Author's Note: As promised, here's the next chapter! :D Happy Tuesday!
A million thank yous for all the follows and favorites! :D
Review shout-out: ColdOnePaul, amk41196, The Lady Kait, and Justforloveknows! Thank you so much!
I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or anything else resembling what J.K Rowling introduced us all to. Just the plot and OC are mine.
Chapter 53
Avalynn stood still, wand raised, poised and ready to cast a spell at the dummy a couple meters across the Room of Requirement from her. Her skin tingled in anticipation.
Severus was lurking somewhere behind her. "Arresto Momentum!" he barked at the same moment the dummy began to fly over the dueling mat.
"Arresto Momentum!" she shouted, waving her Blackthorn. When the spell halted the target, she wiped sweat from her forehead and let her arm drop. "Can we be done? That's gotta be the hundredth spell you've made me cast. I have to be decent enough by now."
Thankfully, the scary drill sergeant, formerly known as her best friend, nodded.
"Hallelujah," she breathed out, heading off the dueling mat towards the table on the side that had glasses of water.
As it was the day before classes resumed, Ava wanted to be sure she wouldn't embarrass herself in her very first seventh-year class. So, Severus had been calling out a variety of Charms for her to cast on command, all from fifth, sixth, and seventh year. But today's practice had been brutal, not like yesterday's. Then, she'd been able to cast at her leisure while Severus concentrated on the Patronus Charm, convinced that if she could do it, he could too. Thus far, he could produce a lasting blue swirl of magic, but it refused to take a form. When she tried to offer advice, he became a little waspish, so she backed off. She highly doubted it was his ability to focus his mind, so she really hoped the struggle with his Patronus was simply because the animal form just wasn't definitive yet and not that he didn't have a happy enough memory to use.
She gulped down the cold water the Room had provided and reminded herself to think of an idea for Severus's birthday, which was the following weekend. Originally, she'd considered asking Regulus, Rabastan, and Barty to join them, but upon second-thought, she'd realized the Purebloods would feel obligated to buy gifts for Severus and she knew from Christmas Day how uncomfortable that might make him. So, she was going to do something special for him and they'd celebrate, but it'd be just the two of them. Something low-key.
Severus cast Tempus. "Damn, it's time for lunch already. Would you like to head down?"
She nodded and moved to the door. "Thanks!" she yelled to the room.
Rolling his eyes, he said, "You don't have to do that every single time."
"It's the polite thing to do," she told him primly, exiting into the corridor. They were the only students in sight as they descended the stairs, since the rest were returning later that evening. "Hey, why do you think the professors spend so long teaching the same spells and stuff when I've been able to do it so quickly on my own?"
Severus scoffed. "Do you honestly believe that an eleven-year-old could perform magic the same as you?"
She shrugged. "I have no idea."
Though he muttered under his breath, his words were clear enough. "Sometimes you're a complete dunderhead."
The amount of exasperation in his tone caused her to pause momentarily on the stone steps. "Rude," she declared, annoyance flashing through her. "That's not fair," she said, hurrying down to catch up to him. "I'm still pretty new to magic, Severus."
"Fine, I'll grant you that. And I suppose my reasons are just a working theory."
Skipping the last step, she hopped to the floor and swept out her arm in a wide gesture. "Go on then, oh wise one."
He rolled his eyes and continued walking to the Great Hall. "Well, the leading premise of magical cores is that it strengthens as we age and practice. A first-year wouldn't be able to perform the same spell with the same amount of control and power behind it as you do. So, the learning needs to be evenly dispersed over a longer period of time. Think of your magical core as a muscle. You need to build up strength with regular practice, but if you try to lift too much weight before you're ready, you won't be able to—or you could end up tearing the muscle."
Ava's brows shot up. "That makes sense."
Nodding, he said, "That's what most academics believe anyway. I think with you specifically, it's different than a first-year because of your age." He lowered his voice. "And your connection to Lupin."
"Really?"
"Yes. Otherwise, your magic would only be capable of the same as a first-year. Your core must be closer to say—mine—essentially at its peak, ready to flex its power and muscle."
She giggled. "Seriously?" She made poses like a body builder as she said in a slightly deeper voice, "C'mon, Severus. Flex your magical muscles. Let me see your power."
He scowled and flicked her on the arm.
Ava let out a yelp and rubbed the spot. "Damn it, that hurt." She peeked up at his smirking face and grinned, causing his smug expression to falter. "Must be all that power." She waggled her eyebrows.
The corners of his mouth twitched. "You're insufferable." He spun with a billow of his robes, not looking back to see if she was following.
With a laugh that bounced off the walls of the empty corridor, she dashed after him.
After a long moment of comfortable silence, Severus cleared his throat. "Speaking of learning," he began hesitantly, "would you mind if I borrowed the book Regulus gifted you for Christmas?"
"The one about creating your own spells?" She didn't bother to hide her pout. "Yeah. Just know that I'm annoyed you get to read it first. But I have no idea when I'll have time and finally get around to reading it, so you might as well have at it."
"I appreciate it. I haven't read that one before, so I'm curious as to how the researcher explains the theories."
Her heart warmed for the inquisitive wizard. She smiled at him and looped her arm through his, awkwardly pulling him close for a squeeze as they neared the Great Hall.
He let out a huff. "Pray tell, witch, why are you so egregiously man-handling me?"
Ava chuckled. "This 'egregious man-handling,' as you call it, is just because I'm just glad that you're my friend, Severus. I know Remus is a bit bookish, but it's nice having someone that enjoys learning and experimenting like I do." She watched his face carefully as she always did when showering her friend with barely tolerated affection. She just couldn't help herself sometimes.
The mild annoyance in his eyes calmed. "Oh," he said softly. "I enjoy that about you too." He patted his hand over hers that was grasping his arm. "But you can let go now."
She didn't let his behavior bother her as he no doubt took notice of the other students who had stayed behind for the holidays joining them in their approach of the massive dining room.
It wasn't until they had been eating for several minutes, together at one end of the Slytherin table, that it dawned on Ava that it was the last meal she'd share with her best friend in the Great Hall. Her chewing slowed as her shoulders dropped. There was no way she could risk pissing off the entire Slytherin house, but especially the older ones, just to eat with Severus.
She glanced at him from across the table. "Does it bother you that this is the last time I can sit with you here?"
He shook his head. "You'll see more of me this term, no doubt."
"Because of training and stuff?" she asked, thinking about the Animagus tutoring that Aunt Minerva had offered.
His brows shot up. "No," he drew out slowly. "Did none of your Gryffindor friends inform you that the Slytherins have Charms with them?"
Her fork paused halfway to her mouth. Butterflies danced excitedly in her stomach at the thought of having class with her soulmate and best friend. The other Marauders would be there too. And the Death Eater wannabes. Oh. "That'll be…interesting."
He scoffed. "To say the least."
"What other classes do you guys share?"
"That you'll be in? Just Potions. Some of the electives have few enough students enrolled that all four houses are together, like Arithmancy." He smirked. "But no Gryffindors are in that course this year."
She rolled her eyes and chose not to respond, unsure if his arrogant expression was mixed with smug delight because he didn't have to deal with Gryffindors at all in Arithmancy, or because he thought them intellectually incapable of even joining the class.
At the end of lunch, Professor McGonagall approached the two friends, beaming, with a thick envelope in her hand. "Can I take a moment of your time, dear?"
"Of course." Ava had never seen the older witch so excited before and turned sideways on the bench to give her full attention.
"Now, you know that I acknowledged you as my niece ever since your arrival, and while others have done the same, it hasn't been official." Aunt Minerva's fingers fidgeted, sliding along the edges of the envelope repeatedly and her wide grin faltered a little.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Is something wrong?"
Brows furrowed, she said, "No, child, nothing's wrong. It's—well—" she let out a huff, shaking herself. She pulled out the folded parchment inside the envelope and handed it to Ava. "I've adopted you. Officially."
She sucked in a breath, fingers gripping the letter. Her magic swirled and thrummed in tandem with her heart pounding against her ribcage. Adopted. Officially.
Her eyes darted over the first piece of parchment, the Ministry emblem at the top difficult to miss, and read the message briefly congratulating Aunt Minerva on her recent adoption of an heir. It was true. She was adopted as a McGonagall. Legally. She flipped to the next page and found the certificate proving the adoption to be recognized and granted by the Ministry of Magic with a huge stamp-mark.
"I'm a McGonagall," she whispered, eyes still locked on the paper. Holy Shit. I'm a McGonagall. Ava's head whipped up to her aunt—the incredible woman who took her in and believed her crazy story, supporting her transition to the Wizarding World every step of the way. She dropped the letter to the table and leapt up with a squeal that echoed throughout the Great Hall, wrapping up the older witch in a hug.
"Good Godric, child," Aunt Minerva exclaimed, returning Ava's embrace. "You startled my poor heart."
She pulled back, smiling. "I'm sorry, but thank you so so very much." She blinked away the tears beginning to prick at her eyes.
"I should have known better, but I wasn't anticipating such an exuberant reaction."
The comment brought her attention back to the fact that they were in the Great Hall. She peered around to find most of the students and staff watching them with varying expressions, some smiling or curious and others seeming to find her behavior distasteful—mostly from the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables. She found the most friendly reactions from her aunt's colleagues at the Head Table, even Dumbledore raised his glass in their direction.
"Congratulations," Severus said, drawing her gaze. He gave her a small smile.
Ava and McGonagall spoke at the same time. "Thank you."
The older witch chuckled softly. "Though these are official," she indicated the adoption papers resting on the table, "we'll need to take a trip to the Ministry soon to register you as a citizen."
"Okay." Ava picked up the parchment to look at the certificate once again, just soaking it all in. She was legally connected to Aunt Minerva now. Her place in this world was concrete. Real.
"They were only being lenient with you, and myself, because you're a minor and are currently residing at Hogwarts. They assumed that you've been properly supervised for the past couple of months."
She rolled her eyes, thinking of everything that she had gotten up to since arriving at the castle. Her eyes scanned the information. First Name: Avalynn, Last Name: McGonagall, Age: 16, Birthdate: April 1st, 1961, Gender:—wait, what?! She looked back at her birthdate. April 1st. The twins' birthday. "Why'd you put down my birthday as April 1st?"
Her aunt appeared startled. "Well, you've spoken fondly of the date before…" her words drifted off.
Ava clenched her jaw. "We can't change it now, can we?" She'd had no intention of sharing a birthday with the Weasley twins.
With a frown, McGonagall said, "No, certainly not. It's Ministry record now. Why? Is there something wrong?"
"No, it's alright." There wasn't really anything wrong with her falsified birthday, but the churning in her stomach wouldn't settle. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the idea of attaching herself to a birthday of two people that she considered herself to know well enough, but the fond feelings weren't returned. The weird sensation flashed Ava back to how she felt upon realizing the beloved Harry Potter characters were living, breathing individuals.
Her train of thought rapidly switched tracks. Are the twins even born yet? Molly was pregnant at the meeting. Maybe that's why she looked so huge. Twins. Maybe they won't have the same birthday. But other than some relationships, friendships, and the mindsets of a handful of people she'd been able to influence, nothing really seemed that different from the books that she had come to adore in her original world. While she hoped to make a positive impact on the timeline, she could only hope that things wouldn't change too much. If events altered too much, then she might not be able to use her knowledge to help. As of this moment, Ava had no clue how well changing the timeline was going. She made a mental note to review her super secret notebook and ask about the next Order meeting.
Realizing where her mind went, her entire body deflated. She had just found out that she was officially part of Aunt Minerva's family and the Wizarding World. She should still be celebrating, but every enjoyable moment seemed to have a dark cloud hanging over it. She gritted her teeth. Fucking Voldemort.
"Ava, dear," McGonagall called.
She shook herself. "Yeah? Sorry, I was just thinking."
"I could tell. You should try to spend more time having fun and not ruminating on what has yet to occur."
Her brows shot up, not realizing her thoughts were so transparent. But besides, wasn't that the point? She was supposed to consider the potential future and work to prevent it from happening. It was hard not to think about it.
Severus cleared his throat. "Professor McGonagall is right, you know. You should remember to live your life." He frowned. "Like hobbies…and reading for fun…or going for a walk around the lake and…such."
She scoffed, looking back and forth between them. What is this? An intervention? She couldn't believe of all people Severus Snape basically just told her to enjoy the little things in life. It was different from his typical attitude, sure, but it was a stark contrast to the mentality of the adult Snape from the original timeline. That dude was the embodiment of dedication and she doubted very much so that he would've suggested she stop and smell the roses while attempting to bring down Voldemort.
Her eyes roved over the young face of her best friend. She would do everything within her power to keep him from becoming a double agent and ultimately giving his life to defeat the crazy dark wizard. There was no need for it. Not as long as she could help. She glanced away from him as her magic rose to the surface, burning with the need to protect. It wasn't just about Severus or Remus. Or James and Lily, along with the future baby Harry. It was about the lives of all the people that would end up ruined or cut short because of Voldemort. And it wasn't just about stopping the megalomaniac before the prophecy was uttered, but before the attacks and terror of his followers escalated and people became so afraid that they wouldn't even say the man's name.
Ava's fist clenched, her determination and magic flaring with a vengeance to get shit done.
Aunt Minerva and Severus both sighed, so heavily that it pulled her from her thoughts.
She looked to find the professor with her lips pressed together, brows furrowed and Severus pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed.
Before she could ask what they were so annoyed about, Severus lifted his gaze to her and stood, saying, "That's my cue." He inclined his head towards her aunt. "Professor."
"Mr. Snape. Please take care, you two." She gathered up the parchment declaring Ava as her heir and took a step back, as if dismissing them.
Her eyes bounced between the two of them. "What? What's going on?"
Severus quirked a brow and stared at her intensely, as if he were about to demand to know what he would get if he added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood. "You were going to suggest that we go study or duel, were you not?"
Maybe. She crossed her arms. "No."
"Go on, lass," Aunt Minerva said, waving towards the entrance of the dining hall.
Her shoulders dropped. "I feel like you're disappointed in me."
McGonagall sighed and patted Ava's shoulder. "No, I just wish for you to be happy. And if dueling is what will make it so, then that's what you should do, even if I'd prefer that you sit down with a nice book and unwind, giving yourself permission to relax."
She couldn't help herself, knowing the older witch's proclivity for raunchy romance novels. She waggled her eyebrows. "Not all of us enjoy those kinds of relaxing novels."
Her aunt gasped. "Oh, such cheek." She waved the teenagers off once again, this time with a little smile.
Ava bounced on her toes at the edge of the courtyard, Severus waiting alongside her for the arrival of their returning friends. She was grateful the time had finally come as she'd found it more and more difficult to sit still in the library, the afternoon dragging on. Though she was most desperate to see Remus again, she was anxious to see Barty and Benedict just the same since she hadn't been able to all break long. The first several carriages pulled up to the castle, dozens of students spilling out. Her magic sparked to life and she began scouring the crowd knowing she'd find her soulmate somewhere out there.
Upon spotting him, she dug her fingers into the stone ledge she stood in front of, willing herself to wait for him to close the distance between them. She didn't need a repeat of literally running into his arms like she had at Potter Manor, only this time with tons of people to witness it. Surrounding Remus were the rest of the seventh-year Gryffindors. As they approached, she couldn't take her eyes off her wolf, so she felt more than saw, that Severus had peeled off to put some space between them all.
Remus grinned at her and picked up his pace.
The warm, tingly magic in her chest shot down to her fingertips, reaching for him. Her hands pried themselves from the wall she leaned against when it was only another few strides separating her and the werewolf.
His strong, familiar arms wrapped around her, pulling her to his chest. "Ava," he said, a bit breathlessly, before placing a kiss to the top of her head and inhaling deeply.
She smiled and nuzzled his shirt. "I've missed you. And Moony." His comforting, masculine scent mellowed out her nerves and her magic settled.
He squeezed her tight before pulling back. "We've missed you too, love." His eyes flashed amber for a split second and he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips.
"Oi, did you miss us?" Sirius shouted, drawing her gaze. His arm was slung around James, who was displaying a very dramatic pout.
"Yes, I missed you both very much," she said, reluctantly tearing herself away from her soulmate. She dished out hugs to James, Sirius, and Lily, and with the others, Peter, Alice, Frank, Mary, and Marlene, she exchanged pleasant enough greetings.
When the group moved as one towards the castle, she stood still, causing Remus to tug on her hand. "I'm going to wait and catch up for a little with my other friends."
He smiled and sent a bit of his understanding across the bond. "Of course, love." He pecked a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you inside."
"I love you," she whispered. It made everything a thousand times easier when she didn't have to fight tooth and nail to defend her friendship with the Slytherins.
His grin widened. "I love you too." He spun, seemingly ready to jog in order to catch up to the other Gryffindors, but found the rest still waiting, watching them expectantly.
She waved them on. "I'll see you guys in a while." Even though it wasn't close to the full moon, she could still hear their hushed words carry through the air, questioning what she was doing and who she could possibly be waiting for considering that "Snape was right over there." She rolled her eyes and called out to them, "I'm just staying to see the friends I won't get to talk to during dinner." Under her breath, she muttered, "For fuck's sake." Some students around her were looking back and forth between herself and the group of Gryffindors.
James's face scrunched up in annoyance, but Lily pat his arm and began to lead him towards the castle's entrance after flashing Ava a smile.
While she didn't really care what the other seventh-years thought, it was still aggravating to see the incredulous and indignant looks from them when they'd had months to get used to the fact that she enjoyed the company of Slytherins.
Remus nudged Sirius's shoulder, but the Animagus didn't need the prompting as he moved willingly and sent her a wave. "See—you—later," he yelled across the gathering of students, bouncing his eyebrows.
She shook her head. He emphasized each word as if the others were too thick to understand. But it worked. Frank, Alice, Peter, Mary, and Marlene all spurred into action and trailed behind the others to head inside. The easy acceptance from Sirius was surprising, but allowed hope to bubble up. Baby steps, she reminded herself.
Turning to face the new set of incoming carriages, she found Severus had rejoined her side.
"That was tiring."
She huffed out a laugh. "I know. But it's worth it. I'm not going to pick a side when we're all really on the same one."
He opened his mouth as if to argue but closed it. After another moment, he merely said, "Indeed."
When Regulus and Rabastan arrived, Ava kept her arms and hugs to herself, knowing a public display of friendly affection was neither welcomed nor wise. She found it curious that her magic perked up when she saw them, but wasn't insistent on scenting them like she had with Severus. She mentally shrugged. Just another thing to figure out. The two Purebloods chose to remain in the courtyard and chat with her and Severus as she waited for Barty and Benedict to show up.
"Nice gloves," Rabastan said with a smirk, eyeing the rather fancy winter wear he'd gifted her.
Her eyes dropped to the scarf he was wearing and she returned his smug grin. "Nice scarf."
He inclined his head with a smile and resumed discussing the upcoming Quidditch games with Regulus.
Dozens of students stepped out of the next group of carriages and she had to stand on her tip-toes to look for Benedict. She nearly didn't see the little snake until he was already upon her, as he must've broken into a run when he sighted her.
"Ava!" he shouted, crashing into her gut and squeezing with what felt like all his might.
She laughed at his excitement as her magic swirled and buzzed with delighted energy to match his. "Benedict! I missed you too." When he pulled back from the hug, she ruffled his hair.
He immediately raised a hand to fix it but kept grinning. "I got your present! It's awesome! Thank you!"
She threw a smirk to Severus. She knew the eleven-year-old would still enjoy a book as a gift, but especially if it was about Quidditch.
Her action made Benedict's eyes go wide. He turned to Severus with a serious expression. "My apologies, Snape." He bowed his head before turning again. "Black." He tilted his head once more and then faced Rabastan. "Lestrange," he said, bowing his head.
He pivoted on his heel to speak to Ava, his enthusiasm coming back in full-force. "I hope your Christmas was as great as mine," he said in a loud voice. "After we opened all our presents, I read Quidditch Through the Ages and finished it before we even had lunch. Thanks for owling me—I did have a good break by the way. I got to play with my dog and bake cookies with my mom and—oh!" He fumbled around in his robes for a few moments, giving her time to see how the boys were handling Benedict's lively demeanor.
Severus had the tell-tale look of exasperation on his face, but the corners of his mouth twitched when they locked gazes. Regulus and Rabastan appeared amused by Benedict's behavior, clearly finding the slip of etiquette more humorous than rude.
"This is for you," the little Slytherin said, holding out a small wrapped package.
"Aw, thank you, that's very nice of you." She moved to put it away, but he interrupted her.
"Aren't you going to open it?" he asked, disappointment clear in his tone.
"Of course," she said hastily. She opened the wrapping carefully as the item was lightweight and soft, shifting in her hands. She smiled. It was a winter hat made in Gryffindor colors, with hanging tassels from the sides and fluffy pompoms attached to the ends, and a bigger, poofy pompom on the top.
"My mom knit it," he said shyly.
"It's wonderful. You'll have to owl her and let her know how much I love it."
Benedict's shoulders bunched up and he ducked his head. "You're sure it isn't too much? I wasn't sure if you'd like all the pompoms." His voice was so small and hesitant, it nearly broke her heart.
"It most certainly is not," she declared before pulling the cozy hat over her head. With her Warming Charm, she didn't really need the extra layer of warmth, but the wide grin on his face was totally worth it. "I love the pompoms." She turned to the older Slytherins. "Isn't this hat the cutest?"
They all gave half-assed statements of agreement, but it was enough for Benedict. He jumped a little on his feet. "I'm glad you like it." He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "My dad is always teasing my mum for being a silly Hufflepuff, and I overheard him say he thought the hat was a bit over-the-top, so I didn't know if you would too."
She pulled him in for a side-hug. "Nope. I love it."
Their attention was drawn to the arrival of more carriages.
"Before I forget," she said to Benedict, "you've got another Christmas present coming your way, but it's a surprise so I can't tell you about it."
He groaned. "That's not fair. Now that's all I'll be thinking about."
"Oh hush, you'll be busy with schoolwork soon enough. Do you want to go inside? We're still waiting for Barty."
With a shake of his head, he said, "No, I'll wait too."
Regulus spoke up. "Looks like we won't have to wait too long."
Her eyes scanned the large group of returning students streaming from the carriages and spotted Barty. Her gaze narrowed, noticing how his shoulders were hunched and he seemed to be trying to make himself look smaller. He was walking alone, staring at the ground.
Maybe something happened on the train. Even as he got closer to the courtyard, he didn't lift his head. Convinced that he might walk right past them, she called out, "Barty!" and waved with a smile when he looked up at the sound of his name.
A grin broke out on his face, but only for a moment. He weaved through the other students, making his way to their little group. He gave polite greetings to Severus, Regulus, Rabastan, and Benedict before making eye contact with her. "Hi, Ava," he said softly before looking at the ground once more.
Her magic surged, prodding her towards Barty and she clenched her fists, burying them in her robes to keep from smothering the young boy with a hug. Apparently, her magic agreed that something seemed off with him and felt the need to investigate. She knew he wasn't a huge fan of physical contact, but she thought that they had made some progress in that department since he welcomed a hug from her just before the holiday break. But still, she didn't want to push him.
"Hey, Barty. How was your Christmas?" she asked.
He raised his head high enough to give her a weak smile. "It was good. Thank you for your gift. I apologize for not owling you during the break," he said, reaching into his pocket.
She frowned, recalling that he had specifically asked if she minded that he owl her. "That's alright, I'm sure you were busy."
He held out a hand, displaying a tiny wrapped package in his palm. "My mum said that you'd know how to enlarge it. It's my Christmas gift for you."
"Oh! Thank you, Barty. That's very thoughtful of you." She gently took the present and cast Engorgio before unwrapping the paper to reveal a maroon scarf. "Thank you, it's very pretty," she said with a smile. "I love this color."
He merely nodded, cheeks tinged pink.
"It matches your hat!" Benedict exclaimed.
"Indeed it does." She wrapped the scarf around her neck, hoping that Barty would at least make eye contact with her after seeing that she truly liked her gift.
He perked up a little at her display and stood a little taller once Regulus complimented his choice in gift.
It was good to see the young Slytherin coming back out of his shell. Maybe he just needs some reassurance. "Thank you, Barty. I really do like it," she said, taking a step closer and slowly raising her arms for a hug.
His eyes widened for a second but then he stepped towards her, lifting his arms.
Awesome, Ava thought as he relaxed into the hug, relieved that she wouldn't have to start all over with getting him to be comfortable around her. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled back. "Now, what do you—" her sentence died out, attention stolen by an unusual shimmer on Barty's face. She squinted, still holding him at arm's length, and moved her head back and forth, looking at either side of his face. There was a faint ripple of something covering his cheek, eye, and jaw. "What is that? Is that magic?"
He fidgeted, trying to pull away from her. "Ava," he pleaded, a hint of a whine leaking into his voice.
His desperation only made her grasp him more firmly. "No. What's on your face?"
Someone sucked in a breath from beside her, but she couldn't take her gaze off Barty to see who it was. The rest of the world didn't exist for the moment. The courtyard disappeared and all that mattered was making sure her friend was safe and sound.
He stopped trying to wiggle out of her hold, but dropped his head without answering.
"Ava," someone said her name slow, laced with a warning.
She whipped around and snapped, "What?"
The older wizards' expressions all displayed concern and worry.
Her stomach plummeted and she swallowed, throat tight. While Benedict looked as lost as she felt, the others clearly knew what was going on with Barty and it wasn't something pleasant. She turned back to the young wizard in her arms. "What's it covering, Barty?" she whispered, mind racing to the conclusion that it must be a Glamour Charm. She'd read about them, but hadn't studied them in Charms yet, which meant the third-year hadn't cast the spell on himself. Her magic sizzled, rising to the surface, warming her skin.
He shifted on his feet. "It's fine, Ava, really."
But it wasn't. She knew it wasn't and so did he, though he didn't want to admit it. She lifted a hand from his shoulder and carefully pulled out her wand, making sure that the movement was in his line-of-sight.
Barty sighed and held up his head.
Her heart was pounding and the hair on her arms stood on end. She quietly cast Finite Incantatem.
The magic on his face gradually faded away, revealing dark purple bruises surrounding his left eye and cheekbone. There was a smattering of black and blue marks along his jaw and across his nose, accompanied by deep cuts that split his lip and eyebrow. They seemed to have scabbed over but reopened, probably just from moving his face.
The only reason she didn't gasp was because fury had stolen her breath. Her fingers flexed around her wand and her other hand tightened its grip on his shoulder. She took a deep breath through her nose. "Who did this to you?" she asked in a low voice, blood boiling.
Severus darted in close, but she hardly paid him any attention. "You're causing a scene," he hissed.
Her eyes were glued to the abused teenager, and she faintly noticed that Severus must've reapplied the Glamour Charm, but she awaited Barty's answer.
"My father," he said, sounding utterly defeated.
An inferno raged inside her and hot tears gathered in her eyes. Through gritted teeth, she said, "That piece of shit."
Barty was one of the most well-behaved, intelligent students in his year. There was no way he did something so terrible as to deserve this. He adored baby animals for crying out loud! He was always volunteering to help Professor Kettleburn with the magical creatures whenever possible. She'd been struggling to understand how this sweet boy could turn into one of the most horrendous Death Eaters, but it wasn't much of a stretch too see that he'd try to get positive recognition anywhere when she saw first-hand the kind of treatment he got from his own family. His father. Ava's temper overflowed and a monsoon of heat swept through her.
A distant yelp of pain and surprise came from over her shoulder.
"That absolute bastard." Her chest was heaving and she shook her head, wetness spilling down her cheeks, ignoring the calls of what sounded like her name. Her anger felt like a live thing, roiling inside her, demanding retribution. "I'll kill him. I swear to God, I'll kill him."
Barty's head whipped up at her declaration, eyes wide. "What? I—"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off when Severus screamed her name, much closer this time. "Ava!" he repeated. "You need to calm down!"
Incredulous that he would expect such a thing, she ripped her gaze from Barty to look at the yelling wizard and found that she and Barty were encircled by flames. "What the fuck?" she yelped, jumping and pulling Barty closer. She raised her wand at the ring of fire, even though it was only a couple inches high. They probably could've jumped out of it if they really wanted to, but who knew if the magic reached higher and just wasn't visible?
Severus crept closer. "You need to calm down, Ava. Barty's alright. He's safe."
She snarled at him—actually snarled—and the flames inched higher. That was weird. Not the growly bit. Ava figured that her wolf was just as furious as she was about Barty being hurt. What was odd was that the fire seemed to react to her anger. Oh. Shit. Her eyes darted around the circle.
Regulus, Rabastan, and Severus were rapidly trying to put out the fire and were soon joined by Professor Fell. The Defense professor didn't seem worried, he looked more affronted that the fire wasn't dissipating with the addition of his help. But Benedict—his eyes were wide with what Ava could only interpret as fear.
Knowing how clever the little snake could be, she was certain that he knew she was the cause of the fire. Accidental magic brought on by her emotions. It was the only thing that made sense at the moment. She closed her eyes and steadied her nerves, focusing her mind on the fact that though Barty was hurt, he was back at Hogwarts where he was safe. And he could be healed. Of course he could be healed. As her brain wrapped around the obvious fact, her magic cooled, seeming to retreat into her body.
"Thank Merlin," Severus said.
His statement prompted her eyes to open. The fire was gone but left behind a circle-shaped scorch mark in the stone. She flinched. I hope that's not permanent.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Miss McGonagall, for that little magical outburst," Professor Fell announced, quirking a brow at her. "In the future, let's keep the protective elemental spells for the dueling mat, shall we?" He spun on his heel and walked away, herding the rest of the students into the castle that had gathered around to watch the commotion.
She groaned to the heavens, knowing that her accidental display of magic was going to be the talk of the castle.
"Ava!" Benedict cried, barreling into her once again, but clinging to her with a desperation that was absent before.
It was only the momentum of the little first-year that brought her attention to the fact that she was still clutching Barty's arm. She let go of him and wrapped up Benedict in a hug as her other Slytherin friends gathered closer.
"I'm so glad you're alright. I thought for sure the fire was going to get you!" He pulled back, sniffling with wet eyes.
Her heart sank. "Oh, shhhh. I'm fine. Barty's fine. We're okay."
Benedict buried his face against her robes, still holding her tight.
She rubbed his back and looked to the one person she knew without a doubt that she could rely on to explain what the hell had just happened.
Severus's expression was filled with concern, his lips pressed together, dark eyes inspecting her and trying to determine if she was truly okay.
She gave him a single nod.
He cleared his throat. "Benedict, you must've heard Professor Fell. The fire was merely accidental magic on Ava's behalf."
The boy released her to glare at him. "I know that! I was worried that because if her magic was out of control, the fire might be too." He turned back to her and sheepishly said, "Sorry."
She huffed out a laugh. "It's alright."
Severus cleared his throat once again. "If you had let me finish," he rose an imperious brow at Benedict, "I would have informed you that while Ava's spell surely zapped me with some emotionally motivated magic, the fire didn't actually burn me. So, it certainly wouldn't have harmed her or Barty."
Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Is that why you squealed like a girl?" Benedict asked, with a not so little amount of attitude.
"Why you little—" Severus reached out to him, but Ava snatched the boy back.
"Severus," she warned. She shook her head when Benedict stuck out his tongue and her best friend resorted to doing the same. Wow. Intimidating Potions Master, indeed. Lowering her voice, she asked, "But was the fire the only thing that scared you? It wasn't me you were afraid of?"
Benedict's glare was indignant. "Never."
The relief was a physical weight off her shoulders. She turned to Barty. "Are you alright?" she whispered.
He didn't avert his eyes like he had before. "Yes."
"Good." She swallowed. "And I—uh, I'm sorry about what I said before." She grimaced.
Rabastan scoffed. "What? When you said you'd seek revenge on his own father?"
Regulus elbowed him.
Barty shook his head. He reached out to grab Ava's hand and squeezed it. "Don't be sorry about what you said."
Her mouth dropped open. "What? But—"
His fingers flexed around hers. "I've never had someone want to defend me like that," he whispered.
Ava's heart shattered, tears welling in her eyes. How could that be possible? She wondered about his mother, the woman who ended up trading places with him in Azkaban. Maybe she was making up for her lack of action now. Why didn't she stop his father? Why did he think it was okay to treat a kid like that?
"Why—?" she started to ask aloud, her hands trembling. But shook her head the next instant. "Nevermind. I don't need to hear your father's piss poor excuses. There's no reason to do what he did." But something lingered, bothering her if left unanswered. "Why didn't you owl me?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn't allowed to."
She clenched her jaw and nodded sharply. "Sounds about right," she said with a growl before taking a deep breath to quell the magic buzzing in agitation just beneath her skin. Focus on helping him. Her eyes roved over his face, the wounds now concealed. "You should see Madame Pomfrey, Barty. You could go after the feast—no one will notice—and I can go with you, if you want."
He started to shake his head.
"You didn't deserve to be hurt, and there's no reason to keep punishing yourself for someone else's failings. I can promise you that your father's actions say a lot more about him than they do about you."
The other boys all chimed in with noises of agreement. Even Benedict nodded fiercely and piped up. "My mum says that bullies only hurt other people because it makes them feel better about themselves, not because the person is stupid or ugly or whatever it is the bully says."
"Damn straight, kid," Ava said. She looked at Barty to try again. "I'd feel a lot better if you'd just get yourself checked out. I'd offer to heal you myself but I only just started learning Healing spells."
Severus cleared his throat. "If you would rather not go to the Hospital Wing, I'll offer my assistance. You can keep the Glamours on until we get to the dorms."
Ava gave him a small smile. She knew he was more skilled than her, but she wasn't about to volunteer him in front of everyone without even asking.
"You can use our room, Barty," Regulus said, gesturing to himself and Rabastan.
The other fifth-year nodded. "Of course."
Barty's eyes bounced between all of them, finally landing on Severus. "I—I'd prefer that, if you don't mind." He cast his gaze to the ground, shifting on his feet. He squeezed her hand and peeked up at her through the brown fringe hiding his face. "Thank you, Ava."
She gave him a smile. "That's what friends are for." Gently bumping his shoulder, she added, "We are friends, Barty. Don't ever forget that."
"I've had quite enough excitement for one day," Rabastan announced. "Can we please go eat now?"
The group of friends made their way towards the Great Hall, and Ava spent the entire walk ignoring the whispers that followed her.
Severus leaned in close. "It's usually only first-years, sometimes second-years, that have accidental outbursts of magic."
"Yeah," Regulus said. "Don't worry, something else will happen in a couple of days and they'll all talk about that instead."
She rolled her eyes. "Great."
Just outside the enormous dining hall, Benedict tugged on her robes. "You can take the hat off now. We're inside." Embarrassment laced his tone.
Quirking a brow, she channeled Phineas and lifted her chin. "How dare you? This is the finest hat I've ever seen. I shall never remove it. Never!" She shook her head, causing the pompoms to bounce about her shoulders.
He giggled at her antics, as did some of the kids around them, still making their way to dinner.
She caught Barty eyeing the scarf he gifted her, still hanging around her neck. She adjusted it, dramatically swinging one end across her chest and over her shoulder. "You shan't take my scarf either you foul fiend! It's positively chilly in here!" she declared, earning more giggles from the younger students. She could practically hear Severus rolling his eyes.
Speaking at a normal volume, she gave her goodbyes to the Slytherins and gave one last hug to Benedict, who thought to tease her by pulling on one of the hat's pompoms. "Never I say!" she yelled, backing away from him in mock outrage. "I wear my winter fashion with pride, unlike you heathens."
Benedict beamed at her.
She flashed him a smile, but dropped it quickly, sticking her nose in the air. "I bid you adieu." She spun on her heel to face the Great Hall and waltzed in, striding with as much Pureblood snobbery as she could muster. The resulting giggles breaking out behind her were worth the short-lived embarrassment as she entered and drew the attention of those sitting closest to the door.
Dropping the character act, Ava headed to the Gryffindor table, but still felt like everyone was watching her. She dropped into the open spot next to Remus, immediately lacing their fingers together.
"Hey, love." He placed a kiss to the side of her head.
"So—?" Sirius drew out slowly from his seat across the table from her.
She gathered food onto her plate as she responded, mimicking his slow speech. "So—what?"
"Well, we heard that you had a bit of accidental magic out in the courtyard," Remus said cautiously.
Pausing, mid-scoop of mashed potatoes, she turned to him with narrowed eyes. There was no way he missed her emotional roller coaster.
He squeezed her hand beneath the table and soothingly rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.
She pressed her lips together, considering that if Remus hadn't spoken up, someone else would have. "You heard right," she muttered, resuming the act of filling up her dinner plate.
"Yeah," Peter said, "But they were saying that you conjured a circle of fire." His tone was disbelieving.
To protect Barty. It was hardly a real fire though. She probably could've stamped it out with her shoe if she had tried. Ava kept her eyes on the food options in front of her. "That's correct."
"And you were inside of it?" Mary asked in a high-pitched voice.
Because I won't let anyone hurt him. She nodded. "Yep," she said, popping the 'p' as she politely wished for water to fill her cup.
"We heard that there was someone else in the fire with you. A younger Slytherin," Alice added.
Her temper and magic flared. She stared at the reflection of the enchanted ceiling in her water glass and took a steadying breath. "Yes."
Likely sensing her rise in emotion, Remus flooded their bond with calming feelings of love and sympathy.
A throat cleared, drawing her eyes to James. "The thing is, we heard different reasons for why you might've cast accidental magic," he said hesitantly.
Frank scoffed from a little ways down the table. "Come off it. We all know that the Slytherin must've provoked her and she just doesn't want to admit it." He met her glare with a shrug. "We told you. At least your magic has the right idea."
Ava felt her cheeks flush and her hands balled into fists, crushing Remus's fingers within her own. She hoped the strength of her rage was evident in her gaze as she locked eyes with the Longbottom prick once more. "Tell me, Frank—how would you react if a friend of yours showed up with Glamour Charms covering the evidence of a beating he received at home over the holidays?"
His mouth hung open, unchewed food showing.
She sneered. "Shut your fucking mouth." To make it clear she wasn't just speaking to his appalling behavior, she added, "You don't even know what the hell you're talking about." Turning back to her meal, she stabbed her fork into her food with every bite, imagining the day she joined the seventh-year Defense class and wiped the floor with the asshole sitting down the bench from her.
No one else spoke for several minutes.
Good. Maybe they'll shut up about the Slytherins now.
Eventually, Remus asked her about the new winter hat, coaxing her into a conversation and the others finally began speaking, steering clear from discussing her magical outburst. Gushing over the cuteness that was Benedict Smith, Ava peered over the shoulders of James and Sirius to look for the little snake. Now that she sat next to Remus, she was facing the Slytherin table, so she didn't have to crane her neck to find him.
When their eyes met, she lifted one of the tassels and waved the pompom at Benedict to say hello. He grinned and she could see his shoulders shaking with laughter. He bumped his friends' arms and a few of the students sitting around him all turned to look at her.
Still smiling, she waved the pompom again at the other first-years that had studied with her, but she caught some younger Slytherins she wasn't on a first-name basis with giggling into their hands too. When they all spun back around to resume their dinner, she did the same.
"You're good with them, you know."
Her head snapped to Remus, not realizing he'd been paying attention. "Oh, yeah." She chuckled, knowing her behavior had been silly. She shrugged. "I just like making them smile. Little kid laughter is so contagious. I hear a giggle and I just can't help myself."
He played with her fingers atop her thigh. "I get it."
She ate another bite and glanced across to James and Lily, but recognized they were in the middle of a conversation, so she looked to Sirius and startled.
His stormy gray eyes were already fixed on her.
Ava swallowed. "Sirius?"
He jerked his head, indicating she come closer.
She leaned as far forward as she could without it being obvious to their housemates.
"Was it Reggie?" he asked in a shaky voice.
It took her a moment to process the meaning behind his question and tears stung her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she sat back in her seat and shook her head.
Sirius let out a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing.
She hid her watery smile. I'll get them talking by the end of the month.
