumped at the chance to join them. With no response yet from his international owl Max still wasn’t totally sure if Varvara was still even alive; he’d been meaning to look her up in the Ministry’s archives to see if there was any record of her here. Max had spoken with Milton and learned hospital staff had discovered her powers when she came in with a broken elbow, only for her to disappear in the night without a trace. That was all he’d looked into her until Curse found her; all he had were the few pages of notes jotted down by Curse Kameren in his small black leather-bound notebook. That same notebook was now clutched in Max’s hand along with his own, ready to keep looking. He needed more.

Though going with Rowena and Michael had a special added benefit. There was a sort of delicious spite to seeing the pretentious wizard’s face fall when he caught site of ‘The Boyfriend’ being toted along by their entwined hands. Whatever plans the creep had in mind were effectively thwarted by his presence, Max hoped. He’d do what he could to keep it that way as long as possible until he left. He sighed as they approached, shoring up as much patience as he could muster for what was definitely going to be a series of passive-aggressive interactions.

"I love you," she said. Max responded silently by lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it just as they approached Michael’s beckoning grin.

"Thought you'd need some sustenance before we dive in," he said teasingly before glancing in Max's direction. "Sorry, I didn't know you were coming."

“I’m a happy surprise.” Max nodded with a faded smile and when Rowena let their hands drop to take the treats Michael got her he clasped his hands holding his notebooks behind his back. There was still nothing from this strange man’s aura, like a cleaned slate brushed off just before he could get in contact with it. It was confounding, how did he do it? His face surely didn’t give away any secrets either as he beckoned them to the lifts.

"I've got us a table in the Archives, and there should be a few tomes waiting for us too," Michael said returning his attention to Rowena.

Dutifully Max followed his girlfriend into the lifts, consciously orienting himself between his two companions as they filed in and pressed for level 10. The movement was smoother and more stable than the Mungo’s lifts, but every creak and shift made Max nervous now; the logical part of him knew the lift had nothing to do with his attack, but he still couldn’t step into one with the same confidence he had before he’d been mutilated. Call it superstition. At around the sixth floor when the lift jostled Max’s free hand sought out Rowena, wrapping a hand around her waist for stability.

It was a relief when the lift finally chimed Floor 10 and the trio filed out and down the hall to the Archives. Max took the seat next to his girlfriend and flipped open his late father’s notebook, scanning pages slowly as he listened to his companions’ conversation.

[Rowena Jones]

"Thought you'd need some sustenance before we dive in," Michael said holding out coffee and a brownie. Rowena grinned in thanks, releasing Max's hand to take the offered treats. "Ha, you know me so well already," she said, knowing that once she started doing the research properly food and drink would be the last thing on her mind. It wouldn't be the first time she'd gone over a day without sustenance though she supposed they wouldn't be here that long here. Still it was nice of him to think of her. Plus, chocolate. Her favourite.

"I've got us a table in the Archives, and there should be a few tomes waiting for us too," Michael said and she nodded, walking towards the lifts to take them to the Archives. Rowena glanced up at Max as he settled in next to her, a content grin firmly on her face despite being in a small metal box once again. She could tell Max felt the same way, though perhaps he had it worse, she thought as he wrapped his arm around her waist when the lift jostled. She leaned into him, enjoying the excuse for contact as they waited to reach the tenth floor.

She was even a little sad when they got there and Max released his close hold on her so they could file out, though the excitement eventually caught up to her and she moved towards Michael, impatient to start talking research. 

"So I was thinking we could start by looking up magical branches of the Ravenclaw family to start with since we're here. Maybe see if there's any connections with Dark Wizards and Witches? It seems unlikely that the Muggle parts of the family would be involved with whatever it is that's after me..." Rowena said as they found their table and sat down. Max sat down next to her in silence, concentrating on his own research so she shifted her chair closer to Michael so she could see the papers he'd brought with him. "What's all this?"

"Family trees, mostly focusing on the more recent Muggle lines of your family. Didn't think the Ministry would keep many records of this and the clerk confirmed it earlier. They're awful at keeping track of Ancient family lines after a few generations of no magic showing up. Consider it extinct. As if power like that just disappears." Michael scoffed. 

Rowena drew closer, pulling a few sheets of paper to her to read. When Michael had first told her of her family lineage she'd been happy but also completely distracted by Max's appearance. Since they had made up, she'd spent half her time with him and when possible with Michael continuing to delve into her history. But Michael had been busy too with his own work and he really was a genius when it came to this stuff. Even now with the knowledge they had, she struggled to find much on her own. He apparently could blink and find a dozen papers and documents. She was amazed and extremely grateful. And right now, completely immersed with the information he had collected. 

"This is amazing Michael." she said, leafing through several birth certificates and family trees. "So, my mother was Ravenna Jones, born in Cambridge... oh, she must have been so young when she had me," she murmured, doing the calculation in her head. "Shit, seventeen?! And here's... oh..." She glanced up at Michael, her excitement fading as she let her mother's death certificate fall onto the table. "I guess we won't be asking her anything then..." she said sadly. 

[Rowena Jones]

Michael was silent as they traveled to the Archives, his blank stare the only indication of his annoyance with Max's presence. But as they arrived at their required floor, his cheerful demeanor returned as Rowena removed herself from the pathetic grip of her companion and returned to his side. He had the information she wanted and needed, not her stupid boyfriend.

"So I was thinking we could start by looking up magical branches of the Ravenclaw family to start with since we're here. Maybe see if there's any connections with Dark Wizards and Witches? It seems unlikely that the Muggle parts of the family would be involved with whatever it is that's after me..." Rowena said as they found their table and sat down. Michael nodded, putting his own stack of documents on the table and sitting down on her other side. He smirked as Max removed himself from their conversation and Rowena moved closer to him instead. Well if the man wasn't going to help them, all the better. It only meant that he could take all the credit. "What's all this?"

"Family trees, mostly focusing on the more recent Muggle lines of your family. Didn't think the Ministry would keep many records of this and the clerk confirmed it earlier. They're awful at keeping track of Ancient family lines after a few generations of no magic showing up. Consider it extinct. As if power like that just disappears." Michael scoffed, moving the papers closer to her so she could examine them. 


"This is amazing Michael." Rowena said, leafing through several birth certificates and family trees. "So, my mother was Ravenna Jones, born in Cambridge... oh, she must have been so young when she had me," she murmured, doing the calculation in her head. "Shit, seventeen?! And here's... oh..." She glanced up at Michael, her excitement fading as she let her mother's death certificate fall onto the table. "I guess we won't be asking her anything then..." she said sadly.


He moved the last few inches between them and put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She may not have known her birth mother but losing her in the same week as discovering her existence wasn't a nice situation. Plus, she was right, it would make their finding her birth father more difficult than if they'd been able to just ask the woman. "I'm sorry Rowie," he said soothingly, "but your grandmother is apparently still alive. We could pay her a visit this week if you'd like. Maybe she knows something?" 

Michael smiled as she perked up a little at the news, handing her a few more in depth family trees before standing up to retrieve a few tomes on the other side of the table. The short walk conveniently took him past Max, and he peered at the little black book the other man had. "So what's more important than your girlfriend's research?" he asked, the tone curious but not openly spiteful though the arrogant smirk on his face belied his true feelings on the subject. Why was the man even here if not to help? Couldn't he fuck off and leave Michael and Rowena alone?

[Max Kameren]

The conversation on the other end of the table occupied Max’s empathy as he watched Rowena’s aura lift and fall like a rollercoaster; every now and then he would glance up from his notebooks and make eye contact with his girlfriend to either encourage her or empathize with her sadness. Rowena was an amazing, strong person and an impressively powerful witch. It was good to hear her finally learning her origins and where that power came from.

He set into his own notes, his own family secrets being overturned; Curse wrote in a complex code that he would tune to be more easily understood by its intended reader. There were pages in these notebooks intended for Alex and Ari that Max couldn’t make heads or tails of, but there were also sections where Curse’s code made reference to his son and simplified into something Max could crack.

The notes on Varvara were Curse’s Max Code, set up for his understanding on the occasion that he found his father’s memory. With what he had, Max was astounded that Curse had been able to find her at all. The little information Curse had dug up on her was confusing: fifty years ago she had entered St. Mungo’s emergency ward with a sprained wrist. In her pain her Empathy seeped out and was discovered, but before they could get a translator in to speak to her she disappeared. She’d been in her 50’s then, and past her hundreds when Curse managed to track her by mentions of an Empath in wizarding news articles in rural Russian papers through the years. It was the kind of trail only the father of an Empath could follow.

"I'm sorry Rowie," Michael’s voice cut through Max’s concentration and he cringed with the nickname. He glanced up at Rowena with a slight frown, reaching out with his aura to comfort her. "But your grandmother is apparently still alive. We could pay her a visit this week if you'd like. Maybe she knows something?"

When he felt her aura spark back up again he returned to his notebooks, converting his father’s code into his own notebook and making note of information he could search for at the UK Ministry. Ms. Fedorov had been here at one point in the 1980’s, hopefully he could find some record of her trip and a way of reaching out to her now.

"So what's more important than your girlfriend's research?" he asked, the tone curious but not openly spiteful though the arrogant smirk on his face belied his true feelings on the subject.

Michael’s blank aura made him able to sneak up on Max in a particularly irritating way and Max tensed. He turned over his shoulder and looked up at him with an arched cynical brow. He didn’t know why but his gut instinct told him to share as little information on his trip as possible with this man. As much as Rowena shrugged off Max’s mistrust of Michael as jealousy there still lived lingering dread, warning Max not to trust him. He couldn’t trust anyone new and too-conveniently helpful, not right now. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about what I’m doing, Michael. Help Rowena.” Then fuck off, he finished in his head and snapped his notebook closed. He pushed himself up to make a search of the archives elsewhere, pausing when he passed by Rowena to lean over and kiss her cheek.

[Rowena Jones]

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about what I’m doing, Michael. Help Rowena.”

"I am helping her." Michael said, putting the heavy tome next to Rowena. He scowled as Max kissed her cheek, leaning over her shoulder when the other man walked off. 

"Here Rowie, this is the tome on the Rowena Ravenclaw's life. I know she's not your direct ancestor but there might be some information. I'm just going to try and find some more papers on the rest of the Ravenclaws ok?I'm sure you'll have all this organised by the time I'm back," he said before following Max into the maze of shelves and documents.

When he found him, he leaned against the shelf, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "In the spirit of helping her, I'm making sure the man she apparently loves is actually good for her. With her parents gone, she has no one left to look after her." He paused, before a smirk spread across his face. "You know, it's interesting what you can find when you start digging into family histories. Yours for example. Strange that Rowie is being targeted by blood ritualistic murderers when her boyfriend's family have been known to practice such Dark acts... not to mention your grandfather. He was a nasty piece of work wasn't he...? Maybe it's just me, but it all raises red flags. What if it's not her family that's the reason she's being hurt, but yours... What if it's you hurting her?"

[Max Kameren]

As soon as Max was turned away from Rowena and Michael he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. The manicured wanker’s tough-guy act with Max was wearing thin already, and he was sure there would be more. Max didn’t bend to intimidation; in the past he took it as a challenge, but for Rowena he would play nice. Eventually his smiling façade would slip in front of Rowena. It had to, Michael wasn’t that good at maintaining it.

The healer found the card catalogue in the stacks of shelves and fumbled through it searching for anything that ranged back to the 1980’s. He pulled out his pen and notebook and marked anything that looked promising, his concentration focused until that same auraless presence snuck up on him again. Max glanced up with a start, dropping the cards he was searching through. “Merlin, Warcombe, cough or something.”

"In the spirit of helping her, I'm making sure the man she apparently loves is actually good for her. With her parents gone, she has no one left to look after her." A loud impatient sigh escaped Max at the implication and he rolled his eyes. He didn’t have the patience to try to prove himself to someone like Michael. Rowena knew him and that was what mattered. "You know, it's interesting what you can find when you start digging into family histories. Yours for example. Strange that Rowie is being targeted by blood ritualistic murderers when her boyfriend's family have been known to practice such Dark acts... not to mention your grandfather. He was a nasty piece of work wasn't he...?”

“Glad you’re using your company’s time wisely looking up my family history.” Max leaned on the card catalogue, rubbing his chin as he thought. “What was it you called me last time we met? Pathetic? This is pretty pathetic, Michael.”

The Kameren family’s dark history wasn’t something Max knew much about; his father would never speak about it, and when he would try and ask Alex he would go quiet. There was definitely something Max was missing – especially about his grandfather – but he hadn’t yet found the right time to ask. One thing he did know, though, was that he didn’t want to have that discussion with his girlfriend’s prat of a childhood neighbor.

“Maybe it's just me, but it all raises red flags. What if it's not her family that's the reason she's being hurt, but yours... What if it's you hurting her?"

He arched a brow, looking the man up and down skeptically. “You know, when the man was carving into my face for trying to protect Rowena he did look somewhat familiar. Maybe you’re right, maybe he’s a cousin.” The Potions Master smirked bitterly as he clapped Michael on the shoulder and turned down one of the aisles of archives.

[Rowena Jones]

“You know, when the man was carving into my face for trying to protect Rowena he did look somewhat familiar. Maybe you’re right, maybe he’s a cousin.” The Potions Master smirked bitterly as he clapped Michael on the shoulder and turned down one of the aisles of archives.

Michael followed. He wasn't finished yet. There was one last knife to dig in. He glanced at the tomes next to him, pretending to scan the dates and titles. "I'm just saying it's odd that you got out of that attack alive. Rumours going round are that you shouldn't have survived at all, that Winston Warghollow puts even your family to shame... but really, what's a finger if it keeps suspicion off your back? Is it crazy? A little perhaps... but then again crazy runs in your family." 

He smirked, "Your grandfather and his psychopathic tendencies, you with your strange little powers... drives you mad that you can't feel me doesn't it..." he paused from his casual perusal of the shelves to look at Max. "But you're all the same you Kamerens. Magic isn't the only thing that passes through the generations. Your grandfather was a lunatic, you're an aberration, and your father... well he was both. Mad men. To think he just murdered innocents, tortured people, ruined their lives... now that's it's own special brand of deranged..."

[Max Kameren]

Max’s shoulders slowly tensed as he heard Michael follow him. His patience was being tested: how much did he love Rowena and not want to piss her off versus how much did he want to hex this man until he was quiet? Why did he think Max gave a damn about anything he could tell him? Why couldn’t he concede that Max and Rowena were together and leave him alone about it?

"I'm just saying it's odd that you got out of that attack alive. Rumours going round are that you shouldn't have survived at all, that Winston Warghollow puts even your family to shame... but really, what's a finger if it keeps suspicion off your back?” Max rolled his eyes and continued to the files he was looking for, trying to tune Michael out. His fingers filed through folders, searching for the ‘F’ section and Varvara’s name. “Is it crazy? A little perhaps... but then again crazy runs in your family."

His fingers paused. Max shot a warning glare over his shoulder, threatening Michael not to go further. He’d laugh off whatever pearl-clutching information the man dug up about his distant relatives. His opinion didn’t matter enough to Max for his pride to be hurt by his barbs against him or his own reputation, but he’d found the line: Curse.

He smirked, "Your grandfather and his psychopathic tendencies, you with your strange little powers... drives you mad that you can't feel me doesn't it..." Max had stopped his search now, turning to face Michael with a darkened scowl. The atmosphere of the hallway cooled and the lights dimmed under Max’s influence. His wand hand itched. "But you're all the same you Kamerens. Magic isn't the only thing that passes through the generations. Your grandfather was a lunatic, you're an aberration, and your father... well he was both. Mad men. To think he just murdered innocents, tortured people, ruined their lives... now that's it's own special brand of deranged..."

Before he knew what he was doing Max’s wand was out and he’d closed the space between him and Michael. The light above them flickered out as Max’s aura plunged them into darkness. Max’s voice was cold as he spoke, but his emerald eyes burned with his temper. “You don’t know a fucking thing about my father. And you know nothing about me or my ‘strange little powers’.” Max maintained eye contact with Michael as he spoke. A red light glowed slowly brighter from the tip of his wand, flashing dark shadows on the other man’s face before Max finally let his wand down at his side.

“But I don’t need to feel you to know you, Michael. I’ve known loads of people like you: liars, smooth-talking swindlers who always think they’re two steps ahead. You aren’t.” Max was right behind him, ready to expose him with any misstep. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. Not while I’m here watching you.” Max took a step away and the lights flickered back. His eyes glanced down the aisle in Rowena’s direction: He and his girlfriend would have a discussion about this incident later. His mistrust of Michael was warranted, and he wouldn’t leave for Siberia with him still lingering around.

[Rowena Jones]

She was completely consumed in the information she held in her hands. Rowena Ravenclaw had been an amazing person even before today. Rowena had done some research on the Founder of her Hogwarts house back when she had first been sorted, but it was different knowing that there was a faint thread that joined her to this woman. Everything she read, even things she already knew suddenly took on a new light, full of hidden promise and knowledge. It was absurd to think really, that she, Rowena Covington, was considered a descendant of such a notable Wizarding family. She wondered if there were any others... there had to be right? She glanced at the family tree she had of the oldest branches of her family. Rowena Ravenclaw had been one of two children, her older brother, Richard Ravenclaw was the line that she, Rowena Covington was descended from. But as she traced down the branches of the family tree, they slowly died off, leaving only one. It still stopped a few hundred years ago so there was plenty of time for it to have expanded since but there was a small twinge of sadness at the thought that the bloodline had potentially all but disappeared. It had certainly been forgotten.

Rowena was so absorbed in her research that she almost didn't pick up the subtle changes in the atmosphere, but she was attuned to Max's moods enough for a small alarm to go off in her head. The witch glanced up, letting the latest paper fall from her fingertips as she looked in the direction the men had walked off in. Just what were they doing in there?! She frowned. Max and Michael's research shouldn't even be in the same area... Rowena pushed herself up from the table, and walked in the direction they'd taken. She peeked around the corner of the aisle they were standing in and smiled softly in their direction.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" she said. "Either of you need help? You might be putting my research skills to shame Michael but I was known to be pretty good at it before you came along." She grinned, leaning against the shelf looking at the two men. She'd missed something but she put it down to testosterone. Max had already demonstrated a bit of a jealous side, which honestly, she'd never thought she'd see, and Michael, well he could be a bit much if you weren't used to him. It was only normal they'd rub each other the wrong way a bit, but they were grown men and could figure out their differences as such.

"Actually before I dive back into reading, can I talk to you Michael? Privately?" Rowena asked, cocking her head away from Max. It was only fair she give him a bit more of a warning about what had been going on in their lives. With everything else that had happened that week, she hadn't really had a chance to truly catch up with him. Their dinner had ended up being mostly reminiscing. Maybe once he knew how frayed things were he might calm down a little. She kind of doubted Max would give him the same leniency.

She grinned around Michael towards her boyfriend, trying to reassure him about whatever had upset him earlier and made a quick mental note to talk to him alone at some point too. Was she really going to have to separate these two parts of her life? She didn't like Eden, really didn't like her after the incident in the coffee shop the previous week, but she'd tried to make sure that Max didn't feel like he had to choose...

[Rowena Jones]

In the blink of an eye Max’s wand was out and he’d closed the space between them. The light above them flickered out as Max’s aura plunged them into darkness and Michael rolled his eyes at the dramatics. Was this supposed to scare him into backing down? Really, the boy was exactly that... a boy. A bit of darkness wasn't going to change that. “You don’t know a fucking thing about my father. And you know nothing about me or my ‘strange little powers’.”

"Au contraire Max. I know a lot more than you'd probably like. As I told your girlfriend last week, I'm damn good at what I do. Now do you want to cool it on the theatrics or do I have to show you what a real man who has control over their powers can do? And I guarantee mine aren't as easy to block as yours are."

“But I don’t need to feel you to know you, Michael. I’ve known loads of people like you: liars, smooth-talking swindlers who always think they’re two steps ahead. You aren’t.” Max was right behind him, ready to expose him with any misstep. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. Not while I’m here watching you.”

"Oh this posturing is tiresome. You really have nothing to back any of this up. If you're going to threaten someone you have to actually be able to follow through. But we both know you won't always be here will you..." Michael said jovially. Let the idiot take that how he wanted, but if Max Kameren thought he was anywhere close to him, then he was going to have a wonderful surprise one day. And Michael personally couldn't wait to see the moment when the other man realised that he had lost everything. While it would have certainly been easier without Max in the picture, Michael was actually a little glad. The boy could deserve to learn a lesson in how the world actually worked. 

Michael pushed himself away from the shelf and started back towards their table, his first task completed to satisfaction. His path was stopped by Rowena's bright eyes peering around the shelves, an anxious look on her face. 

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" she said. "Either of you need help? You might be putting my research skills to shame Michael but I was known to be pretty good at it before you came along." Michael laughed and it was as if he hadn't just been threatening her boyfriend mere second ago. He couldn't have her suspecting Max might actually be telling her the truth after all. 

"Yes! We have a date with a whole stack of books down Aisle 37b," he said grinning.  "There's a court case with a certain Renee Ashgrove that has Dark Arts written all over it. And she just happens to be one of the last Magical ancestors in your family line before they married into Muggle families." Michael started to lead her in the direction he wanted her, when she paused. 

"Actually before I dive back into reading, can I talk to you Michael? Privately?"

He shrugged. "Sure, we can go over there. There's a reading nook away from listening busybodies." He moved away a little, but stopped as he noted her looking at her boyfriend. "Rowie?" he prodded, trying to get her moving. He smiled at her as she turned her attention back to him and followed him. 

"What did you want to talk about then? Sorry if you walked into a bit of an awkward situation back there?" At her raised eyebrow he shook his head lightly, brushing off her concern, "We were just having a bit of a disagreement over how best to ensure your well-being. I apologise though. I know you want us to get along. Please accept this as a token of my sincere apologies," he said pulling out a large sunflower from his small jacket pockets. "I meant to give it to you when you arrived, but I guess I was too excited to get started. You should have more flowers at home you know. Tell that boyfriend of yours to buy you some," he commented, watching as she bent her head over the large bloom and smiled at him in exasperated fondness. 

"Is everything ok though?"

[Rowena Jones]

"Sure, we can go over there. There's a reading nook away from listening busybodies. Rowie?"

Rowena stayed for a second longer, looking at Max, lost in thought before Michael's prompting had her following him. When they arrived at his suggested spot, she bit her lip trying to figure out where to start in the mess her life had become. She didn't want to spill everything all at once, and some of it wasn't hers to tell, but he really should know more than she'd told his so far.

"What did you want to talk about then? Sorry if you walked into a bit of an awkward situation back there?" That was a good point actually. Maybe he could explain the weird feeling she'd felt through her connection with Max. She raised a delicate eyebrow in silent question, asking him to develop that train of conversation. Michael shook his head lightly, brushing off her concern, "We were just having a bit of a disagreement over how best to ensure your well-being. I apologise though. I know you want us to get along. Please accept this as a token of my sincere apologies," he said pulling out a large sunflower from his small jacket pockets. Her curiousity disappeared into amusement. Another one?! And where had he been hiding it all that time? The man was impossible really she thought with exasperated fondness.

"Michael, you really shouldn't have," she said taking the bloom and looking closely at the yellow petals. Sunflowers just had a way of making her happy.

"I meant to give it to you when you arrived, but I guess I was too excited to get started. You should have more flowers at home you know. Tell that boyfriend of yours to buy you some," he commented and Rowena shrugged. She loved Max for who he was. That he wasn't terribly romantic hadn't bothered her so far, not did she expect it to any time soon. If she wanted to fill her house with flowers, she was perfectly capable of doing that herself.

"Is everything ok though?"

She nodded, letting her hand clasping the flower fall to her side as she looked up at Michael. "Yeah, I just wanted to ask you to take it easy on Max? He's a bit protective right now? We've been through a lot," she stopped at his dark look, "I've just told you the bare details so far and I will go more in depth another time, but the point is, try not to antagonise him? Please? I really want you both to like each other. You're my past and he's my future."

Rowena looked at Michael with large pleading eyes until he relented with a sigh. "Ok Rowie, I'll back off a little. I just want to make sure you end up with the best you know,"

"I know. Thanks for looking out for me, but I love him. I don't really need help anymore. I did grow up in the eighteen years since we last saw each other..." she said with a wry grin. "Shall we go back then? The Renee case sounds super interesting!"

At his nod, she walked out and back towards their table, sunflower clasped tightly in her fingers.

[Max Kameren]

"Now do you want to cool it on the theatrics or do I have to show you what a real man who has control over their powers can do? And I guarantee mine aren't as easy to block as yours are."

Max’s eyes narrowed suspiciously; the man spoke of Max’s mental powers with more knowledge than he’d expect of a stranger. The confidence of his statement unnerved him, but Max pressed on. “I don’t need to feel you to know you, Michael. I’ve known loads of people like you: liars, smooth-talking swindlers who always think they’re two steps ahead. You aren’t.” Max was right behind him, ready to expose him with any misstep. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. Not while I’m here watching you.”

"Oh this posturing is tiresome. You really have nothing to back any of this up. If you're going to threaten someone you have to actually be able to follow through. But we both know you won't always be here will you..."

“Posturing? That’s bloody rich from you. Who’s been following me around spouting rumors from my family tree?” As the other man pushed off to head back to the shoulder table Max shoulder-checked him, glaring over his shoulder as the other wizard stalked off. There was no way Max was leaving Rowena alone with him, never. He cursed under his breath, turning back to the card catalogue and flipping through it roughly.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Rowena’s voice breaking from down the aisle gave Max pause. His hunch deepened as his rage turned to guilt; she was so happy, Max could feel it in her aura. He didn’t want to make trouble for her, but Michael was a trouble all his own. "Either of you need help? You might be putting my research skills to shame Michael but I was known to be pretty good at it before you came along." Michael’s laugh tweaked at Max and the lights flickered again for a moment, but he ignored it. Something about this slimy man was magnetic to Rowena, for some reason; she couldn’t see what Max was seeing. For now he had to keep the peace. When they were finally alone they could talk.

"Yes! We have a date with a whole stack of books down Aisle 37b […] And she just happens to be one of the last Magical ancestors in your family line before they married into Muggle families."

"Actually before I dive back into reading, can I talk to you Michael? Privately?" Max looked up as they walked away, locking eyes with his girlfriend in a silent plea: don’t trust him. He tried to reach out to her with his aura, but a moment later Michael swept her away and out of his reach.

When they disappeared Max slammed the file closed in his anguish, leaning his head against the cabinet for a moment to collect himself. Who was this person? He was too friendly to Rowena and far too convenient to her with his knowledge compared to the aggression he showed Max. Why couldn’t he feel his aura? What did he mean by ‘a real man who has control over their powers’? There was a façade around Rowena to protect her, but a retaliatory push against Max. Like with the runes: Rowena was protected from the truth by her memory, and when Max interfered he was punished. It was too convenient, it couldn’t be real but Rowena couldn’t see it. Everything felt familiar, but none of it was lining up. Max was missing part of the picture.

Max returned to the table, his head spinning with information that had little to do with Varvara Fedorov. He dropped his notebooks and files down in front of him but didn’t open them. He sat idly stroking his beard, emerald gaze staring off into nothing. Lost in thought.

[Rowena Jones]

Rowena returned to the table to see Max lost in thought, but his books and papers on the table untouched. She walked over to him and sat down in the chair next to him, pulling it as close as she could. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Michael had followed her but he had stopped several aisles back to take the last few records his research had dug up. Good. She needed a few seconds with Max. His mood had changed dramatically from earlier and Michael's excuses didn't explain why he looked so down. There must be something else. Maybe he'd had bad news. Stupid, she scolded herself. Just because she was discovering so much, didn't mean that her boyfriend was having the same luck.

"Hey you," she said softly, putting the sunflower on the table so she could take his hand. "You ok? You seem worried. Is it about Varvara? Do you want me to help?" Her eyes were wide with concern, her amber gaze scanning his face for any signs to a way she could help. "I don't have to do my stuff now. Yours is more important."

She wondered if he'd let her. Rowena could tell he wasn't all that happy about leaving her right now. There was danger around every corner and she couldn't blame him for thinking that way. She too was more jumpy, seeing demons in the dark, but she was determined that though this evil thing had taken so much from them already, it wouldn't stop them living. Max needed to do this and she wouldn't accept anything else. Besides, the sooner he left, the sooner he'd be back and hopefully with answers. Who knew, maybe he'd find something that could help them?

Movement in the corner of her eye had her squeezing his hand in an attempt to reassure him before she leaned back and smiled in greeting as Michael rejoined them. His questioning glance had her shaking her head minutely. What was between Max and her was their business. She was grateful for his help and support but somethings they could only fix by themselves.

"Is that the court case?" she asked reaching for the files and casting a quick critical eye over the first page.