Love Knows No Bounds

by kat11c

Sirius and James are just trying to be good friends and find Moony a girlfriend. They cast a spell to summon his other half. Unfortunately, it happens during a full moon. AU with OFC being a Harry Potter fan in our world, getting pulled into their world, during Marauder's time at Hogwarts. Secrets, fun, and drama ensue :) Remus/OFC

62. Chapter 62

Author's Note:

No—you aren't hallucinating, this is a real, live update!

This is an absolute monster of a chapter, but I wanted to hurry up and get to the more intense part of the story that's coming up! But please don't expect this length of a chapter on a regular basis, lol.

Enjoy :)

Review shout-out:

Thank you SO SO much to everyone who left a review, followed, or marked this story as a favorite!

Amk41196: I made myself cry too! So don't feel too bad, lol—Thanks for the congratulations, and I'm seriously trying to stick with regular updates!

Guest: You and me both—certain aspects of the story just expanded while I was writing, so it became bigger and bigger, but we're getting into the thick of it now!

Scarlet247: I'm glad that you're enjoying my take on the magic, it's been fun to write!

KimberlyJho-ann: Thanks so much for each of your reviews! It's always fun to see reader's thoughts as they go through the chapters back to back!

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 62

Ava's fingers gripped her Blackthorn wand tightly as she uselessly gazed about the room shrouded in fog. She couldn't see anything—nothing but thick wisps of murky gray.

Moody had cast Fumos multiple times over so that the smoke screen would cover every inch of the classroom. For a moment, Ava had regretted her choice to mention to him how she was able to locate Sirius in the same magical fog just a few days ago, but she could admit that this was a good way to test her skills. The only way she'd improve her abilities was by taking on more challenging opponents, which Moody certainly was.

Granted, Ava wasn't planning on confronting any opposition that might be as skilled as Moody, but she couldn't be too careful. Dumbledore wanted her to train as a means of being able to protect herself and her loved ones, and she was going to do so if it was the last thing she ever did.

She took a steadying breath and gently pushed out her magic, encouraging it to explore the fog just as she had during her duel with Sirius. The stretching sensation in her chest no longer ached initially as it did even just a week ago. But there was no telling how long she could keep it up for.

Not a minute later, Ava's magic grazed Moody and immediately skittered back towards her in retreat. C'mon now, don't be afraid of him, she chided her magic. However, it was probably a good thing that the magic was able to recognize that Moody could be a threat if he chose to be.

Huh. When Moody had initially described how someone goes about detecting magic, he did mention that eventually she'd be able to determine whether the spells being cast had malicious intent or not. Ava just hadn't realized that meant her magic would actually behave in a scared manner. Though, she supposed that could just be because her magic wasn't used to touching other magical signatures.

Excluding Remus, of course, she thought with a little grin. The full moon was coming up and Ava knew her werewolf's libido would sky-rocket. She was pulled from her dirty thoughts when Moody yelled.

"Great job, Ava!" his gruff voice bellowed out from somewhere in the fog. "Again."

She rolled her eyes, feeling a little foolish for having thought this was a one-off.

"Don't roll your eyes, girly," Moody barked.

Ava jumped in place. "Hey! How can you see me?!"

His chuckle echoed throughout the classroom. "I can't, but you just gave yourself away."

She grumbled under her breath about annoying Auror tactics, but Moody just laughed harder.

"Again," he called out, smile still evident in his voice. "I want you to pull your magic back to you, then send it out again to find me."

Ava followed his instruction, growing more tired and more sweaty from the effort of locating the Auror as the training dragged on. Especially when he demanded that she find him faster than each time before. She had lost count after seventeen, but eventually Moody called an end to the exercise.

She let out a relieved breath and wiped her damp forehead as the older wizard cleared the smoke from the room.

The last half hour showed Ava that she was, in fact, not done feeling the ache of the tether between herself and her magic. She had actually grown exhausted rather quickly with all of the back and forth, extending and reeling in her magic, over and over again. Ava grimaced in anticipation of how sore she was going to be tomorrow.

"I'm sorry, lass," Moody said with an almost soft expression on his face. "I know pain potions aren't really an option for you." He rubbed his stubbled jawline and asked, "Are you sure you want to keep working on this?"

Ava sighed. "Yeah. I know I initially wanted to learn just so I could stop James and Sirius from pranking me unexpectedly, but I think this is a skill that I just can't pass up on." She bit her lip, thoughts circling back to protecting her friends. Her pack. "I have to learn this."

Moody scrutinized her for a moment before nodding. "Alright, lass. If that's what you want."

"It is."

He gestured to the table and chairs that had been moved to the edge of the classroom.

The Auror had previously told Ava that at the end of each training session, they were to have a "progress report" sort of conversation to review how her skills were developing and what their next steps would be moving forward. She'd had to bite back a grin when Moody originally mentioned this practice to her because it sounded so like Aunt Minerva, and Ava wasn't sure the Auror would appreciate that comparison. Though, Moody had to have some idea that the professor side of his personality existed because he helped train incoming Aurors.

"You're progressing nicely, you take instruction rather well, and I have to admit that your dueling skills are already better than the majority of Hogwarts graduates," Moody told her as they sat down.

Ava beamed. "Thank you, sir."

He grunted then asked, "What year are you in for Defense?"

She groaned. "Sixth year, and it's only because I have to complete all of the coursework alongside the practical stuff."

Moody chuckled. "While I can appreciate your enthusiasm, Ava, you really do need to understand the spell theory, not to mention all of the knowledge about dark creatures you could come across."

"I suppose," she muttered, knowing that he was right, per usual.

"You really are doing very well, lass."

Her grin returned. "Thanks."

"You've still got a ways to go regarding nonverbal spells, but at least you aren't telegraphing your intentions anymore."

Though Ava might've managed to stop revealing when she'd cast a spell, it still irked the shit out of her that she only managed to disarm the Auror about every third time that she tried. Her frustration had mounted so high at her inability to perfect her nonverbal Expelliarmus that she was pretty sure Moody had switched to having her practice Incarcerous on the target dummy, rather than himself, in an effort to avoid her temper. At least he seemed to be impressed with the recounting of her duel with Sirius, using her magic to find him and then casting Incarcerous nonverbally.

Moody gently squeezed Ava's shoulder when they parted, once again reminding her that she was doing well. "Better than I expected," he told her with smirk.

That infuriating old man, Ava thought with fondness rather than ire as she headed to her quarters, needing to catch up on some homework—already. The N.E.W.T. level classes had more reading than she'd anticipated. But it was just yet another necessary evil for her to deal with.

---

Ava furiously scribbled her quill across the parchment, writing her Transfiguration essay as quickly as possible. She was trying to stay ahead of assignments by at least a week so she'd be able to keep up with all of her extracurriculars. She was in the library with Remus and Severus, early for the study session with her Slytherin friends, and she really wanted to wrap up this essay before the younger boys showed up. Barty and Benedict, along with the other firsties, Conrad and Max, tended to ask her the most questions. Though, if she was being fair, they had started to feel more comfortable asking Remus for help too, and of course, the werewolf took to tutoring like a fish to water.

Just as Ava started to write her conclusion, Remus cleared his throat. Annoyance flashed through her, but she quieted it down, knowing that he had probably been waiting for a decent stopping point before interrupting her. She looked up at her soulmate.

Remus kept his voice low as he asked, "Why isn't Malfoy part of the study group?" His green eyes flicked between her and Severus. "I know I've only joined with you guys a couple of times, but I've never seen him here."

Ava glanced at Severus.

Her best friend rose an eyebrow minutely, but it was enough for Ava to know that whatever they told Remus was up to her.

She pressed her lips together and turned back to Remus. "It's…safer for him to keep his distance." She swallowed the panic that was clawing its way up her throat at the thought of Lucius being put in a dangerous position because of her friendship. Considering who Lucius's father was, and what kind of expectations for the Dark Lord came along with that, Ava knew it would be worse for the blond Slytherin than just some Stinging Hexes like it'd been for Severus, both in school and at home.

Ava was saved from her downward spiral when Remus squeezed her hand.

A warm, comforting rush of magic sang across their bond, and she smiled at her werewolf. In return, she blasted a heavy dose of adoration through their connection, forever grateful that Remus was understanding of her meaningful relationships with the Slytherins and had promised to help her keep them all safe. Although, they hadn't actually discussed what that might entail, but there was no way she was getting Remus involved with the Order or anything of the sort.

And while Ava might've been annoyed about the infrequency of her time spent with Lucius, she knew it wasn't without reason. Not to mention, her attachment to the blond wizard seemed to be growing rapidly, and he might be put off if she started appearing everywhere he went just to keep an eye on him.

The most difficult challenge Ava had yet to face since appearing in the Wizarding World was accepting the fact that she couldn't guard over her friends every hour of every day. Especially as they were in different houses, and she lived in neither Gryffindor Tower nor the dungeons.

She shoved away the depressing thoughts that she'd been obsessing over more and more recently when the rambunctious eleven-year-old Slytherins came bounding around the bookshelves, headed their way.

Benedict flashed her a wide smile as he took the empty seat on the other side of her. "Hi, Ava!"

Her magic hummed with delight at the sight of the little snake, and once again she was reminded that not everything was doom and gloom for the moment.

---

The next training session with Moody was much more of the same as last time. A typical warm-up with some basic dueling, though Moody threw Ava for a loop when he tossed Flipendo Tria her way. Her shield had barely gone up in time and had almost given way under the tornado force winds. Throughout their dueling, Ava had attempted to catch the Auror off-guard with some nonverbal Disarming Spells, but only managed to land one on him this time around.

Moody had chided Ava for letting her frustration get the better of her as she grumbled and stomped about the dueling mat, fuming that her ability to strike him with a nonverbal Expelliarmus seemed to be getting worse, not better. But he acquiesced and allowed her to move onto detecting magic.

Ava was a little embarrassed to admit that her mood vastly improved with the switch of exercises. But after all, detecting magic was what she was most excited to learn, seeing as how handy it was turning out to be. She might actually be able to stop James and Sirius from pranking her at this point.

However, after Ava was able to locate Moody within the thick smoke a few times fairly quickly, even according to his standards, the Auror decided to change things up. Of course.

"I'm going to randomly send harmless spells your way," he announced through the dense fog. "It'll allow your magic to get accustomed to other magic being cast around you."

Ever the demanding teacher, Moody kept the heavily overlapping smoke screen spells blanketing the classroom, so Ava really had to work with her magic as she still couldn't see a single thing. The Auror instructed her to pull back her magic and shape it into a barrier around herself, similar to a shielding spell.

Ava took a breath and focused, calling her magic to return, but tried to maintain a slow, unhurried pace so the magic wouldn't just snap back into her body like it often had in the past. There was always a bit of a sting along her sternum when it did that. Drawing on her Occlumency skills, Ava imagined her magic radiating out from her chest, surrounding her like a giant bubble.

When it felt as though a sphere shaped barrier of her magic had formed, she thought, Stay, and then startled. Ava could've sworn her magic had just responded with a tingle of irritation, but Moody's voice distracted her from that line of thinking.

"In order to actually be useful in real-life scenarios," he called out to her, "your magic will need to be able to detect spells being cast at you from all directions. Hence the need for the magic to surround you rather than meandering all throughout the room."

Ava nodded, but recalled that he couldn't see her either. "Yes, sir."

"Now, get a hold on that temper of yours, because this is going to be much more difficult to master than what you've done so far."

She swallowed. "I'm ready."

Holy shit was he right, Ava thought several minutes later, panting from the exertion of keeping her magic in place while simultaneously trying to recognize the feeling of Moody casting magic from different spots all around the classroom. I wasn't ready, she griped internally. Now that her magic had a taste for perusing the room at its leisure, it didn't seem to want to stay in one place.

Sweat trickled down her forehead and she ignored the uncomfortable stretching across her chest. Ava breathed in through her nose and slowly out her mouth. Her patience was wearing thin.

Moody had decided that Locomotor Mortis and Impedimenta weren't enough motivation for Ava to try harder, so the Auror thought he was being cute by throwing Rictusempra at her every now and then too.

So far, she'd managed to accomplish the ability to detect that magic was being cast within a ten-foot radius of her body, but she was struggling with the timing of recognizing the magic and raising her shield quick enough. And she had no idea what direction it was coming from. So, Moody had been able to hit her with every spell. Every. Single. One.

She clenched her jaw and rolled her shoulders. C'mon. We can do this. Focus. A brief tingle of alertness rippled along the edge of her magic.

An uncontrollable giggle burst from Ava's lips as a tickling sensation ran across her ribs and up into her armpit. She dropped her wand and continued laughing, though she was seething on the inside.

Moody cleared the smoke from the room and stalked towards Ava as she wriggled on the floor.

Tears ran down her face and she twitched as the phantom fingers tickled her sides. "Pl—ease," she gasped through her laughs.

Moody waved his wand.

The aggressive tickling ceased immediately and Ava was finally able to catch her breath. Wiping her eyes, she grounded out, "I hate that." She looked up at him with a glare.

He quirked a brow. "And?"

With a huff, Ava pushed herself up from the floor and picked up her Blackthorn. "And I'll just have to try harder, won't I?"

---

Despite the fact that it was barely 7 a.m. on a Saturday, Ava was already dressed and reading through her History of Magic textbook as she lounged across one of the oversized armchairs in her quarters. Aunt Minerva was ready for the day as well, marking some papers at their small kitchen table before they were both going to head down to the Great Hall.

The fireplace suddenly erupted with green flames, causing Ava and the professor to startle.

Aunt Minerva rose an elegant brow and then glanced down at Ava's hand, which was clutching her Blackthorn wand.

Ava shrugged. I'm not going to apologize for my quick reflexes. Nevertheless, she stowed the wand back in its holster.

"Minerva?" a masculine voice called out, tinged with panic.

The older witch shared a surprised look with Ava as she approached the fire. "Arthur? Is that you?"

Arthur Weasley's face appeared in the fireplace. He was recognizable enough, but his features were distorted as the green flames flickered and waved about.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Arthur said, relief evident. "Is there any chance that you and Ava could come through and keep an eye on the boys for a little while? Molly's Aunt Muriel isn't feeling well, and I can't get a hold of her brothers either, and there's no one else to watch them. We should be back soon enough, and the boys shouldn't give you any trouble." The father paused to take a breath, his tone having become more pleading as he went on.

Initially, Ava internally recoiled at the idea of giving up any more precious time that could be spent studying, but she had offered babysitting services to Molly after all. It would be rude to say no now, and besides, the little Weasley boys had been rather polite and seemed like fun kids the last time she saw them. Maybe it would be good to take a break, she thought, glancing down at her pile of textbooks.

Ava hesitated too long and Professor McGonagall spoke up. "I'm afraid that I'm due to report to the Great Hall momentarily, Arthur."

Mr. Weasley bit his lip and seemed to glance over his shoulder at something before turning back around. "Please, the boys only need looking after for a short while, we've just got to run to St. Mungo's."

Ava beelined to the fireplace. "St. Mungo's? What's wrong?"

"It could be nothing. Molly's experiencing some pain, and I'd really like to go with her, and—"

"I'll watch the boys," she blurted, interrupting his rambling.

Arthur heaved a sigh. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, dear," Aunt Minerva chimed in. "Are you sure?"

She nodded emphatically. "I'm positive."

Arthur thanked her profusely and said to call out "The Burrow" and come through whenever she was ready before the green flames disappeared, leaving an empty fireplace.

"Ava—," her aunt began, tone hesitant.

She waved the older witch off. "I'll be fine. I've babysat before and I've already met the boys."

Aunt Minerva gave a little smile. "Have you ever watched over magical children before?"

Ava gulped. "No, you know I haven't. Do you think that'll be a problem?" She could only imagine what kind of mischief magical little boys could get up to. Bill was already dismantling wards. Albeit, not intentionally.

The professor laughed. "No, but if anything should go wrong, Floo the Headmaster's Office. Somehow, the castle always lets Professor Dumbledore know when he's being contacted."

She opened her mouth to ask for more details, but shook herself. She should get to the Burrow as soon as possible. Ava's gaze wandered the living room, but upon realizing that she didn't actually need to bring anything with her other than her wand, she approached the fireplace and grabbed a fistful of Floo powder.

"Make sure you have at least something to eat for breakfast, won't you?" Aunt Minerva called out.

Ava laughed and turned to the older witch. "I've no doubt there will be plenty of food at Molly's house."

Aunt Minerva released a huff of laughter as well. "Too true. Have fun, dear, and don't hesitate to reach out if you need any help."

"Oh, can you let Remus and Severus know where I'll be?" Ava asked. "I was supposed to meet up with them this morning for a study session." For a moment, she felt guilty about bailing on the plans with her soulmate and best friend, but it seemed rather urgent that Molly get to St. Mungo's. They'd already had three kids, so if Arthur was concerned, then it was probably warranted.

"Of course, dear."

"Thank you." Ava stepped inside the fireplace and as she threw down the powder, she shouted, "The Burrow!"

The blinding green flames flashed, and the familiar and unsettling tingling sensation of Floo travel rushed throughout her body. In a blink, Ava was standing in a different fireplace, facing a cozy living room full of Weasleys.

The decent sized room was decorated in warm, welcoming tones and had a sofa along with two armchairs. There was a bookshelf along the wall next to the fireplace, cluttered with books and little knickknacks. Ava smiled, spotting a screwdriver resting on one shelf. She'd forgotten Arthur Weasley's interest in everything Muggle.

Speaking of the father, he was standing on the other side of the living room in front of a doorway, bouncing a one-year-old Percy on his hip, facing in Ava's direction, while giving what looked like a stern lecture to Charlie and Bill, whose backs were to her.

Molly gingerly rose from where she'd been sitting in one of the armchairs and beamed at Ava. "Thank you so much, dear. We really appreciate you coming to our rescue," the mother told her.

Ava laughed lightly as she stepped out of the fireplace. "I'd hardly say I came to your rescue, but it's really no problem." She frowned, glancing between Mrs. Weasley's face and her round belly. "Arthur said you were having some pain?"

Molly placed a hand on her baby bump. "It's really not too bad, but we'd rather be on the safe side."

Over Molly's shoulder, Ava connected with Arthur's worried gaze.

Concern crept up her spine. "Why don't you two go ahead and get to the hospital?" Ava suggested. She desperately hoped that nothing was wrong with the twins.

Arthur instructed Charlie and Bill to remain where they were while he got their mother into the Floo and spoke to Miss Ava.

She smiled, thinking back on how the boys had immediately addressed her as such when they first met.

"The boys have already eaten breakfast," Molly told her, "but feel free to help yourself to whatever you'd like in the kitchen. I left some food on the table for you, dear. And Percy should go down for a nap in about an hour."

"Thank you again, Ava," Arthur said, plopping the youngest boy into her extended arms.

"It's really no problem. Now shoo, you two." Ava gestured towards the fireplace with one hand while trying to get Percy settled on her hip. It'd been some time since she'd held a little one.

Arthur chuckled at her command, but Molly seemed to hesitate.

"Please, you can go. We'll be fine, won't we boys?" She flashed Bill and Charlie a smile before turning back to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Molly gave her a small grin, appearing reassured for the time being. Arthur had his wife Floo ahead of him, and he reminded Ava that she could always Floo the hospital if she needed to get into contact with them before being whisked off to St. Mungo's himself.

Once their parents had vanished, the two youngest Weasley boys seemed to come alive. The curly haired baby on her hip immediately began playfully tugging on her hair and babbled some nonsense words, sounding intrigued, while Charlie sprinted across the room to her.

"Miss Ava! You have to come see my toys!" he demanded with a wide grin before reaching out to take her hand in his own.

She looked down at the future dragon tamer in fond exasperation. According to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, as well as his uncles, Charlie usually wasn't this enthusiastic and social with people outside of his family. While Ava supposed that was a good thing, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd gotten in over her head by offering to babysit these boys.

"Give me just a minute, Charlie, I haven't even had time to say 'hello' to you three yet." She kept her tone light and smiled at him to make sure he knew she wasn't really scolding him.

He squeezed her hand. "Hello, Miss Ava."

Her grin widened. "Hi, Charlie." She gently bounced Percy on her hip and gazed down at him. "Hello, Percy. How are you today?"

His little fingers were still fisted in her hair, but he'd had yet to really pull, so she wasn't too bothered. At the mention of his name, the one-year-old peeked up at her, and spouted off some noises that weren't really words quite yet along with some repetitions of "ma-ma-ma."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh really?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested in what he had to say.

Charlie giggled. "Percy can't talk yet, Miss Ava."

"I know, but it's good to talk to babies just like you normally would. That's how they learn words. And you really don't have to call me 'Miss Ava'. Just Ava is fine."

"Okay! Can we go to my room now?" Charlie didn't wait for her response before yanking her towards the doorway where Bill had remained standing since his parents had left.

"Hold on, Charlie, I haven't said 'hi' to Bill yet," she said. Turning to the oldest Weasley boy, she gave him a smile and said, "Hi, Bill."

The seven-year-old's arms were crossed as he scrutinized Ava. "You kept your promise."

Her brows furrowed. "Wha—"

"You didn't get us in trouble with our Mum," he clarified, bringing forth the memory of their first meeting.

"Ah." She nodded. "I told you I wouldn't."

Bill's gaze roved over her, then Percy, before flicking down to Charlie, who was still tugging on her hand, and back up to her. "I suppose you'll do," he remarked in a bland tone.

Ava quirked an eyebrow at the sassy munchkin, but let the comment slide. If they really hadn't been babysat by anyone outside of the family, Bill rightfully saw her as a bit of an intruder. Well then, she thought. I'll just have to show him how fun I can be. But not too fun, Ava decided. She couldn't let the boys run roughshod over her.

"Alright, how about we move this party upstairs and you can show me your room, Charlie?" Ava asked.

"Yes! Finally!" Charlie exclaimed, continuing on his path past Bill, through the door, and up the stairs.

There was a short hallway off to the side of the stairs, but Ava doubted Charlie would permit her to explore the rest of the house at the moment as he was keeping a firm grip on her hand while leading the way upstairs.

Thankfully, they didn't have to climb too far. Percy was getting increasingly squirmy in her arms, so as soon as they stepped into Charlie's bedroom, she let the youngest boy down to the ground. Percy was able to do some sort of wobbly walk, and crawl when he wanted to, so Ava let him roam about Charlie's room as he pleased.

She popped a squat near the doorway so the little one couldn't make a break for it and watched Percy carefully while trying to give Charlie her attention as well.

Bill had joined them upstairs, which Ava was grateful for. He silently sat on the floor, leaning against Charlie's bed, and began to look through a picture book he had procured from somewhere. She didn't think a seven-year-old could get up to too much trouble on his own for a few minutes, but Charlie seemed to have barely scratched the surface of what he wanted to show her.

The middle Weasley boy had all sorts of stuffed animals that were magical creatures, and he was just so excited to show them off to Ava that she pretended not to know anything about them. Even though the kid was only five, he rattled off facts about dragons, acromantulas, unicorns, and just about every animal under the sun.

It was very subtle, but Ava could feel her magic perk up curiously at the three Weasley boys in the room. She was fatigued enough as it was, so she didn't encourage it to expand and investigate further as Moody's voice whispered in her head. Not to mention, if the boys happened to feel her magic brush against theirs, there was no telling how they'd react.

Magic seeming to settle, Ava turned her attention to Percy, who was currently nomming on a stuffed hippogriff. He then bounced it against the floor, and when Charlie followed her gaze and annoyance shot across his face, she decided to speak up. "Charlie, it's very kind of you to let Percy play with your toys too. It's always nice to share."

His frown slowly melted away as he processed Ava's words. "Okay, I'll share with Percy."

The one-year-old proceeded to slobber all over the hippogriff, leaving a string of spittle between the toy and his mouth.

"Ewww," Charlie, Bill, and Ava all said in unison.

Bill and Charlie giggled, and Ava couldn't help but laugh along with them, though she promised to help clean off the toy when Percy was done.

Without another second's delay, Charlie launched back into his show-and-tell of all of his toys. It put a smile on Ava's face to see Charlie so excited as he regaled her with his seemingly endless knowledge of magical creatures, but it was only a short while later that her stomach growled.

It was loud enough that Bill and Charlie looked at her, blue eyes shot wide, before they began laughing.

She chuckled. "I haven't had breakfast yet," Ava explained as she stood. "Thank you for showing me all of your toys, Charlie, but as you heard, I'm pretty hungry. Let's head downstairs and you can get a snack too, if you want. We can come back up and play in a while."

At her words, Charlie's smile dropped a little, so she added, "Do you want to bring a toy downstairs with us while I grab something to eat?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed with a nod and immediately set about choosing which toy to take. He pouted slightly when Ava made him limit his selection to one toy rather than the entire pile of about ten that he had originally indicated he wanted to bring.

She turned to the oldest boy, who was now lingering in the doorway. "Bill, could you show me where the kitchen is?"

His face brightened and he stood up straight. "Yes, Miss Ava."

Giving him a smile, she said, "Lead the way. And really, you can just call me Ava."

"Okay, Ava," he said with a pleased grin.

She had noticed Bill growing more and more discontent with her attention being consumed by Charlie and Percy and didn't want him to feel left out. She briefly wondered how he would handle his parents' attention being divided as each of his other four siblings came along.

Scooping up Percy in her arms, Ava said, "C'mon boys, time to feed the beast, or it just might try to eat you." She tickled the back of Charlie's neck as she said this, causing him to giggle and scamper towards Bill, who was already heading downstairs.

The kitchen was through the short hallway Ava had noticed earlier, and Molly had left behind plenty of food for Ava to choose from. It wasn't quite so much as she'd been imagining, but to be fair, the Weasley boys weren't yet teenagers with black holes for stomachs.

Not willing to let Percy run around the kitchen on his own, Ava kept him on her lap as she sat at the dining table and asked Bill to help her put together a plate of sausage, eggs, and toast with some marmalade, as well as a glass of water.

Once again, the oldest Weasley boy perked up at her request and jumped into action. He even helped Charlie butter a slice of toast before grabbing a snack for himself along with some pumpkin juice.

Ava tried to eat as quickly as possible, knowing that Percy wouldn't stay content in her arms with Charlie's hippogriff toy and sure enough, just a couple minutes later he began to squirm.

Percy dropped the stuffed animal and gestured with both hands towards the basket of toast, now shrieking, apparently adamant that he must have some bread.

Molly didn't say anything about feeding him, Ava thought with a touch of panic. I don't know what one-year-olds eat! She glanced at Charlie and Bill.

The eldest boy shrugged and said, "Dad gives him little bits of food sometimes."

When Percy's volume increased, Ava quickly grabbed a slice of toast and ripped off a couple of tiny pieces before placing them in front of Percy on the table. He closed his mouth briefly, took one look at the small pieces of food, and began wailing once more.

"Oh, Percy, it's alright. Shhhhh," she said softly, bouncing him on her knee, wondering what on earth had set the little guy off.

Once again, he made grabby hands towards the basket of toast.

Ava snatched up a whole slice of toast and handed it to Percy, hoping that would appease the crying baby.

His tears subsided immediately and he began repeatedly slamming the toast against the table, happy as a clam.

She was still recovering from the whiplash of Percy's emotions when Bill spoke up.

"Thank, Merlin," he said. "I thought my ears were going to start bleeding."

Ava laughed, catching his attention and earning a wide smile from the seven-year-old. All children now settled and preoccupied, she continued to eat her breakfast, though she made a mental note to clean up the toast crumbs that were now flying all over the place each time Percy smacked the bread onto the table.

The one-year-old quickly learned a new game, though it was entirely Ava's fault for giving in the first time around. He'd drop the slice of toast to the ground, watch it fall with delight, fuss for it to be returned, Ava would hold him in one arm while groping around on the floor for the bread, and then give it back to Percy, only for the process to start all over again.

Mercifully, Ava, along with Bill and Charlie, were nearly done eating when this development occurred so she only had to endure the game for a couple of minutes. As soon as Charlie put his last bite of food in his mouth, she announced that they could return to Charlie's room to play for a bit before Percy needed to go down for his nap.

It was a miracle that Ava was able to switch Percy's attention from the toast back to the stuffed hippogriff before heading back up to Charlie's room. With a quick Evanesco, all the bread crumbs and mess from their breakfast and snacking vanished.

Bill and Charlie pushed back from the table and scrambled up the stairs ahead of her. "Careful!" she shouted after them. "Thank goodness I know a few healing spells, eh, Percy?" she said to the little one as they climbed the stairs.

It occurred to Ava that she'd had yet to change Percy's diaper, but she knew babies were supposed to be changed on a regular basis. At the top of the stairs, the bedroom door across from Charlie's was open and there was just the edge of a crib in sight so she went in, hoping to find a changing table and fresh diapers. While there was indeed a changing table, there were no diapers to be found. Or wipes.

Biting her lip and bouncing Percy on her hips, Ava scanned the room, trying to locate the baby changing essentials. Unfortunately, the drawers in the changing table only contained clothes. "What the hell, man?" she whispered, mind running through scenarios of Percy getting diaper rash while under her care or the Weasleys returning home to find Percy completely soaked through because she couldn't find freaking diapers.

Oh shit. Ava glanced down at Percy. "You don't use regular diapers, do you?" She rolled her eyes at herself and set him down on the changing table.

Upon further inspection, it turned out wizards, or at least the Weasley family, used cloth diapers that were held together by a couple of Sticking Charms. Hoping that what she was doing was correct, Ava removed the Sticking Charms, vanished the puddle of pee in Percy's diaper, cast Scourgify, folded the cloth just as it was before, and reapplied the Sticking Charms.

"Be thankful I know my Charms, little one," she told Percy as she picked him back up.

When Ava and Percy joined the boys in Charlie's bedroom, there was a flurry of coordinated movement as Bill and Charlie raced about the room, setting up seemingly random objects in specific places.

"What are you guys playing?" she asked.

"Dragon rescuer and poacher," Bill said with an underlying tone of 'duh'.

She nodded. "Of course. But it's been some time since I've played, could you explain it to me again?"

Charlie and Bill took turns elaborating on the overall plot and object of the game as they continued to transform Charlie's bedroom into a poacher camp. Bill was the evil animal poacher who held a dragon captive in a cage, which was fashioned from an overturned laundry basket, and Charlie was going to have to defeat Bill to free the dragon.

Bill even tied a bedsheet around his shoulders like a wizard's cloak, and told Ava to pretend that it was black instead of the baby blue color it really was. She started to laugh a little, but Bill frowned and insisted that the cloak was black, and Charlie backed him up, whispering that blue wasn't a very scary color.

She quickly adopted a serious expression and nodded. "The cloak is black."

The oldest boy strode towards Ava and reached for Percy without a word.

"Does Percy play too?" she asked. Her brows shot up in surprise at how easily Bill maneuvered his younger brother into his arms.

"Yep!" Charlie shouted before crouching down behind a pile of blankets. "Ready!"

Apparently, Percy played a troll that the poachers tried to use as a line of defense, but with the way he was stomping around Bill's makeshift poacher camp, it didn't seem to be going too well. However, that must have been the usual outcome since Bill and Charlie weren't fussing about his destruction.

In order to save the dragon, Charlie had to defeat Bill in a duel—to the death, no less—but the boys didn't know any real spells.

Thank God, Ava thought.

Instead, the boys shouted out what their pretend spells were supposed to do. Like "freeze" for the equivalent of Petrificus Totalus, "tickle" for Rictusempra, and "trip" for a Tripping Jinx. Though, both boys needed to work on their fake laughs. They sounded way too maniacal for Ava's tastes. Bill and Charlie also used "stop" as Finite Incantatem, which they almost always used immediately to counter whatever spell the other had just used.

Ava didn't have the heart to tell them that dueling didn't work quite like that.

She kept an eye on Percy while the other two leapt about the room and cast their "spells" with theatrical flourishes, but the one-year-old wasn't scurrying around the floor as quickly as he had been.

Just as Bill collapsed against the pillows on Charlie's bed, gasping his dying breath, Percy wobbled on his feet a little too much and fell back on his butt. Whether it hurt or just startled him, he started to cry, so Ava scooped him up and rubbed his back while murmuring reassurances that he was just fine.

"Can you guys stay here and be quiet while I get Percy put down for his nap?" she asked.

Bill peeked an eye open, but maintained his death pose. "Yep."

Charlie nodded and put a finger over his closed mouth, indicating he'd listen to her request. At least for now. Ava had no faith that the boys would be able to keep their voices down for too long.

Maybe I could use Muffliato to keep Percy from waking up so the boys can keep playing, Ava mused as she walked into Percy's room just across the hall.

The youngest Weasley was already nodding off with his head slumped against her shoulder, so it only took a few minutes of swaying slowly side to side before his breathing evened out. Ava gently laid Percy down in his crib and smiled to herself at the sight of his adorable curls. He was just so precious. She couldn't wait to see how cute baby Fred and George would be.

Her grin dropped. The thought of the twins reminded Ava why she was at the Burrow in the first place. I really hope Molly's okay.

She returned to Charlie's room to find the boys cleaning up the mess that had been created during their poacher and rescuer game, pleasantly surprised that she wouldn't have to hound them to do exactly that. Ava closed the bedroom door and cast Muffliato, informing the boys that they could keep playing if they wanted. But apparently a decent amount of energy had been spent pretend dueling.

"Can you read us a story?" Charlie asked. "Pretty please?"

Not that Ava would've said 'no', but his pleading ocean blue eyes were difficult to resist.

"Of course I can," she said with a smile. "Why don't you each pick out one book?"

"Yay!" Charlie yelled before dashing over to his bookshelf.

Bill seemed to be smirking at her as he did the same. The expression was alarming to see on a seven-year-old's face, but the reason became clear when he handed her The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

"Ah, I see what you did there, young man," she teased him with a quirked brow.

Bill looked so smug about the fact that he chose one book, following her stipulation, but picked a book that contained multiple stories, she couldn't help but laugh.

"That was rather clever of you," Ava said.

She could see the wheels churning in Charlie's mind as his eyes darted between his own chosen book and The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

"Hey," he pouted. "That's not fair, I want more than one story too."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Charlie, Ava's reading to both of us. You'll get to hear the other stories too."

Though his delivery may need work, he wasn't wrong. "Bill's right, I'll read all of the stories to both of you. Now, let's get comfy."

All settled, Ava cracked open the cover of Charlie's selection, Humphrey the Lost Dragon, and drew a breath, when Bill suddenly spoke up.

"Wait! We need a fort!"

Charlie's eyes lit up at the prospect.

"You're absolutely right," Ava said. "Let's do it."

With the bedsheets, blankets, and pillows all placed ever so carefully as to maintain structural integrity, Ava and the boys were able to sit back down for story time. She allowed the boys to crawl under the overhang of cloth first and she plopped herself down just at the edge, halfway under, sitting criss-cross.

This time around, Ava's dramatic reading of Humphrey the Lost Dragon wasn't interrupted. If she had known how taken the boys were going to be with her funny voices, she might've not done so since they demanded the same storytelling style for the rest of the stories as well. She repressed a shiver when "A Tale of Three Brothers" came up, and continued on with her animated reading.

Having finished both books, Ava looked to Bill and Charlie and asked, "What do you want to do next? Another game? Maybe some coloring?"

The boys frowned.

"Coloring?" Bill asked.

"What's that?" Charlie added.

Her mouth dropped open. This was unacceptable. "Coloring is a Muggle thing, isn't it?"

"Yes," Bill said with a lilt in his voice as though he was really asking a question.

This was a fantastic opportunity. Ava could be the person to introduce crayons and coloring books to little kids that had never seen such things before. She smiled at the boys. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun. The next time I babysit you guys, I'll bring some stuff so we can color, it'll be great, I swear."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up. "Next time?"

"Well, yeah," Ava said, now frowning. Her thought of returning to the Burrow was automatic. "If that's alright and if your—"

Once again, Charlie Weasley had barreled into Ava's arms, nearly knocking her over, engulfing her in a hug. "Please come back!" he exclaimed, squeezing her tight.

Ava wrapped an arm around Charlie and ran her other hand over his head, smoothing his hair. "Of course I'll come back—if you want me to."

He pulled away just far enough to lock eyes with her. "Yes." Then he added, "Please."

She smiled. "Then it's settled."

"Brilliant!" Bill chirped.

"Now, back to my original question. What do you want to do next?"

"More stories! More stories!" Charlie chanted.

"Okay, okay, chill out, little man. Go pick out more books," Ava told them, gently lifting Charlie out of her lap.

Bill joined his brother at the bookshelf. "But you have to do the voices," he threw over his shoulder.

"Sure," Ava said, shaking her head. I knew that was going to bite me in the butt.

The boys returned to the fort with a few books each, Bill settling down amongst the pillows and blanket pile, but Charlie made the executive decision to sit in Ava's lap, occupying the gap in her legs while she sat criss-cross.

She made an surprised noise, causing the five-year-old to peer up at her sheepishly, but she flashed him a grin and said, "You can stay." Her magic hummed in agreement.

Charlie promptly handed her a new book to read and settled against her chest.

The cuteness emanating from the kid is almost too much to bear, Ava thought before launching into the story of The Unicorn and Crup Who Became Friends.

Eventually, Bill snuggled up to Ava's side, leaning against her to see the pages of the book, claiming that he was only doing so because he didn't want her to have to keep turning the book around for him to see the pictures.

Several books later, Ava was deep in character, speaking in the shrill voice of an old hag, causing both boys to giggle.

"Ava? Boys?" was whispered from Charlie's now open bedroom door.

Ava abruptly cut off her squawking words, embarrassed that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would've heard her speaking so ridiculously. Ava willed the blush in her cheeks to go away as she looked up at the parents.

Molly appeared to be astonished at the state she found her children and babysitter in, and Ava was only reassured that everything was fine when she saw Arthur absolutely beaming from ear to ear.

"Hi—how'd everything go?" she asked, hoping the mortification at the parents stumbling upon her screeching like a banshee didn't come across.

Charlie and Bill gave their parents a cursory glance and a quick "Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad," and then returned their attention to the book that Ava held in front of them.

She laughed and closed the book. "Boys, c'mon." She softly nudged Bill towards his parents and scooped Charlie up in her arms to carry him to the door just like she would've done with Percy.

The five-year-old giggled. "I'm not a baby, Ava."

"Shall I put you down?" she asked with a quirked brow, gazing down at him.

Charlie ducked his head. "No," he mumbled against her shoulder.

Ava smothered her chuckle, not wanting to upset the little guy. He was just so touchy-feely with her, she couldn't help but do the same in return and keep him close if that's what he wanted. Plus, holding him in her arms seemed to soothe her magic—it was practically purring.

She looked up at Arthur, Molly, and Bill to find all three of them with their mouths hanging open.

Mr. Weasley recovered first. "We apologize for interrupting your…lively reading, but we were a little concerned when we couldn't hear any noise in the house." He smiled. "Which is quite unusual for our home."

"I'm sorry," Ava said with a little grimace. She hadn't meant to worry the parents. "After I put Percy down for his nap, I put up a spell so he wouldn't hear any noise coming from Charlie's room since the boys had been playing." She quickly cast Finite, gripping Charlie with one arm.

"That was thoughtful of you, Ava," Arthur said. "But Percy will sleep through just about anything."

She shifted Charlie in her arms so he was resting more centered since he was a bit heavier than his younger brother. "Also, I really hope I changed Percy the right way." Ava could feel her cheeks redden when she added, "I must admit, my initial instinct was to look for Muggle diapers."

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry!" Molly said in a high voice. "I hadn't realized you weren't aware of how to change magical diapers." She turned to Arthur with a reproachful frown before facing Ava again. "If we hadn't been so rushed to get out the door, I would've been able to answer any questions you would've had."

"Molly," Arthur said with a slight groan as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Is everything alright then?" Ava asked.

"Is Mum okay?" Bill seconded.

Molly pulled Bill in for a hug. "Yes, darling. I'm just fine. The healer believes that since there's two babies in my tummy that they're fighting for room a bit more than you, Charlie, or Percy had to."

Ava let out a breath of relief. "That's good. I'm glad you and the twins are okay."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Thank you, Ava. How did you change Percy?"

Ava explained her method, earning nods of approval from both parents.

"That'll work in a pinch," Molly told her, "but I usually wash and dry the cloth before putting it back on him."

She frowned. "I don't know any other cleaning spells besides Scourgify, but I'd love to learn them."

Molly's eyes lit up. "I have a book about household spells if you'd like to borrow it."

"That'd be great, thanks Molly."

"Aaavvvaaaaaa," Charlie softly groaned from her arms as he gently tugged on her hair. "I'm bored."

She laughed. "Oh, excuse me, Sir Charles, I hadn't realized. Whatever shall we do?" Ava glanced at Bill. "Sir William? Thoughts?"

Bill grinned. "I'm a knight?"

"If you'd like to be," she told him with a smile.

Charlie perked up in her arms. "Could I be the dragon?"

"Most definitely," Ava said. "Do you want down now?"

He nodded, but gripped her in a tight hug before wriggling to be let out of her arms.

She swallowed a sigh of disappointment as Charlie left her grasp to join Bill in constructing a castle for their next game. Her magic echoed the sentiment with a melancholy thrum through her chest. It's only temporary, Ava assured herself, once again realizing that she'd automatically assumed that she'd be returning to the Burrow.

"How exactly do Muggle diapers work, Ava?" Arthur asked, appearing intensely curious.

Molly rolled her eyes. "You'll have to let me know if he pesters you too much, dear."

Ava waved her off with a laugh. "Don't worry, I understand the curiosity." She shrugged. "I'm the same way about everything magical after all."

Arthur grinned and stepped closer.

Molly let out a loud laugh. "You've done it now."

She just smiled at the Weasleys, totally prepared to give as in-depth of an explanation of diapers as she possibly could. There was no way Ava could begrudge Arthur his insatiable desire to understand Muggles and their inventions.

Having described the basic way Muggle diapers worked and how frequently parents had to replace them, Ava was in the middle of trying to explain how the material in the diaper absorbed the liquid, but typically didn't leak when Bill interrupted with a shout from across the room.

"Ava! Do you want to be the princess?"

Before she could answer, Molly spoke up, "Actually, darling, Ava's due back at Hogwarts."

She shot the mother a thankful look, not sure how else she could have broached the subject of her leaving the Burrow.

The boys rushed to give her a hug, even Bill didn't hold back.

"When are you coming back?" Charlie asked, not letting go after Bill stepped away.

"Uh—I—," Ava stuttered as she patted the top of his head and looked at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "I'm not sure," she finished.

Bill looked at her with a serious expression. "But you'll come back?" He lifted his chin, almost as if daring her to say otherwise.

She smiled at his little tough-guy exterior making an appearance once more. "Of course." Ava glanced at his parents. "That is, if you need me to babysit again."

"I'm sure we will," Arthur told them with a grin. "Back to work, boys, that castle won't build itself."

Charlie and Bill spun on their heels and resumed creating their make-believe set piece.

"Bye, boys!" she called out.

"Bye, Ava!" they responded together.

Mrs. Weasley frowned at her sons and opened her mouth, but Ava interrupted. "I told them they could just call me Ava, I hope that's alright."

She nodded. "As long as you told them they could, that's fine, dear." Molly pecked her husband on the cheek and turned back to Ava. "Can I walk you to the Floo?"

She headed downstairs with Molly asking polite questions about her classes until they reached the fireplace.

Turning her belly to the side, Mrs. Weasley gripped Ava in a tight hug. "Thank you so much, dear, really. You have no idea how happy it makes us to see Charlie so open and loving with you." She pulled away but held onto Ava's hands and added, "Bill too. And I've no doubt that Percy is just as comfortable with you."

Ava's heart swelled. "I'm more than happy to help. They're all really sweet boys."

Molly smiled and squeezed her hands. "Truly, Ava, thank you so much. I've never seen Charlie so quick to come out of his shell like he does with you. And he's so affectionate." She pressed her lips together and her tone turn somber. "He isn't always. With myself and Arthur he is, of course, but not with our extended family and he's only occasionally like that with his uncles." Molly shook herself and her smile reappeared. "It would mean the world to us if you'd come back to see the boys some time."

She nodded. "Most definitely. Whenever. And hopefully it won't be for an emergency."

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes. "Overprotective wizards—what can you do?"

Ava laughed, maybe a little too hard, knowing exactly how Molly felt. And it wasn't just Remus she was thinking of.

Having never released Ava's hands, Molly pulled her in for another quick hug. "Off you pop, dear. We don't want to take up your whole day."

"What time is it?" she asked Molly while glancing around the room for the infamous Weasley family clock and coming up empty. She frowned. Maybe they just don't have it yet? She had no clue when the clock was actually created.

"It's nearly ten," Mrs. Weasley informed her.

"Oh, it's still fairly early," Ava said, pleasantly surprised. She'd still have time to meet up with Remus and her Slytherin study group before tea with Narcissa that afternoon.

"Have a good rest of your day, dear," Molly said, waving bye as she backed away from the fireplace.

"Thanks, you too, Molly," she replied, scooping up a handful of powder and ducking under the mantle.

Ava sucked in a breath. Her magic seemed to recede into itself, hiding away in her chest with an air of lamentation. Don't be so dramatic, we'll see them all again soon enough, I'm sure. Her magic gave no response, apparently choosing to pout.

She barely refrained from rolling her eyes at the fact that her magic seemed to be on a never-ending quest to collect as many pack members as possible. Although, she supposed, maybe it's not only reacting to pack members, but just people I'm comfortable around and care about?

Either way, the Weasley's fireplace wasn't the right location for Ava to ponder over her magic's behavior. "Professor McGonagall's Quarters!" she shouted, throwing down the Floo powder.

---

As Ava meandered down the fifth floor corridor, scouting for the tapestry Narcissa had told her to look for, she took a few moments to steady her breathing and clear her mind, forming her mental shield. Severus didn't think the Slytherin witch would try anything like Legilimency on Ava, but one couldn't be too careful.

Though, Ava herself didn't think that Narcissa was going to try anything underhanded since their meeting for tea was explicitly supposed to be just the two of them, and that had been Narcissa's choice. Hopefully, that truly was the case, because after watching the Weasley boys and studying for a few hours, Ava was exhausted.

It'd be nice to just hang out and not worry about everything for once. Maybe I just need more girl time, Ava thought, just realizing that she hadn't spent any lengthy amount of time with Lily since she had revealed most of the truth to the redhead.

Ah. She finally spotted the tapestry of a werewolf and a maiden that Narcissa had mentioned. She couldn't keep a smirk off her face. How fitting.

When Ava pulled the tapestry to the side, her jaw dropped. There was a massive room with a large fireplace, along with multiple sets of couches, chairs, and tables strewn about. The walls were also covered with more tapestries that seemed to depict the same werewolf and woman as the one Ava had just entered through.

Narcissa was the only other person in the room, and she was sitting at a table near the middle of the room, equidistant from the entrance as it was from the fireplace. A tea set and a tray of tasty looking treats were on the table.

"Afternoon, Miss McGonagall," the blonde witch said as she rose from her seat.

"Hey," Ava responded dumbly, still taking in the large room as she walked towards Narcissa.

The Slytherin laughed lightly. "Not what you were expecting?"

She shook her head. "The castle never ceases to amaze me."

When Ava had joined Narcissa at the table, the other witch reached out to grasp her hands and placed a kiss on both of her cheeks, to which Ava returned the gesture, following the protocol drilled into her by Phineas.

"Is it usually this empty in here?" Ava asked.

"Hmm, more often than not, I'd say," Narcissa replied as she poured two cups of tea. "But for the next hour, it'll be just the two of us since I booked the room."

"What do you mean?" Ava asked. "Thanks," she added, taking the tea cup from the blonde witch.

"You're welcome," Narcissa said. "Since I'm a prefect, I can reserve some of the spaces around the castle for club meetings or study groups if I choose to."

"Oh, I had no idea you could do that. That's handy." Ava frowned. "But who do they think is in here right now?"

A small smile graced Narcissa's face. "The Society for the Promotion of Witch Collaboration."

With a smirk, Ava asked, "Are we plotting something then, Narcissa?"

Blonde eyebrows shot up, but in a blink, the witch had relaxed again. "Hardly," she said primly. "It's only our first meeting, after all." She grinned and then winked.

Ava laughed as she added two cubes of sugar to her tea. Before coming to this world, hot tea hadn't been a drink she frequently enjoyed, but it had grown on her. Stirring her tea, Ava glanced back up at the other witch. "I want to thank you again for helping me at the New Year's Eve Ball."

Narcissa waved her off. "You've thanked me plenty of times in the few letters we've exchanged, that's quite enough. I meant what I said about us witches sticking together." Her expression seemed to grow cautious. "Would it be alright if I call you Ava?"

"Of course," Ava blurted, realizing that's why the blonde witch had looked taken aback just a moment ago. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you for permission first."

"No need to fret," Narcissa said before taking a sip of her tea. "Miss McGonagall seems a little too formal now anyway. After all, I've seen your sick." She flashed a teasing grin.

"Cheeky," Ava muttered with a mock glare.

Narcissa's smile widened.

Ava put down her tea cup. "So," she began, placing her elbows on the table as she leaned forward, chin in her hands. "How on earth did Lucius convince you to agree to marriage?"

The blond witch laughed and then launched into a retelling of their relationship. Apparently, when they were younger, Lucius and Narcissa couldn't stand each other. But somewhere down the line, Lucius decided that he thought the Slytherin witch was rather pretty and had a good sense of humor—"for a girl" Narcissa quoted with an eye roll—and he put everything into pursuing her. According to Narcissa, she gave a good chase, but ultimately Lucius's charm and romantic gestures won her over.

Ava smiled. "That's so sweet."

"What about you and Lupin?"

The corners of her mouth dropped a little. She hadn't really had to explain her relationship with Remus to someone who wasn't in-the-know or under an Oath.

Narcissa frowned. "I'm sorry," she backtracked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, no, it's okay," Ava said, fidgeting in her chair a bit. "I don't mind sharing. You just did anyway, but it's just difficult to explain." She shrugged sheepishly. "And it happened so quickly."

A knowing grin appeared on the other witch's face. "Why don't you just tell me what you feel comfortable sharing?"

Ava swallowed. "Okay." She started with her arrival at Hogwarts, following the same story they'd told the public. But the more Ava spoke, the more she realized that she could actually share most of the truth with Narcissa. Her feelings of being lost and scared in a newly discovered magical world and learning how to understand her magic among them.

It seemed Ava had been bottling up some of her emotions because words slipped out of her mouth without thought. "I was so desperate to catch up and learn everything that I could, I was draining my magical core."

"Ava!" Narcissa gasped, reaching out to squeeze one of Ava's hands. "That's incredibly dangerous." A deep frown marred her face as she continued, "I can't imagine being in your place and not discovering magic existed until now, but you can't push yourself to that extent. And you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, truly. I think you've done a wonderful job acclimating to our world."

Ava smiled. "Thank you. And I know." She released a huff of annoyance. "Besides Aunt Minerva and Madame Pomfrey, I've got Remus and Severus hounding me about being careful."

Narcissa patted her hand and pulled away. "There's nothing wrong with those who care about us wanting to protect us, even from ourselves."

Ava locked eyes with Narcissa, instantly reminded that the witch sitting across from her was the one to lie directly to Voldemort's face about Harry being dead. She certainly would do whatever it took to protect her son, but is she referring to Lucius right now?

Before Ava could follow that train of thought, Narcissa spoke up. "How did Lupin fit into everything after you arrived?"

She smiled. "He became my friend. Of course, I'm good friends with James and Sirius, and Severus is my best friend—"

Narcissa interrupted quickly. "You'll have to tell me how that came about as well."

Ava rolled her eyes. "It wasn't easy, I tell you."

The blond witch gave a delicate snort. "I can imagine." She gestured with her hand towards Ava. "But go on, what happened between you and Lupin?"

"We were friends for a short while, just spending time together, but I was drawn to him," she smiled, thinking back on their flirting and useless attempts to resist the bond between them. "I literally just couldn't help myself, and he couldn't either. We were pulled towards each other, and we fit perfectly. He's ridiculously amazing and so sweet and…" she drifted off, consumed by memories of her soulmate running through her mind.

Narcissa cleared her throat.

Ava shook herself, feeling her face turn red.

"I wonder what thoughts of Mr. Lupin would cause such a deep blush, Miss McGonagall," Narcissa said before laughing, prompting Ava to do the same.

She waggled her eyebrows. "Oh, you have no idea." A wide smirk overtook her face.

Narcissa stared at her in amazement, mouth hanging open for a long moment before bursting into giggles.

Ava joined in her laughter, knowing that she and the other witch were going to be great friends.

The young ladies spent the remainder of their time together discussing everything from classes and professors, to shopping—or more notably, Ava's lack of experience with all of the stores that Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley had to offer—to their plans post-Hogwarts. Ava nearly sighed aloud with relief when Narcissa didn't pressure her for a more specific answer when she merely said, "I don't know, maybe something with Potions or Charms," with a massive shrug.

But the Slytherin witch didn't have a specific career in mind either it seemed. Being the future Mrs. Malfoy, she'd likely be too busy running the household, or a handful of charity organizations, which she seemed truly passionate about. She very demurely mentioned something about taking some Healer courses if she had the time, but Ava returned the favor and didn't pressure Narcissa about why she'd only be pursuing a career if she had time. Ava knew there must be certain expectations of a Pureblood wife, especially for a family like the Malfoys.

"So, how did you grow so close with Severus?" Narcissa asked.

Ava lifted a shoulder and smiled. "I think I wore him down with my persistence."

Narcissa chuckled.

"But really, we spent time together because he was tutoring me in Potions, and we realized that we have some things in common."

"Like what?"

"Well, we're both interested in Potions and learning new spells, and we do have a similar sense of humor. But—," she paused, glancing away from Narcissa for a moment, "—we just understand each other. We look out for one another."

Narcissa gave her a small smile. "I'm glad he has you." She cleared her throat and picked at a scone, not eating it.

Ava's brows furrowed. "What is it?"

"Well, I wonder if you might ask Severus—," she tried to smile, "—or one of your Gryffindor boys, to accompany you in the corridors after classes."

"Why?" she asked with narrow eyes.

Narcissa pressed her lips together and let out a breath through her nose. "I'm…concerned about what I've overheard in the Slytherin common room recently. McNair has taken an interest in you."

She quirked a brow. "That's not really news, Narcissa. That guy hates me. Besides, it's not like he'd try anything serious inside Hogwarts. And I definitely don't plan on hanging out with him in Hogsmeade."

The blond witch leaned forward and grasped one of Ava's hands. "Just promise me you'll be careful?"

Ava nodded. She couldn't exactly tell Narcissa that she was learning how to detect magic and could protect herself better than McNair probably thought.

Narcissa squeezed her hand once more before letting go with a sigh. "My older sis—someone I know— who's graduated, had a nasty run-in with McNair's older brother when they were both sixth years."

"I don't really find that surprising with the way McNair behaves," Ava said, "but you don't need to worry about me. I'll be careful."

The other witch nodded and dropped her gaze to the scone and began picking at it once more.

Ava took a breath. "Were you about to mention your sister?"

Narcissa whipped her head up with wide eyes, appearing on the brink of tears.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Just a slight sniffle and a silent nod were all Ava got in response.

"You know I'm good friends with your cousins, right? Sirius and Regulus? And you know I don't think any less of someone just because of their blood status?"

Narcissa frowned briefly then gave Ava a tiny, watery smile. "I suppose if you already know about Andromeda, then it's okay to mention her? If you don't mind, that is."

Ava couldn't stop her eye roll. "Of course not, Narcissa. Why on earth would I care if you wanted to talk about your sister? Unless something is upsetting to you, we can talk about whatever you want."

A soft "Thank you," fell from the Slytherin witch's lips.

"It's really not a problem." Ava couldn't imagine being told to never speak of a sibling ever again just because of who they happened to fall in love with and marry. Utter nonsense. Especially when she could see how much it upset Narcissa.

After a minute of silence, Ava decided to give the poor girl a distraction and asked, "So, how do you feel about Quidditch?"

Her question startled a laugh out of Narcissa. "Boys," she said with an eye roll.

Ava chuckled.

Both witches agreed that while the flying sport could be entertaining, it was nerve-wracking watching people you knew and cared about playing when there were numerous stories of players being injured. Thankfully, Hogwarts referees were strict about fouls and good sportsmanship.

Soon after the abrupt switch in topics, Ava and Narcissa parted ways just outside the werewolf and maiden tapestry with a promise to meet again soon. Ava hummed to herself, practically skipping on her way back to her quarters, feeling rather pleased about her first time hanging out with the Slytherin witch.

She strolled into her quarters and called out, "Aunt Minerva?"

"She's not here," a masculine voice answered from across the room.

"Phineas!" Ava shouted with a smile before running to the painting he occupied.

"Hello, dear girl," he said, smiling himself.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," she said, throwing herself on the couch and facing the cottage painting.

"That's because you haven't," he said, lifting his chin haughtily. "You've been so busy recently, I'm surprised you even have the time to speak with me now."

Ava bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself from laughing. "Phineas, I'm sorry."

His stiff posture relaxed at her words.

Phineas's atypical reaction to her recent absence made Ava think. What does he do when he's not here? Does he have any other—dare I say it—friends? "I'll spend more time in our quarters so you can come see me more often."

"Good. Now, what have you been up to, busy little witch?"

She took a deep breath and spilled the details about her trainings with Moody, babysitting the Weasley boys, having tea with Narcissa, and her unfortunate confrontation with McNair.

While he commended her dedication to be friendly with Slytherin students, like Narcissa, Severus, and her other friends, Phineas was adamant that she keep a close eye on McNair. "That boy's family has always been trouble. You be careful," he told her in a gruff voice.

"Always am, Phineas," Ava said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. It seemed everyone was worried about McNair retaliating against her, but she really couldn't believe he'd try anything too terrible. They were at Hogwarts, for Heaven's sake.

---

While the Shrieking Shack might not have had the most romantic atmosphere, with the full moon rising soon, Ava and Remus just couldn't help themselves. Their clothes littered the creaky floorboards, leading towards the old, musty mattress that laid on the floor where the couple was too distracted with each other's bodies to bother noticing the less pleasant scents permeating the room.

Remus had his head buried between Ava's thighs, licking away the mess from their combined orgasms, but he seemed determined to make her come again.

She was teetering on the edge of pleasure, panting heavily, still trying to recover from their recent coupling. "More, Remus. I need more," she whined.

His responding growl vibrated against her clit.

Ava curled her toes and dug her fingers into the mattress, eyes squeezed shut. "Remus," she begged.

The werewolf pulled his face away, causing her eyes to shoot open. "What are you—"

With a snap of his hips, Remus was buried deep inside her.

A long, low groan slipped from Ava's lips.

"Is this what my mate wanted?" he spoke into her ear.

"Yes," she whispered before biting his neck, fingers scrambling for purchase on his naked back.

Remus groaned out her name and left a trail of scorching kisses up her neck, across her cheek, to her mouth. He attacked her lips, kissing Ava with everything he had, barely letting her breathe.

She knew this was the werewolf side of her soulmate, wanting to assert his dominance while simultaneously proving that he would care for her in the coming hours when the transformation overtook them both. When this was how Remus showed his love for her, Ava had no problem letting the werewolf have his way.

He leaned back, using his hands to keep Ava's knees spread. "Fuck, Ava. You're so beautiful like this, letting me fuck you."

She released a breathless whine. Between his words, the way he completely filled her, and the desire sparking across their bond, it was becoming too much.

His eyes flicked back and forth between her face and chest, her breasts bouncing from the force of his hips every time he thrusted into her. Remus's eyes glowed amber for a moment. "You like being a good girl for me?" he asked in Moony's gravelly voice. "Are you going to take my cock like a good girl?"

Ava couldn't manage anything other than "Yes, yes," repeatedly as the werewolf continued to pound into her faster and harder.

A wave of heated pleasure rose up inside Ava, mounting so high, she could hardly breathe. When Remus reached down to rub his thumb over her clit, it came crashing down. "Oh—fuck," she moaned as her orgasm rocketed through her body, leaving her leg muscles twitching as Remus continued to piston in and out of her, chasing his own release.

A few thrusts of his hips later, Remus let loose a long, drawn out groan of pleasure, dropping on top of Ava and burying his face in her neck.

As his movements slowed, he kept repeating her name, alternating between planting kisses on her cheek and nipping at the mating mark at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

Gradually catching her breath, Ava ran her fingers through his hair, basking in the mingling of their magics. Though, the warm, familiar embrace of Remus's magic soothed only a fraction of her nerves about the approaching transformation. At least this time it won't be a surprise, she thought, trying to be positive.

Remus propped himself up and gazed down at her with a small wrinkle between his brows. "Don't worry, love. I've got you." He pressed a kiss to her lips. "I won't let anything happen to you."

She smiled. "I know."

He kissed her long and hard once more before nuzzling her neck. "My mate," he said, tone reverent.

The deep love and absolute devotion that sang across their bond brought tears to Ava's eyes. "Remus," she whispered, voice cracking.

He shot up, rocking back onto his knees. "What is it? Are you okay?" he asked frantically, eyes wide.

"I just love you so much." She sniffed, blinking rapidly to quell the tears that threatened to pour over.

Remus's shoulders slumped and he breathed out an exasperated, "Ava." He leaned forward and cupped her cheek. "I love you too." He pecked her lips and sat back up, pulling her with him. "We've got to get cleaned up, the guys will be here soon."

With a few waves of their wands, the couple was as clean as they could be, though Ava wasn't too fussed considering she was going to be a wolf for the next several hours. She'd take a nice hot shower in the morning to wash away the lingering animals scents from snuggling with a werewolf all night and tussling with the Animagi.

Not bothering to dress herself, Ava folded up her clothes in a neat pile. After the surprise of her previous transformation, Remus confessed that it was much easier to be naked and not deal with torn clothing every full moon. The plan was for her to keep herself wrapped in her robe for as long as possible, but James, Sirius, and Peter would turn their back until both her and Remus had finished transforming.

Ava was grateful that Remus had considered that aspect of the transformations moving forward because she sure as shit hadn't. It was never brought up, but the other boys must've gotten some glimpse of her naked body last time. Nope, not going there.

Ava scooped up her discarded cardigan from the floor of the Shack, ignoring Remus's smirk at the fact that she was still using his sweater. Digging around in a pocket, she grasped a small glass bottle and pulled it out, downing all of the contents in one go.

"What was that?" Remus asked, smugness replaced with concern.

"Just a contraceptive potion. I was due for my next one, so I stopped by the Hospital Wing before we snuck out here."

"Oh." His cheeks turned slightly pink as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Still blushing, Remus swallowed. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "You ready to move to the other room?"

Ava laughed at the sudden change of subjects, but let it go and nodded. She and Remus hadn't really discussed having kids beyond the fact that they both wanted them, just not now. The idea of having their son or daughter playing with a future baby Harry flitted across her mind, but Ava shook herself.

She had a plan and was determined to see it through. And Ava knew without a shadow of a doubt that she didn't want to bring a baby into this world until Voldemort and the Death Eaters were no more. Her heart could barely handle having her soulmate and friends out and about with the dark wizards running amok, so there was no way she could add her own child to the mix.

Remus grasped her hand and led her to the usual room where the boys would spend the nights of the full moon. Ava had been very insistent that she and Remus not have sex in the shared room. Though their mixed scents might cling to their bodies now, it would've saturated the room and the boys would've noticed immediately upon arrival.

As it was, when the remaining three Marauders joined them a couple minutes later, James grimaced when he got close enough to scent Ava and Remus, Sirius smirked beyond belief, and Peter ducked his head, hiding red cheeks.

"Enough," Remus growled, more wolf than wizard, probably feeling her embarrassment trickle through their bond.

Ava squeezed his hand in thanks, but didn't speak for fear of her voice giving away her continued anxiety about the impending transformation. Her restless magic swirled in her chest alongside the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Not the best combination, she thought, swallowing back nausea that had bubbled up. I'm fine. I'm fine. Remus is here. The boys are here. I'm totally fine. She clutched her robes tighter around her naked body.

Remus pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm right here, love."

Goosebumps broke out over her skin. "I know," she whispered, hoping that this transformation wouldn't hurt as much as last time.

Turned out it was just wishful thinking. Once again, the bone deep ache grew in intensity until Ava thought she might explode. Remus had already dropped to his knees beside her, but she remained standing, gritting her teeth and taking shallow breaths, bracing herself for the coming pain.

James, Sirius, and Peter spun around to face the wall without prompting.

Her magic seemed frantic now, rushing from her chest down to her fingertips and back again. A loud crack sounded as sharp pain blossomed across her chest. "Fuck," she muttered, clenching her fists and choosing to kneel of her own accord before the pain became too much.

Remus let out a low groan, followed by the disturbing cracks of his bones realigning.

Ava's spine snapped and she released a grunt. C'mon! Just do it already! She could see fur emerging along Remus's arms and legs, but her wolf was nowhere in sight yet.

As her bones and muscles began to shift, blinding agony erupted throughout her body. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, gasping for breath. Ava's magic roiled inside her, rising to an unbearable temperature before it burst, darkness and silence overwhelming her.

It only seemed to last for a moment and then she was slowly blinking herself awake as Moony licked her face.

Are you okay? Remus's voice echoed in her mind.

Yeah, she responded.

The werewolf huffed a breath of air across her face. I can tell when you're lying, Avalynn McGonagall.

Almost in unison, a snort, snuffle, and squeak of laughter sounded from a few feet away.

Ava lifted her pounding head and glared at the Animagi, letting loose a low warning growl.

Sirius wasn't intimidated at all. He waltzed right up to her, tail wagging, tongue hanging out of his mouth and gave her a quick nuzzle to the side of her face. Moony full-named you, he teased.

She grumbled at Padfoot, but didn't bother snapping at him with her now sharp teeth. Ava couldn't be bothered. I'm tired, she complained, feeling as though every inch of her body was throbbing in time with her heartbeat.

You could sleep if you want, Remus suggested while James and Sirius both made noises of protest.

I wanted to play with Ava, James pouted, slowly approaching where she still laid on the wooden floor. You and Padfoot hogged her all last full moon because she was still getting used to having four legs.

Ava smiled and it must've appeared entirely too wolfish because James halted in his tracks. She laughed, but relented. Fine. With a huff, she stood, carefully testing each of her limbs. They felt relatively normal, but Ava was still exhausted, like she'd already been playing all night with the Marauders.

Are you sure you're okay? Remus asked, amber eyes roving all over her, as if inspecting for injuries.

Ava nodded her head then shook out her whole body, right down to the tip of her tail, just like a dog would. The movement felt natural, but her muscles objected, making their soreness known.

Ugh, she thought to herself. This is almost how I feel after training with Moody. She briefly wondered how her magic and the werewolf transformation were connected to each other. Did her magic help with the transformation, pushing the change along? Or was she sore because her magic was busy trying to protect her?

Sirius let out an excited yip, startling Ava from her thoughts.

Padfoot bent into a play bow and she instinctively did the same before leaping at him and giving chase for a few moments. Then Ava pivoted and sprang towards James, who scrambled on his hooves to get out of her way.

You said you wanted to play, she shouted, laughing.

I would've liked a little warning, James yelled as he pranced around the room, trying to evade both Ava and Sirius. But Prongs had cornered himself in front of the pile of blankets and pillows. He stopped abruptly and faced the two canines before stomping his front hooves against the wooden floor.

Uh-oh, Sirius said beside Ava.

What? she asked, but before he could answer her, James charged in their direction. Ava let out a startled yelp, but managed to tangle up her four limbs in an effort to get out of the storming deer's way and collapsed onto the floor. Ow.

James stopped inches from where she laid in a breathless heap of fluff and lowered his head to hers before releasing a hot breath through his wide nostrils directly into her face.

Gross James! She nipped at him and he scurried away but she could still hear his laughter in her head, along with the others.

Ava let out a small, displeased growl and stood, despite her protesting muscles, before making her way to the comfy pile of pillows and blankets.

Ah, c'mon, don't pout, Sirius said, trotting over towards her.

She circled twice before laying down. I really am tired, Sirius. I'm not pouting, I promise.

Padfoot gave her a quick nuzzle then left to join James and Peter on the other side of the room.

Moony prowled over to her sleeping spot. Are you sure you're feeling okay, love? he asked before nuzzling her face and neck. His magic caressed her, prompting a pleased rumble to sound from her chest.

I'm just tired. Her statement was punctuated with a yawn.

Remus released a chuff of laughter and moved to climb behind Ava.

Go play, she told him. I'm fine. Come snuggle later.

Are you sure? I don't mind.

Ava rolled her eyes at the werewolf. I'm positive. I'm just going to be sleeping, Remus.

Alright, but I'll be back for cuddles later, he promised.

She smiled and finally let her eyes droop shut.

---

Ava adjusted the strap of her schoolbag as she stepped over the threshold of her quarters and began the trek to Charms. She'd skipped breakfast in the Great Hall in lieu of sleeping in and grabbing a quick bite, courtesy of Flopsy, since she'd been feeling so rundown the past few days. Last night's training session with Moody was by far the most difficult one yet. The Auror had the uncanny ability to push her harder and harder until she couldn't take any more, then he'd back off and build her up again only to repeat the process over and over.

Adding to her exhausted state was that the full moon had only been two days ago. Ava was mildly annoyed that Remus seemed to recover more quickly than she did, but she brushed it off as her just being more sleep deprived than he was at the moment. She was rather busy, and learning to master a difficult magical skill, after all.

As she trudged down the corridor, Ava rubbed at her sternum, which was aching something fierce. Her ribs were tender as well, and of course, her arm muscles were terribly fatigued. As if she had been lifting weights. She smiled to herself, wondering if wizards even had gyms.

The hair on the back of her neck raised, and her magic seemed to stand at attention, buzzing through her with alertness. She froze in the middle of the corridor, recognizing that her magic was trying to tell her something. With a flick of her wrist, Ava's Blackthorn wand dropped into her hand, and she spun on her heel to confront whoever had been following her.

It wasn't a person she saw immediately, but a Stinging Hex, sailing straight towards her face. "Protego!" The shield formed in the nick of time, the spell fizzling out with a hiss as it impacted. Crisis averted, Ava glared at the wizard who had tried to hex her. "McNair," she growled out.

His brief surprise at her speed with the shielding spell dissolved into a sneer. "McGonagall, I hadn't realized that was you. Apologies," he drawled lazily, as if commenting on the weather.

She gripped her wand. "You know, I get that you're a Slytherin, but hexing someone when their back is turned seems awfully cowardly."

His nostrils flared and he took a step closer towards her. "Are you calling me a coward?"

"Yes—yes, I am," she said, not moving a muscle and keeping her wand trained on him.

McNair's eyes flashed with anger, then his face began to turn purple as he stuttered over his words.

Ava sighed. This is not what I wanted. I need to be the bigger person. Lowering her wand, Ava said, "Look, McNair, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Madame Pince."

He narrowed his eyes at her and took another step closer.

Though instinct told Ava to retreat, she stood her ground, not wanting to give the bully any satisfaction. It had to end somewhere. "We obviously don't get along, so let's just steer clear of each other, okay?"

McNair's typical sneer made another appearance before he opened his mouth, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by a shout from behind Ava.

"Back off, McNair!" Sirius's voice rang out.

"Get away from her!" James added.

She pressed her lips together as the boys joined them, positioning themselves slightly in front of Ava on either side.

The Slytherin smirked and looked down at her haughtily. "I didn't realize you were the type of witch to need her friends to fight battles for her, McGonagall."

She swallowed the animalistic growl that threatened to burst forth.

"At least she has friends to watch her back," James said, voice more scathing than she'd ever heard from him.

"Guys—," she started, only to be interrupted by Sirius.

"Maybe you should be more concerned about watching your own back, McNair, rather than who's looking out for her."

McNair glared at Sirius, then shifted his gaze to Ava.

"That's enough, all of you," Ava said in a firm voice as she gripped James and Sirius by the backs of their robes and yanked them down the corridor towards Charms. As she pushed the boys away from McNair, she glanced back at the wizard and shouted from over her shoulder, "Stay away from me, and I'll stay away from you."

The Slytherin gave her no response other than to continue staring at her menacingly, practically vibrating from how much he was seething on the inside.

"Great," she muttered. "What the hell is wrong with you two, huh?" She glared at James and Sirius. "I'm trying to calm shit down with him, not make things worse."

"Why? Did he threaten you?" Sirius asked, halting their steps to grasp her by the shoulders.

Ava shrugged him off, still too annoyed to be softened by his protectiveness. "No," she said, choosing not to tell them about what happened with McNair in the library. "We just don't need any more animosity between our houses. It'll only make classes with them more unbearable."

"Hear, hear," James piped up, wrapping an arm around Ava's shoulders and tucking her into his side. "Don't be so grumpy. We just like being the knights who come rescue Queen Ava from the clutches of evil Slytherins."

"Dashingly handsome knights," Sirius corrected.

James nodded. "That's a given."

Ava rolled her eyes. "I swear, you guys will be the death of me."

---

Did anyone pick up on the Hogwarts Legacy references? ;)