An Apartment On The Eastern End Of Diagon

Max was sleeping there and yeah. XD

There was a loud, sharp knock on the door.

"Wha?!" Max rolled out of bed, and he sleepily got up, and went to open the door. He was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms, with no shirt on.

But, his face brightened up when he saw who it was. "Oh, hi Libby!" he grinned at her. "I hoped you'd come and visit me!" His smile flickered a bit, and he yawned. "...Just not at two-thirty in the morning. What's up"

"MybrotherkickedmeoutandIwenttoRachel'shouse andshewouldn'tletmestaywithherandyou'remyonlyhope canIstaywithyouforafewdays!" she yelled, talking quick out of nervousness. "I'm sorry to wake you up so late, but it's only temporary, I swear."

Max stared at her for a minute, but then he began to laugh. "AHAHA!-why didn't you ask sooner?!" he reached over, and turned on a light, and let Libby into the house. "You should have just sent an owl..." he then helped her drag the trunk into the house. "Hey, I'm going to go back to bed. The guest room is down the hall and to the right a bit. Help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge." And with that, he went back to bed.

Libby slowly walked inside, closing the door behind her. "Thank you!" she called after Max, though he had already returned to bed. He hadn't expected him to let her in so easily. She dazedly dragged her stuff to the guest room, setting her trunks delicately on the floor. Man, this is really going to be awkward... But, she set awkwardness aside, and collapsed onto the guest bed, falling asleep immediately.

Max was out of work, and he came home.

"HEEEY! I'M HOME!" he shouted. "LIB! GET OUT HERE! There's someone I want you to meet!"

Libby had been sitting, actually dressed and wearing deodorant, on the couch, filling out a job application. She looked up when Max came home, and set down her paperwork. "Alright!" She entered the room where Max and his friend were, and froze.

"Oh... hi!"

"Hello." The girl smiled back at her.

She had beautiful curly, chestnut brown hair that reached her shoulders, with matching soft brown eyes, and beautiful soft pale skin. She was really quite a beautiful girl, that had a quiet and shy air to her.

Max's new girlfriend.

"This is Elaine." he said, introducing her to Libby. "And, this is my friend Libby. She's a friend of mine, and she's staying with me until she can afford a place on her own."

Libby reached out to Elaine, taking her hand and squeezing just a bit too tight, smiling at her. "Nice to meet you, Elaine." This couldn't be. Elaine was so pretty, and so soft, and so... petite. It was odd how every girl Max dated besides Libby [two, that Libby knew of] was quiet, petite, and had pretty brown hair. It was a sharp comparison to Libby, who was tall, loud, and had vivid red hair. Thus made her feel a bit self-conscious around this Elaine girl.

No matter. It wasn't like she'd ever like Max that way again, right?

"So, erm, are you staying for dinner?"

Elaine, smiled and nodded. And, she began to go on a long lengthy discussion on how Max met, while he cooked the three of them dinner.

About seven minutes later, she was still chatting about how wonderful Max was. "...And, he is just so funny! He's like the sunshine in my life, he just lights it all up!" she said, with a happy sigh. "Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked, dreamily.

"Oh, yeah, lights it all up, huh?" Libby jutted out her lower jaw in a bit of disgust. But she said in the brightest tone she could muster, "Actually, I have no boyfriend. I haven't dated since Max and I broke up. It's a long story, but... you know boys, they're so indecisive, aren't they? Right, Max?" She batted her eyelashes innocently. She knew she was treading into dangerous waters as soon as she said that. "But, he's moved on to much greener pastures, as I can see!"

"You've been DATING before?!"

Elaine stared at Libby for a long time, with a sharp, VERY dangerous looking glare in her eyes. Elaine looked as though she wanted to strangle, and wring her neck.

After a long, awkward couple moments of silence, she cleared her throat, and said testily:

"I'm going to see if Max needs any help." And she walked out.

Libby sat at the table in shocked silence. What the hell was with this girl? Max didn't need this! She stood up. "Let me help, too!" she hurried into the kitchen after them. "Make sure Max doesn't get a hold of any slimy gross stuff, he's absolutely terrified of it!"

Elaine glared at her. "You're lying!" she snapped. That sweet facade she had put on earlier suddenly melted away. "Max was in GRYFFINDOR during school! He isn't afraid of anything!"

"Look, hun, I don't know what reality you're living in, but men aren't perfect. Just ask Max about that one time I put slugs in his food!" Libby smirked playfully. "It was such a wonderful day..."

Elaine, who was chopping up vegetables, immediately stopped cutting them. She then actually picked up the knife, and pointed threateningly at Libby. "How DARE you! Max doesn't deserve to have to go through such disgusting rubbish you rain upon him!"

Libby screamed, taking a step back. She patted her pocket, only to find that her wand was in the living room. "Hey, it's not rubbish. It's complete truth! I'm just teasing, I don't mean any harm." Of course, she did, but it wasn't like she was going to be up-front and actually say that.

She slowly lowered the knife, but the scary look on her face did not leave. She turned back to her vegetables. "Fine."

Libby slowly went back to the living room, plopping down on the couch and finishing up the application. She'd have to eat fast, and get out of the room before Elaine acted up again. What WAS her problem? And how did Max not notice it?

"Dinner!" called Max from the kitchen. "LIB! That means get in here!"

"I know what that means!" Libby hollered back, setting down her nearly-finished application and going into where they were eating. "Sooo, what's for dinner?"

"Omelets!" he said cheerfully, serving them on some plates. "One of the only things I can cook."

Elaine began to eat quietly, pretending what happened just five minutes ago never did.

It was later that night a few days later, and Rachel was over at Max and Libby's apartment, visiting for dinner, with Sophia in her arms.

Rachel glanced at the clock, and made a little murmuring noise. "Max, you have a telephone for work, right?" she asked.

"Yes." he said.

"We have one too. Do you mind if I use it? I thought Nick was working late tonight, but I just want to make sure."