Blowing Florets (Quinn)

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Although she hadn’t seen Quinn since the start of the summer, Max was eager to see the Ravenclaw again. Second to only Georgie, Quinn had become her closest friend who wasn’t also related to her, and Max was glad that their chance encounter in the girls’ toilets that day had turned into what it had. She hoped that Quinn had had a good summer so far in the safety of Professor McGonagall’s care, though she wondered what it was like to live with the headmistress.

She would have to ask Quinn about it, she thought, considering that she was meeting up with her that afternoon at a Muggle playground that Quinn had suggested. With the summer days’ length, it was closer to evening than to afternoon. By the time that Max arrived there, most of the younger children had gone, and the few who hadn’t left yet were being rounded up by their parents to go back home for dinner.

At sixteen, Max knew that both she and Quinn were probably too old to be at a playground, but she could see why Quinn had suggested it. It was ideal for just hanging out and existing for a little while, and the swings were large enough that they looked plenty capable of supporting the weight of someone older than about eleven.

As she waited for Quinn to arrive, Max walked over to the swing set and sat down upon one of the swings. She wasn’t sure if it was scary or peaceful. For the time being, she was alone with only her thoughts for company, and it was difficult not to think of all of the things that were happening in her life: Elias’s death, her work on the relief fund, her not knowing what it was that was wrong with her that meant that she could heal people by touching them, Georgie’s being gone nearly all summer, Jamie’s starting her career as a professional Quidditch player…

Max kicked her feet against the ground and pushed off so that she was actually swinging instead of just sitting there, bringing her hands up to hold onto the chains. The summer air felt good as it blew past her face. She continued to pump her legs, feeling less like she was overgrown for what she was doing and beginning to a little bit freer than she had in some time.

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Quinn was actually excited to see Max this summer. Honestly she was excited to see as many people as she could this summer, although as of now it was more just Sephy and Max who she would be seeing at all. The fact that she could see anyone was an amazing and exciting thing. In past Summers she hadn't been allowed to see anyone, if she was even allowed outside before it was time to go back to school. But this summer had been different already - she was allowed to do things and go places, and now she was heading off to meet up with one of her friends. While Quinn was far from unsocial - she had a small group of friends she considered herself close with, and Max had quickly become one of those after their encounter in the girls bathroom.

She was more than thankful for the brunette. Max had helped her a lot and been of great support. So when they had arranged to meet up - she had chosen a place that perhaps was a little unusual for not only two teenagers - but two magical teenagers at that. But this playground was a source of comfort to Quinn and it was a familiar place for her at least. They had chosen a time a little later when not many people would be around and the small children would be safely at home. 

Quinn happily made her way there and arrived in time to see Max swinging back and forth, her legs kicking as she rose higher. A small grin formed on her face as she quietly sat in the swing right beside her - instantly kicking herself off and pumping her legs to catch up to the other girl. A small laugh escaped the Ravenclaw as she felt the familiar freedom. This was why she loved the swings, they were so simple - and to most a childish thing. When she was younger, before getting that letter that changed her life - she had thought that this was magic - what flying would be like. But now she was older - and still no matter how old she got - she still felt that freedom as the air blew back on her face as she went up - and then back down again, waiting for Max to notice that she was no longer alone.

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Focused on the horizon beyond the playground, Max hardly noticed when Quinn first arrived. It was only after the blonde had sat herself down upon another swing and had begun to match her own height in the air that Max realized that the Ravenclaw was there beside her. She looked over, smiling, as she and Quinn became nearly synchronized. She continued to swing in silence for a moment more, just to soak up the feeling of being free and being present where she was—without life or anything else as a distraction.

“Hi,” she eventually called over to Quinn, waiting until she was moving back in the direction of the ground to come to a stop. It would be easier for them to have an actual conversation, Max felt, without having to talk over the sound of their swinging.

“How are things with McGonagall?” she asked, hoping that it was just as wonderful—if not more—than Quinn had imagined it to be.

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Quinn couldn't help but smile as Max seemed lost in her own world, she decided to just enjoy herself for a moment. Patiently waiting until Max noticed that she was no longer alone. It was comforting being here again, it had actually been quite awhile since Quinn had been to this particular park, yet she still remembered the last time she had been here as if it had happened just that morning. She shook her head glancing at Max again as she smiled and enjoyed swinging back and forth.

"Hey Max." she spoke lightly, pushing the swing once more before coming to a slow stop, feet touching down on the ground once more as they stopped. She felt a brief moment of disappointment, having been enjoying swinging but - it would be a lot easier to speak without the constant swinging and light noises of the swings moving. "Oh." Her face lit up at the question, shifting slightly as she turns to face Max, "It's going great actually.. different but good." Quinn spoke happily about it, "I can do my own thing, but - it's nice to have someone around to care where I am and stuff. But I'll admit, its a little odd too - the change from Headmistress to just.. McGonagall, I hadn't ever really thought about what the Professors did when not at school." 

Quinn gave a slight shrug before grinning back at Max, "But anyways - what about you? I mean, how's your break been?"

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Slowing her swing down to a stop, too, Quinn greeted her, and—at the question she’d just posed to her—her face lit up. Without her having said anything, Max knew that her response was going to be a positive one. She was right. Quinn said that things were going “great” with her staying with McGonagall. “Different but good,” she explained. She was able to do her “own thing” when she wanted to, “but—it’s nice to have someone around to care where I am and stuff.”

Max, who did have a mother and stepfather who had always cared about her whereabouts and with whom she was there, was reminded of how different Quinn’s life had been only a few weeks before. Even Georgie had people who cared about her wellbeing at the orphanage, though Max knew that she and Lance weren’t watched as closely because they were older than most of the other children there. As frustrating as it could be sometimes to have to let her mother or Mike know what she was doing or why she was going to be home at a certain time, Max felt grateful for it. With as much as had gone wrong in recent memory, it was reassuring to know that her mother, at least, would come looking for her if she wasn’t back by when she said that she would be.

Admitting, after that, that the change from viewing Professor McGonagall as her headmistress to viewing her as “just… McGonagall” was “a little odd”, Quinn said that she had never thought about what their professors did when they weren’t at Hogwarts. Max didn’t run into any of the school staff too often; at least, she hadn’t yet run into anyone yet that summer. It was strange, though, to see them outside of the context of school. Even on Hogsmeade weekends, it was strange to see them in the village as “normal” people.

“But anyways - what about you? I mean, how's your break been?”

Pausing for a minute to think, Max didn’t know if she had one single word to describe how her summer had been. Practically since the summer had started, she had been hard at work on the relief fund. Quinn had been one of the people to whom she had sent her first letters about it, though maybe it hadn’t found her. Did Professor McGonagall listen to the WWN in her free time? She didn’t know. “I’ve started a relief fund in Elias’s name now,” she began, inching one hand up and down the chain of her swing as she spoke. “It’s for the victims of the explosions,” she explained, “so I’ve been trying to raise money for that, and it’s...” She shrugged, trying not to make a huge deal of it, even though it had taken up most of her life. “It’s… done really well so far. There was a Quidditch player auction already, though that was mostly because of Jamie,” she told Quinn. “I’d like to plan something else before September. I’d like it to be something for people our age, but I feel like I would need to put together some sort of committee for that. It’s one thing, you know, collecting donations from people—even talking about it on the WWN wasn’t awful—but most people go on holiday and haven’t got time to do that…” That didn’t even include securing an actual budget from somewhere or finding people willing to serve as security, not to mention what felt like a million other things.

“And I’m sixteen now,” she added on, having completely neglected to mention her birthday, “so I guess that means we’re really starting our sixth year this year…?”

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Honestly Quinn would have never guessed that in the previous Summer she would be in this position. Hell - last Summer she barely knew more than Max's name let alone now where she honestly considered the other girl one of her bestfriends these days. She was honestly thankful for Max's help the previous year - in helping her without question. It was something that in her life growing up she didn't really have a lot of people who would do that for her, always if someone helped her it meant they would want something in return - only since starting Hogwarts did that change even a little.

Now she had friends who knew the truth about her life - and who cared for her without question. Who wanted to help and be there for her without wanting something in return. It was strange but.. she was really growing to like it. And now she also had McGonagall who while yes was their Headmistress at Hogwarts, out side of school - she was now one of very few adults that Quinn knew she could trust without question. And that more than almost anything was utterly comforting.

Having enough with talking about herself she asked about Max, all the while lightly swinging - mostly just moving a little with her feet still on the ground as she waited for Max to tell her about her Summer. The mention of the girls brother brought a sad smile to her face but her head jolted up listening eagerly even as her heart ached at the reminder of what had happened, "Let me know if I can help.. I mean, I can't help much with Money but..." she gave a little shrug, "I'm here to help a bit if I can, even if its just moral support for you." Quinn paused a bit, thinking for a moment before nodding. "I'd be glad to help even with brainstorming and stuff - you can count on me." 

"Oh yes!" Quinn paused, sitting up a little straighter, "Thats right - your birthday." The blonde gave a little grin, tilting her head slightly as she nodded and leaned back - grabbing her back pack that she had thrown to the side when she arrived, "yeah - Sixth year this year.. its kind of crazy isn't it? Our second to last year." she was digging in her bag as she spoke.

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Max didn’t need Quinn to donate any money; she knew that she didn’t have much to give in that regard, and she wasn’t going to hold it against her. The moral support was what she needed more than more monetary donations to sort through, anyhow.

“I'd be glad to help,” Quinn added, ”even with brainstorming and stuff—you can count on me.”

She would have to take her up on that offer, Max thought to herself. Putting their heads together—particularly when one of those heads was a Ravenclaw—might get them somewhere. Any help she could get from anyone else was welcome, and Max knew Quinn well enough to know that she wasn’t going to promise her one thing and then go back on her word.

After mentioning her birthday, Quinn jolted upright; it seemed to have dawned on her just as suddenly as it had snuck up on Max herself. She noticed that Quinn had stopped to look for something in her backpack and didn’t think much of it, considering that the Ravenclaw kept talking as she did. “Yeah,” the blonde remarked, “sixth year this year…” She said that it was “kind of crazy” that they were almost finished with school, and Max had to agree.

“It still doesn’t feel real.” Max didn’t even want to think about how much had changed since she was eleven… She had changed a lot, she realized; life around her had changed, too. When she actually got to King’s Cross again, then maybe it would feel like it was really happening. Did she even want it to happen? After the year that was now behind her, she didn’t know if she could give an honest answer to that question. There was so much that went through her head—not including whatever it was that allowed her to heal with just a touch—and she looked over at Quinn again, guessing that she probably needed to tell her about that, too.

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While money had never really been something that Quinn had much of, in fact honestly - it was something she rarely even had, she knew there were other things she could do - things she'd gladly do for a friend. The moral support and simply being there was one of the things she honestly thought was more important, but she'd gladly also help with brainstorming things and ideas. That sounded like fun even. But she offered another small smile, she'd simply be glad to be there for her friend. Max had done so much for her and been there when she needed it, to be there for her - that was something Quinn would gladly do.

The mention of her birthday reminded Quinn of something and she quickly dug into her bag even as she spoke again, focusing more on her bag than what she was actually saying. She offered a small glance at Max as she sat back on the swing, her bag on her lap as she nodded a little, "It really doesn't feel real honestly - it feels like just a few days ago I was finding out about my magic and being terrified as I looked for a seat on the train.." she shook her head, her eyes lighting up as she smiled and pulled something from her bag, it was a small package, wrapped in paper that had rather obviously been decorated by Quinn herself rather than purchased.

"Here.. This is for you." She held the package out with a small smile, no - she hadn't forgotten about Max's birthday - this though, this was a special thing she had done, she was worried just a little about if Max would like it or not. "Open it." she nodded and waited for Max to take it before pulling back, dropping her bag to the side and wrapping her hands around the swings chains tightly as she moves slowly, her eyes watching Max and waiting for the gift to be opened.

Inside the gift was something that Quinn rarely did, although small - it was a painting, a painting of Max with Elias - the previous year Quinn had drawing a heck of a lot more - with her mind so confused and everything going on with her home life - and her feelings for Sephy having been harder to deal with - it had been an escape - something she had control over. It had been after settling in with McGonagall that she had gone through some of her drawings and found that one, a drawing of Max with Elias - before he had left that day. Sharing her drawings - her art - was something that Quinn rarely even did, Seph was probably the one person who saw what she did more than anyone else. But this - this moment was something special, something pure and good - something she felt needed to be shared with the girl beside her, her friend - her friend who had lost that brother in the picture with her. It had been so special she felt she had to paint it instead of leaving it as a sketch as it had been - she had spent so much time on it, making it as good as she could - it looked almost like it could have been a photo instead, that moment forever captured with her hand.

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Max looked over as Quinn reached for her bag. Quinn agreed with her that it didn’t feel real, and she was glad that she wasn’t alone in that. “It feels like just a few days ago I was finding out about my magic and being terrified as I looked for a seat on the train,” Quinn commented, though, suddenly, her eyes lit up.

Then, Quinn pulled something out of her bag. It was apparent that she had made it herself—decorated and everything. “Here,” she said. “This is for you.” Quinn had made her a birthday present.

“Open it.”

Telling her about her healing ability could wait. Max gently took the present from Quinn as she held it out to her. She beamed, wondering what it was. “Alright,” she nodded, opening up the present as carefully as she could.

As she continued to unwrap it, Max could see that what Quinn had given her was a painting. It was of her. No, she unwrapped it a little bit more. It was of her… and Elias. Her smile became slightly sadder, simply because Elias would never get to see it for himself, and she unwrapped the painting the rest of the way before pulling it closer to her chest.

“How did you…” Max breathed, pulling it away to look at it again. It was so real—the detail! Elias seemed to be right there beside them. “It’s perfect, Quinn.”

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Quinn was still a little new to getting used to actually having more friends, she still felt a little awkward at times - not too sure how she was supposed to act. Actually relaxing and just not being afraid to be herself was - a little odd to say the least. But she was getting better at it and was feeling more comfortable, more... herself. Quinn - just Quinn, it wasn't too hard to just be Quinn at least around certain people.

Right now those people included Sephy and Max and maybe one or two others, so it hadn't been a question that she wanted to do something for Max's birthday. She didn't have a lot of money and didn't want to borrow any, so making something was a logical step - it wasn't until she was going through her drawings she had done the previous school year though that she knew what she wanted to do. Now though she was a little nervous about actually giving it to the other girl, either she would be happy about it or she'd cry - she really didn't want to upset Max but - maybe it'd be a good thing, to give something special.

Her eyes watch as Max carefully opens the gift, her focus was on Max's face though - still feeling nervous about how the gift would go over, she saw the sadness but .. it wasn't tears - so it was a good reaction right? Quinn bit her lip before offering a slight smile and a tiny shrug, "I drew a lot last year - my head was.. well, you probably remember a bit of what was going on, art is an escape and a coping thing for me. I didn't even remember I drew that until the Summer when I was going through my sketch book - I drew it a few days before they left.. and well. You both were so happy there, I turned the sketch into the painting and worked hard on it. I wanted to give it to you regardless but I thought as a present it'd be a little more special. You.. like it right?"

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When Max finally drew her attention away from the beautiful painting Quinn had made for her, she noticed that Quinn was biting her lip. The Ravenclaw seemed to feel the need to explain herself, and Max listened even though there was nothing in the world that Quinn could say to convince her that the painting she held in her hands wasn’t the best birthday present she could have received.

Quinn said that she had drawn a lot in the past year, and—while she didn’t explicitly say it—she hinted at the fact that her art had been a way for her to escape her home life. In fact, Quinn added, she hadn’t even remembered that drawing until summer had started and she’d gone through her sketchbook.

“I drew it a few days before they left… and well,” Quinn explained to her. “You both were so happy there, I turned the sketch into the painting and worked hard on it. I wanted to give it to you regardless but I thought as a present it'd be a little more special.” And it was special, Max thought, glancing at it again.

Quinn asked her outright if she liked it.

“I love it, Quinn,” Max replied, her voice sincere. She could sense that Quinn was in need of the reassurance. “I’m going to hang it in my bedroom,” she told her, and she would—just as soon as she got home.

“It’s so beautiful. I don’t want it to get dirty,” Max commented, wishing she had her wand on her and some way to protect it from accidentally damaging it if she were to set it on the ground. She would just have to hold it, which was fine with her.

Sitting still on the swing so that she wouldn’t drop the painting, she smiled. “Where did you learn to draw like this?”

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