Chapter Ten
The two Potters happily led Ava and Sirius into a grand and welcoming kitchen.
The Potters home was exactly how you would expect it to be. It was light and open and full of magical photo's documenting their families history (Ava was thrilled at the amount of baby pictures of James Mrs Potter had accumulated). The house seemed to be even bigger on the inside. The entire fourth floor had been converted to a library full of deep reds, fluffy rugs and deep sofas and armchairs. Under different circumstances Ava would have loved to have relaxed there. The room reminded her of the Gryffindor common room. There were shelves and shelves with rows and rows of books sat upon them in that room.
The floor beneath that was split into three bedrooms and Mr Potter's office. These rooms belonged to the family-Mr and Mrs potter, James and Sirius.-
The floor beneath that was made up into four beautiful and spacious guest bedrooms.
Ava and Lily each slept in their own rooms that were separated across the hall from one another. Each bedroom in the Potters home came with their own bathrooms too.
The first floor of the house was split into two. On the right side of the house was split into the kitchen, dinning room and living rooms and on the left side, this room took up the entire length, was a giant ball room. There was only one word Ava found was able to describe the Potter's home that was 'grand'. The house was grand.
Ava spent four days in the Potters home and not once did she feel unwelcome there. Despite this she was never able to fully relax. Her family was always at the forefront of her mind. The four Gryffindor's had collectively decided not to tell the older Potter's of Ava's 'domestic situation.' They all believed that if Isabelle and Everard were to find out about Ava's family they would have to tell the Ministry and that would get them no where in their mission to find them.
During these four days they had each tried to, subtly, find out all they could about the rising Death Eaters. Without leading anyone to believe they wanted to join their ranks. It wasn't at all easy. This involved scouring the 'The Daily Prophet'. Quizzing Mr Potter about his time at the office; as the head of the Aurors in The Ministry and sneaking into his office at night to read through his reports. This was usually left to James and Sirius and the nifty invisibility cloak. They made Ava swear that she would never reveal their marvellous cloak to anyone on the pain of constant harassment, which knowing the two Marauder actually meant constant harassment. And leaving the comfort of the Potter's home to, again, subtly interrogate all those who could have any information about the Death Eaters or where they would hold any prisoners.
Ava never once believed that the Death Eaters had killed her family but she never could explain why she believed this. She couldn't just tell James, Lily and Sirius that it just didn't sit right in her stomach the thought of them being dead. James actually came up with a decent theory proving what she already believed.
He came about sharing his theory during the second night of Ava's visit. They were all lounging in Library reading over newspapers, notes of conversations they had over-heard, whilst they had visited Diagon Ally earlier that day, or reading over Mr Potter's reports. The night was drawing on and they were each becoming tired and irritable. And Lily had brought up the subject that the rest had considered to be taboo.
"Ava?" Lily yawned.
"Hmm...?" She replied not looking up from the report she was reading for the third time that night.
"You're not going to want to hear this." This sentence drew James and Sirius' attention to her and Ava's full attention too. "But what if, you know, they're um-" Lily never really knew how the phrase that sentence correctly but she needn't worry for Ava had already cut her off before she could finish.
"Lily I pray, you are not implying that they are dead. I've told you this. I know that they're not." Ava hissed.
"You say that but you have no proof, I just don't want you to hurt yourself with false hope" Implored Lily.
"You know Lils, she could be right. We didn't find any bodies, did we? Why would a bunch of Death Eaters go to the trouble of hiding or burying a bunch of dead muggles? No offence meant Av." Interrupted James.
"None taken James, and thank you for setting Lily right James." Thanked Ava, although his choice of words displeased her. This piece of wisdom Ava then clung on to for the next few days, it helped to keep her going.