"Aurora… I'm… I'm worried…"
Looking up from a book on her bed Aurora sees her little sister shutting her book. The two Granger girls are in their room reading to themselves in candlelight. They're on their own beds with their own books and notes around them. It's one of the few things they do that remind them of home, their parents had requested them to have it this way for that reason. Dumbledore agreed easily which is wicked on his part as a Professor. Shutting her book Aurora looks to her sister with open ears knows there's plenty to be worried about. When Hermione realizes Aurora is waiting she turns more in her bed to face her.
"Worried for Harry…"
"Because of Mr. Crouch?"
"Something doesn't feel right about everything."
"I have to admit… I've been feeling the same way."
Aurora lets out while leaning back in her bed, after the second task Harry had found him dead in the forest. Harry had told the girls what he learned about him and his son. Not to mention Snape and Karkaroff were once death eaters. The final task is almost here and the timing of that made them wonder. The final task is tomorrow and everyone is on edge or buzzing to see what's next. Aurora and Hermione were the few on edge. Both of the girls were included in the last task so they know how serious this tournament is, eight students' lives were at stake last time. The personal reasons for being a part of it are rather messy but both girls didn't want to physically deal with it until the actual physical tasks are finished such as the final task of the Triwizard Tournament.
"We'll keep an eye on him, okay? Don't we always?"
"I don't know anymore…" Hermione glances at her while trying to keep a straight face as she calls out her older sister, "You're eyes look at a lot of boys..."
"So does yours!" Aurora sits up straight in shock she had the nerve to call her out and points at her while listing out loudly, "You look at everyone like your lovesick; Victor, Ron, Harry, Draco-"
"Where do you think I learned it from! Fred, George," Hermione then points at her listing louder than she is to be heard, "Cedric, Remus… YEAH, I-"
"Um I was told to keep eyes on them, Hermione, no one told you to have eyes on NEVILLE."
"I have not had my eyes on him!" Hermione drops her mouth while growing red from remembering the one time her older sister caught her checking him out, "What about you and Harry!"
"What! Gross!" Aurora then stands on top of her bed purely disgusted now, "I could NEVER."
"Never…" Hermione then stands up in her bed from seeing his name got a bigger reaction from her and stares for a moment asking slowly, "Why never? Not once- What-"
"He's too young for me." Aurora folds her arms as Hermione inspects her from her bed across the room. When Hermione does say anything Aurora adds, "He's your best friend." Hermione squints her eyes making her blurt out another small possible reason, "You know… Girl code… Muggle kind of girl code- Okay, I did the spell! I was going to tell you when things weren't crazy but everything always crazy with us and-"
"You did the spell."
"I did the spell," Aurora states again as she and her sister stand on their beds eyeing each other down. She can tell Hermione is trying to settle on what emotion she wants to act on. Hermione doesn't need to ask to know she did it to make him stronger, the bond has helped her in every class. In fact, classes were the easiest part of her day because of Aurora. That doesn't change the fact her sister and best friend for once kept a secret between them. Weighing the pros and cons Hermione begins to relax her face as Aurora waits for her to say something. Knowing deep down Aurora meant the best because it wouldn't have worked if she didn't, Hermione tries to give her a smile. Aurora looks her dead in the face then and says.
"I also accidentally did the spell with Fred and George."
"After this tournament, you are going straight to a Professor." Hermione growls at her sister before shoving her and snapping, "...Go say bye to our brother and your third boyfriend."
Aurora looks at her little sister wondering where all the sass came from. The two are heading toward the stadium for the final tasks. Once Aurora finally just told her everything Hermione had a full-blown fit that she hasn't told an adult yet. They agreed Aurora would tell Dumbledore once the Tournament is over. Aurora could admit she needed help understanding what she's done but didn't want to face what this meant in eyes of adults. The girls send each other a look before separating to head for their own set of boys. Aurora is almost to the boys when they see her and smile lightly her way. Cedric and Harry began slowly walking to meet her through the people from the Ministry. They all meet at once with Cedric and Harry beside one another and Aurora in front of them.
"Whoever wins… I will be impossibly proud of both of you." Aurora looks at both of them knowing they're both in first place at the moment, "Just look out for each other, will you try?"
"We will, darling. Pinky promise." Cedric pulls her into a hug and kisses the top of her forehead. Blushing Aurora allows him to lock pinking in their embracement while whispering into her ear, "You fold the fort until we get back."
"Don't I always?" Aurora grins cheekily while letting a hand on Harry's shoulder and a look his way, Cedric chuckles down at her before winking and whispering, "Don't forget, love... I'm still winning this for-"
Music begins blasting through the stadium and the three look toward it knowing it's time. People everywhere now are rushing into the doorways. Aurora is quickly separated from the boys and ends up having to walk into the stadium from one other than the one they did. When the champions are out of view Aurora finally faces where's she's going and even walks faster to find a seat. When she inside she turns and looks to find someone familiar in the crowd. Her eyes instantly find Fred and George waving their arms to come to them. Aurora turns back and sees the Champions coming out to the center of the dome. Running up the steps Aurora quickly reaches the Twins. They give her little room between them in the stands up Aurora doesn't notice. She's looking out at Dumbledore coming out to the stage while Fred mumbles in her ear.
"I've been thinking…"
"That's never good."
The crowd becomes silent as Dumbledore begins talking about the final task the champions face. The two of them look away from each other and to their Professor to listen. The champions have to find the Triwizard cup within the maze first, Harry and Cedric will be going in first. As everyone sits down to listen to the Professor, Aurora finds Hermione's head with Ron's just a few steps lower than hers. Her sister had asked her last night what does this bond means for her and the Twins.
All she could say in honesty is that she isn't sure. It happened at the wrong time and place, in the middle of when literally everything's happening. Aurora was handling it how she and the boys always do. Last-minute, with minimum knowledge, together. Looking away from Hermione the oldest sibling hears a shot fired and the champions head into the maze. Everyone begins cheering as they enter making her stand up and do the same. When the last one is inside the crowd sits back down to chat with one another and wait. Turning back to Fred she asks him knowing he's still going to tell her anyway.
"What have you thought of, Freddie?"
"About how you were able to perform the spell... naturally." Fred begins to say in a low voice, he body is turned so only she and George can hear and see him say it, "The way the spell decides the wizards true feeling is based on-"
He stops when they all hear a scream come from the maze. Aurora's breathing becomes shallow as she listens. They couldn't see a thing, only noises in the distance. Aurora didn't notice she grabs George's hand when hearing the scream. He lets her hold it without a second thought as listens to his brother continue, "We know its the first two bonds were what let you perform the spell without a wand but... I don't think it's your state of mind that determines if you're worthy of completing the spell. This is perhaps why you could conjure the spell without wishing to at the moment. As if time is irrelevant in the sight of binding two together... I think… the spells are defined by the core of what we know as the lifeline-" They three see a red firework go off in the maze, they were silent for a second knowing someone has forfeited. They can hear people around them making comments and joke but the three stays huddled together. When the red from the sky is gone Aurora then asks him, "What are you meaning to say, Freddie?"
"What I'm trying to say is the spell was always going to work… It wouldn't have mattered if you were mad at me or if we were in our first year." Fred begins to smile at her as her expression stays serious while she asks again, "And what does that mean?"
"Our love isn't defined by time. Our love for each other has to already be apart of us in our soul or like DNA… perhaps our lifeline but because-" George speaks up for the first time to give his opinion, "...Time is irrelevant… Would that mean-"
Avada Kedavra!
A flash of Cedric is shown in her mind of s memory she's never seen before and Aurora suddenly shrieks while standing up holding the side of her head. All thought of twins gone as her mind felt overtaken by terror and pain. It wasn't her pain though, she could tell it wasn't happening to her but she could feel it like feel as if it's real. Aurora blinks a few times and begins to hear less and less chatting from students. The air in the stadium drops tremendously in just seconds. Aurora turns to George and Fred remembering they should be beside her, she sees them standing beside her talking to her. She stares a moment longer and doesn't hear words come out of their mouths. Instead, she hears Harry screaming and her face melts in true terror realizing what's happening to her.
"Harry. It's Harry, something wrong with Harry."
Fred and George keep looking at her as if they're talking to her but she can't hear anything other than the screams from Harry. Turning to where the sound is coming from Aurora sees Hermione up in her seat yelling at her. Another voice starts yelling in the distance instead of Harry, Aurora pushes herself onto the stairs and looks around. Something felt wrong and her body felt a pull to get closer. Aurora is looking around the stadium like she's not really there, she didn't feel like she's there but it looks like it around her. She can see Snape watching her in the distance alarmed as yelling fills her ears once more. Fred and George follow her every move but she's doesn't notice as pain flares up into her making her body go limp fall down the stairs. Aurora blinks when she hits the last step and sees herself kneeling in front of the Tournament cup. One glance to her left and she finds Cedric laying limp in the grass. Screaming Aurora goes to him and grabs his chest shaking him.
"Cedric. No, please. Cedric." Aurora screams his name to his face crying, "Cedric! C-"
A scream comes behind her and she flips around standing. Harry is between gravestones fighting a man she's never seen before, both of his hands are on his wand as he's screaming in pain. Aurora begins to feel his pain entering her and runs to him screaming his name. He glances back at her and screams, "Aurora!"
Aurora reaches her arm out for him as she sprints across the graveyard, she feels energy burst through her out of the hand she had extended for him. Everyone in front of him looks in her direction, they stare straight at her for a second before looking back at Harry. None of them had reacted like she was even there as if they didn't hear her yell for Harry. A circle forms around the two now with spirits of some sort flying around as she gets closer to him.
None of the men or Harry's attacker noticed her running closer to him, almost as if she's nothing to them. Daring to look at the one attacking Aurora see something resembling a human, a human that made Aurora fear the worst. Harry glances at her before looking back at what's around him just as Aurora reaches him. Grabbing his shoulders Aurora pulls him back making them both release the spells on their wands. The two both fall to the ground and all the sorcery around them blows to the other men. Aurora sits up and blinking into the stadium she was at just minutes before.
Looking around with a pink wet face Aurora sees herself in the middle of the stadium. People are talking to one another calmly taking no mind to her kneeling there. Feeling someone rest a hand on her Aurora looks up and sees Fred and George above her more worried than ever. They didn't say anything, they waited for her to speak up first from not knowing what's happening to her. She's been moving around like she's here but hasn't been acknowledging them. No one has noticed her strange behavior but there are too many people here for someone to notice. Perhaps a few teachers but they don't seem worried. Grabbing Fred's shirt Aurora looks at him crying out.
"Cedric's dead. Fred, Cedric's dead-" Aurora sobs out into his chest uncontrollably, "He's just a boy- Fred, he was-"
Harry and Cedric then appear right in front of Aurora's kneeling body, Harry's crying over Cedric's body. He's yelling just as cheering and clapping begin to fill the dome making no one hear him. Aurora grabs his face to look at him and make sure he's not going to die. She sees his heartbroken expression. Mirroring Harry's expression Aurora pushes him to lean on her chest as she holds him tightly. He falls into her embrace with an arm still over Cedric. Aurora's crying as he holds onto her tightly shaking, quivering she looks to Cedric's face and shuts his eyes as Harry screams into her chest.
"Aurora, it was him. It's Voldemort. He's back, he's back!"
Aurora hears music go off as the crowd continues to celebrate, she's crying as she stares at Cedric grey motionless face. The image of the man who Harry fought flashes in her mind as she holds Harry tighter like he's going to come back and finish the job. The grey face of the man scars Aurora's mind as her ears tingle with the sounds of the band playing. The rage of Harry and her own consumes her causing her to scream out a cry wanting the joyful music to be silenced. As her scream erupts she becomes a flash of grey dust and white light. She becomes bright enough for everyone to become silent and look away from her. The light comes out of her like a bomb had been dropped, when it shines to the edges of the stadium it rises into nothing and her scream becomes silent.
People begin screaming and running toward the kids in the center to kneel with them around Cedric. Harry grabs onto Cedric when Dumbledore tries to pull him away from him and Aurora screaming in his tears, "Voldemort's back. He killed Cedric. Cedric asked me to bring his body back- I could leave him there."
Aurora let's go of Harry as he screams at Dumbledore, she falls back while staring at Cedric. Tears run down her face as she looks at him like she's waiting for him to open his eyes again. She can hear people saying things out loud but her mind wasn't listening. Her mind wasn't comprehending people saying words. Professors are gathered around them trying to hide the body from being seen. Aurora begins to hear Cedric's father screams over everyone else's just as someone grabs arms and pulls her to her feet. They begin pulling her away from Cedric just as Moony grabs Harry and goes the same. Harry is pushing away yelling to be back by his side, Aurora lets out another sob as she watches them get smaller in the distance.
When she is pulled out of the stadium Aurora turns and finds Snape pulling her to the castle quickly. Aurora turns to walk with him instead of being pulled by him as she looks up at him wanting to ask what's going on. He doesn't glance at her once until they are just outside the walls. Snape looks around them to find no one close to hearing them before catching her eyes and asking.
"I need your complete honesty, now. Did you or did you not do perform a binding spell with Cedric?"
"No-" Aurora blurts out making Snape instantly pulls her into the castle walls frustratedly. He lets go and begins walking assuming she's beside her. Aurora doesn't follow him as she finishes what she was going to say, "I did a binding spell with Harry."
Snape stops walking and turns to face her, they're only a few feet away now.
"... and Hermione… and Fred and George."
Aurora is in Dumbledore's studies alone, has been for some time now. Looking out the window she can tell everyone has gone to bed now as she waits here. The moment she told Snape what she has done this year he took her straight here telling her to wait for him or Dumbledore to come back. He had stressed very loudly not to talk or see anyone until one of them come back. She knows they probably aren't back because of all the has just happened, Voldemort coming back and Cedric dying. Aurora has stopped crying but it's only because she's dehydrated.
Aurora can sense all her friends are tense wherever they are, she hasn't seen them since Snape had grabbed her. She's been looking at what Dumbledore has in his office as she waits. She's not looking for anything on the Fallen Souls since Snape will be back any time now to yell at her about it. Aurora could tell he was furious at her but not furious at her personally, perhaps furious with what the situation she's put herself in. Stopping in front of a clear glass bookcase Aurora sees something familiar.
It's a book the look that stands out from the others, it's old as the rest but stood out from looking like a children's book. It looks just like the three she had but with a different title, An Empty Threat. Aurora realizes this must be the last book she doesn't have yet, looking around the bookcase she doesn't see any of the other ones in the series. Reading the title again Aurora wonders why he'd have it with rest of the these books and why he wouldn't want all four. Why did he want just this one? She hears a door open and turns around instantly, Dumbledore walks through slowly. When their eyes meet Dumbledore smiles thinly while speaking up.
"I apologize deeply for keeping you waiting… Ms. Granger. However, I'm thankful you did. Truly."
"What's going to happen to me?"
Dumbledore stops walking and looks up at the student like he found something he's been missing. He looks at her in an odd way making her turn away from the book she's been looking at. Smiling slightly he looks back down to the ground, Aurora felt like he didn't want to look at her for too long. He never could hold her eye contact and her parents made it a priority to look someone in the eyes out of respect or politeness. Which made her notice it in the first place.
The two of them look like death after the night they've had and it shows in their eyes mostly. Dumbledore begins walking slowly to his desk again making Aurora follow around him to a seat near his desk. He glances down at her hands and sees the small silver lining on a single finger. Aurora watches him look away from it like it'll burn his eyes from staring at it too long. Once he sits down Aurora practically leaps into a chair across his desk. Dumbledore watches her wait patiently for her fate to be decided, not being able but smile he then whispers.
"...A… Aurora, my dear, I must be honest the information Snape has shared with me tonight has… has to appear at the worst possible night. Which is forcing me to want to warn you rather than congratulate you on you're marriage-"
"Actually, I didn't mean to do that spell." Aurora blurts out making him look up from his desk, "I said the name while holding their hands, and… it just… happened."
"Did you now…" Dumbledore glances away while touching his beard as he thinks out loud, "I'm going to give you a few books, my dear." He stands up quickly then and begins opening a locked cabinet while explaining, "In all my life, I have only met two witches that are Fallen Souls… Now I'm in the impossible, predicament of meeting three at one time."
"I'm sorry, sir… I don't…"
"You will understand once you read these, my dear, don't fear." Dumbledore comes back with a stack of books thinking out loud, "Fallen Souls has been extinct for decades… No one in a century has been worthy to become one and hold the sorcery it contains..." He sits back down at his desk smiling like he's in pain, "... And you managed to have done on three on separate occasions. Extraordinary… It's beautiful, really… However. After what has accrued this evening it pains me to say that you will become a target in a matter of weeks. I'm sorry if that seems forward, harsh even, but need you to know what you face because Tom Riddle has returned. Which Harry has led me to believe you've seen him as well."
"Voldemort."
"Yes, Mrs… Granger. For the time being, I suggest you tell no one, not a soul for the information could make them a target. After reading what I've given you if you have any questions you can come to me or Professor Snape but do not speak a word to the other Professors or your families for the time being. To keep you and your friends safe, you must do this… You must." Dumbledore watches her tiredly with a glint in his eyes, "I fear I can not help you as much as I want, I'm sorry. I'm sure, however, that you won't need it after understanding what you've become this past year."
"Thank you. I shall give these back to you-"
"Oh no. Keep them, child." Dumbledore waves off like the books are nothing but empty sheets of paper, "They will serve more use with you than anyone else. I insist, cherish them with your life… these will most like save it in the future… You and your family."
"You really saw him, love? Lord Voldemort."
"Yes." Aurora whispers before looking into the mirror to catch Fred's gaze, "He... He looks like…"
The image of him pops into her mind before Cedric's face appears making her words turn into nothing. She just holds Fred's gaze in the mirror silent before applying more orange dye to his hair. Fred sits in front of a mirror as Aurora dyes the grey showing at the top of his head. George is sitting on his bed reading a book Dumbledore gave her. It's the last week of the year before everyone goes home for the summer. Aurora's dying their hair before they leave to see their parents, their hair hasn't grown back ginger yet but they were going to let people know that secret yet. Along with others that overwhelm Aurora, it's caused her to go quiet in conversations lately such as this one.
"Come stay with us, Aurora." Fred then blurts out as Aurora starts to focus back on his hair, "You and Hermione for the summer. Forge and I have been thinking-"
"-It'll be safer for you to stay with us," George speaks up then while lifting up his head to meet her gaze in the mirror along with his brother. Ron, George, and Fred suggested the girls come to stay with them this summer. They wanted Harry too but wouldn't be able to because of the muggle family that has custody over him. When they lettered their parents, they had agreed the girls should. The girls haven't even written to their parents yet, it saddens them to know the girls were silently losing their parents. The sisters weren't going to admit it but the boys noticed a silence when they spoke about parents around the girls.
The night Aurora had been at two places at once silently tore up the Twins. They could feel her scared and worried, but she looked emotionless in front of them that night. Fred and George didn't know what to do but be by her side. They could tell she was tugging their lifelines, almost like she was using it to stay with them while still going to Harry. When they see Aurora doubt in staying with them George brings up while tugging one of her curls.
"Our mom suggested it, actually. You could stay with your parents for a few days and pack your things… We can come to help."
"Awe, you scared for your wife?" Aurora smirks at him before nodding from them to exchange seat and her do his hair next. When Fred stands up he grabs her hand to make her look up at him as he whispers, "We felt your pain too that night, Aurora."
For the first time in awhile Aurora is left speechless. With the loss of Cedric, Voldemort returning and Harry almost dying Aurora didn't consider how Fred and George felt for her during it all. She didn't realize they have felt her sorrow through the last weeks, they've must have kept quiet about it hoping she'd lighten up more. She's grown up with people asking her to protect the people she loves and has forgotten until now that Fred and George wanted to do that for her. George sit's in the chair in front of her saying, "Either you stay with us or we stay with you, princess. You're choice."
"So… What'll it be?" Fred grins while looking down at Aurora and gently slide a knuckle under her jaw, "If you're not going to come to our house for your safety… Come for our safety. Don't you want to protect us as well?"
"You're good." Aurora genuinely smiles at him trying his hardest to convince her, his smile grows from seeing her first real grin in weeks, she then drops on the tip of her tongue. "I understand why Angelina said yes to the dance."
"Don't forget, love." Freddie brings up her hand he's holding and kisses her knuckles, "So did you, in a way."
"Aurora… Is this you?"
"What- Oh, god no. Freddie, it's a muggle children's book. I don't need that-"
"It's about a princess named Aurora-" George skims reads a page looking up at her in pure shock, "Are you actually a princess in the muggle world?"
"Bloody hell, no." Aurora groans embarrassedly as she grabs the five-dollar book from his hands and put it back with her old muggle books from a child, "Can you please be useful for five minutes, please?"
With that said Aurora stomps to grabs a few more shoes to put in her bags. Fred and George are in her room that she and Hermione share at their parent's house, they're looking at everything and anything they can touch. She's been watching them as she packs her things and couldn't help but see their father. Hermione's downstairs with Ron talking to their parents as she finishes packing. They told their parents it'll be safer at the Weasleys and they couldn't agree more. When they found out who has returned they were relieved they could stay with the Weasleys but it stung the girls a little. They had hoped they want them to stay with them for safety but how could they want that when they truly cant? It the hard truth the girls didn't want to face but knew it was inevitable. Coming to her side George bumps her shoulder whispering.
"What's got your panties in a twist, princess?"
"I don't know… maybe it's you two unpacking everything to look at it while I repack it. Maybe it's the fact that you told my mom that we all got matching tattoos on our fingers. No. No." Aurora closes her bag then and turns to actually look at him while saying, "I know what it is. It's you two asking every other bloody minute-"
"To marry you?" Fred cuts her off with a toothy grin to finish her sentence while grabbing her bag for her, "Wait… Of course not that. We already are."
"Watch it- George!" Aurora points at George in the distance then from being caught red-handed with her Sleeping Beauty book saying, "Put it back and let's go."
"Why Aurora…" George dramatically puts her book back while coming toward her teasingly, "Are you embarrassed by us?"
"Please… Let's go…." Aurora groans while grabbing each other their hands and pull them to all leave her room. She doesn't want to spend any more time up here then she has too, who knows what Ron and Hermione are saying downstairs. The three of them each have a bag of Aurora's things as they head to the living room where everyone is waiting for them. Hermione's bags are by the front door as their parents show pictures to Ron. Aurora looks to her sister and sees her own embarrassment as their mother says to Ron.
"... I swear to you she popped right out with a full head of hair-"
"Mother! Could you just please..." Hermione rests her head on her hand in shame while mumbling, "Stop…"
"Wicked." Fred mumbles while heading over to their mother asking, "Could I take a look?"
"Of course, dear." Their mother grins and gives him the photo before hanging him another saying, "This one's Aurora's first birthday."
"You were so adorable." Fred grins while glancing at Aurora, "What happened?"
"I met you-"
"Oh dear, just wait till you see the day she was born." Aurora's mother blurts out excitedly knowing the twins will want to see her embarrassing photos too, "Honey, could you get-"
"Sure thing- ah, wait." Their father sits up from his loveseat before sitting down and remembering for the millionth time in his lifetime, "We didn't take any on the day she was born."
"...Oh- yep. That's right." She laughs and looks to the twins explains while sending them a wink similar to what Aurora does, "He was so nervous when he found out I was in labor, it was our first time. You'll understand when you have a baby on the way... He was so nervous, that, he forgot to bring something to take photos with. I believe that's the reason we started taking pictures of everything."
"I thank Merlin for saving me the embarrassment."
"Well, we should get going…" Ron stands up awkwardly holding more photos when the room becomes silent, "Mum says it's best not to travel late at night now…"
"I won't argue with that." Their father mumbles before standing up slowly to give his daughters hugs goodbye. Everyone says it's hard to watch your kids grow up, but it wasn't for their parents. Watching them grow up is like watching the impossible happen, you can't help but watch in awe. You certainly can't control it the impossible even if that meant their girls had to leave them once more. They weren't little girls either and weren't even like the girls they see in their neighborhood. Even if the girls were always surrounded by this same group of boys rather than girls as their father wanted, he was still glad they made friends close enough to take them under their wing.
One by one they all say their goodbyes before leaving the house. Fred and George couldn't help but notice their parents tell Aurora to watch out for Hermione. They knew those kinds of goodbyes, the oldest siblings always get that talk. The twin's parents always told them to look out for their siblings since the day Ron was born. Aurora was the first thing they decided to look after just because they could. No one had asked them, they just wanted to but seeing Aurora get the many talks, they begin to wonder if it has always been the other way around. It's quiet leaving their home from an unsettling realization. The girls' home isn't really their home anymore, they don't feel like they're leaving home as they leave it in the distance. Their home feels like right where they are, with these boys. The girls didn't know when their home had become the Weasley boys but somehow with a shut of a door their parent's door that's the only thing they seemed to consider their home.