"Maverick… Maverick!"
"Huh?" Maverick blinked, pulled from his thoughts by Silvia's voice.
"Lost in thought, huh?" she asked, noticing as he scratched his head. "Sorry, I just… remembered something."
"Really…?" She raised an eyebrow, her tone skeptical at first, then playful. "So?"
"So…?" Maverick replied, looking confused.
"I was asking if you'd mentioned your travel plans to Isabella—that you'll be leaving soon."
He hesitated, then sighed. "I'll tell her today… I just sort of forgot to bring it up," he admitted, sounding a bit anxious.
Silvia raised an eyebrow, but from his expression, he didn't seem to be lying.
Silvia sighed, her gaze softening. As Isabella's mother, she knew her well and had noticed subtle changes since Maverick moved in, giving her a good idea of what was going on.
She decided to tease him, a mischievous glint sparking in her eyes.
Maverick suddenly felt a shiver and glanced around until his eyes met Silvia's. He gulped, sensing something was coming. That look spelled trouble.
"You and Bella…" she began.
'Shit… I knew she'd notice something changed, but, why am I panicking? It's not like I've done anything wrong…' Thoughts raced through Maverick's mind.
"You two seem a little different lately…" Silvia continued, then looked over at her husband, who was buried in his newspaper. "Isn't that right, hon?"
"Edward!"
"Huh? Uh... Yes, darling? What's going on?" Edward asked, peeking over his paper, looking a bit dazed.
Silvia's brow twitched slightly. "I was saying, Mave—"
But then, both Maverick and Edward turned toward the dining room entrance that led to the living room. They'd sensed a faint ripple of magic coming from that direction.
Whoosh.
With a flash of green light, Isabella Garling stepped out of the fireplace.
Silvia, hearing the burst of flame, realized someone had used their Floo Network—and they were expecting only one visitor. "That must be Bella..."
Sure enough, moments later, Isabella appeared, hurrying toward them with an excited look on her face.
"Got it!" Isabella announced, holding up three envelopes.
Edward put down his newspaper. He wasn't exactly worried, but that didn't mean he wasn't eager to see how his daughter and Maverick had done on their exams.
Isabella walked straight over to Maverick, taking a seat beside him at the dining table.
"Did you check?" Maverick asked.
"No… I wanted us to open our OWLs together," she replied, handing him two of the three envelopes.
Silvia clapped her hands. "Alright, go on, open them already!" she urged, her voice mixed with impatience.
Isabella and Maverick gave her a glance, smiled, and both teared open their OWL results.
Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Office of the Headmaster
Marquis, Agilbert Fontaine
June 1989
Maverick Caeser
Home Schooled
Teachers: Edward Garling, Simon Walker, Sarah Walker
Exam Institute: Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Dear Maverick Caeser,
We are pleased to inform you of the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) examinations, which were held during the past academic year. Your performance in these exams has been nothing short of exceptional, and we congratulate you on your outstanding achievements. Below are the results for each of your subjects:
History of the Magical World: Excellent
No-Maj Culture: Excellent
Arithmancy: Excellent
Charms: Perfect
Potions: Perfect
Transfiguration: Perfect
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Perfect
Alchemy: Perfect
Your achievements in the O.W.L. exams demonstrate not only your aptitude for magical studies but also your dedication and hard work despite learning outside the traditional school environment. We are confident that these remarkable results will serve you well in all future endeavors.
Please ensure you share this information with your tutors, Edward Garling, Simon Walker, and Sarah Walker, to discuss your next steps in academic and career planning, as your exceptional performance opens many doors for you.
Once again, congratulations on your impressive performance, and we wish you the very best in all your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Agilbert Fontaine
Headmaster, Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Maverick read his letter, then glanced over at Isabella, who was doing the same. After a moment, she met his gaze and flashed a bright smile, but she didn't say anything.
"Stop dragging it out, children," Silvia called, causing both Maverick and Isabella to look her way.
"All Perfect..." Isabella said, her voice light, making her mother sigh with relief. Her father nodded approvingly, and for a brief moment, Edward also let out a quiet sigh, clearly relieved to hear her results.
Silvia stood up from her chair, walked over, and gave her daughter a hug. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."
Edward grinned, showing all his teeth, and said, "That's right. I knew our daughter could do it." His voice was full of approval.
Isabella smiled, soaking in the praise from her parents.
Then, all three of them turned their attention to Maverick.
"Uh... First of all, congratulations, Bella," he said, giving her a look that said he was happy for her.
He then glanced at his letter. "All Perfect, except for History, No-Maj Studies, and Arithmancy. I scored Excellent in those three," he said, his voice much softer than the excited energy of the lioness beside him.
"Wonderful," Silvia said with a proud smile.
Edward nodded approvingly, his expression calm but full of pride, showing that he had never doubted his apprentice.
Isabella gave him a playful, teasing look, and Maverick knew exactly what it meant. She wasn't trying to show off her better scores; it was just her way of saying she had finally beaten him at something.
Maverick smiled quietly, then shrugged it off as he tore open his NEWTs envelope.
Dear Maverick Caeser,
We are pleased to inform you of the results...
He quickly focused on the scores.
Here are the results for each of your subjects:
Charms: Perfect
Potions: Excellent
Transfiguration: Perfect
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Perfect
Alchemy: Excellent
It was exactly what he expected. Potions and Alchemy—he could have easily scored Perfect if he had used the system's help, but he had chosen to master them on his own. Still, Excellent was a solid grade, second only to Perfect, with Very Good, Good, Pass, and Fail following after.
He felt satisfied with the results. They weren't enough to make him a "once-in-a-generation" genius, then draw unnecessary attention to him, but they were more than good enough not to disappoint his teacher. It was the perfect achievement for him.
He floated the letter to his teacher, which Edward took and read. Edward then glanced at Maverick, pausing for a moment, making Maverick feel a bit nervous.
Edward smiled, showing all his teeth, proud, just like when he praised his daughter. "Good job," he said, then paused before adding, "You should share this with Sarah and Simon before you leave for your next journey tomorrow."
"Tell us the scores, you two..." Silvia called, and Maverick smiled, turning toward her.
"Five subjects, three perfect and two excellent," he said to Silvia, then looked over at Isabella to see her reaction.
However, he noticed her expression looked unusually confused. Then it clicked in his mind. 'Oh, shit...'
"Leave?... What journey?" Isabella asked, looking at her father uncertainly.
Silvia quickly understood. Although Maverick had said he would explain things to Isabella later, she expected him to have at least mentioned something by now, especially since Isabella spent most of her time with him after school.
But it seemed Isabella had been kept completely in the dark.
Seeing the confusion and disappointment on her face, Maverick was eager to explain.
Before he could say a word, Edward cut him off—mercilessly.
Silvia sighed.
"Hmm... Well, since he's completed my training program, he'll be traveling to different countries next to learn more—basically gaining more hands-on experience," Edward explained casually.
The Arch-Magus clearly didn't know how to read the room.
Maverick glanced at Isabella, her eyes wide in shock—though not the happy kind. He felt sorry for her and worried she might resent him for keeping her in the dark.
Isabella then turned her head from her father to Maverick. When she saw the apologetic look on his face, she knew it was true.
For some reason, the news made her heart ache. Without thinking, she followed her instincts and ran upstairs to her room, not saying anything to anyone.
Maverick wanted to stop her but hesitated. The look in her eyes—the disappointment—made him realize that Isabella truly had feelings for him.
"What just happened...?" Edward asked, his face showing confusion. He glanced at his wife, then at Maverick, and back to his wife.
Silvia ignored him, her attention on Maverick. She looked at him sympathetically. "You want me to talk to her?"
Maverick paused for a moment, then sighed. "No. It's better if I speak to her. Thanks, Aunt." He stood up and walked toward the stairs.
Edward still wore a bewildered expression, looking at his wife as if seeking an explanation.
Silvia sighed and explained to Edward the changes she'd noticed in their daughter and his apprentice, not worried about his disapproval—after all, Maverick had been part of their lives since he was a kid, and they knew the kind of person he was.