Author's Note:
Hello again, dear readers! We're almost at 800 followers and it's blowing my mind! Thank you so much for sticking this out with me :D
Hope you enjoy ;)
P.S. This chapter picks up later the same day as Chapter 59, and I may have fudged some of the characters' birthdays
Review shout-out: Thank you to Lady Luci Lorde, amk41196, and WindSongEnchantment!
Whether you're pleased or irritated with me, I still appreciate hearing from you and knowing that you're looking forward to the story :)
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 60
Bliss—absolute bliss. Avalynn didn't think there was anything better on the face of the earth than being intimate with her soulmate. She let out a low moan as she closed her eyes, fingers clenching onto the bedsheets as Remus drove into her, again and again.
"Fuck, mate. You're so tight," the werewolf grounded out between thrusts.
Ava whimpered. "Harder," she said, breathless.
Slowing his movements, Remus folded himself over her back and whispered in her ear, "You're such a good girl, letting me have my way with you." He gently squeezed one of her ass cheeks.
"Remus, please," she whined.
The bastard merely chuckled and pulled his upper body away, keeping his pace slow as he moved in and out of her.
Ava pushed herself back onto him in hopes of more friction. I can't believe he's doing this again. This was the third time Remus had worked her into a hot frenzy and then backed off, not giving her the orgasm she desperately wanted.
A crack sounded and pain blossomed across her ass. She bit her lip, but a wanton groan slipped out.
"You like when I'm rough with you, mate?" His voice had taken on that gravelly tone that she associated with Moony.
Fuck yes. The wolf would let her come.
He gripped Ava's hips and pulled nearly all the way out before slamming back into her.
She was forced to lock her elbows to keep from falling forward on the mattress.
Remus continued the delicious torture, sliding out slowly and thrusting deeply into her all at once.
"Please, fuck me, mate," she pleaded. "Claim me. Claim this pussy." His touch always brought forth the dirtiest words, but she couldn't help herself.
The werewolf growled and pounded into her wildly. He reached around and all it took was a couple of swipes across her clit and Ava's orgasm swept through her. Heat and pleasure surged through her body, and her quivering limbs threatened to give out from underneath her.
Remus drove into her a few more times before he reached his own peak, repeating her name reverently as his hips slowed down. He stopped his shallow thrusts and pull out of her with a huff of laughter. Bending one arm behind his head, Remus laid on his side next to her. "Your magic flared up again." He trailed a hand down her waist and hip.
"Did it burn you?"
"Not at all. It kind of tickled."
She quirked a brow. That's not very sexy.
"Not like that, but in a pleasant sort of way." He threaded their fingers and pulled her towards him, her breasts pressing up against his chest.
Her magic meandered from her torso to her fingertips and reached out to Remus, caressing his magic. She ran a hand through his hair and traced one of the scars running down his cheek. "I love you, Remus Lupin."
He beamed. "I love you too, Ava."
She kissed him on the nose and said, "I love Moony too."
His eyes flashed amber for a second. "We both love you. Very much." His brows furrowed and he pressed himself closer, the hand that was gently hold her waist coming up to the back of her neck. His voice was nearly a whisper. "I really do love you, Avalynn. I can't imagine what I'd do without you. You're everything to me, and I still can't believe you're mine."
Adoration and devotion swept through their bond, the strength of it overwhelming Ava, engulfing her thoughts and senses entirely. If she'd been standing, she would've staggered on her feet. The intensity of Remus's love for her never failed to awe. Tears welled in Ava's eyes and she held onto him tightly as if someone were going to rip him away from her.
"Oh, love. I'm sorry," he said softly with a flicker of worry in his eyes.
She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Our emotional connection is just a lot sometimes, you know?"
His thumb wiped away a stray tear that fell and he pressed his lips against her forehead.
As their magic intertwined, pleasant warmth seeped into Ava's bones, making her feel right at home in Remus's arms. Her magic wrapped around his and they seemed to be snuggling one another. She let out a contented hum.
"You know, we could slip into this room a lot more often if you were staying in Gryffindor Tower."
Ava released a sigh and rolled away from him, cuddly moment forgotten. She'd been avoiding this conversation, falsely assuming her soulmate would let it go.
"What? It's true, I—" Remus started.
"I don't want to live in Gryffindor Tower."
When the silence continued to stretch out, she peeked over at him.
His eyes alternated between green and amber as his nostrils flared slightly. "And why is that?" he asked in a curt tone, clearly trying to curb his temper.
"I like living with Aunt Minerva. And I like having space away from the others sometimes."
Hurt flashed across Remus's face.
"I don't mean it like that," she rushed on to say. "I don't mean you. It's just—well, how do you think James and Sirius would handle me bringing around Severus or Regulus if we wanted to hang out?"
He frowned and opened his mouth, but Ava continued.
"Or what about Peter or Frank? Or any other Gryffindor for that matter?" She covered herself with the bedsheets for warmth and sat up against the headboard. "Do you think they'd really let a Slytherin into the common room like they do the other houses? And there wouldn't be any fighting?"
Remus sighed.
"Plus, I imagine Aunt Minerva would get quite lonely without me." The older witch had done so much for Ava over the past few months, the least she could do in return was keep her aunt company.
"I just want to be near you all the time, it's maddening," he grumbled with a pout.
She laughed. "You know that even if I moved into the Tower, we still wouldn't be sharing a bed, right?"
He let out an agitated huff. "I know that."
Ava slid back down the mattress to lay beside Remus and propped up her head with one hand, leaning on her elbow as she looked at him. "We could start planning our living arrangements for after graduation." She waggled her eyebrows.
His eyes flashed gold for a moment before stealing a kiss from her lips. "I like the sound of that."
"Have you thought about what you'd like to do after graduation?"
Remus's heated gaze cooled and he glanced away from her, though she could still feel the anxiety coursing through their bond.
"I don't have a lot of options," he murmured. "Werewolves aren't allowed to have payable positions in most fields."
She scoffed. "You wouldn't have to tell them you're a werewolf, Remus."
A deep frown took over his face. "No, but it'd become rather obvious when I miss work around every full moon, don't you think?"
Ava quirked a brow. "Have you forgotten that that since completing our bond, it doesn't take you nearly as long to heal after your transformation? I mean, after the last full moon, you went to classes the next day, for crying out loud."
His mouth dropped open. "I—you're right." He beamed. "You're absolutely right." With a loud laugh, he sat up and tossed a leg over Ava's hips, caging her in against the bed, and kissed her thoroughly.
She giggled when he pulled away. "Had you really forgotten?"
"Yes, love." He stayed hovering above her, but his smile faded. "I've lived my entire life knowing that I had no chance of having a full-time career or finding someone to spend my life with. Before coming to Hogwarts, I didn't think I'd ever have any friends either."
Ava's heart broke for the wonderful man in front of her. "No one should have to live like that Remus." She cupped his cheek. "And now the possibilities are endless. What do you want to do with your life?"
"I don't know," he whispered, tone full of vulnerability.
"Well, we can figure it out together." She shrugged. "I don't really know what I want to do after graduating either."
Remus's eyes brightened as he shifted off of her. "You could be a teacher."
She rolled her eyes. How ridiculous—the irony.
"C'mon, love. I've seen you in the study sessions with Benedict and the others. You always have a ton of patience and you explain things on a level that they can understand."
"That's because I like those kids, and Barty too, but not all kids are like them. They actually want to learn. But you, on the other hand, you'd be a great teacher."
With a wide stare, he asked, "Me?"
Ava laughed. "Yes, you. You're just the same with the kids as I am. Though, I have a feeling that your patience is infinitely larger than mine."
He nodded without arguing. "True."
Even though she was the one to say it, Remus wasn't supposed to automatically agree. She swatted at him. "Hey."
Her soulmate chuckled and snatched up her fingers before bringing them to his mouth to place a kiss on the tips of them. "I can't refute the facts, love. But in dealing with Moony over the years and needing to maintain some hold over him, I've had to develop a deep well of patience and control."
A flicker of hope fluttered across their bond.
Remus gave her a little smile. "Maybe I could be a teacher. I think teaching Defense could be interesting."
She grinned and snuggled up against him laying her head on his shoulder. "I know you'd be an awesome teacher."
He pulled back slightly and peered down at her with narrowed eyes. "Do you know something about me becoming a professor?"
Did she truly want to influence any decision Remus made about his career just because of what she knew about the original time line? Her brain scrambled for an answer. Deciding she should have no bearing on his choices, she gave him a shrug and tucked her head further down into his neck, breathing in his familiar scent.
His chest rumbled with laughter. "That's not exactly an answer, love."
"I know."
He laughed once more. "Alright, I can take a hint."
With Remus's transformations relatively less debilitating than before, he was free to make whatever choices about his life that he wanted. And that's what Ava wanted for him. A happy, full life without darkness and depression lurking around every corner and his best friends by his side.
Ava and Remus stepped over the threshold of the Gryffindor common room, hand in hand, with the werewolf practically dragging her across the warm, welcoming space, not giving her much time to take in her surroundings. They stopped next to the other three Marauders and Lily, who were sitting in front of a large, crackling fire.
The redheaded witch popped up from her seat and exclaimed, "Ava!", causing the three boys to turn their way.
"About time," James muttered, seeming rather put out.
"Now, James," Sirius said with a tone of false admonishment. "Don't be selfish. Moony needed some alone time with Ava." He bounced his eyebrows up and down at the couple.
Ava shook her head in exasperation though she could feel her cheeks flushing, and thankfully, Remus merely rolled his eyes at the Animagus.
"I'm sorry about him," Lily told Ava as she slung her schoolbag over a shoulder. "You ready to go?"
Though Ava would rather stay in the common room for a little and get a good look around, she nodded. She and Lily were going to have a girls only study session and catch up. She swallowed, recalling that she still needed to tell Lily the truth since she had let it slip about Vernon being Petunia's new boyfriend, even though the redhead hadn't told anyone about him yet.
As Lily gave James a goodbye peck on the cheek, Ava cast a quick glance around. The massive room was swathed in maroon and gold. Everything was all Gryffindor colors—from the throw pillows, to the tapestries, to the stained glass patterns lining the tops of the huge windows. The furniture looked nice and cozy, especially because of the amount of students that appeared to just be hanging out. Only about a dozen students had parchment and books in front of them, and there were about three times that many gathered in the common room for a relaxing Saturday.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to hang out in here sometimes. Ava had just been more focused on her studies, inhabiting the library and Room of Requirement more than any other rooms in the castle. It was difficult balancing her time between her friends in Slytherin and those in Gryffindor, but she could at least admit to herself that she'd been spending the majority of her free time with the Slytherins. To be fair, she had a study session planned with the Marauders the following day and again sometime during the week, and it wasn't her fault the Gryffindor boys were less inclined to actually be quiet and do their schoolwork.
"To the library?" Lily asked, drawing Ava's attention.
"Yep."
"See you later, love." Remus pressed a kiss to the top of her head and joined the other three Marauders huddled around a Wizard's Chess board.
The two witches made their way to the exit. "I just need to stop by our quarters and grab my bag real quick," Ava said.
The Fat Lady's portrait swung shut behind them just as Lily squealed. "I've never seen a professor's quarters before." She was almost bouncing on her toes in excitement.
Ava laughed. "Okay, weirdo."
Lily's smile grew. "What if Remus were to show you the boys' dormitory? Aren't you the least bit curious to see what it looks like?"
"Hmm, now that you mention it, yeah. I haven't been up there yet." She frowned as they began to descend the plethora of stone stairs. "Can girls even go up there?"
"Yep, the boys just can't go up to the girls' rooms. Sexist if you ask me."
Ava nodded. "Right? Like us ladies don't have urges too." She waggled her eyebrows, causing Lily to giggle. "So, I'm guessing you and James have…" her words drifted off, her face morphing into a grimace, realizing that she didn't particularly care to think of the couple in that manner.
Lily looped her arm through Ava's and gave her a little squeeze as they came to a landing. "You're just like James. He's very glad that Remus found a girlfriend, but he detests thinking about what the two of you get up to when you're off on your own."
She made a sound of protest.
"Don't deny it." Lily shrugged, releasing her and continuing down the staircase. "Besides, I think it's adorable—the way you and James act almost like siblings. He's very protective of you, you know, and he really cares about you." She lowered her voice. "He told me about the flying lesson with that Slytherin first-year you're close with. Benedict, right? James was so worried that he was going to mess up or hurt the kid's feelings or something and you'd be upset with him."
Ah. That explained why James was all out of sorts earlier that morning out on the Quidditch pitch. "Speaking of someone being upset," Ava began before launching into an explanation of her conversation with Remus about her moving into Gryffindor Tower.
As the girls walked to Ava's quarters, Lily reassured her that it was perfectly fine to want her own space away from all the other Gryffindors, especially because it was only for a few more months.
"Are you and James going to live together after graduating?" Ava asked as they reached the floor where her quarters were located.
Lily shook her head. "I think Marlene and I are going to lease a flat together since we both want to be near St. Mungo's for our Healer apprenticeships." She flushed. "At least, that's the plan if we get accepted."
"I'm sure you will, don't worry."
"James and Sirius are thinking about living together as well. Though, James mentioned that his parents have a cottage in Godric's Hollow that we could move into when we're ready."
Ava stumbled over her feet, heart leaping into her throat.
"Goodness! Are you alright? You're looking awfully pale," Lily said, concern lacing her tone as she gently grasped Ava's shoulder.
"I'm—" her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "I'm fine. I just tripped."
Lily frowned. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Yeah." Ava could only hope that Lily hadn't noticed the sweat beginning to bead along her brow. God, get yourself under control, Avalynn, she reprimanded mentally. "There's our door."
As soon as the redhead glanced down the corridor, Ava hurriedly wiped away the evidence of her discomfort. Lily just saying the words "Godric's Hollow" aloud had nearly given Ava a heart attack. Even though they had destroyed three Horcruxes thus far, it felt like everything was happening too quickly. They'd all be out of Hogwarts in no time and Death Eater activity would pick up. James and Sirius are planning on joining the Aurors and the Order too. No doubt Remus will follow, Ava thought, biting her lip in worry as she joined Lily at the entrance to Aunt Minerva's quarters.
Ava left Lily in the living room while she collected her schoolbag from her bedroom. She paused, closed her eyes, and took a couple slow, deep breaths. She shored up her Occlumency shields, and buried her rapidly firing anxieties about defeating Voldemort and making sure the original time line never came to fruition. She forced them down into the earth of the mountainous landscape taking shape in her mind and covered them with a dense forest of pine trees. "Now is not the time," she whispered to herself.
Feeling a bit calmer, she returned to the living room and spotted Lily with her back turned, perusing Aunt Minerva's collection of romance novels on a bookshelf. She grinned and adopted her aunt's stern demeanor. "Miss Evans!"
Lily yelped and spun around.
"Find anything interesting?" Ava asked, trying to hold back her laughter.
With a glare, Lily said, "That wasn't very funny, Avalynn. I truly thought Professor McGonagall had caught me snooping her in rooms." She placed a hand on her chest. "Merlin, my heart is racing."
"You ready?" Ava asked, shouldering her bag. She quirked a brow. "Or would you like to borrow one of Aunt Minerva's Fabio books?"
Confusion marred Lily's face.
She shook her head. "Nevermind, let's go study." Fabio must not have been on book covers quite yet. Ava smiled to herself. She'd have to buy the professor some Muggle romance novels for her birthday, which was only a little over a month away. "Lily?" she asked as they left the quarters and headed to the library. "When's your birthday? And the boys'?"
The other witch's cheeks turned pink. "Mine's actually the 30th."
"Of January?" Ava asked, voice pitching higher. "Were you going to say anything?"
Lily let out a huff as they strolled down the corridor. "I actually tend to play it down a bit since James is inclined to do the exact opposite." She rolled her eyes. "Thankfully, he's realized that outrageous displays of celebration are not the way to win me over, so he shouldn't have anything too over the top planned this year." Her voice lifted at the end, like Lily didn't quite believe what her own mouth was saying.
"Do you want me to talk to him? Make sure he isn't planning anything crazy?"
Lily turned to her with hopeful, wide eyes. "Would you? He might actually listen to you."
Ava scoffed. "I don't know about that, but I'll try."
"It's always so embarrassing. He can be so sweet and thoughtful sometimes, but I can't stand having everyone's attention on me."
She nodded. "I'm the same way. When are the boys' birthdays? I know Remus's is March 10th."
"James's is March 27th, Sirius's is April 15th, and Peter's is August 31st."
Ava schooled her features when she felt her aversion to Peter beginning to overtake her face. She was really just asking about James and Sirius, but at least Peter's birthday had already passed. Guilt flooded her, realizing her initial reaction was unwarranted. Peter hadn't actually done anything to anyone yet. And that was the part Ava had trouble wrapping her brain around. Yet. Would he end up betraying his friends if left to his own devices? Most certainly, she thought. I just have to get through to him somehow. Resolve to befriend Peter took deep root in her bones. The time line must be changed.
On the way to the library, the girls gushed over how cute the scrapbooks from their respective boyfriends were, and they bonded over the ridiculousness of writing with quills compared to Muggle pens.
They had settled down at a different table than Ava's usual with her Slytherin study group, one in a more secluded back corner, but that wasn't the reason she couldn't seem to get comfortable and focus on her schoolwork. The need to tell Lily the truth was eating away at her and nagging her every thought, anxiety spiking every time she opened her mouth to begin the discussion with the other witch.
She began to speak and once again, the words caught in Ava's throat, but this time, the redhead locked eyes with her.
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Lily asked in an even tone, setting down her quill and marking the page in her textbook before closing it, giving all of her attention to Ava.
She gulped and nodded. Pulling out her Blackthorn, Ava cast Muffliato.
Lily frowned and glanced around.
"It's a privacy spell." There weren't any other tables in their corner of the library and no one was in sight, but you could never be too careful. "But I'll also need you to take a Wizard's Oath before I tell you any details."
Curiosity lit up Lily's green eyes. "Of course." She took out her wand and her lips pulled up at the corners. "You weren't joking all those weeks ago when you said I'd have to take an Oath if you were to confide in me, were you?"
"No," Ava said followed by a heavy sigh. She proceeded to explain the wording of the Oath to Lily, which the redhead immediately swore, and Ava dove into the explanation of how she was pulled from an alternate universe where magic wasn't real and the Wizarding World was just a story full of fictional characters. She admitted that she was a part of the Order, which was why she included a clause that Lily couldn't speak to James or Sirius about anything she learned from Ava. The boys might know that she was collecting Horcruxes, but they still didn't know she was a part of the secret organization.
At the end of her explanation, Ava sat frozen, desperately waiting for Lily's reaction. The truth was a lot to handle. It sounded crazy—absolutely insane.
A range of emotions seemed to pass over the redhead's face. Confusion. Doubt. Fear. Curiosity. Lily's head tilted slightly to the side. "So, that's how you knew about Vernon?"
Ava nodded.
Lily let out a long breath. "I love Lord of the Rings. I can't even imagine getting dropped into Middle Earth, finding out that it's all real, knowing what's going to happen, and then learning that I don't have a way home." She bit her lip and made her way around the table to take the seat next to Ava. Lily's face seemed to crumple in worry. "I'm so sorry."
She threw herself at Ava, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "I can understand why you feel inclined to help our world as you are, but please, please, let me know if you need anything. Ever. I'll help you in any way that I can." Her soft, but fierce words were muffled by Ava's hair, but still audible.
Ava's eyes stung as she squeezed her friend back. "Thank you Lily, I should've told you sooner. I'm sorry." And Ava had still withheld the information about the prophecy from the redhead. Guilt flooded her. "I'm sorry," she repeated.
"Shh, don't worry about that. I can understand your reluctance. It's quite a wild story." She pulled back a little to meet Ava's eyes. "You're quite brave for what you're doing, you know. And you aren't alone. Please promise me you'll come to me if you ever need help. Even if it's just to talk?" Her voice was so earnest and her gaze pleading.
The wetness gathering in Ava's eyes threatened to spill over. She hadn't realized how worried she'd been about Lily's reaction and her relief was immense. Ava let her guard drop for a moment as she collapsed against Lily, clutching onto her friend as tears silently rolled down her cheeks.
Lily soothingly rubbed her back and whispered, "There, there, it's alright. Don't worry, Ava. We're all here for you."
There were so many people offering Ava their support and willing to lend a helping hand, but she still felt that she was on her own. Self-inflicted wound, Avalynn. But she couldn't change that. Not when any actions taken by her friends and newfound family members would put their lives in danger. Ahead of schedule, at least. She could rely on those in the Order and Slytherin purely because they were already involved. But she refused to ask anyone else to step into the line of fire, not knowing how it could change things. Not knowing if they'd make it to the end of the war.
The war hasn't even started yet. Not really. She let out a shuddered breath into Lily's shoulder and sniffled. This spiral of doom and gloom would creep up on her every now and then, pulling her down into the depths of despair that the original time line inspired. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel. They only had the Hufflepuff Cup left to destroy, and then Dumbledore could confront Voldemort. She would do everything in her power to eradicate the dark wizard once and for all before people started dying left and right. I have to.
She leaned away from Lily and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. Can we pretend like that didn't happen?" She flashed a weak smile.
Lily's brows furrowed. "Are you sure you're alright? Is there more you're not telling me?"
Ava shook her head. "No." Liar. "Sometimes the pressure just gets to me." She sniffled again. "I'll be fine."
The other witch pursed her lips. "If you say so. But please talk to me if you ever need to."
She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Sure." Ava knew hell would freeze over before she discussed just how dire things might get with any of her friends. Not just with the Wizarding World in general, but within their close group. Only Severus knew about Peter being the one who was to betray the future Mr. and Mrs. Potter to Voldemort. But that's not going to happen, she told herself. Not if I have anything to say about it.
Ava cleaned up her face and jerked her chin towards the schoolwork scattered across the table. "Ready to get back to work?"
Lily's eyes narrowed, but she stayed quiet as she returned to her seat.
For the next hour or so, the witches worked in companionable silence, asking each other questions every now and then. A faint, repeated tapping sound disrupted the studious atmosphere and Ava tried to ignore it as best as she could.
A few moments later, Lily pushed her chair back with a sigh. "Doesn't look like he's going away until someone lets him in." She headed to the closest window, several stacks over, and opened it, allowing a speckled owl to fly through.
Ava's whole body tensed, still not used to the flying creatures coming so close. She hadn't even realized the tapping sound was an owl pecking against the window.
The owl swooped right towards her and she bunched up her shoulders, trying to stay out of its way without diving under their study table like she had in the past when Severus was forced to accept her letter from Regulus.
The bird perched itself atop a stack of Transfiguration books in front of Ava and let out an insistent hoot.
"You're here for me?" she asked in a slightly shaky voice. Though Ava saw the owls delivering mail on a regular basis in the Great Hall, never had one brought a letter or package to her directly since that very first one.
Huge eyes peered at her as the owl shuffled closer and jutted out his leg, indicating a small envelope attached to him.
Lily laughed as she rejoined Ava at the table. "Are you scared of birds?"
Ava straightened in her seat. "No," she said indignantly. She slowly lifted her hand towards the owl. "I'm just not used to them," she said softly, not wanting to spook the animal. Ava had seen plenty of people stroking the birds and she knew giving dogs pets would endear them to you forever, so maybe it was the same with owls.
It might've just been the size of the bird's eyes, but she felt as though he was staring directly into her soul. Not knowing much about the flying creatures, Ava wasn't sure if she was supposed to maintain eye contact or not, but she couldn't draw her gaze away regardless. Her fingers finally brushed against soft feathers and she gently stroked down, careful not to apply too much pressure.
The owl released what she thought sounded like a pleased hoot and then leaned into her hand.
She beamed. "Aren't you adorable?" she cooed, continuing to pet him. "You're so soft too." Ava glanced at Lily to see her smiling. "What?"
The other witch shook her head. "I was just imaging what the boys must've been thinking as they watched you approach Remus fully transformed like he was a cuddly dog you could pet."
Ava's hand halted its movement as she glared at her friend. "I had no idea he was a freaking werewolf, Lily. I told you, I thought I was dreaming."
The owl hopped off the stack of books and waddled closer to Ava, only to nuzzle his head under her hand persistently. A laugh burst out of her. He really is just like a dog. She continued to stroke the bird for another minute, but then said, "I'm sure the sender of this letter would appreciate me actually reading it."
The bird let out a hoot that seemed resigned and held out his leg so Ava could untie the string that kept the envelope secure. The handwriting addressing the letter looked familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"Who's it from?" Lily asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," Ava replied with a small frown. Her finger slid beneath the fold, ripping open the small envelope. Her eyes scanned the note, dropping to the bottom first. Narcissa Black. She jumped back to the top to read the message from the Pureblooded witch in full.
Dear Miss McGonagall,
I hope this term is off to a wonderful start for you. I wanted to invite you to join me for tea next Saturday at four o'clock in the afternoon if you're able. I'd be very pleased to further make your acquaintance, so if you could be so kind as to let me know whether the time and day are acceptable, I would appreciate it. I look forward to getting to know you better.
Sincerely,
Narcissa Black
Ava bit her lip in contemplation. While Severus had told her to expect a follow-up from Narcissa, the invitation to afternoon tea still caught her off-guard. She had assumed the witch was just being overtly polite. But she'd have to try to find out if "tea" actually meant just the two of them, or if Narcissa was going to pull something like Lucius did. Ava really didn't want to deal with the other Slytherin witches if she could avoid it. Her lip curled, on the brink of a snarl, just thinking about it.
Lily laughed lightly. "What's that face for?"
Ava pulled her gaze away from the letter in her hand.
"Based on your expression, I imagine it's not a friend writing to you?"
Brows furrowing, Ava said, "I'm not sure I'd say we're friends, but I don't know what I'd say we are." The affectionate owl nudged Ava for more pets and she began to stroke his feathers absentmindedly, debating her response to the Slytherin witch.
"Who's the letter from, Ava?" Lily asked, exasperation lacing her tone.
"Oh, sorry." She hesitated to tell the redhead, but realized that would be pointless in the face of everything she'd already told Lily that afternoon. "It's from Narcissa Black."
The other witch's mouth dropped open.
"We met briefly at the Malfoys' Ball and she indicated that she'd like to better make my acquaintance. I'm just surprised she really meant it."
Worry crept onto Lily's shocked face. "Knowing what you know, why would you bother spending time with people who are destined to be on Voldemort's side of the war?"
Even though it was only Lily, Ava's magic bristled at the question, and the owl skittered away from her, apparently sensing the shift in her mood.
She sat up straight in her chair and stared down the redhead, recasting Muffliato as a precaution. "Just because people are on the edge of darkness, doesn't mean they should be written off as a lost cause. Besides, most of them don't even understand the full scope of the movement they're being pulled into."
"What do you mean they don't understand?" Lily asked with an irritated huff and narrowed eyes. "Surely—"
As Ava's magic rose to the surface of her skin, warming in anger, she held up her hand. "I'll stop you right there, before you say something that truly pisses me off." Her wolfish nature seemed to take offense to Lily's questioning as well, and she had to swallow a growl that nearly burst from her lips as she peered at the other witch. "I know you have your issues with Severus, but do you really believe that he wants all Muggleborns eradicated? Completely wiped out and murdered purely because of who their parents are?"
Lily's face paled at the mention of her former friend. Or maybe it was the potential erasure of Muggleborns she found disconcerting.
Ava was so tired of explaining her Slytherin friendships to everyone, defending them every damn step of the way. "Look, I don't know if this will ever make sense to you, but I want to at least try and get you to see their side of things. When the little, Pureblood first-years come to Hogwarts, they don't know any better because of what they've been taught from birth, and they won't ever know any better if someone doesn't reach out to them and try, Lily. So, that's what I'm doing."
She clenched her jaw, trying to quell the tears that began to form in her eyes, emotions once again getting the best of her today. "I'm trying because no one is looking out for them, and they aren't the horrible monsters you all paint them out to be." Every fiber of Ava's being revolted at the idea of leaving her Slytherin friends to fend for themselves against Voldemort and his followers.
With reddened cheeks, Lily pressed her lips together tightly and stared at Ava for several long moments.
Avalynn gripped the edges of her seat, holding on for dear life, trying to resist the violent urge to reach across the table towards her friend. Her magic paced in agitation, waiting to see if Lily would continue to question her choices in friends. The push of magic at Lily's questioning had felt more feral, more like her wolf was finally asserting herself. That side of Ava had wanted to pounce at Lily, shove the redhead to the floor in submission, and force her to acknowledge that the Slytherins were to be protected at all costs. Her fingers were digging into the wooden chair to keep that desire at bay.
Just as the silence was beginning to feel suffocating, Lily's shoulders deflated and she let out a breath. "I might not completely understand, but I won't mention it again." She eyed Ava warily before pulling a textbook towards her and continuing to read.
Ava merely nodded and picked up her quill and parchment, praying that Lily wouldn't notice the slight tremble in her hands. Her magic had settled somewhat after Lily appeared to have dropped the subject of the Slytherins, but her wolfy side hadn't relented. Not at all.
She went through the motions of returning to her schoolwork when in actuality, she was attempting to tramp down her riotous emotions. Ava erected her Occlumency shield and drowned out the persistent need to snag the front of Lily's sweater and pull the witch close to make it quite clear who was in charge. I need to ask Remus about this whole wolf hierarchy, submission thing.
The speckled owl hopped closer to Ava once more, looking for more pets no doubt.
She gave the fluffy critter a small smile and a couple more strokes of his feathers before tearing off a piece of parchment to respond to Narcissa. "Can you take this to Narcissa Black, please?"
The bird gave a confident hoot and leapt off the table, flying out the still open window.
Ava followed and latched the window shut behind him, scanning the grounds of Hogwarts to steal another moment to collect herself. She knew that the canine part of her magic and soul had been becoming more and more vocal and active in her mind, but she never expected to actually feel the creature. To actually want to act on the wolf's thoughts and feelings. Not like Remus did with Moony.
"Nothing's ever easy, is it?" Ava whispered to herself before turning back to her shared study table. She sat down and continued writing her Transfiguration essay without a word.
Lily and Ava buried themselves in their homework for a short time, both seemingly wanting to ignore the awkwardness that now blanketed their table. Having had enough of the weird silence that had taken over the two of them, Ava obsessively checked the time, counting down the minutes until she could make her excuse and leave to meet with Aunt Minerva, Severus, and Regulus to determine when they would complete their Animagus training.
God, I hate this. Ava had no trouble sitting in uncomfortable silence if she was the one to initiate it for whatever reason, but this feeling between friends, being so vastly at odds with one another, was too much to bear.
"I've got to meet up with Aunt Minerva," Ava told Lily as she began to pack up her belongings. She deliberately slowed herself down, not wanting to seem like she was rushing to leave the other witch's presence.
"Ava?" Lily asked in a small, meek voice.
She looked to the redhead and found Lily biting her lip, eyes shiny. Well, shit. She might be annoyed with the girl, but she didn't want Lily to be so distraught. Without waiting for a follow-up question, Ava said, "We're okay, I promise." She stood and stepped around the table, reaching out to hug her friend, breathing in Lily's familiar scent. It felt like her wolf was pleased with the contact. Make up your damn mind, she complained with a mental eye-roll.
The witch squeezed Ava tight. "Thank goodness. I know we might not always see eye to eye on everything, but I'm still your friend."
She pulled back and gave Lily a hesitant smile. "Of course." Try as she might, Ava couldn't dismiss the reminder that Lily still hadn't forgiven Severus for the mistake of heated words two years ago, regardless of how much apologetic pleading he had uncharacteristically offered. Could Lily ever do that to her? What would it take for the Gryffindor witch to cast her aside just the same?
With her heart a little heavier, Ava returned to her side of the table and resumed collecting her things. Knowing she'd be a little early to the Animagus meeting, Ava waved Lily on when the other witch was ready to leave the library. Though, it was a clear avoidance tactic to herself, she hoped Lily wouldn't see it that way.
Once she was alone, Ava closed her eyes and laid her forehead on the table, releasing a deep sigh. Why can't everyone just get along? She knew it was asking a lot, but she hated being put in the middle of all of it. Ava lamented over the uneasy situation she now found herself in with Lily for another few moments, but then took a fortifying breath, opened her eyes, and stood. I've got bigger fish to fry. Everything will work itself out in the end. It will, Ava told herself firmly as she shouldered her schoolbag and picked up the pile of textbooks that she could barely hold in her arms.
Even though she'd already returned a couple of the books to their shelves, Ava still fumbled with one too many textbooks and was looking down as she now turned the corner into the Transfiguration section. She glanced up just in time to avoid colliding with another person. "Sorry," she blurted instinctively.
"Watch it, McGonagall," an irritated voice drawled.
She shut her eyes for a brief moment and dropped her head back. "Why me?" she whispered to the heavens.
"What was that blood-traitor?" yet another familiar voice asked.
She glanced back down to the trio of baby Death Eaters in front of her. Nott was busy brushing himself off, as though Ava had transferred germs to him in their near collision and was blasting a full sneer in her direction, while McNair glared at her with an unnerving intensity. Avery looked on with furrowed brows, eyes darting between her and his friends.
The magical textbooks were rather heavy and Ava had to shift them in her arms to keep from dropping any.
Avery's gaze lowered to the books and his hands reached out towards her. "Let me—"
Nott cleared his throat, causing Avery to snatch back his hands as if burned. He stared at Ava with wide eyes, appearing startled by his own behavior while simultaneously pleading with her not to say anything about it.
Ava couldn't blame Avery for not helping her. But she nearly keeled over in shock that he had even started to in the first place. Must be Pureblood gentleman instincts. She cleared her throat. "If you'll excuse me," she said, moving closer to the bookshelf to pass by the Slytherin boys.
McNair stepped directly in front of her, close enough to touch, blocking her exit out of the row of books.
She tilted her chin up to look him directly in the eye and quirked a brow. Is he seriously doing this right now? They were in the middle of the Transfiguration section, foot traffic was frequent in this area, and someone was bound to stumble upon them at any moment.
It seemed McNair didn't take too kindly to her calm demeanor. He let loose a grumble of discontent and pulled his wand.
Ava immediately retreated a few feet, but he followed, closing the distance once more. Shit.
Neither of the other boys moved to intervene, but Avery whisper-shouted, "What the bloody hell are you doing, McNair?" Out of the side of her eye, Ava could see Avery's head swivel up and down the aisle, looking for Madame Pince, no doubt. "Put that away."
The lumbering brute continued to stare down Ava, ignoring his friend and keeping his wand trained on her. His lips curled up into a menacing smile and his eyes flashed.
Shivers worked their way down Ava's spine without her consent. She hated that this toolbag frightened her, but the pure loathing radiating from his intense gaze was concerning, to put it mildly. She could only be grateful that they'd met in the library, with plenty of other people nearby if she gave a shout and daylight streaming through the windows to highlight exactly who her attacker would be if he decided he wanted to duel.
"Mr. McNair!" a shrill voice called out. "What exactly do you think you're doing, young man?"
Ava grinned at the supreme annoyance that took over McNair's face as he pocketed his wand.
He adopted an innocent expression and spun to face the librarian. "Nothing, Madame Pince. I was just showing Miss McGonagall here a spell that she needed help with." His voice was light and friendly, nothing like Ava had ever heard from him before.
The abrupt change in attitude was unnerving. She hadn't realized that McNair was such a good actor.
The prejudiced bully continued, his tone still polite as all hell and nothing like he'd ever spoken in front of Ava. "I was showing her how to apply a Feather-light Charm to the textbooks. Just trying to help out a fellow student."
Ava bit her lip to keep from grinning. It was well-known that the librarian loathed the notion of students casting magic on her precious books, but the comment from McNair sparked an idea in her mind.
Madame Pince eyed McNair dubiously, as she should, and looked to Ava for confirmation.
Ava nodded. "It's true," she said, moving a step closer to McNair, so they were side by side, facing the librarian. "I know you don't care for students casting spells on the books, but McNair has assured me that the spell will work."
McNair sucked in a breath from beside her, probably realizing the opening he gave her a little too late.
Without hesitation, she continued on, "Though he mentioned it was a variation of the Feather-light Charm and Levitation Spell. Shall we test it?"
An alarmed squawk came from Madame Pince as Ava held out the books in front of her, arm muscles nearly shaking with fatigue from carrying them for so long.
In a blink, Ava swiveled to McNair and let go of the stack of books, nearly touching his torso in the process. Just as she knew they would, the textbooks dropped to the floor and slammed on top of McNair's feet.
"Son of a bitch!" he yelped, jumping back.
A chuckle over Ava's shoulder quickly turned into a cough.
"Mr. McNair! Language!" Madame Pince shrieked. With a flick of her wand, McNair's head jerked towards the librarian and it seemed as though his ear was being tugged.
His face was pinched in discomfort, but he managed to strike another death glare at Ava.
"You've just earned yourself detention, Mr. Nair," Madame Pince said tersely.
The look from McNair darkened further.
Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
The librarian continued, "I won't tolerate any tomfoolery in my library and you should know better than to use a manufactured spell that so obviously doesn't work. Not to mention, your foul mouth." She turned to Ava. "And you, young miss. I would assume you've learned your lesson in being lead astray by self-created spells?"
Ava nodded vigorously. "Yes, ma'am. Of course. I would never treat books so callously. If I had known—she shook her head— "I'm very sorry, Madame Pince." That might've been overkill.
However, the librarian made a prim noise of satisfaction and began to walk away. But she faced Ava again, fixing her with a stern look. "Miss McGonagall, I trust that you can return the tomes to their rightful place?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Madame Pince stalked towards the exit, wand held high as she pulled McNair away by the ear. Faint words reached Ava, Madame Pince still reprimanding the bully, mentioning something about speaking to Professor Flitwick to discuss McNair's abysmal Charm work.
Ava chuckled to herself.
"You really think you're funny, McGonagall?"
With a squeal, she jumped in place and spun to face the remaining two Slytherins, having forgotten they were even there.
Nott followed up his question with a sneer before shoving past her.
She released a grunt of pain and righted herself, studying Avery as he fidgeted on his feet, swallowing convulsively, eyes flicking between hers and over her shoulder towards the exit.
After a long moment, Ava decided that the solo Slytherin wasn't going to attack her and bent down to collect the textbooks she had deposited atop McNair's feet. She grinned to herself at the reminder as she began stacking the books.
An exhaustive sigh sounded and Avery appeared before her, crouching on the ground.
Ava froze, hand stretched out towards a book that was now closer to the Slytherin than it was to her. "What are you doing?" She winced at the squeaky quality of her voice and dropped her hand.
Avery appeared sheepish, glancing away from her. "I'm helping you. That was uncalled for—what McNair did, I mean. Not what you did." His lips twitched as his eyes returned to Ava's. "That wasn't entirely uncalled for."
She forcibly stopped the corners of her mouth from turning up.
He added the textbook nearest to him to the stack Ava had created and scooted closer to reach another.
Ava scuttled backwards a bit, her magic flaring at the audacity of the boy. He was much too close for comfort and they hardly knew each other.
He paused his movement and held up his hands in supplication. "I apologize if I startled you. I don't wish you any harm." Avery cleared his throat. "I would like to apologize on the behalf of my housemates, but I have a feeling you'd recognize the falsehood of such a sentiment given what just occurred." He gave her a weak grin.
When she merely stared at him in return, he cleared his throat again and shifted on his knees, dropping the feeble attempt of a smile.
"I am sorry, McGonagall. There's no reason for them to treat a witch like that."
She watched him with narrowed eyes. "Like what?"
Avery floundered for a moment, probably not realizing that Ava wouldn't let this be easy for him. "Uh— that is to say—the—intimidation tactics." He gestured a few feet away where McNair had confronted her. "That's just not done." He shook his head. "No gentleman behaves that way."
Her brows rose of their own accord. Was he really this naïve? McNair and Nott didn't behave that way purely because they were rude boys who hadn't matured.
"Anyway, I'd still like to apologize," he blurted before tearing his gaze away from her and gathering the remaining books from the floor.
Was it possible that yet another Death Eater wasn't a true believer? Was this all pretend? Something he'd set up with McNair and Nott beforehand—to lull her into a false sense of security? McNair certainly appeared to be quite the actor.
Avery stood and brushed off the knees of his pants. He then bent down to retrieve the textbooks and began placing them back in their spots amongst the shelves.
Ava seemed unable to function properly. She remained crouched on the floor, mouth hanging open, not sure what to make of the Pureblood wizard standing before her. Ava hardly knew anything about the boy, only that he was a Slytherin and a future Death Eater. How was she supposed to know if he was being sincere? Would he even be worth the risk?
"McGonagall?"
She startled at Avery's voice.
He looked down at her still on the ground and frowned, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Avery seemed to nod to himself and held out a hand towards her.
Ava sucked in a breath. What on earth was happening here? Should she take his hand? Did McNair somehow get the drop on her, knocking her unconscious, and this was all some sort of coma dream?
The little rant Ava laid upon Lily just a short while ago popped into her mind. She wanted to try to help everyone who showed promise, who didn't seem so willingly entrenched in the dark side of magic. But she also couldn't pick and choose who she decided to help purely based on her knowledge of them from the Harry Potter books. Like Peter. That wouldn't be fair to them considering they're real people, with nuanced thoughts and feelings just like her. She should at least try.
Avery was clearly offering an olive branch and she wasn't about to throw it back in his face on the off chance that it was genuine. But accepting his hand didn't mean she would fight tooth and nail for him like she would for some of the other Slytherins. He would have to earn it.
She grasped his hand and allowed him to assist her to her feet. "Thanks," she said quietly, still not certain how to handle the situation.
"Don't mention it," he muttered, sounding rather serious. His expression appeared to be just as confused as Ava was feeling. Avery shook himself and said, "See you around, McGonagall," before beelining it to the exit.
Her eyes tracked his departure, but even once he disappeared through the library doors, Ava didn't move from her spot. She stared, unseeing, mind racing through the recent events, scouring for any hint of deception on Avery's part. She came up empty, but somehow that didn't make her feel any better. Her path forward with everyone else seemed so certain, but Avery threw her for a loop. He was too unknown.
This realization had Ava's stomach churning. This feeling of scrambling for answers reminded her way too much of when she first was deposited in the magical world. Her footing had been so unsure, she had been drowning, barely keeping herself afloat, and it seemed the water was rising once again.