Author's Note: This one was fun for me to write, though it took forever. There's just something about the Slytherins that I really enjoy :) This also happens to be the longest chapter yet!

THANK YOU for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! We're nearly at 600 followers now! And we're working up to 450 favorites! That's insane! :D

To Littlecosma001: You have spoken and I have heard you! I figured in the last chapter, including all of the letters for Ava in her scrapbook would've been too much, so I only picked the ones from James and Severus. In this chapter and the next, I'll work in the Christmas presents from her Slytherin boys, along with the letters from Regulus, Barty, and Benedict. Though, the presents from Barty and Benedict might have to wait until Ava gets back to Hogwarts.

Review shout-out: A huge thank you to seraphina987, Littlecosma001, Nitro612, Vienna22, convalla91, monkeybaby, Justforloveknows, amk41196, BMBMDooDoo-Doo-Doo-Doo, and Bella2192!

Let me know what you think! I love hearing your thoughts :)

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 47

The green flames vanished as Avalynn arrived in the largest fireplace she'd ever seen. The mantle was at least two feet above her head and with the amount of space surrounding her, she could've invited the Potters and the boys to Floo along with her.

"Don't know what else I expected," she muttered to herself as the tingle of magical transportation faded away and she peeked out at the room.

Paintings of peaceful landscapes with thick, golden frames decorated the walls and several art pieces were staged as if on display. All in all, it reminded her of the Potters', but the finishing touches caused the decor to look borderline garish. However, she could see clear across the room to a set of wooden doors at the opposite end as there wasn't a single piece of furniture in sight other than the ornate rug covering the expansive wooden floor. Of course they would only use this room for the Floo, she thought. This place must be absolutely massive.

Ava hadn't even stepped out of the fireplace before Severus and Regulus appeared from the side, Rabastan lingering behind them.

"Finally," her best friend drawled with his arms crossed.

She rolled her eyes, knowing that she could hardly be counted as late. "I'm pleased to see you too, Severus." Not allowing him a rebuttal, she wrapped him up in a tight hug. "Thank you both for my letters," she whispered, unable to keep a smile off her face before turning to Regulus.

He grinned. "You're very welcome." His eyes darted down to her witches' robes and he stepped closer. Flicking his wand, he swiftly cleaned the soot that clung to her clothing, then hugged her. "You need to look presentable in front of the high society witches, Avalynn."

She nearly rolled her eyes once more, but knew that Regulus was right. No need to invite catty behavior, she thought while releasing him.

"Before we go anywhere," he began, pulling a small object from his robes, "this is for you. Just enlarge it when you get home." He handed her what looked to be a shiny, miniature present. "Happy Christmas," he said with a grin.

"You didn't have to, but thank you."

A throat cleared, causing Ava to glance between Severus and Regulus to the third Slytherin.

She quirked a brow as he too pulled something from his pockets and closed the distance between them.

"We most certainly did have to, McGonagall," Rabastan said as he delicately placed a tiny package in her opened hand. "It's only what a proper gentleman would do after receiving one himself."

She huffed out a laugh. "Well, I don't want it if you're only giving it to me out of obligation."

They stared at each other for a moment before he ran a hand through his auburn locks, reminding Ava of James when he was nervous about something.

"It's not merely an obligation," he muttered, his dark eyes looking everywhere but hers. "I wanted to show my genuine appreciation of your unexpected gift."

Her lips formed a wide smile as she instinctively moved to give Rabastan a hug, but she restrained herself. Instead, she grasped his hand and gave him a grateful squeeze.

A breath left the wizard as his shoulders relaxed, revealing how tense he truly was to be so personable with her.

She nudged him with her shoulder, earning a twitch of his lips. I'll take it, she thought, firmly placing the Slytherin in her "friend" category, whether he liked it or not. She pocketed the shrunken presents and glanced about the room. "So, do you guys know where we're going?"

Rabastan and Regulus both nodded and moved towards the doors, but Severus gently held her elbow to put some distance between them.

"Make sure your shields are in place," he whispered. "And keep them there until we leave."

She gulped and nodded. It wouldn't do for her to forget exactly who she was having tea with today. The witch took a deep breath and focused her mind with the sole intent of constructing the dense, mountainous terrain one would find if her mental barriers happened to fail, which was unlikely considering she could now keep out even Dumbledore. Although, I bet he was only holding back because he didn't want to actually damage my mind. That would've been hard to explain to Aunt Minerva. She smiled at the mental image of her stern and protective aunt berating the Headmaster.

Ava scurried to catch up to Regulus and Rabastan only to nearly crash into their backs as they stood right outside the doors in a corridor with high, coffered ceilings between archways that seemed to go on forever. She stood on her tiptoes to peer around them. "What are—" she started to question but her mouth closed at the sight of a house elf waiting in front of the boys with a bland expression.

The small creature was only wearing what appeared to be a pillowcase, but it was spotless and even glimmered, making Ava think it was made of satin or silk. "Master Lucius wishes yous to follow Mugsy," the house elf squeaked.

The wizards all shared a glance with varying looks of confusion laced with a healthy dose of suspicion.

As their guide turned to walk down the wide hallway, Regulus took the lead and Ava followed. Her attention was drawn from studying what she assumed were portraits of the Malfoy ancestors on the walls when she noticed that Severus and Rabastan were flanking her sides, hovering just over her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" she asked Rabastan with a frown, still trailing behind Regulus who was gliding across the marble floor like a man on a mission with his hands clasped firmly behind his back.

Rabastan didn't say a word but his eyes darted to Severus before returning to look straight ahead.

She let out a breath of annoyance and swiveled her head to her best friend.

His eyes flicked to hers. "Watch where you're going," he murmured.

She whipped around to see that Mugsy and Regulus had taken a turn that she almost missed. "So?" she tossed over her shoulder. Ava kept her gaze on Regulus's straightened back but heard her friend's familiar sigh of exasperation.

"We've never needed an escort when visiting Malfoy before," Severus said.

Rabastan scoffed from her other side. "What he means is, keep your wits about you, McGonagall. The elf isn't taking us to the patio for afternoon tea. We aren't even headed in that direction."

Her brows furrowed as she subtlety traced the outline of her wand holster strapped to the inside of her forearm. Rather than fish for more of an explanation, Ava took the time to shore up on her Occlumency shields even further.

Their small group wandered through the mansion, steps echoing throughout the cavernous corridors. They hadn't yet come across another person or house elf, and just when she was about to ask how much farther they had to go, Regulus faltered in his steps.

She peeked around him to see Mugsy a ways down the hall with an arm outstretched, gesturing towards a large black, wooden door that was propped open.

Severus cursed under his breath and Rabastan let out a small noise of acknowledgment, as if they knew where their destination was.

Ava moved closer to Regulus, the other two wizards following closely behind, but she couldn't quite see into the room. All she could tell was that it was dimly lit and one wall was lined with books. She startled when someone suddenly appeared with a flash of pale blond hair.

Lucius Malfoy stood at the threshold with a smug grin. "Good afternoon, Miss McGonagall. Gentlemen," he said, delight glinting in his eyes.

"Malfoy," Regulus said coolly, his stance reverting back to that of a wizard exuding his power and social standing.

Her friends' behavior had Ava on edge. She wasn't entirely sure why they were so alarmed at the idea of having tea inside, and she resisted the urge to double check her wand holster once again.

Even though she had completed the soulmate bond with Remus, her magic remained ever present in certain situations. Like when Dumbledore had tried to enter her mind, and right now. As if it could sense her trepidation, the magic flickered to life and spread throughout her limbs like a refreshing breeze, tickling along her nerves, urging her to stay alert.

She went to Regulus's side and begrudgingly gave Malfoy a small curtsy while lifting her hand. "Good afternoon, Lord Malfoy." Her lessons with Phineas were really paying off if the surprise slipping through their host's mask was anything to go by.

Though the gesture rankled Ava and her magic, she appreciated the haste and gentleness with which the blond wizard held her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Come," Malfoy said with a tilt of his head before he retreated into the room.

She took a step forward to follow him when a hand gripped her upper arm. "What?" she asked, looking to see Regulus holding her in place.

"Let me go first. Try not to draw attention if you can avoid it. And, please, behave," he said in a low voice. His gray eyes pierced hers and his jaw was set.

She nearly scoffed, but realized that he was quite serious and waiting for her to comply. "Okay," she whispered.

He brushed past her and entered the room.

Ava whipped her head to glance at Severus and Rabastan for answers, hoping that Regulus might've been overreacting, but their expressions didn't bode well. Rabastan kept his features schooled, indicating there was enough reason for him to hide his true feelings. And Severus—had she not known him so well, she wouldn't have been able to tell, but he was livid.

Her magic thrummed beneath the surface of her skin, ready at a moment's notice, and she hastily turned to follow Regulus, not wanting to keep their host waiting. What the fuck is the big deal?

"Think, Ava," Severus urgently whispered from behind her as they stepped into what looked like a study.

The room was bathed in a soft light emanating from Victorian oil lamp light fixtures mounted on the walls and a crackling fire at the far end, but there were fairly large windows that could've offered a nice amount of natural sunlight had the sky not been so overcast. There were several bookshelves along the walls, with a couple of paintings, but thankfully, no portraits. While Ava had yet to encounter a painting like Walburga Black's, she didn't really ever want to. A desk with a scattering of papers and trinkets sat across from the windows in the middle of the room. On the other side of the desk, there were two sofas and a handful of chairs that looked too nice to sit on situated in front of the fireplace. The aroma of what she assumed was Malfoy's study reminded her of the Hogwarts library, but with a hint of smoke and the particular cologne the blond wizard like to douse himself with.

A few touches here and there and Ava was able to imagine how cozy the space could've been. The large room actually would've been her idea of a perfect personal library had it not been for one glaringly obvious flaw. The occupants.

She cautiously approached the wizards lounging near the fireplace and instinctively stuck by Regulus's side as they came to a stop several strides away from the others. Avery. Nott. Mulciber. And McNair. Not another witch in sight. And from the short glasses filled with an amber liquid in their hands, they weren't drinking tea either.

Phineas had been rather adamant about a witch never being caught behind a closed door with a wizard unless he was her husband, let alone even just hanging around the "men's spaces", such as the study they were currently occupying. Based on the Pureblood rules of propriety, she should be nowhere near here.

She hid her clenched fists in her robes. Idiot! You really thought it'd be so easy? Just pop on over to Malfoy Manor. It'll be a grand ol' time. You can even start to look for the Horcrux! She mentally rolled her eyes at her own naivety. Can't exactly go snooping when I'm surrounded by Death Eaters.

Even with Severus at her side, uneasy tension coiled in her stomach and her magic crackled, itching to take out the perceived threats in the room.

"Malfoy," Regulus said in a clipped tone. "You should be thankful that Miss McGonagall came accompanied by chaperones."

Ava nearly laughed aloud at the idea of her virtue being in danger, but her friend did have a point, considering who the wizards were. She was eternally grateful that Severus and Regulus were there. Even Rabastan seemed like he wouldn't approve of her being harmed or threatened. At least, she hoped so.

Malfoy waved him off. "The door shall remain open, don't fret." His eyes connected with hers. "Besides, I had to make due once Miss McGonagall here so graciously invited her friends along."

Prick. He doesn't need to be so butthurt about it. The blond Slytherin had probably been irritated with her way of taking control of the situation and aimed to sweep the rug out from underneath her in return by altering the circumstances of their meeting. Well, it's working. She steeled her nerves as Malfoy indicated they should join the others.

Tuning out Malfoy's polite tone as he formally introduced her to his classmates, her eyes darted over each of the Slytherins that she knew would become Death Eaters. They could already be marked, she reminded herself. Fortunately, while it was encouraged within Pureblood circles, it wasn't required for Ava to offer a curtsy and a hand for a kiss in order to greet the rest of the wizards, just the host of the event.

Avery and Nott nodded their heads in acknowledgment of her presence, with the former barely concealing a sneer and the latter maintaining his usual air of indifference. The two others were unable to hide their true feelings. Mulciber's face was contorted in disgust, while McNair openly glared at her, eyeing her body up and down.

His leering made Ava want to shift closer to her friends, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that his behavior was getting to her. "Afternoon, gentlemen."

She couldn't decide if she was pissed or relieved that the Death Eaters blatantly ignored her words and greeted their housemates instead, inquiring about how their holidays were going so far and their plans for the rest of break. While her three protectors were engrossed in conversation, her gaze shifted to Malfoy as he called for Mugsy, standing apart from the rest of the group. Not even a minute later, the blond wizard was handing her a glass of the same golden brown drink as the others.

"What is it?" she asked softly, creeping closer to him in an attempt to put some distance between herself and the others and with the hope of not being any more obvious of her inexperience with the beverage that the wizards were sipping casually.

Malfoy raised an elegant brow. "You've never had firewhisky before?" With a slight shake of her head, a small smile graced his face. "This will be fun."

She almost laughed at his light teasing, but recalled Regulus's plea that she not draw any unnecessary attention. Someone sidled up to her and the anxious magic swirling within her settled minutely.

"Don't drink it too quickly," Severus warned from beside her.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No shit, Sherlock."

Gray eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them. With a shake of his head, Malfoy chuckled under his breath before taking a sip of his own beverage. "I'm surprised you let her sass you like that, Severus."

"Yes, well, I'd say I give as good as I get."

Ava bit back a smile. "Finally. The first step is acceptance, you know. You are one sassy wizard, Severus Snape."

He sent a murderous glare her way.

Malfoy tossed his head back with a bark of laughter and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "That's not a word one typically uses to describe Severus."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ava noticed a few heads turn in their direction. Her eyes darted to Regulus whose expression was stern and so clearly not amused. Her stomach clenched. Okay, tone down the personality. Duly noted.

She looked to her other ally. Rabastan had an inquisitive brow raised and a smile playing about his lips. But someone else was watching her too. Nott. He seemed to be studying her intently, as if trying to decipher what about her could've possibly been so intriguing that Malfoy of all people would invite her to his home.

She shivered, hoping that the curious Slytherin would keep to himself, and turned back to face Severus and their oh-so-gracious host.

"Well, then?" Malfoy prompted, eyeing the glass of firewhisky in her hand.

She'd nearly forgotten. "Right," she breathed out. Ava almost tossed back the liquid in one go, desperate to calm her nerves, but she knew that'd be asking for trouble. She had no idea how magical alcohol would affect her.

Lifting the glass, she took a cautious whiff. Her eyebrows shot up when the expected, typically pungent scent of alcohol didn't even reach her nose. The smell was actually quite pleasant and the combination of spices reminded her of fall and Christmas. Cinnamon was the main scent, the strength of it hinting that the drink would certainly have a bite to it. Ava imagined that if she had sniffed the drink closer to a full moon, she would've had a sneezing fit from the powerful smell overwhelming her olfactory senses.

Just as a precaution, she took a dainty sip and the flavor exploded in her mouth. Indeed, the amount of cinnamon was enough to leave a slight burn on her tongue, but as she swallowed the liquid, a comforting warmth trailed down her throat and spread throughout her chest. Surprised, Ava licked her lips and took another, bigger sip.

"Oh, dear Merlin," Severus muttered under his breath, earning a small chuckle from Malfoy.

"What?" she asked, still relishing the heated sensation the firewhisky caused.

Severus's eyes were narrowed. "You aren't supposed to enjoy it."

Her mouth dropped open slightly. "I can't help it if I think it tastes good." A pout formed on her face. "You can't even tell it's alcohol," she exclaimed, waving the glass in his face. But Ava was actually starting to feel a bit calmer and without thinking she tossed back another mouthful.

Both wizards stared at her, gobsmacked.

With wide eyes, she said, "This stuff is dangerous."

"I honestly don't understand how you like it so much," Severus said with a frown.

Ava shrugged. I don't know why I was so nervous before. "Compared to Muggle alcohol, this is delicious." She eyed the amber liquid. "And it's not even mixed with anything, is it?"

Malfoy shook his head.

"Must be the magic," she muttered to herself.

"What's Muggle alcohol like?" the Pureblood asked in an even tone, but his eyes betrayed his interest.

"There's all different kinds. They have whiskys and beer too, but nothing as tasty as this and Butterbeer. But they also have a ton of other kinds of alcohol, like vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and mixed cocktails that have all sorts of combinations of alcohols and flavors. The taste of alcohol is much more obvious though."

The blond Slytherin looked contemplative. "That actually sounds quite innovative compared to our selection of beverages," he said quietly before lifting his own firewhisky to his frowning lips.

She unconsciously took another sip of her drink.

"Ava," Severus warned in a low voice.

"Mind your own business, you wet blanket." She couldn't remember if there were any other side effects of firewhisky other than the warm, burning sensation, but she felt just fine.

She glanced at the others, sitting and chatting amicably on the sofas and chairs in front of the fire while their little trio stood off to the side. This is ridiculous. I shouldn't be on edge. Stupid Death Eaters, Ava whined internally. I can sit with Regulus if I want to. I'll just shove Rabastan over and squeeze in with them. She let out an unconscious snarl at the idea of the other Slytherins being unnerved by her presence so much so that she couldn't even take a seat beside her friend without causing a fuss.

Severus crowded her. "Did you just growl?" he hissed.

She jumped, startled by his proximity and tone. After a moment, her mouth ran dry at the realization that she did actually just growl. What the hell? Without a thought, Ava took a gulp of the firewhisky and the pleasant rush of warmth calmed her.

"O—kay," Malfoy drew out slowly as he took a step closer. He reached for her glass. "I think I should take that back, Miss McGonagall."

Before he could reach her drink, she pulled back her hand and clutched the firewhisky to her chest. "Excuse me?" she asked incredulously.

His jaw dropped at her refusal to relinquish the alcohol.

She looked to Severus who appeared both amused and vexed by her behavior. "Ava, why don't you hand over the drink?"

Her eyes darted down to the glass in her hand and back to the unreasonably demanding wizards in front of her. She smirked. "Make me."

"Sweet Salazar," Malfoy said, bewilderment written all over his face. "The Sorting Hat most certainly placed her in the right house." He cleared his throat and politely asked, "Miss McGonagall—Avalynn, if I may?"

Her eyes narrowed but she nodded. "You may…Lucius."

He looked as though he couldn't decide whether he wanted to smile or scold her. "While firewhisky may not taste overtly alcoholic, I can assure you it is."

She glared at him and opened her mouth to tell him off for thinking she was stupid, but he cut her off.

"Beyond that, its side affects include the burning and warming sensation I'm sure you've noticed, but it can also give the drinker courage. In some drinkers, the magical properties of the alcohol can be stronger, influencing their behavior more so. For example, for someone who might already have the characteristics of speaking their mind or openly challenging others, those qualities would be exacerbated." He eyed her pointedly.

It took a bit of brain power, but it finally dawned on Ava, causing her cheeks to redden. Well, shit. She glanced down at the glass of firewhisky in betrayal and shoved it at Malfoy, nearly sloshing some on him. "Sorry," she muttered. "I'm never touching that stuff again."

She shook her head. I could've handled it. And I could take every one of the wizards in here. Easy. Except for maybe Severus, she thought, once again lost to her inflated courage.

Both wizards chuckled at her, pulling her from the internal rant.

She cast a glance at the other Slytherins. Fortunately, Mulciber, Nott, Rabastan, and Avery were deep in conversation—about professional quidditch it seemed. With a gentle nod, Regulus appeared to support the decision to rid herself of the deliciously deceptive firewhisky. But McNair was back to glaring at her.

Her lips formed a sneer before she could think logically and stop herself from goading the Death Eater douchebag.

His eyes sparked with anger and a touch of madness that made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

"You'll need quite a strong sense of self-control," Lucius said, startling Ava out of her staring contest with McNair, "if you're to stay away from the drink, as it seems you've already taken a liking to it."

Her head swiveled back to the two wizards standing with her.

"Ava can be quite disciplined when she wants to be," Severus said before expounding on that statement when the blond Slytherin gave him an inquisitive look. "If everything goes as planned before the end of break, she'll be in our class for Charms, sixth year classes for Defense, and fifth year for Potions and Transfiguration."

Lucius gave her a genuine smile. "Why am I not surprised?" he asked, his tone teasing with a hint of fondness.

Her cheeks reddened, and even more so when Severus's narrowed eyes flicked back and forth between her and Lucius.

She bit back a smile, realizing that she hadn't repeated to him the blond's blatant comments about offering for her hand had he not already been engaged to Narcissa Black, though his attraction seemed intellectual and not physical. Maybe I won't and let him try to puzzle it out on his own.

"It sounds like you'll be joining us for our N.E.W.T.S. at the end of the year," Lucius said. "Which courses do you think you'll pursue? What are your plans for the future?"

Ava began to fumble through a piss poor explanation of why she hadn't a clue as to what she wanted to do. It's not like she could speak the truth in front of the Death Eaters, or even Severus and Regulus, as they would likely take offense to her way of thinking. For all she knew, she might not be alive to have a career after graduation. Of course, she intended on living, but she had to be realistic. A lot of people had died during the First Wizarding War.

Whether intentional or not, Rabastan saved her from continuing to look like an idiot. "How are you finding your stay with the Potters, McGonagall?" he asked, having left the couch and joined her side.

Ava perked up and opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated, needing a split second to choose her words wisely and not over-share with this particular group of wizards. "It's—" she started, but was interrupted by an obnoxious scoff. With a glare, she turned to the source of the noise, McNair.

"Of course, she would be staying with blood traitors." The sneer he threw her direction a clear taunt.

She clenched her jaw in an attempt to stay silent.

"Then again, she is only a Half-blood. No offense, Snape."

That's it. Her magic sparked and raced to her fingertips that were twitching for her wand. Let's go, buddy. She took a step towards McNair.

"Avalynn," a voice drawled as a hand clamped around her arm.

She slowly broke eye contact with McNair and turned to face the wizard stopping her from pummeling the lump of stupid that thought of himself as a badass Death Eater. She quirked a brow. "Yes, Lucius?"

He frowned slightly at her tone. "I beg your pardon. Do you mind if I use your given name? You're more than welcome to use mine."

"Of course, I don't mind." She didn't really care about such trivial things when there were more important issues to focus on. Like slapping McNair around a bit. She began to face the wizard that drew her ire once again, but Lucius continued.

"While my housemates here may underestimate your value due to the unfortunate circumstance of your lineage, I find myself more…flexible with such things."

Her brow wrinkled. Is he seriously trying to look like the good guy here? Ava couldn't be positive, but she wouldn't put it past a Slytherin like Malfoy to have invited the brutish McNair, or the other Death Eaters, just to make himself look more acceptable as an ally.

Having successfully distracted her, Lucius leaned closer and lowered his voice. "I'd like to speak with you about some business investments I'm considering in the near future."

Even if the firewhisky hadn't started to wear off, she was sure the knot of dread that formed in her stomach would've been there just the same. Ava still hadn't decided what sort of "vision" she could give to the Malfoy heir to gently pull him towards her side of the upcoming war.

"Could I use the restroom first, please?"

If he noticed that her smile wasn't genuine, it didn't show on his face. He inclined his head. "Certainly. Mugsy."

With a pop, the house elf appeared.

"Escort Miss McGonagall to the facilities."

"Missus," Mugsy said.

Without casting a glance at her friends, Ava followed the house elf out of the study and farther down the corridor. She let out a relieved breath and eyed the small creature. "Are you treated well here, Mugsy?"

The elf's steps picked up pace and they turned a corner. "There's the toilets, Missus." He sniffed and held his nose in the air. "Mugsy's family has honorably served the Malfoys for generations. If we was mistreated, we would've left, thank yous very much," the tiny elf said in a haughty tone. "Can missus find her way back?"

She nodded dumbly, taken aback by the disdain layered in Mugsy's response.

Without a word, he disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Ava stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the spot the house elf had vacated. Well, then, she thought before letting out a surprised chuckle.

Without taking the time to gawk at the size of the guest bathroom, Ava rushed through using the toilet so she could hopefully take advantage of the opportunity to poke around the wing of the mansion she was currently in. Since Lucius's study is on this side of the house, his dad's might be over here too, she thought, assuming that Tom Riddle's diary would be held there for safe keeping.

Knowing there had only been one other room between the restroom and the study, she decided to check out the rooms in the corridor with the bathroom as there looked to be about ten on either side of her before the hallway split off in two directions. Goddamn it. How was she supposed to find the Horcrux in this place? There must've been at least a hundred rooms in the whole manor. Even between now and the New Year's Eve Ball, there was no way she could search them all.

Unfortunately, the first two doors she attempted to open were locked and she wasn't willing to risk casting any spells on them in case there was some sort of security alarm rigged. Should've thought about that, stupid, she grumbled internally. The first room that she was able to peek into was what appeared to be merely a guest room. The next door revealed a shared bathroom of the first bedroom and another one that followed. She let out a huff of annoyance.

Just as she was reaching out to open another door, footsteps echoed from behind her. Shit. Ava spun on her heel and sprinted towards the guest toilet Mugsy led her to half way down the corridor. She was nearly there when a hulking figure turned the corner.

Ava's blood froze at the sight of McNair grinning like a madman, and her magic sprang to life, surging through her body, leaving a sizzling heat in its wake.

The Slytherin took a several steps closer. "Look at what we have here." He eyed the closed door to the bathroom, directly next to him, and glanced back to her, still too far away for it to be plausible. "Did you manage to take a wrong turn?"

She swallowed and resisted the compulsion to flick her wrist and draw her wand. "It would seem so," she said in an even tone, hoping to conceal just how unnerved she was to be cornered by him. Hopefully, he won't say anything to Lucius. She didn't want to erode any trust the blond wizard had in her by McNair snitching on her snooping.

She hesitantly moved to go around him.

McNair side stepped to stand in front of her and clicked his tongue. "Not so fast." His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. "You know, I heard something quite salacious about you, McGonagall."

She kept a calm exterior despite her magic swirling and beyond ready to throttle him. "Oh?" she asked lightly, once again trying to walk past him. There's no way he actually knows anything.

"Yes," he said, blocking her path and stopping too close for comfort. "I thought you might like to hear it."

"Sure", she bit out, flexing her fingers.

With gleaming eyes, he smiled through his words. "Even though you've been seen publicly throwing yourself at that Half-blood, Lupin, it seems you have an additional, secret lover."

Her frustration with the neanderthal vanished as confusion flooded her mind.

Seeing her expression, McNair's grin broadened. "Don't play stupid, McGonagall. You and Snape were seen sneaking around the Slytherin common room the morning after your tryst."

Her brows furrowed even deeper. What the hell is he talking about? Secret lover? Severus? It was another moment before she remembered. Christmas morning!

"I wonder what you'd do to keep that information from slipping to the public," he said with a feral grin.

How would he know about that though? Thinking back on that morning, Ava recalled that for a split second she thought someone else was in the Slytherin common room when she and Severus were leaving. She shook her head and focused on McNair's smug expression, pushing all thoughts of a Slytherin spy network to the back of her mind.

"Wait a second. Are you trying to blackmail me?" She snorted. "By using my 'secret rendezvous' with Severus?" She tossed her head back with a loud laugh.

McNair's beady eyes stayed locked on her while he clenched his jaw, clearly unsure of how to handle her response to what he thought was good extortion material.

Her amusement only succeeded in angering the wizard, and he pulled his wand.

In the blink of an eye, she had done the same and leveled her Blackthorn at him. "Now, now—let's think about this first, McNair." She widened her stance and bent her knees slightly.

He sneered. "What's there to think about? You're a pathetic Half-blood that needs to be put in her place."

Ava's brows shot up at the venom lacing his words. Well, that escalated quickly. I won't crumble to the threat of blackmail, and now I'm pathetic? Her mind raced, several spells coming to the forefront that would incapacitate him quickly.

Movement behind McNair caught her attention, but she didn't let her eyes linger. Lucius. Thank God, she thought. I really didn't want to cause a scene.

Deliberately ignoring the appearance of their host, she began to slowly step back. In an attempt to deescalate the situation, she said, "I may just be a Half-blood, but I'm fairly certain that starting a fight as a guest of Malfoy's is poor form."

McNair took another step closer, forcing her back against the wall.

She had to trust that Lucius was going to intervene soon or she was going to light up this asshole, proper behavior or not.

"I'll just tell Malfoy that you attacked me first," McNair said, eyes gleaming in anticipation.

Ava couldn't keep in her chuckle, knowing that Lucius was right behind him and within earshot of their conversation. But she really should've reigned in her laughter as it only fueled the animosity rolling off the hostile Slytherin in front of her. Her magic raised its hackles and her grip tightened around her wand.

McNair let out a low growl and shot a Slicing Hex at her.

Without flinching, she deflected it with a quick Protego.

"McNair," Lucius called out calmly.

The wizard in front of her froze and narrowed his eyes, promising retribution. He swiveled to face Lucius. "Yes?" he asked innocently, as if he didn't just try to hex her.

The Malfoy heir slowly approached them, his wand discreetly palmed and held close to his robes. "Is this any way to treat your host, who so graciously extended you an invitation regardless of your penchant for stirring up trouble?"

McNair's jaw clenched, but he stayed silent.

"If you continue on this path, I'm not inclined to feel so generous in the future, and I'm sure you'd understand that I would be obligated to make others in our circle aware of your behavior to save them from the same embarrassment that I am now facing." He turned to Ava and inclined his head. "I apologize for the attack on your person within my home, Miss McGonagall."

Her eyes flitted between the blond and the brute. "Yes, well, I won't hold it against you, Malfoy."

McNair fumed silently, his fists balled up at his sides. He seemed to finally accept that he wasn't going to come out on top in their altercation, and spun around, stalking around the corner, back towards the study.

Lucius let out a short breath through his nose as he watched McNair make his hasty retreat. He glanced to her once the other wizard disappeared. "Do you make a habit of looking for trouble or do you merely stumble upon it?" he asked with a brow raised in question.

Ava smiled. "To be honest, it's probably a bit of both." She placed her wand back in its holster.

His lips twitched as he put his wand away. "Well, I appreciate your candor." He held out his arm. "Shall we head back to your chaperones?"

She rolled her eyes, but looped her arm through his, knowing that the gesture was a product of his upbringing.

Instead of going around the corner, he led her straight ahead, towards the opposite end of the corridor. "I thought you might like to see the gardens. They won't be blooming, obviously, but there's still a certain beauty when they're covered in fresh snow."

She pressed her lips together and swallowed her protest. "So, what business opportunities did you want to ask me about?"

He smiled down at her. "Ah, little lion. Straight to the point I see."

Her nose scrunched up. "Can you not call me that?"

Lucius ignored her and launched into his self-described "progressive" investment plan as they continued at a leisurely pace down the hallway. After doing a decent amount of research, the Pureblood heir had come to the conclusion that Muggle companies were sprouting up all over the globe and had a rather large market compared to those within the Wizarding World.

"Besides your…insight, I thought since you were raised amongst Muggles, you might have a decent idea as to which industries I should invest in."

She was taken aback. "You're actually asking me about business stuff?"

He rolled his eyes. "Despite the pedestrian term, 'stuff', yes, it would appear that I am consulting you about my business ventures, Avalynn."

With a wave of her hand, she said, "Call me Ava."

The blond wizard looked very pleased with himself just then, and guided her down yet another corridor, but this one was different. While one side of the hall was nearly identical to the others she'd seen throughout the manor, the opposite side had multiple sets of French doors that led to the outdoors.

Though at this point in the year, the sun was setting rather early, there was still just enough sunlight for her to make out the bare bones of the garden. Dozens of trees and rows of bushes were coated with a fluffy layer of perfectly white snow, along with several statues, though there were small footpaths cleared that meandered through the garden. There was even a fountain in the center that at first glance seemed to be an odd shape and glistening, but Ava realized that the water spouting from it had just been frozen in place.

She raised a pointed finger. "Did you do that with magic?"

"Yes."

"Why not cast spells over the whole garden then and keep it in bloom year-round?"

"Mother likes the snow."

She nodded. "It is quite pretty." She sighed wistfully. "But don't you just want to mess it all up?"

"Mess what up?"

"All of that," she said, gesturing to the snow covered garden. "It all looks so crisp. There aren't even any footprints in it. It's so beautiful and pristine, but at the same time, I want to run through it and tear it all up and make snow angels." She bounced on her tiptoes, just thinking about it.

He let out a huff of amusement. "I suppose I can see the appeal, though I daresay that I haven't had the notion to frolic in the snow since I was younger."

Flashing him a smile, she said, "You're lucky we need to get back to the others, otherwise, I'd kick your ass in a snowball fight."

Lucius chuckled. "Is that the firewhisky talking?"

"Nope. That would be the confidence." Considering that she had been able to keep her cool during her altercation with McNair, Ava was sure that the magical effects of the alcohol weren't lingering.

"Ah, well in that case, I shall have to decline. I'm hardly dressed for such an ass-kicking." Ava's eyes widened, causing the wizard to roll his. "I can curse and use foul language when the situation is appropriate." He patted her arm. "Besides, I enjoy your carefree manner. It's a breath of fresh air to all of the pomp and circumstance that I deal with on a regular basis. It's nice to indulge one's self every now and then."

As he gently led her down the hallway, continuing along the garden, she couldn't help but wonder how restrictive Lucius's life must've been for him to think of merely cursing as an indulgence. "Back to your question from earlier. I think you might want to look into any Muggle companies that have to do with electronics. Like computers and phones."

He tensed for a moment. Still looking straight ahead as they walked, he kept his tone nonchalant. "And what industries would those be exactly?"

Ava frowned. "Well, I guess the simplest way to explain them is that they're mostly used for communication. It's called telecommunications."

"Hmm."

"At least, for now," she added absentmindedly.

He pulled her to a stop and met her eyes. "Have you been able to see the potential for these types of companies?"

Her mouth popped open. Oops. "Well, sort of. Without getting into the nitty gritty details, Muggles continue to develop and spread the technology so that most of the world's population has either a computer or phone." She bit back a giggle at his attempt to pronounce the clearly foreign words. "How about I write down my suggestions? That way there won't be any mixed ups with your investments."

Lucius rose a brow. "That would be quite helpful, actually."

"I'm assuming that this should be kept quiet, so how about I owl you the information later?" She began to walk but he stayed put.

He threw her a look full of suspicion. "Why are you being so accommodating?"

"Why are you so open to investing in Muggle companies?"

A flash of irritation crossed his face, but he relented. "Money is money. Like I said before, I can see the value and deem it a worthwhile venture."

Ava smiled. "Exactly. You're my worthwhile venture," she said, gesturing at him with her free hand.

His expression turned quizzical.

She sighed. Slytherins. "If it makes you feel any better, just think of me cultivating our relationship as an investment. Who knows what use I'll have of you in the future?" She gently tugged on their linked arms, wanting to continue on their path back to the study.

"Ah, of course. You're rather clever for a Gryffindor, little lion."

She refrained from rolling her eyes. Of course, Ava didn't really have any plans to leverage Lucius in the future to do something for her, but if that's what made him feel comfortable with their exchange of information, then so be it. Other than keeping him from becoming a Death Eater, she added mentally. But that's really for his own good. If he'll listen.

"Would you happen to have had any other visions that could prove useful to me?" he asked casually.

Her lips pressed together. "Not exactly."

He glanced down at her with an inquisitive stare.

She cleared her throat. "Is…the leader of your little gang going to be at the New Year's Eve Ball?" she whispered.

He tsked. "'Little gang'," he repeated under his breath. "Clearly, the firewhisky has yet to leave your body for you to speak about it in such a manner."

A scoff left her lips before she could stop it, but she stayed silent, still not entirely sure of where Lucius lined up with Voldemort.

Once again, he halted their steps and she was pulled to a stop alongside him. His gray eyes searched hers as he asked, "What do you know about our…ambitious leader?"

She nearly snorted at his description of the megalomaniac. "That's one way to put it," she muttered.

"Careful, witch," he hissed, eyes darting up and down the corridor.

She stomped her foot impatiently. "Can you just tell me if he's supposed to be at the ball or not?"

His gaze narrowed. "I'll tell you in exchange for what you know of the Dar—our leader."

Frustration welled up within her. I just want to freakin' know how careful I'll have to be at the damn party! Or if I'm even going to go. Although, Ava had no idea how she could get out of attending if it turned out that Voldemort would be there. "Fine," she said with a huff, yanking her arm from his. "Is the Dark Lord going to be there or what?" she snapped while crossing her arms.

Her lack of reverence must've startled Lucius, as his eyes widened before roving the hall once more. "No," he breathed out. "He shouldn't be there. Father invited him, but he declined, stating that he would be traveling out of the country during the holidays."

She nodded. "Good." Thank fuck. She drew a deep breath, trying to buy herself just a little bit more time to form a decently made up "vision" to share with him. She kept her voice low as she spoke. "Now, I haven't really seen anything solid, but I've caught glimpses of this Dark Lord." At his affronted expression, she hastily added, "That's what his followers call him in what I've seen, so what else am I supposed to call him?"

With a shake of her head, she continued, "Anyway, from these…visions, it's pretty obvious that the people who follow him are terrified." She shifted on her feet and wrung her hands, hoping to play up the dramatics. "And he was yelling at them. Something about a mistake. He wasn't very happy about whatever it was, and he—he cursed someone."

Lucius swallowed. "What curse?" he whispered, eyes laser focused on hers.

There was a small part of Ava that felt terrible for basically lying to him, but she also knew that Voldemort would have no issues torturing his own followers in the future, so she was sort of telling the truth. If you squinted. "It was the Cruciatus."

His eyes bugged out and he shook his head resolutely. "No, he wouldn't. That person must have betrayed him somehow. Some have followed him for decades."

Like his father, she realized. She needed to think, to say something convincing enough to plant a seed of doubt. "Maybe that's not what he's like now, but he didn't hesitate before cursing that poor wizard from what I saw. Sure, now, he might persuade you with promises of wealth and power and influence, but what happens if his movement meets opposition? If it becomes more difficult and challenging than even he expected?"

Lucius seemed to be hanging onto her every word.

"And you know how dark magic can affect people. I know your group tends to lean that way. It wasn't clear if he was in his right mind. How could he be if he turned on one of his own followers?" She shrugged. "Besides, you should know by now that he isn't one to suffer idiots or cowards. Maybe that's his way of dealing with people who disappoint him."

If possible, his skin paled even further at her choice of words, reminiscent of what one of his fellow Slytherins had said to him before, in the corridor outside of the library.

She only hoped that Lucius would take her words to heart and start to realize what he was truly getting himself involved in.

They stood in silence for what felt like eternity. Finally, he grasped her hand and placed it on his crooked arm. Without uttering a word, Lucius led her back to the study.

Ava chewed on her bottom lip the entire way, unsure if she should say anything. It would be understandable if he needed a chance to wrap his head around everything she just laid at his feet, and she didn't want to push him too far, unable to get him to see reason in the future.

He paused just outside the open door and whispered, "I look forward to your owl."

"I'm sorry," she blurted, quietly as possible.

He didn't look at her but didn't move towards the room either.

"I just thought you should know. I think he's much worse than any of you realize, and I didn't think that you deserved that future."

His head whipped to her, an unknown emotion flickering through his eyes. "Thank you," he said softly before pulling her into the study alongside him.

At her appearance, Regulus, Severus, and even Rabastan strode over to them.

"Ava?" Severus asked, his real question clear in his tone as his eyes covered her from head to toe, likely looking for any sort of indication that all was not well.

The two younger Slytherins peered at her with scrutinizing looks as well.

"I'm fine, guys, promise. Lucius was a perfect gentleman." Judging by their expressions, her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She elbowed the blond wizard still standing next to her.

"Yes, of course. We took a little detour so that Ava could see the gardens," he said, seemingly back to his confident self. He glanced behind the other wizards. "Where have McNair and Mulciber gone off to?"

Regulus eyed her. "McNair came stomping back in here, muttering about a Half-blood bint, and Mulciber took him home to cool off when it became clear he wouldn't settle down. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you, Avalynn?"

With raised brows, she shared a look with Lucius.

He gave an imperceptible shrug.

Ava glanced at the stern gaze from Regulus and lifted her nose in the air. "It's not my fault he threw a hissy fit."

Severus choked back a laugh and Rabastan flashed her a wide grin. Regulus, on the other hand, looked ready to scold her. He opened his mouth, but Lucius intervened.

"McNair had the audacity to attack her within my home, so I'm hardly troubled by his early departure."

The other wizards looked at her with varying expressions of concern and surprise.

"Ava—," Regulus began with a deep frown.

"What an idiot," Rabastan muttered as Severus brushed past him to step closer to her.

His eyes roved over her once again. "You're alright?"

She smiled and waved him off. "Yes, Severus. It was just a Slicing Hex."

"Which you deflected quite nicely, I might add," Lucius said.

A blush crept up her cheeks. Regulus and Severus shared a look, but before she could question it, the two remaining Death Eaters joined them.

"So, what was all the fuss about with McNair?" Avery asked with a mask of indifference.

"He sought to harm Miss McGonagall under my roof," Lucius told them in a clipped tone.

Avery nodded, as if that was the explanation he expected.

Nott's eyebrows rose ever so slightly. "I take it that you chose to support her, despite her blood status?"

The other Slytherins, even Avery, looked at him incredulously.

Lucius clenched his jaw. "She is still an invited guest and as such, it is my duty to see to her well-being while on the grounds of Malfoy Manor."

The tension between the wizards was beginning to unsettle Ava, but then Lucius cleared his throat. "It's not as if she's a Mudblood, Nott."

Asshole. Her gaze flew to Severus, who was barely able to conceal a flinch at his friend's use of the derogatory word, a glimmer of pain flashing across his face before he was able to school his features.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides as she turned to face Nott and Avery, ignoring the beseeching look Regulus sent her. No longer caring about drawing attention to herself after the run-in with McNair, she met Nott's eyes. "Malfoy's right you know," she said, dripping a little bit of disdain into the host's name to make her annoyance clear to him. Her eyes darted to his for a moment and saw him suppressing a grimace. Good.

Ava took a slow step towards the Death Eaters on her shit list. "You're actually quite lucky I'm not a Mudblood." She allowed a feral grin to form. "Muggles can be rather barbaric. Savage, even, what with having to resort to physical violence since they lack magic."

Avery and Nott shifted uncomfortably under her stare as she drew closer.

Her magic rose to the surface of her skin, wanting to be unleashed on the assholes in front of her, but she quelled it in an effort to reinforce the idea that she wouldn't even have to use magic to hurt them. "I hear some Muggles even like to see the light leave a man's eyes as they choke the life out of him with their bare hands," she said in a lowered voice, as she gradually raised one hand and inspected her flexing fingers nonchalantly.

She stopped a step away from Nott and Avery, close enough to see Nott swallow as he stared at her hand with widened eyes.

"Imagine if I had solely the blood of those kinds of people running through my veins," she whispered. Her eyes flicked to Avery and then Nott.

His eyes drifted from her hand to lock with hers and he startled.

"It's a good thing I'm only part Muggle, isn't it? My blood and lineage is only half inherited from beings of unpredictable violence and creativity," she murmured, lowering her hand. "It wouldn't do to forget that, or the fact that I was raised amongst them." She maintained her animalistic smile, relishing the increasing uneasiness in their gazes as she stared at them silently.

Suddenly, she brought her hands up and clapped, causing both Avery and Nott to jump. "Well! This has been fun," she exclaimed, before giving a small curtsy. "Gentlemen."

Only once Ava had turned from the Death Eater punks, and met Severus's suppressed grin, did she allow herself to smirk. Regulus had narrowed eyes fixed on her, but it was Lucius and Rabastan's expressions that nearly had her laughing aloud. Both of the Purebloods' mouths were open but their eyes betrayed the hint of fear that she was sure Nott and Avery were feeling at that moment.

"Don't be such scaredy cats," she whispered, walking past them towards the door of the study. Though the Purebloods had no idea, magic was much more terrifying than a mere fist fight. But if they were spooked enough, they just might leave her alone and think twice about attacking unsuspecting Muggles.

She paused in the threshold and glanced back to find only Severus following her. With a little chuckle, she waved the other wizards towards her. "C'mon, Regulus. Rabastan, you coming?" She looked to their host. "Will you see us out?"

Her words jump started their movement, the three wizards she spoke to walking to join her and Severus, while Nott and Avery stayed put, eyeing her warily.

Lucius gently grasped her hand and pecked a kiss to the back. "Avalynn, thank you for joining us this afternoon. I hope your encounter with McNair hasn't darkened the impression of my home."

Ava fought to hide a shudder that ran through her, his words reminding her that the Dark Lord used his family manor as headquarters, shrouding it and the residents in a suffocating veil of dark magic. That's just a possible future, she told herself. "Of course, not," she told him with a forced smile. "You're a wonderful host." She gave a little curtsy and moved to the side so Lucius could give his goodbyes to Regulus, Rabastan, and Severus as well once they indicated it wasn't necessary for an escort back to the Floo.

As soon as the Malfoy heir disappeared back into the study to see to his remaining guests, she took off down the corridor, hoping to stall the scolding she knew was coming from Regulus, and quite possibly Severus. The wizards followed her in silence until the hallway split off in two directions. She stopped with a huff of frustration, as neither one looked familiar, and continued on once Rabastan took the lead.

They didn't speak until they arrived at the singular purpose room, all four of them coming to a stop in front of the massive fireplace.

Rabastan spoke first. "Well, that was a tad more entertaining than I anticipated." He gave Ava a small smile, which she returned.

With crossed arms, Regulus threw her a look, but she raised a hand to silence him. "I already know what you're going to say, so save your lecture for some other time."

Rabastan elbowed his friend. "It wasn't that bad." He lowered his voice. "At least Malfoy didn't invite Bella and Roddie."

Ava tensed, feeling like a bucket of ice water had just crashed over her. I didn't even think about them. Her widened eyes darted towards Severus, who was once again fuming.

"That would not have been ideal," he grounded out.

Regulus's stern expression softened as he met her gaze. "No. It certainly wouldn't have been."

"Anyway," Rabastan said, "I'd like to get home and not waste away more of my break with you sorry lot." He stepped towards the Floo after clapping Regulus and Severus on the shoulders, and paused with a handful of powder as he stood in the fireplace. "McGonagall," he said with a nod.

"It's Ava, Rabastan."

A small smile graced his lips. "Ava."

Once he disappeared in a flash of green flames, she turned to Regulus and Severus, intent on discussing their hunt for the Horcrux.

Anger flashed in her best friend's eyes and he hissed, "I can't believe Malfoy." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. "He put you in a very precarious situation, Ava."

She waved him off. "I'm fine, Severus. It's alright." She reached out and squeezed his hand, adding, "Besides, we've got bigger things to worry about."

After peeking behind him just as he did a moment ago, she whispered, "Look, finding the…object is going to be more difficult than I realized. I tried when I went to the bathroom—" Both boys started to protest and reprimand her, but she spoke over them, "—but we can't just be wandering around aimlessly. Is there a spell to locate dark objects or something?"

The Slytherins both nodded.

"We might need to do some research though because I doubt it'll be that easy," Severus said. "And I the only spell I know of has a limited range, so we'd still need to access a good portion of the manor for our search."

"I'll look through the Black library, starting as soon as I return home. Hopefully, I'll manage to find something before the ball."

Severus nodded. "I'll look at Hogwarts."

"I'll check out the Potters' library too," Ava said, causing both wizards to look at her in doubt. She shrugged. "Hey, you never know. Wouldn't it make sense for a family typically on the lighter side of magic to want to know how to locate cursed objects made with dark magic?"

Regulus's brows lifted. "That actually makes sense."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, jerk. I do have intelligent thoughts from time to time."

Severus let out an annoyed grumble. "Can we just get out of here, please?" he whispered, worry lacing his tone. "Ava, you first."

She threw up her hands. "Alright, alright. I'll owl you guys if I find anything. You'll do the same?"

Both wizards nodded.

"Good." She turned to Severus. "You'll pick me up for the ball?"

His nostrils flared. "Yes, witch. I'll pick you up from Potter's," he said, the last word putting a sour look on his face.

Regulus merely chuckled at the palpable disdain coming from Severus. "Off you go, Ava." He made a shooing gesture towards to the fireplace.

She stepped into the Floo, but paused before grabbing any powder, turning to level a threatening finger at her best friend. "You better not chicken out, Snape. I will not be showing up here alone." Ava knew it'd irritate him to no end that she essentially called him out for acting cowardly if he failed to escort her from the Potters', but she was adamant about having backup every second of the way.

He sneered and scooped a handful of green powder.

Her eyes popped wide as she opened her mouth to berate him, but he was faster.

"Potter Manor!" he snapped, spiking the Floo powder at her feet.

While the magical flames engulfed her, Ava swore she could heard Regulus roaring with laughter.


The ride through the magical flames wasn't nearly long enough for Ava's irritation with Severus to simmer, and she grumbled to herself about the betrayal of best friends as she dusted soot off herself. "Stupid…dungeon…bat," she cursed between pats against her robes.

"I think our dear Avalynn has gone 'round the bend," a familiar voice announced from the doorway of the Potters' sitting room.

With a roll of her eyes, she called out, "That's nothing new, Sirius."

The shaggy haired wizard grinned as he flicked his wand in her direction, vanishing any remnants of her trip through the Floo Network.

"Thanks." She flashed him a smile. "Sometimes I honestly forget that I have magic."

"It's nice to know I'm not the only one," a feminine voice piped up.

With wide eyes, Ava darted around the furniture, rushed to the door and found Lily waiting just outside in the hall beside Sirius.

"Lily!" she cried as the redhead wrapped her up in a tight hug. Her magic buzzed in a rush of warmth and excitement, surprising the witch considering it had never reacted towards Lily like that before. She dismissed it easily, assuming it was just because she hadn't seen her fellow Gryffindor in over a week.

She giggled. "I missed you too, Ava. I only got here a little while ago."

Pulling away from Lily, she asked, "Do you guys hate the Floo as much as I do?"

Sirius shook his head. "Nah, I'm used to it."

"Well," Lily started as Ava linked their arms and waltzed down the corridor, "the Apparition License course starts only a few weeks after break."

The unexpected news immediately lifted Ava's spirits. "I totally forgot about Apparition!"

After a bark of laughter, Sirius said, "I've gone side-along before and it's a lot more disorienting than using the Floo."

Ava shrugged. "But it's less messy and more direct." She grinned, thinking of the Weasley twins. "It'll be fun to randomly pop up on people." She and Sirius shared a conspiratorial smile, but Lily ruined their plans.

"You can't Apparate inside Hogwarts, remember?"

Duh. She chuckled at the pout on Sirius's face as they drew closer to the living room.

"Is that the Lady Avalynn I hear?" James yelled, the smile evident in his voice.

Breaking away from Lily and Sirius, Ava bounded into the large family room to find the Potters and Remus lounging in front of the Christmas tree with James. "Hello!" Unabashedly, she plopped down on the couch next to Remus and smacked a kiss against his cheek.

"Hello to you too," he said with a smile.

Though his face turned slightly pink at the display of affection, she could feel his appreciation and love dancing across their bond.

Remus casually threw his arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side before placing a kiss atop her hair.

She tried not to laugh as her werewolf subtly sniffed her head and trailed down towards her neck. Just as she was about to admonish him for giving her goosebumps, a low growl reached her ears.

With wide eyes, she peered at the others. Thankfully, the Potters and Lily hadn't noticed but James and Sirius were looking over at them with thinly veiled confusion.

Anger and jealousy, along with the desperate need to protect, streaked through their bond, causing her to gasp softly.

"You smell like other males," Remus grounded out.

The boys kept concern from their faces as best as they could while appearing engaged in the conversation between Charlus and Lily about Apparition.

"Remus," she whispered. "I only hugged Severus and Regulus for like a second, I swear, that's it." She turned to peek at him and found his eyes flashing amber for a brief moment before returning to their usual green.

"They aren't pack. Moony doesn't like it, and neither do I." He gently brushed her hair to the side and shifted the collar of her robes to expose her mating bite mark.

Her cheeks flushed. "Remus, not right now," she pleaded quietly, eyes darting to the Potters before looking to Sirius and James for some help.

She rolled her eyes at James's utterly useless reaction as he sat there with his mouth hanging open in shock. Sirius attempted to cover up his laughter with a cough, but it wasn't convincing enough for Dorea.

The older witch eyed her adopted son before following his amused gaze and landing upon an uncomfortable Ava, who was sure her entire face was tomato red as her possessive soulmate nipped at the bite mark on her shoulder. Dorea quirked a brow, but didn't comment before jumping back into the conversation about how the magic behind Apparition worked.

Normally, Ava would've been interested in the topic as well, but she could hardly concentrate with the scent marking her mate was preoccupied with.

"Not enough," Remus muttered before encircling his strong arms around her.

As he scooped her onto his lap, an embarrassed squeak left her lips.

"Moony!" James hissed from across the room, drawing Ava's attention.

She looked up to see everyone staring at her sitting atop Remus's legs and wished she could disappear.

"You might be embarrassed, love, but not nearly as much as I am right now," her soulmate grumbled, despite the fact that he continued to casually run his nose and head along her shoulders and neck while his arms were draped over hers in an iron grip.

At least James and Lily looked mortified on her behalf, but Sirius and even Charlus looked to be trying to contain their laughter. Dorea was grinning widely, though she hid it behind her teacup. She had the audacity to wink at Ava and the gesture caused a deep chuckle to burst out of her husband, which in turn broke the last shred of restraint Sirius had before he released his laughter.

With a huff of annoyance, she attempted to cross her arms, but found them unable to move with Remus still keeping her in place. Her mounting frustration sent Lily and James over the edge, and eventually a smile crept onto Ava's face.

Deciding just to go with it, she cleared her throat. "I apologize for this display, but apparently two hugs are enough to set off this one's alpha side."

At her comment, Remus's head finally popped up for air and he tensed at the sight of their audience. "Sorry," he said in a gruff voice. "Can't help it."

Dorea sent him a soft smile. "It's quite alright, sweetheart. We understand."

She rolled her eyes as the werewolf resumed his scent marking, apparently taking the woman's statement as a clear go-ahead.

"Ava, dear, how was tea?" Dorea asked pointedly, vividly reminding the young witch of the mother overhearing her true destination just before she Flooed to Malfoy Manor.

She forced a pleasant grin onto her face. "It was just fine, thanks for asking."

Judging by the looks on the boys' faces, along with Dorea's penetrating gaze, they didn't quite believe her.

"How was your Christmas, Lily?" Ava blurted, turning to the redhead expectantly.

The poor girl's eyes bounced back and forth between her and Dorea, seeming unsure if she should enable Ava seizing control of the conversation. "It, uh—it was lovely."

"Even with Petunia?" James asked, irritation coating the name of his girlfriend's sister.

Ava's brows shot up. She had practically forgotten about Petunia, never having spoken of Lily's family with her friend before.

"Tuney wasn't so bad. She actually spent a lot of time with her boyfriend."

"Vernon?" Ava asked without thinking.

Lily's head whipped to her. "Yes," she said slowly, a frown taking over her face. "I didn't think I had told anyone about him though."

After a beat of silence, James came to her rescue. "You must've Lily-flower. I'm certain you mentioned him at breakfast one morning," he told her confidently, reaching to hold her hand.

The redhead's cheeks darkened at the drop of her nickname, but she shook her head. "Anyway, Ava, I've got your Christmas gift, if you'd like to open it."

She beamed. "Second Christmas! I've got one for you too!" She wiggled, trying to break free. "Remus, I've got to be able to move."

He hesitated, but released her and stood as she did, immediately removing his cardigan and draping it over her shoulders.

With a frown, she looked up at him. "Thanks, but I'm not really cold." Before Ava could even begin to take it back off, he clasped his hands around her upper arms.

"Please," he whispered, giving her the most convincing puppy dog eyes she had yet to see from him.

She let out a slight groan. "How can I say no to that face?" Slipping her arms through his cardigan's sleeves, she added sternly, "Just this once, wolf."

James and Sirius snickered.

Her soulmate let out a breath, sounding relieved. She raised an eyebrow in question, but he merely rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish smile before sitting back on the couch.

While Dorea called for Bucky to request more tea and hot chocolate, she then sent off another house elf that Ava hadn't met before to retrieve the presents they were all exchanging from their respective rooms.

"How many house elves do you guys have?" she asked, resuming her seat beside Remus.

James shrugged. "Just six."

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Just six? she repeated mentally, propping up her chin on the palm of her hand as she settled into the corner of the couch.

Ava caught Remus pressing his lips together before scooting himself towards her so that their legs were touching, making her smile and purposefully send her affection across their bond.

His returning grin and emotions made her heart seize up. She never could've imagined having such a close connection with someone, and she decided then and there that she needed to tell Remus aloud more often how grateful she was to be his soulmate.

Charlus must've noticed her reaction to the number of house elves that worked for them because he launched into an explanation of their different roles and duties for the upkeep of Potter Manor and the surrounding grounds.

As Ava sat there listening with mild interest, a wonderful scent reached her nose, pulling away her attention. It was masculine and familiar. Feeling somewhat like a dog sniffing out a treat, she took a few whiffs and realized the soothing smell was coming from the sleeve of Remus's cardigan. Burying her nose into the fabric, she inhaled and immediately understood why the werewolf wanted her to wear his sweater.

Peeking at him from the corner of her eye, she whispered, "Does this mean you'll wear my witches' robes if I want to scent mark you as well?" She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the affronted huff that came from him.

The sudden return of the house elves probably would've startled Ava had she not been preoccupied with crossing her arms and burying her face into the crooks of her elbows to take a deep breath of Remus's delicious smell. She found it to be more calming than the firewhisky she had tried out for a hot second earlier that day. Never again, she reminded herself.

With a nudge to her side, she poked her head up to see that there were a few gifts on the table in the center of their group, waiting to be ripped open.

James snatched one up and handed it to Lily. "Mine first," he announced, beaming from ear to ear.

Everyone shared fond looks and smiles at his enthusiasm, and once again, Ava was reminded to be thankful for the wonderful relationships she had formed since arriving in the Wizarding World. The brief jolt to her memory caused her to pull out the shrunken gifts from Regulus and Rabastan, and she whipped out her wand to enlarge them before adding them to the small pile on the table.

She ignored the inquisitive looks sent her way and returned to watching Lily's jaw drop as she unwrapped a photo album from a blushing James. It seemed that he got the idea from Lily herself when she suggested that Remus put together a scrapbook for Ava, but James decided to keep the theme revolving around just their relationship. There were numerous photos taken throughout their years at Hogwarts, even ones where Lily was clearly scolding the wizard for some reason or other, along with little love notes or poems that James had composed in honor of his love for her. Most of which had never seen the light of day.

Ava shook her head, cheeks hurting from smiling. James Potter was quite possibly the most smitten man the world over.

Upon opening her present from Lily, she let out a pleased laugh. "Thanks, Lily." She held up the book, The Global Phenomenon of Soulmates, to show off to the others.

"You're welcome. I thought you'd find it interesting to see what different Muggle cultures think about soulmates."

"That does sound intriguing," Charlus said.

"You're free to read it once I flip through it for a bit," Ava told him before hopping off the couch to hand Lily her gift.

The redhead let out an excited squeal when she finished reading over the embellished piece of parchment she received, similar to the one Ava gave to Remus. "This is brilliant, Ava! I think we both could use a girls' day."

James turned to Ava and adopted a serious expression. "You better treat my girl like a queen, McGonagall. And have her home by ten."

Lily slapped him playfully. "We're just going out for an afternoon."

"That sounds like fun," Dorea said. "What will you ladies be doing?"

"According to my invitation," she said, waving the parchment in the air, "we'll be going to Muggle London and I have the final say as to what we get up to, but some suggestions are a bit of shopping, going to a spa, visiting the British Museum—oh—did you know there's an exhibit going on there that I wanted to see?"

Ava couldn't help but smile as she nodded.

"Thank you so much!" Lily cried, practically bouncing in her seat. "This is going to be so much fun."

"You bet," Ava said, still grinning widely as the success of her gift.

"I don't have to be worry about Lily stealing you away, do I?" Remus teased.

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p'. "You're stuck with me. Forever."

"Good." He pressed a kiss to her temple.

Turning her attention to her newly acquired book, Ava skimmed the table of contents as Lily opened a couple more gifts from the boys and the Potters. Even though the theories about soulmates were of Muggle origin, she was curious to see if any of them matched up with what she had been experiencing with Remus. She was absorbing the Buddhist idea that soulmates continued to be bonded across different lifetimes when another poke to her side from Remus demanded her attention.

She looked up to see everyone watching her expectantly.

"You've got those two presents left," Remus said, gesturing at the ones given to her by Regulus and Rabastan.

"Oh, of course," she muttered, now wishing that she had waited until she was alone in her room to open them. "They're actually for me."

"Who're they from?" Sirius asked before popping a marshmallow into his mouth rather than into his hot chocolate.

She took a deep breath as she reached out for the gift from Regulus, shaped very much so like a book. "Just a couple of my friends from school," she said quietly. Her eyes flicked to Remus. The soft smile and nod from him bolstered her courage.

Ignoring the curious whispers of Lily and the Potters, Ava peeled off the wrapping, almost feeling bad for tearing up the beautifully patterned paper. I mean, they've got to realize who these presents could be from, right? The boys and Remus, and Dorea, knew where she had just come from. Belatedly, she realized that Remus might assume at least one of the gifts was from Severus.

The leather-bound tome from the younger Black brother took Ava by surprise. "Advanced Spell Theory, Volumes I-III: The Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Spells," she read aloud. "This is awesome!" She glanced at Remus with wide eyes. "Isn't this so cool? I've never even thought about making my own spells."

Lily and Remus seemed to take the most amount of interest in her new book, and Charlus and Dorea appeared curious as well, all smiling at her clear enthusiasm in anticipation of designing her own spells. But Sirius and James were giving each other a particular look that she had come to know rather well.

She sighed. "What is it?" She waved at them. "Out with it."

James pressed his lips together, apparently hesitating too long, so Sirius spoke up. "Which of the Slytherins gave that to you?"

Lily and Charlus wore expressions of shock, eyes darting between her and the boys, while Dorea watched with quiet interest.

"How do you know the book is from a Slytherin?" Lily asked.

James scoffed. "Ava's only friends with Gryffindors and Slytherins, and she already got all her presents from the Gryffindors."

"That's not true!" she cried with a frown. Her mind raced for a moment before she realized James was right. Kingsley hardly counted since she hadn't been meeting with him regularly for several weeks now. "I can't believe that's true." She shook her head. "I'm befriending a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as soon as we get back."

Remus chuckled. "They aren't collectibles, Ava. Be friends with who you want to be friends with. Don't listen to those tossers."

"Oi!" Sirius yelled.

"Yeah!" James piped up. "We're just asking who gave her the gift is all."

She rolled her eyes. "It's from Regulus." Her gaze met Sirius's.

His brows were furrowed. "Oh," he breathed out as his shoulders slumped.

I will get those boys talking, she thought with determination, before checking to see how the others were taking the revelation of Regulus Black being her friend. Lily didn't look quite so surprised, probably having seen them studying together in the Hogwarts library, while Dorea maintained a blank mask, but Charlus couldn't keep the curiosity from his face.

"Now, I'm not doubting you, Ava," the father began, "but how is it that you're friends with Sirius's brother when they aren't even on speaking terms?"

Before she could answer, Sirius grumbled, "Probably Snape."

She cast a glance at Lily to catch a deep frown forming but looked away before the redhead could meet her eyes.

"Snape?" Dorea asked politely. "He's a Slytherin in your year, isn't he?"

Ava narrowed her eyes at the older witch. As if she doesn't know. She decided to let the others deal with the questions about her friend and grabbed the final present from the table.

The square box had been wrapped in a similarly luxurious, thick holiday paper as her gift from Regulus had been. Though this one was topped with a maroon colored ribbon that she delicately took off and placed to the side. It just seemed too pretty to throw away. She removed the lid and unfolded the tissue paper to reveal a pair of gloves, causing a small smile to grace her lips. Seems appropriate. I gave him a scarf after all.

Unsure of what material the gloves were made out of, she pulled them from the box and inspected them. The outside was a deep black with tiny fissures, almost like leather, and it was a tad rough to the touch too. But the inside was lined with some sort of fleece or fur that was incredibly soft.

"Those are cute," Lily said.

"Yeah," Ava said, slipping them onto her hands. "Goodness gracious these are comfy." She held out her hands and rotated them, checking out how the gloves looked as she flexed her fingers. She could've sworn they tightened a small fraction once they settled around her hands. "They fit perfectly too."

Dorea snorted and Ava's eyes shot to her, taken aback by the unladylike noise. "They're most likely spelled so that the size automatically adjusts for the wearer."

Charlus nodded in agreement. "And that's dragon hide on the outside. From the coloring, I'd say Hebridean. If any spell comes into contact with that, it'll bounce right off."

"Water and snow too, of course," Dorea added.

Her brows shot up. "That's pretty cool." She turned to Remus. "What do you think?" She struck a pose, attempting to look like a fashion model. "Aren't they just so me?" she asked in an exaggerated tone. Unable to keep a straight face, she giggled and looked to her soulmate.

His eyes sparkled with amusement. "Absolutely."

She slipped off the gloves, reminding herself to send Rabastan a thank you letter for such a thoughtful gift.

"Were those from Regulus too?" Sirius asked, irritation lacing his tone.

Dorea rose a brow. "You must be fairly good friends with him, Ava. That spell theory text isn't exactly a common edition since all the volumes are combined, and those gloves are of a rather high quality too."

"Are they?" she asked, shifting in her seat uncomfortably.

That information made Sirius even less pleased with her as he crossed his arms and slumped in his chair with a huff.

James leaned forward in his seat, inspecting her with narrowed eyes, which she looked away from too quickly. "Who are those gloves from, Ava?"

Everyone focused on her.

"They aren't from Regulus?" Dorea asked lightly.

She mumbled the name of her newest Slytherin friend under her breath, rushing out all the syllables as one.

Remus chuckled. "You'll have to speak up, love."

Her eyes darted to his, pleading with him to not make her say it. Ava had already gone through multiple arguments with her Gryffindor boys about Severus and Regulus, and she really wasn't feeling up for another outburst from her overprotective friends.

The werewolf must've felt her trepidation through their bond because he reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze and sent her a wave of love and confidence, showing his support.

You might regret this, she mentally projected to Remus. She held her head high, meeting Dorea's curious gaze, before looking to James and then Sirius. "They're from Rabastan Lestrange."

The silence was deafening.

Charlus was frowning in thought, Lily's mouth hung open in clear surprise, and Dorea appeared to actually be pleased with her. Before she could think on the older witch's reaction any longer, the boys drew her attention.

James shot up from his seat and began pacing in front of the fireplace.

"James?" she called softly.

He froze and held up one finger, indicating he needed a moment, before resuming his quick, frustrated steps.

"Lestrange?" Sirius growled.

She clenched her jaw. "Yes, Sirius. I'm sure you heard me correctly."

His expression turned stormy. "Lestrange?!" he asked again, nearly shouting.

Ava went to pull her hand from Remus's in an attempt to gesture in exasperation, only to realize that his fingers were tightly gripping hers. "Remus," she grumbled as she tried to wriggle her hand free. "Let go."

Distantly, she heard James and Sirius laying into her about getting mixed up with a wizard like Lestrange and the fact that she went to Malfoy's.

"Malfoy!?" Lily exclaimed.

But Ava couldn't be bothered to respond to them at the moment. Not with Remus's eyes gleaming with amber just inches from hers. She swallowed. "Moony?"

A raging fire of protectiveness and anger crashed through their bond, all sprinkled with a bit of jealousy and mistrust for good measure.

Had she been in the wrong, she would've felt deeply remorseful, but she hadn't done anything to warrant his reaction. Whether it was Remus's emotions or her own welling within her, Ava couldn't tell, but she held her ground. "Don't," she snapped at her soulmate.

Deliberately, she focused on her feelings for the Slytherin boys, pulling forth memories of her interactions with them all. Severus. Regulus. Barty. Benedict. Rabastan. And even Lucius.

Remus let out a growl.

She concentrated harder and shoved her feelings across their bond, forcing him to confront how much she cared for the Slytherins and how devoted she was to protecting them, saving each of them from terrible fates. They were all kind, or at least decent, human beings in their own ways and didn't deserve what was to befall them if Voldemort gained power.

Remus's jaw dropped open even as his eyes remained tinged with the golden presence of his wolf, but his hold on her slackened.

She even conjured up the uncomfortable thoughts of what could happen to them all if she failed. The despair and guilt that would likely drown her if she wasn't able to protect them in the end. Tears gathered in her eyes and she slammed them shut. Even as she conveyed the "what if" scenarios that plagued her mind about the future, she couldn't stop repeating no, no, no in an attempt to reassure herself it wasn't actually happening.

Ava startled when something wiped at her cheek. She peeked her eyes open to find Remus looking at her softly with green reflected in his own. She sniffled as he moved to wipe away the tears from the other side of her face.

"I get it," he whispered.

Her brow furrowed.

"They're your pack." His eyes flashed amber for a moment.

Ava's lips parted in surprise. I guess that's one way to look at it.

His expression became sheepish and embarrassment trickled over to her through the bond.

She showed her forgiveness by intertwining their fingers and she took a deep breath, returning her attention to the others in the room, especially the Gryffindor boys currently losing their minds.

James was red-faced, standing with his arms crossed in defiance, shouting about how she couldn't trust Slytherins, while Lily and Charlus seemed to be trying to talk him down.

Dorea was glancing between James and Ava with a calculating gaze.

Whatever Sirius was yelling about was lost amongst the noise created by James, but as soon as his eyes landed on Remus, calmly holding hands with her, the air seemed to deflate out of him. His features morphed into confusion, possibly at the lack of outburst from her mate, and he settled back into his chair, choosing to level at glare at her instead.

Ava felt for most sorry for Lily stuck in the middle of all this chaos. The redhead was biting her lip, eyes darting around at her friends, appearing as if she didn't know where to stand in the intense argument.

Something overcame the witch and her back straightened. "James," Lily said in a clipped tone. "Ava can make her own decisions."

His head whipped towards his girlfriend and his mouth opened, looking like he was ready to lay into her.

Ava raised her voice to cut him off, thankful for the support from her only close girl friend, but James started shouting once more and they only drowned each other out.

Red sparks flew around the room, startling all of the teenagers into silence. Dorea was now standing and cleared her throat. As her wand lowered, she said, "That's quite enough. I believe out of all of us, Ava is the only one in the room qualified to judge the character of the wizards that she spends time with."

"Ava knows them better than any of us ever will," the Potter matriarch continued, arching one brow as she stared down each of the boys and eventually Lily.

She couldn't help but wonder if Dorea knew about the history between Lily and Severus.

"After all, she's the one that's actually friends with the Slytherins. Can any of you claim the same?"

Lily and Sirius looked sheepish and ducked their heads.

They both had the opportunity to have the some kind of relationship with Severus and Regulus at one point, and it pained Ava to see her friends hurting even if they were partially to blame. While she didn't know if either Lily or Severus would ever be open to seeing if they could be friends again, she knew there was a part of the brothers that was desperate to reconnect with each other.

"Apologize," Dorea demanded.

The young witches and wizards all shared varying looks of remorse with lingering annoyance, though more directed at Ava than anyone. Their apologizes were all grumbled under their breaths and while they might not have been the most sincere, it was enough for Dorea.

"I'd like to speak with Ava before dinner if you all don't mind."

Charlus immediately hopped to, following the request of his wife, but her friends and soulmate didn't move.

Dorea quirked a brow. "Alone."

James and Sirius startled, quickly moving towards the door, with James practically dragging Lily behind him.

"What's going on? Did Ava really visit Malfoy?" she heard the redhead whisper.

"We'll talk about it later, Lily-flower."

Remus gently tugged on Ava's hand. "Are you alright if I leave?"

She cracked a smile. "Of course, but thanks for asking."

He pecked a kiss against her cheek and stood, leveling a stare at Dorea.

The older witch smiled kindly. "No harm will befall your mate."

His cheeks reddened and he grumbled, "I know, sorry," before flying out the door.

Ava shook her head and huffed out a laugh. That boy needs to reign in his instincts.

Dorea took a seat on the couch across from her and closed the living room doors with a flick of her wand. "Now, why don't you tell me what really happened at Malfoy Manor?"


Author's note: I tried to nail the whole sophisticated air and posturing of the Purebloods, so I hope I did alright. Believe it or not, I spent about five minutes just trying to decide what Lucius Malfoy would call the bathroom, lol.