Sunlight shone through the window as Ava awoke, feeling better than she had in a long time. Stretching, she sat up in bed to find her clothes from the previous day freshly laundered and lying on the chair beside the bed. Reminding herself to thank Molly, she dressed and went to find the bathroom. In the hallway, leaving the bathroom, she ran right into a solid wall, only it was kind of soft in a way. Hands flew up to her shoulders to steady her. Looking up she found that she was looking directly into the eyes of Charlie. "Sorry," she muttered, righting herself.
He kept his hands on her shoulders, looking in to her eyes. "No problem. I was just coming to get you for breakfast. There's a letter for you." He said.
Long moments passed before, "Would you kindly remove your hands from me? I can't very well go down to breakfast if you are standing in my way." She said.
Lowering his hands, "Yeah, right. Sorry." He said.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Molly was making pancakes. Ava also smelled bacon. "Good morning." She said, cheerfully.
Molly turned, "Oh, good morning, dear. Sit down and help yourself. Arthur has already eaten and left for work." She placed a pile of pancakes on the table in front of Ava. Ava took a few and placed them on her plate. Reaching for the syrup, she watched as Charlie sat down across from her. Glaring at him, she poured syrup on her pancakes and ignored him. They ate in silence for several minutes.
Sighing Ava looked up at Charlie, "Look, I suppose I should thank you."
"Thank me? For what?" he asked, startled.
"For finding me in that forest and bringing me here. If you hadn't, I would still be looking for my father. Now, I've found him and found out that he was a good man. So, thank you." She explained.
"You're welcome. Glad I could help." He answered, stuffing his mouth full of food.
Disgusted, Ava looked away, turning her attention to Molly. "He said I had a letter?"
"Oh, yes, dear. Hermione sent an owl for you this morning." She said, pulling the letter out of her apron pocket.
"An owl?" Ava asked.
"Yes, that's how our post is sent." Molly said and handed her the letter.
Ava unrolled the paper, reading to herself. 'Ava, I set up a meeting for you with Dr. Sanchez for lunch today. I will take you there and bring you back to the Burrow afterwards. I will be by to collect you at 11 am. Hermione.'
"11, not much time to prepare myself." Ava said out loud.
Charlie looked at her quizzically. "Hermione is coming to get me at 11 to meet with this guy she found who has super powers. She's not giving me any time to back out." She said with a chuckle. It was already 10:30, so Ava was right. Hermione was barging right into this with both feet.
"You want me to go with you?" he asked.
"Don't you have dragons to play with? Or bathe, or whatever it is you do with dragons all day?" she retorted.
Molly laughed so loudly that it started them both. Grinning, he replied, "Yeah, okay, I get it. I just wanted to be sure you were okay. I guess I can stop worrying now."
Ava said, "Yeah, you do that."
Molly just watched the two of them. They didn't know it yet, but they were perfect for each other. She saw it in the way they sniped at one another, and she couldn't be happier. Charlie was her only child not married yet, and she wanted to see him happy with a family of his own. The fireplace turned green and in moments, Hermione stepped out. "Good morning." She said and sat down at the table.
"Hello, dear, breakfast?" Molly said, turning to the stove.
"Oh, no thanks, Molly. I had breakfast earlier. I was able to get away a little early, so I thought I would come and talk with Ava about how to travel." She told her.
"Oh, well, that depends on the methods. I don't much care for the disappearing thing that he did bringing me here." Ava said, gesturing over at Charlie. Hermione laughed.
"Well, that would be the fastest way. We could use the Floo, but the nearest fireplace to his office is over 5 miles away. It's too late to have his connected to the network, or I would have Ron do that." Hermione explained.
"Well, then, I guess I have no choice." Ava said, resigned to the fact that she would be sucked into the abyss again. After a few moments, "I suppose we should get going. Don't want to be late. Would you stay with me when I meet him?" She said and stood.
Hermione nodded and stood, consulting her watch. "Yes, we should be going. I would be honored to stay with you." She agreed. Stepping closer to Ava, she held out her hand. Ava took a deep breath and placed her hand in Hermione's. Before she could count to 1, she was sucked into the abyss, not able to breathe. Seconds later, they appeared in a small office. "I will never get used to that." Ava said, straightening her shirt. She heard a slight chuckle behind her and turned around. A man sat behind the desk. He was middle-aged, around 40 or 45, she guessed, had dark black hair and wore glasses. A moustache graced the top of his lip and a slight beard growth was seen on his chin.
"Hello. You must be Mrs. Weasley and Ms. Kyker." He said with a smile.
"Yes, I'm Hermione Granger-Weasley and this is Ava Kyker, the lady I told you about." Hermione said, introducing them. "Are you Dr. Sanchez?"
"That I am. Please have a seat and tell me what brings you here today." He said, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk.
Ava and Hermione sat down and Hermione spoke, "Well, I believe that Ava here has a super power. She can heal herself." She then launched in to the events of the previous day.
"Well, now, you're a regenerator. Interesting. Only one other one has ever been recorded." He said.
"There are others?" Ava asked quietly.
"Well, yes, I myself am a super. I can fly." He told her.
"Well, she made someone levitate with a wave of her hand, also. Is it common for supers to have magical powers?" Hermione asked.
"Well, I've only ever heard of one super possessing more than one power, and he was an absorber. He absorbed the powers around him. Meaning, he was able to do what other supers could do." Eyeing Ava, he contemplated her ability. "I wonder…" he trailed off. "Would you be open to a test of sorts?" he asked.
"I suppose so. What kind of test?" Ava said, warily.
"I want to see if you are an absorber. Step out on to the terrace there and we will see if you can fly." He explained.
"You're going to push me off the terrace?" Ava said, jumping up with a start.
"No, no, no. You are going to step off the terrace. Don't worry, if you don't fly, I will catch you. Remember, I can fly." He said.
Ava looked at Hermione, who nodded while shrugging her shoulders. Slowly, she made her way to the terrace. The others followed. She stepped up onto the ledge and took a deep breath. Looking back at Hermione, she stepped off the ledge. Expecting to fall, she was shocked to find that she was floating in the air. Looking down, she saw the street below. Turning, she found Hermione gaping at her and Dr. Sanchez smiling. She put her arms up above her head and soared upward. Putting her hands back down, she floated back to the terrace. Stepping back onto the terrace, Ava had a very odd expression on her face. "Well, did I pass the test?"
Chuckling, he said, "With flying colors. Let's go sit and talk."
The two women followed him back inside. Sitting, "Does this mean that I'm an absorber?" Ava asked.
"I do believe so, although the issue of levitating with the wave of your hand is giving me pause. I've never known a super to have the ability to move objects, but I suppose that's not really out of the ordinary. Were you in the vicinity of any other supers when you did it?" he asked.
"No, I was in a house full of witches and wizards. The mother had levitated me and moved me in to the house with magic, but that's all I can tell you." Ava responded.
"Dr. Sanchez, could it be possible that she can absorb any kind of power, magic or super?" Hermione asked, thinking.
"Please, call me David. I suppose it could be possible. I would have to research it." He said, pausing to think, he continued, "Tell me, what were the circumstances of your conception and birth, if you know."
"Well, I do happen to know. I just met my father last night and he told me how I was conceived. He's a werewolf," at this David's eye widened. "and my mother took advantage of him when he was on the verge of transformation. He said that the moment of his uh,.. release into her, was the exact moment that he was in that space between human and werewolf." Ava explained.
"Ah… that explains a lot, then." At the women's confused expressions, he added, "Well, you see, when a child is conceived on a human by a werewolf who is on the cusp of transformation, that child will become one of two things. Either an unstoppable werewolf, or a super. It seems you became a super."
"Well, in the file of when she was born, she had wolf claws at birth. How do you explain that?" Hermione told him.
"Well, that would be something I'd have to research. I suppose there is a possibility that Ava could be both. Although that is very unlikely, I will certainly research it. Now, Hermione, you are a witch, correct?" he asked. At her nod, he continued, "How about another little test? Do you have a spell to conjure fire or water?"
"Yes, I have both." Hermione said, then performed both spells using her wand.
"Excellent, now Ava, hold out your hand, palm up." When she complied, "Now, think about the fire."
Ava concentrated on the fire that Hermione had conjured up. Suddenly, the flame appeared in her hand. Eyes wide, she looked up at David, "Good, good. Now imagine the water she conjured putting out the fire." He said. She did as he told her, and water sprinkled down into her hand putting out the flame.
"Oh, wow." It was all she could think of to say.
"Well, it seems that you can absorb magical powers as well as super powers. Only, the magical powers have to be performed in front of you, whereas you only have to be in the general area of a super to absorb their power."
"What about magical creatures?" Ava asked, as Hermione nodded.
"Well, I suppose that would be the same. The magic would have to be performed in front of you for you to absorb it." He said.
"Are there other absorbers?" Ava asked.
"Only one other that I can know of. He's in Ireland now." David answered.
"So, how did you find these other supers?" Hermione asked.
"Well, supers are connected in a way. We can sense each other and we gravitate towards other supers in times of need. If you feel a strong pull to go find someone, then you must obey that pull. We supers come together in times of catastrophic events. The last one being before you were born. Here, I will give you my cell number and you can call me if you have more questions, or if you need anything. The supers who have met try to stay in contact with each other. That makes it easier when we have to save the world." He said with a smile. "I will do some more research, as you seem to be more powerful than the other supers, and will let you know what I find out." Accepting Ava's cell number, he stood. "Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I do have a few patients to attend."
"One more thing, David. Would you be opposed to being connected to our Floo network? It's a means of travel for witches and wizards." Hermione asked.
"Yeah, the flames in your fireplace turn green and then they appear or disappear." Ava explained.
"I see no reason why not. It would make it easier to get help when we need it. There could be one day that supers will have to work with the magic world." He agreed and stepped out of the office.
Ava reached out to take Hermione's hand. "Well, let's get this over with." She sighed.
Hermione smiled and then took Ava' outstretched hand to disapparate back to the Burrow. Appearing outside in the garden, the two women made their way to the house. "Molly, we're back." Hermione called.
Opening the door, "Oh, hello dears. How did it go?" Molly said, ushering them inside. Entering the kitchen, they found Charlie sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea.
"Don't you have your own home?" Ava sniped.
"Yes, but I'm more interested in what you found out, right now." He said with a smile. He had made up his mind to annoy her as much as possible.
Sighing, Ava and Hermione sat down and recounted what Dr. Sanchez had told them about supers. Listening attentively, Charlie and Molly asked questions occasionally as the girls talked. "So, you're a super hero, who can absorb the powers of those around her." Charlie said after they finished. Ava nodded and put her head down in her hands.
"This is a lot of information to process. I don't think I can handle all this." She said.
Molly reached over and put her hand on Ava's shoulder. "You'll figure it out, dear. I have faith in you."
Ava looked up and met her eyes. "Thanks." Taking a deep breath, "Now, I just have to figure out what to do. I have to make a living for myself, find a place to live. How am I supposed to do that, knowing that at any moment I could be called away for super hero duties. How do I put that on a job application?" she asked.
Charlie cleared his throat. The women looked at him, "I may have a solution for you. I know a shop keeper who is, well, dying. He has no heirs to leave his store to and if he dies before signing it over to anyone, then the store will close. It's the only general store for several hours around. You would be doing him a favor by taking it over for him, and you'd be your own boss, so you could come and go as you like. He has employees, but no one he would trust to keep the store running like he has."
Ava looked at him, distrusting. "Well, if it gets me away from you, then I'm all for it."
Molly chortled and Hermione smiled. "I need to get back to the hospital, and I need to stop off at the ministry first." She stood to leave. Stepping into the fireplace, she spoke a few words and vanished into the green flames.
"Well, dang. I didn't get to thank her." Ava said.
Molly handed her a quill and parchment, "Write her a letter, dear and I'll send it by owl to her. She should get it before she leaves the office today."
"Thanks." Ava said, taking the parchment and quill. A bottle of ink appeared next to her and she thought for a moment before dipping the quill into the ink. She wrote for several moments before glancing up. Seeing Charlie watching her, "What?" she snapped.
"Nothing." He said with a laugh.
"Stop staring at me. No offense, Molly, but your son is annoying." She said.
Molly laughed, working at the stove on dinner. Ava continued writing and finished with a flourish. She was very grateful for Hermione going with her today and helping her find out all this stuff. Finding Charlie still watching her, she huffed and rolled the letter up. Handing it to Molly, she watched as the older woman attached it to an owl's leg. The owl took off out the window, delivering it's burden. Turning her head, she glared at Charlie, "Well, are you going to take me to this shop keeper, or do I have to find my own way?" she snapped.
Charlie laughed, "You'll have to hold my hand."
Ava looked away disgusted. Standing up, she crossed the room to Molly. "Thank you for your hospitality. You could have very easily refused to allow me in your home. I appreciate you allowing me to stay and helping me see my father."
"Oh, dear it was no trouble. You are welcome in this house any time. We would love visits from time to time. I'm sure you'll adjust well to your new situation." Molly said gathering her in to a hug.
Turning, she saw Charlie grinning at her, holding out his hand. Grimacing, "Don't look so happy." She snapped. "I'm just using you as transport." Taking his hand, she felt a strange feeling, like a shock of electricity running through her. Deciding that the contact had created an electric shock, she sighed. "Let's get this over with." He turned on the spot and once again she was sucked into the abyss, not able to breathe, a weight squeezing the air from her lungs. Within seconds, they appeared in a dark room. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around, trying to see in the darkness.
"An empty room in an inn, a few miles away from the Romania border, in Hungary." Charlie told her. Still holding her hand, he began to lead her out of the room to the stairs.
Yanking her hand out of his, she snapped, "I don't need to be led by the hand, thank
Dropping his head for a moment, Charlie sighed. "Whatever. Come on." He said and led the way down the stairs.
"Hey, Charlie, where you headed?" a man asked as they crossed the lobby of the inn.
"To the general store, Steve. Got someone who may can help." He told the man. Ava followed him out of the inn. She looked around in the sudden brightness of the sun. The town was small, only one street, like the town in the old west on TV. Small shops lined the street. A doctor's office, a sheriff's office, a post office among them. Charlie led the way to the left. Walking quickly, he made his way along the sidewalk. Stopping suddenly, Ava almost ran into him. "Here we are." He said, holding open a door for her to enter.
She entered the shop, and looked around. The shelves were full of all kinds of things, from food to hardware supplies. Clothing lined a rack near the front window. A man appeared, hearing the tinkle of the bell on the door. "Ah, Charlie, so good to see you, lad." The man said.
"Alfred, you're looking well." Charlie greeted him.
"No, I don't, and you and I both know it." Alfred replied. Ava had to agree with him, the man looked to be any second from falling over dead. His face was sunken, his skin pale, his hair stringy. His hands shook as he reached out for Charlie's.
"Alfred, this is Ava, and I think she can help. She's in need of lodging and a job. She has agreed to keep the shop just exactly as you have all these years. I'm sure she would do a great job with it." He said, ignoring the look Ava gave him.
'When did I ever agree to that? Although, I suppose I could.' She thought to herself, glaring at Charlie.
Alfred looked over at her and she stood up straight. "He's right, sir. I promise that the shop will continue on in the same manor that you have been keeping it." She assured him, offering her hand for a shake.
"Well, since you come with a glowing recommendation from Charlie, here, I believe we can work something out. I don't have many more days left here, and I would love to get this worry off my mind before I go. The papers are all drawn up, if you'd like to look over them." He said, leading the way back to his office.
Charlie allowed Ava to go first, following Alfred. He and Alfred talked while Ava read over the papers to take over the store. She was surprised that the old man had been so quick in trusting her. She found nothing out of the ordinary in the papers and readily agreed to the terms. Signing the papers, Ava and Alfred shook hands. Alfred had a rare smile on his face. One less worry on his mind when he died. "Come, I'll show you around the shop and how to work the register. There are employees who work, and are able to open and close the shop if you need to be away."
"I'll just be going. Alfred, take care. Ava, it's been a pleasure." Charlie said with a bow to her. He looked around and then disappeared with a loud crack.
"I hate when he does that. I had something to say." Ava said. Turning to Alfred, she found him smiling at her.
"He fancies you, dearie. I've never seen Charlie look that way before, and I've known him for a long time." Alfred said. Ava waved off his comments as nonsense. She spent the next few hours learning about the workings of the shop. She assured him that she had it all down pat, he had nothing to worry about. He showed her upstairs to the living space. "Here you go, it's all yours. It's been empty for a long time, but I've had the cleaning crew keep it up, in hopes that I was able to work something out with someone." He said with tears in his eyes. "I'm going to miss this place, but I'm very anxious to see my Mary again." He then slowly made his way down the stairs and out of the shop. Ava followed and locked the door behind him, having closed the shop before going upstairs. She walked around the shop, taking in everything, then slowly made her way up the stairs to her new home.