Ava
"Home sweet home" Ava sighed as she and Edward dumped her old school trunk down on the ancient threadbare sofa,sending up a large cloud of dust that had them choking within seconds
"didn't you think to clean first?" Ava scowled accusingly at her brother as he held up his hands in surrender
"I've been busy" Edward chuckled while handing her a bottle of water from the box labeled 'fridge stuff'
"we're not very organised are we?" Ava grinned as she looked at the half labeled box's lined up along the hallway
"I resent that" Edward grinned crookedly "how's Remus these days?"
"he's good besides your's truly sending him mixed signals" Ava sighed unhappily before taking large gulps of her water
"I thought the two of you had a 'talk'?" Edward asked her casually
"we did" Ava smiled grimly "I almost got him to agree to move on with his life,but"
"but? what do you mean but?" Edward asked her with a wide grin "what happened?"
"he told me he loves me" Ava smiled softly remembering the look of pure devotion as Remus had finally told her the three words she'd so desperately needed to hear.
"well its true what they say" Edward smiled bitterly "you don't know what you have until its gone"
"he's never said it before" Ava continued,pretending she hadn't heard her brothers words "that was the first time,and I really believe he ment it Ed"
"wait a second" Edward narrowing his eyes accusingly "you didn't"
"it was in the heat of the moment" Ava told him quickly "I should never have done it"
"you can't tell a guy to move on with his life and then sleep with him Ava" Edward sighed "that's not fair on him or you"
"it wont be happening again" Ava told him seriously "ever"
"figure out your relationship first" Edward sighed softly "have you spoken to him since?"
"a couple of times" Ava shrugged tiredly
"Lily's been bombarding me with owl's all week" Edward told her accusingly "she says you wont even speak to her"
"I'm a werewolf for god's sake" Ava spat angrily "what is it going to take for people to see im dangerous"
"look just because you chanced upon that guy in the woods doesn't mean you can't have a social life Ava" Edward sighed dramatically "you're only lethal on a full moon"
"what?" Ava whispered as she stared blankly at her brother "what guy in the woods? what are you talking about?"
"oh shit" Edward hissed under his breathe "I wasn't supposed to tell you about that"
"what guy Edward?" Ava asked calmly still staring at her brother in disbelief
"sit down" Edward sighed softly while pointing to the battered old couch "now Ava" he ordered as she stood rooted to the spot.
"tell me" Ava demanded as she made her way quickly to the tattered couch "everything"
"you wandered away from the pack" Edward sighed sadly as he took a seat on the couch opposite "when Daniel found you the next morning covered in blood,well he thought you might have taken down a deer"
"I remember being covered in blood" Ava told him slowly "but I have no idea how it happened"
"Daniel knew the blood wasn't deer" Edward told her gently "he could smell it,about 4 miles from where he found you he found...well a body"
"I don't..." Ava mumbled unable to find the words to finish the sentence as the blood thundered in her ears and her stomach lurched.
"Daniel thinks the guy might have already been dead" Edward told her gently "either that or almost dead"
"almost" Ava whispered screwing her eyes shut and willing herself to remember,to be sure she hadn't killed a man.
"Daniel buried the body,nobody will ever know" Edward told her gently after a few long minutes
"that'll do it" Ava blurted as she quickly ran to the small bathroom off the hallway and commenced with the vomiting.
her life was over if the ministry found out about this they would execute her in a heartbeat and she wouldn't blame them,monsters like her didn't belong around normal innocent had killed an innocent man because she hadn't been able to control herself,her first transformation with Remus around had been less painful and she'd somehow even kept her second one had been pure agony she had no memory of what happened that night at all.
"Ava?" Daniel murmured as he knocked on the bathroom door gently "are you ok?" he asked apprehensively after a few minutes of Ava's radio silence.
"i'm fine" Ava whispered numbly,knowing Daniel could hear her extremely well
"you don't sound it" Daniel mumbled as he twisted the bathroom door handle sharply successfully breaking the lock and entering the bathroom to find her curled up in the fetal position on the floor.
"you don't look it either" he added with a sad smile as he observed her curiously
"well I don't think you'd be looking too good if you found out you killed someone" Ava told him quietly
"I have killed people" he told her quietly "it's hard not to when you have no control,but the first one is always the hardest"
"so you think I killed him?" Ava asked softly as she glanced up at his guarded expression
"I think it was more of a mercy killing" Daniel told her softly "the guy had some pretty serious wounds on him,the kind of wounds werewolf's can't make"
"is that supposed to make me feel better?" Ava laughed bitterly
"when the initial shock wears off you'll be grateful for that" Daniel sighed sadly "the main thing is I took care of it,nobody else knows about this"
"I should hand myself in to the ministry" Ava sighed bitterly as she propped herself up against the bath tub "I cant believe this is happening"
"don't be ridiculous" Daniel smiled sadly "if you hand yourself in you might aswell hand Remus to them on a plate,they'll assume he bit you"
"you're right" Ava smiled sadly "I've done enough damage already"
"I thought Remus was a nice guy,maybe giving it another shot wouldn't hurt?" Daniel suggested with a smile
"are you insane?" Ava hissed bitterly "I've already killed one man,I would never risk Remus's life like that"
"you can't blame yourself over things out of your control" Daniel told her sternly "Remus knows you,he understands you better than anybody else you're walking around with a piece of his soul attached to yours you two are literally destined to be together"
"no" Ava told him bluntly as she shakily rose to her feet "Remus deserves better than me and he'll find a new wife and have his own family"
"why wont you accept the fact he doesn't want anyone else?" Daniel sighed sadly
"not yet he doesn't" Ava muttered under he breathe as she strode out of the bathroom purposefully "but he will when he realises im not coming back"
"what do you mean by that?" Edward asked cautiously as he propped himself against the sitting room door frame
"no idea" Ava frowned slightly "I just have a weird feeling"
Remus
Remus had finally had enough,he'd been trying to read the same chapter of his Potions text-book for over an hour as James and Sirius's small pranks had turned in to an all out war between the two of them reaching a whole new level,every time this happened Sirius always came out worse for wear,he was always the first to storm out of the common room and head to the hospital wing,often covered in warts or boils on one occasion Sirius had walked around school for an entire week a sickly shade of green before James took pity on him.
Remus couldn't help but laugh as he glowered up at the two of them bickering,Sirius was covered head to toe in toothpaste and duck feathers
"what did you do?" Remus laughed heartily as James narrowly avoided Sirius's hex
"i'm sorry Padfoot" James howled as he doubled over with laughter "you should have seen your face though"
"I look like a bloody chicken" Sirius snarled as a group of first years joined in the laughter
"a minty chicken" James grinned proudly just as Sirius's second hex met its mark and James began to dance uncontrollably.
"Sirius" Lily screeched as Remus scrambled to pick up his book so he could avoid the lecture he would no doubt receive
"Remus I saw that" Lily glared accusingly "Sirius go take a shower,James keep still"
"do you think I haven't tried that already?" Sirius grinned as James twirled like a ballerina "they're stuck"
"right" Lily snarled "come on then ill take you to the hospital wing,Remus fix James"
"I'm gonna kill him" James panted as he began ball room dancing by himself as the portrait closed behind Lily and Sirius "make it stop Mooney"
"not just get" Remus laughed as he watched James dance across the room
"I'll tell Lily" James warned while Remus wiped a tear of laughter from his eye
"fine" Remus grumbled while extracting his wand from the gap between the sofa cushions and muttering the counter spell
"about time" James panted as the common room let out a collective groan of disappointment
"i'm here all term" James told them with a brilliant smile as a few people cheered "Remus if anyone asks you got the scar on your neck wrestling a bear" James grinned
"I thought the ones on my forearms were from the bear?" Remus grinned widely
"no those are from the mountain lion" James snorted
"who in their right mind wrestles a bear and a mountain lion?" Remus laughed loudly
"you" James winked "Remus Lupin the man who wrestles bears"
"dare I ask why you're telling people I wrestle bears?" Remus frowned in confusion
"some toss pott Ravenclaw was whispering about your scars out on the grounds yesterday" James told him with a wicked grin "he's still in the hospital wing"
"good" Remus nodded slightly as James stared at him in shock,on his first day at Hogwarts Remus had learnt that other people could be cruel,his scars had been a topic of conversation for weeks in his first year but quickly became old news as people got used to Remus being mother had told him he shouldn't worry what others think,the only opinions that mattered were his own and the people who loved him.
"that's the bell" James sighed sadly as he pulled his school bag over one shoulder "what lesson do we have next anyway?"
"care of magical creatures" Remus grimaced.
Remus had been pressured in to taking care of magical creatures by his aunt and the other Marauders,a decision he quickly animals knew Remus wasn't quite human and panicked when he came near and Sirius had encouraged various story's to spread throughout the school about the times Remus was almost killed by practically everything.
Remus was the only student ever to be attacked by a flobberworm.
"well that was insightful" Lily smiled kindly at Remus over the Gryffindor table
"I don't think animals are your thing mate" James chuckled while refilling Lily's drink
"cats like me" Remus sighed sadly "unicorns however" he added before grimacing down at the bloody bandage on his forearm "hate me"
"unicorns don't like men anyway" Lily shrugged dismissively
"Dumbledore's heading this way with a face like thunder" Sirius whispered quickly as he sat down at the table feather free.
"he really doesn't look happy" Lily whispered worriedly "I've got a bad feeling about this"
"where's Ava?" James asked suddenly as they all looked down at the far end of the table where Ava usually sat alone
"Remus may I speak with you?" Dumbledore asked urgently,walking back out of the great hall before Remus had the chance to respond.
"go" Lily urged him impatiently with a worried expression
"im going" Remus sighed as he jumped up from the bench and ran after the head master
"whats wrong?" Remus asked breathlessly as he caught up with Dumbledore
"not here" he whispered before turning the corner sharply almost slamming in to a sour faced professor McGonagall
"Daniel sent word that Alastor and Zach have arrived at Diagon Alley" she told the headmaster quickly as Remus grew even more confused.
"good,she may stand a chance" Dumbledore smiled hopefully "in here Remus if you please" he asked gesturing towards Professor McGonagall's office door which currently hung open.
"where's Ava?" Remus asked quickly as he slipped through the office door
"that's what everybody would like to know Mr Lupin" McGonagall smiled sadly
"Ava was absent today as her and Edward just moved in to one of the Greenway estates,they left for Diagon Alley two hours ago and Ava has been missing for over an hour"
"she's alive" Remus told them after a long minute of concentration "I can feel her in the back of my mind like a flickering light"
"flickering?" Dumbledore muttered quietly as he shared a concerned look with McGonagall
"it's always been like that" Remus told them quickly "flickering isn't the right word I just can't think of how to describe it"
"that's good news" McGonagall sighed in relief "I'll send an owl to Edward"
"do you have any idea where she may have gone?" Dumbledore asked him softly
"no" Remus told them honestly,startled by the discovery of how little he knew about Ava "I doubt there's any need to panic,she'll be furious with Edward when she resurfaces"
"Remus" Dumbledore sighed sadly "an owl arrived at your aunt's house from the ministry this morning,the ministers arranged a trial against yourself and Ava"
"for what?" Remus asked sounding more calm than he felt
"that remains to be seen" Dumbledore told him seriously "Edward and myself believe Ava was involved in some kind of set up"
"so now they can make it out she's on the run?" Remus asked sourly "she wouldn't hurt a fly"
"we know" McGonagall smiled kindly while sealing her letter "but the minister wants Ava under lock and key for reasons unknown"
"do you think she knows about the soul bond?" Remus asked quietly
"I think she suspects" Dumbledore nodded gravely "she would never dream of taking you because she thinks you're still a werewolf,Ava however comes across as a grumpy kitten"
"what can I do?" Remus asked the headmaster bitterly
"floo to Diagon alley" Dumbledore told him at once "and pray we find her before they do"