checkmate | remus lupin.

chapter nine | 9.

AUTHORS NOTE: Everything here belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

August 18th, 1975

The summer of Maia's fourth year was coming to a close and Maia couldn't decide how she felt about it. She was laying in bed, sprawled out, staring at the ceiling in thought.

The last four years flew by her in a whirlwind of homework, classes, pranks, arguments, and screaming matches within her family; she barely had time to remember why she chose to come back.

Up until a week ago, Maia had buried the war into a little box in the back of her mind. She almost forgot about it; focusing on her last prank on Sirius before the school year started- she had wanted to make caramel apples but one or two of them were going to be onions instead of apples. Those were for Sirius; although she had half a mind to prank Regulus too she knew they would team up against her.

August 11th, 1975

A soft 'pop' filled the quiet room before Maia felt a soft dip in the bedding beside her. Petal sighed as she laid down on her back, copying Maia.

"Young Misses has much on her mind," Petal said softly.

"I have so much to do and I'm not sure how long I have to do anything," Maia confirmed.

She was in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, making the caramel from scratch when she came across the newspaper, laying on the table that Orion probably left behind. The Daily Prophet reported the fifth mysterious case of family deaths over the last year- all muggles. That was when everything came crashing down.

Maia dropped her wooden spoon and ran to the office that Alphard used when he was here. She grabbed a handful of floo powder and whisked herself home in the blink of an eye. She ran down the hallways and up the stairs before sliding into her room. She slammed the door shut and spelled it so none of her nosy cousins could barge in.

In the summer of her second year, she asked her father to build a false bottom in her bed, so she could hide her notes- he obliged. She knelt down beneath her bed and pulled out the papers that she had written before coming to the past.

"Does Misses want to talk about it?" Petal asked, grasping Maia's hand. Petal's hand was small but strong. Her skin was thin and wrinkled but soft and supple. Maia loved Petal, no matter how much they butted heads- she'd always cherish her, even when she went back to her own time; only, she wasn't sure if Petal would know her, or be alive.

"Petal.. I'm not sure I can. If the wrong person got ahold of you, I don't want any harm to come to you, the less you knew, the better. I'm sorry."

She'd have to put on a brave face in order to face her friends and family. No one could know what she was up to, not yet. Eventually, she knew that she'd be able to trust them; for Merlin's sake, she could trust them now.. But she refused to put them all in danger so early on. Not when the worst thing they have to worry about is being human outside during the full moon, or their exams. Well, not yet at least. Peter, James, and Sirius had been studying on becoming animagi since second year and they're finally at the last step- holding a Mandrake leaf in their mouth for an entire month, which was finally coming to a close.

"Missus Maia, I would not tell! The secrets will come to the grave with me!" Petal insisted, patting Maia's hand with her free one.

"No!" The girl exclaimed, sitting up and pulling her hand out of Petal's. "Absolutely not! I'm sorry Petal, but I just can't tell you!"