Chapter 5
The next morning Aurora stumbled down the hall to the bathroom with her eyes half closed. She didn't see Sirius standing in the door of Harry and Ron's room watching her. Wearing his pajamas that were a few sizes too big for her, she kept walking. His heart clenched for just a second. So many memories, he thought. The sight of her was still enough to make him catch his breath. Even at six a.m., with her hair fuzzy, and sleep-crusted eyes, she was beautiful. She turned and looked at him. For a moment, her eyes showed a glimmer of hope, as if she were reliving the past.
"Hey," she said. "I hope you don't mind my borrowing some of your things. I hadn't planned on spending the night."
"It's fine, nothing to worry about," Sirius replied. "Sleep okay?"
"About as well as usual," Aurora told him. "It seemed weird to be in there without sneaking in. You know, not worrying about waking up before your mum would come in there and catch us."
Sirius smiled at her for just a moment. He could remember those times that she would sneak into his room and spent the night, usually not wearing any pajamas, he remembered with a smile. She would curl up into his arms and sleep like a baby. He always complained about her long curls tickling her face. Night after night, he threatened to cut off all of her hair if she didn't start tying it back at night. The feel of her hair tickling her face was something he missed so much when he first went off to Azkaban. Almost involuntarily, he reached out and touched one of the honey colored curls.
"You never cut it," he commented. She shook her head and smiled. "It's still beautiful. Your hair was always beautiful, even when you were a smart aleck eleven year old."
"Can we be friends, Sirius? After all this? I can't come back and help Dumbledore and the Order if, if we can't at least be civil," Aurora told him.
"We shall try," he told her. "I can't tell you it will be easy. But, I will welcome you into the Order, Aurora."
"Thank you, Sirius" she said gazing at the floor.
"So does this mean that you are coming back? Leaving the muggle world to come back here and work with convicts and outcasts against the Ministry?" he teased her.
"I think so," Aurora whispered. "I owe it to Lily and James.because of Harry. Does he know?"
"I never told him," Sirius replied. "I did not think it was in my place to tell him that he had a guardian other than myself."
"When the time is right, Sirius, I will tell him," she promised. "Right now, I need to apparate to London and get some things. I can't wear your jammies forever, you know."
"Do you want someone to come with you?" he asked. "Just in case, to make sure everything is safe."
"No, I'll be fine," she told him. "Tell everyone I will be back this afternoon. And don't worry about me, I've been fine for fifteen years. I can handle myself."
"Okay," he said with a smile. "But I still wish you'd at least take Remus with you."
"I will be fine," she repeated. "And Sirius?"
"Yes?" Sirius responded.
"Thank you again," she said before she turned to go into the bathroom. He nodded and turned to go back into Harry's room. Once in the bathroom, she gazed into the mirror. Trying to get her hair calmed down into some semblance of neatness, Aurora thought about what her life might have been like if fate had been different fifteen years ago. Would they have lived happily ever after? Had a couple if children to dote upon? Would James and Lily have been the godparents to their children?
"It will do you no good to dwell in the past with foolish guesses," she told her reflection.
"You are the most unromantic woman to come into this room," the mirror shot back sleepily. "Almost as bad as that Ron boy. A good dose of romance is what you need!" Aurora glared at the magical glass before storming out of the bathroom and back to Sirius's room to change into her robes. Hurrying around, she decided that she would make the bed and fold his pajamas when she got back. Grabbing her wand, she vanished with a pop.
The next morning Aurora stumbled down the hall to the bathroom with her eyes half closed. She didn't see Sirius standing in the door of Harry and Ron's room watching her. Wearing his pajamas that were a few sizes too big for her, she kept walking. His heart clenched for just a second. So many memories, he thought. The sight of her was still enough to make him catch his breath. Even at six a.m., with her hair fuzzy, and sleep-crusted eyes, she was beautiful. She turned and looked at him. For a moment, her eyes showed a glimmer of hope, as if she were reliving the past.
"Hey," she said. "I hope you don't mind my borrowing some of your things. I hadn't planned on spending the night."
"It's fine, nothing to worry about," Sirius replied. "Sleep okay?"
"About as well as usual," Aurora told him. "It seemed weird to be in there without sneaking in. You know, not worrying about waking up before your mum would come in there and catch us."
Sirius smiled at her for just a moment. He could remember those times that she would sneak into his room and spent the night, usually not wearing any pajamas, he remembered with a smile. She would curl up into his arms and sleep like a baby. He always complained about her long curls tickling her face. Night after night, he threatened to cut off all of her hair if she didn't start tying it back at night. The feel of her hair tickling her face was something he missed so much when he first went off to Azkaban. Almost involuntarily, he reached out and touched one of the honey colored curls.
"You never cut it," he commented. She shook her head and smiled. "It's still beautiful. Your hair was always beautiful, even when you were a smart aleck eleven year old."
"Can we be friends, Sirius? After all this? I can't come back and help Dumbledore and the Order if, if we can't at least be civil," Aurora told him.
"We shall try," he told her. "I can't tell you it will be easy. But, I will welcome you into the Order, Aurora."
"Thank you, Sirius" she said gazing at the floor.
"So does this mean that you are coming back? Leaving the muggle world to come back here and work with convicts and outcasts against the Ministry?" he teased her.
"I think so," Aurora whispered. "I owe it to Lily and James.because of Harry. Does he know?"
"I never told him," Sirius replied. "I did not think it was in my place to tell him that he had a guardian other than myself."
"When the time is right, Sirius, I will tell him," she promised. "Right now, I need to apparate to London and get some things. I can't wear your jammies forever, you know."
"Do you want someone to come with you?" he asked. "Just in case, to make sure everything is safe."
"No, I'll be fine," she told him. "Tell everyone I will be back this afternoon. And don't worry about me, I've been fine for fifteen years. I can handle myself."
"Okay," he said with a smile. "But I still wish you'd at least take Remus with you."
"I will be fine," she repeated. "And Sirius?"
"Yes?" Sirius responded.
"Thank you again," she said before she turned to go into the bathroom. He nodded and turned to go back into Harry's room. Once in the bathroom, she gazed into the mirror. Trying to get her hair calmed down into some semblance of neatness, Aurora thought about what her life might have been like if fate had been different fifteen years ago. Would they have lived happily ever after? Had a couple if children to dote upon? Would James and Lily have been the godparents to their children?
"It will do you no good to dwell in the past with foolish guesses," she told her reflection.
"You are the most unromantic woman to come into this room," the mirror shot back sleepily. "Almost as bad as that Ron boy. A good dose of romance is what you need!" Aurora glared at the magical glass before storming out of the bathroom and back to Sirius's room to change into her robes. Hurrying around, she decided that she would make the bed and fold his pajamas when she got back. Grabbing her wand, she vanished with a pop.