Author's Note: Hello everyone! I know - I'm a horrible human being! I am so, so sorry for how long it's been since my last post. You guys must hate me! I promise that I haven't abandoned this story, nor do I have any intention of it. The only excuse I have is that my job has gotten very demanding and I'm having a hard time setting aside the few hours I need to hammer out a chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to get my act together soon though, because I absolutely hate going so long between chapters. But, honestly, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post. I'll do my best to get a writing schedule down so that I'm not leaving you hanging for too long.

The good news is that this is another longish chapter so, despite the fact that that doesn't make up for the insane amount of time you've had to wait for it, maybe it will be enough to help you forgive me. Also, just as a warning, I didn't proofread this as carefully as I usually do, so there are bound to be some errors. I just wanted to post it as soon as I possibly could. You've waited long enough.

As always, I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for reading, and please don't forget to let me know what you think!

Chapter 2: Second & Third Year

Second Year

It didn't take long for Albus to realize that being his friend caused many of the other students at Hogwarts to treat Ava differently. It wasn't uncommon for him to observe some person or another talking to her in an attempt to find a way into his family's inner circle. But, watching her deal with those particular incidents only served to make him like her even more. He didn't know how she did it, but Ava could see right through people. It was absolutely impossible for anyone to use her to get to him.

Over the years, Albus and his family had become a bit wary about letting new members into their confidence. Of course, that fact was hardly detrimental since, between the Weasleys, Potters, Longbottoms, and Scamanders they already had a veritable army, and so more members were hardly needed. There had been more than one occasion when a gossip columnist had approached the children's friends with offers for information that were just too tempting to pass up. A few less than flattering articles being published about them had quickly cured the offspring of the Weasley/Potter clan of openly trusting strangers with the intimate details of their lives.

Luckily, the appetite for gossip about the family had faded over the years, but the Weasley/Potters and their closest friends were still all too aware of the dangers of confiding in too many people. The fact that not only Albus, but all of his friends and family members accepted Ava as one of their own was a testament to just how much they felt she could be trusted.

Not only could Albus trust Ava, but he had quickly become aware of just how tough she could be. Her most dangerous trait was the way that she seemed to be sweet, amiable, and a bit naïve. Sweet and amiable she may have been, but she was definitely not naïve. After a year of friendship, Albus had come to the realization that Ava had no problem being flexible, or giving people what they needed from her, but if those needs ever pushed her or someone that she cared about too far, she was not someone that he would ever want to cross. He was completely at a loss to figure out why the rest of the school had not recognized just how formidable Ava could really be.

Of course, he was not all that eager for everyone to find out. After all, her hidden qualities had proven to be useful to the Weasley/Potter pranks on more than one occasion, primarily because the professors thought her to be a good influence on the troublemakers in Albus's family. They never suspected her of planting the occasional dungbomb; or lying about where exactly Albus, James, and Fred had been when Filch's office had mysteriously transformed itself into an aquarium tank, complete with undulating jellyfish and angrily snapping sharks; or dying Rowena Sneed's hair neon green after she had been overheard spreading nasty rumors about Dominique in the girl's lavatory.

As if he needed any further proof that Ava just fit in with him and his family, an incident in the common room one evening cemented Albus's appreciation of just how incredible she could truly be. They were sitting side by side, working on assignments. Ava's nose was buried in her Transfiguration textbook, while Albus was furiously scribbling away in an attempt to finish the last three required inches of his Charms essay.

Suddenly, a wriggling sensation in Albus's pocket caused his concentration to break. His head snapped up. Uh oh. He must have pulled on his pants without realizing that Nigel had chosen them as a good place to nap the day away. And now Albus was concerned that one of his many unusual pets was about to cause a commotion…again.

Albus's dream was to work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures after graduating from Hogwarts. He had always loved animals. When he was growing up, he would drive his mother mad when he kept showing up with various kinds of creatures, magical and non-magical. She had finally sat him down for a long discussion about what could and could not be brought into her house after she had been doing his laundry and had reached into one of his pockets to check for loose objects only to find a nest of baby mice. From then on, there were strict rules about appropriate placement of her son's little friends and a small shed was installed in the backyard for his ever-expanding zoo.

Of course, that did not mean that Albus still didn't sneak animals into places that he should not. Namely, Hogwarts. But he just couldn't bring himself to leave Nigel alone at his parents' house. The little guy would get lonely and, inevitably, get into trouble. He was just too fond of people to be left by himself, and much too dependent on people to be released back into the wild. Albus had planned on dropping the creature off at Hagrid's hut so that he would be well taken care of during the term, but he had yet to get around to it. And that may have had something to do with the fact that Albus was very fond of Nigel.

Albus shifted in his seat, sliding his hand into his pocket in an attempt to get a hold on the nocturnal creature, thus preventing him from breaking free to wander. Nigel was a fast little thing when he had just woken up. Unfortunately, just as he had closed his fingers around the thin, slightly slimy body, Nigel burst into action.

Faster than Albus could ever hope to react, Nigel had shot from his hand and out of his pocket. Legs popped out of the snake-like body as it landed on the floor before scurrying across to Ava's chair. Albus held his breath as Nigel's toad-like legs once again disappeared, but only after he had launched himself upwards, slithering up Ava's pants to settle in her lap.

Ava squeaked in surprise, looking down at the half-toad, half-snake that was now rubbing its head against her. "What the—"

"Okay…don't freak out…" Albus cautioned as he stood and began to slowly approach Ava, his hands extended towards the creature that had now made itself completely at home, wrapped around Ava's thigh.

"Why would I freak out?" she asked, tilting her head to study the small reptile. "It's awesome."

"What?" Albus exclaimed, stunned. He had thought for sure that delicate little Ava would have been completely horrified by Nigel deciding to try and make friends.

"It's not dangerous, right?" Ava questioned him.

"Wha—no. No, of course not," Albus assured her.

"Okay then." She looked up at him, clearly curious. "What is it? I've never seen anything like this before."

"Oh—it's an Anura Serpentes. Snake's body, but it has legs that can emerge from its body when needed."

"Very cool," Ava murmured, extending a finger to stroke down the animal's back. It responded by shivering with delight, its tongue lolling out of its mouth at her touch.

"His name is Nigel."

"Hi, Nigel. What are you doing here?" she asked, her lips twitching with amusement as she raised an eyebrow at Albus.

"I uh…well, he likes to curl up in small spaces during the day. Remember when I spilled pumpkin juice at dinner? I must not have realized that he was in the pocket when I changed into these pants."

"Uh huh," Ava laughed. "I meant, what is he doing here." She lifted a hand to gesture broadly at the room around her.

Albus shrugged. "I just couldn't leave him at home. He's very attached."

"Yes, I can see that," Ava commented dryly as Nigel snuggled closer to her, extending his limbs so that he could hold onto her leg even more tightly.

"I'm going down to Hagrid's," Albus announced as he bounded into the common room from the stairs leading to the boys' dormitories.

"Have fun," Ava told him before redirecting her attention to the book in front of her.

"Wanna come?" Albus watched as Ava's gaze snapped up to his. He had been going to visit Hagrid at his hut at least once a week for their entire time at Hogwarts, but he had never thought to ask Ava to join him. He had figured that she would be bored—or disgusted—by their shared obsession with magical creatures but, after the incident with Nigel, Albus realized that he may have underestimated her.

Ava's golden eyes were steady on his for a few seconds, and Albus had to stifle the urge to shift his weight under their scrutiny. "Sure," she finally answered, smiling. "I'd love to go."

Albus relaxed, gesturing for her to follow him. "Well, come on then."

They made their way across the grounds, plunging their hands into their pockets to combat the autumn chill. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they were greeted by the sound of very deep and very frantic barking.

"That's Tyrant," Albus informed Ava as the tone of the barks got more and more threatening. "He's harmless…just very…"

The door opened to the sight of Hagrid gripping the collar of a dog that could easily have been mistaken for a bear.

"…big…" Albus finished unnecessarily.

Ava's eyes widened momentarily as she took in the sheer size of the animal in front of her.

"Hey, Hagrid!" Albus called out. "Hey, boy!" he laughed as Tyrant broke Hagrid's hold and jumped, wriggling desperately, into Albus's arms. The force of the dog's joy almost knocked him over but he somehow managed to keep himself on his feet.

"Hiya, Albus. I see yeh've brought a friend with ya?" Hagrid's booming voice greeted them.

"Yeah," Albus answered, trying to push Tyrant's massive head away from his face. "This is—Ty, stop," he laughed as a big wet tongue swiped up his cheek. "This is Ava."

"It's lovely ter meet ya, Ava. Welcome to me home. I'm sorry it's such a mess. Didn't know Al would be bringin' company along or I woulda tidied up some."

"Oh, that's not necessary," Ava assured him. "I'm just happy to meet you." She smiled, reaching out to shake Hagrid's massive hand.

At the sound of Ava's voice, Tyrant's attention immediately shifted away from Albus. He let out a single happy bark before jumping up, placing his paws on Ava's shoulders, and licking her right across her mouth.

"Ty!" Hagrid yelled, mortified at his animal's poor behavior. "I'm sorry, Ava. He's usually a bit more well-mannered 'n this. "Get down, yeh big lug! Leave the poor girl alone!"

"Well hello to you too," Ava laughed, reaching out to run her hands up and down the dog's shaggy sides. "It's all right, Hagrid. He's just being friendly." She scratched behind Ty's ears, causing him to lean into her touch and let out a contented huff of air.

"All the same, he shouldn'a jumped up on yeh like that," Hagrid said as he stepped forward, his tone apologetic. "C'mon now Tyrant. Geh on down." Hagrid gave a forceful tug to Ty's collar and the enormous dog obediently set all four paws back on the ground but continued to stare up at Ava adoringly. "Well, it seems yeh've made a friend, Ava. C'mon in the both of yeh, I've got some cookies I baked special for Albus, but there's plenty ta go around."

"What kind of dog is he?" Ava asked as they settled in around the fire and Ty remained glued to her side. She laughed when, instead of curling up next to her on the floor, Ty backed up into her until his rear end was planted firmly in her lap, while his front paws remained on the ground.

"He's a mutt—'alf English Mastiff 'an 'alf Irish Wolfhound," Hagrid answered as he picked up a teapot and filled it with water from a bucket in the corner. He set the copper kettle on the fire before retrieving a plate piled high with brown lumps from the table turning back to his guests. "'Ere yeh are," he said jollily, placing the platter between Albus and Ava. "Some of me famous rock cookies. Albus here's father, aunt, an' uncle used ta love 'em."

Yeah, Albus thought. That was the reason that every member of his family had been warned not to actually try to take a bite of Hagrid's infamous rock cookies if they had any desire to keep their teeth. He picked up what could easily be identified as more rock than cookie, twirling it between his fingers as he waited for Hagrid to turn around long enough for him to slip it in his pocket.

And then he heard Ava say, "Thank you," and turned to see her smiling politely as she reached for a cookie. Albus's eyes went wide and he frantically tried to tell her without words not to let herself sacrifice a few molars for the sake of good manners.

Ava raised a questioning brow at him and Albus subtly shook his head, gesturing to the cookie with his eyes. She frowned in response, clearly trying to figure out what exactly he was trying express.

The shrill sound of a whistle signaled that the water had come to a boil and Hagrid crossed to room to the fire, leaving Albus the chance to shoot his hand across and grab Ava's wrist. "Don't eat the cookies!" he hissed under his breath. "I'll explain later."

"Okay…" Ava answered, clearly confused.

"Just—" Albus mimed putting something in his pocket and sighed when Ava nodded in understanding. He watched her slip the cookie into her robes with relief.

His relief was short-lived, however, because Ava immediately reached for another deadly baked good. He was about to protest when he saw her shift her weight, leaning forward to surreptitiously offer the cookie to Tyrant. Albus had to try to contain his snort of laughter when Ty almost seemed offended, turning his head away and sneezing. Ava laughed softly, her eyes gleaming with enjoyment as she caught Albus's eye.

They finally left Hagrid's hut two hours later, hustling across the grounds to get back to the castle before nightfall. When they reached the enormous entry doors, Albus felt Ava's hand on his arm and turned back to look at her.

"So…" she asked. "What exactly is wrong with Hagrid's cookies?"

Albus barked out a laugh. "You tell me," he told her, reaching into his pocket to pull out one of the rock cookies that he had stashed there. He wound his arm back before throwing the cookie as hard as he could at the stone wall in front of him. Then he merely pointed.

He watched Ava's shocked expression as she leaned in to examine a chip in the ancient masonry. A chip that had not been there before Hagrid's idea of a tasty snack had been hurled at the castle's unsuspecting façade. "Oh my God…" she whispered.

"Yup," Albus quipped, enjoying himself. "That'll do a number on your teeth."

Ava turned astonished eyes on him before bursting out in a fit of giggles. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen, doubling over with uncontrollable laughter.

Albus watched Ava gasping for breath and couldn't suppress a grin. He was glad that he had made the impulsive decision to invite her to come along. Everything just seemed to be more fun when Ava was around.

Ava finally managed to gather herself together, straightening and wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. She looked up to see Albus staring at her and stuck her tongue out at him. And Albus couldn't help but laugh.

Third Year

Third year started off much the way that second year had ended. Classes resumed, but now the students had the added experience of their elective courses. Albus had chosen to take Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, as well as the Study of Ancient Runes, although after only a few weeks he had come to find that Ancient Runes were not nearly as interesting as he had hoped. Ava had registered for Care of Magical Creatures as well, but had elected to take Arithmancy, since she was particularly interested in numbers. This marked the first time that Albus and Ava did not have a class together. Still, they could often be found in the library or Gryffindor common room side by side, studying or doing homework.

And then, during the second week of October, everything changed. Albus was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, hungrily devouring a plate of sausage and pancakes, when Rose slid onto the bench beside him. Albus glanced over at her, then back down the aisle. "Where's Ava?" he frowned when he noticed that his cousin was alone.

"I don't know," Rose answered, a worried expression on her face. "She was called out of the dorm in the middle of the night. She never came back."

"What? Do you know why?" Albus demanded.

Rose shook her head, sending her wild red curls bobbing. "I have no idea. I hope everything's okay."

"Yeah," Albus mumbled, deep in thought. There weren't many reasons that he could think of for being summoned out of bed in the middle of the night that did not signify something very bad. He put down his fork. Suddenly, his appetite had deserted him.

Albus struggled to get through his classes for the rest of the day. Nothing that any of his professors said was able to penetrate his thoughts. Instead, he found himself focused primarily on the door, hoping to see Ava come through it. By the time Albus sat down to dinner that evening, he was nearly mad with worry. Ava had missed every single one of her classes—something that he knew would never happen unless something was very, very wrong.

Somehow, despite the plethora of mouth-watering options on the table in front of him, Albus found himself unable to eat, or even interact with anyone seated nearby him. After several ignored comments, the other Gryffindors realized that Albus's mind was clearly elsewhere and allowed him to sit in preoccupied silence. He sat at the Gryffindor House table, nervously twisting his napkin in his hands until his friends and family had finished eating.

Albus walked toward the portrait hole with Rose, Lorcan, and Melinda, his mind still focused on where Ava could possibly be. As he was about to cross the threshold into the common room, however, he was brought up short by the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice.

"I need you to come with me, Mr. Potter," the headmistress told him quietly. "In fact, it might be best if you all accompanied me to my office," she amended, her gaze sweeping over the small group in front of her.

Albus's spine stiffened. "This has to do with Ava, doesn't it? Where is she? Is she okay?" he demanded, his chest constricting painfully at the look of concern on McGonagall's face.

"It's best that we don't talk here. Come with me." Without another word, the headmistress turned on her heel and strode off down the hallway.

Albus shared a worried glance with his friends before swallowing hard and following McGonagall down the corridor towards the staircase.

The headmistress ushered them into her office, silently shutting the door behind them.

"What's going on?" Albus asked. "Where's Ava?"

"Have a seat, Mr. Potter," McGonagall told him softly. "I promise that all will be explained."

Albus lowered himself into a chair across from the large mahogany desk, waiting impatiently for the others to do the same. He watched expectantly as Professor McGonagall took her own seat.

"I'm afraid I have some terrible news," she began. "Last night, Ms. Mathenson's parents were on their way back from dinner with friends. They were driving home when another motorist fell asleep at the wheel of his car and lost control. The two vehicles collided and…I'm very sorry to say that…Mr. and Mrs. Mathenson were killed instantly."

Albus gasped, horrified. Ava's parents were dead? The idea was almost impossible for him to even contemplate.

McGonagall gathered herself for a moment before continuing. "Understandably, Ms. Mathenson has been allowed to take a leave of absence from school to attend her parents' funeral. I am not sure when she will return, but it will not be until she feels that she is ready to resume her studies." McGonagall paused, her eyes focused intently on Albus. "A tragedy of this magnitude is always difficult to understand. I hope you will all feel comfortable coming to me with anything you may need."

For a moment, Albus could only sit there in shock. When he finally gathered enough of his wits to look around the room at his friends, they were all wearing similar expressions of stunned disbelief. No one they knew had ever experienced a loss of this magnitude. They had, of course, heard the stories of their parents' generation, and all of the deaths that had become a part of nearly everyone's lives, but those had always been somewhat removed from them. They had no idea how to handle something like this.

After a few more consoling words, McGonagall guided the students out of her office, urging them to go and get some sleep so that they would be well rested for their classes the next day. When they reached the Gryffindor Common Room, however, none of them seemed to be eager to follow her advice. Instead, they all sat in front of the fire in near silence, lost in their thoughts until the sky outside began to lighten and they dragged themselves to their beds.

Ava did not return to school for two weeks. All that Albus could think about was whether or not she was okay. Well of course she wasn't okay, her parents had died, but Albus needed to know that she was being taken care of—that someone was there for her in the way that he knew his enormous family would be for him were his entire world to come crashing down around him. Each day that Ava failed to appear, Albus grew more and more agitated. He missed his best friend, but even more than that, he couldn't bear to be this far away from her when she was surely in a great deal of pain. He should be there with her, but instead, he was forced to occupy himself with mundane classwork while Ava was suffering. The feeling of helplessness was driving him crazy.

When Ava finally returned, Albus's concern only multiplied. She was pale and aloof—a ghost of her former self. He had known that losing her parents would inevitably change her, but he was dismayed at the state of her. She was listless, refused to eat more than a few bites at meals, and avoided the other students as much as she possibly could. He watched her drift through classes, her eyes unfocused and her mind hundreds of miles away. He dealt with her inability to engage in conversation with him. He saw the girl that he had come to care for more than almost anyone else in the world slowly slipping away from him. And he had no idea what to do about it.

Twelve days after Ava had come back to Hogwarts after burying her parents, Albus decided that enough was enough. Grieving was one thing, but Ava had descended into a depression that he wasn't sure she could recover from if it was left to suffocate her for much longer. He found her sitting on the steps of the castle, staring off into space as Ty's massive body cuddled up beside her. She was absentmindedly stroking the dog's fur as he rested his considerably large head in her lap and stared up at her with sad brown eyes.

"Ava," Albus murmured, trying to get her attention. She just continued to run her fingers over Ty's head, the dark circles under her eyes amplified by the waning evening light. Albus sighed, making his way down the stone stairs so that he could settle beside her. The dog's tail thumped once in welcome, but Ava still did not acknowledge his presence. When he reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, she jumped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Albus soothed.

She shook her head in response before returning her attention to whatever was going on deep in the recesses of her mind. Albus flexed his fingers where they still rested on her shoulder, drawing her focus back to him. "Come on, Ava. I'm taking you somewhere."

When she opened her mouth to protest, Albus merely cut her off. "Let's go." He stood, holding out his hand. She tentatively placed her fingers in his, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"Where are we going?" Ava asked him as he led her through the castle, his hand still wrapped around hers. Her voice sounded rusty from weeks of disuse augmented by countless crying jags. Albus hadn't realized how much he had missed hearing her speak. It felt like forever since the last time he had managed to get more than a few words out of her. More than anything, though, he missed her laugh. There was almost nothing he wouldn't do to get her laugh back.

Albus glanced back at her, a reassuring smile on his face. "You'll see."

Albus tapped the statue of the one-eyed witch with his wand, murmuring Dissendium. He stepped back, waiting patiently for the stone hump to open before slipping his way into the newly revealed tunnel, still dragging a reluctant Ava along behind him. He heard the slight intake of breath that indicated his best friend's surprise, but didn't turn back to acknowledge it—he was far too focused on the task ahead. Desperate times called for drastic measures, after all. Or something like that.

But first, he needed to get Ava out of the castle.

Luckily for Albus, his family knew more of Hogwarts's secrets than even the four founders themselves. The tunnel he was currently hauling Ava down was one of the many hidden passages that had been destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts that had been the culmination of the Second Wizarding War. But, of course, the Weasleys had been unable to just let something that was so integral a part of their mischief languish in ruin. And so they, along with a few other enterprising individuals, had restored several of the secret tunnels into and out of the castle over the years since then.

Albus wound his way through the twists and turns of the narrow passage, his hand gently circled around Ava's wrist. She had given up even the slightest hint of resistance shortly after they had entered the tunnel and now followed along docilely, her sorrow-dulled eyes showing the faintest hint of interest. Every so often, Albus glanced back, taking in the sight of Ava dodging protruding clumps of stone and gnarled tree roots. Once, she looked up to meet his gaze, her lips struggling upwards in the slightest semblance of a smile. The effort that it clearly took almost made Albus cringe. His Ava never had to try to smile. Sometimes it had been hard to get her to stop.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Albus stretched up, hooking his finger into the handle of the hidden ladder. After flashing a grin back at Ava, he pulled it down and began to climb. He slowly ascended, reaching above his head to fling open the trap door embedded into the ceiling before turning and tugging Ava up behind him.

They emerged from the stone passage, flicking dirt from their robes. Ava took in the unfamiliar surroundings, blinking in confusion. "Where are we?"

"Honeyduke's cellar," Albus answered. He directed her attention to the towers of crates surrounding them, their contents overflowing with delicious sweets of every kind imaginable. "I figured we could use a little field trip. Not to mention a lot of chocolate."

Ava frowned. "You mean you want to steal?"

"No," Albus assured her. "I always leave a stack of galleons behind. I don't think old Mr. Flume really minds. Weasley/Potters have been doing this since my parents were at Hogwarts. Probably even before then. After all, my grandfather was one of the ones who created the Marauder's Map in the first place. You don't know about the existence of a secret tunnel into a sweet shop and not use it, now do you."

Albus realized he was rambling and quickly cut himself off. He grabbed onto Ava's hand again and pulled her over to a giant barrel in the corner. He scooped up a handful of toffee from the pile and deposited it into her palm. "I know that's your favorite."

Ava gave him a half-hearted smile that didn't even begin to reach her eyes—it barely reached her lips—and it caused Albus's stomach to clench. "What are we doing here, Albus?" she asked, sounding exhausted. "Why did you bring me here?"

Albus sighed. "I miss you, Ava. I want my friend back."

"I'm not sure she's coming back, Albus. What if she's gone forever?" Her voice was devoid of the depth of emotion that such a desperate question should have borne, making it all the more painful for Albus to hear.

"I refuse to believe that."

Ava shrugged, and the casualness of the gesture finally caused Albus to snap. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her one, hard shake. "No! You listen to me! This has completely changed your life—I get that. There's no way it couldn't. It may even have shattered you for a while, but you are not something that cannot be put back together. Do you understand me, Ava? You'll find a way to survive this. Even if I have to personally hold you together, I promise you that it will be all right eventually. It has to be."

Ava just stared up at him, her big, golden eyes wide with shock. Albus watched her, his breathing unsteady, his emotions scattered. Then, her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Oh, Ava," Albus murmured, pulling her close. He wrapped his arms around her, tunneling his fingers into her hair and tucking her head under his chin. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

And he held her as she fell apart.

The Christmas holidays found a good portion of Weasley/Potter clan still at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been invited to speak at Defense against the Dark Arts Symposium somewhere in the Caribbean and, naturally, several of the other adults in the family had felt the need to tag along. No one was about to pass up the opportunity to escape the dreariness of an English winter to bask in the tropical sunlight for a couple of weeks. With their parents aparating off to warmer climes, their children were left to fend for themselves over the winter holidays.

Their grandmother had, of course, offered to host the entire brood at the Burrow, but nearly all of the Weasley/Potter kids declined—with a bit of subtle urging from Albus. He just hadn't been able to bear the thought of Ava dealing with the first Christmas since her parents' death without him—and his raucous family—to provide distractions.

He had found her crying in the common room late one night and, after some poking and prodding, had gotten her to admit that she was terrified of spending the holidays at her aunt's house, where the absence of her mother and father would be even more unbearable. At least at Hogwarts, the pain wasn't quite so acute. At Albus's offhand suggestion that she remain at school over Christmas, she had immediately perked up. And so, despite the fact that Ava probably should have been taking the opportunity to spend some time with her aunt, who was now her legal guardian, she would be surrounded by Albus and the family members who he had convinced to stay at Hogwarts along with him. Missing out on Molly's cooking was a small price to pay for making sure that Ava was going to be as okay as was possible under the circumstances.

And so, Christmas Eve found the Weasley/Potters and Ava lounging across the furniture and plush carpets of the Gryffindor common room, laughing and eating way too many sweets for their own good. Albus was slouched down on the sofa in front of the fire, his feet stretched out in front of him along the cushions. Ava was curled against the claret velvet arm opposite him, staring off into the flames as they danced their way across the crackling apple wood. She had been more present that evening than he had seen her since her parents' accident, but she was still a long way away from being okay. Albus's heart physically ached at the slightly lost expression on his best friend's face. He just didn't know how to make it better—knew that there was no way he, or anyone else for that matter, could make it better. The best he could do was be there for her.

Albus slid a bit further down the sofa, using the tips of his toes to prod at Ava's thigh. She started, turning her head to look at him, an eyebrow raised in question. He answered with a mischievous grin, feeling a rush of pride when he was able to coax a small smile from her, before pulling his foot back quickly to dodge her pinching fingers. Ava laughed as he scrambled away from her and there was no better Christmas gift in Albus's opinion than hearing that sound again.

One by one, the Weasley/Potters began to drag themselves off to bed, yawing and pushing at unruly hair on their way up the staircases to their respective dormitories. Finally, just after midnight, Albus and Ava were the only two left in the light of the dying common room fire.

"Are you tired?" Albus asked when he saw Ava's eyelids beginning to droop.

She shook her head in response.

"Are you sure? You can head up to bed if you want. I don't mind."

"No," Ava whispered. "I want to stay here." She glanced at him from under her lashes, a vulnerable blush coloring her cheeks. "I don't want to be alone right now."

Albus didn't mention the fact that she wouldn't exactly be alone—Rose was upstairs in the girl's dorm, after all. Instead, he sat up, easing his way across the sofa until he could wrap his arm around Ava's shoulders, pulling her into the warmth of his body. She stiffened for a split-second before relaxing into his embrace and resting her head in the crook of his neck. "I miss them, Albus."

"I know," he breathed into the black silk of her hair. He held her tighter, leaning back into the tufted pillows and getting comfortable. He felt the flutter of her eyelashes against the skin of his throat as she began to slowly doze off.

Just when Albus was sure that she was asleep, Ava stirred. "Happy Christmas," she murmured, her voice slurred with exhaustion.

"Happy Christmas, Ava." Albus closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the sofa. Still wrapped around one another, they both drifted off to asleep.

By the time that school resumed after the New Year, Albus was starting to notice glimpses of his best friend coming back. There was no ignoring the fact that Ava was still depressed—there were times when he caught her having just finished a crying jag, or staring off into space with a faraway look in her solemn amber eyes—but more and more often he would see her smile or hear her laugh or watch as she rolled her eyes at his ridiculous antics—antics he usually performed just to get a reaction out of her. It was happening slowly, but Ava was somehow finding a way to move on. It made Albus hopeful that she would make it through the trauma of losing her parents and emerge splintered, but still intact.

But then, as the summer holidays approached, Albus watched Ava slip back into the shell she had built around herself back in the fall. He tried everything that he could possibly think of, but nothing seemed to cheer her up. It was killing him. It was clear that the prospect of spending the summer with her aunt, away from the distractions that Hogwarts provided, and forced to fully confront the absence of her mother and father, was just too much for Ava. And so, when Albus said his goodbyes at King's Cross Station, he pulled Ava in for a hug, whispering, "You're coming to my house soon, okay? I'm not going the whole summer without seeing my best friend. You have to spend a couple of weeks…at least."

Albus felt Ava begin to lean back and mirrored her movement, looking into her teary golden gaze. She smiled up at him, giving him one last squeeze before gathering up her bags and following her aunt across the bustling railway platform towards the barrier to the muggle world. Albus watched her go, sending a wave and a grin her way when she paused to look back. He would talk to his parents as soon as they got home. There was no way that he was leaving her all on her own for the entire summer.

I know, the second half of this chapter was a bit of a downer. But it's kind of important for later, so it had to be done. The next chapter is..."Fourth and Fifth Year." We're getting closer to them being adults, so maybe I'll be inspired to light a fire under my butt! I promise to do my best to get this next one out as soon as I possibly can. I love these two, and I really want to give them a great story. Hope to see you next time!