How the Cold Comes (Max/Open)

[James Malcom MacDougal]

"Watch out!" 

"Hey!"

It felt like the thud reverberated around the pitch, though he knew better--it was just his bones. "Watch it, O'Rouke!" Jamie shouted as the other player reeled away on his own broom. He curled his arm tighter around the quaffle under his arm and dove toward the hoop, twisting and turning, dropping a hairpin turn in mid-air just before he got to the hoop, leaving a tangle of opponents behind him as he drove for the starboard hoop instead, spiking the quaffle past the keeper. The only one who hadn't got caught in the tangle, she'd started after him, but she hadn't been able to change directions fast enough.

"GOOOOOOOAAAAL!!!!" the little third year on the sidelines leapt up and down, waving her arms. Too small to play this rough and tumble, practically no-rules pick-up game, she'd instead been assigned to scorekeeping. A job she did with extreme enthusiasm. How she did so down in the cold and the muck, Jamie had no idea.

--------

Hours later, cold, wet, and muddy, Jamie trooped with the rest of the group as they headed back into town, intent on a warm drink or two before heading back to the castle. Jamie was laughing at a O'Rouke's black eye when he caught sight of a familiar stooped figure up ahead. "Hey, I'll catch up, ok?" He shifted his broom to an easier position and ran up the path as his friends took the turn towards Hogsmeade.

"MAX! Max!" It was the first time he'd seen his cousin since he'd returned. He swiped a muddy hand at a tickle under his nose, smearing mud and blood across his face. "You're  back!"

[Max Kameren]

Coming back home from America was like coming up for air; in America he’d been underwater, the chaos of his day-to-day existence quieted by the blanket of isolation Wyoming provided. It was peaceful being away from the noise of other people, with only Barbara’s teaching and debate interrupting him. It was the first time he’d been able to hear his own thoughts since his powers developed. For the first time in ages he felt still.

But eventually he had to return to the surface, leave the peace behind and breach gasping back into the turmoil he’d left behind. Recently threatening messages had been left for allies in the Ministry and at Hogwarts. The Hogwarts groundskeeper had reported suspicious shadows clouding his peripheral. The frame of Headmaster Curse Kameren’s portrait was mysteriously slashed in the Headmistress’s office. When Evie mentioned a creeping feeling of being watched in the dungeons leading to the Ravenclaw Common Room he couldn’t ignore it any longer. It was time to take the knowledge he’d gathered in America and apply it to protect his loved ones back home.

Immediately after his return Max rejoined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, badgering Alex and the Headmistress until a day was set to review and renew wards over the school. Wards for Hogwarts hadn’t been called this strictly in decades, and with Dementors banned from the school grounds permanently the Department had decided on a different route: a five-person protection ward cast to surround the grounds, cast by three aurors, the Headmistress, and Max.

They were set up in a pentagram shape at the borders of the school grounds. Max’s section was Hogsmeade; he paced back and forth along the gate back into the school as he waited for the others to get in position. With his abilities heightened by his solitude his powers were sensitive. So sensitive even from Hogsmeade he could feel Violet in Gryffindor Tower, though Evie was too far below ground to be within reach. Max knew if he could feel them from here, Warghollow could find them. He fidgeted nervously with his wand at the thought.

"MAX! Max!" He’d been so focused on the grounds that Max hadn’t been paying attention to what was happening behind him. The sound of his name reached him before he felt the aura, but once his attention was caught he immediately recognized the source. "You're back!"

“’Lo Jamie!” Max turned with a crooked grin, pushing back his worry to greet his cousin. It was important the students not be worried by their work, or know what could be hunting them in the Forest. That was the one caveat the Headmistress had given them: don’t let this enter the rumor mill if they could deal with it officially. “I am back! Sorry I couldn’t write you, I’m afraid my destination was so rural they didn’t even have an Owl Post.”

The tall wizard looked Jamie over, about to remark on his muddy Quidditch getup until he caught a smear of red across his cheek. His brow furrowed in concern. “Are you bleeding?”

[James Malcom MacDougal]

“’Lo Jamie!” Max turned with a crooked grin, pushing back his worry to greet his cousin. It was important the students not be worried by their work, or know what could be hunting them in the Forest. That was the one caveat the Headmistress had given them: don’t let this enter the rumor mill if they could deal with it officially. “I am back! Sorry I couldn’t write you, I’m afraid my destination was so rural they didn’t even have an Owl Post.”

Jamie trotted easily up the path to the school as his friends continued towards town, broom over his shoulder. He grinned at his cousin, teeth white against the mud that streaked his face, the spring rains had made the pitch more than a little muddy. "How was America?" He asked, swiping his hand at the itching tickle under his nose. He looked around, curious. "What are you doing here?"

The tall wizard looked Jamie over, about to remark on his muddy Quidditch getup until he caught a smear of red across his cheek. His brow furrowed in concern. “Are you bleeding?”

"No?" He wrinkled his nose, scratching at it again, then looked at his hand, spotting the blood. "Huh, guess so. Angela's got a mean hook on her. She's a beater." He explained, grinning. "We won, though!"

[Max Kameren]

“Are you bleeding?” Max took a wary step forward, stooping to level with his cousin’s face as he inspected the injured cheek.

"No?" He wrinkled his nose, scratching at it again, then looked at his hand, spotting the blood. "Huh, guess so. Angela's got a mean hook on her. She's a beater."

Max chuckled. “So I see! The beater's the one with the bulgers, right?” Quidditch wasn't his strong suit, but Max could fix a scrape or two. If he could find it. Sharp green eyes darted around the boy’s muddy face, searching for the wound through the layers of grime. Eventually he tired of searching and with a wave of his hand collected the mud from Jamie’s face into his palm.

"We won, though!"

“It was worth it then!” Max smiled crookedly, eyes narrowing when another droplet of blood spilled out of Jamie’s nose. “It’s your nose then?” Gently Max placed his fingers around the swollen bridge of the boy’s nose and applied slight pressure. “Does that hurt?” Max didn’t need verbal confirmation from Jamie, if it was broken Max would surely feel it throbbing behind the waves of euphoric victory emanating off the Slytherin. “If it’s just the cartilage I can fix it for you quick. May be with the aurors now but I haven’t lost my skills yet…”

[James Malcom MacDougal]

Max chuckled. “So I see! The beater's the one with the bulgers, right?” Quidditch wasn't his strong suit, but Max could fix a scrape or two. If he could find it. Sharp green eyes darted around the boy’s muddy face, searching for the wound through the layers of grime. Eventually he tired of searching and with a wave of his hand collected the mud from Jamie’s face into his palm.

Jamie's eyes met Max's with puzzlement that devolved into puzzled amusement and then he started laughing. Just a small giggle at first, that he tried to hide behind his hand as he held it to his now free-flowing nose. His eyes crinkling behind the mud betrayed him and soon he was having an all-out laughing fit. Bulgers! It was such a crude term to hear from his cousin that soon Jamie was practically in tears. The laughing caused the soreness in his nose to suddenly come to the forefront of his consciousness, however, and he stopped, laugh fading away into silence as he winced and wiped tears from his (now clean??) face. Sneaky!

"We won, though!" He said, trying to put a positive spin on the situation, then, "Um, bludger." He turned a little red and almost laughed again, but didn't. He thought adults were more, well, adult, than that. It seemed every adult he knew was always scolding about being proper.

“It was worth it then!” Max smiled crookedly, eyes narrowing when another droplet of blood spilled out of Jamie’s nose. “It’s your nose then?” Gently Max placed his fingers around the swollen bridge of the boy’s nose and applied slight pressure. “Does that hurt?” Max didn’t need verbal confirmation from Jamie, if it was broken Max would surely feel it throbbing behind the waves of euphoric victory emanating off the Slytherin. “If it’s just the cartilage I can fix it for you quick. May be with the aurors now but I haven’t lost my skills yet…”

"...ow!" Jamie responded, all traces of mirth disappearing as Max prodded his poor nose. He practically crossed his eyes trying to see what Max was doing. "I don't know?" he advanced the thought cautiously, "It was just a little sore before, but now it hurts a lot." He didn't mean to glare at his cousin, he didn't. It wasn't his fault Angela swung her fists like she swung her bat. "You're working with the aurors now?" he asked, letting his curiosity take his mind off his nose.

[Max Kameren]

Max felt the tickle in his temples as amusement gave way to giggles then all-out laughter. He pulled his fingers away to keep from bumping the boy’s injured nose, raising his hands in confused surrender. What had he said? Was it bulger? Granted he didn’t know much about Quidditch but he’d always thought it strangely phallic, with the broomsticks and bulgers and bats…

"We won, though!" He said, trying to put a positive spin on the situation, then, "Um, bludger."

“Oh.” Max laughed. Mucked that up then! “The run-in was worth it then!” Max smiled crookedly, eyes narrowing when another droplet of blood spilled out of Jamie’s nose. “It’s your nose then?” Gently Max placed his fingers around the swollen bridge of the boy’s nose and applied slight pressure. “Does that hurt? If it’s just the cartilage I can fix it for you quick. May be with the aurors now but I haven’t lost my skills yet…”

"...ow!" Jamie responded and Max winced, Jamie’s sudden pain surging through his fingertips like an electric shock. "I don't know? It was just a little sore before, but now it hurts a lot."

“Definitely broken.” Max bit his lip as he examined Jaime, the painful echo of his meddling fading away. Dueling practice with his father had earned Max more than a few broken noses in his youth, usually beginning with the same swelling he was now seeing in his cousin. He’d gotten good at fixing them, but at the Ministry they were rarely in his purview and therefore he was rusty. Max pulled his wand back out. “I can fix it but it’s going to hurt for a moment.”

"You're working with the aurors now?" he asked, letting his curiosity take his mind off his nose.

“Yeah.” Max fell to his knees from his stooping position, using the new angle to look up at Jaime’s injured nose. “My sabbatical at Mungo’s ran out and it’s still not safe for me to be there, so I moved to the Ministry. The Aurors can put my skills to good use.”

Max sat back on his heels suddenly, arching a curious brow at Jamie. It occurred to him he wasn’t sure how much his cousin really knew about him; they’d been writing back and forth for months, but Max was often the one asking questions. The stories he told were about Alex or Curse, rarely himself. “Have we told you anything about my powers? I don’t think so.” He shrugged. “I’m an Empath. I can feel others’ emotions and sensations. Like your nose. Now – “

Max positioned his wand an inch below Jamie’s nose and met the boy’s bright green eyes expectantly. “Ready? It’s quick and it’ll hurt a bit and there’s a loud snap, but I promise it’s a good snap not a bad one.” With Jamie’s confirmation Max twisted his wand.

Snap.

[James Malcom MacDougal]

“Definitely broken.” Max bit his lip as he examined Jaime, the painful echo of his meddling fading away. Dueling practice with his father had earned Max more than a few broken noses in his youth, usually beginning with the same swelling he was now seeing in his cousin. He’d gotten good at fixing them, but at the Ministry they were rarely in his purview and therefore he was rusty. Max pulled his wand back out. “I can fix it but it’s going to hurt for a moment.”

"You're working with the aurors now?" he asked, letting his curiosity take his mind off his nose. He was craning his neck to see Max, but not as much as he had been even a few months before. He crossed his eyes, trying to see what Max was doing as he got on his knees and kept poking at his poor abused nose.

“Yeah.” Max fell to his knees from his stooping position, using the new angle to look up at Jaime’s injured nose. “My sabbatical at Mungo’s ran out and it’s still not safe for me to be there, so I moved to the Ministry. The Aurors can put my skills to good use.”

Jaime frowned, thinking back on the news articles he'd read and the stories Max had told him. It was safe at the Ministry right? It had to be. Alex worked there and the aurors were amazing. It was worrying though, the Shadowloved seemed to operate with more or less a free rein. There'd been some stuff in the Prophet about "victories" but it was hard to see it when people were afraid to leave their houses at night. When his mother was lost in another time.

Max sat back on his heels suddenly, arching a curious brow at Jamie. It occurred to him he wasn’t sure how much his cousin really knew about him; they’d been writing back and forth for months, but Max was often the one asking questions. The stories he told were about Alex or Curse, rarely himself. “Have we told you anything about my powers? I don’t think so.” He shrugged. “I’m an Empath. I can feel others’ emotions and sensations. Like your nose. Now – “

"--Um, what--" Jamie started, startled by Max's new revelation.

Max positioned his wand an inch below Jamie’s nose and met the boy’s bright green eyes expectantly. “Ready? It’s quick and it’ll hurt a bit and there’s a loud snap, but I promise it’s a good snap not a bad one.” With Jamie’s confirmation Max twisted his wand.

Snap.

"--SHITBloodyFUCK!" He grabbed for his nose, but the pain was already swiftly receding. Soon it died down to a throb and then was gone completely. He poked it gingerly, "Woah, thanks!"

[Max Kameren]

"--Um, what--" Jamie started, startled by Max's new revelation.

Snap. Jamie’s confused flurry of emotions at Max’s mention of his abilities were immediately reset with the painful snap of his nose. Max flinched, grinning as a flurry of expletives fell from his cousin’s lips.

"—SHITBloodyFUCK

Max laughed. “I’m telling Alex.”

"Woah, thanks!"

“Anytime.” Max pushed himself back to his feet, examining his handiwork as the swelling slowly went down. “It’ll be tender for a few days, play nice at Quidditch until then because it’ll reinjure easily. If you have any other troubles with it go to Eden and tell her I snapped it back into place to avoid a lecture on performing self-surgery.”

As he spoke the patronus of a raccoon slowly approached from the trees to land at Max’s feet. It was Briar Evans, Max felt it in the creature’s pulsing light even before the auror’s voice bellowed from the raccoon’s mouth. “Kameren, we’re in position! Get your arse in gear!”

“Oh! That’s me, sorry.” Max smiled apologetically at Jamie as he turned back to the school’s gates. Wand in hand, Max was about to begin the runic ritual before he hesitated. Jamie was still standing behind him.

Max turned on his heel, gesturing over his shoulder to the path up to Hogwarts. “Get back to the school, Jamie. I’m on the job at the moment, can’t have you telling the aurors’ secrets.” He winked, waiting for the Slytherin student to obey him before he resumed his work. He pulled out his wand, then paused again.

“Hey!” Max shouted up the path to Jamie, leaning against the doors of the gate before he closed them for the ritual. “We’ll get a butterbeer at the Broomsticks soon, alright? Better than letters!”