Tin Man

Shouldn't spend your whole life waiting for somethin' bound to fall apart

- Max Dwyer -

The move from America had been sudden and it had been something done in pain, something that she hadn't thought too much about. She had been in pain, she had been hurting, thinking things through hadn't been a part of that. She wanted to let go, to forget the pain that radiated through her very bones. She missed her father. She missed her hero, the smell of cigars as she walked through the door, the sound of his laughter in the morning as he read breakfast. His hand in hers as they prayed over their evening meal, the smell of his cologne as he forced her to dance with him in the kitchen after a hard day. Her father was her star, her world, and he was gone. Every day seemed harder than the last, and nothing really made it any better. 

She would have given it all up, every single moment. Every fight, every argument, every word that she ever said in anger, just to hear him calling her from the bottom of the stairs for dinner. She would give the world to feel him hug her and to call her Kate one last time. It all hurt so much at times, and she wasn't sure that she knew how to handle it, but the one thing that he had taught her stood above all. Chocolate made it better. 

She left her apartment, after taking a part of the day off to do some writing, she took a bag to head off to Scotland. She had a lot to learn about this place, about the people and they ways that they lived their lives. She had a lot to learn about the culture, about the creatures.  Her jobs would depend on it. It would depend on her doing the things that she needed to, and leaning the library was an important part of that. She walked into the shop and sighed softly as she breathed in. 

There was something about the places here that smelled so good, like home. Welcoming and inviting all at the same time. Such a part of her and at the same time not. It was so perfect and wonderful and it put an instant smile on her face. Grabbing a basket she began to go through the aisles, putting things in slowly, wondering about certain things, and smiling when she found things that were familiar. 

She was finally in the chocolates when a voice pulled her attention. Lifting her head she gave a small smile and turned it to look at who spoke. 

word count:455 Outfit

template by punki of adoxography

Max was trying to get on with his life. He had lost too much over the years and now he was trying to just have a stable life. Well, as stable of a life that being a werewolf would allow him. He had recovered from the last transformation, deciding to forego Wolfsbane yet again. He wasn’t really stubborn but he feared that obtaining the potion would make more of a target for anyone who was against the werewolves. That person didn’t necessarily have to be from the ministry, Max knew that there were people outside of the ministry who were against his kind. He thought they were stupid but he was not going to waste his time on trying to change their opinion. They chose to believe what they wanted to.

He, however, was open to people to every background or belief. He had never been one to be closed off. Ironically he had been that way of necessity during Durant’s time in the ministry but things changed so fast when it came to what the people in power wanted and what they allowed and didn’t allow and he knew that things could instantly for any group in the wizarding world. Anyone just had to look at the muggleborns to see that. Because his mother was a muggle, Max constantly feared for her safety. Sure it helped a little that his father was a pureblood but Henry didn’t side with anyone, in fact, he removed himself completely from anything political. It was for the best, perhaps. None of his sisters worked there either so while it was much easier for them, it also meant that none of them had the inside word on what was going on or if anything was planned.

Max decided he would have to just listen out when he was at the white Wyvern or in Knockturn Alley in general. However, today he found himself in Diagon Alley. Being summer and with his nieces and nephews home from Hogwarts, he took the chance to spoil them. Naturally, that would include chocolate. He knew his sisters wouldn’t like that but if he wanted to spoil them, then he was going to do just that. Being summer, meant more people at the confectionery shop. It made Max a little on edge but he decided to dress somewhat normal today so he looked like he fit it.

Navigating his to the correct section of the shop was easy though. He was about to grab some chocolate frogs when a blonde woman stood in front of him. Max tried not to huff to show that he was annoyed because he put their arrivals there at the same time due to coincidence. There was so much of that in the magical world as it was. ”Excuse me, miss?” he said quietly hoping to get past her to pick up a few things from the shelves.

There had been a time when chocolate was the one thing in the world that she and her father disagreed on, and it was still a common debate in the Edwards household. Something that was still a hardcore battle when it came to the holidays, which was always fun with Danny keeping score. In the last few years it seemed though as if Dark chocolate was coming back into play. It was always some kind of war with her family, but it was how they worked; they fought, they argued but at the end of the day they would gather around the TV and watch something together while going to town on the chocolate tarts that her mom made.

The main problem of things wasn’t so simple. It was like putting plaster over the hole, over the hardest thing. Knowing that her father was no longer there to be her impartial judge. She wished he was, she wanted him to be there to tell her if her ideas were shitty or not. She just missed him, damn it. He was her biggest fan and she was lost still without him. She had only written her book for him, as a birthday present and he had begged her to try and publish it. So she had. She had done so many things at his insistence and now she didn’t have her compass any more. What was she to do without him?

She was just trying to find her footing again, trying to find her place in the world and work out where she belonged here, if she belonged here. There were so many places that she had never been, faces she had never seen, words she had never spoken. The world was so big and yet she had only allowed into. She wanted more, but honestly there was something about this place and the people that made her feel like she was home.

Smiling at the man she spoke in her Bostonian accent. ”Oh. My apologies. “ She said flushing at him and dipping her head so that her hair bounced with the movement. ”These aren't the chocolates i'm used to..” She mumbled softly trying to decide what she wanted, her eyes roaming the shelves before turning to the man and she actually finally looked at him. Good God.[//i] was her first thought and she blushed before biting her lip and tucking her hair behind her ear.

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Since the time he had been turned into a werewolf Max continued to be cautious about where he went. Ironically he felt most welcome in the muggle world. Then again he had grown up largely in that world. His father was a pureblood but he had all but not gotten involved in that of society. The only exception came with Henry’s work, other than that the man spent most of his time in the muggle world and as such encouraged his children to do the same. Max thought his father was very brave for pretty much forsaking pureblood society to be with his mother. Max understood that to some level given that Christina had been a muggleborn. But she had been robbed from thanks to a situation he had put her in. Sure it took two to create a child but he still felt guilty. Even though he had lost the witch many years ago, he would not ever get over it. The images were far too strong in his memory.

Max didn’t have the best rung where relationships were concerned and as a consequence, he preferred to be single nowadays. It was a lot safer for everyone really. At least that was what he learned from his relationship with Esther. He knew why she had ended they even if she had not explicitly told him. But she was no longer in his life and he could continue to look after number one, himself.

That did not say he didn’t look after his family, he definitely did. After all, having so many nieces and nephews made up (to some extent) for losing his own son. He tried to spoil them where possible. Many of them were still not privy to what he was and that was a decision that was made by both him and his sisters. It was really done for the safety of his nieces and nephews. He suspected that a few of the older ones knew about him but he didn’t ask. Max was not one to really answer questions about his lycanthropy, even with his family.

He thought it would be the best time now to spoil them. He didn’t want to go overboard and he really was limited in what he could do. Max figured that his sisters couldn't be too mad at him for being their children chocolate. It wasn’t like he was taking them to Paris and that muggle theme park….perhaps he could. No, he better not.

Max wasn’t at all surprised that so many people were in Sugarplums today. It was often this way around the summer. As soon as the woman moved for him and spoke he detected she was American and it was confirmed that she was new to the country by what she had said. Max smiled at her before picking up something and looking to the blonde woman. She looked embarrassed. He wasn’t sure why but he found it peculiar, but he was a man who had tact and knew not to point it out. ”No need to apologise Ma’am. Perhaps I can help you?” He asked, even werewolves were able to offer assistance. ”Are you alright?” He asked, referring to the pink tinge that appeared on her cheekbones.

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