Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)
Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)
All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)
Now…Enjoy. Please review!
The rest of the week was terrible but when Christmas break came around, everything became a little less stressful. Aurora was sitting in her compartment on the Hogsmeade train. It shook and jerked gently here and there but Holly, Nicola, and Italia were all passed out. Italia slept on Aurora's lap and Holly and Nicola sat across from them, their heads resting against one another's. Aurora smiled softly and pulled Italia closer to her when Lily came back from the restroom. Italia groaned softly in her sleep and snuggled closer to Aurora, her little hands fisting gently in her shirt.
"Still out, I see. I swear, a bomb could go off next to them and they wouldn't wake up," Lily remarked about Holly, Nicola, and Italia. Aurora snorted with soft laughter and nodded. Pippa came by with Rebecca Prewett, peeking their heads into the compartment. Lily asked them to get all of them some candies, handing to Pippa a small bang full of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Pippa made a quip about being their little maid and Rebecca giggled when Lily took a swipe at Pippa's legs. Pippa squeaked and skittered away to get the candy, leading Rebecca away.
Other than that, the trip was silent. James stopped by with Remus and Peter just to say hi to Lily and Aurora. James acted like nothing had happened all week and so did Remus. Peter looked terrified of Aurora and when she made a movement as if she was going to lunge for him, he shrieked like a girl and ran back to his compartment. Aurora laughed a little with James and Lily but soon fell quiet. She looked back out the window, watching the scenery fly by.
Aurora caught James giving Lily something from out of the corner of her eye and when she turned to look, James and Remus were gone and Lily held two presents.
"This one's for you. It says 'wait to open till Christmas,'" Lily whispered as she handed the little metallic blue wrapped box to Aurora. She fiddled with the silver ribbon and looked at the present in confusion.
"A present from James?"
"No; he said it was from someone else," Lily replied distractedly. Hers was wrapped with metallic red gift wrap paper and a golden bow. Aurora took that as 'I can't tell you; you'll have to find out later'. Before she knew it, Aurora had dozed off for a couple of hours. Lily nudged her awake when the train stopped and Aurora gently stood up, holding the sleeping Italia against her gently. She and Lily woke Nicola and Holly up and then grabbed everything that was theirs in the compartment. It took a while to get off of the train but eventually they did and as soon as Aurora took one step off of the train, she saw her brother Tim and his wife, Thekla, and their two very young children, Maximus and Alexander. Behind them were two wizards that were dressed in black and wore sunglasses.
Aurora approached Tim and Thekla slowly, gently handing Italia over to Tim.
"What's with the guys?"
"The ministry is helping protect us," Tim answered as he rubbed Nicola's head and smiled at Holly. "Well, girls, are you all ready for Christmas?" Holly and Nicola grinned from ear to ear and nodded vigorously.
Aurora waved to Lily and Pippa and they both waved back. Lily was off to spend time with her muggle family for the two weeks. Narcissa was being picked up by her older sister, Bellatrix; both were going to a large family reunion in Paris. Aurora glared at the older girl, a deep surge of loathing bubbling to the surface. Bellatrix glanced at her, giving her a very peculiar and nasty glare.
Remus and Pippa were going home to their country house to spend time with their parents and have a swarm of family members come over for Christmas dinner and New Years Eve. James was heading off to Russia to see some aging grandparents and no one knew exactly what Peter was doing.
Aurora and her family left King's Cross and were escorted to a black limo with little Ministry flags at the front and back of the car. Way to be discreet. She thought as she slid in next to Thekla. Soon they were all piled into the limo, which was much roomier inside than most muggle limos. About an hour and a half later they were all sitting in Tim's and Thekla's house. Italia, Maximus, and Alexander were all napping while Holly and Nicola played with Tim's German Sheppard, Luis. Thekla was in the kitchen, making tea and biscuits. She didn't really need to be in the kitchen, her wand could take care of all the food and beverages, but Aurora knew there was more to the reason why Thekla had left Tim and Aurora alone in the dining room.
Tim looked nervous and agitated, wringing his hands and glancing here and there but not at her. Aurora sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "What is it, Tim?"
"Huh? Oh…uh…well…I have more bad news, Aurora." Tim watched her as she rested her forehead against the oak table, her shoulders slouching.
"Great." He heard her mumble against the wood and he frowned. "Who is it this time?"
"Alfred. He's gone missing. In fact, he went missing about two weeks before Mum and Dad were attacked," Tim answered, his eyes watching her intently. Aurora looked up at him, her chin now resting on the table. Her brows were furrowed and she looked confused. When was the last time I heard from Al? She thought about it and then realized that Tim was right. Al had stopped answering her letters two weeks before her incident in the Owlery.
"Do you think…Do you think that Voldemort got to him?" She whispered, lifting her head off of the table, her eyes concerned.
"He might have. Or he could have run and didn't want anyone to know where he was going."
"That's not like Al, though, Tim."
"I know and that's what worries me. Don't tell the girls, alright? They've been through enough." Aurora nodded, looking down and away from him. 'There's got to be something we can do to fight back.'
Christmas day came and Pippa was eager to open her presents from her friends. She sat up in her room; seven beautifully wrapped presents lay upon her bed. She was so excited; she didn't know which to open first. She reached for Severus' but hesitated. She and Severus had been having a bit of trouble with each other lately. They had gotten into a small discussion about her friends and his and she has asked him if he was planning to join the Death Eaters as his friends were.
He had showed her that he already had. Pippa had become infuriated, scared, and upset all at the same time. She drew her hand back and then grabbed the present that Andromeda had sent her. She unwrapped it quickly and opened the medium sized brown box. Inside was a light brown, leather bound journal with a beautifully colored quill; phoeparrot, Andromeda's card read. Lily's was next; a small and pretty silver Cheering Charm bracelet.
She finished another six and was quite pleased. James had given her a very brightly colored head band, hair pins, hair bands, and a hair color changing potion that made the drinker's hair whatever color the drinker thought of. Sirius had given her a book called The Only Ways to Truly Kill a Vampire by Jonathan Betterson. Pippa had laughed at that. She and Sirius had gotten into a small argument over how to really kill a vampire. Aurora had sent her a new Wizard Chess board. Pippa was truly happy about this; Patti Richardson had broken her old one on purpose the previous year, right after Christmas.
Andromeda had sent her another book entitled 101 Newest and Most Effective Jinxes and Hexes by Megan Paddleroot. Pippa grinned, knowing that this was Andromeda's way of protecting Pippa when Aurora and Lily were gone, leaving her alone at Hogwarts. She had received a collection of colorful, animated pins from Peter, the only thing he could afford. Rebecca was unable to send her anything, having very little money and she was still learning how to knit and crochet. The floor was covered with ripped gift wrapping and empty boxes with tissue paper here and there as well. She tidied up the room before she picked up the small package that Severus had given her.
As she held it in her hands, Pippa almost cried. She had a feeling that this might be the last present that he would ever give her. She knew that their relationship was over and it tore at her heart. She really loved Severus Snape but she had a feeling that she wasn't the only one he loved. She knew about Lily's and Aurora's past with him. They all had been very close friends until their fifth year at Hogwarts, only a year into Severus' and Pippa's relationship. He had called Lily a Mudblood and Aurora a half-breed; and Lily refused to ever speak to him again. The friendship ended, crushing Severus. Pippa also ended their fledgling relationship but only a half a year later they were back together. Pippa had of course asked Lily and Aurora if it was alright and they said it was. Aurora and Severus were civil with each other; they didn't hang out unless they had to but they talked in passing in the hallways, the Great Hall, and in the classrooms. Aurora didn't trust him like she used to and she hadn't completely forgiven him but she still called him a friend and vice versa.
Pippa slowly pulled the ribbon undone and then gently tore the paper away from the cardboard box under it. She tore the tape off of the box and then slowly opened it. Sitting in a bed of bright blue tissue paper was a diamond ring. Pippa gasped and the tears finally began to leak from her eyes. He had thrust the package into her hands after the fight, saying that he was going to do something very special for her but he had changed his mind. He told her to so whatever she liked with what he had gotten her. Pippa sank onto the edge of her queen sized mattress.
The diamond, set in silver, sparkled and Pippa knew it was real. He was going to propose to her. She lay down and buried her face in her pillow as she sobbed, her whole body shaking with the force of them. She had just lost the one guy that she had ever loved; for good.