Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! I'm extra excited for this one because it introduces some more conflict :)

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Also, Merry Christmas everyone! :D


Chapter 19

Avalynn greeted the next day in a rather somber manner. She woke early, tangled in her sheets, struggling to sleep after delving through all of her memories relating to the Wizarding World. The young witch quietly got dressed and waited for her aunt in the kitchen, sitting at the small dining table while slowly reviewing the information she wrote down in her charmed notebook the night before. She gingerly turned the pages, as if being too rough would cause the events to come to fruition. Not too much later, the professor joined Ava, greeting her with a surprised, "Good morning."

"I couldn't sleep," Ava explained as she held up the notebook containing the neatly organized catastrophes that could befall the Wizarding World. McGonagall eyed the bundle of parchment with trepidation. "I still need to finish organizing the events chronologically, but this is as much as I could remember. At least, as of last night. I might remember more. The numbers next to the events represent the order that I think they happened in.

Her aunt slowly reached out for the notebook, and scanned the first page, almost too quickly for comprehension. Without warning, she snapped it shut and shoved it across the table towards Ava. "I think it would be best if I looked over your notes once they were all organized."

Ava merely nodded, as she didn't want to draw attention to the fact that it was obvious the older witch wasn't ready to face the details of their possible dark future. Having already taken a pain potion when she first woke up, Ava double-checked her schoolbag for another two vials, making sure to have a back-up dose. This version of Severus's potion worked the best so far, so she shouldn't need the next one until around the start of Potions, her last class of the day. The reminder of that particular class caused Ava to sadden a little because she would be taking the first-year exam on Monday, only a weekend away, and then she wouldn't be able to see Benedict in any of her classes at all. The young witch knew that, technically, she could sit with the little Slytherin at his House table during meal times, but she wasn't trying to draw any unnecessary attention to herself. Over the weeks, she managed to catch the names of Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, McNair, and Yaxley who were known Death Eaters, besides Severus, Regulus, and Lucius Malfoy, that she already knew of, and she had no desire to test them by joining their table for meals.

Professor McGonagall had left to prepare her classroom for the day, leaving Ava alone with her thoughts. She felt slightly more in control of her situation now that she had begun to record all of her memories about the First Wizarding War and everything that led up to the Second Wizarding War. Letting out a slow breath, she tried to keep the pressure to ensure everyone's safety from overwhelming her. She was pulled from her thoughts by a knock on the door. Frowning, she stood and opened the door to reveal Sirius, seemingly bouncing with excitement if the wide grin on his face was anything to go by. "Hey," she said. As she peered closer at his face, Sirius's smile seem to falter. Her eyes widened when she realized the skin around his left eye and cheekbone were bruised as though someone had punched him. "What happened?!" she exclaimed while turning around to grab her schoolbag quickly. Sirius had yet to answer, so when Ava closed the door behind her and stepped out into the corridor, her hands went to her hips as she declared, "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."

Sirius huffed. "It's not that big of a deal. If anything, it's a good thing."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, fighting is always the solution."

"It is if it gets Remus to admit that he has feelings for you," he said with a smirk.

Ava's mouth hung open for a few moments before she repeated, "Remus said that he has feelings for me?"

His smirk morphed into a frown. "Well, I don't think he said it exactly like that, but yeah, he basically did."

Ava huffed as she smacked Sirius on the arm. "That's not the same."

"Oi! This is how you treat the man that brings you this joyous news?"

Her eyes narrowed as she pointed a threatening finger at the Animagus. "You need to tell me every detail, Sirius Black. Don't leave anything out."

He let out a small groan, but relented. While the pair made their way to the Great Hall, Sirius filled Ava in on everything that happened the moment he returned to Gryffindor Tower the night before. As he revealed more of the story, especially about Moony claiming her as his mate, Ava's heart rate increased. I can't believe it, she thought with a smile. The witch was rather pleased that Remus and Moony seemed to care for her, but she didn't dare voice those thoughts to Sirius. Maybe there's hope after all. Ava thought about the idea of Remus acting on any feelings he has for her, and suddenly, she wasn't so pleased with the turn of events. What about the time line? Her mind jumped to thinking about the future and she gasped, stopping in the corridor and startling Sirius. What about Tonks and Teddy? she questioned herself as tears pricked at her eyes. She couldn't knowingly take away Remus's future family.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked worriedly, his gaze flicking up and down the hallway. Ava sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. "What is it, Ava?" he pestered.

She slowly looked up at him with a frown. "Does Andromeda have daughter?"

His eyes widened, then narrowed. "You can't ask a question like that without an explanation."

"Just answer the question, Sirius."

He stared at Ava for a moment. "Yeah, she's got a daughter. Nymphadora, or something equally ridiculous. Poor kid. What's she got to do with anything?"

Ava shrugged and she tried to discreetly wipe her eyes. "Nothing." She paused. "You know, Remus could have someone else out there who he's supposed to be with."

Sirius is more clever than anyone gives him credit for because he slowly asked, "In those books you read, was Remus in a, uh, relationship with my little cousin?"

Ava nodded. "They even had a kid together." She frowned and looked resolutely at the ground, afraid to see Sirius's face.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "You know that you belong with him, right?"

"You think so?" she asked, without looking up.

"I'm certain of it, Ava. That spell wouldn't have worked, otherwise. It pulled you here from entire other world! You two are soulmates. That's a big deal."

She glanced up to see if there was any doubt lingering on his face. "Are you sure? Like, one hundred percent sure? I don't want to take away a potential future from him." While that may have been the thoughts that she vocalized, her magic sent a flicker of pain throughout her chest and limbs in protest.

Sirius wrapped an arm around Ava. "I'm positive. Even if I weren't, how else do you think a soulmate spell is supposed to work, huh? Besides, my cousin's only four."

Ava laughed and leaned closer to him, whispering, "Don't you remember that I'm actually about ten years older? I only look seventeen." She frowned. "Although, I swear I feel like I'm seventeen again, what with the emotions and hormones I'm experiencing."

Sirius chuckled and made a cheeky comment about her being a cougar on the prowl for a furry mate. Ava rolled her eyes at him and felt lighter regardless of his teasing. Maybe I need to stop over thinking everything, she thought. Moony did say that I was his mate. She smiled up at Sirius. "I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Remus wanted to be with me." In response, Ava could feel her magic celebrating, racing throughout her body, causing her to pleasantly warm from the inside out. The pair walked into the Great Hall, laughing and in high spirits.

As they approached the Gryffindor table, Sirius spotted Remus standing at the Hufflepuff table, talking to a girl who was smiling and nodding her head vigorously. Ava frowned, but continued moving towards their usual spots with her friend. They both sat down to join the others, except for Remus, and began to eat breakfast. Ava devoted most of her concentration to not looking over at the Hufflepuff table with her burning interest. Just a minute later, Remus joined the group, ignoring all of the questioning looks from his friends.

James cleared his throat and asked what everyone else was wondering. "So, Remus, what was that all about over there with Allison Clover?"

Ava's eyes flicked up to Remus, desperate for his answer. She saw the werewolf swallow and shift in his seat before he responded. "I asked her to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend," he said with reddened cheeks.

Ava froze, with her fork halfway to her mouth. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Nothing beyond the realization that Remus didn't want anything to do with her. Without looking, she heard James drop his fork and Sirius choke on the bite of food in his mouth. They began whisper shouting at Remus, something about not listening to their conversation last night and wanting to know where his feelings for the Clover girl suddenly came from.

Her mind was racing and she felt the telltale spark of pain behind her ribs, signaling an approaching episode. Without saying a word or making eye contact with anyone, Ava stood and left the Great Hall. She stopped right outside the giant doors to take a few sips of the potion that Severus created, hoping that it would be enough to help the episode subside. I only took the first dose a couple of hours ago, she bemoaned. Someone tapped Ava on the shoulder, so she turned, ready to explain what happened to Sirius or James, but she was surprised to see that it was Lily who decided to come after her.

"Hey, Ava," the redhead said hesitantly. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I think James and Sirius might be a little too irritated with Remus right now to consider your feelings."

"Feelings?"

Lily laced her hands together and she looked directly into Ava's eyes. "Yes, your feelings." Ava stared at the girl silently with her arms crossed. "It would make sense for you to be upset that Remus asked another girl out." Ava shifted on her feet and looked away from Lily, seemingly more interested in the portraits displayed on the wall over Lily's shoulder. "I thought about it some more after that day when James and Sirius were late to breakfast, and you may think you're being subtle, but your eyes always find Remus at the table and you always perk up when he starts talking. It's perfectly normal to have feelings for someone, you know? You can talk to me." Ava's gaze flicked back to Lily, who was giving her a reassuring smile.

She let out a sigh. "I need a Wizard's Oath first, if I'm going to tell you the truth," Ava joked.

Lily laughed and said, "What about a witch's oath? Us girls have got to stick together." Ava stayed silent, mentally debating the merits of letting Lily into her Circle of Trust. "I've been meaning to spend more time with you," the redhead continued. "We've got a lot in common, you know? I also grew up in the Muggle world, so I know what it's like having the whole concept of magic and the entire secret of the Wizarding World dumped on you. I also give priorities to my studies, like you, and Lord knows that I'd be panicking like no other if I had been introduced to magic so late, like you have." Lily must've realized how that sounded because she flinched and grimaced.

Ava waved her off as she sensed an apology making it's way out of the other girl's mouth. "I know what you meant, it's fine. I really appreciate you coming to check on me." She fiddled with her hands in front of her, wanting to confide in Lily, but not necessarily wanting to tell the whole truth. Ava looked up when the girl reached out and gave her arm a comforting squeeze.

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, Ava. I just figured you might want someone to talk to that isn't Sirius or James."

Realizing how right Lily was, Ava let out a quick breath through her nose before saying, "I guess I do have, um, feelings for Remus."

"I knew it!" Lily exclaimed with a grin. Ava looked at the girl with her jaw hanging open slightly, and Lily muttered, "Sorry," before schooling her expression back to a more serious and attentive one.

Ava gave her a small smile as she shook her head. "Yes, well, it's a bit more than just a passing crush, so it's rather upsetting that he asked that other girl out. Especially when I thought that he liked me," Ava trailed off throughout that last sentence. Frowning, she mentally reprimanded herself. 'I thought that he liked me'?! How old are you, Avalynn? Good God. I'm truly a teenager again. Ava ran a hand over her face.

Lily tutted. "I'm sure Remus will come to his senses soon enough. It's only one date, and they're only going to Hogsmeade. Everyone does that, it's nothing special." She bumped Ava's shoulder with her own. "You seem like a great girl, Ava. We just have to make sure that Remus sees that."

"We?"

"Yep," she said while looping her arm through Ava's. "Remus and I have study sessions together, so I'll put in a good word for you."

"Really?" Ava asked as they began to walk down the corridor together. "Why?" Lily stopped walking and looked at her with confusion written all over her face. "Why would you help me? Maybe Remus is supposed to be with that other girl, you don't know." Ava could feel tears starting to form in her eyes against her will at the mere thought of him being with someone else.

Lily grabbed Ava's shoulders and turned the girl towards her. Making direct eye contact, she asked, "Do you really think Remus should date Allison Clover?"

Anger flashed across Ava's face. "Well, no, I don't. But—"

"Tell me exactly how you feel about Remus."

Ava rolled her eyes, but her expression grew more serious when she realized that Lily was still waiting for an answer. "My heart races every time I see him." She let out a breath. "I can barely control myself around him. It's like my magic is reaching out for him, and it gets excited every time we're close." She finished and a tear dripped slowly down her face.

Lily smiled softly at Ava and reached up to wipe the tear away. "And that is why I'm helping you. I can tell that you really care about him. He's a wonderful person who deserves the best." Lily tugged on Ava's arm and they began walking once more. "And that Clover girl is a total slag," Lily added nonchalantly.

Ava gasped, looking at Lily Evans in a new light. "Lily!" she whispered shouted as she glanced over their shoulder to make sure no one heard what the redhead said.

She merely shrugged. "What? It's true! Remus is one of my best friends, and I'll do anything I can to keep him from getting hurt."

Ava let out a small laugh and shook her head. Of course. It's insane how hereditary the House sorting can be, she mused, thinking of Harry taking that trait to the extreme with his savior complex. The two girls parted ways at the second staircase they ascended, heading to their respective classes. As Ava walked to her third-year Defense class, she came to the definitive conclusion that she needed Lily as a friend and confidant. Sirius and James were too biased when it came to discussing her potential relationship with Remus, and Lily seemed to have the no nonsense attitude that Ava was looking for.


Avalynn was considering how all out of whack her class schedule had gotten since she was advancing further in some subjects but not others as she walked from Defense to her fourth-year Charms class. It was always unnerving for her to start in a new class since she had to start all over with attempting to make friends. She was the new kid every few days it seemed like. At least Kingsley was in her third-year Defense, so she didn't feel too nervous her first day in there. Unfortunately, the fourth-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws in Charms seemed to be resolutely set in their stereotypical teenage behavior, and Ava didn't really want anything to do with them. It was during Charms that she remembered today would essentially be her last first-year Potions class. I should let Benedict know, she thought, not sure of how sensitive the young Slytherin would be to her departure.

At the end of class, Ava hurried out of Charms, determined to catch Benedict on the way to Potions. She arrived to the Defense classroom right as the boy and his friends were exiting, but the witch was so focused on finding Benedict that she wasn't paying close enough attention to the group of students congregating outside the Defense room for their lesson. Ava called out for her young friend, who responded by beaming at her and she walked up to him, throwing her arm around his little shoulder. Hearing a throat clear with obvious exaggeration, Ava glanced up to see an unfortunate sight. Scanning the crowd, it seemed that the seventh-year Slytherins and Ravenclaws were waiting for Professor Fell to let them into the Defense classroom. Without meaning to, her behavior had drawn the attention of the exact people she was trying to avoid. Standing right in front of her seemed to be every future Death Eater in the school. Ava spotted Severus hanging back in the group of students, but didn't feel any judgment towards him. Classic Slytherin, she thought. She flicked her gaze back to the prejudiced students seemingly gathering closer to her. Lucius Malfoy was looking at her as though she were gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe, causing Ava to roll her eyes. She lightly pulled on Benedict to keep walking down the corridor when one of the seventh-year punks spoke up.

"You might want to reconsider who you spend your time with, little snakes."

Ava could feel Benedict tense under her arm, and gazed down to see the three eleven-year-olds looking up at her with wide, worried eyes. She ushered them along, whispering, "I'll catch up with you in Potions." After seeing the young boys turn the corner, Ava swiveled to face the group of Death Eaters and plastered a friendly smile on her face. "Hello, I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Avalynn McGonagall." When the boys did nothing but eye her suspended hand, she huffed and crossed her arms. "So, what's your problem exactly? Is it that I'm a Gryffindor?" She paused. "Or because I'm a half-blood?" Her eyes roved over the boys, looking for any indication if one of them were to draw his wand. Ava noticed Avery leering at her chest, prompting her to add, "Or is it because I'm a girl?" while trying to cover herself up more with her school robes.

Movement behind the boys drew Ava's attention, and she saw Severus slowly reaching into his robes, presumably to pull out his wand if need be, but she really didn't want it to escalate that far. Her eyes returned to the group of Dark Lord worshipers in front of her, and she looked at them expectantly while tapping her foot.

Malfoy cleared his throat, and took a slight step forward. "It's not you, Miss McGonagall, that we object to," he explained. He placed emphasis on her last name and gave a pointed look to McNair, whose face dropped slightly from Malfoy's gaze. "It's those in your House that you've chosen to cavort with."

Understanding dawned in Ava's eyes. Blood traitors. She gave Malfoy a quick nod and stepped back from the group, now knowing where she stood with the Death Eaters. "Gentlemen," she said with a brow raised, hoping to indicate her displeasure with their behavior, before turning and leaving down the corridor.

As she made her way around the corner, heading down to the dungeons, Ava stumbled over a small pile of bodies. In the process of colliding, Ava recognized the first-year boys that she had supposedly sent ahead of her to Potions. Once the group managed to climb up off the floor, and the groaning and apologizing was out of the way, Ava asked, "What are you still doing here?"

She directed the boys towards to dungeons and Benedict explained on the way. Apparently, they were lingering in the corridor, worried about leaving her behind and Benedict was trying to convince his friends to go back for her. Ava flashed them a broad smile. "That's incredibly sweet of you, Benedict," she told him.

One of the other boys eyed Ava warily and said, "Maybe you're rubbing off on him too much."

Ava chuckled and wrapped an arm around Benedict, pulling him in for a quick hug and a ruffle of his hair, which he immediately tried to lay flat again. "There's no such thing since I have such a wonderful personality," she declared with a flourish of her arms. The boys laughed and they continued hurriedly down to the dungeons. For the rest of the way, Ava explained why she wanted to catch them before getting to Potions. At the mention of Monday being Ava's last class, Benedict pouted, giving her such puppy eyes that she nearly considered asking Slughorn if she could push back the exam. Trying to soothe the boy, she offered to try and find him a spell that would help with taking notes faster so he wouldn't miss anything. "We could also meet up once a week for a study group," Ava offered. Even knowing that he wouldn't appreciate it, she told the boys to join her and Severus on Monday afternoon for their first study session together. Benedict's resulting smile and "thank you" were totally worth Severus's displeasure. One of the other boys commented that "the Snape guy looked too scary to even sit with", forcing a laugh out of Ava. She promised that he wasn't that scary once you got to know him, and that it would be worth it because he's wicked smart.


Ava gently pulled the large chair from her study table, hoping to not disturb Severus, who was already sitting across the table from her, working on an assignment behind a curtain of black hair. His head didn't raise from the parchment when he said, "You're late."

She winced. "I know. I'm sorry, but I was talking to Benedict after class for a bit."

His dark eyes flicked up to meet her gaze briefly before resuming his writing. "Is that the boy from earlier?"

"Yeah, why?"

"No matter. I was simply confirming his identity."

Ava narrowed her eyes at Severus as she began to unpack her schoolbag. "Mhmm." When he didn't offer any explanation of the day's earlier events from his perspective, she rolled her eyes. "Severus." His quill stilled as his head tilted up, revealing an expectant look on his face. Ava returned his expression and asked, "Are we going to talk about what happened today?"

Severus let a breath out of his nose before casting Muffliato. He leaned closer to Ava. "And what, pray tell, do we have to discuss?"

She huffed and leaned forward slightly in her seat. "Well, for one, you could've warned me that that particular group of guys has it out for me," she whisper shouted at him. His brow creased slightly as he opened his mouth, but Ava cut him off. "Two, were you really planning on defending me against them? I saw you reaching for your wand." She raised her brows, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. Severus scowled at her, choosing to remain silent. Here we go, she thought before taking a deep breath. "And three, Benedict and his friends will be joining us once a week for a study group." As she said this, Ava pretended to be preoccupied by nonexistent dust that she needed to brush off of her robes.

"What?!" Severus hissed at her.

She looked up to meet his predictable glare. That would definitely terrify me if I were a student of his, she considered for a moment. "I believe you heard me the first time, but I'll clarify. Because I'll no longer be in Potions class with Benedict, I invited him and his two friends to join us Monday, here, for a study session on Potions."

"And you didn't think to consult me before making this decision?"

Ava smiled at him. "No, because I knew you'd react like this, but it'll be fine. They're studious for first-years, and I think Benedict is a little worried about sitting alone in Potions now." Severus's expression softened minutely. "They're good kids, just give them a chance. If it's that bad, then I'll schedule a time for a study group with them some other day." Seemingly satisfied with this compromise, Severus nodded and resumed working on his homework. Ava let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding, and smiled to herself while settling into her seat to complete her Charms essay.

Only a few minutes later, Ava stood from her seat with the intention of locating some books on Charms for reference. She told Severus where she was going and turned to see all four of the Marauders walking down an aisle towards their table. All of the breath left her lungs at the sight of Remus. Her supposed soulmate, who unknowingly crushed her heart that very morning. She closed her eyes while taking several deep, calming breaths.

At her hesitation, Severus looked up and politely offered, "Do you need any help finding—oh." Without looking over her shoulder at him, Ava could feel his glare and subsequent sneer radiating from behind her, daring the Marauders to start something.


Sirius knew that following Ava into the library during her study time with Snape wasn't a good idea, but he couldn't talk James out of it. After pestering their werewolf friend all day about the whole nonsense with Allison Clover, they still refused to believe that he had feelings for the girl. Especially, after he so obviously declared Ava as his mate the night before. Sirius knew that it was too soon to try and talk Remus out of anything, but James couldn't let it go. He mentally laughed, It's hard to when we know that he and Ava literally belong together. Looking at his new friend standing next to Snape, seemingly trying to collect herself, he hoped that Remus's dumb decision wasn't hitting her too hard. Lily had looked rather smug in Transfiguration that morning when she assured the boys that Ava was just fine and she was looking forward to discovering the genuine friend that she had found in the new Gryffindor.

Even though the boys sat down at a table several over from the one that Snape and Ava were occupying, they could still feel the aggressive look thrown their way by the wizard. Glancing over James's shoulder, Sirius made eye contact with the Slytherin and reluctantly gave him a single nod and then braced himself for his friends' reactions when Snape returned his nod. Surprisingly, they were so shocked that it seemed they couldn't form articulate responses. James's mouth kept opening and closing, while Peter stuttered, and Remus just looked at him in utter confusion.

With a sigh, Sirius held up his hand. "Let me explain." He hadn't realized until seeing the Slytherin that he hadn't told his friends about his truce with Snape, for now. At least, until that git does what he always does, he thought. "Snape and I have, uh, come to an…agreement of sorts. We're to tolerate each other for Ava, for the time being at least." Sirius raised his brows and let out a breath. "The last time we fought, Ava lost it and was right mad," he finished while rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're not serious, are you?" James exclaimed.

"Always am mate," Sirius replied with a smirk.

Remus and Peter couldn't help but smile, while James grumbled, "Not now, Padfoot."

He shrugged. "I don't know what you want me to say. For Ava's benefit, I have a temporary truce with Snape." He paused. "If you know what's good for you too, you'd do the same. Before Ava makes you."

James's eyes widened slightly as he gulped. "Yeah, well, whatever."

Remus chuckled. "Eloquently said, Prongs."

Sirius pointed a finger at Remus threateningly. "Don't you even start." He knew how difficult it was for Ava to accept his friend as her soulmate, and just when it seemed like she had come around to the idea, Remus went and blew it.


Severus felt himself nodding towards Sirius Black even though he could barely believe it. The lengths I'm willing to go to for that witch, he thought as his gaze turned onto Ava. She had put her back towards the Marauders and appeared to be trying to rein in her emotions. Her face was ashen and her fists were clenched by her sides. "Are you about to have another episode?" he asked, preparing himself to dive through Ava's schoolbag for a potion.

But she shook her head. "No, I don't think so." She let out a shaky breath. "If I do, I don't have a full dose with me anyway since I had to take some this morning during breakfast."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ava let out a quick, bitter laugh. "Remus asked someone to go with him to Hogsmeade next week. Allison Clover." Her shoulders slumped as she hugged herself. "I think I was about to have a panic attack right there at the table when he said that, but my chest flared in pain, so I left, knowing what was coming. I had already taken the first potion of the day when I woke up, so I tried just taking a couple of sips, and it worked. I drank the rest later, like usual, but I had to drink some of another dose to have the full amount."

Severus didn't say anything because his thoughts were racing. This changes the parameters of the potion. But how would such a small dose be effective enough? Possibly because it was administered immediately? He had tuned Ava out, but was drawn back in by the waver in her voice. He glanced at her face to see tears forming in her eyes and his brow creased slightly. He didn't realize that she was so upset about the werewolf asking another girl out. From everything that Ava had said to him about their relationship, she didn't seem to want any part of it.

She must've sensed the confusion on his face. "I might've, uh, come around to the idea of being with Remus," she explained while wringing her hands in front of her. He raised a brow, expecting her to elaborate. "Well, apparently last night, Remus could smell me on Sirius's robes—because of his heightened sense of smell, you know—and he got upset enough with Sirius to punch him and—"

He smirked. "That's why the imbecile has a black eye?"

Ava rolled her eyes. "Yes. Anyway, Remus called me his mate." Severus's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. Ava let out a small laugh. "I know, right?"

"And he purposefully requested the company of another witch to Hogsmeade?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Her face dropped and she nodded. "I couldn't breathe, Severus," she whispered. "It was like he had punched right through my ribs and tore out my heart." Ava flashed him a self-deprecating smile and said, "I know that sounds dramatic, but that's how it felt. I thought him admitting that I'm his mate was a step towards us accepting the soulmate bond between us, but I guess not." She had gotten quieter throughout her explanation, and was staring dejectedly at the ground by the time she finished.

Severus peeked around Ava and sent a glare to the werewolf, mentally flaying the boy alive. Even though only Black and Pettigrew noticed his hard look, he felt as though he had accomplished his job, considering that both of the Gryffindors looked like they pissed their pants. He stood and held out his hand. "Come. I'll help you locate the books you need, and you can…freshen up," he told her, looking pointedly at the tear tracks on her face. Stupid wolf, he cursed. If Ava is feeling the pull of her magic, he must be feeling something too. Even if he doesn't have all of the information, he must have some inkling that Ava is romantically important to him. Once Ava grasped his hand, he placed the other on her lower back and led her to the first row of books they could escape behind so Ava could gather her wits.


Remus walked into the library with his fellow Marauders expecting the usual: the other three would talk for a while before he could get them to settle down and accomplish some work, he would then have about thirty minutes of relative silence before James or Sirius got bored, and then they would inevitably be kicked out by Madame Pince or else they'd hightail it out of there to evade the strict librarian. So, when he picked up on Ava's pleasing scent and Moony perked up, he knew this attempt at studying would be different. His inner wolf was making quite the protest at the thought of not actually seeing the witch, but Remus was resolute. Stick to the plan, he urged himself as they approached a table a ways down from Ava and Snape. Instead of appealing to Remus's more sensitive side, Moony began growling in the back of his mind. He almost looked up at Ava then, but clenched his fists and refocused on taking out his homework. Regardless of whatever hold Remus thought he had over Moony, something compelled him to glance at the girl he struggled to stop thinking about. Must be because the full moon is only a few days away, he quickly rationalized.

Ava's current state nearly forced Remus to his feet. Her face was unusually pale and even though he couldn't hear it, she was breathing rapidly based on the quick movement of her chest. She had shed her robes while working, and had undone the top couple of buttons on her uniform shirt, allowing for Remus's imagination to get the better of him. Don't look at her chest! he scolded himself. In response, Moony growled, Mate, from the recesses of his mind. The wizard gulped, not knowing if Moony meant that as a label for his relationship to Ava or if it was what he wanted to do with the witch. Movement from behind Ava caught the werewolf's attention, and he noticed Snape nodding in their direction. Looking around the table at his friends, it was easy to tell who Snape had been communicating with.

After Sirius's explanation, he felt proud of his friend for being able to set aside his differences with the Slytherin. However, he felt a little nauseous after the reprimand from the Animagus. He had almost instinctual reservations about asking out Allison Clover, but he was just trying to protect Ava in the long run. Merlin knows she has enough to handle without an obsessed werewolf pursuing her. He could feel that protectiveness rising once more as his eyes flickered over to the distracting witch, who had her back turned to their table now. Snape was holding out his hand and saying something to her. Remus concentrated, trying to hear what they were saying to one another, but all he could hear was a faint buzzing of some sort. When Ava dropped her hand into Snape's, it took every bit of Remus's self-control to not storm over to the pair and rip Ava away from the wizard. Although he may have advocated being on more friendly terms with the Slytherin the other week when Ava waltzed with Snape, arm in arm, into the Great Hall, that was before he watched the pair now, seemingly powerless to stop Snape from disappearing with her into the library stacks. While the werewolf had never partook in the darker, more secluded areas of the library ripe for make-out sessions, his imagination once again ran away with him. But this time, it wasn't him causing sounds of pleasure to be released from Ava's perfect lips, but Snape.

Without his permission, Remus released a growl, startling his table-mates. He couldn't tolerate the mere thought of Ava being intimate with someone else. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and brushed off his friends' inquiries. Remus pretended to read over his Defense essay as he absentmindedly bounced the quill in his hand. The aggressive reaction towards Snape and his actions towards Ava alarmed the werewolf. Remus had never had such a visceral response to seeing another guy interacting with a crush of his. Merlin! I didn't even blink that time Sirius cozied up to Delilah Owens, he thought, his mind whirling in a storm of confusion and conflicting feelings. This occurrence only served to further solidify Remus's belief that he needed to distance himself from Ava, and that Moony's, and his own, fixation on her was unhealthy.


After collecting the recommend tomes, Ava followed behind Severus back to their table, desperately hoping that the Marauders had cleared out. She covered her mouth with a hand to keep in the sorrowful sigh resting just behind her lips. The deep-seated ache that had taken place of the sharp pain in her chest felt so much worse, especially because it only acted as a reminder that Remus had referred to her as his mate and then consciously asked another girl on a date. Sitting in her seat, with her back to the four Gryffindors, seemed to help a bit. Out of sight, hopefully out of mind, she thought. Locking eyes with Severus, Ava deciphered his look to be signaling "Stay strong, McGonagall" and she responded with a firm nod and moved to open the first book for research. She must've guessed close enough to his true meaning, because the corners of Severus's mouth twitched and he returned her nod before resuming his own work.

The essay topic was comprehensive enough for Ava to lose track of the fact that Remus was sitting only a handful of tables behind her. Her focus was such that she hadn't even noticed the Marauders' departure until Severus silently prodded at her with his quill and pointed it over her shoulder. Once she noticed the empty table, Ava attempted to give the Slytherin a small smile that probably came out as a grimace. Since they were both paused in their work, Ava asked, "Would you want to get dinner in the Kitchens and then go up to the Room of Requirement for a little before we head to the Potions lab?"

Severus raised a curious brow, but nodded nonetheless. "That would be acceptable."

"Will you be ready in about twenty minutes or so?"

"Yes. I'm nearly finished."

The studious pair completed their homework and ate dinner with an amiable conversation, focusing on school and their classes. Ava interrogated Severus about O.W.L.S. and what the sixth and seventh-year courses were like. She specifically stayed away from asking more personal questions. For instance, what his life was like before Hogwarts, knowing that he wouldn't take kindly to that line of questioning, even though she wanted to know. Ava knew that she need to earn that level of trust with Severus first. Once they were in the Room of Requirement, which had merely conjured a fireplace and sitting area, she sat Severus down and explained the concept of her notebook. Noticing his appreciation of the charms the bounded parchment was imbued with, Ava told him that she got the spells from the Marauders with a wide grin.

The Slytherin grimaced. "Was there a particular reason you dragged me here, witch?" he snapped at her without much heat in his voice.

"Oh yes!" Ava went on to clarify the reason behind the notebook, and hesitantly added that she wanted him to have the passwords, just in case. She could see Severus tensing in his seat. "It's just a precaution. I've already told Professor McGonagall too."

"As if that makes it any better," he quipped before taking a deep breath. "I suppose this just further proves that you truly know things about our world and the darkness that resides within some of its inhabitants."

Ava's gaze unfocused as she stared towards the notebook, letting Severus's comment draw her mind elsewhere. Seemingly not wanting to let her dwell upon depressing thoughts, the wizard cleared his throat and prompted her for the passwords.

"You press the tip of your wand to the parchment and say 'Zac Efron' to reveal the information, and then do the same, but say 'Red Vines' to conceal the information again."

Severus pulled a face and said, "That's absurd. Where did you even get those phrases?"

Ava couldn't help but laugh at his incredulous reaction. Severus rolled his eyes at her antics. "They have a hidden meaning," she managed to say once her laughter had died down. He raised an expectant brow. "One that you would not understand, nor appreciate." Anger quickly passed over his face, resulting in an eye roll from Ava this time. "Not because you're stupid, Severus, but because you aren't from my world."

He narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together for a few moments. "I suppose that's a clever idea then. Using words that no one in this world would associate with you because they have no knowledge of them."

Ava smiled and preened under his praise. She had Severus practice using the notebook, but decided to actually have him read it over only once the information was completely compiled and she actually needed his help to accomplish a task. She didn't feel up for having that talk tonight. Her shoulders slumped slightly at the reminder of what could potentially happen if she didn't change the time line. Hoping Severus wouldn't notice her false enthusiasm, Ava perked up and asked about the potion they would attempt to create. Not one to waste time, the wizard agreed to explain his theories to Ava on their way to the dungeons.


Mere minutes before Severus and Ava's departure from the transformative, secret room, James and Sirius were sitting on their beds, eyes scouring their map for Avalynn's name. The two boys had come upstairs to their dorm in order to grab Exploding Snap, intending to head back downstairs and play with Remus and Peter, who were waiting on them, when James got the idea to find Ava and invite her up to their common room. Even though Sirius didn't entirely agree with James' idea, he stayed to monitor Prongs's behavior, depending on his findings. Last thing I need is a raving mad James breaking down the door of the Potions lab like I did, he thought.

"I don't see them," James said with confusion lacing his voice. Sirius looked over his shoulder, joining James in his search. "They've just disappeared!" he exclaimed.

Sirius didn't think it through when he started to say, "Oh, she must be—" and he suddenly couldn't speak. His mouth had shut itself on its own. Both boys were sporting eyes as wide as saucers.

"You okay?" James asked with a frown.

"Umm, I think so. Yeah! I can talk!" Sirius said, smiling, now standing in his excitement. "I don't know what happened. I was just gonna say that Ava's probably with Snape in—" and once again, his mouth had slammed closed of its own accord. He and James looked at each other for a few silent seconds when Sirius realized what exactly he had been about to reveal. "It's because of the Oath."

James tilted his head. "The oath?" Sirius nodded. A moment later, James was able to connect the dots. "The Oath!"

"Yeah, so…there's this place," Sirius started, trying to test the boundaries of the Oath. "We don't know about it, but she—" and it happened again. "Bloody hell!" he yelled as he clenched his fists and tensed his whole body, wanting to try again. "Ava knows something we don't know. Okay, so I can be vague, but as soon as I try to describe what it is that she knows, I can't."

James smiled. "That is how a Wizard's Oath works, Padfoot." He stood from the bed and stowed the map away in his trunk before spelling it shut. "I'll just have to ask Ava herself now, won't I?" he asked with a grin.

Sirius huffed. "Yeah, but can't a bloke just chat with his best mate about cool stuff without falling under the trappings of a spell?" he lamented as they headed back downstairs.


The routine that Severus and Ava had developed in the Potions lab worked well in the witch's opinion. A Potions and Defense lesson wrapped up in an experiment to help my soulmate bond side effects, she thought.

However, instead of asking to duel, once the potion was set to brew, Severus pulled a book out of his schoolbag and handed it to Ava. "This is the text that I mentioned before."

She looked down to see that he had given her How to be an Occlumens: An Easy, Seventy-Two Step Guide. Ava's eyes bulged. "Seventy-two steps?"

Severus waved her off. "I've managed to condense it into about thirty. Give or take your mental capacity," he finished with a smile.

Ava huffed as she flipped to the table of contents. "Well, my mental capacity is just fine, thank you."

"Prove it."

She may have rolled her eyes, but Ava got right to reading. And for the remainder of their time in the lab, that's all she did. The book didn't seem very dense, but the pages were as thin as a sheet of phyllo dough. The author tended to ramble on, over-explaining the concepts to the reader, seemingly trying to sound poetic about the skill, but really just being too wordy, which irritated Ava to no end. At the sound of her first compliant, Severus cut her off immediately, stating that if she wished to master the skill, then she needed to understand every single aspect of it, regardless of how tedious the text may be.

When it came time to part ways, Ava insisted that she could walk back to her quarters alone, but Severus was hearing none of it. Maybe he's spooked after my pseudo run-in with the Death Eaters earlier, she considered. They made the trip in amiable silence until they reached the door to Ava's shared quarters with Professor McGonagall. "Thank you for being such a gentlemen, Severus," she said, teasing him.

"Don't mention it," he muttered, giving her a pointed look before he turned, heading back towards the dungeons with his robes billowing around him.

She smiled at his retreating figure before heading into her rooms. "Hi, Aunt Minerva," Ava said as she placed her schoolbag on the dining table, immediately noticing the presence of the older witch.

Her aunt was grading papers in the living room, and put them down at Ava's greeting. "Good evening, Ava. How was your day?"

Ava pressed her lips together. "It could've been better," she said softly, feeling the very real pain of heartache returning.

McGonagall tutted. "I daresay that it likely wasn't as bad as you think, dear. Come here, tell me about it."

Ava hesitated, but was won over by the reassuring smile that the older witch sent her way. The professor patted the seat on the sofa next to her, and as soon as Ava plopped herself down, the whole day just poured out. She decided to tell McGonagall everything, starting with Sirius knocking on their door that very morning. As she continued to describe the details of her day, Ava noticed that her aunt responded just as she needed. The professor commiserated with her over Remus's date, clucking distastefully at his choices, adding in supporting comments about her budding friendship with Lily, the way she managed to handle herself in the library, and her choice to trust Severus. The entire conversation felt therapeutic, making it more than obvious that Ava needed someone to talk with on a regular basis about everything going on in her life. Their discussion strongly reminded Ava of her typical talks with her mother, so it didn't surprise Ava later when she began sobbing once her bedroom door was closed, resigned to the fact that she'd never see her mom again. She immediately cast Muffliato, having memorized the spell from watching Severus perform it enough times. Even while blubbering, she managed to complete her nightly rituals and crawled into bed, curling up on her side, with her knees drawn to her chest. She cried herself to sleep for the thousandth time that week, wondering if she'd ever run out of tears.