Her first few years at Hogwarts seemed uneventful until that Harry Potter came, and it seemed like every bad thing could happen. She was so curious to how an 11 year old could cause so much drama.
No surprise, the two people she met on the train her first day ended up being her best friends. Cedric and Julia were more than just friends, they were her family away from family. The day she was sorted into Hufflepuff she felt such a sense of pride and her final connection to her grandfather. Her first break back home she was so excited to tell her parents about the castle, and her friends and all the animals she saw. Of course they knew all about this but they were so excited for her.
"There are so many plants in the common room!" she beamed as she ran around her living room, as her parents cuddled on the couch, "The stairs move!!"
They laughed
"Cedric and Julia are like my best mates! They are also Hufflepuffs, and then there are these twins!" she beamed, trying to hide the blush that seems to always creep on her face when she thinks of the certain red headed twin, "they are quite the pranksters though," she stopped running around thinking of all the pranks that had already got into, "They were able to throw a dungbomb in the Slytherin common room, Adrian told me it kind of stained their rug purple.." she shrugged, "Oh! And then George tried to shove a slug in my ear!"
She went on and on about her new friends and school.
It was her fifth year now, she was just letting go of a hug from her mother. As she looked at her mother, there was something new in her eyes, fear, uncertainty. Not sure but it was new. "Please stay safe" her mother whispered as she placed her forehead on her daughters. She was around her mother's height now. She looked into her mother's eyes and promised she will be fine.
Maeve had to leave early at the end of last semester due to a family emergency.
"Miss. Scamander, please wake up" Maeve jumped as she was awoken by Professor Sprout and McGonagall standing over her bunk. They rushed her to Dumbledore's office where she was greeted with a somber look on his face.
"We have a port key waiting for you to bring you home, Professor Sprout will have you bags packed and we will send them home later this week" he said weakly
"What's going on? Ar- are my parents okay?" Her voice shook, Dumbledore offered his hand without a word, as she grabbed it her body twisted and spun until she found herself in front of her house. Well it wasn't her house anymore, it was the ruins of her perfect cottage by the sea. She looked at Dumbledore, who just couldn't seem to look at her.
"Professor... What's happening?"
It took a second to panic, she let go of the old man and ran looking for someone she knew. Running into Aurors after Auror, until she finally was engulfed in a familiar scent.
"Mum?" she breathed out
"He's gone." Her mother sobbed into her 15 year olds ear.
As her mother and her stood in front of her burning home, surrounded by the Ministry, Aurors, and Fire Broomgade, emotionlessly answering question after question.
"Did your husband have any enemies?"
Why would they ask that, everyone loved her dad.
"Did you see who did this?"
She watched her mother, stare off as she was bombarded with more questions that Maeve just simply didn't understand
Dumbledore didn't leave like he was expected, he stayed and watched the two young women stand hand in hand staring off.
Her father was killed and her home was destroyed, her only hope only came from the Hippogriff that ran in the field behind her house, and Billy who had cuddled in the nook of her neck. Who would have done this?
Why would anyone do this?
Fred and George were walking on the train when they came across Cedric and Julia. Both looking upset and lost.
"Hey Diggory! Ready for summer?" George smiled, walking into their compartment then noticing Maeve was missing, "Where's Mae?"
"Yeah, haven't seen her in a few days." Fred added, looking down the hall, hoping she would come skipping down the hall.
"Um, Maeve had to leave earlier this week" Julia said finally looking up at them, her eyes were bloodshot.
"Is she okay?!" Fred asked
"Her dad died." Cedric told them, "Sprout told us yesterday, she left like in the middle of the night on monday."
"What..."
Her summer was spent alone, ignoring the letters that arrived daily from friends, family, anyone really. She was barely even at the funeral. Like she was physically there, but mentally she was eleven again running around her living room telling him all about her new school.
The sound of the train startled Maeve back into reality. She looked at her mother one last time and headed to the train car. She stood in the door and waved as the train rolled away. She straightened herself up, fixed her coat and went looking for her friends. She knew everyone was going to know what happened to her at the end of last semester. It was in the prophet all summer, 'Galton Scamander killed' or 'another Scamander gone'. His death so happened to occur around the same time Sirius Black escaped, so the ministry blamed it on him. She didn't understand why this information upset her mother even more, she figured that after finding out the murderer of her dad would bring peace but it seemed to hurt her more.
As she walked past the window of each compartment, she past by two very familiar redheads. She waved and smiled as she walked by. In a matter of a second or a few steps, and hand grabbed her arm.
"Maeve," the boy said in breath and the familiar sadness in his eyes that she got all summer "How are you doing, I mean that's a dumb question.. Did you have a good summer? Wait, nevermind that too... Hi."
She wasn't a big fan of talking about it, her mother learnt that the hard way when she tried to have Maeve open up but that just resulted in her flying away on the Hippogriff for a few hours. Maeve is not the type to show her emotions anymore. That famous smile that was so intoxicating to everyone had disappeared and substituted with a mute smile that clearly showed pain as much as she denied it.
"Hi, Fred." she smiled softly, "I'm alright thanks, I'm just looking for Cedric and Julia." She smiled. He could see the pain in her eyes. "How was your summer, though?" she asked
"Oh!" he smiled, "Um, well... My family and I went to Egypt."
"Right!" she smiled, "I read in the paper, your father won a contest."
"Yeah!" he chuckled rubbing the back of his neck, "We visited my older brother Bill."
"Very cool." she said simply
"Mae..." he wanted her to talk, he could see how much hurt lingerd in her eyes, despite this smile she had on.
"I hope there's pudding tonight." she tried to change the subject and with that she was off. Fred just stood watching her walk away. George stuck his head out of their compartment, "She alright, Freddie?"
"Not sure, Georgie.." He questioned his brother.
"Well we can't have that, can we?" With the famous Weasley twin smirk, they decided in that moment, their mission was to make that smile come back.
Maeve made it to the train cart that the compartment they always sat in was. But before she walked in she paused, looking through a small window of that sliding door. Most of the Hufflepuffs had taken over this cart, a few were leaned up against the walls talking to each other. A few second years were running around, and laughing. But she stood frozen looking in.
She had never felt this much sadness and isolation before. She had never really cried as much as she did this summer. Not like her mother ever saw it, she was really good at hiding that part of her grieving process.
little one,
If you are reading this, it means I am gone and I am so sorry. You are my Mae, you will always be okay. Remember that. I love you and your mother so much. Take care of her, Mae.
You are amazing, I have so much faith in you. You're going to be fine.
I love you, little one.
x. Dad
A note that she carries with her, always, was in the clutch of her hand as she looked on. She carries that note with her everywhere now. Even though it was practically a new piece of parchment when she found it, now it is filled with crinkles and small tears from her always carrying it.
"You're going to be fine."
Down at the opposite end of the cart, an older man, maybe a little bit younger than her mother noticed the frozen girl staring in. Lost in thought or maybe just lost in general. He knew the look on her face very well though, heartbreak. Pure grief flushed her face. Then he saw her shake her head and put on a smile and walk into the cart fully, greeting others like she was perfectly fine.