Author's Note: I honestly can't fully express how excited I get every time I'm sent a notification from someone leaving a review, or because someone either decided to follow or favorite the story or myself as an author. It's amazing :D Thank you all so much!

Review shout-out: haleygur7, Babewiththepower95, and Midnight Penguin! Thank you! :)

Friendly reminder: 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 22

When Severus had deposited Ava at the door to her quarters, she felt relatively calm and collected after their emotional conversation, but once she stepped inside and attempted to complete a couple of assignments before her evening meal, it became more obvious she wasn't as well put together as she had thought. She couldn't focus on finding evidence for her essays, so she tried to clear her thoughts and focus on something more fun: new spells. However, Ava struggled to memorize the incantations and wand work when the images Severus had discovered kept resurfacing in her mind every few minutes. She was unable to stop thinking about the harsh reality of the situation, which was that she was way out of her depth here and she knew it.

With a sigh, the overwhelmed witch closed her textbook and leaned back on the couch, squeezing her eyes shut tightly for a brief moment before she sprang up from her seat. "No!" Ava shouted as she began to pace across the living room. "I refuse to wallow! I did that before and it didn't work, so I'm not doing it again. Nope." Her fists were clenched at her sides as she stomped side to side. "Wallowing will get you nowhere, Ava. Only productive behavior from now on! Keep your chin up! Everyone's counting on you, whether they know it or not." She paused in her pacing and crossed her arms, letting out a frustrated breath out through her nose. She glanced at her watch, seeing that there were only a few more minutes until dinner. "Whatever," she grumbled, glaring at her textbooks and assignments scattered around the couch and coffee table. I'll just have to work some more tonight after dueling with Severus, she thought before heading down to the Great Hall.

Just like lunch earlier that day, Avalynn mostly kept to herself and her thoughts during dinner. However, this time it wasn't because her soulmate rocked her world with a mere hug. Her mind and body were wired with energy to do something about the desperate situation the Wizarding World would be in if Voldemort were to continue living and gaining power. Thoughts whirled around her head, considering whether or not she should attempt to go after Horcruxes yet, or that maybe she should speak to Remus about the truth so that her magic would be more settled and healthy and she could study faster and harder to master magic. Looking up at the werewolf, who was currently rolling his eyes at James's heated argument with some of the other Gryffindors about the Puddlemere United Quidditch team, Ava took in the happiness shown on her soulmate's face and decided that she still wanted to wait to tell him. She couldn't see him being very pleased about the spell being enacted without his prior approval. Her eyes scanned over his face, admiring the way his sandy hair fell, just barely reaching past his eyebrows. She frowned, realizing that the way his hair was styled was an attempt to cover the tops of the silvery scars that ran from his temple to his chin. Her thoughts instantly jumped to defend her soulmate. He can't help the scars, and they certainly don't make him any less handsome. Ava's eyes roved over his face once more and she let out a pleased sigh at just how perfect Remus looked without even trying.

Remus looked in her direction, causing Ava to blush at being caught staring. He quickly flashed her a small smile, giving her the courage to not look away in embarrassment. She gulped and returned his smile, feeling her heart pounding in excitement.


Remus could feel someone watching him, and he quietly hoped that it would be Ava. He turned to look at her, obviously startling her, having caught her staring at him. He could feel Moony, and himself, if he were honest, react with pleasure at the idea of her being physically attracted to him. Although, maybe she was staring at my scars. Everyone seems to, he lamented. Either way, the blush that spread over her cheeks was endearing and he didn't want to make Ava self-conscious so he gave her a smile, hoping she'd talk to him. They hadn't spoken since their…interaction earlier in the day, and he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't running away from her. Moony was adamant about Ava being their mate, and Remus couldn't deny that he had felt some sort of a connection while he held her. Whether that meant that she was his mate or not was another thing entirely. He wanted to spend time getting to know the witch before making any rash decisions, and the last thing he wanted to do was put Ava in a tough position.

She returned his smile and opened her pretty lips to speak, only to slam her mouth shut as someone hugged him from behind.

He quickly used his supernatural sense of smell to determine it was Allison Clover and grimaced internally. Now's not the time, he complained to himself. He reached up to pat Allison's arms, hoping to free himself with an acknowledgment of her presence. Hurt was written all over Ava's face, causing him to frown, partly from confusion, but also because his chest had flared in pain at the sight. He glanced up to Allison and tried his best to maintain a friendly tone when he asked, "Hey, what're you doing over here?"

She unwrapped herself from around his shoulders and smiled. "I just wanted to see how your weekend was going so far."

"Oh, nothing out of the usual," he replied before glancing at Ava.

The hurt expression left her face instantly, and she narrowed her eyes and looked to even be clenching her jaw. A quick glance down at her fork revealed that she was indeed outraged if her tight grip and white knuckles were anything to go by. Remus gulped and looked back at her face. Her cheeks were red once more, but he knew it was in anger this time. Anger directed at him. His stomach dropped to the floor and Moony whimpered in the back of his mind. He dropped his gaze, feeling ashamed, but not entirely sure why. He tuned out Allison, who seemed to be talking to Lily anyway. Why is Ava so upset? he asked himself, before coming to the conclusion that it was probably a side effect of being his mate, if that was indeed the source of their connection. I wonder if her reaction is instinctual, or if it's really her feelings. He shook his head minutely. It has to be just because of the pull she feels towards me. She wouldn't be attracted to me on her own. Why would she knowingly choose to be with a werewolf? I can't believe I'm forcing those feelings on her. He raised his head, intent on sending a silent apology to Ava, only to see her seat vacant. She left without saying goodbye. He sighed and looked around the table to see that Sirius had left as well, and James was currently red-faced and glaring with all of his might. Remus sighed again, knowing that James was going to have a go at him later for hurting Ava's feelings. It wasn't like he was purposefully trying to either. I just want to take things slow and make sure that all avenues have been considered before I trap Ava in a relationship with me, he thought as he absentmindedly scooted the food on his plate around with his fork.


Ava was currently storming through the corridors, on her way to the Room of Requirement even though she wasn't supposed to meet Severus there for another twenty minutes. She just couldn't stand the sight of Remus entertaining another romantic interest. As she stomped down the hallway, she mentally cursed that her magic sought out its connection with such a headstrong, idiotic boy. Her fuming glare was slowly replaced with a frown. That's not exactly fair though. He doesn't know that what he's doing is affecting me so much. But he knows I'm his mate now for crying out loud! She could hear someone running behind her and thought, If that's Remus, I swear to God I'll use the Bat Bogey Hex and leave him like that forever.

"Ava! Wait up!" the person following her yelled. Ava slowed down, recognizing the voice. Once he caught up, Sirius said, "I'm sorry about Remus. James keeps trying to talk some sense into him, but I know Moony can be pretty stubborn once he's set his mind to something."

Ava rolled her eyes and kept walking. "I suppose that's something we have in common then."

Sirius walked alongside her and flashed a quick smile as he ran his hand through his black hair. "Yeah, you can both be fairly frightening when you really get going too."

Ava paused before a staircase and raised a brow at the Animagus. "I wouldn't 'get going' so much if some people weren't such dunderheads." Not waiting for a response, she headed up the stairs.

He groaned. "Merlin, Ava. Now you even sound like Snape." He leapt up the stairs and asked, "Where are you off to anyway?"

"I'm dueling with Severus in a little while."

"Can I come?" he asked, with hope lacing his tone.

Ava turned her narrowed eyes onto him. "Why?"

Sirius frowned as they continued up yet another staircase. "What do you mean 'why'? I want to help you. Isn't that why you're spending all that time with Snape?"

"Well, yeah, I guess. We're also friends. But you're willingly asking to spend time with Severus?"

He scoffed. "Well, I dunno about that. I want to spend time with you and I feel like we haven't dueled in forever, and Snape will just happen to be in the same place."

Pausing for a rest at the top of the stairs, Ava looked to Sirius, scanning his face for any underlying motive. His expression was open and he gave her a small smile before asking, "So, can I come?"

He looked at her with his charming smile and wide, puppy dog eyes, and Ava couldn't resist. She rolled her eyes and threw her arms in the air. "Fine. But no screwing around. No pranks, no bullying, no name calling, nothing." She poked him hard in the chest. "Got it?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," he retorted with a mock salute.

As Ava turned to walk down the corridor, she told him, "I mean it, Sirius. Severus and I are friends, and you can't endanger that. I need him just like I need you and James."

He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stop walking and face him. His joking smile was replaced with furrowed brows and a thoughtful look. "Hey, I know that. You've made it pretty clear where Snape stands with you, and I won't do anything to intentionally jeopardize that. I've been better lately, haven't I?"

Ava sighed. "I'm sorry, you're right. You have been more pleasant around him. Just make sure you keep it up." She resumed walking down the hallway, towards the Room of Requirement.

"I'll remain civil, just as long as he does," Sirius replied, walking to catch up with her.

"I wouldn't be as concerned with my temperament as much as your own, Black," a voice said from the other end of the corridor that was shrouded in darkness.

"Severus!" Ava said with a tentative smile, quickly side-eyeing her fellow Gryffindor, silently urging him to behave. "So, Sirius here caught up with me after dinner and—"

The Slytherin stepped out from the shadows and raised his hand. "It's fine, Ava. He'll just need to ensure that he doesn't deviate from our dueling rules and we won't have any issues. Like hexing people when their back is turned," he said while sneering towards Sirius without making eye contact.

Sirius scoffed. "I've got it, alright? Ava and I have dueled before."

Severus turned to him and smirked. "Ah, yes. That was the night he received the black eye from Lupin, correct?" he asked, looking back at Ava now.

"Play nicely, boys," Ava scolded before pacing in front of the wall three times before a large, wooden door appeared. She quickly stepped through it, beckoning the two wizards to follow her.

In order to prevent any truly volatile duels from happening, Ava instructed Sirius and Severus to alternate practicing with her. As the other one was waiting, he was to watch Ava and give her some pointers on what she needed to improve upon. There were a couple times when Sirius nearly lost his temper because of the way that Severus spoke to Ava, but she reassured the Gryffindor that his words weren't coming from a place of malice and to carry on with their duel. Of course, Sirius would grumble under his breath, but thankfully, Severus ignored him. They only paused for breaks when Ava needed a rest, and she could feel herself about to call for another one. She leapt through the air and simultaneously cast a shield, trying to dodge a hex thrown her way by Severus. Just a few minutes before, she had agreed for him to increase the intensity of his dueling against her since she had been improving steadily. But this was different. While Ava had every faith that Severus could heal her cuts and scrapes, the glowing orange and purple spells that whizzed by her were still fear inducing. Seeing the way that the spells would rip apart the target dummies they landed on and how they could set fire to the places where they met the wall didn't do much to settle her nerves. He gave her no rest as he danced around the mat, deflecting her spells with ease and firing off more complex ones than she had experienced thus far. For every Protego she cast, Ava could feel the shield vibrating more each time, signaling that it was ready to fall under the pressure of Severus's spells. She quickly scampered behind one of the target dummies for shelter and tried to catch her breath.

"C'mon, Ava. You've got to take a stand some time," he bellowed across the room.

"Oi, Snape. Take it easy on her," Sirius shouted as he watched Ava ducking and running about.

Without taking his eyes off of Ava, Severus hissed, "You think Death Eaters or the Dark Lord would take it easy on her?"

Sirius scoffed. "Well, you would know wouldn't you?"

Severus glared at the Animagus. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I would, Black. You don't even know the half of it. Ava needs me to be hard on her because her mission is going to be quite possibly the most difficult anyone has ever set out to accomplish."

Sirius frowned. "Mission? What mission?"

From behind her hiding place, Ava grimaced, just now realizing the imbalance of knowledge between her two friends. Shut up, Severus! He doesn't need to know about anything else yet. She peeked out from the side of the dummy, hoping to distract her dueling partner. Her movement caught Severus's attention, and before she could even raise her wand, he sent a Slicing Hex right for her. With a yelp, she rolled away from the dummy just in time to see its legs cut through to where she imagined bone would be. She gulped and turned her attention back to the boys. Severus was smirking. Probably about to reveal that he knows something Sirius doesn't, Ava thought right before firing a Slicing Hex back in his direction.

Severus quickly shielded against the spell and looked to her. "Oh, have you finally come out to play?" he taunted, letting his wand hang loose by his side.

Ava let out a frustrated growl. "Don't gloat, Severus. It's unbecoming."

He merely smirked in return.

Sirius's narrowed eyes flickered back and forth between the pair. "What's this mission he mentioned, Ava?"

Ava didn't look away from her opponent. "Nothing to worry about, Sirius," she called out. "Just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" she whisper shouted at Severus before noticing his tell. He extended his index finger down his wand, to grip it better when casting.

"I can still hear you!" Sirius yelled from the sideline.

"Figures," she grumbled as she sprung into action. Ava launched herself to the side, with the Confringo Severus had sent her way nearly singeing her hair, adding fuel to her rage. Hoping he wouldn't see it coming, and needing to vent some of her anger with him, Ava sprinted towards the Slytherin, instead of away. She focused on only shielding while she gained ground, deflecting the rapid fire spells that Severus was trying to use as a deterrent. Ava was only a few feet away from him when she felt herself freeze in place and her wand slip out of her hand. Damn it! she thought, bemoaning over the fact that she had gotten so close to punching that smug look off his face but wasn't able to follow through.

Catching his breath, Severus wasn't bothering to look at Ava until Sirius spoke up. "She looks livid, Snape. Might want to let her go."

Her partner looked up and grimaced before releasing her from the spell. "Thank you," she grounded out while stomping over to him to snatch her wand out of his hold.

"You're welcome, Ava," Severus said without any humor lacing his tone. "You know I need to continue challenging you."

Ava sighed and nodded, silently agreeing with him. Still panting, she walked over to a table with chairs, complete with water glasses for each of them. Ava reached out for a glass and gulped down the entire thing before taking her seat. The boys joined her, sitting across from each other, placing Ava in the middle. At least they aren't at each other's throats, she thought. "Thank you," she murmured before taking a few sips from her water glass that was now refilled. Severus repeated her thanks before consuming his own water, drawing a curious look from Sirius. "Hogwarts is sentient, Padfoot," she explained with a small smile on her face. "Where do you think the water came from?"

He looked at Ava with a blank face momentarily before shaking his head. "Of course." He scooted his chair closer to her and spoke in a low voice, "So, what's this mission all about, huh?" She froze in her seat and flicked her eyes to Severus, who merely shrugged. At her hesitation, Sirius said, "C'mon, Ava. We talked about this before. You need to let us help you." Anger flashed on his face. "Clearly, Snape knows what's going on."

Ava cleared her throat. "That wasn't intentional, Sirius."

"So? What difference does that make?" he asked heatedly, his hand on the table forming into a fist.

She sighed. "Because I'm not ready to tell you yet." Or maybe ever, she thought, realizing how difficult it would be to tell him about the prophecy condemning two of his closest friends and the fact that they're all to be betrayed by Peter. Ava mentally scoffed. He probably wouldn't even believe me about Peter. No, best to leave that alone.

Sirius's face reddened. "But this git gets to know?"

Ava looked to Severus, who was seemingly preoccupied with inspecting his water glass. She turned her gaze back to Sirius. "Look, there's some information that I'd rather keep to myself for now. Besides, you know my overall goal is to get rid of Voldemort," she said with a shrug.

He pounded his fist on the table, causing Ava to jump in her seat. "Damn it! I know that, but why keep the details to yourself and him?" he shouted, gesturing towards Severus. "I can't believe you're choosing to trust Snape over myself and James!" he yelled, standing, flinging the chair out of his way to take a couple steps back from the table.

Ouch, Sirius, she thought with a deep frown and tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I trust all of you the same amount. It's just that he stumbled upon it by accident, so I had to explain myself."

"And how exactly did that happen?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Ava glanced at Severus who silently stared back. She closed her eyes and sighed before looking to the Animagus. "Remember that charmed notebook I asked you to help with?" Sirius nodded. "Well, I've given Severus and Professor McGonagall the passwords to it, and I had forgotten about a particular section of the future I had written that Severus accidentally read. So, it's my fault, but that doesn't mean that I want to burden you with the same information." Guilt pooled in her stomach like lead. She hated how easily lying came to her now that every day she was living a lie. Each time she progressed to the next year's class, it was only a matter of time before her classmates would approach her slowly and offer their condolences for her parents' deaths. But that was her playing a part for the masses, not for her friends and the people who were trying to help her. She was afraid that she couldn't reveal Severus's Occlumency skills to Sirius without him once again questioning whether the Slytherin was trustworthy. As a way to assuage her guilt and end his relentless pestering, she said softly, "I suppose I could tell you the details that Severus knows."

Sirius seemed to deflate, his anger slowly leaking out. "Yes, you could."

For the first time since they sat down, Severus spoke, "It's not information you should demand lightly, Black."

Sirius sneered at him. "I'd like to decide that for myself, Snape." He turned to Ava. "So?"

Ava pressed her lips together in a thin line. He won't like this. "I need you to add a clause to your Wizard's Oath."

He huffed. "Fine. What is it?" he asked while drawing his wand.

"You can't talk to James about what I'm going to tell you," she said firmly.

His mouth dropped open, "Are you serious?"

Ava gave him a weak smile. "No, you are."

Sirius frowned. "Ha, ha. But you're not joking?"

Ava groaned. "No, Sirius. I am not joking because this is very sensitive information and it personally affects you. I can't have you blabbering to James and causing hysteria. If you can't agree to not speak to James about this, then you don't get to know." She made sure to maintain eye contact while she finished. "I don't care if you even stop speaking to me. I won't tell you a single thing. This is too important to fuck up."

He looked thoughtful for a few moments before nodding. He raised his wand and said, "I, Sirius Orion Black, do swear on my magic that I will not discuss—"

"Or even hint!" Ava added quickly.

Sirius rolled his eyes and began again, "I, Sirius Orion Black, do swear on my magic that I will not discuss, or even hint, to James Potter any of the details that I learn here tonight." His wand lit up with a brief, golden hue to show the Oath was formed. He looked up to Ava expectantly.

"You may want to sit for this," she said. Rolling his eyes, he pulled the chair back over to the table and took a seat. Turning to Severus, she added, "You can leave if you want. You don't need to be here if you'd rather go."

His dark eyes flickered to Sirius and back to her. "I think I'll stay."

Ava let out a relieved breath she didn't know she was holding. She gave Severus a look of gratitude and reached out to squeeze his hand, which was returned with the corner of his mouth twitching. Ava drew her attention back to her fellow Gryffindor. He was watching her interaction with Severus closely, but surprisingly, she didn't see any anger or suspicion, just curiosity. "So," she said, delaying the inevitable.

Severus cleared his throat, urging her on.

"Right. In a few years, a prophecy will come to light that involves Voldemort and a child. My goal is to defeat Voldemort before then."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "And?"

She began to wring her hands together in her lap. "And…if I fail to get rid of Voldemort before then, we need to do everything we possibly can to keep him from finding out about the prophecy."

"Because?" Sirius asked, drawing out the word.

"Because the prophecy is about people we know. People who will get hurt if we don't prevent Voldemort from taking action." Ava sighed and placed her fidgety hands on the table. "If he hears the prophecy, he's going to act on it, and that's the last thing we want to happen."

Thankfully, Sirius appeared to be taking the situation without his usual joking nature. He was frowning when he asked, "Okay, so we have a few years to figure out how to defeat Voldemort, right?"

Ava nodded vigorously. "I already know how to. That won't be a problem. Well, it'll only be a problem if we can't finish before Halloween of 1981."

Severus perked up at the new piece of information. "We have essentially four years?"

She nodded again. "Yes, but we should work quickly to prevent as much collateral damage as possible." Sirius flashed her a look of confusion, prompting her to add, "Voldemort isn't going to only target the people referred to in the prophecy. I want to save as many people as I can." Ava quickly thought of Regulus, as well as Fabian and Gideon Prewett and others, hoping that she'd be able to stop Voldemort's reign of terror before it really began.

Sirius nodded solemnly. "Okay, so who's the prophecy about? You said a kid, right?"

Both Ava and Severus tensed. Ava reached out to grip Sirius's hand. "Keep in mind that we aren't going to let this happen, alright?"

He chuckled lightly. "C'mon, Ava. You're starting to make me worry. Who is it that we've got to keep an eye on?"

She took a deep breath. "The prophecy is about a child born to people who defy him. Him being Voldemort." Sirius nodded. "If the events occur as I know them, then he'll be targeting Lily and James."

He seemed to stop breathing as color drained from his face. Letting the information sink in, Ava stayed quiet, only glancing away from Sirius to see how Severus was holding up. The Slytherin's face was stoic as ever, so she turned back to Sirius. "No," he whispered. "He's going to go after James and Lily? And their kid? They're going to have a kid?" A defiant look overcame his face. "Maybe the prophecy isn't the same or doesn't happen the same way here." She opened her mouth but hesitated. "You don't know, do you?" He sounded almost accusatory.

Ava was taken aback, but she supposed that she should've been prepared for anger and denial. "Well, everything's been pretty much the same so far. I don't think their lives are a risk I'm willing to take though."

His brow furrowed. "I agree." A few moments later, he shook his head and said, "It'll be fine." He looked between Ava and Severus. "Yeah, it'll be just fine. They'll be fine. I've worked it out, see? We'll go to Dumbledore. He's the most powerful light wizard there is, right? And he leads the Order. I'm sure he'll know what to do." He grinned at Ava. "I bet that didn't happen in the time line you know all about, huh?" he asked, rather proud of his idea.

She broke his stare and looked at the table. How much do I tell him?

"Black, what Ava is struggling to tell you is that that is precisely what happened," Severus said in probably the most neutral tone he could manage when addressing Sirius.

"What does he mean, Ava?" When she didn't look up, he repeated himself, only louder.

"You guys did go to Dumbledore and the Order for protection, but it didn't work. James and Lily still—" she muttered, still looking down, trying to hide the tears gathering in her eyes. Goddamn it, she thought. I still can't say it, even after talking about it with Severus. Whatever. Focus on Sirius. Ava shook her head to dispel those thoughts.

"Well, they probably did something wrong. We'll do it right this time," Sirius said firmly.

She looked up at him. Seeing her watery eyes must've affected him because his body deflated, seemingly accepting defeat. She shook her head. "No. We aren't even going to let it get that far, Sirius. The prophecy won't be told because there won't be a Dark Lord for it to be made about." He reached out to grasp her hand and gave it a thankful squeeze. She gulped and glanced between the two wizards before quietly saying, "And if, for some reason, I haven't succeeded by then, we'll find another way to protect Lily, James, and their baby."

A smile graced Sirius's lips. "Prongs is going to be a dad."

Ava let out a breath and smiled back. "Yeah, he is." That wasn't as heartbreaking this time, she thought, considering how she and Severus ended up on the castle floor, hugging each other desperately. Her eyes roved over Sirius's face. Maybe he's not really processing this. She turned to Severus, and opened her mouth to speak when she was interrupted by Sirius.

"We'll at least need to do a Secret Keeper for wherever Prongs and Lily end up staying after graduation. That'll give them more protection than just wards."

Ava froze in her seat, wide eyes still focused on Severus. His narrowed in return. Giving him the minute shake of her head, she hoped that the Slytherin wouldn't comment on her reaction in front of Sirius. That was one piece of information she hoped to never reveal. To anyone. Collecting herself, Ava turned back to Sirius and patted his hand. "Good thinking," she told him, earning a proud smile from the Animagus.

They sat in a contemplative silence for a few minutes before Ava cleared her throat and announced that she'd like to return to her quarters. Without hesitation, Sirius offered to escort her, but she waved him off, stating that he was practically just down the hall from the Gryffindor common room already. "Severus can take me just fine. I'm on the way down to the dungeons anyhow."

Thankfully, Sirius merely shrugged and said his goodbyes outside the Room. Ava immediately looped her arm through Severus's and proceeded to talk his ear off the entire way to her quarters. At the portrait guarding the door, Severus quietly said, "I'll accept your deflections for now, Ava, but I expect a full explanation in the future about the issue with a Secret Keeper."

Ava gulped, but nodded. "I appreciate your patience, Severus." Without warning, she quickly wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him in thanks. A smile broke out on her face as she felt him returning her hug. She pulled back and began to say bye, but he held out a small, glass vial.

"It's the newest pain potion we worked on. Take it tomorrow morning and see how you feel throughout the day. If it proves effective, I'll bottle up the rest of the brew for you."

She took the potion from him and gave him a small smile. "Goodnight," she said before stepping into her quarters. Letting out a tired breath, her eyes scanned over the homework she'd left spread out on the coffee table and couch. Well, back to work, she thought before she was startled by a throat clearing. Glancing up quickly, she noticed McGonagall standing at the entrance to her bedroom.

"Oh, hi. I'm back. I had a great practice with Severus, and Sirius, actually. They were relatively civil too, can you imagine?" she told her aunt with a smile. However, the professor didn't respond and seemed a little distracted as she walked into the living room.

"Might I take a look at that notebook of yours now, Ava? I believe that I've finally found my courage," Aunt Minerva said, offering her niece a small smile.

Ava beamed in return. "Of course you can." As she located the charmed parchment, she felt lighter and more hopeful at just the thought of an actual adult knowing what was to come. Not to mention the support that McGonagall could offer Ava, since she was the young witch's best chance of getting involved with the Order.


Breakfast the next day was another unpleasant experience for Avalynn. The group of Gryffindors were nearly finished with their meal when Allison approached Remus. God, I hope she doesn't make a habit out of this.

"Hey, Remus, would you want to study together today?" she asked, practically bouncing on her toes.

The werewolf hesitated and quickly glanced to Ava then Lily. "Well, um, I was going to study with Lily actually."

Allison's face dropped for a moment before a seemingly forced smile appeared. "Well, she could just join us, I suppose."

Ava leaned forward slightly to see Lily's reaction on the other side of James. The redhead's lips were pressed together in a thin line and Ava knew that to mean that she was attempting to reign in her patience. "No, it's fine. You two go on ahead. I was thinking of asking Ava to study with me anyhow."

Ava's brows rose in surprise and she managed to school her face before Remus turned to her. "Yeah?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Yep," she replied while nodding vehemently. While she felt outraged at the idea of Remus studying with the other girl, she didn't want to let Lily down if she was trying to make a point to the werewolf. Ava also felt secretly pleased when Remus appeared to be disappointed that she didn't put up that much of a fight. Well, he needs to know that my world doesn't revolve around him, she thought while tilting her nose up in the air as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Remus gulped and attempted a smile before looking back at Allison. "Okay, then. I guess we'll be studying together," he said, causing the Hufflepuff to squeal with excitement.

Ava had to keep herself from laughing at Remus's resulting flinch. No doubt the girl's shrill noise was grating on his werewolf hearing. He's just doing it to himself, she thought as she watched her soulmate stand to escort another girl to the library for a study date. She let out a dejected sigh and looked down to her plate.

"Ready, Ava?"

She peeked up to see Lily standing with her schoolbag slung over her shoulder. The redhead smiled. "We're studying together, remember? And don't worry, we don't have to go to the library."

Ava flashed her a small smile and gathered up her bag as well, giving her goodbyes to everyone as she stood.

James put his hand over his heart and pretended to sniffle. "Isn't new friendship blossoming a beautiful thing, Padfoot?"

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "It is indeed, Prongs." He grinned at the girls before launching into a discussion with James about the drills for Quidditch practice.

Lily and Ava looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the boys' antics before laughing. As they left the Great Hall, their giggles died down. Ava let out a breath and said, "Man, I hope they never change."

Lily chuckled. "They haven't in seven years, I doubt they ever will."

Ava looked thoughtful before asking, "So, how did you end up with James?"

"Oh, boy. Well, he proposed in second year." Both of them laughed. "Suffice it to say that I did not accept, but he didn't let that stop him." Lily lead her up the staircase.

"Yeah?"

"No way. That kid has enough ego for the two of us. But he's learned to tame it over the years. His attempts to 'woo' me used to be so outlandish that I never took him seriously." She smirked at Ava. "I might have mentioned off-hand to Remus last year that James might just stand a chance with me if he would tone it down a bit."

Ava shook her head. It wasn't very difficult to imagine James acting over the top for the girl he wanted to date. A frown formed on her face. Why doesn't Remus act like that with me?

"Hey," Lily said, placing a comforting hand on Ava's shoulder. "None of that now. Remus will find his way to you soon enough."

Her mouth opened. "What are you, a mind reader?"

Lily laughed lightly. "No, but who else would cause that mopey face of despair?"

Ava pouted. "Hey."

The redhead waved her off. "I'm not judging, don't worry." She wrapped her arm around Ava's shoulder. "And don't you worry about your man. He'll come around." She directed Ava towards a tapestry and pulled back the fabric to reveal a decently sized reading nook. There were a couple small, round tables with only a handful of large leather chairs. The one window let in just the right amount of sunlight for reading.

"This is perfect," she told Lily. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. So, how is it going with you and Remus?"

As the pair sat down and dug through their bags for supplies, Ava replied, "Well, I guess he's more open to being with me romantically."

"How do you know?" Lily questioned.

Ava frowned, pondering how to phrase their interaction. "Well, he was a gentleman when I ran into him and he kept me from falling."

Lily gasped and leaned forward on her elbows with bright eyes. "Did he pull you into his chest?" She sighed when Ava nodded. "So cliche, but so romantic, right?"

Ava grinned and nodded as she organized her parchments and ink pot. "Yeah, and I swear he held me longer than he needed to." Lily nodded, indicating that she was still listening. "I felt so comfortable in his arms. Safe. Like I was home, like I belonged there," Ava continued, her eyes beginning to glaze over. "I know he feels it too. He has to. He just won't admit it, I guess."

The other witch looked contemplative. "Have you ever had these kinds of feelings for anyone else?"

She shook her head absentmindedly.

Lily's brows furrowed. "And you said that it feels like your magic is reaching out to him?"

Still lost in her thoughts of Remus, Ava nodded once more.

"Hmmm. Well, we should get moving on our homework."

Ava came back into herself and blinked rapidly. "Yeah, right. Okay."

The girls got to work and continued in a companionable silence for some time. Movement caught Lily's attention, and she glanced up to see Ava pressing her hand to her own forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"

Ava frowned. "I think so. I feel kind of achy, like I've got a fever or something, so I was just checking to see if I felt warm."

"Let me?" Lily offered. Ava nodded, so she reached out and pressed the back of her hand to the girl's forehead. "You feel kind of warm, but not too bad."

As Lily sat back in her seat, Ava started laughing. At the redhead's curious look, she explained, "We both didn't even think to use magic. Wizards must think that Muggles are crazy for simply using their hands to see if someone's got a fever."

Lily laughed as well. "Yeah, I know you're new to magic, but I've been a part of the Wizarding World for seven years now and there are still some things that are just better the Muggle way."

They both returned to their studies and it was only a little while later that Lily's attention was once again drawn by Ava. This time by a low groan of pain. She quickly looked to Ava to see her rubbing her temples in small circles with her eyes squeezed shut. Lily sat up and closed her textbook. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

"It's nothing, I'm fine. I've just got a headache. It's been growing worse since earlier today," Ava explained.

Lily frowned in concern and reached for the girl's forehead. "Oh, my goodness. You're burning up now." Ava pulled away from her and dropped her head to the table with a sigh. "I think I should take you to the Hospital Wing."

Ava lifted her head slowly to say, "Nah, I'm sure it'll go away."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure? Madame Pomfrey could at least check you over and maybe give you something to keep it from getting worse."

Ava shrugged. She just assumed it had something to do with the soulmate spell. Granted, these were different symptoms than what she normally experienced, but she didn't want to put up a fuss if it would just disappear on its own. "Yeah, I'm sure." Lily didn't look like she believed Ava, so she added, "I promise." The other witch merely crossed her arms, causing Ava to sit up straighter in her seat and say, "Look, if its worse by tomorrow, I'll go see Madame Pomfrey, okay?"

Lily nodded. "I'm going to hold you to that," she said while pointing her finger at Ava menacingly.

She smiled at the girl, thankful that she had somehow made friends with Lily Evans. "I've got just a couple more paragraphs that I want to write, is that okay?"

"Yeah, I'm nearly done too. If I finish before you, do you want me to look over your essays?"

Ava beamed. "Yes, please."

Lily laughed and resumed working. Sure enough, she was able to read through Ava's Charms essay and gave her some feedback while the two ate lunch in their little alcove, courtesy of Flopsy. After their meal, they chatted about the Muggle World and cultural differences that Lily had learned to adjust to in the Wizarding World. Soon enough, it was late into the afternoon and the girls parted ways.


Later that night, Lily was in Gryffindor Tower, cuddling with James in front of the fire. At her questioning to the whereabouts of his fellow Marauders, James explained that Sirius and Peter were on a "secret mission", causing Lily to roll her eyes in exasperation. She had told James early on in their relationship that she wanted nothing to do with their nonsense and never wanted to know any details. However, when he mentioned that Remus wasn't feeling well and was trying to sleep it off in their dorm, she sat up straight.

Frowning, she said, "Ava didn't feel well earlier either. I hope there isn't a stomach bug or something going around."

James laughed. "No, that's not it, Lily flower." He lowered his voice. "That time of month is just creeping up on Moony, so whatever's up with Ava, it isn't the same." He grinned. "I'll protect you from whatever stomach insects you're worried about though," he added, lightly tickling Lily.

She rolled her eyes and smacked James playfully on the arm to cease his assault, but let the subject drop.