TRIGGER WARNING: ATTEMPT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
The elves had done a great job, Avalon thought to herself as she walked towards the Slytherin dormitories. In her hands was a tray topped with a large, round cake, frosted with a generous helping of dark chocolate and topped with a handful of emerald-green candles. When she had gone to the kitchens and asked Tossy and Bonsey if they could make a cake for Xavier's birthday, she hadn't expected that they'd even have time to accommodate her last-minute request. But, the two elves had dropped everything to make sure they were able to bake the perfect birthday cake, continuously telling Avalon that they were happy to help her because she was their friend. They had even given her a small, nicely wrapped parcel filled with plates, napkins, and utensils... truly, they had gone above and beyond.
She'd grown rather fond of the two of them. They reminded her of Dobby, and his memory filled her heart with a bittersweet joy and nostalgia.
So, as she walked towards her destination, a faint smile lingered on her lips. All-in-all, she was in a rather good mood that night. After working in the library with Zelda all day, she had completed most of her work, had spare time to get dressed up, and was ready to have a normal night. A normal, pleasant, happy night.
When she arrived at the entrance of the dormitory, she stated the password and made her way in, meeting the gaze of several younger Slytherins who were perched on the couches. None of them said anything as she made her way past them and towards Xavier's room, knowing better than to dare protest the presence of Lestrange's girlfriend.
She could hear a commotion from down the hall, the sound of laughter and cheering ringing through her ears the closer she got. With the cake balanced on one hand, she reached for the doorknob and turned it until the entrance swung open.
Inside, she was met with the image of Xavier and Adonis perched on Xavier's bed, while Rosalie sat atop Axel's lap with Demitri beside them on Adonis' bed. Orion was nearby, laughing the lingering joke from his place at the foot of the bedside trunk, and Tom was a little further away, leaning against the chair at Xavier's desk as he listened in on the conversation. The entire room smelled strongly of firewhiskey, a slew of half-drunk bottles scattered all throughout the room. There was a carefree and lighthearted feeling radiating throughout the room, laughter and smiles abundant as they unwound at the end of the week to the tune of a birthday celebration.
The sounds of their joy echoed so loudly through the room, that her presence went unnoticed for a moment until Orion's eyes landed on her and brightened at the sight. "Ava!" he exclaimed happily, scrambling to his feet as he made his way over and helped free her hands as he took the plates and utensils from her grasp and set them down on an empty desk.
Avalon was met with a chorus of elated greetings as she made her way over to where Xavier was sitting and placed the cake on the bedside table by him. He put a hand over his heart and smiled, though his eyes were hazy from the apparent alcohol already coursing through his system. "Darling, you didn't have to-"
"Happy birthday, Xavier," she smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap, stealing a kiss the first moment he could. His lips tasted of firewhiskey, though that wasn't too far out of the norm for him. She pulled away and laughed. "I would have said that to you earlier, but you decided not to show up to classes."
"Attending classes on one's birthday should be criminal," he said, rolling his eyes. "I gave myself the day off."
"I'm sure Dippet will understand when he gives you another day of detention," she said.
"He's going to start running out of days," Xavier shrugged before grabbing his flask off the bed and taking a sip, offering it up to Avalon afterward. She took the small metal container from him and raised it to her lips, feeling the familiar warmth of the alcohol as it burned its way down her throat.
"I have to admit, you're a lot more sober than I anticipated you'd be at your own birthday party," she said.
Xavier looked around the room before letting out a hearty laugh. "Love, the party hasn't even begun yet."
She shook her head. Perhaps it had been foolish to think Xavier Lestrange wouldn't throw himself an extravagant event for his birthday. "Well," she said, snapping her fingers and lighting the candles on the cake. "Now that we are all here... make a wish."
"Whatever could I wish for? Everything I could need is sitting right here," he said.
Everyone, including Avalon, let out a collective groan.
"Booooo!" yelled Demitri.
"Oi, fuck off," Xavier protested, a joking scowl on his lips.
"My hair's turning silver, mate," Adonis chimed in. "On with it!"
"Fine, fine," Xavier said, pausing a moment to think before a flash of realization came across his features and he leaned over towards the cake, blowing out the candles and grinning to himself.
"What did you wish for?" Avalon asked.
"Well if I told you, then it wouldn't come true, would it?" he replied, kissing her cheek.
"What happened to having everything you needed?"
"I thought of something," he said with a wink.
"Can someone cut the bloody cake before those two make me lose my appetite?" Orion joked as he playfully frowned towards Avalon, who rolled her eyes and laughed in return. Avalon flicked her wrist towards the cake and from within the parcel that the elves had bundled up for her, a knife levitated upwards and began slicing a perfectly cut piece before it floated slowly onto a plate and then shot towards Avery's face.
He let out a gasp and grabbed the plate just a moment before it hit him, but the cake still flew forward, smacking him on the side of his cheek. Avalon burst into laughter, as did everyone else in the room, as she watched his fingers reach up and scraped the remnants of chocolate frosting back onto his plate with a disgusted look on his face. For a moment, Avalon's eyes met Riddle's, and she watched as he shook his head, a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips as he watched the scene before him. Avery paused a moment before his eyes narrowed on Avalon and he laughed, "Oh, you're so dead!"
He sprung onto his feet, pouncing towards her and she let out a yelp before jumping off of Xavier's lap and fleeing towards safety, Avery chasing after her with a glob of frosting on his finger.
An hour later, the cake was gone-- largely due to the Quidditch boys inhaling it in one sitting-- and the bottles were nearly drained. The room was buzzing with a lively energy as they laughed, talked, and joked the time away. Xavier and Demitri had each taken a knee, locking their arms through the other's as they chugged the last remaining bottles of firewhiskey.
Orion and Axel had invented a game of trying to toss tiny balls of torn-up, clumped napkins into empty bottles around the room. They would eye their targets carefully, focusing all of their concentration into perfecting their aim before they would shoot the tiny bits of trash and watch in anticipation as they would just barely miss their mark.
"How the bloody hell have we not made a single shot?" Axel groaned, frustratedly throwing his hands up in the air before he begrudgingly took a swig from his drink.
Nearby, Avalon and Rosalie sat side by side, trying desperately to cover-up their laughter as Avalon would swipe her finger through the air anytime the boys would aim, causing the scraps to swerve slightly and fall just short of their target, once again earning a chorus of dejected groans from the two roommates. Tom and Adonis quietly sipped their drinks from the back of the room while they watched the girls from afar, both of them laughing to themselves each time they watched Avalon skew the Quidditch player's shots.
From outside in the common room, the sounds of cheering and music echoed past the walls. "Lestrange," Adonis called out, earning a lazy grin from his roommate. "The rest of Slytherin is waiting for you outside. Let's go."
Xavier stumbled to his feet, his movements already on the road to becoming sloppy as he waved his bottle in the air and shrugged. "Well, who am I to deny the people what they want?" He made his way to the door, bursting it open and yelling down the hall, "Dry your tears, I'm on my way!"
He made a bee-line for the common room, leaving his friends and girlfriend behind as he stormed into the party, met with a chorus of hoots and hollers as the rest of his house celebrated his arrival.
The rest of the group began to stand up and make their way towards the party. Avalon and Rosalie walked towards the commotion together as their boyfriends both were handed drinks the moment they arrived into the scene, downing their glasses surrounded by crowds of cheering friends.
"I'll admit, it truly is nice to have another girlfriend in the mix," Rosalie said, a soft smile on her lips. "I was going absolutely mad being surrounded by these boys so often."
"What about Kyra?" Avalon asked, glancing around the room. "Is she here tonight?"
"She wasn't feeling too well so she's in our room for the night," Rosalie said, her words unsure.
"That's too bad," Avalon said. "I hope she feels better soon."
"Yeah..." Rosalie muttered, her words trailing off as her gaze flickered towards Riddle for a moment.
Tom had been swallowed up by a group of Slytherins, all of them circling around him adoringly as he flashed them his perfectly crafted smile and took a long sip from his cup. Avalon could hear his laughter through the sounds of the party. It was a beautiful sound-- though the charm he presented fell short of reaching his dark eyes.
There was an undeniable confidence that surrounded him. He presented himself with the air of someone who knew they had the power to sway anyone in their midst. The way he held himself, he was aware of the way girls fawned over him, the way boys longed to be like him. Avalon met his gaze from across the room, and she saw his lips twist upwards into a smirk before he returned his attention to the girls before him, chatting with them as he slowly leaned back against the wall behind him.
Avalon felt a pair of hands reach around her waist from behind before she was twirled around, coming face to face with Xavier as he placed a kiss where her neck met her collarbone and grinned into her skin. "Darling," he cooed, his eyes filled with lust as he looked her up and down.
Axel stumbled over towards them, lacing his fingers with Rosalie's as he whined, "Come on, Rosie, let's go!"
Rosalie looked over at Avalon and smiled. "I'll catch up with you later, love," she said before her boyfriend dragged her off into the center of the room, disappearing into a sea of dancing bodies.
"You're falling behind," Xavier said to Avalon. "Have another drink with me."
"Is that a challenge?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Considering this may be the only avenue in which I excel beyond you," he said, holding a cup towards her, "it is a challenge."
She shook her head and snatched the cup from his hands, lifting it to her lips and draining it in a single swig.
One drink.
Xavier dragged her into the crowd, the two of them laughed at her pathetic attempt to swing dance.
Two drinks.
Demitri hopped onto a table and chugged from a bottle as the rest of Slytherin cheered him on from below.
Three drinks.
Axel and Rosalie disappeared up the stairs towards the dorms, hand in hand.
Four drinks.
Orion pulled her onto the couch and spun her around, dancing with her until Xavier yanked her back to the ground.
Five drinks.
She nearly fell onto an armchair occupied by Adonis and the girl he had locked his lips with as he tangled his fingers in the faceless girl's hair.
Six drinks.
With a finger pressed into his chest, Avalon shouted at an amused Tom above the music, her words slurred and Xavier's arms wrapped around her waist as he tried to pry her away. "I'll b-beat your ass at chess the same w-way I beat your ass in a d-duel... Twice!"
Seven drinks.
Everything was blurry. Blurry. Everything was...
Eight.
Lips on her neck.
Nine?
Don't know.
Another.
Blurry.
Another.
Concern. Dark coffee eyes. Concerned.
Another.
Black.
Another.
Green.
His eyes. Green.
She felt her back pressed against a cold stone wall as Xavier's fingers fumbled to shut the door behind him. The music from outside became muted.
His eyes were so hazy that she could barely tell if they were even open. Hers were no better.
Lips. She felt his lips on her neck. On her ear. On her mouth. Collar. Jaw. Everywhere.
He was everywhere.
"Xavier," she muttered, her voice quiet.
"Avalon," he whispered, his mouth finding hers as he slurred out the word.
Fingers. She felt his fingers fumbling with the buttons on her shirt.
She tried to shove against him, but his hands caught her wrist and he pinned her arms above her head. Lips. Neck. No.
"Xavier," she repeated, a little louder.
"Sh, darling," he said, covering her lips with his.
She shook her head, her eyes threatening to close as she tried to frown at him. "St-Stop it."
Nothing.
Lips. Hands. No.
Fingers. Shirt. Stop.
"Stop it!" she said, mustering up all her strength to shout the words out.
"Shut up."
Her blood ran cold.
A sense of adrenaline kicked in and she felt an ounce of her sobriety come back to her as she stared into his eyes.
Green.
It was always green.
She pried one of her hands free and tried to reach for her wand, but he quickly snatched it out of her pocket and threw it aside, his eyes cold when he pushed her wrists back against the wall, this time harder.
A yelp of pain left her lips as she felt his fingers dig so deeply into her wrists that she knew they would bruise. But, she didn't care about that right now.
She tried to channel her energy into a wandless spell, but the alcohol had rendered her abilities useless. Her focus was fragmented. Nothing happened.
Magic wasn't going to save her.
She could see him leaning forward once more, and she did the first thing that she could think of.
She pulled her head back and shot forward with all of her strength, the top of her forehead crashing against his nose. There was a sickening crunch and he stumbled back, his hand darting to cover his face as crimson liquid began to pool down his face.
When his stare met hers, a chill ran down her spine. "You fucking bitch," he spat out, his teeth stained red with his own blood. She tried to run towards her wand, but before she could, he grabbed her from behind and threw her atop his bed, climbing over her. Despite her violent thrashing, he was too strong for her to physically overpower and he pinned her arms to the side without much trouble. His bloodstained handprints painted along her skin as he loomed over her with a dark look in his drunken eyes.
The door crashed open.
She felt the weight of Xavier's body being ripped off of her as he was thrown onto the ground with a loud thud.
Fury. Dark coffee eyes. Furious.
She stumbled up, her footsteps sloppy as she desperately scrambled to get as far away from that bed as possible. Her own feet tripped her as she tried to stand, and two strong arms caught her before she could fall.
Tom's eyes met hers as he steadied her. "Can you walk?" he asked urgently. She nodded. "Go to my room." She couldn't process his words. "Go! I'll be there shortly," he said, motioning for her to leave.
The sound of Lestrange's laughter broke her out of her thoughts and she looked down at the bloodied boy, feeling a pit of nausea rise in her stomach before she darted to the door, running out and towards Tom's bedroom.
She could hear Lestrange's laughter bellowing out all the way down the hall, echoing through her mind as she put her hand on Tom's doorknob. And, as she opened the door and went in, she could swear she heard a scream get cut off.
Silence.
Bloody fucking silence.
Author's Note
If you never read my author's notes... please let this be the one you do read.
I'm going to take this note as a time to write a serious message. First of all, I know this was a darker chapter, and I hope you are all okay after reading it. If you need anyone to talk to, you are always welcome to message me. My inbox will always be open and I love each and every one of you dearly. I am always here for you if you need someone to speak with. You can also always message my lovely editor sleazystyless , too. The both of us are here for you all, always.
Second of all, I'm just going to put this out there. If I see anyone blaming Avalon for this situation, I will mute you instantly with no warning. This situation is ENTIRELY Xavier's fault. It doesn't matter if Avalon was drunk, it doesn't matter if she "put herself in a vulnerable situation." It is NEVER the victim's fault. This was Xavier's fault. Completely.
Third, if any of you ever go back and read this story again, please try and notice all of the red flags that Xavier's character has always had. Some people may think "we lost such a good character" but the reality is that he has been a deeply flawed character from the very start, and there have been MANY hints of him being evil all throughout.
I care about each and every one of you very deeply. As a survivor, myself, I never want anyone to ever have to go through this kind of situation and I truly am sending you all my love. Try to notice when people are exhibiting dangerous behaviors. No matter how charming someone is, never let anyone take advantage of your kind heart.
I love you all so so so so much. Thank you all for reading and supporting this story. Your love means the world to me and writing this book for you all has made me so happy. Until next time, xoxo Daffy