This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter characters were created and owned by J.K. Rowling, and I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Harry Potter. The story I am telling here is not purported or believed to be part of J.K. Rowling's story canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line. I am grateful to J.K. for her wonderful stories about Hogwarts, for without her books, my story would not exist. Original characters, however, are owned by myself.

Chapter 1

Year 7: End of Year

Avalon looked out at the sea of yellow and black and instantly she felt amiss, like a green sore thumb on golden skin. Hufflepuff had just won the House Cup and they weren't slowing down on the celebrating. Of course the person she needed to talk to would be here, among his fellow housemates. Scowling to herself she pushed her way through the throng of bodies to the object of her disdain at the moment. A seventh year Hufflepuff, with a badge attached to his robes that said Head Boy, was sitting on the ledge of the huge stone fountain surrounded by Prefects and other seventh year students. The seemed to be laughing at some joke one of them just told.

Hufflepuff pride was everywhere and the members of the badger house were clustered throughout the school in pride. It wasn't every year that Hufflepuff won the Housecup, hell nobody can even remember the last time they won the Housecup, so they were celebrating in groups everywhere; a group in their common room, a group in the great hall, throughout the hallways. Hufflepuff wanted the other three houses to know it was them who won. It was the group here, in the courtyard that Avalon was most concerned with.

Avalon stopped a few feet away from the passageway and glanced around, she was outnumbered here. She should just wait until everything dies down and find him later. No, she thought to herself, I need to do this now. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and walked over to the group. She ignored the looks of disgust and, among few, the looks of curiosity, to favor pushing forward to her intended target.

She wasn't oblivious to their thoughts. How dare a Slytherin come here to ruin their fun and celebration. It wasn't their festivities that Avalon had come to ruin, just rather one person in particular, even if he was Head Boy. When Avalon looked at him, all cozy and snug with a fellow Hufflepuff Prefect, to say she was starting to lose it was an understatement.

A Prefect of all people, Avalon would have been less annoyed if it was one of his first or second year admirers. It was no secret that the current Hufflepuff Head Boy was well loved and respected among his house. A seventh year Slytherin, with no house status, was going to approach him and ask for his time. It was practically taboo. To the student body of Hogwarts they were not even considered on friendly terms. It was no secret that the Slytherin and Hufflepuff butted heads, some would even say they hated each other.

Avalon strode up to the infuriating man, her left eye twitching ever so slightly at the sight of a fellow Hufflepuff a little too close. The woman in question was currently giggling at whatever nonsense was coming out of the man's mouth, her chest was pressed up into his arm. Avalon huffed and crossed her arms at the sight, the sound catching the attention of the group before her.

"Don't tell me, you're still mad we won?", the question left the man's lips as he straightened up and faced Avalon giving her his attention. The Hufflepuff Prefect looked annoyed at the fact that someone was was currently occupying the male's time, a fact that Avalon would come to remember later.

"What exactly are you doing here, snake?," the Prefect sneered and got up putting herself in between her housemate and Avalon. It wasn't an unknown fact that, in this year in particular, Hufflepuff had a hatred for Slytherin almost as much as Gryffindor did. Avalon glared and drew her wand pointing it towards the woman, the tip stopping a few inches shy from the other woman's face.

"Don't make me use this Opal, we both know who is the better, faster spellcaster. Or would you like a repeat of this year's duel? No restrictions this time, I don't like playing with handicaps.", said Avalon, her eyes darting to the male behind Opal, "and yes I am still mad- at you. It's your fault Slytherin lost the House Cup."

The male frowned ever so slightly and stood putting a hand on Opal's shoulder, muttering, "it's alright, I can handle this," to her softly before facing Avalon. He ignored the group's looks of confusion as he grabbed onto Avalon's forearm gently and led her away from the crowds. They stopped in one of the passageways that bordered the courtyard, in a secluded darkened corner.

"What the Hell Avs? You can't just threaten people like that, Opal of all people, youngest child of Luna and Neville Longbottom. Do you want the whole fucking Old Order after you?," the man groaned and ran his free hand through his messy, dark brown hair.

"It's not my fault Slytherin lost, I wasn't the one who got caught," the man grinned and leaned up against the wall glancing at his fellow classmate. She frowned and put her wand away before joining the man against the wall.

"She deserved it, she was all over you Mica and you didn't do a damn thing about it!," Avalon huffed and punched the man's arm lightly before continuing, "and for your information Headmistress McGonagall is terrifying I wasn't about to run away from her."

The earlier rage of losing the House Cup coupled with the fact that Opal fucking Longbottom felt the need to press her lovely chest up against Mica Scamander, was starting to dissipate the longer Avalon spent time with the Hufflepuff. His carefree and upbeat demeanor had a way of rubbing off on the young Slytherin witch.

"I need to play nice with her.. You know that. Our mother's are good friends and everyone in the Old Order keeps in touch, if…", Mica paused and looked at Avalon directly, his next words hesitantly coming out, in fear of hurting the Slytherin beside him, "...if they found out that I was involved, with a daughter of death eaters who knows what in Merlin's beard they would do. It's a miracle that the Ministry let you attend school at all", he finished letting out a breath.

Avalon's face was contorted between a mixture of anger and hurt. If she was any less of a Slytherin she probably would have let the hurt get the best of her, but she was the child of both the Yaxley and Carrow bloodlines, she would not show weakness; not even to him. How dare he bring up her lineage and wave it around like it was some sort of dirty little secret. She was not her parents, just as he wasn't his parents, and Albus Potter wasn't his father.

"You're a coward for even suggesting that I'm not good enough to be seen with you because of my lineage. Who cares about what people think? I am not my parents and you shouldn't be scared of yours. It's almost like you're ashamed of me, like I'm some dirty little secret." With each passing sentence Avalon became increasingly more flustered and her voice lowered, gone now was the angry shouting that she started her ranting off with. For it was now replaced with low muttered words as she stared at Mica, her breath was coming out long and heavy.

"I deserve someone who isn't afraid of being with me. I shouldn't have to hide in some deserted room with my boyfriend to snog. I shouldn't have to hide who I love because my boyfriend is too worried about what everyone else would think about our relationship. I...," Avalon paused, her previous shouting cutting away at her anger giving way to whatever else she was feeling now. She may be a daughter of two death eaters but try as she might, she could never be as heartless at them.

"I think we should go our separate ways. What are we going to do in the real world? Here it's easy but out there, we can't live our relationship through letters like we did over the summers. Besides there are too many people out there who could spot us together", Avalon finished and stepped away from the wall. Mica frowned and grabbed her wrist pulling Avalon into his chest, his arms circling her waist holding her firm against him.

"I am not ashamed of you but yes, I am scared of my parents, terrified even. I'm afraid they'll keep me away from you… by any means necessary. They still live in a world where Death Eaters are loyal only to each other, they probably think they brainwashed you as a child. They may not know about us but that's not going to keep me from you. We'll figure something out, okay?," Mica muttered into the girl's hair as one of his hands rubbed circles onto her back. In there own little private moment, the forbidden couple failed to notice the shadows of bodys approaching.

Opal Longbottom and James Potter were chatting among themselves when they turned the corner of the passageway in front of them only to stop in their tracks when they saw the pair locked in an embrace. Opal looked horrified and stuttered out Mica's name in surprise. James however looked relieved, like this scene answered all of his questions about his best friends suspicious behaviors the last year and a half. Mica however stiffened and tightened his hold on Avalon as she tried to pull away from him.

Lifting his head to greet his Gryffindor best friend and Hufflepuff housemate the words he was planning to say escaped him. Instead, a rushed exclamation of "don't tell our parents," came out of his mouth. The statement made Opal rush forward only for James to grab her arm, holding her back.

"Don't tell our parents? Are you crazy? You must be to be involved with this… this Death Eater spawn! She can't be trusted Mica. Not even her own house trusts her.", Opal shouted attracting the attention of the various Hufflepuffs still lingering around from the excitement of winning the House Cup. Beside her James Potter looked conflicted on which side he was going to choose. On one hand it explained Mica's actions and sudden need to blow off his friends, on the other it was because of Avalon Carrow. His parents always warned him to stay away from children of Death Eaters, but they had also taught him to see the best in people. James sighed and looked at Mica.

"Do you trust her?," the question left James' mouth and he made a move to cut off Opal before she could interject.

"Always," Mica said as he loosened his arms around Avalon only to grab her hand instead and promptly pull her away from his friends and the forming crowd.