Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Warrior Nun, or any of the character that come from them.
AN: Sorry for the wait. I forgot all about the story and that I had posted the first chapter. Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate every one I get.
Chapter 2: The Letter From Hermione
Ava listened as Beatrice spoke, enthralled by everything she was saying. It was amazing to hear about this literal magical world, that she would soon get the chance to be a part of. It was yet another piece of the Beatrice puzzle that she got to know and learn and experience. Which excited her to no end.
Although, she was deeply saddened by yet another thing her parents had made her feel terrible about. Like it was Beatrice's fault she was born a lesbian or a witch. Ava truly hoped she never had the displeasure of meeting these awful people. She didn't think she would be able to hold back if she did, and that would only make things more difficult for Bea, which she didn't want.
It did make her happy though, to know that Beatrice had amazing people in her life. Including this Hermione girl. Who she was willing to admit to herself that she was a little jealous of. She got to know a side of Bea she didn't, at least not yet. But she was more jealous of Bea's feelings for this girl, not that she was ever going to admit that out loud. She was still coming to terms with her feelings for Bea, and didn't want them to ruin their friendship. She didn't know what she would do if she didn't have Bea in her life.
Beatrice still looked like she was afraid of the answer, so Ava offered to read it to her, which Bea immediately agreed to. She picked up the letter and ran her fingers over the strange paper. It was thicker than a normal envelope and not nearly as smooth, with a wax seal keeping the envelope closed instead of water activated glue. She thought the wax seal was cool though.
The paper inside the envelope was the same, so it took her a few moments to pull them out and flatten them.
"Dear Beatrice," she began. "I am so very excited to hear from you. I've missed you terribly."
She paused and looked up at Beatrice. "No wonder you like her, she sounds just like you. I feel like I should be reading this with a British accent."
Beatrice gave her a disapproving look that made her smile.
"I'm sorry to hear that your friend is in danger and would love to help. You both are more than welcome to stay with me in my flat in London while the Order helps to set things up for you. I have a spare bedroom that is more than big enough for the both of you. I await Hermes return, with a day and time for us to meet. I was thinking at the Leaky Cauldron, as you already know where that is. I'm just a five-minute walk from there. I can't wait to see you again. Please stay safe, Sincerely Hermione."
Ava looked up to Beatrice. "She seems nice."
Beatrice nodded her head. "She is," she said, and then stood up. She walked across the room to the dresser, where a pen and pad were sitting. "I suppose we should decide when to leave. I've already acquired funds for us to live comfortably until we can get settled and find employment."
"Okay." Ava said, as she too made it across the room. She gently placed her hand on Beatrice's shoulder and looked at her in the mirror. "But are you okay?"
Beatrice paused and looked up at her in the mirror. She smiled and turned to look at her properly. "I'm still nervous, but I'm feeling much better about the situation." She paused as she reached up to cup her hand over Ava's which was still resting on her shoulder. "You've made me feel better."
Ava's heart began to race, beating heavily against her sternum, as a warmth washed over her. For what felt like the hundredth time since she realized her feeling for Bea in the bar, she wanted nothing more than to lean forward and kiss her. "Good. I'm glad," she said after a few moments. "So, when are we going then?"
Beatrice dropped her hand, giving Ava a chance to reclaim hers. "As soon as possible. I was thinking we should leave tomorrow. We can take the train up to London in the morning and meet Hermione the following morning."
"That doesn't give us much time to say goodbye," Ava frowned.
Beatrice sighed, "No, I suppose it doesn't, but we've already stayed too long. Lilith knows where we are so the longer we stay, the more dangerous us being here gets. We can't risk Adriel getting the halo."
"I know," Ava sighed heavily. "I was just hoping for a little more time."
"Me too," Beatrice agreed.
"Then we'll just have to make the most of the time we have left." Ava grinned widely at Beatrice, then quickly leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. She pulled back just as quickly and gestured towards the pad of paper. "Write your letter and then meet me in the living room," she quickly said.
She left before Bea could fully react to the kiss, much like she does every time she took the chance. It was getting harder and harder not to lean forward and just go for it. Every time Bea looked at her, their eyes lingering for more than a few seconds, she wanted to lean in and see once and for all if the feelings she had for Beatrice were reciprocated. But she couldn't, at least not yet. She wasn't ready to have her heart crushed if Bea didn't feel the same, and if she did, she didn't want to push Bea into something she might not be ready for. She was already questioning everything about herself, Ava didn't want to add her feelings into the mix. So, she would have to settle for stolen pecks on the cheeks.
Ava wanted to make a nice dinner for everyone, one last family night before she and Bea disappeared into this secret society. Bea had taught her to make a few things while they lived in the alps, and she had kinda gotten into it. She liked experimenting with new foods and loved making things for Bea to enjoy. Which she always did, without complaint. Of course everything was exciting for Ava, after living off the bland food prepared at the orphanage. "Evil old nuns really should not be preparing food for children."
She hopped down to the arc room to find Jillian. She wanted to make sure it was alright with her if he took over the kitchen for a while. Plus she was hoping Jillian would come help her, just so she could spend a little more time with her.
Jillian was fine with her commandeering her kitchen, but couldn't be convinced to come join her, much to Ava's disappointment. Ava was taking Micheal's death a lot harder than she thought she would, especially since his death had been in vain. If she ever met Raya she'd give her a piece of her mind for such a foolish plan. Spending time with Jillian was helping, especially to help ease the guilt she was feeling for her part in his death. Not that Jillian was blaming Ava. She had made it quite clear that she didn't blame her for what happened. Still, the guilt was overwhelming at times.
Mother Superion found Ava on her way to the kitchen and offered her a helping hand. Which she accepted after only a passing thought of her being an old, not so evil, nun. As it turns out Mother was more than competent in the kitchen and even taught Ava how to make the perfect cheesy garlic bread to go with the lasagna she was making. "So much better than I could ever make," she commented through a moan.
Mother Superion gave her a look at the moan that made Ava laugh. "I can't help it," she said around a mouthful of bread. "I just love food."
"Then you're in good company," Mother Superion said as she too took a bite of the bread. "So good."
Ava smiled at her widely, happy to get to see this side of her. Although it did make her a little sad. She was going to really miss being around her.
Mother Superion must have noticed the dip in Ava's mood, because she softly said, "It's going to be alright, Ava. We'll figure out how to stop Adriel and be reunited soon."
"You hope," she sighed.
"No. I have faith. Faith in you and Beatrice and God."
"Even now, given what we've learned?"
"Even now. Everything I hold dear in this life came to me because of my faith in him. Including you my dear. That is what I hold on to during the darkest nights."
Ava knew Mother Superion wasn't the most physically affectionate person, but she was and at that moment she just wanted a hug. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Mother Superion. She stiffed for a moment but softened. She freed her arms from Ava's grasp and wrapped them around her. In that moment Ava felt safe and cared for.
"I'm really gonna miss you," Ava said, tearing up a little.
"And I you," Superion replied. "And I you."
"Ava?" She heard Bea saying from the door. She broke away from the mother and discreetly wiped her eyes before turning to Bea. She smiled widely as she said, "Hey Bea. Dinner is almost done. Mother Superion showed me how to make the most amazing cheesy garlic bread. It's so good. Try a piece." She quickly tore off a piece from the one she and Mother Superion were munching on.
Beatrice still looked worried but accepted the piece of bread. She tried really hard not to think about Bea's lips as she gently nibbled on it. She was always so dainty when she ate. Just one of the many things about Beatrice that Ava found incredibly cute.
She did smile widely when Bea's face lit up at the taste. "That is delicious."
"Thank you," Mother Superion said, and then went to check on the lasagna.
Beatrice came in close to Ava and gently asked if she was alright.
"Yeah, Bea. Just you know, gonna miss everyone."
Beatrice gently caressed her cheek. "I don't think it will be like before," she said so softly that she almost missed it. Her mind was still hyper aware of the soft hand on her cheek.
"Wait. What do you mean?" she asked just as softly.
Beatrice dropped her hand and Ava wished she would she would put it back. "Stop Ava. Get your mind off of her hand." She had to resist the urge to shake her head to clear the thoughts.
"I don't think Adriel is aware of… you know. We can use that to our advantage, as long as we're careful."
"You mean we can stay in touch this time?" Ava asked feeling hopeful.
"Maybe. I'm not promising anything but there are ways we can communicate outside of the normal means."
"You mean besides the you know what in your room?"
Beatrice nodded her head.
"That's so cool," Ava exclaimed a little too loudly. She cringed a little and looked over her shoulders at Mother Superion, who was busy sprinkling a last layer of cheese on the lasagnas and not paying attention to them. "That's so cool," she repeated softer.
Beatrice just nodded her head slightly and looked over Ava's shoulder to where Mother Superion was sitting. "You made my favorite," she smiled softly.
"Of course," Ava beamed at her. Seeing Beatrice happy at something she prepared for her always made Ava feel happy too. That was half the reason she enjoyed cooking so much. "That and the fact that I just really love food."
"The lasagna will be done in a few minutes," Mother Superion said. "Why don't you girls go round everyone up?"
"Yes Mother," Beatrice said and then Ava was gently being pulled out of the kitchen.
As they made their way around the halls, Ava quietly asked, "Did you send your letter?"
"I did. We're to meet Hermione at the Leaky Cauldron around noon the day after next."
"So we'll leave in the morning. Are you sure taking a train is the best way to travel?"
"Best? No, but given our circumstances, I don't really think we have another option. There are… Magical means to travel, which would be the best option for us, but that would take a little time for me to set up. A plane would get us there faster, but I think the trains would be easier for us to blend into. I'm sure Christian has people monitoring cameras for facial recognition."
"The train it is then, but you have to tell me all about the magical ways to travel, because that sounds so fucking cool."
The whole prospect of getting to see magic and getting to explore this magical world Beatrice is from, excited her to no end. It also excited her to get to see another side of Beatrice.
"I promise, once we get settled, I'll teach you everything you want to know," Beatrice assured her.
Ava was practically vibrating with excitement. Realistically she knew she should be focusing on Adriel and how to stop him, while also protecting her friends, but she couldn't help it. She had lived practically her whole life in a bed and wanted to experience everything she could to the fullest. Especially if she got to have that experience with Bea.
~ Warrior Nun ~ Harry Potter ~
Dinner was more than Ava could hope for. It was like a real family dinner, with laughing and jokes and even a few arguments, all in good nature of course. She had an amazing time with them, so much so that when she crawled into bed that night, she wished she could stay for a little while longer.
The room was quiet, almost to quiet. She was used to Bea laying next to her, her breaths coming and going in soft increments. She often found herself falling asleep to the rhythmic sound that she found so beautiful. Her bed also felt empty without Bea there beside her. Her body slumped up against her ever so slightly that made Ava want to roll over and cuddle with her. Which did often happen, but she was wasn't actively trying to do that. It just happened.
The first few times it happened it had been awkward afterwards. She'd wake up cuddled into Bea's side all nice and warm and feeling a sense of contentment she had never felt before. Until she realized that she was cuddled up to a very stiff human. She'd roll away and mumble a quick apology, and they wouldn't talk about it again. But then slowly after a week or so she started waking up with Bea cuddling her too. They still went on sleep each night on their own side of the bed, but it never stayed that way.
The quiet overwhelmed her and left her nothing but her own thoughts. Some good, but some weren't so good either. It had been a few days since the fight and she still couldn't get the image Michael exploding as Beatrice threw her away from him out of her mind. His eyes wide with fear as the blue divinum activated. She was grateful to Bea for saving her life, but at the same time she wished she hadn't. She had killed him and for what? Some stupid plan that didn't even work. She wished she could go back and change what happened. Put her foot down when it came the divinum bomb. But she knew she couldn't and that was something she was going to have to live with.
She rolled over and looked out the window where the moonlight was streaming though. It was a peaceful night, so she got out of bed and made her way out onto the balcony. It was a beautiful sight to see the moon shining brightly amongst a sea of stars. It was warm with a slight breeze in the air and she let the night calm her mind.
There was nothing she could do about Michael or even Adriel at that moment. Instead, she had to focus on protecting the halo, something she wasn't sure she could do. It had been torture hiding away in the Alps, pretending like there was nothing wrong. She wanted to fight. She wanted to stop Adriel. She wanted to protect Bea and their friends… No. Their family.
She laughed at herself. What a difference a few months makes. When she got the halo all she wanted was to run. Go somewhere nobody who wanted her to fight for them could find her. She just wanted to live her life to the fullest. Now, she was being asked again to do just that. To go into hiding and live her life the best she can, and that's not what she wanted. Her instincts had completely swapped from flight to fight.
She blamed Bea for this, in the best way possible. Things were bound to change when you realize not everything is about you. Bea gave her something to fight for. Bea gave her a purpose in this world, and she'd lay her life down if it meant Bea was safe to live her life. If it meant that she could save the people she loved. And she would.
She had no plans to remain out of the fight forever. She was going to do what Bea wanted from her during their time in the Alps. She was going to lay low, train to fight Adriel, and learn everything she could about this magical world because she was positive the answer to their problem lay within their society. She just knew it.
Ava went back to her bed to try and sleep, but even the determination to end Adriel couldn't calm her. So instead, she got out of bed again and quietly went to Bea's room. She gently knocked on the door, almost afraid to wake her if she were asleep. She wasn't however and called for her to come in.
Bea was laying on her bed in a t-shirt and long shorts, her usual bedtime attire. "Can't sleep?" she asked.
Ava shook her head no.
"Too excited about tomorrow?"
"Something like that."
"Come here," Bea gestured and tapped the bed beside her.
Ava crawled up the bed and laid down next to Bea facing her. She was surprised when Bea pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Ava sighed heavily as she relaxed and snuggled into Beatrice's side with her head resting in the space between her breast and collar bone.
"It's been a tough few days," Bea said quietly and then leaned her head into Ava's almost to absorb Ava in.
It was moments like these, where Ava was positive Beatrice felt the same way about her. Moments where Bea went out of her way to make her feel so safe and so loved. She hoped that she made Bea feel the same way.
"It'll be okay though," Beatrice said reassuringly, and Ava wondered if she was saying that to comfort Ava or herself.
Ava reached her left hand up and started twirling Beatrice's loose hair around her fingers. "We'll figure it out and make sure everyone is safe."
"Yes," Beatrice agreed, her voice sounding heavy like she was falling asleep. "We just have to keep you safe." There was a heavy pause and then Beatrice gravelly added, "I can't lose you."
Ava felt like her heart stopped beating. It wasn't the first time Bea's told her that, but every time she heard the words, she felt like her world was spinning around. Like she could just melt into Bea and stay in her comforting arms forever.
"I can't lose you either," she said quietly. She thought that Bea had fallen asleep, but a few seconds later she felt Bea's lips at her hairline, placing a gentle kiss. Ava did everything in her power not to gasp, or breathe too heavily, or move in a way that would spook Beatrice. Which turned out to be a very difficult thing for her.
The kiss lingered for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. An eternity of bliss. Bea didn't move her head away from Ava after the kiss. She did pull Ava closer to her, which Ava happily obliged.
She didn't know how long she laid cuddled into Bea's side before she fell asleep, but before she knew it, Bea was gently shaking her awake. Groggily she lifted her head to look at Bea, who was standing next to the bed. The morning light was shining through the open curtains, basking Bea in the warm light. "You look like an angel," she said as she laid her head back down.
"Oh shit. That was aloud," she realized, and panic washed over her. "I mean… The light… The way it's hitting you, makes you look like an angel." She fumbled over her words. "Damnit Ava. You're gonna screw this up."
Bea just smiled at her. "Camilla's made breakfast. She wanted us to be well fed for our journey. We have to leave in an hour, so we best be getting ready."
Ava nodded as she crawled out of bed. "I'm just gonna go take a quick shower and I'll meet you downstairs."
"Okay," Beatrice replied. Ava watched as she picked up her duffle bag with her meek possessions in it. She knew all Bea owned was some clothing and a bible. Not that Ava had much more than that, just some clothing and a few little items here and there, like her earrings, which she had grown fond of buying.
Ava showered as quickly as possible and packed up the few things she had laying around. Then she headed down to the dining room, where everyone was congregated. Unlike the night before, the room was quiet. Only the sounds of cutlery hitting the ceramic plates and the faint sounds of chewing could be heard. Beatrice noticed her first and gestured for her to sit in the empty chair next to her, then started dishing out all of Ava's favorite breakfast foods. Camilla had gone all out, making pancakes, waffles, bacon, three types of sausages, eggs, scones, and lots of coffee and fresh orange juice.
"Looks great," she said as she made her way around to her seat. Bea set her plate down in front of her and then poured her a cup of juice. "You went all out, Cami."
Camilla blushed lightly. "I just wanted you and Bea to be well nourished for your journey."
Ava took a bite of her sausage links. "Mmm," she moaned lightly. "So good."
She caught Bea looking at her with a soft smile, so she smiled back at her as she shoved a scone into her mouth. She laughed lightly when Bea shook her head as her smile widened.
She looked the rest of the table to find Camilla, Yasmine, Mother Superion, and even Jillian looking at them curiously. She just shrugged her shoulders and shifted the direction of the room to the future. She was curious what they were going to do after she and Bea left.
Mother Superion gave a brief rundown of their plans, which included taking the new recruits underground with her and Camilla to train them up. She wouldn't say where though, and Ava assumed that was to help keep them protected. The room went quiet again, which made Ava uncomfortable. She wasn't the quiet type, so the quiet was deafening to her. However, she wasn't sure what to say in that moment, so she too remained quiet.
Saying goodbye to everyone turned out to be a lot more difficult than Ava had anticipated, even with the possibility that they could safely keep in touch. She felt like she was abandoning them, leaving them to deal with Adriel on their own, but more so, she was gonna miss the fuck outta all of them.
With each hug goodbye, she grew more and more upset. She wished they could come with her. She wished she could make sure they were safe. She wished so many things that she nearly told Bea she could leave, but in the end she and Beatrice were being driven away from the compound by Jillian's driver.
As they rode to the train station, Ava leaned in closer to Beatrice and quietly asked, "When we get settled, can they come stay with us? Like permanently. I don't like them being unprotected."
"I don't either," Bea replied. "But there are laws in place that prevent me from telling people about the wizarding world."
"But you told me. You're bringing me into your world."
"That's different. You're… different."
"How so?" Ava was genuinely curious why she was allowed to know about Beatrice's magic but not the rest of their family.
"It's just… I can't explain it," Beatrice said sharply, which made Ava back off a little. "I'm sorry," Bea said quickly. "Maybe one day I'll be able to tell you, but I can't right now. I need time."
"Okay Bea. I'll chill," Ava said, and then leaned into Bea and laid her head on her shoulder.
"Still tired?" Beatrice asked.
"No. I slept great. Better than I have since we left the Alps."
Beatrice sighed lightly, "Same," as she leaned her head against Ava's. "I know this is difficult, but you're doing the right thing Ava. We'll figure the rest out as we go along."
"Do you think there's a magical way to defeat Adriel?"
"Perhaps. It certainly won't hurt for us to look into it. I'm sure Hermione wouldn't mind helping us. She might even have texts that could help us get started."
Ava smiled because Bea sounded excited at the prospects of doing research. She thought to herself, "It's the little things that make her so happy and that makes me happy."