Auria awoke the next morning to find Lily sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Oh, hello there" she said rubbing her eyes.
"Good morning!" Lily exclaimed excitedly.
Before Auria could speak Lily blurted out, "James kissed me last night in the pool!"
"Really?" Auria asked curiously, deciding not to ruin Lily's joy by tell her that she had seen them.
Lily nodded and proceeded to tell Auria every small detail. Thirty minutes later they headed down to the common room to meet the boys. Lily's face turned as red as her hair the minute she saw James.
"Um hi"
"Hi" James replied awkwardly.
They stood silent for a moment, both staring at the ground.
"So" Auria said.
"So" Peter replied.
"Yup" Sirius added.
"Hooray!" said Remus over enthusiastically.
Lily and James glared at him.
"Well, now that that's over" Auria began. "We haven't gotten our marks yet have we?"
"No" Sirius replied, his stomach growling. "We get them today."
"Right, I knew that" she said following him towards the portrait hole.
"Why?" asked Sirius suspiciously as they made their way out of the common room.
"No reason" she lied. "I just couldn't remember."
When he gave her a dark look she gave him the I'll-tell-you-later-look as she passed him on the stairs.
"Ok" Sirius said looking relived and taking a hold of her hand.
They were just about to enter the Great Hall when Auria stopped him.
"Hey! I didn't get a good morning kiss" she said planting herself in front of him.
"That's right!" Sirius exclaimed.
As he kissed her Auria felt him place something in her hand. She opened her eyes to find herself holding a rose. Auria gazed up at him speechless. Sirius's smile made her knees go weak, and she suddenly realized how much she'd miss him during the summer.
"Where are you going to live this summer?" she blurted out.
Sirius blinked, surprised.
"I'm going to buy my own place, probably just a small flat" he replied. "Why?" The grin that had spread across his face suddenly vanished "Do you want to live with me?" he asked seriously.
Auria shrugged and nodded looking bashful. She didn't think she'd last the entire summer without him.
"Great!" he said sounding as excited as if he'd just won the Quidditch Cup.
Auria threw her arms around him and gave him a tight hug. The letter from Voldemort had scared her and had made Auria realize just how special Sirius was to her.
"Let's go eat" Auria said letting go.
Sirius nodded. "I'm starved."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After breakfast the head teachers of each house went around and handed out marks. Staying true to the letter Auria received excellent marks in all her classes, especially defence against the dark arts.
Late that afternoon, after spending the day wandering the grounds with Sirius, she headed off in search of professor McGonagall. She made a quick stop at the owlry to send her response to Voldemort and then headed towards the transfiguration's room. Auria knocked on the door and went inside. McGonagall was sitting at her desk signing a piece of parchment.
"Professor" Auria said making her way towards her desk.
"Yes?"
Auria looked around, trying to think of the right words.
"Does anyone else see our marks besides our professors?" she asked.
"Yes, the school's board of governors examines every student's marks to see if they require extra lesson or not. Why" she asked standing up.
"Well just in case I had a terrible mark, I don't want a lot of people to know about it."
"I see."
From the tone of her voice Auria could tell that McGonagall didn't believe her.
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
Auria gazed at the cages of animals that surrounded the room.
"Or perhaps Professor Dumbledore?"
Auria looked at her.
McGonagall sighed. "Follow me" she said as she headed towards the door.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Professor McGonagall has just informed me that you have something important to tell me" Dumbledore said from behind his desk, a twinkle in his eye.
Auria was standing in the headmaster's office staring intently at a model of the moon. Silently she pulled out Voldemort's letter and handed it too him.
"I see" he said reading the piece of parchment. "Odd."
"It was on my bed last night, well in the blanket" Auria said. "I had kicked them off because of the heat, which means that it must have arrived the day before yesterday."
Dumbledore gazed at her slightly confused and then motioned for Auria to sit down.
"We hadn't received our marks yet!" she exclaimed. "Which means that either a professor in this school or somebody on the board of governors is passing information on to Voldemort."
Out of the corner of her eyes she saw McGonagall gave a slight shudder as she said the dark lord's name.
"Auria be careful of accusing a professor here of such a crime" Dumbledore said sharply.
Auria stared into his eyes.
"But you are indeed right, someone who has access to the marks is passing on information to him."
"Do you know who is it?" Auria asked.
"No" the headmaster replied with a smile. "And even if I did, I would not tell you. It is private ministry business."
"Well the ministry should do its business better" Auria muttered, thinking of the Bengers.
"What was that?" Dumbledore asked, the twinkle gone from his eye.
"Nothing" Auria muttered.
"Alright" he said, looking at her suspiciously. "You may go now. I will pass this information on to the Aurors."
"Thank you" she replied, getting up and heading towards the door.
"Oh Auria"
She heard Albus get up and walk towards her.
"What did you say in response?"
"Thank you" she replied looking slightly nervous.
Dumbledore put a hand reassuringly on her shoulder and said, "they will figure out who it is."
Auria smiled gratefully and then grinned.
"Not if I do first" she thought to herself.
"Bye Fawkes" she said out loud, giving the phoenix a wave.
Without another look back Auria follow McGonagall out the door and headed back towards Gryffindor tower.
That night, after telling Sirius about the letter, she decided to spend the night in his bed. As the moon rose above the castle she lay sleeping, wrapped in his strong arms and savouring their second last night at Hogwarts.
"Oh, hello there" she said rubbing her eyes.
"Good morning!" Lily exclaimed excitedly.
Before Auria could speak Lily blurted out, "James kissed me last night in the pool!"
"Really?" Auria asked curiously, deciding not to ruin Lily's joy by tell her that she had seen them.
Lily nodded and proceeded to tell Auria every small detail. Thirty minutes later they headed down to the common room to meet the boys. Lily's face turned as red as her hair the minute she saw James.
"Um hi"
"Hi" James replied awkwardly.
They stood silent for a moment, both staring at the ground.
"So" Auria said.
"So" Peter replied.
"Yup" Sirius added.
"Hooray!" said Remus over enthusiastically.
Lily and James glared at him.
"Well, now that that's over" Auria began. "We haven't gotten our marks yet have we?"
"No" Sirius replied, his stomach growling. "We get them today."
"Right, I knew that" she said following him towards the portrait hole.
"Why?" asked Sirius suspiciously as they made their way out of the common room.
"No reason" she lied. "I just couldn't remember."
When he gave her a dark look she gave him the I'll-tell-you-later-look as she passed him on the stairs.
"Ok" Sirius said looking relived and taking a hold of her hand.
They were just about to enter the Great Hall when Auria stopped him.
"Hey! I didn't get a good morning kiss" she said planting herself in front of him.
"That's right!" Sirius exclaimed.
As he kissed her Auria felt him place something in her hand. She opened her eyes to find herself holding a rose. Auria gazed up at him speechless. Sirius's smile made her knees go weak, and she suddenly realized how much she'd miss him during the summer.
"Where are you going to live this summer?" she blurted out.
Sirius blinked, surprised.
"I'm going to buy my own place, probably just a small flat" he replied. "Why?" The grin that had spread across his face suddenly vanished "Do you want to live with me?" he asked seriously.
Auria shrugged and nodded looking bashful. She didn't think she'd last the entire summer without him.
"Great!" he said sounding as excited as if he'd just won the Quidditch Cup.
Auria threw her arms around him and gave him a tight hug. The letter from Voldemort had scared her and had made Auria realize just how special Sirius was to her.
"Let's go eat" Auria said letting go.
Sirius nodded. "I'm starved."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After breakfast the head teachers of each house went around and handed out marks. Staying true to the letter Auria received excellent marks in all her classes, especially defence against the dark arts.
Late that afternoon, after spending the day wandering the grounds with Sirius, she headed off in search of professor McGonagall. She made a quick stop at the owlry to send her response to Voldemort and then headed towards the transfiguration's room. Auria knocked on the door and went inside. McGonagall was sitting at her desk signing a piece of parchment.
"Professor" Auria said making her way towards her desk.
"Yes?"
Auria looked around, trying to think of the right words.
"Does anyone else see our marks besides our professors?" she asked.
"Yes, the school's board of governors examines every student's marks to see if they require extra lesson or not. Why" she asked standing up.
"Well just in case I had a terrible mark, I don't want a lot of people to know about it."
"I see."
From the tone of her voice Auria could tell that McGonagall didn't believe her.
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
Auria gazed at the cages of animals that surrounded the room.
"Or perhaps Professor Dumbledore?"
Auria looked at her.
McGonagall sighed. "Follow me" she said as she headed towards the door.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Professor McGonagall has just informed me that you have something important to tell me" Dumbledore said from behind his desk, a twinkle in his eye.
Auria was standing in the headmaster's office staring intently at a model of the moon. Silently she pulled out Voldemort's letter and handed it too him.
"I see" he said reading the piece of parchment. "Odd."
"It was on my bed last night, well in the blanket" Auria said. "I had kicked them off because of the heat, which means that it must have arrived the day before yesterday."
Dumbledore gazed at her slightly confused and then motioned for Auria to sit down.
"We hadn't received our marks yet!" she exclaimed. "Which means that either a professor in this school or somebody on the board of governors is passing information on to Voldemort."
Out of the corner of her eyes she saw McGonagall gave a slight shudder as she said the dark lord's name.
"Auria be careful of accusing a professor here of such a crime" Dumbledore said sharply.
Auria stared into his eyes.
"But you are indeed right, someone who has access to the marks is passing on information to him."
"Do you know who is it?" Auria asked.
"No" the headmaster replied with a smile. "And even if I did, I would not tell you. It is private ministry business."
"Well the ministry should do its business better" Auria muttered, thinking of the Bengers.
"What was that?" Dumbledore asked, the twinkle gone from his eye.
"Nothing" Auria muttered.
"Alright" he said, looking at her suspiciously. "You may go now. I will pass this information on to the Aurors."
"Thank you" she replied, getting up and heading towards the door.
"Oh Auria"
She heard Albus get up and walk towards her.
"What did you say in response?"
"Thank you" she replied looking slightly nervous.
Dumbledore put a hand reassuringly on her shoulder and said, "they will figure out who it is."
Auria smiled gratefully and then grinned.
"Not if I do first" she thought to herself.
"Bye Fawkes" she said out loud, giving the phoenix a wave.
Without another look back Auria follow McGonagall out the door and headed back towards Gryffindor tower.
That night, after telling Sirius about the letter, she decided to spend the night in his bed. As the moon rose above the castle she lay sleeping, wrapped in his strong arms and savouring their second last night at Hogwarts.