Chapter Two / Before the moments gone

HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND

˗ˏˋ ───── The next few days were uneventful for Maeve at the Ministry. She kept herself busy, limiting interactions to the bare minimum. Normally, she would've welcomed such quiet, but this time, it unsettled her. The less and less she saw of Aurors, the more she realized the Ministry was focusing all their efforts to locate Grindelwald. Even Maeve was being pushed to exhaustion, often returning to her flat for a quick shower and change of clothes before heading straight back to her post.

More days dragged on with no apparent progress on leads. In an attempt to keep things moving, Travers gathered a number of Aurors to accompany him along for a visit to Hogwarts. One by one, they apparated into Hogsmeade, greeted by the sight of nearly empty streets. As Travers began to lead the way up towards the Castle, the rest trailed behind. Maeve lagged behind slightly, her gaze darting to every person, shop, and corner they passed. Almost no one noticed—almost.

Despite the distance of walking a few feet ahead of her, Theseus could feel Maeve's presence as if he stood right beside her. Every glance over his shoulder only added more to his growing confusion about the woman. The hyper-vigilance in her movements, the stiff shoulders, the way she scanned their surroundings like something was going to pop out at any given moment and attack her.

Theseus had picked up on Maeve's odd behavior only recently, during their last assignment together when their group had been following leads relevant to Grindelwald's network. They hadn't found much of anything, and what they had discovered only led them into a useless ambush.

It was while he'd been drafting up the report that it clicked in Theseus's head: she wasn't just cautious— she was afraid. The entire time between searching for occupancy and preforming indicator charms, Maeve had taken on a nervous look to her features. Her actions were measured, steps almost too careful, like she feared the ground beneath her would crumble. Theseus hadn't brought it up, but he hadn't forgotten about it either.

When the group reached the bridge, the sight of Hogwarts was nearly blinding to see with the afternoon light peaking through the castle. The school remained unchanged as it always did, sweetly reminiscent of school days for some and for others, not so much. Nearing the entrance, Maeve caught glimpses of students peering down from the tower windows before they were ducking out of sight.

Travers continued through the courtyard, ignorantly or just plain uncaringly, and eventually the corridors of the school until reaching the tower he seemed to be in search of. A young woman tried several times to intervene, only for Travers to barge into the class uninvited.

"This is a school!" She yelled after him. "You've no right—"

He dismissed her with smug grin. "I'm the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. That gives me the right to go wherever and whenever it is I please."

The classroom fell silent as Travers surveyed the students who appeared startled. "Out." He barked, waving his hand impatiently.

Nobody moved forward. Rather, they all looked toward Albus as to confirm the mans order which only added further to Travers annoyance.

With a calm nod, he smiled. "Go with Professor McGonagall, please." Maeve, along with the rest of the Aurors, watched as students filed out before the click of the shutting door came.

Travers wasted no time. "Newt Scamander is in Paris." Travers announced, fixing dumbledore with a pointed look.

He leaned casually against the desk, hands tucked into his trouser pockets. "Is he?" Dumbledore replied, mildly amused about the whole situation.

"Don't play coy, Albus. I know he's there on your orders." Travers snapped.

The man shrugged, unfazed by the accusations. "If you'd ever had the pleasure of teaching Newt, you'd know he doesn't take to orders particularly well."

The two went back and forth, arguing and disagreeing. Maeve, no matter how much of the conversation she tried to retain, lost interest in what was being discussed. Her focus instead drifted toward the cracks in the floorboards beneath her feet, counting however many she could find. But then, Dumbledores words cut through her focus, rather her lack of.

"...because we want the same thing—the defeat of Grindelwald!"

In an instant, Maeve's head snapped up in an uncomfortable motion—whiplash. She watched as Travers, visibly annoyed, stepped to Dumbledore. "You are the only wizard who's his equal," He pressed closer. "I need you to fight him."

The man sighed, shrugging slightly. "I can't."

That didn't satisfy him. With his wand, Travers conjured a series of apparitions into thin air; two young boys standing side by side, then the image of Grindelwald himself in modern day. "You were close as brothers." He accused.

Dumbledores didn't deny it. Instead, his reply was quiet, almost mournful. "We were closer than brothers." His gaze was fixed on the figure.

"Will you fight him?" Travers demanded, fury laced into his voice.

"No."

His anger flared at the answer opposite to what he wanted. With a flick of his wand, iron restraints materialized around Dumbledores wrist. "From now on, I will know every spell you cast. I'm doubling the watch on you. And you will no longer teach Defensive Against the Dark Arts."

The group began to disperse and Travers, before storming out like the child he was, turned to Theseus. "Wheres Leta? We need to leave for paris."

Theseus seemed momentarily lost in thought, his jaw tight. Maeve brushed her shoulder against his, just enough to pull him back into reality. Following after her, the pair began making their way out, but Dumbledores voice called him back. Whatever it is Dumbledore wanted to say to Theseus, it was clear he was waiting for her to leave. Despite wanting to stay and hear, Maeve descended the tower. Eventually, she found herself once again in an empty corridor.

From her coat pocket, she fished out a small pack of cigarettes and walked until she reached the courtyard, her footsteps lightly echoing. Lighting one, Maeve inhaled deeply to let the smoke settle in her lungs. It was a terrible habit, but the relief it brought was immediate. For a moment, the static in her mind quieted, and she could feel herself breathe again. It was like the moment the smoke hit her tongue, the worries that kept her up at night faded away.

She wasn't alone for long. From the corner of her eye, Maeve could see Theseus approaching. It was only a matter of time before he begun to look for her, always.  Which was unfortunate, as she had little to no interest in speaking to him, much less knowing. A shift in movement told her he stopped beside her, silent. Neither spoke.

From his quiet observation, Theseus Scamander realized three things about Maeve Yaxley. First, she could be incredibly daft at times—though he didn't mind, as it gave him an excuse to watch her unnoticed. Second, her mannerisms. She had a very specific way of doing things that he found most interesting.

She stood there, oblivious, leaning against the wall as she held a cigarette between her fingers. The bittersweet scent of smoke suited her in a way he couldn't quite resist. While normally speaking, he thought smoking gross, but perhaps, he could admit to maybe even liking it now. And third, she managed to dwindle him down to an utter and complete fool. While it was probably (most definitely!) wrong to say with having Leta around, he neither minded her company or bitter attitude. It wasn't like he was falling in love either, she was just someone new for the moment.

Maeve Yaxley, meanwhile, had own observations about Theseus Scamander. The few things she did know about him, she had picked up on over the course of a few months working together. His pragmatic attitude, which to no end, frustrated her. Then there was his temper—largely stemming from an inability to control his emotions. Truly, a volatile mix that she never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

In an effort to keep her distance, Maeve saw to her best interest and decided from the start that avoiding Theseus was the best option. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done when he kept following her around like a lost puppy. What she didn't understand was why he chose to bother her when his perfectly intact girlfriend was more than likely searching for him at that very moment.

With that thought, she took a final drag from her cigarette, before stubbing it out under the heel of her shoe. Pushing herself off the wall, Maeve made her way to leave, brushing past him as she left. Her fingers barely grazed his as he watched her grow farther away before ultimately turning and disappearing from view.  Theseus remained rooted in place, alone this time. Shaking his head from the thought, he followed after where Maeve had left only moments earlier.

Theseus quickly found Leta soon after, roaming the halls together before the two returned to his flat. Even as the night wore on, he couldn't shake the image of a raven haired woman from the back of his mind.

(AUTHORS NOTE!)

I've been thinking about it, and i've decided on having Tuesdays as my uploading days to make this more consistent and enjoyable for everyone! Also i've made a few small changes such as having Theseus and Leta not yet be engaged since it wouldn't make sense for how i want this to play out/ have act I end. Anyway, don't forget to comment or like this chap!