Being a Greengrass after all should sound pretty serene.
But being a part of "the Emeralds" should not, especially when hearts become entangled with the infamous Regulus Black.
Goodness, lawfulness, or evilness. Which path will they tread in the ti...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
September 12th, 1976
September twelfth—Avery's birthday.
Usually, she liked birthdays. What she didn't like was the annual reminder that came with them: she was, once again, officially the oldest member of the Emeralds.
At precisely 7:25 that morning, Avery stirred awake. Pale sunlight filtered through the curtains of the girls' dormitory, painting quiet strips of gold across the wooden floor. Still half asleep, she rolled onto her side, instinctively expecting to hear a familiar voice filling the room before she'd even opened her eyes, but there was no one.
No cheerful "Good morning!"
No dramatic "Happy birthday, my Ave!"
No Pandora.
A small crease formed between Avery's brows. That alone was enough to wake her fully. Pandora Lestrange was the definition of a morning person. She greeted sunrise like it was a personal invitation. On most days, she was already awake before the castle itself seemed ready to function, humming softly while getting dressed or opening the windows to let fresh air into the dormitory. For her to still be gone this late? Unusual.
Avery pushed herself upright, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She grabbed her wand from the bedside table and cast a quick refreshing charm over herself, the cool sensation instantly clearing away the remnants of sleep. When she noticed a folded note resting beside her lamp, her worry eased slightly. She picked it up and unfolded it carefully, recognizing Pandora's flowing handwriting.
"Meet me at the Room of Requirement after you finish getting ready. Better not be late!! ♡
—P"
She already had a guess about what Pandora was planning, but she chose not to dwell on it. Whatever it was, Pandora had clearly gone through the effort of setting something up before sunrise, which meant Avery was expected to play along. So she did.
She got ready quickly but thoroughly, taking more care with her appearance than she usually would at such an hour. She fixed her hair twice before deciding it looked fine, adjusted the sleeves of her shirt, and gave herself one final once-over in the mirror.
Satisfied, she slipped out of the dormitory and made her way through the quiet halls of Hogwarts. The castle still felt half-asleep, wrapped in the muted calm that only existed before breakfast. The portraits yawned lazily as she passed, and somewhere in the distance, she could hear the faint clatter of house-elves preparing the morning meal. By the time she reached the seventh floor corridor, anticipation had settled beneath her ribs.
The stretch of wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy stood empty as always. Avery glanced both ways down the corridor to make sure she was alone before beginning to pace in front of the wall, concentrating carefully on what she wanted: to see whatever Pandora Lestrange had planned.
