The Complexity of Broken Hearts
Chapter 6- The Complexity of Broken Hearts
It was only a few days after her confrontation with Dumbledore and subsequent adoption of Harry through the family magic. There now was no possible way for the meddling headmaster to get his hands on Harry in any capacity since he is legally her son in the eyes of magic and the law. Harry still hasn’t gotten off of the high that being officially a part of the family has given him.
He’s currently in the kitchen having wheedled Winnie into allowing him to help her bake cookies. Maya is sitting in her father’s leather office chair looking over the statements of her family’s holdings. There’s more than enough for them to be comfortable for the entirety of their lives, but one should always be cautious and help others when needed.
Mattie is cradled in the crook of one of her arms fast asleep. He had been in pain with another new tooth, and had only just gotten down for a nap, but refused to be out of her arms. It made her heart feel so full that it would burst. Her life had changed so much in less than a year. It was a good change, Maya felt like she was finally slowly beginning to make up for the mistakes of her past.
“Floo signature recognized: Amelia Bones.” The voice of the floo system calls out. Her heart stops for a moment before adjusting Mattie in her arm and grabbing hold of her cane in the other. When she passes the kitchen, she meets the large wide eyes of Winnie, and can see the slightly flour covered head of Harry. Maya couldn’t stand to look at the excited yet questioning eyes of her loyal friend.
Maya bravely carried on into the living room taking a breath. “Allow access.” At those simple words the fireplace flared to life in green flame and out stepped Amelia Bones with a drawn look on her face.
“Please don’t tell me that you went and pissed of Albus bloody Dumbledore, by taking custody of Harry Potter from under his nose…” Amelia starts straight in before trailing off at the sight of the slumbering child in Maya’s arms. How does one explain that they rescued and subsequently adopted an orphaned magical child in need, when they couldn’t come back and face their estranged wife? Not for the first time Maya feels the horrid burn of self-loathing.
“A-and who do you have there?” Her voice is in a rare soft tone. The voice she only used in those quiet private moments where we were able to block out the world that was falling apart around us.
“H-his name is Mateo… I-I came across him abandoned in a building I happened to be stuck in when someone set it alight with fiendfyre. I-I barely managed to get us both out. No one came forward to claim him… a-and for the first time in a long time… I felt something good again.” Maya whispers staring down at the child unable to look at her love. That is what Amelia still is, it never went away it just had faded to an ache that never stopped.
“He’s lucky then, that he found you.” Amelia finally says swallowing thickly. The words unspoken lay heavily in the air between them. Knowing that this is going to be a long conversation, and not wanting a repeat of a few days ago, she calls out to Winnie.
“Winnie! Could you please pop over to the Weasleys and see if Molly doesn’t mind looking after Harry for a while? He can sleep over if he’d like.” She tries to keep her voice low enough so that she won’t disturb Mattie.
There’s a loud crack of house elf aparation then the running feet until Harry pops into view. Flour dashing his cheek, and a goofy grin on his face. His unruly black hair looked wilder with the white streaks of flour. “Really? I can have my first sleepover?” Harry cries stumbling to a stop in front of his aunt and Amelia.
“Only if Molly says it’s okay. Harry, this is Amelia Bones. Amelia, Harry.” Maya introduces the pair feeling completely out of depth. First Mattie and now Harry. What’s going on in Amelia’s mind she’s afraid to know.
“Hello Harry, it’s nice to meet you.” Amelia says a smile on her face and gives his hand a shake.
“Hi I’m Harry James Potter-Sutcliffe, nice to meet you!” He chirps the crooked grin on his face infectious. Amelia’s eyes shoot to Maya then back to the smiling young savior of the wizarding world. A loud crack and Winnie is back.
“Mistress Maya. Mrs. Weasley would be delighted to have Harry over for the night.” She reports with a nod. Harry starts bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“Thank you, Winnie. Harry, go pack your bag. Only two toys, you don’t want to forget them like last time!” Maya calls after the excitable child as he races up the stairs.
“He’s at a fun age.” Amelia says, a soft look on her face. It takes Maya a moment before the light bulb clicks in her head.
“Is Susan like that as well?” She asks softly, unsure if she’s stepping over a line by bringing the girl up.
“Only all the time unless she doesn’t get her way.” Both women chuckle and shake their heads. Harry comes skidding down the steps to Maya’s reprimands about not running down the stairs.
“Okay now, be good. Listen to Molly, play nicely. Most importantly have fun.” Maya says giving the boy as big a hug as she can with full hands.
“I will! Love you!” And with a pinch of floo powder and a shout of “The Burrow”, Harry Potter-Sutcliffe was whisked out of sight.
There’s an awkward silence for a moment before Maya winced in pain. “Do you mind?” She asks unsurely as she gestures to Mattie in her hands. The soft look comes back to the other woman’s face and gently reaches out and takes the tot into her arms. The shift wakes Mattie for a moment. His sleepy brown eyes opening and meeting a matching pair of brown.
He emits a grumbly sleepy sound then his head falls to her shoulder. “He’s precious.” Amelia says and Maya can’t help but agree. She’s partial though since he’s her son.
“Come, we can put him down in his room. That way… well noise won’t matter.” Maya says leading Amelia through the home. The other woman doesn’t really need to follow since at one time, she was as familiar with this house as her own. She is shocked though when Maya opens the door to what used to be Matthew’s room.
It barely looks the same. The walls are still the same cheery yellow that they always were, but it has been transformed to an infant’s room. Maya takes the babe from Amelia’s arms and carefully lays him down in his crib, watching to make sure that he doesn’t wake. A quick monitoring charm later, and they’re backing out of the room.
Maya catches Amelia’s gaze on Harry’s room that used to be hers. “You can look. I warn you that he’s a little boy and not all that neat.” She offers. Amelia sticks her head in the door and sees that the furniture was the same as well as the green of the walls that she remembered. The room was now that of a well-loved little boy.
“Potter-Sutcliffe?” Amelia finally breaks. A chortle escapes the other woman as they slowly make their way back down the stairs.
“All his idea. Cheeky bugger said that he was both a Potter and a Sutcliffe because his parents sacrificed their lives for him, and I saved him from the Dursleys.” Maya explained pushing her way into the library and lowering down into one of the reading chairs. Winnie pops in with a towel and ice, and she thanks her quietly.
Maya watches Amelia as she takes in the Sutcliffe family tree and the newest editions towards the bottom. “Dumbledore has been having a herd of hippogriffs ever since you told him where to shove it regarding Harry. Has been on the warpath in the Wizengamot to have you removed as Harry’s guardian… looks like he’s bollocks’d now.” Amelia says turning back around to look at her.
“It wasn’t the original plan, but it was fun to get one over in the end. After everything that happened… everyone who died… not such a grandmaster after all.” Maya states a sour taste left over in her mouth.
“Well, all I’m going to be able to tell him is to give up. You legally have all the rights and claim over Harry. He’s happy, whole, and obviously loved.” Amelia mentions. The pair are silent for another moment. Maya clears her throat awkwardly; the past is both what draws them together and apart at the same time.
“So, how have you been?”
“Busy. Beyond busy, always am. I’m surprised that I’m shocked by the ineptitude of my department at times. Moody is retiring… crazy bastard, but one of my best aurors. I have a promising one in Kingsley Shacklebolt, but the rest can barely tell their wand from their arse. I swear we weren’t this bad when I was still an auror.” Amelia rants.
Maya listens with a fond smile on her face. At least this is something that has not changed. Maya can remember spending hours amusedly listening to all of Amelia’s griping about her chosen profession and the idiots she was forced to deal with. It made Maya’s days as a healer seem boring in comparison.
She didn’t even realize that Amelia had stopped talking until she caught a charged look on her face. She was beautiful. Amelia had always been gorgeous and Maya felt lucky that she had chosen to give her love to her. At least she had once.
“You’re wearing the ring.” Amelia breaks the tension. Maya covers the silver ring on her finger and fiddles with it. She hadn’t removed it except to wash since she last saw Amelia.
“I-I forgot how it felt… didn’t realize it felt like I was missing a limb until it was back in place.” Maya admits. Part of it is the enchantments on the ring, the other the love that was shared when it was initially placed on her finger.
“Why can’t I stay angry at you?” The words slip from the redhead’s lips. Maya shoots her gaze to hers. “I mean I am still furious, but it’s mainly hurt now… why can’t I finally end this chapter now that I’ve seen you again?”
It’s painful to hear, but not something that Maya wasn’t expecting to get. She doesn’t reply because the question wasn’t for her to answer.
A hardness settles in the other witch’s eyes again. “When you were gone, were there others?” She demands. Maya swallows thickly and shakes her head.
“No… never. Had to get out of more than a few dangerous situations with some blokes who thought they could take advantage though.” Maya replies and carefully lifts up the bottom of her shirt to show a two-inch scar. “Arsehole thought he could get his way because he had a knife on him.”
Barely controlled fury flashes through Amelia at the sight. It’s one thing for her to want to hurt Maya after everything, but it’s something entirely different that someone else would dare touch her. As angry as Amelia is at times, she’d never hurt her again. The slap was enough for her to know that she never wanted to do that again.
“He in jail?” She is practically growling now.
“Dunno… moved on not long after that. Had enough of Rome.” Maya says staring unseeingly at the wall. Amelia clenches her shaking hands into fists. Even after all this time… her emotions are all over the place.
“Did you ever even think about me?” She asks, trying to keep her mind on track and get her questions answered. It takes more than a few moments for her to see the darkness visibly leave the blue eyes that she still loves.
“’Course. Everyday multiple times a day. I-I tried to write to you so many times. A lot of times you were the only thing that got me through the day.” Maya says locking gazes once more. “I’m not proud of that time, those years. You would be so disgusted with me Lia. The things I did to forget… I’m ashamed of.”
Fear grabs hold of Amelia’s heart. She herself almost didn’t make it after the first war, but she had Susan to take care of and fires to put out. Maya disappeared with no structure at all. “Would you tell me?” She asks, willing to accept no as an answer if she refuses. Tears fill blue eyes and start falling before she can speak.
“First drink… w-when that didn’t work… magical and muggle substances. I almost died a few times before realizing that I needed to do something.” Maya stops for the needs to get control of her breathing. “Finally managed to get sober… going on two years… I hated myself so much. Still do somedays.”
Amelia can’t help the wounded sound that tears from her throat. It’s physically painful to remember the bright happy girl who had the hell of a beater’s arm and a smile that could bring Amelia out of a bad mood no matter the circumstance. Even after all the horror and trauma they endured she still never would have thought her gently strong Maya would be reduced to such a thing.
It was all too much. For the first time in almost nine years Amelia Bones held Maya Sutcliffe in her arms. They were both crying, pain so unspeakable and unimaginable pouring out between the two. Despite all their jagged edges, the two fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle.
“I still love you.” Maya softly says, wanting Amelia to know that even if it doesn’t mean anything anymore. The redhead stiffens in her arms, but doesn’t pull away.
“I… I think I still may too.” Amelia hesitantly responds. Maya shoves away the pain from her traitorous heart for that admission alone was more than she ever expected.
“Then where does that leave us?” Maya asks as she pulls away slowly. Amelia looks up at her from her position kneeling on the floor in front of her.
“It means that we take it slow. There’s still things that we need to work out, but I think it’d go better together than apart.” She tells Maya.
Maya nods her head while biting her lip. “Can I owl you?”
“Yes. You can even floo me or send me a patronus as well.” Amelia says with a slight smile. Maya’s face falls.
“I-I haven’t been able to make one since that day. N-no happy memories.” She states. It’s another reminder at how much things had changed. Amelia can’t help but wince at the tactless comment on her part. With what little Maya has told her it was no wonder that she couldn’t make one anymore.
“Hopefully we can start making some good memories soon.” Amelia says, and it almost sounds like a promise of better things to come.