f i f t e e n

"Wake up, lazybones." Maeve opened her eyes to a pillow being thrown at her face,

"Ow." She groaned, rubbing the side of her head, glaring at the boy standing by the door. "Good morning to you too." She scoffed sarcastically, throwing the pillow back at him and made a face when he caught it with ease.

"Yeah, yeah." Cedell Johnson rolled his eyes. "Breakfast's ready. Mom made pancakes." He shut the door behind him.

Arriving in the States had been a bittersweet moment for Maeve. On one hand, Clint and his wife Cynthia had been ecstatic that she had accepted their invitation. Cedell on the other hand was less than happy when he learned he suddenly had another sibling.

"Good morning." Cynthia greeted cheerfully as Maeve walked down the stairs. The delicious smell of blueberry pancakes wafted through her nose. Cedell was already munching on his breakfast as Maeve took the seat beside him.

"Hey, Tia." The brunette grinned, opening a letter that was placed next to her plate. Her grin widened once she had noticed it was from Julia.

"Dad's left for work already and I need to get going to." The older muggle woman glanced hurriedly at her wrist. "Huge client meeting today. Tons of stuff to do. What do you both have planned for today?"

"Oh, you know. The usual." Cedell grinned, wrapping an arm around Maeve. "The boys and I are thinking of going out for Quodpot practice."

"And May is going to be with you, right?" Cynthia asked - cluelessly putting things into her bag.

"Of course. Jonah and Max love her."

"Then I guess I'll see you both in the evening. Don't forget - tonight is May's going away party. Then we'll have to leave early morning the next day to get you to the airport. Don't be late, okay? We need to reveal some big news today." She slung her bag over her shoulder and hugged the two children. "I love you!" She called before hurrying out the apartment.

"The usual?" Maeve asked unenthusiastically, leaning back in her seat as Cedell dropped his arm.

"Yepp." The boy got up. "See you later goody-two-shoes." He shrugged before grabbing his skateboard and walking out of the house as well, leaving Maeve to wander about her thoughts.

Everyday of summer so far had been almost the same. Cedell would leave to hang around with his friends and Maeve would roam around New York City, exploring as much as she could. She hadn't even met the so-called Jonah and Max. But she had, run into another wizard from London. He was slightly older - a zoologist, and he had introduced her to a place that was equivalent to Diagonal Alley. Although their encounter was brief, and he was leaving back for London the next day, Maeve felt nice to have run into someone she had so much in common with. Mind you, it was still exciting walking with the hoards of muggles in Time's Square but every time she felt homesick, she was glad she had a place to go to. On the weekends - Clint would take everyone camping or some other fun activity. Maeve looked forward to those days.

After spending a third of the day at Central Park, Maeve decided to go to Greyhop's. It had the same nice and lively atmosphere as The Three Broomsticks. Although the Butterbeer was nowhere close. Madame Rosmerta really knew her stuff.

So, with mug in hand and thousands of memories to go through, Maeve sat by the window, looking on as wizards and witches alike flooded the streets, shopping to their heart's content.

But all of that came to a sudden stop when Maeve saw two figures walking past her window. She almost couldn't believe it at first - probably because the chances of it being true were close to none. Yet, as she continued looking through the glass, she became surer by the second that it was them.

A  man with blonde hair and dark brown eyes walked calmly beside a woman with dark hair and grey eyes. A simple look at them and Maeve knew exactly who they were.  Cassius and Rose Parkinson. Daphne had told her all about Pansy's family. How Pansy's brother Ranuculus was sent to Durmstrang and Pansy was sent to Hogwarts because her father believed she wasn't worth a fancy education. All she knew about the older boy was that he was no longer in Europe.

Abandoning her Butterbeer by the table, Maeve' sheet carried her to behind them. It was easy for her to hide behind the crowd - since no one would suspect being followed in the middle of such a busy street. But the task got harder as they continued walking into more secluded lanes.

Maeve finally decided to try and hide herself. Using colovaria to dye her hair a peachy ginger and putting her cloak's hood over her head, Maeve found it easier to walk by unnoticed. It also helped that neither Cassius nor Rose Parkinson suspected anyone to follow them - especially since they were in a country they had never been before.

Taking extra caution that she didn't make a peep, Maeve stopped in front of a shady shop. One could just tell that it was the go-to for all things illegal. She wondered why the M.A.C.U.S.A. Aurors hadn't shut it down yet. Regardless, she crept in slowly, thankful that there was no one to greet her by the entrance. She pretended to be looking at a cursed piece of thestral wing, nicely hidden behind a shelf in front of a window - close to the still-oblivious Parkinsons.

"Hello Lucius." She heard a female voice - possibly Rose Parkinson speak. That's when Maeve realised that the Lucius in question was Draco's dad. Lucius Malfoy.

"Rose, Cassius." She heard the other man acknowledge.

"Where are Greyback and Lestrange?"

"Can't make it this time." Malfoy shrugged. "We have a tiny problem, Rose."

"And what's that?"

"Potter. When is it not him?" An irritated voice sounded. "He's been ballistic ever since the Dark Lord killed that Diggory boy. I need you to make sure that the Prophet confirms it all to be a hoax."

"And you needed us to come all the way to America to tell us that?"

"Not exactly." Lucius quipped. "We're not fools here. I need to give you something of the Dark Lord's. That's why you were called here. An object like this would take... connections to be allowed to smuggle out of the country."

"The Cup of Helga Hufflepuff?" A voice asked nonchalantly. "Of what use would a Hufflepuff belonging be to our master?"

"You were sent her to do, Cassius. Not question." Malfoy snapped. "You need to make sure it's deposited into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringott's."

"That doesn't make sense. The Goblins wouldn't let us in without her." Rose Parkinson answered.

"Always two steps ahead, aren't you?" Malfoy sighed tiredly. "Here's the key and the vault number. Bella will join us once she's handled... other things." 

And that's when Maeve heard it. 

"You know, eavesdropping really isn't a nice habit." 

Maeve's blood ran cold as she heard the creepy female voice whispering just inches from her ear.

Some sane part of her brain told her not to turn around. Even though she was somewhat disguised, the risks would be too great. What had she been thinking, following them like that?

"Hey, honey!" a voice called, and Maeve's head whipped around to face a complete stranger. The man looked about in his forties. "I told you not to go wandering about here all alone. Stay away from my daughter!" he sneered at Bellatrix, wrapping an arm around Maeve's shoulder and leading them out of the shop steadfastly. 

Maeve didn't say a word as she kept walking with the man, watching through a broken mirror shop ahead of them as all four Death Eaters were behind them. 

"They're following us." she muttered to the mysterious stranger.

"Of course I know that. I'm not stupid." the man scoffed. "What were thinking, using a disguise that simple? You really are dumb aren't you."

"Excuse me, but do I know you?" Maeve asked, completely offended. 

"Oh my god, just shut up. Listen carefully. At the count of three, we're going to run into the crowd and try to blend in, okay? I have about a minute until it completely wears off." the man said, tugging her forward more roughly. 

"One." 

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because you want to stay alive. Two."

"I'm not really the athletic type..." Maeve trailed off uncertainly.

"Three." with an 'oof', Maeve was pushed forward and before she knew it, her feet were carrying her to the main alley. Her hood had long blown off with the speed she was running and her ginger-hair was flying wildly behind her. A series of deep huffs a little behind her was enough to tell her that the stranger was keeping up with her. 

From the corner of her eye she saw all three Death Eaters start chasing them as well. 

The man grabbed her again as they blended into the huge crowd. He looked around before stopping them in a small gap between two stores. "Ditch the cloak." he said hurriedly, still keeping an eye out. 

"This a brand new cloak there's no way -"

"I said ditch it, Maeve." he said angrily, and the girl's eyes widened at the fact that he knew her name. "And change your hair back to normal."

Maeve did as was told when she saw the man's face bubbling as he grew shorter and shorter until he was just a few inches taller than her. 

"Cedell?" she asked, appalled. "What? Wait. Huh?" she asked, completely dumbfounded. 

"No time." the boy sighed exasperatedly. "They're here. Act natural." he warned, pulling her back into the street with a calm look on his face. 

That's when Maeve saw the Parkinsons and Lucius Malfoy break into the crowd in front of them.

"No way, you idiot." Cedell scoffed loudly and a few people turned their heads in interest. Maeve worried as the three Death Eaters also looked on at them. "There's no way the New Mexico Thunderbirds can beat the Arkansas River Monsters. Literally everyone knows they're the best. Right?" he called out to the crowd. 

Randomly, some guy started chanting the team's name and everyone joined in. 

Cedell cheered. "Go Monsters!" 

The crowd repeated and when Maeve looked back at the people who could've killed them both without a second thought, she noticed that they were shifting through the crowd past them - concluding that this was just something Americans did on a regular basis. 

Before she knew it, the entire alley was cheering the team's name. She didn't say a word until they were back onto the street in Times Square. 

"So much for acting natural." she scoffed crossly. "I thought you were off for Quodpot practice."

Cedell rolled his eyes before removing something from behind a dumpster. Maeve noticed it was his skateboard. "Come on, Maeve. Do you seriously think there's a place I can practice in New York City? Do you have any idea how crowded this place is?" he shook his head, pulling something out of his pocket. 

"What's that?" 

"The questions never stop with you, do they? It's a pager, genius. I swear, they allow you to have wands out of school and you don't even use them to your advantage." he muttered. 

"What were you doing near that shop? It's a very shady place." Maeve frowned, being more confused than ever as he pressed some buttons into the little thing. 

Cedell put the device back into his pocket as he looked up at the girl; annoyed. "I saved your ass, didn't I?"

Maeve was close to losing it. "Doesn't answer my question. Look, I get that you hate me and all, but you don't get to talk to me like that. I've been nothing but nice to you since I've arrived. I'm leaving tomorrow and you've shown no signs of letting go of that behaviour. So tell me what you were doing there or I will tell Clint about this."

Cedell glared at her for a few seconds before giving in. "My friends and I go there sometimes - purely for exploration purposes." he clarified. "It's a Thunderbird thing. We got sick of exploring the Subway tunnels." he shrugged. 

"So... to be clear... you do this for fun?" Maeve blinked. 

The boy nodded. "We make this huge stack of polyjuice potion at school every time the year is about to end and then we try to get muggle DNA. Which is fairly easy. Max works at a diner during the night. Lot's of tissues to work with. Anyway, it keeps our identity safe so it's not as if we're being completely reckless - which is more than what I can say for you."

Maeve didn't know whether to be disgusted that they were drinking a potion with muggle saliva in it or impressed by how precisely it had all been planned. That too by a soon-to-be fourth year. She looked away - not knowing how to explain what she was doing there. 

"Unlike you, I don't care what you were doing. All I saw was that you were this close to being dead so I stepped in." he held his index finger and thumb at half a centimeter's length. "Don't take this to be some sort of bonding experience by the way, I still don't like you, and probably never will. You should get home soon. Almost time to start setting up for that party of yours." he said monotonously, stepping onto his skateboard and boarding down the street, leaving Maeve in his wake.

_____

Her encounter with the Death Eaters had been terrifying. But she was even more terrified when Clint and Cynthia told her and all of their wizard friends the 'big news'. Maeve's mind went completely blank, and she could do nothing but smile.

"Cedell... is starting at Hogwarts?" she asked foggily, still trying to digest the pill. 

"Yeah! Clint and I have been contemplating for a while, especially since we didn't know anyone there, but now that we know what a good education you've had there, we want to send Ced, too."

Maeve wondered how back-to-back years of mortal danger to students' lives qualified as quality education but she just smiled and looked by at Cedell, who was busy fooling around with his friends. 

If Cedell was to attend Hogwarts, it would mean she was somewhat responsible for him. She wondered how difficult it would be to look after a boy who hated her with a passion. 

Word Count: 2435