The days were flying past Aveline so quickly she barely had time to catch her breathe. The Professors had started rapidly firing the seventh year with overwhelming conversations about their upcoming graduation. It seemed the only talk nowadays within the seventh year population was of academy acceptance letters and job applications.
"It came this morning," flaunted a girl in Aveline's herbology class, as a bunch of people were crowded aroud her desk .
She recieved a letter from St Mungo's accepting her for a healing intership starting that summer. Aveline too, had applied for the same internship and so far she had not heard a peep nor recieved a letter. She tried to bite back the jealously in the back of her mind as she watched the girl pass around the letter to read and bitterly looked back to her notebook pretending to be interested in the different types of mandrake leaves.
"Say Aveline," Dorcas began, turning to the blonde girl. "Didn't you apply for the same intership? Did you get a letter?"
Dorcas did not mean any harm— she was merely the type of girl who couldn't tell a grizzly bear from a puppy even if it was roaring in her face. So even when Aveline gritted a no under her teeth Dorcas was about as oblivious to the girls anger as deep sea creatures were to the sky.
"What was that— "
"No," she snapped, then upon seeing the taken aback look on Dorcas's face she sighed, repeating herself in a much more gentle tone, "No. I haven't gotten a letter."
Aveline did not consider herself particularly boastful or proud, but upon submitting her application this past fall she was sure she was top choice for the position.
Who else had letters of reference from Alastor Moody AND Albus Dumbledore?
She was certain the snarky bitch who was currently letting her letter circulate the classroom for the third time this class did not.
"Don't be down," Dorcas whispered kindly, leaning in and following Aveline'e eye to where they rested on the girl. "I'm sure you'll letter will come soon."
Once again the girl meant her words in good nature, but all Aveline could do was respond with a tight lip smile and fight the back the urge to walk over and shred the letter into a million pieces.
Maybe she was more like her father then she thought.
Certainly she deserved it she kept telling herself. She got the best grades, had the best references, she was a prefect— she had done everything right in the metaphorical how-to-get-a- career -after -graduation book.
The bell came and went, so did lunch and her afternoon classes in a haze that was much ignored by Aveline as her mind controlled these thoughts.
The entire day every time she spotted an owl fly by her hopes slighly peaked— her eyes widening praying for it to come to her and deliver her an envelope with her future written inside.
It never did come .
Though as Aveline was moping through the halls after dinner, what did come was a little first year with a timid grin and fumbling fingers.
"Mrs Rosier, a letter from Proffesor Dumbledore," the girl said, holding out a piece of parchment paper for her to grab.
She eyed it cautiously, almost as if the she was eyeing something far more dangerous — like a bottle laced with poison. Ever so slowly, like a timid creature about to approach a trap, she reached out and took the letter from the girl.
"Thank you," she told the girl, but truthfully she didn't feel very thankful.
One thing the girl had learnt over the past year, is Albus Dumbledore wanting talk to you always meant something was happening. What that something could be, was anything from your family dying to accusing you of dark magic.
This was not good — she could feel it in her stomach as she opened the letter, taking in the overly elegant scrawl of the head master.
Miss Rosier
I trust the semester is treating you well.
I invite you to my office tonight, nine o'clock sharp.
It is my request you do not inform anyone of this meeting.
Toodles,
Albus Dumbledore
Aveline at this point was hoping she was just expelled, because whatever this was— was not good. She could feel it in her stomach, in her chest and her throat. Though the thing with Proffesor Dumbledore, is when he asks you to do something , you do it. There was no, ditching or avoiding Albus Dumbledore she would have to show up to this meeting no matter how much it made her want to throw up, cry and scream.
"Hey Ave," James spoke, walking towards with his hands in his pocket, his usual perfect head boy attire slightly wrinkled and slouched.
On instinct she jumped, suspicion wafting off of her as she quickly shoved the letter in her bag. She cursed herself, as his eyes narrowed.
"Everything okay?" He asked.
"Everything is great! Peachy, fantastic and uh great!"
Her tone was two pitches higher than normally, the red in her cheeks moving across her entire face. James knew her well enough to see right through her rather horrid attempt at appearing normal, the boy snorting with a bit of laughter.
"What? You high or something?"
Aveline nodded, aggressively bobbing her head up and down.
"On a Wednesday night?" James asked. "You know I'm headboy, I could give you detention for this."
For a second there was silence between the two — a stare down between the two as Aveline raised an eyebrow.
At once, they both broke into giggles, James throwing an arm over her shoulder as they walked down the hall together towards the Gryffindor common room. Aveline listening to James ramble about how annoying the Slytherin
prefects could be.
That was the usual routine after dinner— given no one had prefect rounds or quidditch practice.
The marauders and friends would head to the gryffindor common room and often spend the evenings swimming in essays and homework assignments well smoking the occasional cigarette and having the occasional laugh. Though tonight, all Aveline could focus on was the letter in her book bag, trying to plan a way to ditch her friends in a way none of them would follow her.
She was absentmindedly listening to Marlene and Sirius argument on which one of them would win in a fight. Sirius arguing that was stronger physically, and Marlene arguing that she was less of a little bitch than him.
Aveline was sitting in the window cell, her legs folded beneath as she was bundled in a pink fuzzy she stole from Lily. In one hand was a cherry sucker, the other a cigarette, the blonde girl going back and forth between the two vices. The slight breeze from the cracked open window felt like tiny little kisses on her cheek, the girl tilting back her head and allow her eyes to close as she rested her head on the wall behind her.
She didn't even notice that a certain brunette werewolf had wandered over to her. He watched her for a moment before snatching the cigarette out of her fingers, bringing it to his own lips and taking a draw.
Aveline's eyes snapped open originally in irritation but softened when she realized it was Remus.
A verbal word wasn't spoken between them, their eyes locked in a silent discussion.
An elephant could've ran through the common room And neither teenager would have noticed — too lost in the confusion and tension that lingered between their eyes.
She lifted the cherry sucker to her lips, placing it in her mouth slowly. The blush that ran across Remus's face made her snicker, as he looked away, breaking the eye contact.
"What's wrong Lupin?" She asked innocently, tilting her head. His eyes flickered back to her, tension running through the bottom of his jaw. "You seem flushed."
In response he merely took another drag of her cigarette, holding in the inhale as his eyes flickered from the candy in her mouth to the way display of her hips in her uniforms skirt to the way her thighs looked in the sheer stockings she adorned.
He did his best to play it cool, but he was a teenage boy and Aveline Rosier had a face with lips that made him want to get down on his knees and pray to her.
As much as she wished she could spend the rest of her evening squished between Remus Lupin and a wall, a quick glance at the clock behind him told her it was half past eight, and her stomach lurched as she remembered where she soon would need to be .
The girl faked a yawn, stretching her arms above her head.
"I'm exhausted, I think I'll head back to my room," she said,hopping down from her seat
"I'll walk you back," Remus spoke at once.
She knew he would offer this, he always did, even when they were in petty arguments he would go out of his way to make sure she got back safe. That was one of the most annoyingly gentlemanly things about the boy.
There was simply no way for her to ditch him, so she decided she would just have let him walk her back then sneak from the Hufflepuff common room.
As she went to bid her the rest of her friends goodnight, she noticed the absence of both James and Marlene.
"Say," the girl spoke to no one particularly, eyes flickering across the room. "Where's James and Marlene? I thought they didn't have practice tonight."
"James went to the kitchen for a snack," Lily answered, peaking over at Aveline from her book. "Not sure about Marlene. Probably up to something no one wants to hear about."
"Probably up to someone more like it," Sirius muttered under his breathe.
Aveline accepted Lily's answer but something about it still seemed off to her. James was the most co- dependent person she knew, the boy simply didn't exist outside the orbit of Lily Evans or Sirius Black.
"Actually," Lily spoke, setting her book down on the coffee table. "I wouldn't mind a snack myself, I'll walk down with you guys if you don't mind."
"Sweet innocent Evans, Remus walking her to her dorm is code for snogging the shi— OW!" Sirius bellowed grabbing his shin as Remus cut him off with a harsh kick. Sirius, the ever drama queen rolled his eyes before jumping off the couch himself. " Well! If it's gonna be a big party, I'll walk with you guys too. I've got an appointment in a broom closet in 15."
He winked, Aveline gagged.
"With who?" Mary asked, her face also laced with disgust.
"Most likely his hand," Remus grumbled , giving Sirius an annoyed look as he walked towards the door. " Now are we going to stand here all night or are we going to leave?"
"Calm your tits moony," Sirius sighed, but nevertheless began to follow the boy
"I don't have tits," the werewolf snapped back. He was in a mood, which was normal for Remus though it really did seem as if Sirius was set on pressing every single one of the boys buttons.
Sirius let out a whistle.
"Uh yes you do. Everyone has tits. It's just that not all tits are equal. Like sure your tits are nothing compared to the knockers on little miss Aveline— OW— son of Walburga — will you stop hitting me?"
Remus was about to respond no doubt wuth some witty borderline mean comment when he paused, confusion washing over his face. "Son of Walburga? What?"
Sirius shrugged as if it was obvious. "Son of a a bitch, son of Walburga— potato, tomato."
"What?" Remus snapped followed but a drawn out sigh. "It's not potato tomato it's — you know what never mind let's just walk."
So on they walked through the halls, the occasional eye roll from Remus Lupin as Sirius said or did something increasingly annoying. It seemed that at sometimes Sirius acted as if it was his life goal to annoy Remus — though Aveline always noticed the way the Black boys behaviour and crude jokes always seemed to distract Remus from whatever anxiety and stress was weighing on his mind. She supposed that was Sirius's way of showing he cared. A crude joke, a funny comment — he was the king of easing people's mind with his humour .
As they approached the split in the hallway, Sirius gave them a wave and bid a goodbye, loudly declaring his broom closet meeting was down near the end of the hallway.
Remus scoffed, though Aveline noticed how the usual tension that made his shoulders clench was absent.
"What a slut," Remus muttered, earning himself a mumble of agreement from Lily.
"Oh come on Remus," Aveline chided. "We've all been through a slut stage. It's good fun."
She noticed the flaws in her words the moment they came out of her mouth. If there was one thing she beginning to learn about Remus Lupin, is he was the possessive type. the boy would sneer at any boy who even looked at Aveline, he certainly did not want to hear about her so called slut stage.
Aveline was certain if Lily wasn't there Remus would've questioned her with details regarding her statement, but instead she got a mere eyebrow raise and a jaw clench that made the girl blush and look away. The tension between the two was thicker than earth atmosphere— an invisible force keeping all feelings of longing trapped between the two.
It was no doubt Lily herself was feeling the tension, the red haired girl nearly sighing with trekked as they rounded the corner towards the Hufflepuff common room entrance and kitchen.
Lily looked awfully hesitant to go in, the girls hand pausing on the portrait that acted like a door, as if she was waiting for Remus and Aveline to leave.
"Alright now, I will um just be in the kitchen?" Lily stated as if it was more of a question than an answer.
She seemed nervous to about something something, though Aveline couldn't quite place her finger on what.
"Is everything okay Lils?" Aveline questioned.
In response Lily eagerly nodded her head before muttering an in coherent goodbye and repeating that she was going to be in the kitchen, before hesitatingly opening the door and disappearing behind it.
Once she was gone Aveline turned to Remus.
"Okay that was weird ," she whispered to the boy. "Why is everyone acting so weird tonight?"
Remus answered her question with a nonchalant shrug, in truth the boy was more preoccupied with trying to get images of the pretty blonde girl pressed against the wall out of his mind. He could care less about Lily's odd behaviour or whatever it was Sirius was up too, all he cared about was closing the distance between him and the girl as soon as possible.
It didn't take long for her hands to find the back of his neck, and his her waist. Her back meeting the cold wall behind her as a kiss lingered between them that made thoughts of how Remus would look in her bed run across the girls mind.
Lips moving in unison, the smell of his mint cologne, hands gripping her so tight till the only thing her brain was capable of doing was thinking of him .
Nowadays their relationship consisted mostly of make out sessions in hallways and stolen touches mixed with petty arguments. It was getting the point where for Aveline, she wanted more. Images of her hands running across his chest as she imagines what it would feel like to be purely alone with the boy in a dark room crossed her mind.
It wasn't until Remus pulled away with a quick glance at his watch, that her brain was even capable of thinking of other thoughts.
"I really got to go," he whispered in low tone,though it did not sound very convincing as he allowed the girl to pull him in for another kiss in between breathes. He let himself be pulled back into the rhythm of kisses for a moment, before breaking away again. "I should leave, I really should," he repeated, though his hands on her waist only gripped tighter, as they moved down her body till they were resting on the soft crevice where thigh met hip.
He chided himself for the amount of inappropriate images going through his head that involved the blonde in front of him sprawled out on his bed. He forced himself to break the contact, but not before pulling her in for one last kiss with her jaw tightly gripped between his fingers.
"Alright," he sighed gently taking a step away. "You should get some rest and I should head back."
If it was any other night Aveline would've made a big drama of begging him to stay and enticing him with a couple kisses she knew he couldn't resist, but it was nearing nine o'clock, and thinking of where she soon would need to be made her stomach lurch.
She bid him good night with a kiss on the cheek, before watching him retreat. Once he was out of sight she felt the anxiety grow in her body like some sick disease.
Proffesor Dumbledore, here she come.