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14. Where Did the Party Go by Fall Out Boy | An Unexpected Surprise

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MAXINE

By the time the sun was out, I was still on the ground outside. I knew that I had to get up now, but I didn't want to. I wanted to put off as much time as I could. I wasn't ready to leave just yet.

I opened my eyes for a brief moment, looking over to see that Harry was no longer beside me. I looked over towards the house and saw that the majority of the boys were outside. They were getting ready for the wedding, of course. I groaned and shut my eyes, wanting to go back to sleep. All of a sudden, I felt someone lightly kick me with their foot.

"Five more minutes," I said, not looking up at who was kicking me.

"How about five more seconds before your brother comes out here and thinks that I killed you?" Sam suggested, lightly kicking me once again.

I groaned again. "Did Harry send you out here to wake me up?"

"How do you know he sent me out here?" he questioned. "Maybe I sent myself out here to wake you up."

"Sam, I know you love sleep just as much as I do," I replied, raising my arms. "Now, help me up."

Sam obliged, taking my hands and lifting me up from the ground. "Let me guess, too much firewhisky?"

I hit his arm, making the both of us laugh. "That is one of the reasons why no girl wants to go out with you."

He chuckled. I was going to miss Sam and his jokes. Hell, I was going to miss everyone that was at the Burrow right now.

We walked to the front of the Burrow and headed inside the house. When we got inside, my eyes widened. Sam and I caught Harry and Ginny snogging each other in the middle of the kitchen.

"Moooorning," George said from the counter behind them, drinking coffee from a mug. He had a smirk on his face, just like Sam.

"Ew! Gross!" I shouted at them, giving them a disgusted look.

"I can't believe this! Harry and Ginny?" Sam laughed out loud. "This is great."

"Great? It's disgusting!" I retorted.

"What's going on?" Josiah asked as he entered behind us, followed by Lysander and Alex.

"Nothing," Harry and Ginny quickly said at the same time.

"Harry and Ginny were just having a snog-fest in the kitchen," Sam answered.

"Which was disgusting to look at, I might add," I repeated, folding my arms over my chest.

"Oh, please, Max. It's not like we haven't seen you and Lysander snog the hell out of each other before," he retorted.

My face began to feel hot as I felt eyes fall on me and Lysander. Of course, it was no secret that Lysander and I shared a few kisses. Actually, it was plenty of kisses. While everyone thought we were the cutest couple at Hogwarts, Roxanne didn't approve of us being together.

I watched as his face went red and he quickly ran back outside. I made a run for the stairs as the others were snickering behind me. Once I got to the top of the stairs, I ran into the last person I wanted to see.

"Maxine," Roxanne said, shooting me a glare.

I hated it when people said my full name, especially if Roxanne was the one saying it.

"Roxanne," I said back, giving her the same look she was giving me.

We just stared at each other for a while, not saying a word to each other. There was not much to say. She said some hurtful things to me the other night. As much as I wanted to strangle her right now for what she said about me and Draco, I knew that I couldn't do that.

Suddenly, the door beside us opened.

"THERE'S A WEDDING TODAY!" Jenna shouted with glee as she came between us with a smile on her face.

Lana awkwardly came out from the room and looked at me and Roxanne, then at Jenna, shaking her head. "Jenna...no." Lana motioned her to go downstairs with her, knowing that now was not a good time to bother us.

After they went downstairs, Roxanne looked back at me, then walked past me and followed Lana and Jenna down the stairs. I rolled my eyes, letting out a scoff and heading inside the room that I was staying in.

I wasn't sure how I would survive being stuck with Roxanne for a long time, but I had to figure it out before tonight was over. At least Elle would be with us. She would be able to keep us from hexing each other. Although, she would probably take Roxanne's side after what I did the night Dumbledore was killed. It seemed as if everyone was turning against me because of what I did that night. I knew it was my fault that Dumbledore was killed and that the Death Eaters got inside the castle, but Roxanne didn't need to hold it over me and try to remind everyone about me betraying them. Not only that, but she needed to keep her big mouth shut about me and Draco. Not everyone needed to know about us.

When I entered the room, I found Elle standing in front of the mirror. She was brushing her smooth hair, making sure that it was perfect for tonight.

"Hey," I said to her, looking in the closet for my dress.

"Hey," she said back, still looking in the mirror. Then, she turned around and looked at me. "How do I look?" she asked, twirling around in her dress.

"Hot," I teased with her. "You'll definitely make Fred's heart stop."

She grinned, a blush creeping up on her face. "Shut up," she quickly retorted, turning back around to face the mirror.

I laughed, still rummaging through the closet. "So where are we going after the wedding?" I asked.

She huffed a sigh. "I have no idea."

"Great," I mumbled under my breath.

"Do you think that you can not argue with Roxanne while we're looking for the Horcruxes?" Elle questioned.

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe if she stops being a bitch to me--"

"Look, I know you and Roxanne have never really been fond of each other, but we're going on a mission that can either save or destroy the Wizarding world. The last thing we need is for you and Roxanne to argue even more while we're looking for the Horcruxes."

I found my dress and pulled it out. Then, I turned to face Elle. "Roxanne has been nothing but a bitch to me ever since I met her. I highly doubt that me and her will find any common ground while we're on the run."

Elle turned around to face me again and gave me a pleading look. "Just try to be nice? Please?"

I sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll try to be nice to her."

She shot me a weak smile. "Thanks. Now, go get ready before Mrs. Weasley yells at you."

I smiled back. "Okay, see you later, Elle." With that, I left the room with my dress in my hand. I turned around and shut the door behind me. When I turned back around to head for the bathroom, I ran into Lysander.

"Sorry," Lysander and I said at the same time. We laughed.

"Um...hi," I said, smiling awkwardly.

"Hi," he said back, staring at me.

"Sorry about what Sam said earlier," I quickly said. "About you and me, I mean."

"Oh, don't worry about it," he said, slightly embarrassed. "You know Sam, always trying to embarrass someone."

"Yeah," I said. "Listen, about what Roxanne told you--"

"You should get ready for tonight," Lysander cut me off. "You don't want to see Mrs. Weasley's wrath."

I nodded my head. "Okay. I'll see you later, then."

"Okay, see you later, Max," he said, nodding his head and quickly walking past me.

Things had been weird between Lysander and I. Ever since he told me that Roxanne told him about me and Draco, he pretty much avoided me after we had arrived at the Burrow a few nights ago. Of course, Roxanne only told him because she wanted to prove how horrible of a person I was. She never liked me and Lysander together. I wasn't sure if it was because he was one of her best friends, or that she was just jealous. Either way, my friendship with Lysander was now ruined because of her.

I headed inside the bathroom and began to get ready for the wedding. I turned the shower on and took off my clothes, stepping inside the shower. I quickly washed my hair and body. I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my wet body. I looked in the mirror, taking a deep breath.

Smile, I thought to myself. I have to look like I'm happy, anyway. After all, I'm about to attend a wedding, and weddings are supposed to be happy.

I dried myself off and put on my purple dress. After that, I brushed my hair and did my makeup. I took my pajamas and left the bathroom, going back to the bedroom

When I opened the door, I saw that Elle wasn't in the room anymore. I picked up my rucksack and opened it up, placing my pajamas and other toiletries inside my rucksack. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I shouted.

I heard the door opened, then Harry's voice. "Hey, Max."

I turned around to face my brother. "Hey, Harry."

He looked at my dress and chuckled. "You're wearing purple, too?"

I looked at my dress, smiling and laughing. "Great minds think alike, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess they do," he replied, laughing with me.

The laughing died down. "Harry?"

"Yeah, Max?"

"Where are you guys going after the wedding?"

He sighed. "I have no idea. What about you?"

"I don't know either. We haven't really talked about it."

"Same here. I guess none of us had the time to actually sit down and talk about it."

"Yeah, with the wedding and all," I added. "Just be careful, okay?"

He nodded his head. "I will. I promise."

All of a sudden, someone came into the room.

"Oh, hi, guys," Elle said as she entered the room. "I just had to get away from all the chaos down there."

"I don't blame you," Harry told her.

Hermione came up behind Elle. "Oh, I didn't know you guys were in here," she said, looking at me and Harry.

"We should go downstairs and help set up for the wedding," Harry told me.

I walked past Elle and Hermione, following Harry downstairs. I spotted Mrs. Weasley yelling at everyone, making sure that everything was perfect for tonight.

It was like that for the rest of the day. I was about to collapse on the ground an hour before the wedding. All the guests were now arriving, and I didn't really want to talk to any of them. I went inside the Burrow to avoid everyone, especially anyone that was part of the Order of the Phoenix. They were here to keep an eye on Harry and I. I hated being watched by everyone around me. It was like they didn't trust us. It was just a wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

I huffed a sigh and headed back outside. I noticed that the guests were sitting down, so I went to my seat. On my left, Harry was sitting beside me, and Elle was sitting on my right. Next to her was Hermione. Lysander, Sam, Josiah, Jenna, and Alex were sitting in front of us. Harry, Elle, Hermione, and I couldn't help but laugh at Jenna as she was trying to get closer to Josiah.

"Josiah looks so awkward right now," Hermione whispered to us.

"Probably because Jenna is making him uncomfortable," Elle whispered back.

"Or it's Sam," I added.

"I don't disagree with you, sis," Harry said. "Sam was always one to make things awkward in a situation."

"I can hear you!" Sam hissed at us.

"We don't care!" Harry and I said at the same time, making the Granger twins snicker.

Finally, it was time for the wedding to start. We watched as everyone walked down the aisle, including Charlie, Fred, George, and Ron. As for the girls, we saw Roxanne, Ginny, Lana, and Gabrielle, Fleur's sister, walk down the aisle. To be honest, the dress only looked good on Gabrielle. With Roxanne and Ginny's red hair and Lana's really red hair, the dresses just looked awful on them. I would never say that to anyone, though.

We all stood up when Fleur began walking. She looked absolutely beautiful in her wedding dress. I let out a gasp and stared at her dress in awe. Even though the dress was huge, it really was gorgeous to look at.

During the ceremony, I thought about Draco. I missed him. I wanted to know where he ran off to the night Dumbledore was killed. Of course, I knew he was with Voldemort, which bothered everyone else that I was dating a Death Eater, especially Harry, Roxanne, and Lysander. Unlike Roxanne, Harry and Lysander didn't show how mad they were with me. Well, Lysander wouldn't let me explain myself, or was it just bad timing every single time I tried to talk to him?

I had to talk to him before this wedding was over, before Elle, Roxanne, and I had to leave. He had to know my side of the story.

"Max?" Harry whispered beside me, making me jump and snap out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I said back, looking at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

I quickly nodded my head. "Yeah, of course. Why would you ask something like that?"

"Because I worry about you," he replied.

When are you not worried about me? I thought. "Well, I'm fine, Harry. I was just thinking, that's all." Oh, you know, just thinking about my ex-boyfriend and how I'm going to explain to him what Roxanne told him about me sleeping with his cousin. Nothing major, really.

Once the ceremony was over, I let out a sigh, relieved that it was over. But that meant we were one step closer to leaving the Burrow. That meant the search for the Horcruxes would begin. I just had to finish a few things before we decided to leave. My thoughts went back to Lysander.

As the reception was starting, I just stood there, waiting for the right moment to talk to Lysander. I looked around and spotted Sam talking to Lana, Gabrielle, and a few other girls who looked like Fleur's cousins. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, chuckling to myself. Only Sam would flirt with the bridesmaids.

Suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and smiled a little bit.

"Hey," Lysander said.

"Hi," I replied. "Nice wedding, huh?"

"Yeah," he answered, smiling at me.

We looked around and laughed when we saw Josiah and Jenna dancing together.

"I'm glad they're enjoying themselves," I said, making Lysander chuckle.

"You wanna dance?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied.

Lysander took my hand and led me to the dance floor. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his arms went around my waist. It was awkward, needless to say. I looked over and saw Fred and Elle dancing. Seeing this, I smiled at them.

"What is it?" Lysander asked.

"Fred and Elle over there," I replied, pointing at the two dancing. "They're so cute together, don't you think?"

He chuckled in response. "Yeah, they are."

But my smiled faded away when I saw Sam dancing with Roxanne. I rolled my eyes, which caught Lysander's attention. He looked over and saw Roxanne. Then, he turned around and huffed a sigh.

"Roxanne isn't evil, you know," he said.

"I wish I could believe that," I responded.

"I don't understand why you two don't get along," he admitted.

"She hates me because I'm famous. She thinks I'm a snob and a whiny bitch," I explained to him. "She blames everything on me."

"That's not true, Max. Roxanne would never blame you for anything that involves Voldemort and his followers. She would never do that."

"Why are you defending her? Is it because she told you that I slept with Draco and that I didn't tell you?"

"I'm not defending her, but it would've been better if I had heard it from you. Or were you too busy sleeping with Draco all the time that you couldn't tell me?"

I felt my heart drop a little when he said those words. "I didn't realize how much I had hurt you, Lysander."

"Well, you did. You hurt me real bad, Max," he snapped, but quickly realized the harsh tone he was using. "I'm sorry. I was just really upset when I found out. But I didn't find out about you and Draco through Roxanne. I found out on my own."

What? "What are you talking about?"

"Remember that time when my mum and I came over for dinner some time the summer before sixth year and I decided to stay the night?" I nodded my head. "Well, as I was heading upstairs, a little after you and Draco headed upstairs, I caught you two snogging, then you went into his room. I assumed you guys...you know..."

"Yeah," I quickly said. "We did."

"I wasn't sure if you guys were serious or not, and I didn't want to ask either of you because I was hurt. I was hurt even more when Roxanne told me that she saw you two go to the Slytherin Dungeon after Slughorn's party that night."

"Which she shouldn't have said anything," I commented. "I was going to tell you about me and Draco, but after all that we had been through--"

"You didn't want to break my heart again," he interrupted me. "I get it."

"No, you don't, Lysander," I retorted. "I know what I did to you, and I didn't tell you because I couldn't tell anyone about me and Draco. I couldn't even tell Harry, my own brother, what I did. I felt like I betrayed everyone."

Lysander scoffed at me. "Let me guess, you felt guilty, right? About what you did?"

"Of course I did," I answered. "Why wouldn't I feel guilty?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. In fact, it feels like I don't even know you anymore." With that, Lysander left me in the middle of the dance floor, with my mouth wide open.

I felt like I had lost Lysander for good now. As much as I wanted to blame Roxanne for opening her big mouth to Lysander, I knew that this was mostly my fault. I thought if I explained myself to Lysander then everything would be fine, but I was wrong, so wrong.

All of a sudden, I looked up at the sky and spotted a blue light coming down. I stared at the light, a confused look on my face. Yet, I was curious what it was and why it was heading downward. All of a sudden, the blue light went through the tent and in the middle of the dance floor, which made everyone gasp and stop whatever they were doing to look at what was going on.

"The Ministry has fallen," Kingsley announced. "The Minister of Magic is dead."

"What the hell?" I said to myself. But he was just here with Dumbledore's will not that long ago, I thought to myself. How could he be dead already?

"They are coming," Kingsley added in a whisper. "They are coming. They are coming." With that, he was gone, and so was the blue light.

Everyone was going into panic mode. I looked around for Harry, wondering if he was looking for me. As I scanned around the tent, that was when the Death Eaters showed up.

They were everywhere. Before I knew it, they were shooting spells at me. I quickly dodged them and continued my search for Harry. I was pushing the screaming people to get out of my way. I had to find my brother. I had to tell him goodbye before it was too late.

"Harry!" I shouted at him when I found him, which got his attention.

"Max!" he shouted back when he saw me.

"No, Maxine!" I heard Roxanne's voice from behind me as she grabbed my arm. "We have to go!"

"No! I-I have to say goodbye to Harry first!" I retorted.

"We don't have time! We have to leave right now!" Roxanne shouted.

I looked back at Harry and didn't take my eyes off him as Roxanne was dragging me farther and farther away from him.

"Elle, come on!" Roxanne yelled at Elle.

"No! Fred!" Elle shouted at him.

I glanced at Elle for a brief second, then looked back at Harry, who was now looking at me. Before I knew it, him, Ron, and Hermione Disapparated. Then, we Disapparated from the wedding as well without a warning.

It was like I was being sucked in a tunnel. I was on my feet in a matter of seconds. I had to regain my balance, though. I hated heels.

"Where the hell are we?" Roxanne asked.

"I have no idea," I replied.

"I wasn't asking you, Maxine," Roxanne retorted, shooting me a glare, then looking back at Elle. "Elle, where are we?"

She looked at us and gave us a nervous smile. "Well, we're, uh...we're not in London anymore. Hell, we're not even in England anymore."

"What?" Roxanne and I said at the same time.

"Where are we, Elle?" I asked this time.

She shot us a nervous look when she said, "We're in Scotland."