𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

21. Sparks

Today was a Sunday, it was cold but no longer snowing for spring was right around the corner, But Maeve had only one thought in her mind, her sister.

Today she had to report back to her on information about finding the mole, but little did Jane know...

"What's wrong? You look like you're sucking on a lemon." Amara asked, looking up from Maeve's herbology scrapbook, laying on her stomach on her messy bed.

"Just the usual." Maeve shrugged, siting on the makeshift bed she now called her own.

Amara gave her a look of disapproval, knowing she was hiding something.

"I don't want talk about it." Maeve sighed, chewing on the skin over knuckles so much that they turned white.
"I like to ignore my problems until they are being shoved down my throat."

"Fair enough." She replied in a salty tone, wanting to know more but still respecting the obvious boundary Maeve had put up.
It didn't help that Amara wasn't a morning person, it was currently 6:00 am on a Sunday, a time that neither of the girls wanted to be awake, but the herbology quiz tomorrow had other ideas.

"I've got to get ready, I'm meeting with regulus in an hour." Maeve groaned as she pulled herself from the warm covers.

"On a date?" Amara said with a little to much disgust in her voice.

"What's wrong? You look like you're sucking on a lemon." Maeve chuckled in a patronising tone, as she began to take off her pyjamas, leaving her in a loose lace bralet and baggy pants.

Amara was sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm just kidding!" Maeve put hands up in a non-threatening position, assuming that the reason for Amara's silence was from her being offended.
"Anyways, it's not a date, just... hanging out."

"Very convincing." Amara shifted her gaze back down to the scrap book, not daring to look up at the barely clothed girl.

"Seriously though, what's wrong? Do you have a thing for regulus or something?" Maeve said as she pulled a faded forest green knit sweater over her head.

"No! Ew no way. Not him!" Amara practically yelped at the accusation.

"What do you mean by 'Not him?' Do you like someone else?" Maeve jumped at the idea, needing to know more.

"That's not what I meant." Amara sighed.

"Well surely there is someone you want to shag."

"No, never, I don't feel that way about people. I like relationships but the whole sex thing just isn't for me." She said in a quiet voice, not wanting her roommates next door to hear what she was saying.

Maeve stayed quiet for a moment with her back still turned, processing what her friend just said.

"Which looks better, black jeans or blue?" Maeve asked with a smile, holding both pants up to her body.

"Black, definitely." Amara smiled back, an unspoken conversation between their smiles.

♡

Regulus was walking at Maeve's side as they found their way to the old cottage through the forbidden forest.

"You okay?" Regulus asked, his hand finding its way to hers, giving it a small tug to get her attention.

"As good as I can be, all things considered." Maeve shrugged as she stepped carefully over small piles of twigs.

Regulus's mind was racing, trying to find something to say.
"I get why she calls me star, but why does she call you princess? I know that you weren't the favourite child growing up."

"Actually, I was." Thea sighed. "The favourite, I mean. Even though hey cared for Jane more, I was the heir to the Ashford legacy, but it was only because Jane was too crippled to be a hunter. She was always bitchy that I 'stole' it from her."

Regulus nodded as he saw the old, run down cabin in the middle of the forbidden forest.

"Took you long enough." A venomous voice spoke as the two walked in.

"Well it was a long walk, and unlike you, we have an education to worry about." Regulus replied, returning the tone.

"I literally don't care." Jane said bluntly, almost laughing at regulus's attempt to offend her.

"Yeah, I figured as much." Maeve rolled her eyes so far back that she could have seen her brain.
"We have no news on who the mole is, but we have managed to gain intel on the enemy.
They're building an arm-"

"-An animalistic ration supply, we think that they are expecting an attack.
Since they have no offence and essentially no defence, that they plan the hide in the dungeons or the old catacombs under the school if there were an attack." Regulus interrupted, the pace of  his heartbeat raised slightly.

As Maeve and regulus came to a silent understanding about the order—Dumbledore's secret army—as they waited for Jane to speak, but they were only met with the sound of yawning.

"I'm sorry, are we boring you?" Maeve scoffed, she couldn't believe her sisters unprofessional demeanour.
All of the training Maeve went through to be an Ashford heir clearly didn't rub off on Jane.

"A little bit, yeah." She replied, lifting her arms above her head to stretch.
"I'm here to retrieve intel on the mole, that is our main concern, the information you've given me only tells me that I have to fill out documents about the old Hogwarts catacombs, and trust me, that is not how I want to spend my night."

"Well, how sad for you, because like I already said, we don't have any intel on the mole." Maeve repeated, making sure her sister knew she wasn't going to be bossed around anymore.

"Would you look at that, looks like you gain some guts since we were last together... but then again, you did have the guts to do this to me." The viper hissed As she pointed at the scared claw marks that dug into the side of her face.

"What are you talking about? You didn't have a mark on you that night, how is that scar my fault?" Maeve scowled, pure disbelief filling every inch of her body over how insane Jane sounded.

For a moment she was taken aback by Maeve's words, her poker face began to fail her,
But Janes demeanour morphed from a cold and bitchy into slightly condescending with a smirk.

"Clearly, little sis, you don't know the full story." Jane chuckled to herself. "I guess it's for the best, I'm sure you couldn't handle it."
Jane pushed past the two sixteen year olds, heading for the front door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Maeve shouted, turning to reached her and the answers she so desperately needed.

"Wherever you aren't." Jane replied before slamming the door on Maeve's face, when she opened it. It was already to late.
All that was left of Jane was a swirling black ash that drifted through the air until it was nothing.