Author's Note: I didn't intend for this to turn into the slowest of slow burns, but we're finally getting to the good stuff in the next couple of chapters :)

Thank you to everyone leaving reviews or deciding to favorite or follow this story! :D

Review shout-out: haleygur7, ColdOnePaul, Babewiththepower95, Vienna22, Freiana, Guest, and Justforloveknows!

Thank you all so much!

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 24

"Ava, dear. Wake up," a soft voice said. She assumed the voice belonged to the same person gently shaking her shoulder, trying to rouse her.

Ava groggily opened her eyes, blinking several times before the image in front of her wasn't so fuzzy. Aunt Minerva was in her bedroom, causing a frown to form on Ava's face. "What? What is it?" she asked.

The professor chuckled. "You need to get up and get dressed. Breakfast starts in twenty minutes."

Ava's eyes bugged out of their sockets. "What?!" She scrambled off the bed and around her aunt, racing to the wardrobe then the bathroom. Foregoing her usual shower, she yelled from behind the door, "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" as she ripped off her pajamas and shimmied her uniform skirt up her legs.

"Well, it seemed as though you needed all the rest you could get. I thought it would be for the best considering we don't know exactly what is going to happen tonight."

"Yeah, okay," Ava replied weakly. The adrenaline that shot through her body at the idea of being late was quickly wearing off. By the time she finished getting ready, her head was pounding, every muscle ached, and there was a light sheen of sweat across her forehead. She sighed, feeling as though it was inevitable for her to transform into a werewolf later that night when the moon rose. Joining her aunt at the door to their quarters, Ava could see the worry etched onto the professor's face clear as day. "I'll be fine," she huffed, putting on a brave face when beneath the surface, her nerves were all jumbled.

As the pair made their way to the Great Hall, Ava noticed James walking quickly towards the same staircase. "Hey, James!" she called. The wizard looked around for who was calling him before his eyes landed on Ava, resulting in a grin. He strutted over to her and Professor McGonagall, greeting them politely, but she waved on her aunt so that she could speak to James alone. Thankfully, most of the students were already in the Great Hall, but just in case, Ava moved closer to him and whispered, "So, you know how I'm showing similar…furry symptoms as Remus?"

James nodded with furrowed brows.

"Well, Severus pointed out last night that I might transform."

His eyes widened. "Oh, no, Ava. I'm so sorry. We didn't even think about that," James said while running his hand through his hair. "What are you going to do? Did you tell McGonagall?"

She nodded. "Yeah, see, uh, here's the thing—well, you know how Moony was fine with me during the last full moon, right?"

James began nodding slowly, but then scrunched his face up and shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no. You can't be thinking that's a good idea."

Ava huffed. "Well, I thought I might as well ask if I could join you guys," she said, anger lacing her tone. "I figured at least that way, if I do transform, I won't be alone," she added quietly. She turned from him and headed to the dining hall without waiting for a response.

"Whoa, Ava!" James said, grabbing onto her shoulder. "It's not like we want you to be alone. It's complicated."

"But I could show up after Remus transforms and leave before he changes back, and he'll never know," she pleaded, eyes wide. I don't want to do this on my own.

Guilt passed over James's face. "I don't want to lie to Moony about this, Ava. We're already doing enough of that. Besides, he'd probably smell you and start asking questions."

She frowned. After a few moments she said, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Plus, what about Peter?" James asked, raising his brows.

Ava sighed. She had completely forgotten about Peter being there. "Wait. What did he think happened with Moony when I first showed up?"

James shrugged. "We talked about it briefly after our conversation in McGonagall's office, but Sirius and I didn't say anything, of course. Peter came to his own conclusion." He grinned. "He figured that Remus could smell that you were somehow related to McGonagall, and since she's his favorite professor, Moony decided not to attack you. We didn't bother correcting him or pointing out the fact that Moony could very well attack McGonagall herself."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered before continuing into the massive hall.

James ran up in front of her to dramatically apologize on his knees to Lily for being late to the most important meal of the day. The redhead merely shook her head and smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Ava approached her usual spot at the table and was just about to sit between Sirius and James when she heard a low growl. With wide eyes, she peeked up at Remus, who was glaring at the boys on either side of her with amber eyes. Thankfully, only the Marauders seemed to notice the deep rumbling coming from the werewolf. Maybe it's just because I've got super hearing right now. And the boys are all Animagi, she thought. She slowly took a couple steps back from the bench and Remus stopped growling immediately. Ava tilted her head in thought. Out of curiosity, she moved forward at a snail's pace, appearing as though she were about to take her place between her friends. Again, the growling resumed, but ceased when she backed up once more.

Rolling her eyes at the new possessiveness Remus decided to display, Ava picked up her schoolbag and told James and Lily to scooch down the bench towards Sirius. She sat down on the outside of Lily, on the edge of their friend group, but not next to any boys that Moony deemed a threat. Apparently, the second-year boys on the other side of her didn't count. The meal passed much like the day before, but without Sirius or James to hold onto her, Ava had to make due with clenching the bench or table with her fingers until they were white. Ava felt like her magic was wrecking havoc on her insides, constantly rushing about, seemingly unable to settle. It would only let up when she would sneak glances at the werewolf, but it appeared that the potion Severus had brewed was still working because at least she wasn't feeling any pain. Similarly to yesterday and the day before, Ava was ravenous and sensitive to certain foods as well as loud students.

Her various flinches and grimaces must've caught Lily's attention because soon enough the redhead asked, "Are you okay?"

Ava looked to the girl wearily. Battling with her desire to blurt out the truth to her confidant, Ava swallowed her bite of food and nodded. "Yeah, it's just kinda loud in here today."

Lily frowned and looked around the Great Hall, taking in all of the activity. "I guess," she replied slowly, clearing not agreeing with Ava. Without warning, she reached out and pressed her hand to Ava's forehead, immediately scowling. "I knew it! You never went to Madame Pomfrey, did you?" Lily scolded.

Ava's brows disappeared into her hairline. She certainly wasn't expecting the other witch to react so strongly. "I—um—"

James quickly came to her rescue, grabbing Lily's hand and reassuring her that he and Sirius would take Ava to see the healer before classes started. The redhead narrowed her eyes at James and then looked to Ava, seemingly scanning her face for any tells of deception.

Good thing I've had plenty of practice at lying recently, she thought bitterly before saying, "I'll go with them willingly, Lily. In just a few minutes. Let me finish up." She resumed stuffing her face, not feeling her hunger subside even a little bit. Still hungry, she grabbed a banana and apple to go when the boys told her it was time to head to the Hospital Wing. Unable to stop herself, Ava cast her gaze towards Remus, whose eyes were now flashing between amber and green. Clearly, he wasn't happy with her leaving, probably even less so since it was with James and Sirius. Well, he'll just have to get used to it until he finally accepts me as his mate, she thought while turning her back to the table and joining the boys at the entrance to the Great Hall.

Thankfully, the boys didn't force Ava to go to the Hospital Wing. However, they did pepper her with questions about her possible transformation, quickly wearing on her nerves. After just a minute of their interrogation, she had enough.

"I don't know!" she snapped, glaring at the two wizards. "I don't know the answers to any of your questions. Why on earth would you think that I somehow had more information about this than you? You two idiots were the ones that cast this spell in the first place," she finished with her brows raised expectantly and her arms crossed.

James and Sirius both stood there, gaping at her, clearly unsure of how to respond.

Ava let out a noise of satisfaction and turned her back on them, striding down the corridor towards her first class. As soon as she rounded the corner, she collapsed against the wall, overcome with the exhaustion required to have a temper and storm away. Chest heaving, she remained leaning on the cold stone for a few minutes, gathering her strength, but unable to keep her thoughts from circling back to the fact that she could transform into a werewolf that very night. It'll be fine, Ava. You won't technically be alone. Knowing that she needed to continue on her way to class, Ava pushed herself away from the wall and gradually made her way down the corridor.

Throughout the day, Ava felt progressively worse, merely going through the motions of the day in a fog. I can't even remember a time that I've felt this sick, she thought on her way to the library. She skipped lunch in the Great Hall, opting for the Kitchens instead. Other than avoiding Remus, she didn't feel up for seeing Sirius or James right now either. It's all their fault. I might become a werewolf because of them. She groaned from the effort it took to open the door to the library, and took a quick breather once she crossed the threshold. God. I really am going to turn, aren't I? At least I've already talked with Aunt Minerva and Madame Pomfrey about it. The plan was to ward Ava inside her bedroom, with Professor McGonagall standing guard in case anything happened. The healer was prepared as well, expecting Ava as a patient the next morning, just in case.

Her sensitive hearing picked up on Severus speaking to someone else as she approached their table. Walking out from the bookshelves, she could see that Regulus was sitting with her study partner, appearing to have out his own work. "Hey, guys," she greeted weakly before sitting down.

Both Slytherins looked at her in concern. Severus's eyes were scanning her face and body for further symptoms while Regulus pulled his parchments and textbooks towards himself. "Whatever you've got, don't go spreading it, Ava. I've got an important Quidditch match next weekend," the younger wizard told her.

The idea of lycanthropy being contagious like the common cold amused her. She flashed him a small smile and said, "Don't worry, you won't catch it." Turning her attention to Severus, she saw that his expression of worry hadn't eased. If anything, he appeared more alarmed at her state of health. Sitting up straight, she assured him, "I'm fine."

His lips were pressed together in a thin line, but he nodded once, allowing Ava to breathe a sigh of relief. She didn't think she could handle any more arguing with her friends today.

The trio spent the next couple of hours quietly working on their assignments. Several times, Ava asked Regulus for his guidance with her Astronomy homework, and of course, he obliged, but refused to touch the piece of parchment she was writing her essay on. Her soft giggles resulted in a mock glare each time, and over the course of their study session, both wizards were able to eventually lift her spirits. She couldn't tell if her mood was being affected by the full moon, but she was still irritated as all hell with James and Sirius. First, they wouldn't allow her to transform in the shack with them, and then they wouldn't cease their relentless questions for which she obviously had no answers.

Since Ava had planned ahead with McGonagall and Flopsy to eat dinner in their quarters, she parted ways with the two Slytherins at the door of the library. Regulus began walking in the opposite direction down the corridor, but Severus lingered. He fumbled for a moment in his bag and then held out his hand, revealing three vials of potions.

Ava looked down at them with a frown.

"Take them," he said softly, pushing the glass bottles in her direction.

Carefully, she took the potions one by one and stowed them in her schoolbag. "What are they for? Did you brew them?"

Severus nodded. His expression was blank as he explained, "They're for after tonight, if you transform. Take the red one first, then the clear, and then the purple. In that order. They should help you recover more quickly."

Her mouth hung open slightly. "But-but we only realized it last night."

He cleared his throat and looked away for a moment. "Yes, well. What am I supposed to do if my study partner suddenly doesn't show up?"

Eyes beginning to tear, Ava restrained from launching herself at Severus, knowing he wouldn't appreciate it in front of Regulus and other students who might see. Instead, she reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. Unable to refrain from teasing him, she leaned forward and whispered, "I promise I'll never tell anyone just how sweet you really are."

He jerked back and fixed her with a glare. "I am not," he stated before turning with a billow of his robes and flouncing down the corridor to join Regulus.

Shaking her head in laughter, Ava waved at them before heading towards her quarters.


Ava was pacing in her bedroom, anxiously awaiting the rising of the moon. Her furniture had all been shrunk down and piled in one corner, courtesy of Professor McGonagall, and her door had most definitely been warded. Out of curiosity when she first felt the magic descended over the entrance to her room, Ava stepped forward and pressed her hand against it, only to be zapped with a crackle of magic.

"How much longer?" she shouted, feeling uncomfortable at the idea of being trapped inside her room.

"Only a minute or so," her aunt yelled through the barrier.

Ava nodded and shook out her arms. "Okay," she breathed out. "You've got this. You can do this, Ava. C'mon," she told herself sternly. As moonrise approached over the last hour or so, her anxiety kept mounting. She felt restless and her thoughts were running wild. She took several deep breaths and closed her eyes, trying to use her rudimentary Occlumency skills in hopes of calming her mind. Her limbs began to feel tingly, but not in a good way. As if they had fallen asleep and she was now trying to run a marathon.

"I think it's starting," she called out to her aunt on the other side of the door.

"I'm right here if you need me, Avalynn," McGonagall replied.

The pins and needles feeling grew until it was replaced with fiery pain. She ground her teeth together, trying to not let any indication of discomfort escape from her. Ava didn't want the professor to be any more worried than she already was. She was repeatedly clenching and unclenching her fists, but now stood in place. Pacing was no longer an option with how much it hurt to move. It's not too bad though, she thought. It's not any worse than when my magic gets all riled up. Suddenly, the fire running through her body intensified, burning her from the inside out. She dropped to the floor on all fours, unable to hold back a scream. Distantly, Ava could hear McGonagall shouting in alarm as she looked down at her fingers, clawing against the stone floor. Why haven't I changed yet?

Blood pounded in her ears as another wave of pain wracked her body. Letting out a shrill scream, she collapsed and turned on her side, wrapping her arms around herself. Uncontrollable tears ran down her cheeks, blurring her vision. Gasping for breath, Ava hoped that was the end. She couldn't have anticipated the true amount of pain that the transformation caused. She was pulled from her thoughts as another surge of pain pulsed through her entire body and shot up her spine, causing her back to arch. This attack lasted longer than the others. Her scream turned into a pitiful wail as she thrashed against the stone several times. When the scorching pain finally subsided, Ava remained on the ground, allowing her tears to fall freely, mixing with her snot and sweat. Her bones ached too much to move or even wipe her face. She lay there, chest having, just trying to catch her breath. Remus. I need to see Remus. Where is he? she thought in a panic as her magic fluttered inside of her chest. He's in pain. I can feel it.

"Ava?!" Professor McGonagall called, worry lacing her voice.

She tried to move, but found her body wasn't exactly onboard with her brain at the moment. Her first attempt to speak came out as nothing more than a broken whisper. Her magic tugged frantically towards the door. He needs me. C'mon, Ava. She swallowed and tried again. "I'm fine," she managed to mumble.

Obviously her aunt didn't hear the response because once again she shouted, "Ava!" After a moment's pause, she asked, "Are you alright? Are you still—still you?" The professor tutted at herself.

A weak smile broke out on Ava's face at hearing the oh so eloquent Minerva McGonagall flustered over having to ask her niece if she was indeed still human or now a transformed werewolf. Your werewolf is waiting and he needs you. Rolling onto her stomach, Ava slowly crawled her way over to the door, grimacing with every movement. She pounded on the door, trying to get McGonagall's attention before speaking again. "I'm human," she said, vocal cords sounding like they had gone through a meat grinder.

Whether it was because her aunt was an Animagus, or Ava was much louder than she believed, the professor let out a gasp and immediately began to take down the ward. Just a few moments later, the door gave way, revealing McGonagall's fear stricken face and wet eyes.

"Oh, my dear child," she said softly while bending down to hug Ava tightly.

She couldn't help the groan of pain that escaped her lips from the professor's grip. Both from the horrendous experience she just had, but also from the fact that she couldn't get to Remus fast enough. There was something in her magic telling her that something was wrong and she needed to be there for him.

"I'm so sorry, Ava," the older witch said as she shot back from the girl. "Let's get you somewhere more comfortable." McGonagall pulled out her wand, likely intending to just levitate Ava to the couch, but Ava shook her head.

"I want to walk, and I need to move. I can feel my muscles starting to cramp," she whispered. I can't get to Remus if I can't move. "Can I have some water first?" As the professor conjured a glass of water, Ava slowly worked her way onto her knees with her palms on the floor. Each time the girl winced or moaned in pain, McGonagall rushed to help her, but Ava refused. "I need to be able to do this on my own if this is going to happen every month."

The professor looked as though she disagreed, but relented, leaving Ava to her own devices.

Once she leaned back on her heels, Ava managed to grab a hold of the door-frame and gradually pull herself up from the floor. Her magic flared behind her ribs, nudging her to leave their quarters. Just give me a damn minute, she thought as she clung to the wall, finally standing. Ava took the water from McGonagall and drank it all in one go. After handing back the glass, she said, "I need to go."

The professor nodded and stepped closer, lifting Ava's arm and draping it over her own shoulder, taking some of Ava's weight off of her legs. "Yes, good idea. Let's go see Poppy."

Ava continued walking to the door, but shook her head. "No. I need to see Remus," she said firmly.

McGonagall halted in her steps and looked down at the girl in utter confusion. "What? Ava, no. Absolutely not. I know his werewolf side reacted well to you last time, but after what you just went through, you need to see a healer."

She clenched her jaw in frustration. "No. What I need to do is see my mate," she ground out while her magic sang throughout her body in agreement. Ava could tell by the look on the professor's face that she didn't understand. "Look, it might not make sense to you, but I need to see him. I can feel him. He's hurting right now and he needs me." Her voice broke over the last sentence. She began moving towards the door once more, but her aunt stayed put. "What?" she asked, annoyance lacing her tone.

McGonagall's brows were furrowed as she pursed her lips. She slowly shook her head and let Ava's arm fall from her shoulder, causing the girl to wobble in place before she found her footing. "I'm not going to allow you to see him right now, Ava. You need to see Madame Pomfrey first and foremost, and then we'll go from there," she said in her stern, teacher voice.

Ava rose her eyebrows. "You won't allow me?" she asked incredulously while glaring at the older witch. She could feel her magic bubbling in rage beneath the surface. Unable to walk on her own yet, Ava stumbled towards the couch and used the back of it to steady her balance. "I will be going to see Remus, whether I have to go on my own or not," she said.

The professor gave her a look of pity and cast a Patronus, sending it to Poppy, requesting that she bring a calming draught for Ava.

She looked at her aunt with wide eyes. "You're going to drug me?" Her magic swirled in her chest, demanding her attention as it compelled her to seek out Remus. As quickly as she could, Ava moved her way from one end of the sofa to the other, closer to the door. "No, you don't. You can't keep me from him. This is ridiculous!"

"What's ridiculous is your behavior young lady!" McGonagall shouted at her. "Now I don't know if it's the connection you share with the boy or what, but you need to stop this nonsense right now. You are in no condition to be traipsing about the castle grounds intent on confronting a werewolf." She stood with her hands on her hips, clearly expecting Ava to comply.

Ava scoffed. "Well, I'll just be going then," she said while testing her legs without holding onto something for support. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she glanced up to see that Professor McGonagall had drawn her wand.

Frowning deeply, the older witch said, "I'm sorry to do this, but it's for your own good."

Ava felt as though her magic had raised its hackles, ready for a fight. No, please. She knew that something must've been wrong with Remus if her magic was acting so erratically. I don't even have my wand, she thought briefly as the professor sent a Stupefy directly towards her. Without thinking, Ava raised her hand and shouted, "Protego!" and "Stupefy!" in quick succession. In a matter of seconds, McGonagall was laying on the floor, unconscious.

"Oh my god," Ava breathed out, eyes widened, scanning the room as if it held the answers. "What the hell just happened?" she shrieked, stumbling towards the professor. Feeling for a pulse, Ava determined that she had merely knocked out the older witch.

She had reacted instinctively, her magic controlling her movements. Speaking of which, it once again battered against her ribs, urgently pushing her on. Remus, she thought belatedly. Immediately, she stood and walked to the door, pushing through the aches and pains as she grasped the door handle and fell into the corridor.

Thankfully, Ava didn't run into many students. Curfew was soon, so most should've been in their common rooms. Those that did see her seemed to glance in her direction once and continue walking quickly in the opposite direction. I must look crazed or something, she thought, walking as quickly as she could manage. Occasionally, one of her legs would give out, causing her to stumble a bit, but she refused to slow down. Remus needs me. I'm almost there, she thought while making her way outside.

I'm coming, I promise. She doubted that he could actually hear her somehow through the bond, but she repeated the sentence several times. Her magic was bouncing happily around, sending waves of a pleasant warmth throughout her extremities. She paused at the crest of a hill, finally spotting the Whomping Willow. Ava knew she wouldn't be able to hit the knot of the tree trunk quick enough, but hoped that she could at least dodge the tree branches whipping about. She took off running as fast as she could, looking like a newborn foal. Almost there, she thought with a wide grin as her magic churned in anticipation. She was nearly upon the tree when her vision was suddenly engulfed in blackness.


Ava woke with a gasp, immediately recognizing that she wasn't in her own bed. Or the Shrieking Shack. Lifting herself up onto her elbows, she looked around to see the familiar sight of the Hospital Wing. What the fuck? How did I get here? Where's Remus? At the thought of her soulmate, her magic flared to life, burning in her chest, pressuring her to find him. Ava sat up and quickly realized that she didn't feel as weak as she did earlier. As she stood from the bed and tested putting her full weight on either leg, she glanced down and saw that she was wearing the same clothes as earlier. The room was darkened, so it could still be the same night or possibly early the next morning. "Okay, okay," she grumbled as her magic made itself known, tugging in her a particular direction once again.

Peeking around the massive room, Ava could see that the other beds weren't occupied, but her magic was pulling her towards the back, where a curtain had been drawn around a bed. Frowning, she cautiously drew back the curtain. Her magic rejoiced at the sight in front of her. She rushed to the side of the bed, and picked up Remus's hand, holding it reverently in her own. She gently brushed his sandy hair back from his face, and as her eyes darted over his body, her concern grew. His face, arms, and neck were littered with many more bruises and cuts than the last time she saw him after a full moon. What happened to him? What does the rest of him look like? Tears began to pool in her eyes, recalling how dire it seemed for her to find him. It must be worse because I couldn't get to him. He's all torn up, and it's my fault. Hearing the curtain rustle behind her, Ava released Remus's hand and turned around in fright, but relaxed the moment she recognized Madame Pomfrey.

"He shouldn't be waking up any time soon, dear, if you'd like to keep him company," the healer whispered.

Ava nodded, then frowned. "How did I get here?" she whispered back.

Madame Pomfrey sighed. "I had to stun you, Ava. Minerva sent me a second Patronus, informing me that you stunned her and then took off. Apparently, to find Mr. Lupin. She said that you weren't acting quite like yourself." She raised her brows.

Ava grimaced. "Yeah, I really didn't mean to. Is she okay?"

"She's perfectly fine. If anything, it's her ego that's bruised. You managed to catch her off guard, and you performed the spell wandless too." The healer cracked a small smile.

"I don't even know how I did that."

Pomfrey nodded. "Well, I'm sure we can talk about it tomorrow," she said while pulling up a chair for Ava to sit in next to Remus's bed. "I know your connection requires you to be close to each other, but no funny business, you hear?"

Ava blushed. "Yes, ma'am."

The matron left, closing the curtain behind her. Ava let out a sigh and took Remus's hand in hers once more. Feeling their connection was amazing. It made her magic dance in delight and she felt safe and calm in his presence. Skin on skin contact must've been what her magic had been seeking because the pain behind her ribs ceased once she settled in her seat and held onto his hand. Eventually, she couldn't keep her eyes open and she fell fast asleep, still clutching onto her soulmate's hand.


Remus awoke slowly, as he usually did after his transformation. He hated relying on his friends to get him back up to the castle and into the Hospital Wing, but he was typically too exhausted to do it himself, whether it was from having too much fun playing with his Animagi friends or because Moony was in a snit about something and was too rough with himself. However, before even opening his eyes, he could sense someone was near him. Even more alarming was that that person was holding his hand. Too startled to actually take a peek, Remus used his sense of smell to figure out who was keeping vigil by his bedside. Avalynn. Both he and Moony couldn't refrain from letting out a pleased rumble from within his chest. His eyes snapped open at the thought of Ava being awake, and having heard him, but thankfully, she was asleep.

He silently took her in and quickly noticed that her head was resting on his thigh while one hand clung onto his and the other laid in her lap. The chair she was sitting in had been pushed as close as possible to the side of his bed, causing a grin to break out on his face. Remus slowly lifted his free hand and gently ran it over Ava's hair a few times. She stirred, but only to snuggle into his leg and let out a happy sigh. His smile widened. Both he and Moony were ecstatic that she was comfortable enough with them to behave in such a manner. Frowning slightly, he thought, What is she doing here anyway? After a few moments of pondering, he realized that Ava must truly care for him if she chose to visit him after a transformation. However, that only confused him further since she hadn't given any real indications about her feelings for him besides her adorable blushing and slight jealousy in front of Allison.

She knows she's our mate, Moony said in a convinced tone in the back of his mind.

Remus looked down at the witch in disbelief. Maybe he's right. She does know that I'm a werewolf. Right? How could she not? How is she so okay with that? Maybe she forgot? Remus didn't think that was likely, but her arrival to Hogwarts was quite chaotic and she had just lost her mum.

His face scrunched up as he shook his head once. You can't just forget something like that. Ava shifted in her sleep once again, drawing his attention. His eyes roved over her soft hair and the freckles splashed on her cheeks and nose, and he realized with a start that he thought she was beautiful. He took another glance at his mate, loving the fact that he was able to slowly take in her features without the worry of being caught. Remus could feel the connection between them and what he thought must've been his magic, humming in pleasure, extending down his arm and into the hand that Ava was holding.

He sighed softly. Maybe I need to stop running from this. Remus recalled what James had said about not hurting Ava's feelings, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He knew that Ava disliked the idea of him going on a date with Allison Clover and he considered the fact that Moony violently protested whenever the Hufflepuff was in close proximity to him. Not to mention, she had kissed him on the cheek at the end of their "study date" the other day and he wasn't pleased. He had squirmed in his seat, feeling dirty and ashamed, like he was cheating on Ava somehow, even if it didn't make complete sense to him. Remus ignored the compulsion to seek out Ava and admit his wrongdoing afterwards, and he had to keep trying to convince himself that he hadn't even done anything wrong. It could've been my magic telling me that Allison is wrong for me, he realized.

Unbeknownst to the werewolf, he had absentmindedly began stroking Ava's hair while lost in his thoughts. He only noticed because she let out another pleased sigh. Shit. This is real. She's my mate. Remus nodded firmly to himself, mind made up. Tomorrow, he'd talk to Allison and call off their date and he would need to start spending more time with Ava. Hopefully, she'll give me the chance to get to know her better and I'll be able to break this news to her gently. He looked up from the wonderful girl keeping him company at the sound of distant footsteps. His wide eyes flickered down to Ava, who was still clutching his hand like a lifeline. He couldn't decide which was worse, waking her up and having to face her right now, or letting Madame Pomfrey find her practically draped over him. Hearing the curtain rustle, he realized he ran out of time, so he did what every brave wizard would do. Pretended to be asleep.

As the healer approached his bed, she whispered, "Ava. Wake up, dear."

Remus could feel the young witch beginning to stir and it took every ounce of strength to not react to her touch as she moved from his thigh. His magic was calling out to Ava, desperately trying to get him to move closer to her. He tried to focus on breathing slowly and deeply as though he were asleep, but that also meant that he was inhaling Ava's scent, and it was proving to be a difficult task because his heart and magic were racing and didn't want her to leave him yet.


Ava was woken by Madame Pomfrey gently calling her name. She slowly blinked several times before remembering where she was and why. Her cheeks reddened at the realization that her head was currently laying on Remus's leg, and she quickly sat up, turning to the healer to apologize.

The older witch was smiling and held up her hand. "It's fine, dear. He'll be waking up soon though." She paused, furrowing her brows. "You could stay, you know. And be here when he wakes up."

Ava gulped and turned back towards her soulmate. She didn't think he was quite ready for that discussion. Reluctantly, she started to withdraw her hand from Remus's, but felt a minute squeeze, causing her to freeze and glance up at him with wide eyes. Thankfully, he was still asleep. That was close, she thought. I have no idea how he'd feel with me being here, fussing over him.

Madame Pomfrey must've thought that her hesitation was because of her worry over Remus's health. "Don't worry, dear. I'll admit that this moon was his worst yet, but I'm confident that he'll be out of here by tomorrow evening at the latest."

Ava's heart and magic ached for him. With the amount of pain she felt from just being connected to a werewolf, she couldn't imagine the true feeling of transforming each month. She stood and stepped away from the bed. "Do you agree with Aunt Minerva? That I shouldn't be with him while he transforms?" She sighed. "I was perfectly fine last time. I know he won't hurt me."


Remus's mind was whirling. She wants to be in the shack while I transform?! No. No way in hell. Of course McGonagall's right.

Moony snarled at him, adamant that he wouldn't hurt his mate. Never, Moony growled.

Remus broke away from his worrisome thoughts when Madame Pomfrey sighed.

"To be fair, Ava, you did arrive after his transformation last month," the healer said.

The girl let out a frustrated huff and Remus could just picture her cute face scrunching up in annoyance while she crossed her arms. However, he nearly gave away the fact that he wasn't truly asleep after hearing Ava's next comment.

"We'll just have to see next month, won't we?"


Author's Note:

I almost ended the chapter after Ava was stunned by Madame Pomfrey. Devious, I know :)