Despite her silent prayers that Percy would soon arrive, his sudden appearance still startled her enough that she shrieked and fell from the countertop. Maggie landed with a loud thud on her back before moaning both at the embarrassment and the shock of pain. "Hi Percy." She mumbled from her spot on the ground. Were Victoria present Maggie knew she would never live this down. As it was, her sister was likely cackling at the commotion from her safe position upstairs.

Once having stood and smoothed out her skirts, Maggie faced Percy with a fierce blush on her face. "Thank you for coming." She said as the beast outside began another round of hollering. "It's been doing that for the better part of two hours. I'm amazed my neighbors haven't reported it as well." Truly, how was she the only one to have heard the beast's growing aggression these last few days? Surely Mrs. Applebaum two houses over had heard the grunts? Maggie quickly glanced out the window. The thing did exist, right?! She hadn't fallen so far into her paranoia that her imagination was capable of these horrors! No, Victoria wouldn't have scurried away with the youngsters if this was all in her head.

Nervously, Maggie turned her attentions back to Percy. The letters passed between them this past month were easily a highlight of her day, though she wasn't confident he felt the same. If Witch Weekly were to be believed, he had grown to love another woman who too spurned his affections. Such a stark reminder of her own refusal had to cause him some level of pain (it certainly had led to some tears on Maggie's end). And now, to have him standing in the kitchen she once envisioned sharing with him served only as another cruel reminder of what ought to have been.

She shouldn't have written to him. A nondescript letter to the ministry would've served equally as well. There had to be some emergency division within his department that she ought to have known of. Something — anything other than the burning shame of requiring his assistance. He, who had already done so much for her, didn't deserve her waving her married life in his face.

"Sebastian is burning with curiosity. Victoria has him upstairs with her and the others... I'm just fearful he'll somehow slip our supervision and contend with the thing." Maggie explained in a breathless ramble. The sooner it was dealt with, the sooner they could return to their lives. Though, now Maggie too knew the letters would have to stop. It wasn't fair to him when he was still trying to build a family of his own.