Max trembled, wrapping her wings around herself. They wouldn't vanish for a month now, thanks to the Augurey.
She hadn't had to openly betray her yet. But she would have to, soon.
If only to save him.
Delphi was asleep. Max could hear it in her breathing. She stood up and tiptoed across the forest floor, thankful for the pine needles that kept her footsteps silent.
"You need to wake up," she whispered, almost silently. "Your son is in danger."
But Harry Potter didn't wake.
He slept, alive but unconscious, slipping between life and death, present but not really.
"Rennervate," she whispered hopefully. Harry didn't wake.
"They think you're dead," Max whispered. "No one's looking for you. They're looking for your body."
Oblivious to her words, Harry lay still, dreamlessly sleeping.
"I'll make this right," she promised. "I'll protect them. She won't win—"
"Maximum?"
Max jerked her head. "I thought I saw him stirring."
"Don't be ridiculous." Delphi strolled over and prodded him with her wand. "He won't wake. It's only a matter of days until he's dead for good."
"Good." Max kept her face straight. "Would you like me to do a quick patrol before dawn?"
"That would be lovely. Make sure you're back before sunup."
Max nodded, extending her wings.
"Oh, and Max?"
She jerked her head. Delphi never called her Max.
"Yes, Augurey?"
She smiled thinly. "I want Albus Severus dead before sundown tomorrow. I trust that's in your capable hands?"
Max swallowed. "Of course."
"Excellent."
Trying not to tremble, Max darted forward and spread her wings, lifting into the air, rising above the treetops.
And the Boy Who Lived slept on, unknowing that the world around him was burning.
YOU ARE READING
Lovely (a Scorbus story)
Fanfiction"I know Time-Turning is a thing of the past, but I hope we aren't." It's year four for Albus Severus Potter, who has gained popularity over the summer from the stories of the defeat of the Augurey, and his best friend Scorpius Malfoy, who returns to...
