Author's Note: I'm trying super hard now to keep to a regular update schedule, so here you go! Happy weekend :)
Thank you to everyone who's followed or favorited this story! Every one of those email notifications makes me smile :D
Review shout-out to: Babewiththepower95, haleygur7, pinkcat700, and TheRosePond!
Bad news: No Remus in this chapter
Good news: #Friendshipgoals for Ava :)
Remember: 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 21
Avalynn was sitting in the chilly dungeon contemplating her literal close encounter with Remus earlier in the day while Severus reviewed his personal notes for their next attempt at perfecting a long-term pain potion. Following her run-in with the werewolf, Ava had kept to herself during lunch, mostly too confused to contribute to the group's conversation in a typical manner. And that's how she progressed throughout the day. Confused. She didn't even have the chance to discuss her thoughts with Sirius or James since they had to head out to the Quidditch pitch for practice, and talking to Lily was off the table since she left for the library with Remus. Ava leaned forward onto the wooden worktable with her elbows, resting her chin in her hands, still trying to wrap her head around the interaction with Remus. During lunch, she hadn't needed any help staying grounded because her magic didn't act out, not even one bit. That's only got to be because I was so close to him before. I mean, we were hugging for like at least a minute, she reasoned mentally. Ava couldn't help but be pulled back to that moment within her memories. Her eyes closed, recalling the enticing scent Remus gave off and the feeling of nuzzling into Remus's well-formed chest, wrapping her fingers up in the fabric of his robes.
"Ava!"
She startled, nearly falling from the stool where she was perched. "Wha—what? What's wrong?" She glanced around the Potions lab, not noticing anything amiss and turned to her friend. "Severus?" The Slytherin gently flicked her forehead, causing a pout to form on Ava's face. "What's that for?" she asked as she rubbed the spot.
Severus rolled his eyes. "If daydreaming is going to be a problem for you, I can simply work on this potion alone."
She scrambled from her seat. "No, not at all. I'm here, present and ready to assist, Mr. Potions Master, sir." She made sure to stand tall and gave him a little salute before cracking a smile. "Seriously, though. What do you need me to do?"
Severus looked to be keeping his amusement contained, if the twitching of the corners of his mouth were anything to go by. "You can help me in the store room. We need to collect the ingredients for the potion." Ava started listing the ones that they had used before as they made their way to the store room, but he cut her off. "We're using different ones this time. I want to test a theory I have about an extended release pain potion." At Ava's inquisitive expression, he explained, "Based on the episode you experienced last week, an immediate consumption of the potion seemed to be effective, so I'd like to try creating a single dose potion that stays in your system longer. As opposed to merely increasing the strength of the potion, this one would simply take longer to break down, thus providing you with a steady dose of pain suppressants throughout the day."
Ava couldn't help the wide grin that broke out on her face. She stopped walking, placing her hand on Severus's arm to stop him as well. "You know that's really brilliant, right?" She could see his cheeks reddening, but wanted to make sure he knew how much this meant to her. "You aren't even out of school yet, Severus. You're a genius with this stuff."
He shifted on his feet. "Yes, well—"
"I really do appreciate everything that you're doing for me, especially because you don't have to." Without giving the wizard a chance to respond, Ava wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You're welcome," he said, punctuating each word with an awkward pat on her back.
Laughing, Ava pulled back from him. "You'll get used to it some day," she said before continuing on towards where the ingredients were stored.
"Not bloody likely," he grumbled behind her.
They set about preparing the various components of the potion, and were nearly done when Ava's hands began to tremble slightly. She made a noise of irritation, drawing the attention of her partner. Thankfully, Severus didn't let his expression show any pity, but nonetheless, he reached out and gently took the knife from Ava's shaking hand. "Why don't you go ahead and review the text I gave you on Occlumency?" She mumbled a quiet protest, but dug through her schoolbag to locate the book. "You're going to need the refresher because I'll be testing you once the potion has set." Unlike previous times experimenting, the pair couldn't simply leave the potion in stasis at first since it required a more attention when it came to stirring. But soon enough, Severus redirected his attention to Ava, who was currently squinting at the pages in front of her, nearly close enough to learn through osmosis. "Ready?" he asked, stepping away from the worktable and drawing his wand.
She closed the book and sat up on her stool. Eyeing his wand, she asked, "What's that for?"
Severus rolled his eyes. "I've got to test you somehow, don't I?"
Ava's mouth dropped open. "But—but you could just ask me questions about how to occlude," she protested.
He sneered. "And what good would that do if someone were to actually attempt to get into that simple head of yours?"
She frowned. "Hey! I'll show you simple," she said while pulling out her Blackthorn and immediately raising it, intent on casting something that would teach the Slytherin punk a lesson in how to talk to your friends.
Realizing his mistake, Severus raised his hands in surrender. "Why don't you show me with your mind? I'll be gentle at first so that you can see what it feels like to have someone else inside your mind."
She crossed her arms with a huff of annoyance, but compiled. "Fine."
"You've practiced picturing your mental shield, yes?"
"Yep." Ava shook out her arms and settled her feet, almost as if she were preparing to step up to bat at home plate. "Let's do this," she said, looking back up at Severus with determination in her eyes.
"Merlin, Ava. We aren't battling for our lives here. This is a mental exercise," Severus said with an amused expression.
She blushed but tried to defend herself. "Well, one never knows," she replied, thinking of a distinct time in which a particular Potions professor battled for dominance with one Harry Potter when teaching him Occlumency as well.
"I'm going to start by probing your mind to see how you've built your shield, and we'll go from there." Ava nodded, indicating that she was ready. "Legilimens," he said firmly.
To say that it was odd feeling someone else inside of your mind would be a vast understatement. It was as if someone were reading over your shoulder, but every time you turned to catch him, he disappeared. Ava could feel Severus's presence in her mind, but she couldn't pinpoint his location, though she tried with all of her might. She had thought long and hard about what to use as her mental shield while reading over the different techniques one could employ. She wanted some sort of landscape that she could easily manipulate, but that someone else would struggle to not get lost in. The only problem was that she couldn't maintain a vast enough shield to protect her entire mind yet. Every time she felt Severus pop up in a different position, she'd throw her shield up there, hoping that he wouldn't be able to get through. Without warning, her vision cleared and she was back in the Potions lab.
"A mountainous forest, interesting choice of shield," he told her with a small smile.
Ava preened under his praise. "Thank you. I'm using a combination of the Rocky Mountains and the Black Forest. I was hoping that the density of trees, like in the Black Forest, would be difficult for someone to navigate through, and then the Rockies would would add to that, but then serve as a last line of defense if need be."
Severus looked thoughtful. "Want to try again?" Ava nodded and once again, he said, "Legilimens."
Ava could feel herself shiver at the thought of another presence within her mind. Thankfully, she knew it was just Severus, but she couldn't shake the uneasiness that had settled around her. It was as though the trace of him in her mind was a shadow or a memory of long ago. She couldn't feel him moving through her mind like before, and she was starting to panic. There were memories that she wasn't ready for him to see yet. She threw the shield across her mind, but it was only a slightly elevated forest with sparse trees. It was laughable. She could feel a presence crowding her mind, and whipped around, looking for him, but couldn't feel anything besides her own shield. Suddenly, she was back in the dungeons, sweat dripping down her face and fists clenched tightly at her sides.
Severus was frowning at her. "I could sense your panic. What was wrong?"
"I could barely feel you!" she yelled, causing the wizard to chuckle at her. Ava stomped her foot and crossed her arms. "I didn't like it, not one bit."
"That was the point, Ava. I only let you feel me the first time."
Her mouth dropped open. "Seriously?" In a daze, she wandered over to a stool at the worktable and leaned against it, looking at the stone floor.
Severus must've picked up on how she felt because he said, "You've only just started, you know. If you approach this with the same grit and determination that you have with the rest of your studies, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time."
"You think so?" she asked in a small voice without looking up.
Ava could hear him sigh as he approached her. Feeling a few gentle pats on her back, she glanced up and burst out laughing. While Severus may have been attempting to be a good friend and give her some reassurance, his face showed otherwise. "You look constipated," she managed to get out in between laughs.
"Yes, well. Do you feel better? Looks like it. Now, let's move on, shall we?" he snarked back as he preoccupied himself with straightening his robes. He resumed his position from before while saying, "Now, last time I was moving through your mind, but I wasn't looking for memories like someone usually would. I wanted you to understand what a more experienced Legilimens would feel like. You might notice another presence, but it would be very subtle. I'm hardly an expert yet, so someone more skilled than I, say the Dark Lord—" he gave her a pointed look before continuing, "might not give any indication of being within your mind. However, you can also build up the skill of detecting someone."
Ava nodded. "Good. Let's go again."
Severus drew his wand. "Legilimens."
Their back and forth continued for quite some time, with Severus prodding against Ava's shield as she attempted to strengthen it. Eventually, she was able to track his presence, when he let her, and construct a thick enough shield in that spot to contain him for a bit. Both of them sat on their stools, slightly out of breath and sipped some water. "Your mental shield is very adequate for someone who just started," Severus told Ava.
"Thanks," she muttered while placing down her water glass and standing once again.
Severus gave her a look of surprise. "You want to continue?"
"Yep. We've got, what? Twenty more minutes on the potion? Let's keep going."
Without warning, Severus said, "Legilimens," and was within her mind instantaneously.
Not prepared, Ava began to panic and willed her shield to form. It felt strong, like before, but she could tell that Severus hadn't tried to penetrate it yet. Ava maintained her focus and breathed deeply to settle her nerves. She was only given a slight indication of where Severus would attack her shield a second before he unleashed his power, crashing through her forest of frees like a battering ram. It was only a few moments until he was blasting right through it. Thankfully, instead of perusing her memories, he changed locations, letting her reconstruct the shield. She was able to do so once again, but he tore through it faster this time. Her vision quickly cleared to reveal Severus looking over her in concern. Realizing that she was sweating profusely and panting, she could see why.
"I think that's enough for tonight. We can always continue tomorrow," he told her with a frown.
She waved him off. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute, and I'll be good to go," she said leaning forward on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
Severus narrowed his eyes. "Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
Thoughts of an orphaned Harry Potter, growing up without his family flashed in her mind. My friends, she thought with a pang in her chest. Her friends would die, become falsely imprisoned, or ostracized. Even those who survived the First Wizarding War would greet death in the second war once Voldemort was resurrected. She shook her head, dispelling those dark thoughts and stood tall, facing Severus. "Because this is important. Now, let's go again."
He stared at Ava blankly before slowly raising his wand and saying, "Legilimens," with a little more force behind it.
Like before, Ava was able to form her shield, seemingly as strong as it was before, but Severus ripped through it on his first try. Knocked back into reality, Ava became frustrated and snapped, "Again."
Severus crossed his arms. "No."
Ava glared at him. "I said 'Again'."
He scoffed. "And I said 'No'."
Trying a different approach, Ava sneered at him. "What? Are you too worn out Severus? Don't want a girl getting the better of you?"
Seeing through her pathetic attempt, he rolled his eyes. "Fine. Legilimens."
He at least gave Ava time to prepare the landscape of her shield, but she was too exhausted to conjure much. Just a few densely packed patches of pines that knocked Severus off his path. He didn't take any effort to hide his annoyance because Ava could feel it echoing throughout her mind right before she was pulled back into the Potions lab.
"Alright! We're done," he yelled, turning away from Ava towards the worktable.
"No! I'm not finished," Ava said, taking deep breaths and wiping sweat from her forehead. She knew she should stop, but it was difficult for her to tolerate any amount of failure when people's lives were on the line.
Severus sighed and turned to her. "You're clearly beyond the threshold of being able to hold your own right now, so let's just resume tomorrow."
Face red with exertion, Ava remained immovable. "C'mon," she said while motioning him towards her. When Severus didn't move, she added, "I have to do this Severus."
"Why? What's the rush?" he asked, dark eyes seemingly scanning her face for any indication of the truth.
Ava's fists were white-knuckled at her sides. "Because I don't want anyone to get the best of me. Now, can we go again, please?" she snapped.
Severus took a couple steps closer to her as he narrowed his eyes. "Why are you taking this so personally?" Ava opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a cry of "Legilimens."
It was impossible for Ava to construct any semblance of a shield in her weakened state, and the question Severus posed only served to bring forth the kind of memories that she wasn't ready for him to see. She could only act as a mere onlooker while he tore through her poor excuse of a shield as though it were a sheet of tissue paper. A moving image of a screaming Sirius Black in his prisoner photo—a baby left at a door step—an older, dark haired man clutching a red headed woman to his chest, openly weeping—the eerie, blue glow from the Room of Prophecies. At this image, Ava began to fight back. The other memories she might be able to play off, but the prophecy was a whole other story. Severus must've sensed its importance because he chased after that thought. As much as Ava fought to concentrate her mind on something else, anything else, she was powerless as the words reverberated through her mind.
'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as he equal, but he will have the power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…'
Slamming back into reality, Ava realized that she had fallen to her knees in her effort to close off her mind. She pushed aside the pain for the moment. "What the hell were you thinking?" she screamed at Severus, who was ashen and trembling. Ava got up from the floor with a huff and caught the wizard the very second his legs began to falter. "Not such as good idea, was it?" she sneered at him.
Once Severus made it to a stool, he gulped and looked to Ava. "I didn't mean—"
"Well, you did," Ava cut him off. Looking to the ceiling and running a hand down her face, Ava breathed deeply, trying to keep her cool. She knew that she was being evasive in answering Severus and badgering him to keep going, and his curiosity got the better of him. I practically egged him on. That doesn't mean he won't have to work for his forgiveness, she thought. Making eye contact with Severus once more, she sternly told him, "I had no intention of sharing any of that information with you quite yet." He shot her an apologetic look, which she ignored. "But now you've ruined it. I didn't think we were quite there yet, but fine."
Despite the remorse settling on his face, he asked, "Can I ask you some questions?"
Ava sighed. "Yeah, go right ahead," she replied, gesturing with her hands.
Severus cleared his throat. "So, piecing together what I saw, there's a prophecy about the Dark Lord and it pertains to someone important? Someone close to you?"
A pained expression came over Ava. "Yeah, but not for a few years. We've got time."
"And it's a real prophecy? A recorded by the Ministry, real prophecy?"
Ava nodded.
"So there will be someone who can—who can defeat the Dark Lord?"
She pressed her lips together and nodded. Not that it'll come to that, she thought.
"Well, that's rather convenient," he said with a trace of relief. "We can just wait for that person, and he or she will take care of the Dark Lord for us. No need to risk ourselves and play sides," he finished with a small smile.
Ava almost couldn't do it. She didn't want to destroy the image that a teenage Severus Snape had for his future care-free life. However, she knew it would be nothing of the sort if she didn't succeed. Only bitter regret and heartache while serving two masters awaited Severus if she sat back and let the time line take its course. She reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder and tried to put on a brave face. "It isn't that simple, Severus."
He sighed. "Of course it isn't. What else do I need to know?"
She took a deep breath. "You know that the prophecy indicates that the person who defeats the Dark Lord will be only a child, right?" Severus nodded. "Even though that child will be born in a few years, we can't wait that long. If the time line gets to that point, then I've failed." She looked down, feeling tears prick at her eyes.
"Is someone supposed to die?"
She nodded.
"Who?" he asked.
Ava pressed her lips together and shook her head minutely. She couldn't bring herself to say their names. This is so much worse than mourning characters that I've come to love.
"Who, Ava?" he asked with more urgency in his voice.
She glanced up at him, silent tears running down her face. "Did you get a good look at the man and woman in my memory?"
Severus frowned. "The black haired man, holding the woman? She had red hair, right? And they only looked to be a couple of years older than us, five at most."
Ava nodded once, letting a small cry escape her lips at the thought of Lily and James being gone so early in their lives, just starting their family. And Severus finding Lily in such a state.
Her friend looked contemplative for a moment before the color drained from his face. "Her hair was very similar to the shade of Lily's, Ava."
She looked away from him then.
The sound of his stool scraping against the floor echoed off the stone walls. He gripped her tightly at the shoulders and shook her. "Tell me it wasn't Lily, Ava! Tell me!" he shouted, panic lacing his voice.
For a brief moment, Ava considered lying to him. Saving him the crushing pain that accompanied losing a friend that he had already felt once for the redheaded witch. But he deserved to know the truth. He needed to know the truth if he were to help her. He needed to know what exactly was at stake. She took a shaky breath before saying, "I can't tell you that Severus. It was her. Well, it's supposed to be her. She's the mother of the child in the prophecy."
He let go of her shoulders, mouth dropping open, but hadn't stepped away from her. He was close enough that she could see the tears welling in his eyes. "But you have a plan, right?" he asked stubbornly.
"Yes, absolutely. Nothing terrible will happen if I've got anything to say about it." She gripped his hand tightly. "I promise that I will do everything that I possibly can to keep that future from coming true." He nodded and wiped his eyes, not bothering to hide his tears from Ava. "Hopefully, we'll kill Voldemort before the prophecy is supposed to be spoken, but even then, we can put things in place so that he won't find out about it."
Severus nodded firmly, but his face changed suddenly, seemingly lighter. "I'm not a Death Eater yet, but what if I work my way up in the ranks? I'll be the most loyal follower he's ever seen, and I can ask him to spare Lily," he said, looking hopeful.
Fresh tears sprung to Ava's eyes. Oh, Severus. She reached out and gently cupped his cheek. "You actually tried that." His expression was crestfallen as new tears glistened in his eyes. Ava continued, "But he didn't listen. He won't let anything stand in his way of power or immortality." For a moment, she could've sworn that Severus rested his head against her hand, but then he pulled away, transforming his saddened look into one of determination.
"Dumbledore," he said. "We'll go to Dumbledore."
Ava furrowed her brows. As far as she was aware, the Headmaster couldn't protect the Potters either. What kind of wards or security spells did he even try to use on Godric's Hollow?
"Surely, he can protect Lily." Seeing Ava's frown deepen, he hastily added, "And Potter. If they're still together at that point."
She cracked a small, watery smile at the idea of her frown being the result of Severus forgetting to initially include his schoolyard nemesis in his plan for protection from the Dark Lord. Severus repeated his idea of speaking to Dumbledore, but Ava pressed her lips together as fresh tears gathered in her eyes and slowly shook her head.
All of the breath in Severus's body seemed to leave him as he fell to his knees. There was a tremble in his voice as he asked in the smallest voice she had ever heard from him, "What are we going to do?"
Unable to leave Severus alone on the ground, Ava slid down to the floor and wrapped her arms around him. He hesitantly returned her embrace, and she could hear him crying softly into her shoulder. Squeezing him in reassurance, she firmly said, "We're going to be brave and do whatever we have to." They held each other for another minute or so before the timer for the potion went off, cutting through the pervasive sadness in the room. No more words were spoken as Severus bottled up the potion and tested it as usual. As he escorted Ava back to her quarters before dinner, she looped her arm through his, wanting to reassure the Slytherin that she was there for him, just as she hoped he would be there for her when the time came.
