Author's Note: I'm giving myself a swift kick in the ass to work harder on updating regularly. I'm using NaNoWriMo to keep myself accountable too, substituting this fanfic for the novel :)

Thanks a bunch for the reviews, follows, and favorites. The number of follows is incredible by the way! Almost 200! Thank you so much!

Reviews are welcome! :D

I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or anything else resembling what J.K. Rowling introduced us all to. Just the plot and OC are mine.


Chapter 13

Avalynn was grateful that Professor Gestirn liked to keep classes brief and used the time mainly to discuss terminology and theory. The young witch could barely concentrate on the material, and was relieved to remember that Regulus would be meeting with her in the Astronomy Tower that night at 10 p.m. along with the other first years. She walked down the corridor, lost in her anxiety ridden thoughts. Taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, Ava tried to organize her thoughts by prioritizing. One, homework. Two, study for Charms test tomorrow. Three, research ANYTHING related to getting myself home. Four, more research, but on pain potions. There's no way the one Madame Pomfrey gave me is the strongest of the Wizarding World. Feeling overwhelmed, but ready to tackle her daunting tasks, Ava heaved a sigh while walking through the entrance to the library. As the young girl approached the table she sat at with Snape, the figure of a person settled in at the neighboring table became clearer. The second that Avalynn realized Remus Lupin was the person occupying that table, she turned and hightailed it out of there. Shaking her head and muttering, "Nope. Absolutely not", Ava realized that the pull towards Remus wasn't stopping her from leaving. Frowning, she thought, Maybe I wasn't in his presence long enough for it to affect me?…Whatever. I CANNOT deal with him and this stupid soulmate bullshit on my own right now.

Pausing outside the library doors, Avalynn quickly decided to try out the Room of Requirement for a place to study. She hoped the room would be able to give her what she wanted, but a small voice in the back of her mind taunted Ava with the idea that the room would sense that she didn't really belong in this world. Finally arriving on the seventh floor, she attempted to gauge whereabout in the corridor the door to the Room of Requirement should be. Twice, she slowly moved down the corridor, testing out a portion of the castle wall a few meters long, pacing back and forth, firmly thinking, I need a place to study, I need a place to study. After pacing in front of the third section of stone wall she tested, a door suddenly appeared. Ava frowned at the door, thinking that it looked quite familiar. With a shrug, she twisted the doorknob and pushed it open. Upon stepping into the room, a gasp left her lips. After staring at the room's configuration for a brief moment, the witch fell to her knees and began to sob.

With her mind focusing on finding a place to study, the room must have drawn from her memories places related to studying because she was looking at a replica of the living room that she shared with her best friends, Grace and Katie, in college. Her emotions were torn. Part of her couldn't help but feel slightly happy and pleased with the room. On the other hand, her stomach dropped to the floor at the thought of never returning home. Never again meeting up for the monthly dinners with her friends to catch up. Never again hearing Grace's contagious giggle. Never again being on the receiving end of Katie's snarky comments. Never again snuggling with her dog, Moose, on lazy weekend mornings. Never again hugging her mom tightly and giving reassurance that everything was just fine and her life was great. A loud sob burst out of Ava with that last thought. Her mom was a little overbearing, but she just wanted the best for Ava. She couldn't imagine her mom's reaction to where her life was right at this moment. Everything was most definitely not fine. For a split second, Avalynn tried to calm herself down, but her resolve crumbled and she let the tears flow as she sat on the floor with knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around herself. Breaking down made her realize how much worry and panic she had been keeping in, and after a few minutes her cries subsided and turned to sniffles. Teary eyed, Ava slowly walked around the room, taking in the little details, like the exact picture frames, books, and cutesy trinkets they kept out on display. Placing her bag on the coffee table, she reverently picked up a folded crochet blanket from the back of the couch and slowly brought it to her face. Breathing in the familiar scent of her late grandmother's handiwork forced a watery smile onto Ava's face. C'mon, Avalynn, you can do this, she thought. You have to do this. Letting out a shuddering breath, the young witch settled down and silently began to work on her class assignments.

In what felt like no time at all, an annoying alarm clock sounded throughout the room, startling Ava from her practicing of second year Charms. Checking the wristwatch that Professor McGonagall had gifted to her, Ava realized that dinner was starting in a mere five minutes. She hurriedly packed her bags and quickly made her way down to the Great Hall. Knowing she was a slow eater, Ava didn't want to miss any more of the meal than she was already going to. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady her nerves, the witch stepped into the cavernous dining hall and scanned the Gryffindor table for her friends. Although, we almost weren't friends any longer, she thought. With an internal sigh, she added, We'll see if the boys can actually behave themselves like they say they will. The Marauders and usual suspects were already digging into their meals as Ava sat down in the small empty spot between James and Sirius. They each slid down the bench a bit to give her enough space to sit, and as soon as Ava dished up her plate, she gently poked Sirius' leg. In response, the Black heir silently reached out his hand for the witch to hold onto. She had briefly glanced at Remus when she arrived, but it was difficult to avoid the werewolf's gaze since he was sitting right across from her. Both took a bite of their dinners and managed to lock eyes, even though Ava was trying desperately to avoid such a thing. The magic within Avalynn flared instantly, coaxing her towards Remus. Her spine straightened and she leaned forward slightly. Not wanting a repeat of her actions during breakfast, Ava clenched her fingers around Sirius' and tucked her other trembling hand under her thigh.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Avalynn's magic was fed up with her resistance. In its insistence for physical contact with her soulmate, the magic within her began to hum pleasantly, spreading a soft, cozy warmth throughout her body, emanating from her chest. After a few seconds of registering the feeling, Ava began to feel light and somewhat giddy. She looked deep into Remus' green eyes and drank in his handsome face. She secretly thought the scars made him look rugged, and a little giggle erupted from her. If the witch had been in her right mind, she would've noticed the others giving her odd looks. Why shouldn't I touch him? she thought. It's not like I'd be hurting anyone. Who knows? Remus might like it. Without further hesitation, Ava's hand slowly began to slip out from underneath her thigh. She was about to raise it above the table and reach out for the werewolf when Sirius spoke.

"You alright there, Ava?" Sirius asked with a slight squeeze of her hand.

The physical reminder of where her hand was placed, caused Ava to look at the black haired wizard. Her drunken, dazed look did nothing to assuage Sirius' concern. He placed his free hand on her cheek. "Avalynn, are you okay?" he asked in a more firm tone than before. She didn't know whether it was the worry lacing his voice or the additional touch, but Ava managed to snap out of whatever trance she had been in.

Harsh reality settled in quickly, causing her to panic at the realization that she may not be in complete control of her body anymore. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and stood form the table. "I'm fine. I've just got a lot of work to do. See you guys tomorrow," she said, casting a quick glance at Sirius and no one else before retreating from the Great Hall. Once the witch was a good distance from the hall, she glanced around to make sure no one else was around. Looking heatedly down at her chest she whispered, "You listen to me, you…magic. Yeah..magic! You're my magic! Mine. I'm not yours. You can't just make me do stuff just because you want to. You made me feel drunk practically. No under-aged, magical intoxication for this girl, thank you." Upon not hearing or feeling any sort of response, Ava felt incredibly silly. She let out a frustrated groan. "This is ridiculous. I don't know if you're actually self-aware or whatever, but you can't do this. Besides the fact that you shouldn't just make people magically fall in love, I've got plenty of other shit to worry about right now." Once again, she was given no sort of reply. With a huff, she stalked down the corridor to the library. Heading to the table she shared with Snape, she spotted the Slytherin already settled in. With a grunt, she plopped herself down.

"What's got your feathers in a ruffle, McGonagall?" he asked without looking up from his parchment.

Ava tilted her head and curiously asked, "How'd you know it was me?"

At this, the boy glanced up, revealing a raised brow. "Not a single other person in this castle would dare disturb me whilst in the library. Even Regulus knows to remain silent until I've arrived at a good stopping point and acknowledge him."

Ava laughed and raise a hand to her chest, seemingly scandalized. "Well, excuse me, Mr. Snape. I daren't interrupt your great mind henceforth," she mocked.

The corners of his mouth twitched before he replied, "Indeed."

"Do you mind if I just do some studying here for a while? I've got an Astronomy lesson at ten, so I'd rather be productive until then."

"I suppose," Snape grumbled, but he didn't appear to actually be upset Ava thought.

After hours of pouring over her textbooks for History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration, and two snacks summoned via Flopsy, it was time for Ava to head up to the Astronomy Tower. Parting ways outside the library door, Snape made his way down to the dungeons whilst Ava began to climb the infinite amount of stone staircases up the tower. Out of breath and sweating, the witch joined the class for her first practical lesson in understanding the stars. She was grateful for Regulus' presence, for without him, she didn't think it would've been possible for her to manage doing every part of the assignment correctly. Unfortunately for Ava, a certain amount of mathematics and graphing were involved in mapping out the constellations before she could even attempt to answer the short response questions that followed. After the lesson, Regulus, ever the gentleman, once again walked Ava back to her shared quarters with Professor McGonagall. She flashed him a smile in appreciation when he didn't move to take her hand and kiss it before saying goodbye.

Once in the living room, Ava set her bag down and let out an exhausted sigh. Her aunt was reading a book on the sofa, so the witch dropped herself down into one of the big chairs. "How was your day, dear?" McGonagall asked.

"It was pretty good, overall. Classes are still going well, but History of Magic is dreadfully boring with Binns as the professor." With a slight flinch, she looked over at the older witch to see her frowning.

"Yes, well, I'm sure you'll still do well. If you feel the need for tutoring in that subject as well, just let me know," the professor said.

Thinking over her day and what else Ava could share with her aunt, she remembered having to take the potion earlier in the day than usual. Not wanting to alarm McGonagall, she simply asked, "So, that potion that Madame Pomfrey has me taking? Is that really the strongest pain potion available?"

With narrowed eyes, McGonagall asked, "And why exactly do you need to know that, young lady? Is there anything I should know?"

Ava shrugged and merely said, "I was just curious in case this whole connection thing starts to get worse."

"I certainly hope it won't come to that, my dear girl. The potion you're taking is the highest amount of pain potion dosage you can get from Hogwarts, or even St. Mungo's. Anything stronger will more than likely have terrible side effects due to the potency."

"Hmm," was all Ava said. Just a moment later, she stood and announced that she was getting into bed. She couldn't help but go to sleep with a smile on her face, thrilled at the successful second day of classes.


Both Remus and Moony were slightly frustrated at their lack of interaction with Avalynn. Moony had more…animalistic reasons to want to be close to the girl, but the wizard just wanted to get to know her better. For some reason he couldn't help but be curious about her, and she was extremely pretty to boot. Determined to strike up a conversation with her over breakfast, the werewolf asked his Animagus friends for topics that Ava would feel comfortable discussing. He knew about her parents and living situation, and didn't want to accidentally dredge up some hurtful memory. He took in Ava as she approached the Gryffindor table. Her long, wavy blond hair was pulled back into a relaxed braid this morning and he noticed that she seemed to be walking with more confidence. The other times he noticed her walking in or out of the Great Hall, her shoulders were slumped, looking as though she'd like to disappear. He could understand though. He had had plenty of people stare at him over the years due to the scars on his face, it was just that mostly everyone at Hogwarts had gotten used to them. Thinking back to the times when Ava stood up to James and Sirius over her befriending of the Slytherins, he recalled that she had absolutely no trouble standing tall and firmly planting herself in front of his angered friends. Once again, a quick, flash of a thought passed from Moony to him. She's a strong, loyal Alpha. Perfect mate. Remus choked on the bite of scrambled eggs that he was chewing. Though, the arrival of Ava prevented him from reflecting on that last thought for too long.

She flashed him a lovely smile, so he politely asked, "So, how's everything going, Ava?"

The witch's eyes widened briefly before her hands disappeared beneath the table, just like yesterday, he noticed. Remus couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but it was awfully suspicious that Sirius' right hand dropped to his lap immediately after Ava placed hers down there as well. Feeling Moony stirring in agitation, the sandy haired wizard tried to quickly move along the conversation. "How are classes and studying?"

Ava appeared slightly dazed before jumping slightly in her seat. With a shake of her head, she used her free hand to dish up her meal and said, "I think they're going really well so far. I'm sure that I'll catch up in no time. I'm already taking the second year exam for Charms today and the first year Transfiguration exam on Friday."

Remus raised his eyebrows in surprise. Of course, they had all chatted about how long they thought it would take Ava to master the spells and other material before she would be in their seventh year classes.

"That's pretty impressive, Ava," Lily piped up. "I'm sure you'll be learning alongside us soon enough," she added with a wink.

The beaming smile that made its way onto Avalynn's face was mesmerizing to Remus. Her whole face transformed and he decided then and there that he always wanted to see her that happy.

"Of course, she will be my sweet Lily flower," James announced, sounding proud. He bumped Ava's shoulder gently with a smile, earning a fond look from the red-head. "Speaking of flowers," the Potter heir continued as he reached behind his back, muttering a spell under his breath. When his hand returned, it was filled with a colorful bouquet of wildflowers. Lily's eyes widened as James held them out for her to take.

"Thank you, James. They're beautiful."

"Almost as beautiful as you, Evans," he quipped with a wink. Lily may have rolled her eyes, but the smile remained on her face as she and Alice took turns smelling the flowers.

Remus was thankful that his friend had learned to tone down the romantic gestures for his love interest. Looking back to the witch he was interested in, the werewolf noticed her staring resolutely at her plate while consuming her meal. It almost seemed like she didn't want to talk to him. Nervously clearing his throat, he tried another line of questioning. "So, do you like Quidditch?"


It was taking everything Avalynn had to not laugh at the question Remus just asked her. Quidditch? Really? It made her think of Harry and Ron and how most of what they talked about was classes, Quidditch, and whatever shenanigans they were up to that year. With a small smile she said, "I've actually never seen a match." After the bursts of incredulity from James, Peter, and Sirius, Ava added, "I've never flown either." She laughed at the repeat shouts of astonishment, but explained, "I'm not really fond of heights anyway, so I probably wouldn't like being on a broom anyhow."

James was shaking his head emphatically. "Nope. You won't know until you try, and you're definitely gonna try. I won't let you not try it out. Flying is amazing."

The witch just rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever you say, James." Doubling check her schedule, Ava saw that she had double Charms that morning before lunch.

After saying their goodbyes, Ava headed off to the Charms classroom, intensely focused on mentally reviewing the Charms for second year. During the actual class, she took the written portion of the exam and then she completed the practical portion by performing the spells for Professor Flitwick immediately after class ended. Thankfully, the small professor had created a Charm to grade the multiple choice questions quickly. With only a few short response questions to read over, Flitwick handed Ava back her test with a smile. "You did wonderfully, Ms. McGonagall."

Returning his smile with one of her own, Ava quickly said "Thank you, professor," before heading out of the classroom for lunch. Even though Ava had passed first and second year Charms, she recognized that those spells would more than likely be the easiest and that was only for one subject. Doesn't matter how long it'll take, she thought determinedly, You are learning MAGIC! How awesome is that? Besides, no slowing down. She couldn't stop her worries of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. As she stepped out of Charms class, she almost walked into Professor McGonagall.

"Oh, hello, Ava. I was coming to accompany you to the Great Hall for lunch," the professor said. Still a little lost in her thoughts, Ava silently nodded and they started walking towards the staircase.

"So, how did the exam go?" McGonagall asked.

"I passed!" the young witch shouted with glee.

The professor smiled. "Congratulations, Ava."

"Is my schedule going to change now that I've passed second year Charms?"

McGonagall frowned and hesitantly said, "Well, I'd rather you remain in the second year class for the rest of this week since you'll also be taking the Transfiguration exam Friday. There's no sense in changing your schedule for two days just to change it again."

Ava huffed, but relented. She knew that made the most sense. Thinking back to her worries about Voldemort, Ava lowered her voice and asked, "What about joining the Order?" At her aunt's furrowed brow, she quickly added, "I know I'm not ready for missions or whatever, but I can tell you things that might help."

The professor nodded. "I will have to think about it."

Ava realized that that was the best answer she could hope for the time being. As her magical abilities increased, she would push harder to be an active part of the Order. Changing topics, she said, "I'll need some more pain potions from Madame Pomfrey. I noticed that there's only two bottles left after the one I'll use for today."

McGonagall looked alarmed when she caught Ava's wording. "Are you taking a vial of the potion each day?"

With a slight wince, Ava admitted, "It's about every 18-24 hours I think actually."

The older witch let out a small gasp. "Oh, dear. I'll speak with Poppy during lunch." After receiving thanks from the young girl, the professor informed Ava that Mr. Shacklebolt would be tutoring her after dinner in the Transfiguration classroom since they'll need to space to practice casting. Once in the Great Hall, the witches parted ways. Ava plopped down in her usual seat, thankful that she arrived before the Marauders. It was difficult for her to eat, whilst resisting the magic pulling her to Remus, and trying not to go all "drunken love" in front of everyone. Because apparently that's something I have to worry about now! she thought with annoyance at the idea of her magic and body turning against her. Once her Gryffindor friends arrived, Ava allowed for Sirius to get a plate full of food before reaching for his hand and intertwining their fingers. She could feel her mind starting to go a little fuzzy when she looked at Remus for too long, so she consciously flickered her gaze around the table throughout lunch, only resting on the werewolf for a couple of seconds.

Just when Ava thought the meal wasn't turning out to be too problematic, the pain in her chest flared, sending out a relatively subtle wave of discomfort through her body. She twitched at the sudden pain, reflexively squeezing Sirius' hand. The Animagus looked to the witch in concern, furrowing his brow when Ava's hand jerked in his once more.

James placed his hand on Ava's shoulder. "Ava? You feeling okay?" he asked worriedly. He looked over her bent head at Sirius, trying to communicate telepathically that he thought the witch might be having another episode.

Shuddering through the surprising waves of pain, Ava opened her mouth to claim she was fine, but what came out what a gasp. The pressure in her chest increased rapidly, causing her eyes to begin to water. Knowing that she needed her potion, and now, she shakily stood up and headed towards the giant entrance without saying goodbye. Sharing a brief look, James and Sirius muttered goodbyes with the excuse to just double check on Ava. Fortunately for the young witch, the boys sprinted to catch up with her just outside the doors of the Great Hall. She was holding a hand to her chest as she stumbled towards the wall of the corridor, and nearly collapsed before Sirius grabbed a hold of her. Ava let out a whimper of pain, increasing the boys' alarm.

"What do you need, Ava?" Sirius hurriedly whispered as James ushered them behind a wide tapestry they knew covered a decent amount of space from prying eyes, which they learned about from their Marauder proclivities.

"The..the p-potion," she managed to stutter out in between pained breaths as she began to sink to the floor, taking Sirius with her.

Immediately, James took her school bag from her and dug around until he felt glass. Triumphantly pulling his hand out of the bag, he realized it was just a bottle of ink. With another pained whimper from Ava, he cursed colorfully and upended the contents of the bag onto the floor. Spreading out the items, he quickly spotted the potion and handed it to Sirius.

"C'mon, Ava," Sirius said as he uncorked the vial. Ava just groaned and started to curl in on herself. "No, no, you can't do that, Ava. I need you to drink the potion," he said firmly. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and Sirius thought his heart might just break. The look on her face reminded him of Reggie when he'd get in trouble at home and Sirius would be the one to help him heal and recover. With renewed determination, he cupped Ava's jaw and brought the potion to her mouth. "I'll plug your nose if you don't drink it."

The witch's eyes widened and she acquiesced. The relief was nearly instant and Ava let her body relax into Sirius. She wrapped her arms around him and took a minute to calm down her tears and runny nose. The Animagus sighed and rubbed her back soothingly.

However, James demanded answers. "What the fuck, Ava?" he whisper shouted. "You told us that you would keep up with taking the potion regularly so that this specifically wouldn't happen again."

Ava sighed. "I know, James. It just came on a lot faster than it usually does." She omitted the fact that her need for the potion was growing.

"Well, she'll be more careful in the future, right Ava?" Sirius asked while looking down at her pointedly.

Realizing how she was slightly tangled with Sirius, the witch nodded with reddened cheeks as she moved away from him.

Of course, James noticed and with a grin said, "So, what's with the whole hand-holding thing? You can't have thought I wouldn't notice. Is there more going on between you two?"

Ava blushed profusely and stammered, unable to get out a coherent response. Sirius chuckled and shook his head. Finally able to speak, Ava firmly said, "Absolutely not!" and shook her head no as well.

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much," Sirius quipped, earning a punch in the arm from James.

"She's for Moony, Padfoot," James admonished.

"I am not for anyone, James," Ava replied hotly. Both boys raised their hands in surrender, knowing her soulmate connection with Remus was a sore subject. Gathering her supplies and reorganizing her school bag, Ava said, "I need to head to Defense. I'll see you later." However, both boys protested, claiming they needed to escort her themselves to be sure that she arrived to class safely. The witch may have rolled her eyes, but she allowed the boys to accompany her. As they stepped out from behind the tapestry, they didn't spot the two figures in the shadows, watching the trio carefully. Too caught up in Ava's pain earlier, neither the protective boys nor Ava noticed the two inquisitive Slytherins that had followed them out of the Great Hall, watching the entire scene before they disappeared behind the tapestry.

Upon arriving at the Defense classroom, Ava managed to startle her protective detail by shouting out for Benedict. She was waving hello, when she caught Sirius snorting in amusement. "What?" Ava asked with a frown.

"You have quite the odd habit of befriending the snakes," Sirius told her.

James squinted at Benedict's tie and let out a breathy laugh. "Well, at least these snakes are just babies. They shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Ava crossed her arms as she tersely stated, "Of course not. Benedict and his friends are pleasant company."

Padfoot moved to speak again, but luckily James interrupted him with the reminder that they needed to get out to Herbology. A quick goodbye later, and Avalynn was joining her new Slytherin acquaintances in line.


Sirius and James darted through the corridors and out onto the grounds of the school, barely managing to arrive to class on time. Taking their spots at the predetermined stations in the greenhouse, Remus asked, "Is Ava alright?", with Peter and Lily leaning in to hear an answer from either of the boys.

"She's just still adjusting to Hogwarts and dealing with her mum's death," James informed them. Sirius nodded in agreement, after which Lily and Peter seemed to accept their answer easily enough. Remus narrowed his eyes at the two trouble makers though, not convinced that they were telling the truth. When neither James nor Sirius cracked under his gaze, he knew they wouldn't change their explanation of what happened with Ava. He left it alone all during class, but by the end of the lesson, he was ready to pull his own hair out, as was Moony. The wolf had been pacing anxiously since Ava dashed out of the Great Hall without a word.

Remus pulled his two friends back from the group of students as they made their way back up to the castle. "What's really going on with Ava, guys?" If he hadn't known his friends as well as he did, he would've missed the guilt and panic that flashed across their faces at his question.

"You'd have to ask Ava, Moony," Sirius said.

"Yeah, it's not our story to tell," James added.

Without waiting for a response from the werewolf, the boys continued their trek to the castle. Unfortunately for Remus, he didn't feel that he and the new witch knew each other well enough yet for him to ask her directly. He would need to get to know her better, and clearly just talking to her during meals wasn't going to work. Remus was determined to think of some way to get closer to Ava, and he could feel Moony rumble out a noise of agreement.


Meanwhile, Avalynn was bored out of her mind in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Today's lesson was focused on theory, so no wand waving for them, and she wasn't able to chat with Benedict at all either. Of course, Potions was more theory, but Ava was able to take her previous seat next to Benedict, once more helping him take notes. On her way to the library to meet up with Snape for Potions tutoring, Ava's thoughts revolved around the pain potion that she was currently taking. There's gotta be a stronger version. She was contemplating doing some research on pain potions when she realized that Snape would probably know. Hell, he could probably create one, she thought brightly.

This time, Avalynn arrived at their designated study table first, so she took out her Potions notes and textbook, readying herself for Snape's arrival. The first thirty minutes or so passed as their session had the other day. The Slytherin had Ava revise her notes, read over the next potion in her textbook, and then he would quiz her on it. However, the witch was too distracted by the idea of him knowing how to help her manage the pain from the connection to Remus. The trouble was that she just didn't know how to approach the topic discreetly.

Snape flicked his head up, catching Ava staring for the fifth time within a single minute. "What, McGonagall?"

"Hmm?" Ava said, glancing back down at her book.

The Slytherin huffed and set down his quill. "You obviously have something on your mind, so get on with it so I can continue my work in peace."

Ava opened her mouth but no sound came out. She could see the start of a sneer forming, so she blurted out, "What do you know about pain potions?" Snape merely raised an eyebrow. She added, "Do you know if there's a way to make pain potions stronger or last longer?"

Before his inner Slytherin could stop himself, Snape's intellect broke through his thoughts first. "Well, there are stronger potions than the average ones that healers use, but those can only be taken once or in small doses before the side effects become detrimental." He pondered for a moment before continuing, "I suppose that the original recipe of a standard pain potion could be altered so that the pain relief would last longer. There are ingredients that should be able to do that, or the temperature…" When he finally noticed how genuinely interested Ava was, he narrowed his eyes. "Why, exactly, are you asking about pain potions?"

The witch really didn't want to lie to him, but she felt as though their friendship was too new for her to be completely truthful with him. She also couldn't help but think that demanding a Wizard's Oath from Snape wouldn't go over well. "I have a, uh, well, it's a sort of condition. It flares up occasionally with painful side effects, and the potion I'm on now is starting to not work as well."

"Does your…condition have anything to do with your hasty departure from the Great Hall earlier this afternoon?" he aptly guessed.

Ava pursed her lips, but nodded. Sneaky Slytherins, she thought.

Snape was intrigued by the experimental aspect of working on a potion with Ava because he would actually have a test subject as well. The wizard nodded to himself. "I will conduct some experiments for you, but I have conditions."

Ava grinned. "I would expect nothing less from you, Severus Snape."

Frowning and choosing to ignore the ominous undertone of her comment, he explained, "I have set hours in the Potions lab already. You are to accompany me there during those hours since you need to learn more about actually brewing potions, but you will also assist me in preparing ingredients. I will accept nothing less than excellence. There's no room for dunderhead mistakes if you are to be consuming these potions, Avalynn."

The girl was taken aback by the use of her first name, but it just reminded her how serious potion-making was. Trying to lighten the mood, she joked, "Why, Severus, if you wanted to hang out with me more, simply ask next time." The Slytherin did not appear amused in the slightest, so she quickly added, "I think that's a great idea though. Potions class is boring as Hell right now. When should we meet up?"

"After dinner tomorrow and Friday." He was surprised when she didn't protest about her Friday night being taken up. "What? No Friday night plans?" he joked halfheartedly. He wasn't quite sure how his comment would be received.

Ava smiled sadly, realizing that she truly didn't have any plans for Friday or the rest of the weekend. No one had asked her to do anything. "Nope, no plans. Just you, me, and cauldron with our names on it," she said with a slightly brighter smile. Ava's comment made the corner of Snape's mouth move up, earning her a near smile. "You wanna head to dinner?" she asked.

With a nod from the wizard, they both packed up their bags and walked to the Great Hall together, amiably chatting about classes. The massive entrance to the dining hall was in sight when they were intercepted by the Marauders.

"Oi!" Sirius bellowed as he and James instinctively pulled out their wands.

Avalynn angled herself slightly in front of Snape. "You should mind your manners, Sirius Black and James Potter!" she reminded them sternly.

Apparently, Severus just couldn't help himself. "Don't get your hopes up, McGonagall. That'll be the day," he sneered in the boys' direction.

Before any of the Marauders could respond, Ava loudly said, "I know deep, deep, deep down, they are both true gentlemen who will learn to let others associate with whom they choose to." Without waiting for a rebuttal, she looped her arm through Snape's and pulled him to continue down the corridor towards the Great Hall.

As soon as they were out of ear shot from the Marauders, Snape leaned down and hissed, "What are you doing?" Her silent smile irritated him to no end, so he muttered something about being manhandled by a witch he barely knew, forcing a laugh from Ava.

"We should remedy that issue then," she told him.


All four of the Marauders stood staring after Ava and Snape with their mouths agape. James was the first to speak, "The nerve! We're just trying to protect her."

Sirius snorted and said, "Well, she's a true Gryffindor alright." With his friends looking to him for elaboration, he added, "For being in such close contact with Snivellus' greasy hair. That thing's liable to catch a flame."

Padfoot's joke earned a laugh from James and Peter, but Remus had been done with their schoolyard taunting for some time and Ava was just the extra push he needed. "She's right, guys." The three boys groaned in unison, sensing an oncoming lecture by Moony's tone. "No, I'm serious." He glared at Sirius, daring him to try and make a joke. "We're almost out of school and you need to put that childish behavior and way of thinking behind you. Clearly, Ava's been with Snape multiple times and nothing has happened to her." With a grimace, he said, "And I know he called Lily the M-word, but remember how much he apologized afterwards? With how much James made fun of him for hanging outside our common room, you'd think he was plenty remorseful. He probably just took out his anger for us on Lily." He took off in the direction of the Great Hall, not wanting to hear their response to his last comment. That whole situation was a sore subject, one he'd rather avoid. He just couldn't condone the bullying behavior anymore. He felt especially shameful about it in front of Ava. Rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, he approached the Gryffindor table, instantly spotting Avalynn. Once more, he became distracted just by looking at her. She was currently conversing with Lily and Alice and was smiling so genuinely, he had to wonder what on earth could've set her off during lunch. Internally sighing at his developing crush, Remus took his seat across from the beautiful witch. She had clearly won Moony over, but Remus was still too reluctant to think of her in such a way. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was just something about her that drew him in.