Never Take Friendship Personal | Maddox

Monday, March 14, 1921
6:00 PM
❤︎

He'd essentially disappeared.

Sunday morning he'd walked into her office with Evander in his arms, deposited the toddler quickly in hers, and had left. He'd needed to sleep, he said. After the horrific events that had taken place two days ago, she hadn't questioned it, easily accepting the baby and sending her friend on his way.

Maddox had always been a responsible parent, keeping Evander with him more often than not, even while on the job. Julia would keep him a few times a week when her schedule wasn't overly busy, but Maddox was always quick to retrieve him as soon as he was able.

It was Monday evening and there was still no sign of him. Evander was happy and content, wandering around her rooms and getting into everything. There was no cupboard left undisturbed, no drawer that hadn't been shuffled through, and all of the toys she kept for him were scattered in every corner of every room. Kate was beside herself, going behind the toddler and trying to clean up after him, while Julia tutted at her to leave him be. She didn't mind having him and would keep him as long as needed, but she was getting worried about Maddox.

"No boys, Rosie," Julia said with a slightly exasperated look on her face as her younger cousin sat on the floor in front of Evander, with a few toy trucks. "One in particular." Rosalie rolled her eyes, even as she smiled at the baby and made little engine noises for him. "I'm not sure how long this will take, but if you need help, call for Nurse Byrne." She stooped down in front of Kate, who was already distressed just from having the little boy invade her space. Kate hated when Julia left her behind, but some things couldn't be helped.

"Be good for Rosie. Benji will come by after dinner to brush your hair for you and do the bedtime routine." She dropped a kiss on her daughter's head and grabbed her bag from the hook near the door.

As she made her way down to the paddock, she kept her eyes peeled for him - whether in human form or cat - ensuring he couldn't slink away before she'd grabbed him. Maddox was a fantastic avoider when he didn't want to be bothered - which was usually - and he definitely wasn't going to like what she was proposing.

A quick glance through the pens and then in the barn turned up nothing.

"Maddox!" Julia called, stepping far enough back so she could see the cat curled up on the barn roof. She pressed her lips together and sighed when he didn't stir. "Come on! Don't make me 'accio' you."

"Maddox!"

His name cut through the haze of dreams that had kept him under. How long he’d been out? The time that had passed? He couldn’t say. Day and night blended seamlessly, the man leaving the roof only for short periods before returning to the sweet release of darkness, with the occasional vivid dream in between. That the world continued spinning and the passage of time remained undisturbed were things that were lost to him.

Maddox had needed sleep, a lot more than even he knew. From the moment the chaos had died down, the man had been on autopilot. He’d taken his son and little Fiona back with him. He’d given Evander that warm bath he’d promised him, gotten them both ready for bed then had dozed off in the chair by the bed the children shared, waiting for them to fall asleep as well. Who’d gone first was anyone’s guess. Perhaps the toddler, but the man had surely followed soon after.

After dropping his son off with Julia, rather than head back to his quarters, Maddox had made the calculated decision to head out to the barn. The idea was that he was less likely to be disturbed there.

For the most part, that had proven true…

Until his name.

Blue eyes half opened, taking her in as she approached the barn below. The black cat yawned silently, not immediately inclined to respond. He watched her head in before curling up again. He no longer felt like death, but had found himself enjoying the spot of warmth that came near the end of the day, after the sun had put in a full day’s work. Five more minutes, then he’d see what work she’d managed to find for him.

She stepped back.

"Come on! Don't make me 'accio' you."

He considered pretending he hadn’t heard but the imagine of suddenly flying from the roof was enough to make him rise. He stretched the last of the sleep from his muscles, giving another wide yawn before descending the side of the old structure. Nearing her, he stretched into full form.

”Missed me already?” He glanced up at the already setting sun. “Only been a few hours.”

At least, it felt that way. “Is the castle burning again?” The man had had his fill of disasters.

The cat stretched and yawned, taking his sweet time, before he wandered towards the edge of the roof and began his descent. For a man that loved to insist he wasn't a cat, he sure did embrace acting like one.

”Missed me already? Only been a few hours.”

She tilted her head slightly, her concern growing even more pressing now. It was one thing for him to disappear for nearly two whole days - already completely out of character for the man who had come to be her best friend over the years. It was another for him to completely miss the passing of time, especially with Evander in her care. He was aloof, yes, and preferred to remain unbothered, but Maddox wasn't irresponsible. Not with his creatures and certainly not with his children.

“Is the castle burning again?”

"Thank Merlin, no." She sighed stepping towards him to straighten his collar that had gotten disheveled in his transformation. "It's Monday evening," she said, holding her gaze on his, the simple statement holding a list of questions behind them.

She knew he'd been through hell, and while she never questioned whenever Maddox needed her to watch Evander, she'd understood wholeheartedly why he needed the rest and break this time. Thayer was dead, at Maddox's hand. While Julia had never been in his shoes - directly - she thought she understood what he might be going through. Having someone's blood on your hands - deserved or not - was an oppressive feeling, and one that never truly left.

Still, his bouts of fatigue and listlessness was getting worse. It was apparent to her, at least, if not apparent to him.

"I know you won't like it," she began, taking a step back from him and hoisting her purse strap a little higher on her shoulder. "But I've made you an appointment at Mungo's. Now." She reached her hand for his arm. "I've got the floo powder and Rosie's got Evander, so there's no reason for you to argue."

She tugged a bit. "Don't be stubborn. It's long overdue and you know it."

If the castle wasn’t burning…then why did she look like that?

Maddox took in his friend’s concern, blue eyes instinctively moving in the direction of the large stone structure, as if he meant to verify for himself that things hadn’t actually devolved in his absence. He could see the tops of the tower roofs and the highest floors of some of the buildings. No smoke. No screaming children. The stillness of the afternoon had him believing the crisis really was over, yet those honey-brown eyes spoke to another brewing.

"It's Monday evening."

“…Shit.”

The vaguest traces of urgency coloured his eyes as he stirred into a more alert state. Monday evening. Monday. Maddox dragged his hand along his face, inhaling deeply. Had he missed classes? Were there classes? He couldn’t remember but had there been, his students would’ve spent the day educating themselves—its own disaster waiting to happen. “You’re right, it must be. Sorry about that.”

Monday…the day before was Sunday…Saturday was the carnival…

He played the week over in reverse, trying to orient himself inside this new reality. What did that make it? Two days? “I hope Evander wasn’t too much trouble.”

"I know you won't like it.”

Hm?

"But I've made you an appointment at Mungo's. Now."

He cocked his head to the side. ”…Now? Mungo’s? What for?”

Was he sick?

”I've got the floo powder and Rosie's got Evander, so there's no reason for you to argue."

Wait, what? ”Slow down, love.” He’d only just awoken and already he was struggling to keep up with whatever fresh hell Julia was trying to rain down. The man didn’t have any overdue business at St. Mungo’s. He had plans for the coming summer, a consultation he’d…probably been putting off but even then…nothing overdue. It was only a precaution, one he saw no need to expedite. Save your floo powder, or…

He linked his arm with hers, starting them out toward the grounds.

“Rosie’s already watching Evander. Let me treat you for watching him. It’s the least I can do.” And there was no need for the floo powder to go to waste.

"No need to apologize. You know I was perfectly happy to have him." Julia loved keeping Evander. Since she'd first been handed the little bubs to watch when he was around six weeks old, she'd fallen absolutely in love with his chubby cheeks and sweet disposition. It really was no trouble; she'd just worried when Maddox had never shown back up.

”…Now? Mungo’s? What for?”

"Something's obviously not right," she said simply, already growing impatient with his need for questions and sorting things out. Sure he'd just woken up, but they were on a time-crunch here. His appointment was in an hour, and it was a twenty minute walk to Hogsmeade alone. "You can barely keep your eyes open these days, and we're going to figure out why. Before you drop dead on me in the next staff meeting." Merlin knew they were boring enough to send anyone into an early grave. A narcoleptic man stood no chance.

He linked his arm with hers, and for a moment she felt relief. Good, now that all his questions were out of the way, he was - surprisingly - coming along without argument. She hated the hospital; it always gave her anxiety, but for Maddox, she'd swallow it all and keep him company.

“Rosie’s already watching Evander. Let me treat you for watching him. It’s the least I can do.”

She'd celebrated too soon. "Maddox," she groaned, speeding up their pace a bit before he got the bright idea to turn back and resume his spot on the roof. "This is important," she said, waving her wand over the gate and pulling him through. The gates clanged shut behind them, and she made it point to give it as little attention as possible. The closer they got to the Floo, the easier it would be to get him to Mungo's.

"There's plenty of time for fun and treats after."

"No need to apologize. You know I was perfectly happy to have him."

“Still,” Maddox said with mild persistence. “I’d asked for a day and took two, it warrants some apology. Believe it or not, I wasn’t actually raised in a barn.” It was simply his preferred getaway when Julia’s desk wasn’t an option for one reason or another. The top of the barn to be exact. From there, he could watch the world go by, without having to be a part of it. There was usually a nice breeze that high up and it was the perfect way to soak in the sun on days the weather chose to cooperate.

But he digressed. The man had been out much longer than he’d intended to be and it had…for whatever unholy reason…convinced his friend that he was dying.

Dying, of all things.

He listened to her explain his deteriorating condition, not nearly as concerned. Whether it was a genuine belief in the frivolity of her concerns or a limitation brought on by the bone deep fatigue, he couldn’t honestly say, but he wasn’t convinced the sky was falling and, short of that, saw no need for the trip to St. Mungo’s now.

“I’ve just been tired,” he countered, his voice never rising above its usual drawl. Maddox had noticed all those things, too, and had been keeping his own eye on the increasingly troublesome symptoms but there was no need to feed into whatever worry was already brewing beneath the surface for her. There was no reason a cooler head shouldn’t prevail. “Less tired now that I’ve gotten some sleep. I feel fine, really.”

Through the gates they went, striking out toward the sleepy town of Hogsmeade with its nosy villagers and mediocre drinks.

“I know it’s important,” truly, he did, “but surely not so important you’d have my stomach eating itself alive. Come on, my treat. I’ll even let you pick the place, but starvation isn’t how I intend to go.”

It was safe to say he’d rather fill his stomach than subject himself to the prodding and experimental poking of his health care provider.

“In any case, I already assured them I’d stop by when summer rolls around. We’re busy this evening.”

"I'll believe it when you take me home to meet the family, and the house is furnished with more than hay bales," she quipped, glancing sideways at him with a smirk that showed her dimples. Aside from her office, Maddox was rarely found inside, preferring the quiet of his barn and creatures. When they'd resigned together last term, when it was obvious Halloway had completely lost the plot, he'd talked about leaving the country and heading somewhere with a deeper focus on creatures and outdoor pursuits. She was sure if wherever he'd ended up had little more than a tent and a few comforts, he would have been happy as a clam.

"Tired or not, you're worrying me," she said casually, "and as much as I love Morgan, James would kill me if I brought home a third orphan." He'd probably tell her to open a children's home if she was so keen to take on every parentless child she came across, and being a warden would really cut into her librarian time.

On second thought...

“I know it’s important, but surely not so important you’d have my stomach eating itself alive. Come on, my treat. I’ll even let you pick the place, but starvation isn’t how I intend to go. In any case, I already assured them I’d stop by when summer rolls around. We’re busy this evening.”

"Are we then?" she asked, stopping mid-step to turn and look at him, withdrawing her arm from his. "Summer is months away. What if you get worse?" She sighed, looking back over her shoulder at the castle, fretting a bit. She didn't actually know if was sick, but she knew enough to think he should at least have himself looked at.

He didn't appear to be overly concerned with himself, but then again, Maddox never seemed overly concerned with things that didn't involve his children or his creatures. He had shown great heroism though, over the weekend, and she'd be lying if she said what he'd done hadn't added to her suspicion that maybe he wasn't doing as well as he'd like to portray.

Still. If he said he was alright...she supposed she could take his word for it for the moment. "You promise if you're not doing alright before the summer, you'll say something? I'll go with you. Or just keep Evander while you go." She nodded at him, making sure they were in agreement. It was the only way she'd be relenting.

She sighed slinking her arm through his again, resuming their walk. Her smile returned and she shook her head. "Well, you'll have to pick the place then. All of mine are far too stuffy for what we're wearing." She glanced up at him, a wicked spark twinkling in her eye. "Take me somewhere they have a stiff drink. After the weekend we've had, I think we both deserve it."

He laughed.

It was the first real spot of humour in what could've easily been a week. The days leading up to the carnival had meant nothing but work for him. The carnival itself had been a mini nightmare. The events that followed immediately after were...grim, and then he'd been asleep. It was only with the return of his laughter that Maddox realised it'd been missing, and it was a refreshing burst against the heaviness that still lingered in his bones.

"If you wanted to be invited over, you only needed to ask. I'll remove the hay bales. Might even consider getting some of that furniture everyone's been raving about."

Satire aside, Two...maybe three years ago, the small apartment he'd secured on his return to England had been small and sparsely decorated. Knowing he was off to a job at Hogwarts, he hadn't seen the need for anything more lavish and hadn't wanted to spend his time (or galleons) decorating a space he would seldom occupy. Then he found out he had a child, and then another came. After that, the mother of his first child died, placing him in full custody. Shortly after that, Rose went off the deep end, and he became a double primary custodian. That had necessitated a large space and furnishings.

The life of an adult with responsibilities.

Maddox nudged her shoulder lightly. "You don't have to worry, really. If I ever start to think I'm in any real danger of death, I'd tell you--if only because Evander doesn't need to be raised full time with his mother."

Rose was lovely, but she had problems. Morgan would be taken by his family, no questions asked. His son would still have another parent who might fight.

Maybe.

"Lighten up some. Summer's right around the corner. If you want, you can come with me then, but it really isn't necessary unless you fancy long-winded reports on just how severely I've managed to fuck myself up. Believe me, it gets tedious after the second paragraph."

"Take me somewhere they have a stiff drink. After the weekend we've had, I think we both deserve it."

"Good." They were finally on the same page. Maddox wasn't naive enough to think the killing of Thayer would be the end of things. For two days, the world had stopped for him to recover, but he was already bracing for the trouble ahead, and a stiff drink would take some of that edge off nicely.

"I know just the place."