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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 35

The next week flew by, keeping Avalynn busy between classes, studying, and dueling practice with both her Slytherin and Gryffindor friends. Though not at the same time. Ava had briefly considered the idea of having all of her "inner circle" train together, but she didn't think her patience was strong enough to handle Severus and James in the same room. Not to mention, she hadn't seen Regulus and Sirius friendly towards one another since her arrival and had no clue how explosive they would be if forced in a room together. Although, I like the idea of having an Inner Circle, she mused as she made her way to the Room of Requirement. I'm like Voldemort, plotting and sneaking around, but with more compassion. And more nose. Smiling to herself, Ava climbed the staircase to the seventh floor, spotting Severus and Regulus loitering in front of where the door to the Room would appear. Focusing on the task at hand, she recalled everything about Horcruxes that she could remember. Scenes of the dark objects manifesting and influencing people flashed in her mind before she shook her head. It'll be fine. Hopefully. This has to work.

When she joined the wizards down the corridor, the unease was clear on their faces. Ava opened her mouth to convince them that everything would be fine. That destroying a Horcrux wasn't too difficult. But she couldn't utter any words of comfort considering she didn't actually know if the destruction of Voldemort's soul would go off without a hitch, even if it was only a small piece. Instead, she whispered, "Did you bring the Basilisk venom?"

Severus nodded, patting the outside of his robes.

"And I've got the box you asked for," Regulus said, holding up a chestnut stained wooden box that was too big to fit into one of their schoolbags.

Thank God I learned the Shrinking Charm last week, she thought. There was no way she was going to walk back to her quarters with a damaged Horcrux in her arms like it was just a regular occurrence. She eyed the box warily before glancing up to Regulus. "It's got protection charms on it, right?"

He rolled his gray eyes. "Yes, Ava. No one should be able to open this box or even detect what's inside. Once we've placed the…item…inside, there's a spell you need to perform so that it'll recognize your magical signature in the future. Now, can we please get on with this? It's not the best idea to be discussing such things in the corridor." His gaze flickered over her shoulder to look down the hallway.

She nodded before pacing in front of the empty wall. I need the Room of Hidden Things. I need the Room of Hidden Things, she repeated until a door popped into existence. Ava looked to her friends. "Let's do this," she said while turning the knob on the door.

The dimly lit Room was stuffed to the gills with junk, mountains of random objects stacked nearly up to the ceiling and the nearest mounds starting only a few feet from the entrance. The stale, musty scent of the Room permeated her nostrils. She mentally groaned, thinking about the amount of dust that was just waiting to force annoying sneezes from her. With wide eyes, Ava scanned the front of the Room, spotting everything from books, dishes, and rolled up carpets to large glass terrariums that looked like something you'd keep a Grindylow in. Ava could hear the boys muttering "Sweet Salazar" and "Shit" from behind her.

Trying to keep a positive attitude, she twirled to face them with a forced smile. "It's nothing we can't handle. We'll find it in no time."

The wizards' mouths hung open at her statement for a moment before they collected themselves and nodded, wisely choosing not to contradict her.

"Where do you think we should start?" Severus asked as he dropped his schoolbag to the floor.

She let out a deep breath while placing her bag along with the boys' near the door. "Well, I'm desperately hoping it's where I think it is. It's the diadem of Ravenclaw, so it's a crown. And it should be resting on top of a statue of a head, and we might even be able to sense it."

"Because of the dark magic?" Regulus asked.

"Yeah." She paused. "Or if you can feel your emotions becoming stronger, a bit darker, and more volatile," she said nonchalantly.

"What?" they hissed in unison.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Severus asked with narrowed, dark eyes.

She pressed her lips together before explaining. "It is a piece of the dark soul of an evil, deranged wizard created by dark magic after all. Coming into contact with something like that isn't going to be pleasant. And I'm pretty sure that it'll try to fight dirty to keep us from destroying it." She looked away from the wizards and fiddled with her braid. "Look, if you guys don't want to do this, it's perfectly fine and I totally understand. I can take the venom and box and do it myself." She held out her hands with raised eyebrows, waiting for them to fork over the items.

Regulus clutched the box tighter against himself and shook his head. "You're not doing this alone, Ava."

Thank you baby Jesus. A small smile graced her face before she turned to Severus.

He nodded. "Regulus is right. There's no way I'm leaving you in here on your own." His hard stare dared her to argue with him.

"I really appreciate it guys. Let's spread out and just shout if you find anything."

The Slytherins nodded before turning to the opposite sides of the room and starting down the makeshift paths that wound through the dusty piles of forgotten things. Ava faced out towards the daunting mission and crept her way down the center of the Room, meticulously dragging her eyes over everything within sight. Nearly an hour later, and after several bouts of sneezing attacks, she continued to move through the middle, stomping the whole way. This is so stupid. I'm so stupid. Why on earth did I think we'd be able to find the diadem in just one day? This could take weeks! Her arms were crossed as she huffed a frustrated sigh, glaring at the heaps of junk littering the Room. It's not just my fault though, Severus and Regulus could've said something before we started. They're intelligent too. Why didn't they come up with a better plan?

"Because they're incompetent," she muttered under her breath. You don't need them anyway.

Ava carefully scanned a bookshelf packed to the brim with glass jars containing a variety of colored substances before dragging her feet to progress farther down the row. As she moved, the air thickened, with an invisible pressure washing over her body. With furrowed brows, she glanced around her, spinning in a circle, trying to find where the oppressive feeling was coming from. Must be one of the Slytherin idiots that I enlisted to help me, she thought with a sneer. The unseen weight pressed in on her, clinging to her skin as she slowly inched deeper into the Room.

Her magic perked up, buzzing in agitation, only adding to her current annoyance. She rubbed her chest, silently willing the distracting feeling to go away. But the magic refused, prickling at her senses, forcing a rush of adrenaline to spread throughout her body and alerting her to potential danger. Ava continued her slow movement, creeping forward, eyes darting all over the random items strewn about. One of those nasty Slytherins is probably trying to sneak up on me. Planning on getting the Horcrux for themselves and hiding it from me. Her magic swirled in a frenzy and Ava froze for a moment before shaking her head wildly. What the fuck? There's no way Severus or Regulus would do that. They're helping me. They're my friends. Realization set in and she called out the boys' names, waiting in place for them to locate her.

In only a minute or so, both Regulus and Severus found her, panting and wands drawn. "What is it? What's wrong?" Regulus questioned while Severus's eyes peered around them, likely looking for the enemy.

"It's close. Can you feel it?" She pulled out her own wand, mentally berating herself for not doing so sooner.

"Yes. I don't think—", Severus began before Regulus cut him off.

"Is this a trap?" the younger Slytherin snapped, glaring at her.

Ava startled. "What? No! It's the Horcrux! It was just doing the same to me."

The gray eyes narrowed in her direction lost their fire as Regulus shook himself.

"As I was trying to say, I don't think we should linger. We need to find it and destroy it before we can be influenced any further," Severus said.

The trio didn't hesitate before turning towards the center of the Room and edging their way closer to the source of the unnerving presence in the air. Only about ten feet from their original position, a bust was sitting atop a stand, the torches on the walls of the room causing a faint glint to reflect off the crown that rested on top of the statue. The magic in the air was quickly suffocating Ava, and casting a side glance at the boys, the tense, strained looks on their faces revealed the same for them. With a desperation to end the intrusive magic pressing against her own, she scrambled up a stack of books, using them as a step-stool to reach for the tiara.

"Don't let it touch your skin. Just in case," Severus blurted as he reached out to help keep her balanced.

Ava shook out her robe, extending the fabric of the sleeve to carefully pick up the diadem oozing dark magic. Once she daintily held the object between her fingers, the boys helped guide her back down the pile of books. How dare they touch me?! Traitorous Slytherins! The sudden rage that followed the thought caused her to jerk in fright as she stepped to the floor. The Horcrux fell from her hand and skidded to a stop only a few feet away. They stared at the piece of Voldemort's soul for a long moment of silence. Ava was just waiting for the thing to fight back. When nothing happened, she looked to Severus.

"Can I have them Basilisk venom?" she asked, silently pleading to anyone listening that just dousing the crown in the inky, black liquid be be enough to destroy it. Keeping an eye on the Horcrux, Ava held out her open hand towards her friend as she tucked her wand away. Once she had the vial in hand, she slowly approached the diadem, nearly laughing at herself for being so scared. It's fine. Just open the damn bottle. As her fingers shakily grasped the stopper, trying to free it from the vial, a dark cloud of smoke rose from the Horcrux. Her eyes widened and she frantically gripped the cork, but her fingers were too sweaty and slipped off. Curses uttered from Severus and Regulus close behind had her glancing up at the black wisps that escaped from the Horcrux, forming a familiar figure.

"Remus," she whispered.

"How could you?" he asked harshly, crossing his arms.

Ava's jaw dropped. "Wha—what?"

The dark eyes of the specter burned through her. "How could you trust them over me?"

Her stomach dropped. "That's not—"

The Remus in front of her slashed his hand through the air. "No excuses. You shouldn't be with them. You should be with me, your soulmate. You would've trusted me if you actually loved me."

Her eyes stung, the vision in front of her seeming so real, as if Remus was truly angry with her. But she shook her head, trying to break the spell the Horcrux held over her. Ava had already spoken to Remus at length about her friendship with Severus and Regulus and he had never hinted at any sort of resentment towards her or them. Breaking eye contact with the floating image of her soulmate, Ava muttered to herself, "This isn't real," as she focused on opening the bottle of Basilisk venom.

"Hurry, Ava!" Regulus pleaded from behind her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the dark figure swirl rapidly, transforming into something or someone else. "Don't look, don't look," she whispered, trying to wipe her sweaty hands on her robe before attempting to remove the stopper from the glass vial once again.

"You failed me," a familiar voice hissed at her.

"What the fuck?" one of the boys whispered.

Ignoring the compulsion to confirm who she thought the Horcrux had conjured for her, Ava pinched the cork of the venom and jerked it from side to side. It was finally loosening.

"I thought I could trust you, Ava," the voice accused.

The hurt and betrayal rippling through his comment caused her chest to tighten. Against her wishes, Ava's head tilted up, locking eyes with the hazy figure floating in front of her. She was right—it was Severus and the pained expression on his face shredded her heart. "You can trust me," she urged him, taking a step forward.

He sneered down at her in utter contempt. "Stop lying."

Ava's breath quickened. Severus hadn't looked at her like that since the night she revealed the werewolf that nearly killed him was her soulmate. Her surroundings faded away as her mind focused on the specter of her friend, unable to draw her attention away from him. Not until she could convince him to trust her again. To believe in her and stand by her side.

"You claimed that you would help us and save everyone, but you failed," he told her in a voice like stone.

Her lips parted as her eyes widened. "But—"

"You didn't try hard enough. You were distracted and weak."

His words hit home, making her heart stop. Ava was sure that she could change the time line, but only if she remained focused, learning as much as she could and utilizing only the best strategies to take down Voldemort. She had to be better than him. Smarter. Stronger.

"She died, Ava. Because of you," he said harshly.

Tears sprung to her eyes. No. No, no, no. "You're lying."

"I am not," he said, darkness swirling at the edges of his body. "Lily's dead because you failed."

Ava shook her head.

The figure floated towards her slightly. "Your precious James was killed as well. You'll never see him again. All because you were weak. Completely useless in the face of real danger."

"No. I would never let that happen." Her voice trembled as wetness streaked down her face.

He gave her a cruel smirk. "Little Harry is now an orphan. Because of you. You did nothing to prevent this!" He drew his wand. "You should have protected Lily!" he screamed. "What use are you to me now? What use are you to anyone if you can't even protect your friends as you promised?"

The weight of his words crashed down on her soul like a tidal wave, washing her in grief and self-loathing. They're gone. And I did nothing to stop it. The gut-wrenching devastation that flooded Ava caused her knees to buckle. He's right. I'm useless. "I'm so sorry, Severus." Her wet eyes glanced up at the dark specter.

The endless rage behind his eyes burned through her. "I'll be taking you to the Dark Lord. At least you'll be a boon for me to offer, securing my position within his ranks."

Fear chilled her to the bone. "No. Severus, please. Don't." She continued to mutter her pleas through tears, trying to convince him not to take her to Voldemort until someone gripped the sides of her face. The hands wrenched her vision from the floating darkness, forcing her to look into another set of familiar dark eyes. It was Severus, but he appeared concerned. "I'm sorry, Severus. Please believe me," she sobbed. The worry etched onto his face confused her, considering he must hate her now.

"I could never hate you, Ava," he vehemently swore, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

I must've said that out loud, she realized.

He reached down to her hand clutching the bottle of Basilisk venom and gently pried her fingers from it.

She startled in surprise, having forgotten about the glass container completely.

Without a struggle, he released the stopper then placed the vial back inside her hand. He cupped his own hand around hers and said, "Together."

She nodded shakily, but followed Severus's lead and extended her arm towards the hovering smoke above the Horcrux that was still an image of her friend berating her for being weak and spineless. As one, they both tilted the bottle and allowed several drops of the venom to drip onto the diadem. An eerie shriek tore throughout the Room as the black smoke was sucked back into the Horcrux. A second passed before a pulse of magic exploded from the cursed object and rippled out, passing through Ava, causing her to shiver. Her eyes remained glued to the crown as it hissed and bubbled, crumpling in on itself and blackening.

A heavy silence fell upon the trio in the aftermath of the destruction. Ava was trembling slightly as she wiped her eyes and nose, finally able to calm herself now knowing that she hadn't actually failed her friends. That it was just a trick the Horcrux played on her mind, preying on her self-doubts. Once more wiping the tears that ran down her face, Ava glanced at Severus and Regulus. Both boys were pale but hiding their emotions well. She couldn't discern anything from their expression other than a touch of concern as they watched her.

She swallowed. "Well, that was intense." The scoffs or sarcastic comments to follow her own that she expected didn't make an appearance. Her eyes flickered back and forth between the two Slytherins. Please don't make a big deal out of this, she mentally pleaded.

The boys stared at her in silence, worry becoming more evident in their gazes.

Ava cleared her throat. "I'm fine," she said, brushing herself off and standing from the floor. With her hands on her hips, she asked, "Are you guys alright?"

They remained silent, but Severus's jaw flexed.

Assuming that his action was due to containing residual anger at her, Ava blurted, "I promise you, I'm going to do whatever it takes. I won't let you down, I swear. I won't fail. I will change the time line." She wrung her hands together, waiting for a response.

Without a word, Severus reached out and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and gently cupping the back of her head. "I don't doubt that you will. You're quite the formidable force. However, if you think for one second that I would ever turn against you and give you up to the Dark Lord, you are gravely mistaken."

Immense relief breezed through her body, allowing her to let loose the tension keeping herself in place. She leaned into his hug, grasping onto him tightly. "I thought you were mad at me," she mumbled through her tears into his shoulder.

"I'm not."

"It really felt like you hated me, Severus. It was awful."

His arms tightened minutely. "Never."

After a few moments of silence, Ava felt a hand placed onto her shoulder. Lifting her head from Severus, she saw that Regulus had joined them.

He gave her a small squeeze and said, "For the record, if this arsehole ever even thinks about moving against you, I'd kick the shit out of him and set him straight."

She flashed him a watery smile.

His expression softened. "I've got your back too, Ava."

Without warning, she untangled herself from Severus and launched at Regulus, embracing him in a massive squeeze of appreciation. "Thank you, Regulus," she said.

He returned her hug and stepped back. "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing to the charmed box that rest on the floor a few feet behind him.

Not wanting to remain in the presence of the Horcrux any longer than necessary, even if it was destroyed, they moved quickly. Once the damaged tiara was carefully placed within the box, Regulus showed Ava how to perform the spell that would seal the wooden container and require her magical signature to reopen. The journey back to the front of the room was silent, and Ava shrunk the box before placing it inside her schoolbag. Standing once more, she turned to the boys. "I really do appreciate you staying with me. I don't know what I would've done without you."

"Of course," Regulus said with a smile.

"I'll always be there for you," Severus murmured, ducking his head slightly.

Ava beamed at him. "You guys ready?" she asked, bending to pick up her bag.

"Yeah, I need a scalding clean shower after all that," Regulus said with a shudder.

Ava felt the same. Though the Horcrux was no more and hidden away, the lingering dark magic felt slimy against her own.

The boys gathered their bags as well so Ava spun to the door and opened it, letting out a soft gasp to see someone waiting for them. Her body relaxed once she realized it was just Remus, and she stepped out into the corridor, with Severus and Regulus following her. The door to the Room disappeared behind them as they stood in silence, the Slytherins eyeing the werewolf warily, and Ava unsure of what to say. "Hey, Remus," she finally said after another moment.

Her soulmate approached, nostrils flaring before he growled in the direction of Severus and Regulus.

With a sigh, Severus quickly cast Muffliato.

Knowing that he scented the boys on her, she smacked his arm. "Stop being so possessive," she scolded. "They just gave me a hug."

Remus rounded on her with narrowed eyes roving over her face. He must've noticed her red, puffy eyes because he growled once more and glared at the boys. "Why was she crying? What did you do to her?" he demanded with clenched fists.

"I'm fine," she said with an exasperated sigh, tugging on one fist and trying to soothe him.

He looked at her with furrowed brows. "I felt your panic and fear and then the drowning sadness that followed, Ava." He lowered his voice. "It scared me. I let my magic reach out so I could find you. It led me here, but the room wouldn't open for me." He resumed glaring at the Slytherins.

She pulled on his hand once more. "We were discussing plans for the future, and I got a little worked up over thoughts of what would happen if I didn't manage to change the time line. That's all." Ava didn't want to bring up the Horcrux because she knew it would be quite the sore spot for not only Remus, but also James and Sirius if they found out that she had enlisted the Slytherins for help, but not them.

Remus huffed out a breath of frustration and tilted his head towards the Room. "Can we talk?" He glanced at the boys out of the side of his eye. "Alone?"

Regulus cleared his throat and raised a brow. "Are you alright with that, Ava? Would you rather be escorted to your quarters considering the late hour, or would you prefer to at least have a chaperone present?"

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Are you trying to protect my virtue, Regulus Black?"

His eyes flashed with mild annoyance. "I will accept your choice, but as long as it's your choice," he said, looking at Remus pointedly.

Before Ava or Remus could respond, Severus said, "Ava's virtue aside, Lupin at the very least needs to be certain that his furry little problem doesn't become a problem for Ava as well."

She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Listen up, all of you." Her soulmate made a noise of protest. "Yes, even you, Remus." She looked between all three of the wizards, speaking slowly. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself. Remus, these two are my friends and wouldn't do anything intentionally to hurt my feelings. Severus and Regulus, he may be a werewolf, but it's not the common cold. He's not contagious. And as for spending time with him on my own, that's none of your business," she said primly. "Besides, do any of you really believe that I would willingly put myself in danger?"

Instead of the reluctant chorus of "No" that she expected, Ava heard each wizard blurt out "Yes" without hesitation. She looked at them with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open.

"You've blatantly opposed future Death Eaters in public, Ava," Severus drawled.

Regulus scoffed. "You've passed out several times during our dueling practices from sheer stubbornness, unwilling to quit when you know you should."

Remus growled at the revelation, his expression promising that he wouldn't forget that piece of information any time soon. "You also like to spend the full moon with a werewolf, Ava," he grumbled, showing that he hadn't let that admission go unnoticed either.

She grimaced, having wondered when that slip would come back to bite her in the ass. "That's not fair," she pouted. "Those are all completely reasonable circumstances."

All three of the wizards laughed, looking at each other in surprise and then chuckling again after spotting the irritation clear on her face as she stood with her arms crossed and hip popped out. "Ha, ha. Get it out of your system now." She huffed with a wave of her hand. "As much as I enjoy seeing you behave and not at each other's throats, I don't particularly like that it's at my expense."

After the laughter died down, the Slytherins shared a look before inspecting Remus with scrutinizing eyes. After a few seconds, they glanced in Ava's direction and nodded before giving their goodbyes. As Severus and Regulus rounded the corner, she turned to face her soulmate, and found him watching her intensely with his green eyes. "So, I hear that you want some alone time with me," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face towards her own.

"Yes," he breathed out, resting his forehead against her own and gripping her hips.

She smiled. "Then let's get ourselves a room." She slowly pulled away and stepped around him to pace in front of the empty wall. I need to be alone with my soulmate, she repeated, willing the Room to hear her.

A door appeared, and the details caused Ava to halt her steps. Every door created by the Room that she had seen so far were typical, dark wooden doors with a black, metal handle, closely resembling the doors throughout the rest of the castle. However, this one was painted a light gray with an intricate design running down it like racing stripes. She stepped closer and saw vines intertwined with one another, splashed with brightly colored flowers blossoming. The animated flowers were literally opening in front of her eyes. "The design is magical, Remus," she said softly as he held her hand.

Her eyes roved over the door in delight, wanting to see if there were more magical details. Where a small window would be in the middle of a typical door, there was a heart shaped image that she examined. The outline of the heart was made from the same vines and it was filled with flowers, petals spread wide. She took a step back. "As super cutesy and cheesy as this is, I like it," she told Remus with a smile.

"What did you ask the Room for?"

She shrugged. "Just somewhere I could be with my soulmate."

He let out a low growl, dragging her body to his, with her back to his chest. He held her hips in place as he rolled his own. "I love hearing you say that."

Ava could feel her magic stirring, waking the desire that she had been holding at bay for so long. "Remus," she whispered, feeling excitement pool in her lower abdomen.

He brushed her braid away from her neck and leaned down to nip at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

She squirmed in place, pressing back against his crotch. "Please, Remus." Ava wasn't sure she could take another moment without her werewolf claiming her.

He spun her around and slammed her against the door, kissing her as though his life depended on it. He coaxed her tongue with his, earning a moan of pleasure from her.

"I need you now," she said, frustration lacing her tone.

He chuckled lowly. "So demanding, my mate," he said with amusement, pulling his head back slightly to reveal eyes flashing between amber and green.

Knowing just what to say to get her soulmate to comply to her wants and desires, Ava whispered, "I want you to claim me. I'm all yours."

Remus's body tensed as he closed his eyes, seeming to war with himself.

Ava reached out to cup his cheek, causing his eyes to open. "Please, Remus. I want this. I want you. I need you."

Whatever indecision had been preoccupying his mind vanished as he snapped into action, kissing her possessively as he backed her into the door further. The hard surface behind her disappeared as he turned the handle to let themselves into the Room. She didn't even have time to look around at what had been created for them before Remus pulled her into him again, igniting a fire that started in her belly and spread out to her limbs.

She absentmindedly dropped her bag. "Clothes. Off. Now," she demanded between kisses, pushing his robes and schoolbag from his shoulders.

Remus stilled, holding her face between his hands. "Are you sure that you want this Ava? Because I don't think I'll be able to walk away from you after this. My wolf is so close to the surface, I'm positive that I'll claim you if we have sex."

She huffed. "Remus, you're incredibly sweet, but if you don't fuck me right now, I think I just might die."

His pupils dilated. "Is that so, mate?" His hands slid from her face, caressing her breasts, before coming to rest on her hips.

Ava tried to hide her smirk. "Yes, that is so, my soulmate."

A low growl rumbled from his chest as he dipped his head, slanting his lips against hers. His hands got busy removing her robes, so Ava returned the favor. Pulling his shirt loose, she ran her hands against his hard abs, letting out an embarrassing moan of need as their magic stroked one another.

Remus smiled against her mouth as he worked the buttons loose on her shirt. He pressed kisses in a trail from her swollen lips across her cheek, down to her neck, gently biting her where it met her shoulder.

The possessive bite fanned the flames of her desire and she spurred on, quickly getting rid of his shirt. Ava knew she was staring, but she couldn't help it. His broad, sculpted chest was dusted with hair, and his flat stomach had a light path of the same leading into his pants. She licked her lips in anticipation of what lay beneath the fabric. A deep chuckle caused her eyes to snap up to Remus's.

He was smirking. "I'm glad you like what you see, Ava."

Without a word she took a step back, ripping off her shirt and unhooking her bra, letting it drop to the floor.

His mouth hung open as his eyes devoured her naked breasts.

It was her turn to smirk. "Like what you see?" she teased.

The green in his eyes disappeared completely, causing her victorious feeling to falter momentarily. But her trepidation vanished as Remus closed the distance between them and gently palmed each breast, before wrapping his mouth around one of her nipples. She let out a gasp, her hand threading through his sandy hair. He lavished each breast with attention, sucking, licking, and biting, causing wetness to gather between her thighs.

"Remus," she whispered breathlessly, clinging to his neck to stay standing. "I need you to touch me."

He released her nipple with a pop. "As you wish, mate."

The next thing she knew, he had scooped her up, holding her ass, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. For a moment, Ava thought about looking around the room, but Remus distracted her with his mouth, demanding the attention of her lips as he walked further into the Room. She clung to him tightly as he started to dip her backwards. A yelp of fright was about to leave her mouth, but her body made contact with something soft. Shifting slightly, she realized that he had deposited her on a bed. Scooting herself back a little, she watched Remus remove his pants and shoes, leaving him in just his boxers, clearly tented with his erection. Ava bit her lip as her hand floated towards the waistband of his underwear.

In a flash, Remus grasped her wrists and pressed her into the mattress, pinning her hands above her head as she cradled him between her legs. "You first, love." He released her and crawled down her body, pausing briefly to bite each nipple and soothe them with his tongue.

Her hips thrust forward, desperately seeking friction. "Remus," she whispered. She was panting and hot, not sure if the heat was from her desire or her magic burning with the need to feel his melded against her own.

"Patience, mate," he told her in a low voice, finally reaching her waistband. He quickly divested her of her bottoms and underwear, leaving her completely bare for his perusal. His amber eyes trailed up her legs, lingering on the patch of hair between them, before climbing up to her face. His eyes locked onto hers, reflecting the same desire and want that she felt. He must've approved of whatever he read in Ava's eyes, because he dropped his gaze to her legs once more, placing his hands on each calf, and slowly dragged his hands up towards the apex of her thighs.

She sucked in a breath as he neared her wet lips and couldn't stop herself from tilting her hips towards him. Ava pushed herself up onto her elbows and watched her mate as he parted her legs with no resistance.

Getting his first glimpse of her glistening pussy, Remus licked his lips before flicking his eyes up to hers. He maintained eye contact as he closed the distance and swiped his tongue up her slit. His eyes shuddered closed as a moan vibrated from his mouth around her clit.

Ava dropped her head back to the mattress in pure bliss. Finally, she thought with a smile before a mewl of pleasure escaped from her lips as Remus feasted on her pussy. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding his head in place as his tongue would circle her clit and flick over it before sliding up her slit and thrusting into her, and then he would do it all over again. And again. And again.

Desperate for more, she pulled on his hair. "I need you inside me," she said in a tone that brokered no argument.

With a grin, Remus wiped his mouth. "You taste delicious, by the way," he said as he crawled up the bed, resting along her side.

Before she could respond, his tongue plundered her mouth as he palmed a breast, pinching and tugging on her nipple. He swallowed her moans, sliding his hand down her belly, and spreading her lips with his fingers. He rubbed her clit, reading her body like an open book to find the right amount of pressure. He ceased his assault on her mouth and leaned back, watching her reaction to his touch.

"Yes," she panted. "Remus."

"What do you want, Ava?" rumbled from his chest, his amber eyes dark with desire.

"I want you inside me. Please," she said, desperation lacing her tone.

"Tell me exactly what you want, mate."

Frustration getting the best of her, she blurted out, "I want you to fuck me with your fingers, Remus," as she reached down to grasp the hand working her over. Gently, she nudged him towards her soaked entrance.

Heeding her demand, he pushed a finger into her at a tantalizing slow pace. He dropped his head, groaning into her neck. "You're so wet."

"Yes," she exclaimed breathlessly, concentrating on the feeling of her soulmate pleasuring her. His fingers deftly worshipped her body as he added another finger, pumping them rhythmically in and out of her as his thumb circled her clit. As the delightful pressure built, her magic sizzled along with the nerve endings in her bud, causing her moans to increase. "Yes. Fuck, yes."

"I want you to come for me, Ava. Can you come for me?" He leaned his head down and sucked on her nipple, sending a wave of pleasure through her body.

"Yes. Yes, I'll come. I want to come," she panted, grasping the back of his head with one hand and fisting the bed sheet with the other.

He bit down on her nipple and rubbed her clit harder, causing the mounting pleasure within her to explode.

As her orgasm washed over her body, Ava saw stars behind her closed eyes. "Remus, yes! Fuck," she groaned, her hips twitching of their own accord. He slowly stroked her clit as she rode through the aftershock until she gently pried his hand away from her crotch. She sat up and pushed on his shoulder until he laid back on the bed. Ava swung her leg, straddling his waist, with her hands resting on his bare chest. "Your turn," she told him with a seductive smile.

He watched with fire in his eyes as she kissed her way down his chest and stomach, stopping above his hard cock.

Ava hadn't really thought of blow jobs as enticing, but that was before she laid eyes on Remus. Before she fell in love with him. There was something about her strong feelings for him and how he made her feel that encouraged her desire to have him in her mouth. She wrapped her hand around the base of his shaft, and feeling Remus tense beneath her, she glanced up his body to see him watching her with rapt interest. This being their first time, Ava wanted to learn his body, so she studied his reaction as she flicked out her tongue and trailed it up the underside of his cock.

He hissed out a breath as his hips twitched towards her, and she could see his fists clenched in the bed sheet on either side of him.

With a grin, she swirled her tongue around his head, and enveloped his steel rod wrapped in velvet with her warm mouth. Remus moaned, causing her to echo his pleasure through a moan of her own, just from knowing that she was pleasing his body and causing those noises to come from him. He must've enjoyed the vibrations from her mouth because he fisted her hair and helped guide her up and down his cock. "Just like that, mate. So good," he murmured.

She found that he especially enjoyed it when she grazed her teeth along his shaft and dragged them over his head, if his hip thrusts were anything to go off of.

Without warning, she found herself lifted from his lower half and flipped around so that her back was on the mattress once again.

"I was going to come if you kept that up, but I'd much rather be inside of you when that happens," he told her in a trembling voice as he spread her legs and positioned himself at her slick entrance.

Ava peered up into his eyes, flashing green and amber, contemplating the waver in his voice. "Remus," she whispered, reaching out to cup his cheek. "I don't want you to hold back. I'm your mate. Your soulmate. You won't hurt me."

His brows furrowed. "Are you sure?"

She smiled softly. "Of course I'm sure." She bit her lip before demanding, "Now, fuck me my mate."

He growled and leaned down to smother her lips with his own as he entered her in a single thrust before holding himself still. Sensing his hesitation, Ava quickly rotated her hips, moving against him and moaning deeply when his cock hit her just right. Finally letting himself loose, Remus pumped into her, groaning out his own pleasure. She lost herself in the feel of his body and magic against her own for several minutes as they claimed each other. His breathing became more ragged and his moans longer, hinting that he was about to peak.

"I'm going to bite you," he muttered. "I'm going to claim you as mine."

Excitement raced through her body. "Do it," she said, exposing her neck and shoulder to him, assuming his favorite nipping spot would be where he marked her.

He called out her name as he surged into her once more before sinking his teeth into her skin.

Another orgasm washed over Ava as her magic swirled out to meet his, claiming him as her mate in return. He continued to shallowly thrust into her for another minute as they both quivered in pleasure and caught their breath. As Remus slowed his movement, he caressed the bite wound with his tongue, causing the pain to ebb. With a hiss, he pulled out of her and dropped next to her on the bed. Ava rolled over, laying her leg atop his, and placed a hand on his chest.

"That was amazing," she said before leaning down to kiss his swollen lips and flushed cheeks.

"It was. You're incredible, Ava. So beautiful." He nuzzled his nose against hers.

"And you, my mate, are extremely handsome," she told him with a smile as she settled her head on his chest. Ava took the opportunity to check out their surroundings. The canopy bed they were resting on had cream fabric draped over the top and the wood was a dark cherry. The size of the room was much more intimate than the others she had used, with the exception of the first time she stepped into the Room of Requirement. A pang of sadness swept through her chest at the reminder of her college apartment that appeared soon after her arrival at Hogwarts.

The current decor shared some of the characteristics of her former home that she found comforting. Large, comfy chairs with bookcases full of texts her fingers itched to peruse, and fluffy knitted blankets draped over the back of a sofa not far from the bed. The lit fireplace and plain standing lamps provided enough light for the decent sized room. A frown overcame Ava's face as she spotted a door that matched the dark cherry wood of the bed frame. Her eyes darted to where she thought the entrance to the Room was and saw the light gray door from earlier. Why the hell are there two doors? She sat up on the bed, intending to investigate.

"Uh, Ava?"

She turned to Remus whose brows were furrowed.

"Were you feeling sad and then confused just now?" he asked as his hand gently rubbed her naked back.

Her jaw hit the floor. "Yeah," she said slowly, drawing out the word.

He cleared his throat and pushed himself up into a sitting position next to her. "I think our bond might have an emotional aspect to it now that I've claimed you," he mumbled, cheeks reddening.

Well, that could be annoying as hell, she thought with a sigh. "So, we can sense each other emotions now?"

He shrugged. "I don't know for sure the extent of it, but it seems like it for now, at least. Can you tell how I'm feeling?"

Ava squinted at him, eyes roving over his face and dipping to his muscled chest and arms. She wasn't picking up anything at first, so she concentrated on her magic, feeling through it for her connection to Remus. There he is. Confusion and worry, tinted with desire that was growing. Her eyes dragged up his body to find him gazing at her naked chest. She laughed. "Yes, I can feel you," she said while pulling the sheet around her body and climbing off the bed. "We can figure this out later, but I want to check out where that door goes to."

Without waiting for him, she crossed the room and wrapped her hand around the handle and turned. Apparently, the Room really had thought of everything as Ava was staring into a bathroom, complete with a shower and stack of towels on the counter. "How thoughtful," she said to Remus, who appeared at her side. "Thank you very much. We really appreciate it," she told the Room.

The werewolf opened his mouth, but closed it as a wave of warm, happy magic washed over them.

Ava giggled at the bewildered expression on his face. "That's Hogwarts."

"Oh," he said distractedly, looking about the bathroom and then back into the bedroom. "So, the school is onboard with us having sex? Even though the teachers deduct points and hand out detentions for anyone who's caught?"

She smiled. "I guess so. Maybe the castle could feel our soulmate bond and knew we needed to complete it." Another wave of pleasant, familiar magic brushed over them. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, dropping the sheet and stepping towards the shower. As the water heated up, she turned to see Remus eyeing her with hunger. While she struggled herself to keep her eyes from wandering down his body to where she knew he would be hard and ready for her, she knew they didn't have much time before curfew. She shook her head. "No way, Moony. I'm cleaning up, then getting back to my rooms."

Remus pouted, eliciting a laugh from Ava. "I'm not finished with you yet, mate," he grumbled.

Desire swept through her and her magic prodded her, tempting her to embrace Remus and take him back to the bed. She cleared her throat and reached out to test the temperature of the shower. Stepping in, she glanced over at him and said, "I'd rather not have to explain to Aunt Minerva why I was out past curfew, Remus. If you'd rather, we could go for another round, but you'll do the explaining."

He blanched. "No—no—definitely not," he stuttered, shuddering as his erection deflated.

Ava worked the shampoo into her hair as she said, "If you can keep your hands to yourself, you can join me."

Remus looked her up and down and swallowed. "I'm not sure I can," he said with the hint of a whine.

She laughed. "Then you better wait your turn."

And he did. He leaned against the sink and watched her every move while she rinsed out her hair and rubbed suds all over her body. His gaze caused her skin to flush and magic to stir once more, but she kept her composure and didn't let her baser instincts take control. Wanting to give a little bit of payback, she wrapped herself up in a soft towel and grazed her fingers against his bare chest as she glided past him into the bedroom. She bit her lip to contain her laughter when she heard him take a fortifying breath before he headed to the shower.

Ava was fully dressed and beyond ready to get some well earned sleep when Remus joined her in the bedroom. In an effort to keep her eyes off of the fit and naked werewolf, she faced one of the bookshelves and scanned over its contents, pleasantly surprised to see Muggle literature mixed in with the Wizarding titles.

"Are you ready?" Remus called from across the room.

"Yep," she chirped, pivoting to scoop up her schoolbag and joining him. Just as she was about to step out into the corridor, he snatched her wrist.

"Wait a second." He stepped in close, ghosting his lips over hers. "I love you, Ava. I should've said it before and I hope you could tell that I cared a great deal about you, but I wanted to say it now."

She beamed, feeling the deep love pouring from him. "I love you too."

He gasped and pulled back, looking at her in wonder. "You do."

Ava rolled her eyes. "Duh. I just said that." She leaned towards him for a kiss, but he pulled away again, still appearing awestruck.

"No, but you actually mean it. I can feel how much you love me." He leaned down to her and lowered his voice. "It's incredible." He kissed her thoroughly for a few long moments before releasing her hands. He stepped out the door and held it open for her.

"Thank you," she told him with a smile dancing around her lips. Reaching out for his hand, she asked, "Will you walk me back to my quarters?"

He gave her fingers a squeeze before lifting them and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "Of course."

The pair meandered down the floors in a delighted bliss, occasionally teasing one another about the flicker of desire felt through their bond, but they finally made it to Ava's rooms. For the first time since her arrival in this world, Ava fell asleep without a care in the world, feeling that everything was truly coming together. One Horcrux down. Soulmate bond complete and Moony's claim fulfilled. Surrounded by friends willing to help her train and learn. What more could she ask for?


*blushing furiously* That was my first sex scene by the way