Author's Note: Super excited for this chapter! I'm aiming for updates every two weeks from now on, btw :) Enjoy!
I very much so appreciate the follows and favorites! Thank you!
Review shout-out: Thanks for letting me hear your thoughts, seraphina987, til the end of the line, amk41196, Justforloveknows, ColdOnePaul, and convalla91!
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.
For reference: Rabastan's letter to Ava from the previous chapter
Dear Miss McGonagall,
I hope my letter finds you well and enjoying your holiday break. Since our delightful time at Malfoy Manor, I've been deliberating if I should pen this message at all. Apologies if you determine my actions to be too forward, but as you are my self-proclaimed friend, I thought some casual correspondence wouldn't be out of line.
On behalf of gentlemen everywhere, I beg your forgiveness for the manner in which you were treated by my housemates. It's one thing to antagonize each other in the halls of Hogwarts and another to do so under the invitation into someone's home. If I may say so, I thought you handled yourself admirably. I regret to say that I may have doubted your abilities to weather the storm, but you surprised me once again.
You may be a Gryffindor, and for that, I pity you, but you have added a certain—something to our dull, proper lives. Though I've grown accustomed to your close relationships with Severus and Regulus, it was curious to see how you interacted with Lucius. Pray tell, how well do you know the wizard?
Once again, thank you for the Christmas gift. I've already put it to good use and it's rather cozy. I hope you enjoy yours as well.
I look forward to seeing you New Year's Eve.
Sincerely,
Rabastan Lestrange
Chapter 50
"Hold still," Dorea chided as she attempted to wrangle Avalynn's hair.
She rolled her eyes and watched the woman continue to wave her wand and mutter yet another spell under her breath. "I've liked all of the styles you've shown me so far. Just pick one," she said as her hair twisted itself into a braided up-do.
Dorea huffed. "Quiet, you."
Ava could see in the mirror that the mother was trying to hide a smile. No doubt Dorea was enjoying the opportunity to help her get ready for the New Year's Eve Ball at Malfoy Manor. Though she appreciated the help, her frantic nerves and restless magic wouldn't allow her to sit patiently for much longer.
"Honestly, Dorea, I don't have a preference. Just whatever is deemed most appropriate by the kinds of people you know will be attending."
Mrs. Potter made a thoughtful noise before casting another spell.
Her hair fell in gentle waves and she sighed. Resigned to letting Dorea continue experimenting, her mind wandered, full of "what if" situations that could arise at the party that most of Britain's well-known Purebloods would be attending in an hour's time.
Regulus had warned her that she'd have to be introduced to his parents, and potentially his cousins, if they ran into each other at the party. Bellatrix Lestrange was up there on Ava's list of "Do Not Fuck With" alongside Voldemort. She fought the urge to shudder and tried to mentally soothe herself. It'll be fine. Severus will be there. Regulus will be there. You know Occlumency. The Death Eaters have no idea who you are. Keep it that way.
She briefly considered the fact that Lucius thought her to be a Seer. But they took an Oath and he saw the advantage of cultivating a friendly relationship with her. He wouldn't, and couldn't, say anything to his fellow brethren or Voldemort. And Lucius had assured her that the power hungry wizard wouldn't be in attendance that evening.
Ava even thought that she might be able to count on Rabastan to help guide her through any tough spots or tense situations should they arise. She was rather tickled by his first letter, but doubted she'd receive a response to her own before the ball. As he was the one to reach out, she didn't think she'd taken too casual of a tone in her brief note back to him.
Rabastan,
I think you know very well that I wouldn't be opposed to exchanging letters, but thank you for your thoughtfulness just the same. I found the afternoon at Malfoy Manor to be insightful, to say the least, and thankfully Lucius was a proper gentlemen. I'm sure between the two of us, you're more familiar with him than I am.
I'm so glad to be of service to lighten up the lives of Slytherins as it's all I've ever wanted. Hopefully, New Year's Eve won't be too thrilling of an evening.
See you tomorrow,
Ava
She only hoped that her words made the Slytherin crack a smile and not retreat into the turtle-like shell of Pureblood superiority that he had been wrapped in when they first met.
"Done," Dorea announced, drawing Ava's attention.
Looking over herself in the mirror, turning her head this way and that, she gently brushed her fingers over her hair. Two small braids pulled back the hair from the sides of her face and met in the middle, draping down with the rest of her hair in loose curls. She beamed at the helpful witch. "Thank you so much!"
Magic sure made dressing up a lot easier, but she didn't have those kinds of spells in her arsenal quite yet. Ava snorted, knowing that she wouldn't likely bother with that type of magic for quite a while considering it wouldn't do much against a Death Eater. Other than to piss off Lucius if someone messed with his luscious locks.
She hopped up from the seat in front of Dorea's mirrored vanity and picked up the gown that the older woman had helped her order a few days ago. "Thanks again for all your help."
"It was no trouble, dear."
No too shy, Ava stripped down to her bra and underwear before stepping into the shimmering, navy blue evening gown. She slipped her arms through the short, loose fabric of the sleeves and pulled up the modest neckline that cut straight across her chest, just under her clavicle.
As she turned to face the full-length mirror, Dorea came up behind her and proceeded to assist with tying off the corset-style ribbon on the back of the dress. Once the older witch completed the bow, Ava softly swiveled her shoulders and hips side to side and watched the fabric of the gown sparkle as it swished around her ankles. "It kinda looks like the night sky," she said with a smile.
The corners of Dorea's mouth lifted only for a moment. She reached to hold Ava's hand in her own. "I understand that attending the ball is important, but if you feel unsafe for any reason, even for a moment, I want you to return here straight away."
She nearly brushed off the mother's concern, but the intensity of her stare quelled the instinctive nonchalant response on the tip of Ava's tongue. She swallowed and nodded. "I will." After I get the Horcrux, she added mentally, ignoring the nausea that rolled through her stomach.
The busy party was the best chance of finding Tom Riddle's diary, and Ava knew they couldn't pass it up. Now armed with a handful of spells that would help narrow down the precise location of the dark object and a few more that should allow her access through the more common security wards, she wasn't planning on leaving Malfoy Manor until the Horcrux was in hand.
Dorea continued to lock eyes with her for another moment, then backed away, releasing her hand.
She shoulders sagged with relief, having no desire to get into an argument over her safety or the significance of her mission tonight. It wasn't like she planned on doing anything reckless anyhow. She knew the risks and the Horcrux had to be found. Period.
After some last minute charms for Ava's high-heels and rapid-fire advice on how to handle snooty Purebloods should she be forced to interact with them, Dorea finally allowed her to leave and head downstairs with less than half an hour before Severus was to Floo in from Hogwarts. She had hastily owled him with the reminder to bring the charmed box to contain the Horcrux, for which she received a typical, snarky reply questioning her mental faculties for doubting his preparedness.
Ava was rather glad that Severus was her partner in crime for the task at hand. Or at least, one of them. Regulus was to help as well, but he had already told them that he was expected to schmooze and mingle a certain amount with the other attendees.
They joined the others in the large sitting room as they waited for Severus's arrival. She pressed her lips together, but didn't comment on the unnecessary welcoming party. Taking in the casual attire of her friends and Remus caused her cheeks to flush a bit, feeling out of place.
Either the werewolf scented her or felt the slight embarrassment through their bond because his head turned in her direction though she stood just inside the door, fingers clutching onto her invitation to the New Year's Eve Ball. Even from across the room, she could see the amber flash in his eyes as they trailed up and down her body.
Heat pooled her in belly as desire flared across her connection with Remus, and she bit back a grin when he moved a small pillow over his lap.
She felt her face flame once again when wolf whistles sounded from James and Sirius, which in turn caught the attention of Charlus and Lily, who proceeded to give her compliments as well.
Dorea smirked at her while taking a seat beside her husband on one of the sofas. "I told you you looked lovely."
As she approached Remus and perched on the arm of his over-sized chair, she detected a hint of jealousy and annoyance leaking through their bond. Looking down at her soulmate with a frown, she asked, "What is it?"
He wrapped an arm around her and secured a strong hand over her hip, giving it a squeeze. "You look delicious," he said in a low voice.
She peeked at the others.
Remus hadn't been quiet enough because James blushed and Sirius bounced his eyebrows suggestively.
But she ignored them with a roll of her eyes and focused back on her werewolf. She laced the fingers curled around her side with her own and bent her head to whisper, "You can ravish me all you want later."
Ava sucked in a breath as a burning need rushed through her body. She shifted her thighs and opened her mouth to tell Remus to chill out with the waves of horniness he kept throwing at her, but he spoke first.
His words came out more like a growl as he said, "The thought of you on display, so delectable—" he snatched up her free hand and pressed a light kiss to the inside of her wrist "—so desirable, in front of other wizards is going to drive me insane the moment you step out of my sight." He tilted his head up to fix a heated look on her.
Though she found his flair of possessiveness rather hot, it was totally unnecessary. "Remus, you realize that this dress isn't revealing in the slightest, right?" She glanced down at herself. "The tops of my boobs aren't even showing."
She giggled at the responding rumble that emanated from deep in his chest.
The werewolf looked up at her with a pout starting to form on his handsome face.
Ava laughed even harder and hugged his head to her side. Running her fingers through his hair, she said, "You can have me all to yourself once I get back. I'll try to be back before midnight too." She kissed the top of his head.
Sirius leaned towards them. "I wouldn't be opposed to joining you two frisky lovebirds later in the evening," he whispered, waggling his eyebrows.
She huffed in exasperation at the Animagus and didn't respond, but could still feel her cheeks reddening just the same.
Remus had stiffened in her arms, but seemed to be set on ignoring their friend as well.
But then Sirius shrugged and added, "I'll settle for just watching too."
Ava's mouth hung open as her soulmate growled openly, drawing everyone's gaze.
Sirius reared back in his seat and held up his hands in surrender with wide eyes. "Just joking! I swear!" He edged away from them, and scooted as far over in his chair as he could. He muttered under his breath something about werewolves being unable to take a joke.
She shook her head. That boy, I swear. One of these days, Sirius would push Remus too far.
A quick glance around the room revealed that everyone else had already moved on with their own conversations when it became apparent that the werewolf wasn't going to launch an attack on one of his best friends.
Knowing that Severus would be there soon, Ava moved to give Lily her goodbyes since the redhead was heading back home herself in a short while. Peter had left as well, a couple hours before they'd even had dinner, thankfully. Though, she supposed that the fourth Marauder would eventually find out about her friendly relationship with Lucius. It was just easier to not have to explain herself through lies for the hundredth time.
"I'll miss you," she told Lily, wrapping her up in a hug.
"I'll miss you too, but it's only a few more days, then we'll be back at Hogwarts."
Ava bit her lip, not sure how Lily would react, but decided just to blurt it out. "Do you want to say hi to Severus when he gets here?"
The redhead's eyes widened but before she could say anything, a loud, dramatic groan sounded from behind her on the couch.
Peering around Lily, Ava found James scowling and narrowed her eyes.
He didn't bother to look at her before bemoaning, "I still can't believe Snivellus is going to step foot into my house."
Anger simmered beneath her skin, but she took a deep breath.
Lily spun around and smacked his shoulder. "James!" she admonished.
"Uh, mate?"
Disgust still clouding James's face, he turned to Sirius. "What?"
With a wary expression, Sirius jerked his head towards Ava, seeming to insist that his clueless friend take note of her reaction.
While she knew that James and Severus wouldn't ever be the best of friends, she had lost count of how many times she'd begged James to at least be civil towards the Slytherin over the past few months.
The messy haired wizard cautiously looked her way with a grimace.
He's lucky my wand holster is strapped to my thigh. With the gown's short sleeves, her Blackthorn would've been too obvious in its usual place on the inside of her forearm, but Dorea showed her how to easily spell the holster to the width of her leg. And despite her great urge to hex James, she wasn't about to reach up her dress in front of everyone.
Crossing her arms, she fixed him with a cool stare. "I don't know if it's escaped your notice, James, but Severus happens to be my best friend," she snapped before striding over to the fireplace to wait for said wizard with as much grace as she could muster in high heels.
Realizing that her words might've been careless in front of Lily, she peeked at the redhead.
The resigned sadness clear across the witch's face caused a pang of regret to flash through Ava.
Nope, she thought with a shake of her head. Lily was the one to not forgive him. Her loss.
Her eyes sought out Remus, but caught on Sirius. His expression looked rather forlorn as he stared at the carpet.
She frowned and opened her mouth to ask what the deal was when the whoosh of the Floo sounded from behind her. Spinning around to greet Severus, Ava was once again struck by the sight of green flames consuming a person whole without actual harm or intense heat. She wondered if she'd ever become accustomed to magic like the others were.
The oddly colored fire vanished, revealing her best friend.
Beaming, she balled her fists at her sides but her body jerked his direction anyway.
From the quirk of his brow and the tiny twitch at the corner of his lips, Severus knew it was killing her to not ambush him with a hug.
He glanced at her gown and approval shined in his dark eyes.
She inspected his outfit in return and let out a hum, agreeing with his sentiment.
He was wearing what she guessed was wizard formal wear as it looked nearly like a Muggle tuxedo, but the outer black robe was longer, reaching his ankles. Atop his pristine, white dress shirt, the silver and black tie was in some sort of fancy knot that she could only assumed had been created with magic with how intricate it was.
Butterflies fluttered in her gut knowing she'd once again be at Malfoy Manor in just a few minutes, playing the part of an invited guest but secretly tracking down a piece of Voldemort's soul. Even though they didn't plan on destroying the Horcrux at the party, Ava hoped it wouldn't fight back. That would cause quite the scene.
A throat cleared, shifting her focus to the Potters, standing a couple steps away from the fireplace with expectant expressions.
She briefly registered that James, Sirius, and Lily were maintaining their distance, staying seated in the middle of the room, but Remus was heading towards her now.
After introductions were out of the way between her best friend and the Potters, Charlus locked eyes with Severus and said, "Young man, I expect you'll be a gentleman and take care of Ava, here?"
"And you'll have her home at a reasonable hour?" Dorea added.
She rolled her eyes.
Without missing a beat, Severus nodded solemnly.
Remus approached her side and held out a hand to Severus. "Snape."
Eyes darting to the Slytherin, she held her breath.
"Lupin," he replied, shaking the werewolf's hand.
Gratitude bloomed in Ava's heart for both her best friend and soulmate, and she made sure to let it flow across the bond to Remus.
He flashed her a quick smile and returned a serious gaze to Severus, speaking softly as he asked, "You'll keep her safe?"
"Of course," Severus intoned, not even the slightest bit of sarcasm present.
She didn't hide her surprise well enough based on the way his brow quirked, as if to say Really? I can be polite when I desire to be.
Shaking her head with a huff of laughter, Ava gave Remus a last minute hug and peck on the lips.
Both her and Severus fit in the fireplace together, and she relaxed a smidgen. The ball was going to take her entirely out of her element, but it might be bearable with her best friend at her side.
He held out his elbow, prompting Ava to loop her arm through his. "Ready?" he asked, scooping up a handful of Floo powder.
"Yeah."
Leaning down to whisper in her ear, so the others wouldn't hear, he asked, "Is your Occlumency shield in place?"
She gulped. "Yeah." Ava had actually been fortifying her mental wall a little bit all day, strengthening it as much as she could.
Remus tilted his head, a frown forming on his face, no doubt trying to figure out what Severus had said to her, but her soulmate's questions would have to wait.
The green, tingly flames flashed and carried her away with a quick shout of "Malfoy Manor!" from her partner-in-crime for the evening.
Moony bristled in the back of Remus's mind at the idea of being unable to hear Snape speak to Ava.
His stomach churned as his soulmate vanished from sight. She'll be fine. He didn't know if he was trying to reassure Moony or himself.
Ever since Ava explained her true knowledge of the Wizarding World and its future, his need to protect her had grown and didn't feel anywhere close to dying down. He absentmindedly rubbed at his chest as he thought about how he wouldn't be there to keep her safe if anything went wrong.
But it wasn't as though he could prevent her from tackling the task of collecting the Horcruxes. Besides the fact that he wasn't going to tell Ava what she could and couldn't do, the consequences of her not following through seemed dire. It made him feel like a child throwing a temper tantrum in the grand scheme of things to complain about his mate's safety.
He knew from what she had shared and what he could feel through their intimate connection that there was no way in hell that Ava would sit out and let the time line progress as it was supposed to. The only thing that provided him and Moony with any amount of relief was that she had told him herself that she wouldn't jump into a dangerous situation without doing her due diligence.
His wolf let out a pleased rumble, knowing their mate was intelligent and determined enough to protect herself when they couldn't.
And she'll be training with an actual Auror soon enough, Remus thought as he made his way back to his friends.
He wasn't sure what to think about their blatant disregard for Snape. But would it have been better for them to have acknowledged the Slytherin?
He dropped back down into his seat as the others made no move to leave, and the Potters stood off to the side chatting quietly.
Sirius looked rather pensive, sitting with his arms crossed, eyes boring a hole into the coffee table.
"What're you thinking about, Padfoot?" he asked.
The conversation between James and Lily paused.
Sirius pressed his lips together for a long moment, then let out a frustrated huff. "I'm not sure I like Snape being Ava's best friend."
"Hear, hear," James said.
Remus rolled his eyes.
"I mean—I just thought—" Sirius began, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the werewolf. "I thought I might've been in the running, you know?" He shrugged, eyes flicking away.
"Oi! What about me?!" James exclaimed. "Or Remus?" He pretended to sniffle. "Do we mean so little to you?"
Lily smiled. "Sirius, you have plenty of close friends."
In the best interests of Ava and their whole friend group, Remus spoke up. "Look, Pads, everything's been good between all of us since we've laid off Snape, so don't go stirring shit up." He stared at his friend until Sirius nodded. "Besides, you should know Ava well enough by now to know that she isn't going to just toss him aside if you try to shove your way in."
It was silent for a beat, until Sirius whispered, "You're right." He sat up straighter in his seat. "As long as Ava comes back without so much as a scratch on her, I suppose I could make nice with Snape."
"Why does it mean so much to you?" Lily asked with a frown. "You don't have to be best friends."
Sirius opened his mouth, but hesitated when he caught the gaze of Dorea and Charlus, standing behind James and Lily. He shrugged. "I just want her to feel at home, I guess."
Remus carefully watched the Animagus, knowing he couldn't likely reveal the entire truth of why he wanted to remain so close to Ava. He knew Sirius still struggling occasionally with his guilt over the soulmate spell.
Lily's confused expression softened, mimicking his own feelings and those of Moony.
Neither felt jealous of Sirius's determination to be best friends with Ava. They were pleased that one of their packmates found their soulmate important enough to care for. His wolf was reassured that their mate would be taken care of even if he wasn't around.
His emotions darkened, missing Ava already, even though she just left. And in that dress. He bit his lip, thoughts drifting to more pleasurable things upon her return.
Once the bright flames puttered out around Ava and Severus, they stepped from the fireplace and took a look around. There was a house elf at the entrance of the room to greet them, but before they moved any closer, her gentlemanly companion spelled away the soot from their Floo trip.
Patting her arm gently, he asked, "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," she murmured, walking towards the house elf and pulling Severus along with her.
The wizard slowed their gait as they approached the tiny servant and it held out a hand expectantly. He presented his and Ava's invitation cards and with a nod from the house elf, they were ushered into the corridor.
Another house elf offered to take their coats, even though neither had worn one, before indicating which direction they should head. Though, it would've been rather obvious from the long trail of glimmering silver and black ribbon that led the way from the room they had arrived in.
"Most of the party will be hosted in the main ballroom," Severus told her, "but there are a few rooms that off-shoot from there where people may gather to converse away from the dancing and dining, like the drawing room. There will be restrooms for guests a little ways down the hall from that point."
"Right." They had already gone over the layout before, along with Regulus, but she was grateful for the reminder nonetheless.
"Only an hour or so, and we'll start."
Her Slytherin friends had pointed out that it would be easier for them to sneak around the manor if most of the other guests had already been partaking in the plentiful alcoholic beverages they assured her the Malfoys would provide. Not only because of impaired thinking, but because it would allow for more foot traffic to the restrooms.
As often as it seemed plausible, they would excuse themselves from the party to use the facilities but creep away to narrow down the location of the Horcrux instead. Even with spells on their side, all three had figured that it would take them a while to determine the true location of the specific dark object they wanted as there was bound to be more than one in the Malfoy home.
They neared the end of the hall and Ava's eyes widened.
The ceiling leapt up another twenty feet or so above them before curving into a dome and the walls expanded, creating a balconied pathway that ran the perimeter of the circular room, other than a wide staircase. Silver, cream, and black decorations splashed throughout the room—glittering ribbons elegantly hung from the massive chandelier, carpets running the length of the walkways and down the marble stairs that descended to the main thoroughfare, and sparkling orbs that floated around almost like Muggle balloons though they weren't attached to anything.
Severus lead her to the edge of the balcony.
Ava peered over and sucked in a breath. That's a lot of people. Her magic swirled with frantic energy. I have to blend in, she thought morosely as her eyes darted over the dozens of people already mingling and dancing.
I don't know how to fucking waltz. Shit. She made a mental note to avoid the dance floor at all costs.
The movement of a small group drew her attention at the bottom of the staircase. Lucius, along with who she assumed were his parents, stood, greeting the guests that had just arrived through a doorway on the ground floor.
She swallowed, throat tight. Based on the way the staircase curved, she and Severus would be forced to say hello to their hosts. It'll be fine. You can do this, Avalynn.
Severus sighed. "Let's get this over with," he said, tugging her towards the stairs.
You've sassed Dumbledore to his face for fuck's sake! You can do this! she snapped internally at herself. She couldn't afford to be visibly nervous. Focus!
As they slowly descended, Ava subtly brushed her fingertips against the wand strapped to her thigh. I can do this. I can do this. I have to do this.
Only a few more steps between her and the first challenge of the evening. She plastered a smile on her face and squeezed Severus's arm, a gesture he returned.
Lucius noticed them first and his polite mask shifted to what she thought was a genuine grin. "Mother, Father, you remember Severus?"
"Of course," Mrs. Malfoy chirped, holding out her hand for Severus to take.
Though he didn't kiss it, he lifted her hand and bowed his head.
Relief flooded her with the hope that Lucius and Mr. Malfoy would do the same to her.
His mother had her light blonde hair pulled up into a tight bun with some sort of spell creating little bursts of silver and gold stars to shoot from the coiled ball of hair. The magical accessory was more fun than Ava expected for such a formal looking event. Mrs. Malfoy's smile for Severus was warm and she didn't appear as nearly reserved as anticipated for the matriarch of a Sacred Twenty-Eight family.
"Mr. Malfoy," Severus said, reaching to shake the man's hand.
"Severus." The greeting was rather curt, but a quick glance at the others showed Ava it wasn't out of the ordinary.
It was clear that Lucius had inherited his pale hair from his father as Mr. Malfoy was the near spitting image of his son, with some age sprinkled across his face. His gray eyes moved from Severus to her in a heartbeat.
"And who's this lovely young lady?" he asked, arching a brow as his lips formed a smirk.
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at how spot-on the resemblance was to Lucius. If it had been the Potters, she would've pointed out the similarity with a smile, but she was quite sure that this was not the right moment.
"This is Avalynn McGonagall," Lucius said, stepping to her side and gently placing a hand on the small of her back while scooping up her hand and pressing a brief kiss to her knuckles.
She willed the redness in her cheeks to go away as he released her hand. Turning to Mr. Malfoy, she lifted it again anyhow and gave a little curtsy. "Thank you for the invitation to your home, it's very beautiful."
Forcing herself to remain still, she endured the awkwardness of Mr. Malfoy kissing the back of her hand, but he didn't linger. She quickly turned to Mrs. Malfoy and curtsied once more. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, you've raised an absolute gentleman."
"That's so kind, thank you dear," the mother said, smiling fondly at Lucius.
Mr. Malfoy did the same, though amusement lit his eyes, as though he didn't entirely buy the good boy act from his son.
Lucius caught his father's look and sniffed, lifting his nose in the air. His hand returned to her lower back and he gently directed her away from his parents. "I'm going to make sure my guests settle in, then I'll return."
Severus joined Ava's side as Lucius lead her towards a recently abandoned table—one of the numerous tall, round tables that people were gathering around as they enjoyed drinks and bite-sized snacks that waiters were carrying around on silver trays.
His hand dropped from her back as they neared the table, and her magic noticeably settled. She frowned, thinking that it had been her nerves and not her magic that was making her feel uncomfortable with his touch.
Lucius sighed.
Severus smirked. "Had to get away from greeting duty?"
He nodded, prompting a surprised chuckle from Ava.
Both Slytherins looked at her curiously and she shrugged. "I just thought that you lived for events like this," she said, gesturing to the large space around them. "You know, getting to show off your massive manor, priceless art, and impeccable taste in decor and food, and whatnot."
Lucius flashed her a smile. "I do enjoy that part, but it's tiresome having to say hello to every single person that steps foot in here." He leaned in close across the table and lowered his voice. "Especially the older witches who can't keep their hands to themselves and the skeevy wizards that my father does business with. Neither of which are as charming as they'd like to think they are."
Again, the pompous Slytherin caused her to burst out in laughter, for which both he and Severus shushed her. Her hand snapped up to cover her mouth as she continued to giggle.
"It's hardly that amusing," Lucius grumbled.
She looked to Severus, who was pressing his lips together in a clear effort to not laugh.
Ava deepened her voice and stuck her nose in the air. "It's so difficult being this charming when I'm surrounded by utter heathens who aren't even capable of pretending to be charming for a single minute. It's quite taxing to be this perfect, I'll have you know."
Her performance earned a chuckle from Severus and even got Lucius to smile.
Their host feigned a look of seriousness and said, "You jest, but it is a challenge being the most charming person in the room." He grinned. "You're not so bad, little lion."
She scowled at the nickname and caught Severus's narrowed eyes flicking between her and Lucius.
Before he could voice his questions, Lucius raised a hand in the air, flagging down one of the waiters and procuring each of them a glass of champagne.
Ava eyed hers suspiciously.
Severus laughed lightly. "It's not firewhisky, Ava."
"Excuse me for being a little cautious."
Lucius chuckled. "A cautious Gryffindor? You must be one of a kind."
Despite the dig at her house, she winked. "You bet."
After a few sips of his drink, Lucius glanced over her shoulder and sighed. Stepping away from the table, he said, "It appears I'm being beckoned."
"Good luck," Ava said with false cheeriness.
Lucius hesitated, then picked up his champagne and downed the rest of the liquid in two gulps. He turned to Ava. "Save me a dance?" He didn't wait for a response before continuing on his path back to greeting guests.
"Severus," she hissed. "I'm not dancing."
His eyebrows rose. "Looks like you might have to."
She pursed her lips. Staring after Lucius in dismay, Ava noticed that most of the attendees were approaching the hosts through the corridor on the ground floor rather than the staircase that she and Severus took. "Why aren't more people coming from upstairs?"
"We were probably some of the only people who Flooed."
"Oh, right. Are you excited for the Apparition course?"
His dark eyes sparked with interest. "Yes."
For a while, the pair of friends talked about academics and dueling and getting back to their regular schedule once Ava returned to Hogwarts. During the conversation, she studiously ignored the arrival of other seventh year Slytherins, though Severus nodded to each in acknowledgment.
Shortly, Regulus appeared with his parents, all three Blacks cheerfully greeting the Malfoys. It was no wonder both Sirius and Regulus ended up with sleek, black hair, as both their mother and father had the same, though only Walburga's was anywhere near the same length as the boys'.
As they drew nearer, lead by their son, Ava quickly brushed her fingers against her dress, hoping to get rid of the clamminess.
"Breathe, Ava," Severus whispered, shifting just a touch closer to her side.
Ahead of his parents, Regulus briefly allowed his smile to widen as he glanced at his friends, but she caught his mask sliding into place before he turned to his mother.
Formal introductions completed, neither adult seemed impressed with her in the slightest, though Walburga was more overt in her disapproval of Ava's friendship with Regulus.
"How exactly do you know my son?" the woman asked in an imperious tone.
Ava took a deep breath through her nose before responding, attempting to keep her anger from leaking into her voice. "Regulus graciously tutored me in Astronomy—" she looked to him with a grin "—for which I'm eternally grateful."
The younger Slytherin gave her a tight smile, then deftly maneuvered his parents towards another couple they were actually interested in speaking with. Facing Ava, his expression turned apologetic. "Thank you for not being so—" he trailed off.
"Typically Ava?" Severus prompted with a smirk before taking another small sip of his champagne.
"Hey!"
Regulus chuckled. "He does have a point. You have trouble keeping your opinion to yourself on occasion."
She knew they were right. "Whatever."
As they chatted with Regulus, Ava caught sight of Lucius dancing with Narcissa, weaving between other couples gracefully.
"Hey, is it even proper for Lucius to ask me to dance when he's engaged?"
Regulus nodded. "It would actually be rude for you to turn him down, especially as he's the host."
"Shit." Looking to her friends, she added, "I don't know how to dance." A thought occurred to her then and she glanced at Severus.
The spark of an idea must've shown on her face because without even opening her mouth, he said, "Don't look at me."
Swiveling to Regulus, she put on a little pout and puppy-dog eyes.
He sighed. "One dance, witch, and that's it. Just so you can get a feel for the steps."
She beamed. "Thank you."
Regulus reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. "Give me a second, geez." Her eyes darted around them. "I need some liquid courage." She waved down a waiter, obtaining the amber drink that would hopefully help her loosen up a bit.
"I seriously can't dance in front of other people without being at least a little tipsy," she said, lifting the glass to her lips.
Severus kept laser focus on her firewhisky as she took a sip.
The wonderful scent of cinnamon and pleasant warmth spreading throughout her body worked in tandem to calm her nerves. Knowing her reaction to the magical alcohol last time, she drank another mouthful, then set down the glass.
"Ava," Severus grumbled warningly.
She waved him off. "I'll be fine. Last time I had like six sips."
The tasty liquid was already working its magic, rushing through her veins. Not one for being the center of attention unless by choice, Ava was grateful to have the firewhisky embolden her to step out onto the dance floor.
Regulus held out his hand. "Ready?"
She swallowed, eyes darting around them to see if anyone noticed that the Black heir had offered her a dance.
Who cares what these fancy schmancy assholes think? If this were a Muggle event, they wouldn't know how to dance either.
She lifted her chin and grasped Regulus's hand, allowing him to lead her through the clusters of people, edging their way to the dance floor.
By the time Regulus had lifted their clasped hands and placed his other on her waist, Ava's confidence was slowly growing, little by little.
Her nervous gaze hadn't found anyone staring or pointing thus far, so she tried to remind herself that everyone was more likely interested in their own experience at the party rather than anxiously awaiting the moment she'd fall on her face.
"Just let me lead. The steps aren't too difficult," Regulus whispered to her, pulling her body closer to his.
With her sole concentration on moving her feet properly, and not stepping on her partner's feet, Ava couldn't afford to glance around the room to see if anyone was catching sight of her abysmal performance.
Relief flooded her as the music came to a stop and Regulus released her.
"That wasn't too bad," he said with a small smile.
"Really?"
He gently took her hand, leading her back towards the table they had congregated around before. "Yes, really. I'm sure you'll do just fine with Malfoy. You might consider telling him that it's only your second time dancing though so he'll know that you need a bit of guidance."
As they neared the spot they'd left Severus in, she saw that he was standing with someone else. She pressed her lips together and drew a deep breath, only to have tension leak out of her body when the wizard turned, revealing that it was Rabastan.
Like her other Slytherin friends, the corners of his mouth barely moved, but gave away the fact that he was at least pleased to see her.
"You look quite dashing," she told him in lieu of a greeting. Looking to Severus and Regulus, she added, "You all do."
Rabastan smirked. "You clean up well yourself, McGonagall. I bet Lupin loathed seeing you off with this one." He elbowed Severus.
Her cheeks were already flushed from the dance and firewhisky, so she didn't bother trying to smother the additional blush from the reminder of how Remus reacted to her appearance.
"Don't tease her like that," Regulus scolded, ever the gentleman.
She rolled her eyes. "It's fine, honestly."
"Anyhow," Rabastan said. "I've got to introduce our resident Potions genius to my parents. They're interested in meeting the reason my Potions grades have improved so much."
Ava froze. I hope they don't care about his Charms grades.
He must've noticed her reaction because he quickly added, "Breathe, witch. It's just Potions they're curious about. One of my father's business partners may have a need for a Potions Master."
She looked to Severus.
He didn't appear nervous at the prospect of meeting the Lestranges or a potential job interview.
But she didn't like the thought of him leaving her side. Regulus is still here, Ava reminded herself.
Once Rabastan and Severus departed, she and Regulus spent a little time conversing, but her words faltered when she noticed Lucius dancing with Narcissa once again.
The blonde wizard caught her eye and inclined his head, as if to indicate he was coming for her next.
Shit. Certainly the host of the party would garner more attention that Regulus had. Her tentative friendship with Lucius was too new and the thought of embarrassing him somehow on the dance floor caused a new spike of anxiety to shoot through her.
She swallowed, palms beginning to sweat. Without further consideration, she swiped a tumbler of firewhisky from a passing waiter. She took two large gulps, savoring the delicious aroma, bite of cinnamon, and rush of warmth.
Regulus chuckled. "Ava, I told you that your dancing was perfectly adequate. Don't be so nervous. You're a Gryffindor for Salazar's sake."
Rude. She rose a brow, not pleased with him throwing her house back in her face. Setting down the glass, she thought, I'll be the best dancer these Purebloods have ever seen.
Her eyes drifted down to the amber liquid. She grabbed the drink and took another tiny sip. You know, just in case.
"Careful there, Ava," Regulus said, tone teasing. "I've heard from Severus how much of a lightweight you are."
Her hackles raised, though somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it wasn't a serious judgment of her character. "Lightweight?" she asked incredulously. "I'll show you lightweight." She tossed back the entire glass, licked her lips, and smirked at the wizard.
"Are you mad?" Regulus hissed.
She giggled and leaned close to him and whispered, "Maybe."
He rolled his eyes and snatched up her hand, looping it through his, as if she might wander off without supervision.
Ava scoffed. "Party pooper."
"Merlin," he muttered, exasperation clear in his voice.
She elbowed him, sensing that even her magic was feeling a bit confrontational. "You don't have to keep ahold of me like I'm a child."
His grip tightened. "I wouldn't have to if you didn't throw back your firewhisky as if you were a regular at The Hog's Head."
Instead of being insulted, she just laughed and tugged him close, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. "Thanks for being my friend, Regulus."
She pulled away and looked up to find a genuine smile on his face, affection shining in his gray eyes.
"It's no trouble at all, Ava."
He resembled Sirius so much sometimes it caused a pang in her chest. The firewhisky coursing through her softened the blow this time, but encouraged her thoughts to slip out. "You and your brother need to make nice. I know you miss each other."
His smile dropped as his brows pulled together. "Ava, I really don't think—"
"Miss McGonagall," a familiar voice interrupted.
She turned to see Lucius holding out his hand, beckoning her to the dance floor. Keen to escape her babysitter at the moment, Ava quickly took his hand.
Before the blonde wizard could lead her away, Regulus stepped forward. "She's had a little to drink."
Tattletale, she thought, sticking out her tongue at him. She looked to Lucius and whispered, "This is only my second time dancing."
He smirked, the smug bastard. "Don't worry, little lion, I won't lead you astray."
She rolled her eyes, but at least he wasn't poking fun at her lack of experience.
As he led Ava closer to the dance floor, her magic buzzed in agitation, making her think that the magic didn't like the proximity to her male dance partner. Hmm.
Just like Regulus, he raised their connected hands and placed his other on her waist.
Her magic flared in annoyance as he moved closer, and worried that it would continue to be a nuisance, Ava mentally reprimanded her magic. It wasn't like she was relishing Lucius's touch. He didn't want her like that, and she returned the sentiment.
Not like her soulmate.
The magic relented, simmering down to make its presence practically nonexistent. Of course, it wasn't as if it had disappeared, but Ava could tell that it wasn't as active as it usually was when she was nervous.
She actually felt rather calm as Lucius guided her around the dance floor, whether it was from the courage inducing alcohol or her practice dance with Regulus beforehand, she didn't know. But she wasn't really in the mood to question it.
Better acquainted with the steps, she risked a glance up at her partner.
"You're doing rather well," he said with a small smile.
"Thanks." Her eyes roved over his pale blonde hair and frowned. "I'm a little jealous. Your hair is so glossy and it's very pretty."
His eyebrows shot up.
She bit her lip. Oh. My. God. What is wrong with me? she yelled internally. She didn't realize that firewhisky acted as a truth serum, but her brief mortification was already fading away. Who cares if I told Lucius Malfoy his hair is pretty. It is. So what?
He worked through his shock a moment later and chuckled. "Thank you. That's quite the compliment."
"Maybe Severus was right," she pondered aloud as he released her for a little spin.
"About what?" he asked, pulling her back in.
"That I'm a lightweight."
He laughed. "I wouldn't say he was wrong."
She let out an annoyed huff, knowing deep down that she needed to have a clear mind to find the Horcrux. She just needed to watch what she said until the alcohol wore off. At least I don't have to censor my thoughts.
Ava didn't realize she'd spoken aloud until Lucius asked, "Why would you need to censor your own thoughts?"
Her magic flashed from her chest out to her fingertips, matching the intensity of her drive to rid the world of the one wizard she was worried about her Occlumency shields holding against.
"Let's just say that I'm happy your Dark Lord didn't show tonight."
Lucius's grip tightened on her. "Why is that?"
"I don't even want to be in the same room as that lunatic." She shuddered. "I can't be." Ava knew that Voldemort was a skilled Legilimens, at least on the same level as Dumbledore, but he'd have no problem ripping through her mind if it would give him an advantage.
"Watch your words," Lucius hissed, dipping his head close to her ear.
She leaned away to look into his eyes, gray swirling with worry. "That lunatic is going to ruin your life if nothing's done."
His steps faltered, but he covered quickly and continued their dance as though Ava hadn't just dropped a bomb on him.
The firewhisky dulled the emotions behind her words as she spoke. "He'll be the reason you go to Azkaban."
He sucked in a breath.
"He'll take over your home," she continued, titling her head back to look at the beautiful decorations splashed throughout the ballroom. I shouldn't have said anything. No, he needs to know.
Ava locked gazes with Lucius, determination burning inside her like an inferno. "He'll enslave your son—"
His eyes flared wide for a second as his hold on her increased, but he managed to school his features once more.
"—torture his soul. His soul, Lucius." The devastation she felt at the idea of a teenage Draco Malfoy hating himself and being forced to take the Dark Mark under the threat of his parents' murder finally leaked through her words.
She wobbled slightly, but he held fast and swiftly moved them towards the edge of the dance floor. I'm not that drunk, she told herself. At least she didn't feel too woozy now.
I don't like this feeling. Her thoughts weren't coherent and her emotions were all over the place. She didn't know if she wanted to punch someone in the face or collapse in Lucius's arms and sob for the rest of the night. She felt compelled to do both.
Sensing that she could stand on her own, he let go of her waist as they separated from the other dancing couples, but continued to grasp her hand. They stepped further into the crowd and he leaned close to whisper, "Thank you for your insight." He pulled away and looked down at her, the corners of his mouth turned down. "Truly, I appreciate it."
Ava squeezed his hand, hoping that would telegraph that she had his back.
Lucius quirked a brow. "But your delivery could use a little work."
She ducked her head, not sure the firewhisky could be a legitimate excuse.
"Come, little lion," he said, tugging her through clusters of attendees.
His soft tone lifted her spirits. That wasn't at all how she had planned to ease Lucius into understanding what kind of monster Voldemort would become, but it was done now. And fortunately, the Slytherin was taking the information in stride.
He escorted her directly to Severus who was in the middle of a conversation with an older wizard, but her best friend excused himself when he saw herself and Lucius standing there.
Severus fixed narrowed eyes on her.
Lucius placed his hand on the small of her back and gently nudged her towards Severus. "You might want to keep an eye on her and make sure she gets some refreshments." He lowered his voice. "Soon. And non-alcoholic."
Ava crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
Lucius turned to her and seemed to be trying not to smile at her expression. "Thank you for the dance, Ava."
She gave him a little curtsy. "Thank you, Lucius."
He chuckled and tossed a "Good luck" over his shoulder to Severus.
Shifting on her feet, she glared at her best friend and though she knew exactly what was wrong, she asked, "What?"
"Regulus told me what you did."
"And?" she snapped, more annoyed with herself than Severus.
"Do you really think now is the time to test your limits with firewhisky, witch?" he hissed before flagging down a waiter and requesting a large glass of water.
The scolding from him proved to break her hold over her emotions and she felt tears prick her eyes. She stared at the ground, not wanting him to see.
"We're here for something important," he continued, whisper shouting at her. "Something so important that it will literally affect the future of the Wizarding World, and this is how you choose to behave?"
She blinked and the tears spilled over. It's not like I meant to, she told him mentally, too afraid to speak for fear of her voice cracking.
"Here," he said brusquely.
Ava peeked up through her wet lashes to see him holding out her water. She reached out to take it without lifting her head.
"Ava?"
She bit the inside of her cheek. Even the firewhisky didn't give her the courage to look her best friend in the eye, knowing she fucked up. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and snatched the glass. Titling her head back, she chugged the refreshing water and it settled heavily in her stomach.
Her fingers clenched around the glass as she set it on the table and her eyes stayed glued there as well.
"Ava?" Severus asked, concern making an appearance.
She sniffled before meeting his gaze.
His furrowed brows smoothed out and his features softened.
"I know I messed up."
He sighed and took a step closer to her. "I'm sor—"
"It's fine," she said quickly. "I know though, okay? You don't need to tear me a new one when I'm already doing it to myself."
He nodded.
She ordered another glass of water and finished that, feeling her anxiety return little by little as the magical whisky worked its way out of her system. It was a while before she proclaimed that she was sober, though it wasn't entire true. There might've been a tiny bit of the alcohol still coursing through her veins, but she didn't want to waste any more time as they should've started looking for the Horcrux nearly an hour ago.
Assuming the adrenaline would sober her up the rest of the way, Ava convinced Severus to subtly leave the ballroom with her under the guise of using the restroom. However, she actually needed the bathroom, having drank what felt like a gallon of water.
She completed her business in a flash and joined Severus's side out in the hallway, a ways down from the entrance to the ballroom and drawing room where most guests were congregating.
They headed towards a window as if they were planning to merely gaze upon the grounds of the manor, but discreetly inched further and further down the corridor when no one was looking their direction. Once they were alone in the hallway, they turned the corner.
"We should split up to cover more ground," Ava whispered.
Severus frowned but relented. He pulled out his wand and cast a Silencing Spell at her shoes and then his own.
"Good thinking." Trying to flash her best friend as little as possible, Ava pulled up the skirt of her dress and grabbed her wand from her thigh holster.
"Good thinking," he told her with a smirk. "I was wondering where you were keeping it."
Severus volunteered to sneak across the hall and they split apart, walking about thirty feet from each other in opposite directions down the corridor.
They each cast a location spell with the intent of detecting dark magic, and sure enough, their wands pointed in different directions.
Logically, Ava knew that it had only been a few minutes since she'd seen Severus, but it felt like an eternity.
The intensity of the situation was getting to her fragile nerves. She cast three location spells in a row, all indicating the same direction. Thank God.
A door several feet down the corridor opened suddenly and she bolted to the nearest window. Fortunately, it looked over the gardens. She clutched her wand tightly beneath her arm facing away from the person, pressed close to her side.
"Excuse me?" a masculine voice called out, steps echoing as they came nearer.
Her blood ran cold when she turned to see Nott.
"McGonagall?" he asked with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, hey." She hoped her voice sounded stronger than she felt. "I was just enjoying a nice view of the gardens," she said, gesturing out the window.
He stepped closer. "What are you doing here?"
Ava frowned, holding her arm as tightly to herself as possible, unwilling to let her wand drop. "I just told you. I was looking at the gardens." She began to slide her foot back, "I think I should—"
He gripped her arm. None too gently, but at least it wasn't the one concealing her wand. He sneered in her face. "I think you should be more respectful of your hosts and not sneak around their manor."
She shook her head and tried to tug her arm away from him. "I'm not sneaking around. I must've gotten lost looking for the restroom. I didn't know I couldn't be here."
Another voice spoke up before Nott could. "There aren't any rules against wandering the halls."
Both whipped their gazes behind her to see Rabastan standing there, a bored expression on his face.
She turned to glance at Nott, who was fuming at the appearance of the other Slytherin.
"Besides," Rabastan continued. "She's hardly sneaking. It's not like she Disillusioned herself."
"Don't think you're getting out of this," Nott said, beginning to pull her along with him.
"I'll escort Miss McGonagall from here." His dark eyes bored into the older wizard, practically daring him to say differently.
Nott opened his mouth, but Rabastan wasn't finished. "Your intended might not take too kindly to you waltzing in with another witch on your arm, Nott."
Ava could hear him swallow before he released her.
"I heard she was looking for you actually, so you might want to hurry back."
Nott glanced between her and Rabastan and let out a frustrated growl before stomping away and around the corner, back towards the ballroom.
Rabastan's nonchalant look morphed into one edging on concern. "C'mon," he said, tilting his head the way Nott went. "We should get back. Regulus and Severus are likely wondering where you are."
She waved him off, lifting her arm to grasp her wand. "They know where I am."
His eyes narrowed. "And what exactly are you up to, McGonagall?"
She bit her lip. This was most definitely not the time to explain everything. Besides, Rabastan might be a decent guy, but she didn't know for sure if she could trust him. She cast Tempus and her adrenaline spiked. I've already been gone for ten minutes.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you are sneaking around."
She looked into Rabastan's eyes. Shit. What do I do?
He seemed able to sense her unease and worry, and he held up his hands, closing the distance between them. "You don't strike me as the type to pull this cloak and dagger nonsense without good reason, Avalynn McGonagall."
He tilted his head, dark eyes inspecting her face. "What do you need?"
Her mouth dropped open but she snapped it shut. She fidgeted in place, gaze darting up and down the corridor, before narrowing on the wizard in front of her. "How do I know that you're actually going to help me?"
He shrugged. "I suppose you don't. Your choice." He slid his hands into the front pocket of his dress pants and leaned against the wall, as if he had all the time in the world.
Her gut told her that she could trust him. Nothing he had said or done had been anywhere near the typical Death Eater mentality. She huffed. "Alright. C'mon."
He grinned and pushed off the wall. "Excellent."
They continued down the corridor, Ava pausing every now and then to recast the location spell. After a couple more minutes, she decided they needed to turn back around, but made sure to memorize the path so she wouldn't waste time the next chance she got to search for the Horcrux.
Rabastan hadn't asked a single question yet, even when she reached up her gown to stow away her wand. But as they were walking back towards the ballroom, he said, "I recognize the spell you used."
She merely said, "Hmm."
"What does a goody-two shoe Gryffindor need with a dark object from the Malfoys?"
"I'm only taking something off their hands that will bring their family more trouble than it's worth."
"Ah," he said slowly. "Is that why you've been so friendly with Lucius? Just to case the joint and steal from his family?"
She rolled her eyes. Yep, I'm a regular ol' Danny Ocean. "Lucius would be thanking me if he only knew what I was ridding their home of."
Ava eyed the Slytherin warily, but he didn't make any moves to ask for further information.
Back in the ballroom, she could see the clear relief on Severus's face once he spotted her, though his brows furrowed momentarily when he saw that Rabastan was trailing her.
Reunited with her best friend, she filled him in on the details on her portion of the mission—how Rabastan saved her ass and was now to a part of their quest though he wasn't too concerned with what exactly they were looking for.
Severus glanced at the other wizard.
Rabastan lifted a shoulder and said, "I'm just interested in quenching my curiosity." He looked at Severus over Ava's head and added, "She needs a chaperone of a different breed while wandering around the manor."
Ava puffed up, thinking it was a slight against her heritage, but calmed down when she saw that Severus merely nodded in response. Rabastan must mean because of other's opinions, like Nott, not his own.
Severus leaned closer and said, "I'm more comfortable with you having assistance should the need arise."
"You aren't worried about why he's helping?" Not that Ava really thought Rabastan would hand her over to their hosts as he would've already had that been his plan, but still. Severus trusted him? Just like that?
"As a fellow Slytherin, I can assure you that he's more interested in collecting potential blackmail against the Malfoys by whatever you find than anything truly nefarious. Knowledge is power—little lion."
She glared at him and pointed a threatening finger. "Don't you start that too. I swear to God, Severus."
He just smirked as he pulled away.
The trio stood around, discussing everything from academics to household pets to their favorite foods, just biding their time. Eventually, Severus excused himself and disappeared for almost twenty minutes. By the time he'd returned, Regulus had joined them.
Ava looked at Severus with brows raised expectantly, but he shook his head. She sighed.
Ten minutes later, she announced that she needed the restroom and Rabastan offered to escort her. Having already filled in Regulus on their additional helper, neither him nor Severus batted an eye when Ava looped her arm through Rabastan's.
They casually strolled out of the ballroom and slowly made their way towards the restroom, but continued past and every so carefully, slipped around the corner.
High heels still soundless, Ava ran with an awkward sort of gait on the balls of her feet to head back immediately to where they last stopped in their search for the Horcrux.
"Blimey, witch," Rabastan panted out between breaths when she finally slowed.
She wiped sweat from her forehead and cast a few of the location spells she had learned for tracking dark magic. Thankfully, all indicated the same direction for the object. Once again, she'd walk a while, recast, possibly turn a corridor, recast, walk some more, recast, and so on.
They were in the middle of a corridor when her wand kept pointing directly at the wall, but there wasn't a door.
"What's on the other side of this wall?" she wondered aloud, glancing up and down the hall to see which way they had to go to get to whatever was on the other side. She frowned, noticing that both ends of the corridor turned left, the direction they just came from.
"This is the edge of the manor. It's an exterior wall," Rabastan said, voicing her realization. "So whatever is it you're looking for, it'll be behind this wall."
Ava lifted her wand and cast Specialis Revelio. A portion of the wall in front of them wavered and then disappeared, revealing a small wooden chest. She raised her wand once more, but Rabastan grabbed her wrist.
"What are you doing?"
She quirked a brow. "Checking the wards."
"And do you know how to do that without tripping the wards?"
She pressed her lips together. "I think so."
He dropped her wrist. "You think so?" He scoffed and pulled out his own wand. "Let me."
"Wait, what?"
"Roddie taught me how. I might be able to dismantle them too."
"Really?" It was rather advanced magic for a teen to be interested in. Ava was, but it wasn't just for fun.
He grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, our father keeps his best firewhisky behind wards."
She laughed and nodded. "Of course."
"Shall I?" he asked, gesturing towards the secret cut-out in the wall.
"Just be careful."
He rolled his eyes. "Obviously."
Rabastan was able to determine what types of security wards were placed around the object and he broke through the first two.
The third one required a bit of collaboration from the two of them as it had alarms that needed to be silenced simultaneously. Whoever constructed the spells, which she assumed was Mr. Malfoy, didn't consider that more than one person might go looking for the dark object concealed here.
She only hoped it was the Horcrux. Especially as they had been absent from the festivities for nearly twenty-five minutes now.
Timing it just right, they dismantled the last ward around the chest and a rush of magic flowed through them, free from its bubble of protection.
Ava knew immediately that it was Tom Riddle's diary. The strange foreboding feeling reminded her of the diadem. The dark magic crawled across her skin, prickling at her own magic.
"What the fuck is that?" Rabastan asked, worry evident in his voice.
Without taking her eyes off the chest, she whispered, "I'm not really sure you want to know." She cautiously reached out to the chest, praying that the diary wouldn't fight like the diadem. But she didn't think it would, considering that she wasn't intended on destroying it right then and there.
The chest didn't have a lock to seal it shut, probably due to the fact that the person who hid it away thought very highly of the wards placed around it. She flipped it open to find a small, black book resting inside. The dark magic seemed to pull inwards, collecting itself back inside the diary.
She gingerly picked it up but held it at a distance and stepped back. "We need to seal the wall back up," she muttered, eyes drawn to the Horcrux in her hands.
"On it," Rabastan said, raising his wand.
Without further conversation, they made their way back to the party and were nearly upon the main corridor of the party when footsteps sounded from around a corner. They leapt against the wall.
Her wide eyes flicked to her partner in crime. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What do we do?
There was no way they could be caught lurking around the manor. What kind of reason could they have for sneaking away from everyone? Her mind raced and came to a grim realization.
She straightened her spine and sucked in a breath as she stepped away from the wall and moved in front of Rabastan, tucking the diary under her arm. Next time, I'm wearing full dress robes.
"McGonagall," he whispered. "I don't like that look on your face. It's entirely too Gryffindor."
If they had been in any other situation, she would've laughed at the accuracy of his statement. The footsteps and low voices drew closer, nearly around the corner.
"Sorry," Ava blurted before grabbing the lapels of his dress robes and smashing her lips against his.
Her stomach churned in disgust and her magic rioted, angrily burning every nerve it could touch. The shock it sent through her body forced her fingers to reflexively curl tighter around his robes and she pulled his body to hers. Her magic flared and crackled like lightning, adamant that she release the wizard in front of her that was most definitely not her soulmate.
Even with the blood pounding in her ears, Ava could hear the scuff of shoes turning the corner several feet away from them. Rabastan was frozen in place, not at all responding to her kiss. God damn it. She reared her head back to give him a pleading look.
"Oh, Rabastan," she cooed, in a breathy voice, hoping to every deity that it sounded believable. "You sure know how to charm a girl."
His brows were furrowed, still clearly not onboard with the charade.
Ava noticed a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye and launched her mouth towards his again. For a microsecond, it appeared that his eyes had widened in understanding, which proved to be true as his arms wrapped around her.
Thankfully, a throat cleared, which she was more than ready for.
She jumped away from Rabastan but slipped her hand into his and turned to find Abraxas Malfoy and his wife.
The master of the house didn't look very amused, but Mrs. Malfoy was obviously trying to hold back a smile.
"I'm so sorry," Ava managed to squeak out, starting to tug her friend to walk around the couple, back towards the ballroom, and making sure to keep her arm concealing the diary tilted away from Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy.
"My deepest apologizes, Lady and Lord Malfoy," Rabastan said, bowing his head.
"You should know better—" Mr. Malfoy started, but his wife interrupted.
"Hush, Abraxas," she said, playfully slapping his arm. "You remember how we were when we were their age."
The older wizard huffed. "I'd advise you to get back to the party," he told them with an elegantly raised brow.
"Yes, sir."
"Of course."
Ava and Rabastan darted around the corner and sped down the corridor, stopping to catch their breath when the tell-tale sounds of the party reached their ears. They looked at each other for a minute in dead silence.
I've got to say something. "I'm so sorry, Rabastan, I just panicked, I—" she stopped talking when he held up a hand.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to realize what you were doing." His eyes narrowed. "You're awfully sneaky for a Gryffindor, you know that?"
She smiled. "Yeah, I know." A frown formed on her face as she wrung her hands together. "Look, I really am sorry. It was pretty clear that you weren't enjoying that. Not that I did either, if that helps any." She grimaced, recalling the volatile response her magic had.
He waved her off. "I know you're with Lupin, it's alright. I prefer a little more meat on my romantic partners, if you know what I mean."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh?" She looked down at her body and grazed her hands along her waist and hips. Glancing back up at Rabastan with a frown, she said, "I like to think I've got plenty of womanly curves."
His jaw dropped open, speechless for moment before he let out a deep chuckle.
She wasn't quite sure what he was so amused by, but she found herself giggling along with him, enjoying the genuine laughter that was coming from the typically reserved Slytherin.
"Sweet Merlin, no," he said, clutching his stomach. "That's not what I meant at all, Ava."
She beamed at the use of her first name, knowing that was a step forward in her friendship with the Pureblood.
"Oh, man," he breathed out. "That's adorable. No, witch. I meant, you know, meat." He made a wanking gesture in front of his crotch.
Her mouth formed an 'O' for a couple of seconds before she scrunched up her nose. "I really didn't need that visual."
He huffed out a laugh and ran a hand through his hair, pink creeping onto his cheeks. "Yeah, I suppose you didn't."
She giggled at his embarrassment and the entire situation but her laughter drifted off when she recalled the diary in her hands. "We need to get back."
Turning the corner, they walked past the guest restrooms and found Severus and Regulus loitering outside the entrance of the main ballroom, seemingly waiting for them.
Ava had to force herself to walk casually, rather than run up to her best friend and shove the Horcrux into the charmed box. "I've got it," she whispered once within earshot.
"You do?" Regulus asked, his surprise evident.
She frowned. "Hey. Thanks for the vote of confidence."
With the secure box now enlarged and in Severus's hands, she ignored his half-hearted apology and opened the charmed container, quickly putting the diary inside before sealing it shut once again.
Severus shrunk the box down and hid it within his robes.
She, along with Regulus and Severus, all let out breaths of relief.
Rabastan glanced at them. "How's that little book so dangerous?"
The other Slytherins looked to Ava, prompting her to explain. "Let's just say it's kind of like the Imperious Curse. It can possess people and cause them to act on its behalf without being aware of what they're doing."
His face paled, but he nodded once instead of asking further questions.
"Now we've just got to wait," Regulus said. "Just a couple more hours and then Severus can escort Ava back to the Potters."
"Not soon enough if you ask me," Severus muttered.
Ava opened her mouth to sarcastically suggest they dance for the remainder of their time at the party, but just over her best friend's shoulder she caught sight of Lucius hurriedly maneuvering through the crowd of people in their direction.
Each time someone spoke to him, he flashed them a tight smile, but when he locked eyes with her, the sheer panic seeped through his careful mask.
Dread pooled in her stomach as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her fingers twitched, wanting to curl around her wand. Her magic stirred and hummed in anticipation.
She stepped closer to Severus and Regulus. "Something's wrong," she whispered, eyes still trained on the blonde wizard briskly headed their way.
The Slytherins turned to follow her gaze just as Lucius approached.
"Severus," he hissed. "I've been looking for you everywhere." Still attempting to catch his breath, he said, "You need to get her out of here. Now."
Ava's heart pounded. "What do you mean?"
His eyes rapidly flicked around their group and settled on her. "He's here."
She felt Severus tense besides her and her own blood froze in horror.
"Who's here?" Rabastan asked.
But Ava didn't need Lucius to answer aloud. There was only one wizard that would've caused the typically composed Slytherin to lose his shit and demand that Severus take her home. Voldemort.
Author's Note:
High five if you caught the Ocean's 11 reference :)
Also, hopefully it seemed like the firewhisky was making Ava erratic and messing with her emotions and judgment, because that's what I was going for since she drank a lot more this time. Just like regular alcohol, but much better tasting, lol
