(19 December, 1978)

Aurora had managed to spend the majority of the term either alone, obsessively busy with her studies, or down by the lake with Barty, her desire to avoid Regulus as much as she could somehow coming to fruition in spite of her honest doubts that she would succeed. With her own course work keeping her more than fully occupied, and her brother's preoccupation with the other seventh year boys that had become more like his family than she seemed to be ever since the revelation made over dinner the previous summer, the young witch was startled to discover that she very rarely had to retreat to the girls' dormitories to gain some space, when her brother seemed all but determined to hardly make his presence known to her at all.

Of course, with the end of that term, and the approach of the Christmas holiday, that reprieve would soon be taken away from her altogether, the excitement that always flooded through Aurora's mind at the prospect of a holiday spent in the company of her two brothers forever dimmed by the disinheritance of the one, and the chosen path of the other. And now, in the midst of the heartache that such a thing brought about, Aurora knew she would face still more over the coming holiday season that was far more daunting than facing the rifts in her own family ever could be.

Her mother had sent an owl around Halloween, informing her daughter that her betrothed, and his family would be visiting them between Christmas night, and the celebration of the New Year.

She was going to meet Evan Rosier in the flesh—the man who would become her husband—and that thought frightened her more than she dared to admit.

She hadn't told Barty yet. She couldn't, when every time she even considered the thought, a vice constricted around her throat, and made it impossible for her to breathe. It would have been a lie to pretend she was not very well aware that the longer she waited, the more likely it would be for him to find out through another source, or resent her for taking so long to tell her, himself. But even in spite of that knowledge, Aurora simply could not seem to force herself to say the words…

She had allowed herself to fall deeper and deeper under his spell, even in the face of her apparent engagement, and the thought of Barty hating her for keeping something like this from him was more than she thought she could bear.

A furrow creased her brow in response to the thought as she leaned her head against the glass pane of the window in her compartment on the Hogwarts Express, her arms crossed over her chest as she shivered against the sudden chill that raced down her spine. Barty had been staying behind again, leaving her with absolutely nowhere to run if life at home became too much to cope with. And so, she settled herself to the task of simply trying to keep her mind as blank as she possibly could, her hands trembling just a bit as she drew the hems of her sleeves down to cover them before returning her arms to their former position across her chest once more.

"Ro?"

The sudden sound of Regulus' voice caused Aurora to flinch, her eyes reluctantly traveling to land upon the compartment door as she realized her brother had slid the barrier open and was now hovering halfway inside, as though fearful she would force him away.

"Can I join you?"

"You wouldn't rather be with your new friends?"

"I want to be with my sister," Regulus corrected, his words gentle, like he imagined Aurora to be some fragile thing that would shatter to pieces if he spoke any louder than he had, "I've missed you, Ro."

"Really?" Aurora inquired, hating herself for how feeble the question sounded, even though she knew better than most that her tenuous hold on her emotions and apprehensions over what was to come would break apart at the seams if her brother's words were in any way untrue. Already, she felt like she was losing everything, and everyone she had ever loved, bit by bit, and though she knew full well that her mother would have several things to say if she could discern the full extent of her daughter's thoughts, Aurora still felt as though she would not survive if she lost one more person she loved.

Professor Slughorn had not told her much of what he suspected, what seemed like ages ago, now, but it would have been a lie to pretend that the thought of that—thing—resurfacing again paralyzed her with the most crippling sense of fear she had ever faced.

"Really. You don't even have to ask that, you know."

"Do I?"

"Aurora," Regulus pressed, moving slowly into the compartment, and securing the door behind him once more, before treading towards his sister so that he might take a seat beside her on the bench, "No matter what I'm doing, now—no matter what I may have to do—I'm your brother. Always."

"Will—will he allow for that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean will your—new—"

"The Dark Lord, Aurora."

"Don't expect me to call him that," Aurora retorted, real fire seeping into her words for the first time in what felt like forever as she recoiled from her brother's reaching hand, and forced herself to look him in the eye for the first time in months, "I won't, Reg. I can't."

"Okay. You don't have to. Just—what were you going to say?"

"Is your new group of friends going to allow you to be my—my brother?"

"I don't give a damn whether they do or not. I'm going to be," Regulus assured, once again tentatively reaching out to take his sister's hand, and finding himself more than a little relieved that she did not automatically draw away in response, "I know you don't understand why I've done this—"

"I'll never understand why you've done this."

"Can you try?"

"I—I don't know," Aurora confessed, frowning at her own inability to give her brother this one thing he seemed to want above all else, and glancing down at where his larger hand covered her own on her thigh, "I want to, Reg, I just—I don't know what to do."

"Will you at least allow me to explain?"

"O—okay."

Seeming to be satisfied by Aurora's single word of assent, Regulus relaxed a fraction or two in response, a shaky breath escaping his lungs as he leaned back just a bit, and tilted his head up to look at the ceiling. For a moment, she was truthfully not certain whether he intended to speak at all, his eyes closing almost of their own accord, while he still clutched her hand, as though she would fade away if he let her go. But before she could make any attempt at opening her mouth to say something, herself, Aurora found that she was spared the trouble, her eyes making a cursory investigation of her brother's features while he spoke.

"Can you allow me to explain at home? When we're alone?"

"Seriously?"

"Yes," Regulus said, reaching forward with his free hand to tuck his thumb beneath Aurora's chin, so that he could lift her face until her hazel eyes met his own once more, "I need you to trust me on this, Ro. I'm going to tell you. Just not here."

"I'm going to hold you to that, you know," Aurora quipped, arching a brow and finding that the act of forcing some certainty into her tone was not as taxing as it had been mere moments before, "I just—I need someone on my side, when—"

"When the Rosiers come."

"Yes."

"I'll be there. You know I will," Regulus assured, smoothing the pad of his thumb against his sister's cheek, and furrowing his brow when the digit came away damp with the beginnings of a tear, "Hey—what is it? What's wrong?"

"Everything's just—it's all falling apart," Aurora sobbed, hating herself for allowing her admittedly tenuous control over her emotions to fracture so easily, when she had done all in her power to maintain it ever since returning to school. But somehow, in the wake of the touch of her brother's fingers upon her skin, she found that she was no longer even remotely capable of maintaining such control, her shoulders trembling as she allowed herself to be pulled snugly against Regulus' side, while his arm wound around her shoulders, and she rested her head upon his shoulder while he spoke.

"We're going to put it back together again, Ro. You and me. You'll see. And if you really want me to, I'll talk to Mum about—him."

"Would—would you really do that?" Aurora murmured, astonishment coloring her tone as she accepted her brother's decision to reach for her hand with the one that was not currently running idle patterns against her shoulder, their fingers threading together with ease just as they always had, before. In spite of her hesitation, she could almost permit herself to hope that Regulus was right. That he would speak to their mother, and somehow, everything would right itself, maybe even before they returned to Hogwarts at the close of the holiday, if they were lucky. And before she could fully stop herself, Aurora found herself tilting her head back to peer up at her brother as he looked down on her with a slight nod, his expression suddenly determined, as though he truly had not changed at all, despite the influence of his newfound companions.

"Of course I would. What kind of wanker would I be if I didn't, eh?"

In lieu of any sort of reply, Aurora simply settled back against her brother's side and gave his hand a small squeeze as it remained tightly clasped around her own, her eyes fixating upon a frayed bit of fabric in the carpeting of the compartment they sat in as she attempted to corral her anxious thoughts into some semblance of order. She knew that, if she wanted any chance of escaping the holiday spent with her mother unscathed, it would serve her well to remain as docile and outwardly obedient as possible…

If whatever Regulus might have in mind were to work, Aurora knew that Walburga Black would have to be in the best of moods—a task that was, admittedly, far more difficult to accomplish than she, or her brother, could manage on their own.

…

(24 December, 1978)

"Aurora, get down here, girl! Our guests are about to arrive," Walburga called, one thin-fingered hand lifting to pat at her dark hair as she peered up the staircase towards the general direction of her daughter's last known location, "Aurora!"

"Coming, Mother."

"Hurry, child. I told you to begin making yourself presentable hours ago."

Biting her tongue as she hurried towards the top of the staircase, and made her way down, her rouged lips curving into what she hoped was a convincing smile as she met her mother's sharp gaze head-on. Walburga was a vision in glimmering black, diamonds shining in the shape of a teardrop dangling from each ear. And although Aurora had hated every minute of it, she had done her best to render her appearance as carefully and thoughtfully as her mother would have expected her to, her fingertips grazing along the mahogany of the banister until she drew to a stop before her mother, and allowed the older woman to investigate her attire more closely.

"Good. You chose the green," Walburga approved, running chilly fingers against the skin of her daughter's cheeks as she tucked some stray curls behind her ears, "Though I wish you would have done something different with your hair."

"I put it up, like you said—"

"And it still escapes from the ribbons. Did you not use the pins your father and I bought you?"

"I could not find them."

"Aurora—"

"I'm sorry," Aurora pressed, her fingernails digging into the skin of her palm as she willed herself to avoid provoking her mother's ire this early in the evening, and settled instead upon forcing a smile to her lips before going on, "If you would like, I can look again."

"No. No, you will do no such thing," Walburga intoned, stepping back to regard her daughter one final time, and managing a curt nod of what might have been the closest thing to approval she had ever given in her life, "The Rosiers will be here any minute. Go and wait in the foyer to greet them. I want them to see what a wonderful hostess you can be."

Knowing that she would stand a far better chance of making it through the evening unscathed if she simply did as she was told, Aurora stepped around her mother, and moved towards the foyer as she had been instructed, her breaths coming quicker and quicker the closer she got to the door. Of course, she was abundantly grateful for the fact that Regulus appeared determined to remain true to his word, the soft sound of his footsteps following after her even though she had never even known he was already downstairs bringing a small sense of comfort to quiet her racing heart. But even that was not entirely enough to keep her completely calm as she registered the muted sound of voices coming from outside the door, her body going rigid while Kreacher appeared with a muted pop from wherever he had been before, and moved to answer the ring of the doorbell not long thereafter.

It was now or never…

With a smile forced upon her lips once again, Aurora stepped forward to join the elf, her eyes meeting with those of an older woman that could only have been her intended's mother as soon as she stepped through the door. She could feel the dark grey eyes raking over her frame, just as she could feel her mother's intent gaze boring into her back. And so, in spite of her trepidation, Aurora did her best to appear at ease, hoping beyond hope that her smile would appear genuine as she stepped forward to address the older woman firsthand.

"Mrs. Rosier—welcome—"

"My goodness, Walburga, you were right. She truly is a beauty," The older woman remarked, sparing just a cursory glance for Aurora's benefit before stepping around her to approach the Black family matriarch once more, "I suppose she takes after you, in your younger days."

"Lucinda, you flatter me. She is far lovelier than I ever was."

"Whether she is or is not, you have done well, raising her. My Evan is a lucky man indeed, to call such a woman his wife."

"Is this him, then?" Walburga inquired, moving to stand beside her daughter as a pair of men stepped through the door, nearly identical in their appearance save for the difference in age, "My goodness, but you've grown since I saw you last."

"I suppose I have, Mrs. Black."

"Walburga, please."

"Walburga," The younger of the two men repeated, stooping down to reach for the woman's hand, and bringing it toward his lips for a chaste kiss upon her knuckles, "Enchanted, of course."

"Shouldn't you be lavishing your attentions upon my daughter, my dear?"

"Who says I am not, already? Someone once said the way to a woman's heart begins by treating her mother well."

In the wake of her mother's sudden laugh, Aurora found herself flinching in spite of her desire to avoid it, the shrill sound grating against her ears as she realized that, in response to her intended's apparent distraction in flattering her mother, she was left entirely at the mercy of his father, instead. Pinned beneath the weight of his dark eyes as they raked over her frame, the young woman was completely powerless to resist the shiver that made its way down her spine in response. Before she could fully stop it, he was reaching forward for her hand, mimicking the gesture his son had just performed on her mother, though in contrast to Walburga's ready smile, Aurora struggled to avoid recoiling with every power she possessed.

Something about the way Evan Rosier's father was watching her made her skin crawl, and Aurora was never more grateful than she was the very moment he allowed her hand to return to its place at her side.

"I believe that was me, son," The older man informed, moving to clap his son on the shoulder, before turning his attention towards Aurora once again, "Though something tells me you may have your work cut out for you with this one."

"Something tells me I might be looking forward to that."

"I—I'm not entirely certain I will be that difficult to please," Aurora interjected, catching the significant look her mother was sending her way, and endeavoring to remedy the apparent faux pas she had made without even being aware she had done so in the first place, "Or at least I hope I will not be that difficult."

"I may have my ways to remedy things if you are," Evan supplied, regarding Aurora with a look that was nothing short of possessive as he stepped away from his father, and approached her, instead, "Such a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh."

"Of—of course. The pleasure is all mine."

"Perhaps we ought to venture into the sitting room," Walburga proclaimed, watching carefully as her daughter accepted the gesture her intended made to loop her arm through his own, and suppressing the slight twitch at the corners of her lips as she turned to lead their party further inside her home. In spite of her daughter's apparent nerves, and the furtive glances she appeared to keep giving her son, the matriarch would have been blind to miss how enthralled Evan Rosier appeared to be with the young woman that would become his bride…

So long as Aurora did not manage to offend him or his family, Walburga could see no reason why the two could not be married as soon as her daughter put Hogwarts behind her for good.

After all, what need would she have for employment after graduation if she were married to one of the wealthiest young wizards of suitable station?

Satisfied with her own superior planning, Walburga continued to move towards the sitting room with Lucinda Rosier chattering away happily at her side, her eyes meeting her husband's as soon as they entered the room. In spite of his occasional softness in matters concerning their daughter, Walburga knew that Orion was every bit as committed to the idea of this marriage as she was, herself. And so, the witch found herself very much capable of giving him what might have amounted to a genuine smile as she led their guests into the room, and gestured for everyone to take a seat, her tone far warmer than it ever was toward any of her own kin as she simultaneously stooped to reach for the silver bell upon the coffee table that would summon Kreacher to their side. If everything were to go as planned, she highly suspected Evan would soon seek an excuse to take her daughter out on the veranda for a private conversation of their own, and she would not have it said that she did not possess the capability of entertaining his parents while that took place.

She was not the only one that recognized the importance of a couple getting to know one another, and if Aurora proved reluctant to succumb to such charms, Walburga had no doubt that her future son-in-law would take matters into his own hands soon enough…

Her daughter may claim to love another, but opinions such as that could be altered, easily enough.

…

Well hello again, my angels! And welcome to another new chapter in Aurora's tale! I know that this one was heavy on the flashbacks again (and it may end up that the next chapters coming will be the same). But while I am very much eager to get our girl to start spending more time with Harry and Ellie in the present, I just had to bring Evan in, and start that entire engagement can of worms now, as well. I promise, we'll get to see more of him in coming chapters, along with Barty and the development of his relationship with Aurora as well. So hopefully everyone doesn't mind that this will mean still more flashback centric chapters. I'm having too much fun with all of this to stop, now!

As always my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to give this story a chance thus far! Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter as much as you have enjoyed the others…and of course I cannot wait to hear your thoughts if you are willing to give them!

Until next time, my loves…

MOMM