The Sun and Her Moon- Remus Lupin

lets go

Aveline was so tired she could feel every cell in her body screaming and crying for her to rest. She was the point she wasn't even sure what she was doing, she just knew she had to keep going.

"Another lap! LETS GO!"

She was at an outdoor field with her auror academy peers, including James, Sirius and Marlene. So far, Moody had been hollering at them to run lap after lap, as if they were some show dogs.

The bandages on Aveline's back were caked with sweat, to the point they began to slip and sting her ripped skin. There was only so much healing potions could do for a magical wound.

Aveline was meters behind her classmates, her lungs burning head feeling light as she willed each of her feet to keep going.

From ahead of her she spotted one of the girls collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Aveline could feel Madeyes eye watching her carefully— waiting for her to the next one the collapse. She merely gritted her teeth and kept going.

Not today Madeye.

When Aveline finally finished her lap, the rest of her classmates had been waiting for her. Sipping water out of plastic bottles and catching their breathe as she took her last couple steps.

"Nice of you to join us Rosier," Madeye gritted as he ticked off something on the clip board gripped in his hands .

Auror training was known for being ruthless. The fraction of people who actually made it to the end of training was minimal.

Aveline was beginning to realize why as she placed her hands on her hips, trying to ignore the throbbing in her back as she took deep breathes.

James and Sirius had wandered over to her. They were both sweaty themselves, in there black t-shirts and shorts, though nothing compared to the sweat dripping down Aveline's face, matting her curly hair.

"You good?" Sirius confirmed, passing her a bottle of water.

She couldn't find the breath to speak, merely nodding her head as she grabbed the bottle with a shaky hand.

Was this all really worth it?

Her mind flashed to how peaceful life would be doing anything else. She could sleep in. She could rest.

How much did she really want this?

She thought of life as an auror— the exhaustion, the stress.

The only thing she ever dreamed about was peace. Finding it in the crevices of a warm home and the safety of a delicate and fulfilling career.

Yet here she was— supposedly by a choice made by her own free will— driving her life in a direction that was anything but that.

Free will— she was beginning to wonder if the concept really did exist, or it was merely an illusion of choice.

Yes she signed the papers that contracted her to the auror academy, but did she really choose this life ?

"Alright let's do that one more time."
________

A hand wrapped around Aveline's arm, as another found the small of her back, next thing she knew she was hitting the ground with a thud that knocked the wind out of her chest.