November 3rd, 1995
—A—
It was nearly impossible to top last year's celebration, but Aurora couldn't help but enjoy being near the Quidditch pitch again.
She was flanked by Ginny and Luna, the former in Slytherin colors as had become her tradition when it was Gryffindor/Slytherin match. Neville was at her back, cheering on Harry, encouraging Ron despite a less than stellar performance as keeper.
Harry and Draco seemed to be having the time of their lives out there, flying circles around one another, chasing each other as much as they did the snitch. Aurora had caught snippets of taunts and laughter as they flew overhead earlier in the game, smiles wide on both their faces.
But, admittedly, her eyes didn't stay on the seekers for long. She was, perhaps, a bit more drawn to the Gryffindor beaters. Or, at least, one beater in particular.
There were no clandestine meetings at midnight, nor were there longing looks from across the common room while they forced themselves to be apart. Aurora hadn't sacrificed time with her friends, nor did Fred abandon George and Lee for her. They sort of merged where it was possible. She and Fred would sit beside one another in the great hall, their friends surrounding them. In the common room, they would be found seated together, thought here was always a respectable amount of space. As far as anyone was really concerned, she and Fred were just very good friends.
But when no one was paying attention, there were hands being held, a kiss on the cheek, cozy study or product development in a corner of the library, long walks around the lake even if it was getting a bit nippy out.
And she had, perhaps, been a bit louder when the beaters knocked away the bludgers.
When the game ended, Gryffindor just beating Slytherin by ten points, she and her friends not on the team went down to the dressing room area.
"Excellent game," Ginny said as they entered the change area. "Well, except you, Ron. You kinda let more than a few of those quaffles pass."
"Oi, shove it." Ron snapped back, though Aurora noted that he was more than a bit blotchy after the statement.
"Is there much point in us washing up?" Harry asked, dabbing a towel to his forehead. "Or did your dad give us field time again this year?"
"'Fraid not," She said, plopping down on the bench conveniently beside Fred.
"Oi!" Draco's voice cut through the room before he rounded the corner and came into the locker area. "Do I need to shower?"
"Of course you do, Malfoy," Harry grinned. "Can't be keep up your pristine image if you don't."
"Yes, well, I'm also not going to bother if we're going to go right back to flying." He countered.
"Not this year," Aurora shook her head. "He doesn't want to draw attention to some points that, as of day, should be…fact." She looked to her feet before meeting Draco's gaze meaningfully.
"Right." He said. "So, a more private setting, then? To the Room of Requirement?"
"I think that would work. Unless your parents had something planned?" Harry said, looking to Aurora once more.
She sighed heavily. So much for the good day. "They do. We can meet up after the dinner we will be having in my father's quarters." She said, looking to Draco once more. "And I do mean 'we.'"
"Bloody hell," Draco grumbled. "Well, nothing for it, then. I suppose I should tidy up and prepare for a slow, mild form of torture."
"Which would be?" Ginny asked.
"Dinner with my father, discussing with the Snapes the plans that will be set in motion for mine and Aurora's arranged courtship and marriage."
The room was silent, thick with awkwardness, until Ron said, "I thought Neville had a thing for She-Snape."
Neville turned a deep shade of Gryffindor red, finding the tassels on his scarf fascinating.
"Attraction doesn't factor very much into Malfoy arranged marriages. Merely a possibility for reproduction, and that the one marrying into the family is no less than a half blood."
"And since you're both purebloods…." Harry started to say, but a glance at Draco had him trailing off. His eyes went wide, and he looked to Aurora. "You're half-blood, too?"
"What?" Ron scoffed. "No," He shook his head firmly. "Slytherins are never less than pureblood."
"That's what you think, Weasel." Draco smirked, sitting next to Harry on the bench. "My uncle is a half-blood."
"Right." Ron said in disbelief. He looked to Aurora, who merely nodded. "What, seriously? Snape?"
"Not exactly a wizarding name, is it?" Draco pointed out.
"More than just the sacred twenty-eight, though." George said.
"Yeah, but even my grandmother's family wasn't part of the twenty-eight." Aurora pointed out. "The Princes aren't on the list. But Draco's right, Snape is a muggle name."
"But that wouldn't make you half blood." Neville frowned. "Your Dad being one doesn't make your status the same."
"You all assume my mother is a pureblood." Aurora smirked.
"Alright, you lot," Aunt Minerva knocked on the door frame, scanning the room "The field is all but clear, and most of you still smell. Hurry it up, lads. Mister Malfoy, please return to your own change room. While I appreciate the house unity, now is not the time. Ladies, Mister Longbottom, please vacate."
"Walk with you in a bit?" Fred asked as she got up, and she looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a nod. Then, with her arm linked with Ginny, she and the others left the change room.
—A—
She waited for him by the Black Lake under one of her favorite trees. When she'd seen Fred approach, she pushed off the trunk, and his hand caught hers as they fell in step with one another.
"So why didn't you tell me your mother wasn't a pureblood?" He asked, swinging their joined hands and smiling.
Aurora shrugged. "It's not my thing to tell, honestly." And here she hesitated, wanting him to know the truth, but unsure if she were permitted to reveal that much. "My mother had a bit of … of an accident when she was about fourteen. It left her with no family, and she knew the dangers of being, well, Muggleborn."
Fred stopped so short that she was pulled back to him when she hadn't realized he'd done so. He gapped at her in amazement, and Aurora's heart started to speed.
"Muggleborn?" He said, and she nodded ever so slightly. "Your mum, Snape's wife, Muggleborn?" She nodded again. "And he knows?"
"You think because my Dad's a Slytherin…"
"Not as stupid and short sighted as Ronniekins, am I? No, it's just that your Dad was on trial for being a Death Eater. Not exactly the sort I'd have expected to shack up with a Muggleborn."
"Well it's not like he believes the rhetoric." She said quietly, leaning toward him. "He loved her long before it was ever his mission to blend in."
Fred nodded. "What's her name again?" He asked.
"H." Aurora replied.
"H. Right. That's not a proper name. What's H stand for?" He asked as they continued on.
Aurora didn't answer. She looked to her feet, seemingly fascinated by the squish her feet made in the damp earth beneath them.
"Alright, what was her last name before she was married?" Fred asked, and Aurora turned her attention to the forbidden forest that circled the parameter of Hogwarts. "So that's what happened to Hermione."
It was Aurora's turn to stop short, and she whipped her head around fast enough that her waves hit both her face and Fred's. He chuckled, seemingly unfazed by her hair or her disbelief. "What?" She said softly.
"Well, pretty brilliant, me. Sorta started to put it all together when we heard Sirius suggest a Hermione to teach DADA this year. It's been a couple years since Hermione left, yet we never really hear from her unless Harry or Ron writes her. She doesn't come visit. There's no bloody way she could have moved so quickly that she couldn't say goodbye, and you two did, well, do, look awfully similar. Sorta wondered, didn't think it were really possible, but when you said this afternoon you weren't pureblood. And really, how else would your mum know me."
"Who else figures this could be the case?" She asked, resuming their stroll once more.
Fred shrugged, "Just George, me thinks. We haven't exactly sat around with anyone else and asked their thoughts on it. Just a bit short of barmy, isn't it? Does anyone know?"
"Draco and Luna." She replied.
"Looney Lovegood knows everything, though."
"Don't call her that," Aurora scowled.
"Yes, ma'am." Fred conceded without argument. "So, any other secrets about you I should know? Not going to tell me that Snape's actually a dungeon bat, are you?"
Aurora held the scowl, but her lip twitched a bit. "No."
"That's good. Scary enough as it is, he is."
"He's supposed to be."
They walked in silence until they were at the furthest point around the lake from the castle, the least likely spot that anyone would see them. Fred stopped her once again, pulling out his wand and drying a nearby fallen log. He stirred her to sit down, and then reached into his pant pocket before sitting beside her. "Not much of a birthday present, I must say." He said, tapping the small box and enlarging before handing it to her.
Aurora hesitated with her hand on the ribbon, glancing at Fred as she wondered if perhaps there would be some sort of jinx on it. When it seemed she would be safe, she pulled on the gold material, watching it fall from the deep red box. She lifted the lid and pushed aside the tissue parchment to find a lovely, ornate box. There was a crank on the side, similar to a muggle music box, and she looked to Fred curiously.
"Afraid to say, the best part would be better viewed tonight in the Room of Requirement but didn't want to flaunt how lucky I am by being the one to show up with a gift."
"Well, the outside it lovely," She smirked, running her fingers over the pale gold images of flowers embossed over the deep red lacquer.
"There's the inside, too." He said in a slightly teasing way. "Go on."
She slowly opened it, still a bit weary that his natural tendency to prank would suddenly present itself. The inside was lined with black velvet, and there was an odd scent coming from it. Something like jasmine and honey, parchment. Aurora assumed Fred had spritzed a perfume in the lining, but the scent was lost in the fresh air of the cool November day.
"Tap your wand to the crank." He said, and she did.
There was something coming from the bottom of the box that she couldn't see, lost in the light of the sun. But the song that played was quite lovely. Violins and a piano playing notes of something familiar. Not particularly romantic, but not anything meaningless, either. Whatever the song was, it pulled on her heart strings, and she smiled up at Fred.
He smiled back, proud of himself, obviously quite pleased, and Aurora was struck with the urge to kiss the smugness away.
So, she did.
—S—
"I must say, I had thought the rooms here at Hogwarts would by more… drab. You've done well with what you have." Lucius said as he looked around the sitting room, a tumbler of brandy in his hand, walking stick on the other. In his semi-formal dress robes, he looked utterly pretentious, and Severus was a bit disgusted by the man he had once looked up to as a little first year.
He glanced at Hermione seeing her converse with Narcissa, a genuine smile on both their faces, though that of his wife's had faltered as she clearly heard Lucius' comment.
"Not all of us can have manors, nor do all of us want them." Severus replied, his hand tightening around the tumbler in his own hand.
Lucius snickered, "Yes, well, let us hope Aurora does not share your sentiment. Where is she, anyway? And Draco, for that matter. They should have been here fifteen minutes ago. You don't think that they are celebrating their impending engagement too early, do you?"
Not in the least, Severus sighed internally, lifting his tumbler to his lips but pausing when he felt his daughter and god son pass through his wards.
"Ah, here they are." Lucius said as they entered the room, and Severus nearly dropped his glass.
His daughter was not his daughter. Aurora's hair was pinned up, perfectly placed in a low knot that made her locks look straight and smooth. There were make-up charms on her face, subtle in the way that she didn't look made up like the many other witches around the school would, but enough to be noticeable. She was in a dress, wine in color, down to the knee and with a neckline cut in a way that was demure but entirely too grown. If he had thought she looked too grown up for the Yule Ball the year before, he was utterly mistaken.
Draco, he noted, had worn a simple trouser, oxford, and blazer ensemble, and with Aurora on his arm, they looked as though they were about to have some sort of society party among the purebloods instead of an intimate dinner to continue a farce that Severus suspected only Lucius believed in.
"Aurora," Narcissa greeted warmly, stepping toward the teenagers and taking Aurora in her arms in a motherly embrace. "Happy birthday, lovely one. You've grown so much."
"Thank you, Aunt Cissy." She replied, smiling a bit as she returned the elder witch's embrace.
"She is right, my dear. You look every inch the perfect Malfoy heiress." Lucius said, raising his glass toward her.
From the sofa, Leonidas snorted, and Severus shot him a warning glance over his shoulder.
"You don't agree, Master Leo?" Lucius asked, turning to the young man on the sofa.
"No." Leonidas replied. "She looks ridiculous."
"Thank you, Leo." Aurora replied sarcastically.
"You're welcome, Rory." The boy returned, and Severus rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Shall we dine, then?" he asked. "I suspect that Draco is quite famished after his near victory against Potter earlier today."
"Near victory?" Lucius sneered as the seven of them all took their places around the expanded table in the Snapes Suite.
"Yes, father." Draco replied without looking up, setting his napkin on his lap and resting his hands on the edge of the table. "Potter out maneuvered me at the last moment."
It wasn't a lie, Potter had managed to feint at the end of the match. But Draco wasn't at all put out about it and had openly shaken the Gryffindor's hand while they were both still on their brooms, circling one another as the crowd roared with either cheers or disappointment. Whether his team mates noticed or not, Severus hadn't known. He knew that no one from the quidditch team approached him about the rivals getting along so well, so he said nothing of it himself.
"You're supposed to be better than he is." Lucius said coldly. "At everything. You are to be the best. You are, at least, still top in your year now that the little mudblood has run off?"
Tension washed over the table. Hermione flinched, but covered it with taking a deep drink from her wine, all while maintaining her poise. Leonidas glared at his uncle, until movement from his sister had him shift that stony defiance to her. She subtly, oh so subtly shook her head, and Leonidas' occlumency lessons had come abruptly to the forefront as he appeared suddenly quite indifferent. Narcissa looked to her plate, empty for the house elves had yet to appear, and Severus had noticed an air of embarrassment about the witch.
"I believe there may be a Ravenclaw who was out performing both myself and Granger." Draco replied.
Hermione glanced at him, a slight lift of her brow, and a quirk of her lip. "Is that so?"
"Oh yes," Draco confirmed. "I doubt she was ever going to graduation top of class. Too busy saving Potter's arse."
"Language, Draco." Narcissa corrected instantly, wide eyes stealing glances at their hosts.
"Five points from Slytherin." Severus said without thinking much of it.
Lucius gave a hearty laugh. "Really, Severus? House points?"
"I'm sure, at some point, Draco has used much more colorful language outside of my hearing. Considering it a long overdue infraction."
"At least it wasn't detention." Aurora smirked.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for cheek." Severus retorted, winking at his daughter as she turned to him, jaw dropped. Draco snickered. "I wouldn't, young man. I could keep going, and then what will your house mates have to say?"
"Likely that he shouldn't have lost points because he spoke freely with his Uncle." Hermione quipped. "Not to mention what the Gryffindors will say over Aurora losing points from her father."
"I know it was your house, dear one, and our daughter's, but it is still my rival house."
"And that in which the most blood traitors come from." Lucius added as if it were something one said in casual conversation. "But we shall not worry about that. For tonight, we are celebrating that, while living among some of the worst of wizarding kind, Aurora, like her mother before her, will join the best. And, if I may say, more so, as Aurora begins her official journey in becoming a Malfoy. Go on, Draco, seal the deal."
The teenagers froze, the wives stiffened, Leonidas' perfect mask nearly slipped as confusion and disgust crept into his eyes.
Aurora and Draco looked at one another, terrified, clearly having not anticipated Lucius' demand.
As quick as would have been allowable, Draco leaned toward Aurora and placed his lips on hers in a very chaste kiss.
Severus held his breath, and as Draco pulled back, grimacing slightly, Aurora turning her head and wiping her mouth as discreetly as she could, Severus let out a sigh of relief.
"Feel any different? Has the world suddenly felt like it's been made right? That everything has fallen into place?" Lucius asked, a light smile playing on his features.
"I can't say it does." Draco replied. "It was, after all, like kissing a sister."
Leonidas' face curled in disgust, and Severus felt his eyes crinkle in humor.
"Well. No matter. Sometimes these sorts of bonds take time to build, don't they Cissy?"
"Of course, Dear." She said, and before anything more could be said on the subject, dinner appeared on their plates."
—A—
"A bond?" Aurora said to Draco as the pair of them made their way up to the Room of Requirement. "Is that really a thing? Not just some weird thing my parents have?"
Draco shrugged. "They say that a couple, a proper couple, begin to really sense one another's magical aura after they've been together a while. But that's usually a compatibility thing, magics complimenting one another, and such. And there needs to be strong, romantic love. But you knew that, I know your mother read you the fairy tales."
"Yes, but they were fairy tales." Aurora sighed. "Do you think…?" She started to ask, but then lost her Gryffindor bravery.
"If you think you and Weasley A should call it quits because there wasn't an instant swirl of magic like in The Wizard and the Princess, then you need to step away from Ronniekins, lest his lack of brain cells has become contagious. Not like you two are… wait, Fred hasn't … do I need to hex him?" Draco demanded, stopping on the stairs between the fifth and sixth floors, pulling out his wand.
"What? No! No, we haven't … I mean we aren't… it's not like… bloody hell, Draco, we've only kissed."
"Better be all that happened." He said pointedly, sheathing his wand.
"Are you defending my honor as a sort of brother or an awkward future husband?" Aurora asked as they continued their journey.
"If this whole bloody war goes on long enough that you graduate before it's ended, we'll marry, and I will promptly leave the wedding suite and allow Weasley to sprog you up. Glamour the baby's hair blonde until my father's dead, or we can say it went rebellious on us."
Aurora shook her head, barely keeping her mirth contained. "Could do the whole artificial thing."
"Artificial what?"
"Well, you know. Suspended… stuff, a quick incantation, and a few potions to up the odds." She looked to Draco. "Muggles call it the turkey baster method."
"What's a turkey baster?" Draco asked.
"Never mind." Aurora shook her head as they reached the seventh floor and the doorway appeared.
They entered, seeing mostly everyone already in their pajamas. Aurora and Draco parted, grabbing their change of clothes and entering one of the offered rest rooms within the room.
When Aurora re-emerged, she plopped down on a mat beside Fred's, Draco sitting between her and Harry.
"Any way we can dim the lights in here a bit?" Fred asked, and the room obliged him just enough that the ceiling went dark, but the parameter of the room near the floor gave off just enough of a glow to keep Aurora from panicking. Fred then handed Aurora her box, something she'd asked him to keep safe for her until they could get to the room in the evening. "Open it." He gestured, George elbowing him playfully with a smile that was both pleased and amused.
Aurora opened the box, and instantly the room was filled with green, purple, and pink waving lights. Gasps of awe over powered the soft melody playing from the box, and Aurora was so utterly dazed and mesmerized that she couldn't pull her eyes away from the sight above her.
"Did you seriously enchant that box to project an aurora?" Ginny asked in disbelief.
"An Aurora Borealis." Fred corrected in a fake, haughty tone.
"That's incredible." Harry said, a touch of laughter in his disbelief.
"It's quite magical," Luna agreed. "The charms you'd have had to weave is quite impressive. You got it to look nearly real."
"You realize you could sell something like this and make a fortune?" Draco asked.
"Told him that," George said. "But he wanted to make it special for Aurora."
It was the first time she'd actually heard George call her by her proper name, and she looked to the twin of her boyfriend with surprise. He merely grinned a little broader before turning to look at his brother's handy work.
"I don't mind if you sell others." She said. "I'll always know I came first."
"Could do it in less fancy boxes," Ron said, and the conversation shifted to possible business ventures.
The charms on the box never faded, not until the box was closed, or the crank was tapped on with a wand. It became the light source for the cake and tea that followed, for the laughter and conversation, and finally to fall asleep beneath as the night drew late.
But Aurora could not sleep, not properly and never for long. Her hand was linked with Fred's, him curled on his side facing her while she remained on her back, staring at the swirling lights. It occurred to her that this gift was quite the declaration, that this was something he felt strongly about. No one went through the trouble of making something like this unless they cared quite deeply.
And that was a thought that terrified her.
December 1st, 1995
—S—
"Potter, focus. My ten-year-old has mastered this quicker than you." Severus said as he withdrew from Potter's head. Was it harsh? Perhaps, but if he had to delve into unfiltered, teenage angst one more time, he may turn his wand on himself.
So, Potter was pretty sure he was gay? Miss Chang had hung back and placed a kiss (a wet, tear filled kiss) on an unsuspecting Potter, and the boy was fairly certain his lack of enjoyment was from more than the emotional state of the giver. He was debating asking to kiss Aurora or Ginny for a test, but the thought had disturbed him in both accounts as he regarded both girls too much like sisters. And the worst along that train of thought, asking Luna because she looked most like Draco. Like the little blonde prat needed to get one more thing he wanted in life. There were other thoughts, too, like how nice it would be to have the simplicity of Aurora's and Fred Weasley's relationship? Where a couple could simply be, and there was no pressure between them. Though Potter had felt bad for Longbottom who still held a torch for his Yule Ball date.
Severus hadn't lasted too long in Potter's mind after that line of thought. It was the first lesson, so he gave the boy the benefit of the doubt, and asked him to clear his mind again, and then to attempt to keep him out.
The next line of thought had, at least, been less romantic, but more inane problems. Should Potter be a teacher? He was enjoying the defense instruction, found he liked helping others achieve an educational goal, and had even wondered if Hermione would be proud of him. Severus witnessed how the others were doing, at least. He found some amusement in hearing Fred Weasley bet against his twin the Aurora could take out Ronald, and then the undertone of pride in Fred's voice and in Harry's mind when she had indeed done so. He noted that the youngest Weasley was quite skilled and could possibly be quite the powerful witch. That Lovegood was oddly proficient despite her carefree nature.
But the thoughts of their little defense class had doubts linger in Potter's mind. He had thought he wanted to be an Auror for so long, it felt wrong to try and change his mind now. He was the chosen one, after all, so shouldn't he go into law enforcement since he was supposedly a defeater of Dark Wizards? But he hated the fame he got from it. He didn't want to do nothing, like his father had (and Severus was pleased the boy had at least knew that much). He didn't know what Sirius would do if he wasn't so caught up in working for Dumbledore, and Black had admitted during a discussion that he hadn't much considered what he had wanted to do.
Severus had withdrawn and sighed heavily.
"I can't clear my mind." Potter said, exasperated. "What does Leo do to clear his mind?"
The question took Severus aback, having not known Potter even knew his son's name. Yes, he was friends with Aurora, and it was likely she spoke of her brother. But as far as Severus knew, the boys had not met. While Potter would have attended Muggle school when Leonidas had started, the age gap would have been too great for him to have crossed paths.
"I do not know, for certain." Severus said, and then, weary of confessing and possibly losing part of Potter's motivation, added, "He is a natural, like myself."
"And Rory?"
"No, she has to clear her mind. She tends to imagine the forbidden forest at dawn. When she was small, I would take her with me to allow H to sleep while I collected ingredients. She loved the forest then, the worst of the night creatures tucking in for their rest, the daytime creatures having not yet stirred."
"Did she really grow up in Hogwarts?" Potter asked, and Severus nodded.
"For a time."
"Sirius said that… that your wife was my godmother."
That earned an arched brow, Severus surprised that Sirius had mentioned the connection to Potter.
The boy shrugged. "You were one of my Mom's best friends."
"Indeed."
"So why didn't you guys take me?" Potter asked. "When Sirius was in Azkaban, why wasn't I placed with you?"
Well, this wasn't a conversation Severus had planned on having, but he supposed it wouldn't matter. If Potter already knew at least a portion of the tale, it was portion enough for Severus' head to be on the Dark Lord's platter should he ever peek into that part of Potter's memories.
"You are aware I am Draco's godfather?" He said, and Potter nodded. "And so, you can imagine how it may look to those we were still in contact with should I have raised the enemy of the Dark Lord?"
Potter smirked. "Didn't think of that."
"Clearly. Regardless," Severus said, barely thinking of what he was about to say next, "even if we were able to take you in and raise you with Aurora, Dumbledore did not allow it."
Potter frowned, "What?"
"The night your parents died…." And Severus paused, having to swallow the lump in his throat.
He remembered that night too well. Lily had sent her Patronus over to the house, terrified. She said there were people outside the house, looking at it as if they could see it. Potter Senior had been confident that they were safe, but she wasn't so sure. Could he alert the order? Fake that he had known there was an attack. But he hadn't known, for he had been summoned the day before, and the Dark Lord had been angered still that the Longbottoms and Potters alluded him. No one had known where they were, though that was because Severus hadn't let his occlumency slip. He had provided the location of Lily's childhood home, knowing that the Evans had passed away only months before, leaving the place empty. There was enough evidence laying around that had the Dark Lord convinced they had been there, and Severus had only suffered a small torture for the false lead.
No sooner had Lily's Patronus disappear did Hermione sob from down the hall. He had turned and ran to find his wife on the bathroom floor, her trousers stained with blood, her hands shaking. They had only found out they were Pregnant again a couple weeks before, and with the sudden, unexpected grief, Severus had nearly forgotten about Lily's worries. He couldn't do anything to help her, the house known to him, but it's location blocked from his view because of its secret kept status. He'd sent a very weak Patronus to Sirius, asking him to check on the Potters.
Thirty minutes later, he was screaming as his arm burned worse than any summons he had ever experienced, and he nearly blacked out from the pain.
When his head was clear enough to understand what had happened, he left for Godric's Hollow. The look in Hermione's eyes when he said where he was going had braced him for what he would find there, but it didn't lessen the visceral reaction he had upon seeing his longest friend lifeless.
"You were already on your way to the Dursleys before I got to your parents' home. I didn't know where you were until after your Godfather was arrested, and Dumbledore finally deigned to tell me where he placed you."
Potter nodded. Severus had waited for Potter to ask why they hadn't fought Albus on keeping him in the wizarding world, but then he noticed that the boy seemed to be figuring it out on his own.
After a moment, Potter nodded. "Thank you for explaining." He said. "I have been much happier since living with Sirius, but sometimes it chuffs me a bit to think that I might not have had to be with the Dursleys."
"Understandable. Your aunt is an utter bitch." Severus stated, earning and snort from Potter. "Now, occlumency. Clear. Your. Mind."
Potter closed his eyes a moment, shifting about as if he could physically shake the thoughts from his head. He opened his eyes, and Severus entered without warning.
A quidditch pitch, devoid of anything and anyone. Just an empty field, the seats of the stadium empty, the rings looming high above.
"Very good. Now get me out." Severus said, moving toward the locker room, and feeling Potter panic as he headed for the very obvious door. He turned the knob, and just before the door opened and leaked all of Potter's unorganized thoughts, Severus faintly heard Potter say something in a panic, and then suddenly he wasn't in Potter's head.
He was opening the door to his old brewing classroom, his first lab. And there was Hermione, on the sofa, reading Jane Eyre. It was a memory, a really random one, and it was his.
He tossed Potter out of his head before he could see anything more. Not only of Hermione, but of… well, of Hermione.
"Sorry." Potter said instantly. "I panicked."
"Clearly." Severus said, watching the boy, waiting for questions. How much did he see? Was he now wondering why his friend was in his professor's mind, only older? When Potter said nothing, Severus nodded once. "I think that should be it for today. You did well with the pitch, Potter. But you need to keep me from opening the locker room door. Expelliarmus is an excellent defense spell, but as you just seen, it can be dangerous. You're lucky you landed yourself in a memory of my wife, and not some of the things I had to witness in my line of work."
"Right. Yes. Sorry. Thank you, Professor Snape."
Potter took off then, and once the door closed, Severus slumped.
"She better tell them soon." He grumbled to himself. "Going to have to empty my blood mind into a pensieve for now on."
December 18th, 1995
—A—
Time passed and worries of the extent of Fred's feelings for her shifted to the back of Aurora's mind. There were studies to keep up with, DA meetings, worrying over her father's occasional leaving the castle, and the holidays.
She'd never been more thankful that Draco had signed up for the third time to stay at the school over the holidays. Because, it seemed, Uncle Lu had expected them to stay together. And if there was one thing Aurora wasn't sure she could have brought herself to do was stay for the break at Malfoy Manor. She didn't want to have to come face to face with the Dark Lord if she didn't need to, and she didn't want to do so unexpectedly. And at the manor, she wasn't sure she would be safe from such a possibility.
But here at Hogwarts, she could be herself. And really, she could now appreciate why her father enjoyed being isolated in his rooms so much or patrol the halls at night alone. So, few people knew who he really was, what he was really like, because of the constant mask he had to wear. And now, well, no, she didn't have to be someone she wasn't outside of contact with Uncle Lucius…. Or did she?
As Aurora sat in the common room, the fire dimmed as everyone else was asleep, she realized that she put on a bit of an act as it was. She and her friends always sought out private spaces, away from everyone's gaze, because of Draco. But did she not act more studious, more high brown in classes? Especially with those she shared with Slytherins? Did she and her father not act as though there was a bit of cold indifference between them when they were in full view of everyone? Had she not been quiet about her mother's identity for the last four years?
She flicked her wand, then shook her head. She then moved it in a tight spiral, and whispered, "Expecto Patronum."
Blue wisps danced from the end of her wand, but they hadn't formed anything. Luna had had a rabbit, Ginny a horse. Everyone knew that Harry had a stag and had been able to do the spell since his third year. And no, she wasn't the only one unable to go corporeal at this point, but that didn't lessen her frustration. She wanted to see if hers would reflect someone in her heart, like her parents had patronuses that showed how they protected one another. Or if she was like Harry and would find herself with a lioness or raven as like one of her parents. She knew some people had perfect matches with the loves of their lives, like Harry's parents had a doe and a stag. She tried to remember what Fred had conjured, and fleetingly hoped it wasn't something like a hyena. Or a monkey. She couldn't remember, though.
She focused on the memory she chose, Fred saying she was worth the risk, and was about to cast again when she hesitated. What if that's not what made her happiest? It was the freshest of happier memories, of course, but what if it wasn't the happiest? She thought of earlier memories from her childhood, all happy, of course, but not what she would call her happiest. Her days with Harry in muggle school was fine but lacking something. Then she remembered her birthday the year before. Flying with her friends and the Bulgarians, her parents both there with Aunt Min, cake and crisps, and fun being themselves. Before the tournament got hard for Harry, when Draco finally stopped worrying about keeping up appearances, before her father had to face Voldemort.
"Expecto Patronum," She said again, and far more than wisps emerged from her wand. "A squirrel? You have to be bloody kidding me."
The squirrel circled about before coming to a stop in front of her expectantly. She stared back at it. "Umm?"
Her concentration on the ethereal animal was broken by a loud, tormented scream that sounded too much like Harry. It continued, and she turned back to the squirrel she hadn't banished. "Umm, go to dad and aunt Min." She half commanded and didn't know if she'd did it right or not before she headed to the stairway leading to the boy's dormitory.
There was light from upstairs, and she heard muffled sounds as she tentatively made her way toward it. She'd gotten no further than ten steps up when she heard the fireplace in the common room flare. Racing back down, she met with her Aunt as she came charging toward the stairs. Hair down, tartan robe over her night gown, glasses slightly askew.
"Aurora, dear, what is-"
"Your Dad's been attacked!" Harry shouted, and Aunt Min paused, looking up the stairs. The fire place flared again, this time admitting her father. He found them immediately, his own dark robe drawn over dark pajamas, though he looked far less sleep disturbed.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I just heard Potter say someone's father has been attacked. Glad to see it wasn't you, Severus."
"Who was guarding it tonight?" He asked Aunt Min quietly.
She thought about it, what little color in her face draining as she seemed to come to an answer. "Arthur."
"Fuck," Aurora's father swore before turning abruptly and heading toward the fireplace just as Aunt Min stormed up the stairs. Aurora glanced over her shoulder to watch her father disappear into the fire place, and then up to see her Aunt escorting Harry down the stairs, Ron and Neville following close behind.
"Mr Longbottom, kindly go and wake the twins, if you will." She said over her shoulder. "I'll return for them and Miss Weasley in a moment. Aurora, if you could…?"
Aurora gave a nod and headed back up to the dorms. Moving as quietly as she could, she went over to Ginny's bed and peeked behind the curtain. "Gin." She said. "Gin, wake up."
"Rory?" She mumbled. "What's it?"
"Gin, you have to get up. Something's going on. Something about your Dad."
That caught her attention. "Dad?" She questioned but didn't wait for a reply as she pushed the blankets off and got out of bed.
The two girls went down together, arriving in the common room at the same moment as Neville and the twins. Fred looked to her, curiosity in his eyes before he was distracted by the green flare of the floo.
"Now listen, you three. We can't explain well what is going on, but something has happened to your father. We can't, at this time, bring you to St Mungo's. With what is happening in the Ministry, the lot of you arriving ahead of your father would look odd. We don't even know if your mother knows what has happened yet. But you're going to go directly to the Headmaster's office, and you're going to Port key with your brother and Mr Potter to his residence promptly after we arrive. Now, come along. Umbridge will have sensed there are students out of their towers soon."
She bustled the remaining Weasleys through the floo, and then the room was silent again.
"Harry woke up screaming." Neville said. "He said something…."
"I got the gist." Aurora said soothingly.
"What's it mean?"
"Aside from the obvious? I don't know." Neville was quiet, and so was she, the pair standing side by side, staring at the fireplace. "Draco will want to know. And Luna."
"We can't tell them now, Umbridge will find us for sure."
"No." Aurora agreed. "We'll tell them in the morning."
Hello again, and thank you to all the readers, favoriters, followers, reviewers. You're all awesome. rlsa, BlueWater5, HGranger89, TheShipperOfTheCrystalBallroom, Kolbz, Guest, Chaz, Lucyole, samantha mellin, lia a karas, viola1701e (it would never be Ron), Guest asking for more, LolBookWorm, Northmanlv, MissMegan24, BenAddict Holmes, tattoodaffodil, Guest (It's okay if you never climb aboard the ship, I won't be offended), Sofia7, MadameAngel, Britelite15, Lillian (You'd fare well), dramione1028, Lost O'Fallon Girl, Pika5490, thank you all so, soo much for leaving word.
The updates should be fairly regular now as I'm heading into the final ten(ish) chapters writing wise, so long as I remember to post. Meaning, expect one every couple of days. Until next time.