Green Light in the Dark

by AStrangeHopefulDreamer

AU in which Sirius Black had a daughter with Marlene McKinnon. Following the death of her mother and godparents and the imprisonment of her father, Aurora Black is moved from home to home with various members of the Black family until she finally arrives at Hogwarts and finds not only new friends, but a true home. (Please keep comments respectful and think before you type.)

84. Unexpected Tasks

As December grew ever closer, Hogwarts castle grew colder, rattled by the wind and by the whispers that went round about the tournament. Professor Dumbledore has informed them all that Barty Crouch was perfectly fine and there was nothing to worry about, but Aurora wasn't sure that she believed that. Dragons were a ridiculous thing to bring to a school, she decided. Even if she didn't like Crouch, it frightened her how easily that dragon had broken from its handlers' control. It was almost unnatural, if she allowed herself to think like that.

Karkaroff, too, had seemed rattled. He swept into Aurora's Potions class on Friday afternoon, stalking to the front where he spoke to Snape in low tones. Snape has shown no emotion other than the usual irritation, and Aurora hadn't been able to make out what was said, but Gwen and Pansy both agreed with her later that it was odd. When asked, Draco had just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I think it's more shocking Snape has friends that aren't my father."

That was disconcerting in its own way, too.

Cedric Diggory, Aurora couldn't help but notice, was rather subdued and quiet over the next week, though took it well enough, with an almost painful politeness towards his fellow champions. On a Monday two weeks after the first task, news broke around the castle of another exciting tournament tradition that had been renewed for this year.

"The Yule Ball," Pansy read off the newsboard in the Slytherin common room, "will take place on Christmas Eve, and begin at seven o'clock sharp. The Yule Ball will be open to all students fourth year and above, as well as to younger students invited by a fourth year or above. The ball shall be opened by the Triwizard champions and their dates, and we hope that this tradition will help strengthen the ties of friendship and unity between our schools and communities, as well as between Hogwarts houses."

Draco snorted. "Yeah, a night of dancing is going to make everybody best buddies with the Hufflepuffs."

"Do you think people will bring dates?" Pansy asked, eyes darting to Draco.

"If the champions do, then probably, yes." Aurora thought immediately of Cassius Warrington, though pushed the thought back quickly. "But I doubt everyone will."

"Do you think Diggory already has a date in mind?" Daphne asked, frowning.

Pansy laughed. "He isn't going to go with one of us, Daphne. And why would you want to? He's the lowest ranking champion?"

"He's still a champion, though," Aurora pointed out. "Though I'd rather go with someone who isn't a Hufflepuff."

Draco grinned at her, but his forehead creased as they moved away, letting another group of students get a look at the board. "I guess us boys'll be expected to do the asking," he said. Aurora noted, with a small smile, that his eyes went to Pansy as he said this, though their friend pretended not to notice, talking to Daphne about her own dating prospects.

"I expect so," Aurora teased, seeing his nervous grimace. "But I doubt that we have to worry about it just yet."

Then again, Aurora couldn't stop her own seed of worry. She would of course be expected to have a date for the ball, but for that she would need a boy to ask her first. Again, she thought of Cassius, but with that thought came a wave of uncertainty too. She did not like to rely on the whims of somebody else — especially without knowing at all whether he would have any desire to ask her to a ball — for her own sake.

That morning, the Yule Ball was of course all that anybody could speak about. Aurora's first class, History, was spent discussing potential dates more than the giant wars — not that History was usually a productive class anyway, even though Aurora did try to take notes instead of napping or gossiping like everybody else. The Ravenclaws on the other side of the room seemed highly bothered by the rising volume of conversation on the Slytherin end, particularly the cluster of girls in the back corner of Aurora, Pansy, Lucille, Millicent, Daphne, Gwen, and Leah MacMillan.

Daphne and Lucille had already prepared lists for themselves of boys whose invitations they would consider and those who they would immediately decline. "If I don't recognise their surname," Lucille said, declaring her general rules, "then it's a no. I might consider a Beauxbatons boy, but only if my cousin approves."

"I fancy one of those Durmstrang boys," Millicent admitted, "Julian. But I don't think he's going to ask me."

"He might do," Aurora said encouragingly, recalling the tall blond boy who often sat with Viktor Krum.

"I'll have to ask my father for permission first," Daphne said, scowling.

Leah MacMillan — usually not one to talk to them, but who was also of a pureblood family, and decidedly more interested in their ball discussions than napping like the other four girls — nodded in sympathy. "My brother's already annoying me. He probably doesn't mind too much but my father will make a whole spectacle of it."

"You and Tearston are so lucky," Lucille told Aurora with a look of envy, which surprised her. "You can both do what you want. Dance with who you want."

Aurora shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "In theory. But I still have to have standards. I can't go to the ball with just anyone."

"I can," Gwen said cheerfully, much to everyone's else's envy. "If someone asks me."

"Trust me," Leah said, rolling her eyes and looking pointedly at Robin Oliphant, "someone will."

A flush worked its way over Gwen's cheeks and Aurora laughed. "I already know who's top of my list," Pansy said breezily, flipping her hair and directing the attention onto herself again.

"Yes, but you're very single minded," Daphne said, "you want a whole winter romance."

"And so what if I do?" Pansy countered. "There's nothing wrong with romance while we're still young. Before our parents can ruin everything."

"So long as you don't ruin everything for yourself," Lucille said with a slight sneer, and Aurora flashed her a cutting look. "I'm only saying." She sighed. "There's no point getting your hopes up and we all know that."

"Well, I don't care what my parents say," Millicent said. "They've Drina to worry about anyway, I just want to have some fun for once."

Aurora smiled half-heartedly. She wished she could worry only about a prospective date. But any choice came with expectation, about his status and his family, and it was a choice that would have to be weighed entirely on her own shoulders. The Yule Ball, though confined to the school, would not go unnoticed. If her friends were expected to have approved dates than she would be expected to have a date who was on that same level of status. Someone respectable. While she knew that her father and the Tonkses would not at all mind who she went with so long as she was happy with them, others would have opinions that would last into the summer season.

The conversation over dates lasted into break, though Gwen and Leah broke off at that point, and by the time they came to Care of Magical Creatures, Aurora was tired of talking about it. The decision wasn't really theirs anyway — they had to wait to be asked, and even then, options had to be weighed. They all knew it, even if Pansy wanted to be romantic about it, and Millicent didn't have to worry quite so much.

She stuck to Draco's side, trying to find out on Pansy's behalf if he knew who he was going to ask to the ball yet. "I guess I'll just ask someone I like," was all he had to say by the end of the lesson, which was incredibly unhelpful. "Definitely a Slytherin though."

"Well, obviously," Aurora sighed. "But goodness, if all boys are as indecisive as you, there's no hope for any of us."

Draco laughed and the pair of them made to head up to the castle, in need of rest after a session with Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, but a few seconds later, Potter had caught up to her, looking rattled about. Draco eyed him with disdain. "Why are you here?" he demanded, stepping in front of Aurora in what she felt was a rather unnecessary show of defensiveness.

"I want to talk to Aurora," Potter said bluntly.

"Why?" Draco asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "She didn't ask for you to come near her."

"And I didn't ask for you to talk to me," Potter snapped back.

"Do stop the squabbling," Aurora interrupted, with a sigh. Why Potter wanted to speak to her at all was beyond her, but she sensed that if he and Draco remained in the same space for more than a minute, something would blow up. "I'll catch you up, Draco. Make whatever you have to say quick, Potter."

"Right," he said, but Draco didn't budge, and neither did he.

Aurora let out a low sigh. "Or not," she muttered, watching the two boys eye each other with suspicion.

"You don't have to talk to Potter, you know," Draco told her, though he didn't take his eyes off of his glaring counterpart.

She could hardly say that she wanted to, but it wasn't much like Potter to seek her out. Unless there was something he felt she needed to know, and that was a very limited category. "Draco, I'm fine. Potter isn't going to hex me or anything."

"It isn't his hexing ability I'm worried about," Draco countered, glaring at the boy, who sneered back in response.

"You heard her, Malfoy. Sod off."

"Potter, don't be rude."

"He started—"

"Both of you shut up or I'm leaving anyway and you can hex each other into pieces."

Both boys quietened. Draco turned an annoyed glance on Aurora which she answered with a sharp look of her own. At last, he let out a long, growling sigh and stomped off after Pansy and Millicent.

Then, Aurora turned her attention to Potter. "What do you want?"

"Your dad wrote me a letter," he said, thrusting a piece of parchment in front of her face. Glaring, Aurora snatched it from his grip. "He wants us to sneak out and meet him in Hogsmeade on Saturday. We can use the cloak, and you know there's that passage on the map. I need to talk to him anyway."

"You've been having nightmares?" Aurora asked, reading down the page. "Like the one you had during Summer?"

Potter looked away, an embarrassed sort of flush on his cheeks, but nodded. "Yeah. And I told him about Mr Crouch, you know... I just find him really creepy."

"I can't say that I disagree," Aurora admitted. "Well, I'm hardly going to say no to visiting my father, so long as you don't do anything to get us caught."

"I'm not stupid, Black," Potter said irritably. "But I thought you'd say that."

Aurora rolled her eyes in response, handing the letter back. Potter's life was relatively dull, but the letter had mentioned that Crouch had been asking after him, and that struck her as strange. Then again, everyone was curious about the so-called Boy-Who-Lived, irritating as the title was. "What time?"

"Right after breakfast? Ten o'clock?"

She nodded. "Very well. I'll meet you on the third floor. Do try not to do something stupid and get caught."

Potter just grinned, turning away slightly. "See you then, Black."

-*

On Wednesday night, Graham, Cassius, and Aurora all finally managed to find space to get out onto the disused Quidditch Pitch for the first time all year. It was freezing cold, and all three of them were wrapped tightly in their cloaks, cast with heating charms which didn't entirely manage to raise the chill from their bones.

"Okay," Graham said, teeth chattering slightly, "so we probably won't be that long because it's bloody freezing — just don't ever tell Flint I said that." Aurora grinned, clutching her broom. "I figured we could just do drills and stuff. It's not much but it's better than nothing."

Cassius and Aurora both nodded their agreement. "Sorry the weather's crap," Graham said, "but it is December."

Shrugging, Aurora said, "At least it gets us out of the common room. I don't know about you two, but all my friends are doing is talking about either the tournament or the Yule Ball."

Cassius cracked a grin. "Oh, don't get Graham onto the subject of the Yule Ball."

"Shut up, Warrington," Graham muttered, as Aurora looked between the two of them with interest.

"Whyever not?"

"He tried asking out that Ilyana girl from Durmstrang — the really tall one, with the red hair." Aurora nodded. "Let's say it didn't go well."

"I didn't know she had a boyfriend," Graham said, cheeks flaring red. "And you could have warned me."

Cassius shrugged. "Thought it'd be funnier if we didn't, mate. And it was."

Aurora laughed, catching Cassius's eye. The question was on the tip of her tongue — an innocuous inquiry as to whether he had asked anybody to the ball yet — but Graham said sharply, embarrassed, "Well, it might have been for you, but what isn't funny is me hexing your arse to your broom in this weather so I suggest you knock it off and get into the sky."

Grinning, Aurora mounted her broom and whispered to Cassius, "I think you may have touched a nerve."

"You may be correct," Cassius whispered back, smirking. "He's lucky he avoided a duel, to be honest, Ilyana's bloke joined one of our Defense classes last week and he could probably curse any of us in his sleep."

"Yeah?" Aurora raised her eyebrows. "Good thing Moody's got us at Duelling club then."

Graham glared at them. "If you two want to have a chat, you can go back to the dungeons."

"You'd think you were captain, Graham," Cassius laughed, much to his friend's annoyance. "Come on, then."

Then he took off sharply into the air, startling Graham, who darted out of the way. Laughing, Aurora joined them. Her mood lifted immediately as she felt the sting of cold wind over her cheeks. "I could be captain next year, you know," Graham shouted as the three of them gathered in formation. "Snape said he liked my initiative."

"Yeah," Cassius said, "but I'm sure I can give you a run for your money." He winked at Aurora and mouthed, Watch this, before diving sharply down towards the box where Graham had stowed the Quaffle, grabbing it quickly and then spinning it in the air before tossing to Graham, who flinched before catching.

"Show off," he muttered, while Aurora grinned.

"You can't be all talk, Montague," she drawled, returning Cassius's wink with a slight flutter in her chest.

Graham responded to that by chucking the Quaffle straight at Aurora, who caught it with a smirk. "You two are doing my head in already."

"Ah, you know we're your favourite team members."

"Well, apart from Malfoy, you're currently my only team members," Graham pointed out. "To be honest, I might just promote him."

"You wouldn't dare," Cassius said, as Aurora passed the Quaffle back over to him, swooping away. "Who's gonna be your second in the duel, if not me?"

"Sod off, Warrington." Cassius caught Aurora's eye, laughing. "Chuck me that Quaffle then. We'll run drop passes."

"Yes, Captain," Aurora mocked, diving down then turning in the air, as Cassius laughed and it sent a smile rushing across her face. "Whatever you say, captain."

"You can sod off too, Black," Graham grumbled, but there wasn't much malice in it, as he took the ball from Cassius and they started up their drills, at home once more in the air.

After an hour, Aurora's hands were numb around the handle of her broom even with her thick gloves on, and the three of them had to call it a night, shivering as it started to spit on rain.

"At least you haven't lost your touch," Graham said to them both.

"Can't believe you'd doubt us, Montague," Aurora chirped, and he glowered playfully. Cassius snickered, throwing an arm around her shoulder in such a casual way which nevertheless managed to send goosebumps along her skin and caused her heart rate to pick up rather ridiculously. He was still warm despite the temperature, and with him standing so close, she could smell traces of lime from his long hair.

"Yeah, Montague," Cassius teased, "we're ruddy brilliant, aren't we, Black?"

"Ruddy annoying," Graham groused, then broke into a grin, ruffling Cassius's hair, which looked softer than Aurora recalled. "Flint'll be pleased, I told him I'd keep him updated. He thinks it's ridiculous Quidditch has been cancelled."

Aurora scoffed. "So does every rational person in this castle. It's Dumbledore who's an idiot."

"Hear, hear," Graham muttered, while Cassius grinned. "I'll put the Quaffle and everything away, you two get on back to the common room. Tell Malfoy he can join us next time, if he wants."

"Will do, Montague," Aurora said, saluting.

He shook his head, as she and Cassius started on their way back to the castle. A chill blew around them, ruffling the hem of Aurora's robes and the cuffs of Cassius's sleeves. On the other side of the pitch, Aurora could see a strange sort of shadow, more like distorted air, lingering. It made a shiver go up her spine, and she squinted to try and make it out better, but it vanished as soon as she managed to latch onto the sight of it. And Cassius was speaking, she realised, drawing herself away from whatever strange thing had been there.

"So," he was saying, "who's all asked you to the Yule Ball so far?" Aurora whipped around, staring at him.

"What?"

A smirk crossed his features. "Come on, all the lads in my year just about have asked someone already. You didn't mention it earlier, but I know someone's bound to have asked you."

Her lack of proposals wasn't something Aurora had felt particularly aware of, even though Daphne had had two so far, and Lucille three, and all Pansy did was drop hints to the increasingly infuriating Draco. Until now.

"Well," she said stiffly, hastening her pace, "that would be because no one has asked me yet, Warrington." She tried to hide her face so that he wouldn't see her blush. Not of embarrassment at not yet having a date — that could be remedied still — but the fact that the question had made her very aware of his proximity to her, and opened her imagination to the possibility that he might be intending to ask her, and was using this as an opener to try and grasp her position on the subject.

"What?" He was staring at her. "What d'you mean no one's asked you?"

"I mean," she said coldly, "no boy has come up to me and asked if I would like to be his date for the Yule Ball. No boy has so much as hinted that he would like me to be his date."

"But..." Cassius sounded rather indignant on her behalf. "Why not?"

"I don't know, why don't you conduct a survey?"

He didn't laugh. "I thought for sure Parkinson was going to. Cecil Parkinson. He kept talking about it."

"Well, he didn't," Aurora said, surprised. "Even if he did, I wouldn't have said yes to him."

"No?"

"No. He's an alright dancer but a dreadful conversationalist, and I barely know him. The only appeal would be his family — his cousin's my best friend, and they've a good reputation, but..." She trailed off, sighing, determined not to look at him. Perhaps he was only asking out of friendly interest, the same way he teased Graham. The Warringtons, while not as strict about blood as many others, were still a relatively well-respected family, and she knew Cassius's father was in the Ministry. "And you?" she asked before she could stop herself. "Are you planning on asking anybody?"

He halted slightly before managing to answer. "Well, er — I'm not sure. I mean, I'd thought about it, but uh, I don't know. Don't know if the girl I want to ask is really... The type to want to go to a ball. Least not with me."

"Whyever not?" Aurora asked sharply, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I imagine you would be a perfectly acceptable dance partner."

"You haven't seen me dance," Cassius laughed, though the sound fell flat at the end. "I could get better though. I mean, learn, there's time. My mum made me take dance lessons when I was a kid, but, I preferred Quidditch."

Aurora smiled faintly. "I love ballet. I didn't start until I was seven, though, rather late by most standards. Apparently I was the most energetic child our family has ever had. Getting me to dance was the way to stop me from climbing up trees. I think in hindsight my great-grandfather was mostly terrified that I was going to fall out one day."

"And Quidditch and ballet are notoriously safe past-times?" Cassius asked, raising his eyebrows.

Laughing, she said, "At least they were regulated. But, to your point — I'm sure whoever you want to ask, she ought to be most agreeable, even if you don't think you're a brilliant dancer. Don't sell yourself short, Cassius."

There was the faintest hint of a smirk on his face, though Aurora made herself believe that she was imagining it. "In that case," he said lightly, striding onwards, "would you be... as you said, agreeable?"

Aurora was fairly certain that her heart stopped for a second when he said that. It was something she had thought about but not truly expected, that question coming from him. But he seemed to be serious, brow furrowed as he looked at her in the cold early dusk.

"You mean it?" she asked, doubt evident in her voice. "You wanted to ask me?"

"Well." He shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, it's cool if you don't want to, but, of all the girls I know, you're the one I get along with best and you're my friend, you know?"

Friend. "Right."

"I mean, not just — I don't want to go as friends. Didn't mean to say it like that." It was ever so slightly sweet, the way he seemed to be nervous, even though he didn't need to be. "But I'd really like to. Go with you, that is, if you want."

"I... Well, yes," Aurora said, feeling rather like she had fallen off a cliff. "I didn't expect that, but yes."

"Really?" Cassius broke into a grin, rushing forward to hug her unexpectedly. Aurora fought her own smile, as well as the giddy blush which rose so readily to her cheeks. "Er," he said, stepping back, "that's great, I mean. You — do you have robes picked out already?"

Aurora didn't speak for a moment, sure that any motion of the mouth would betray a foolish smile which kept threatening her. "Yes," she managed eventually, feeling still rather foolish for blushing. "They're a sort of purple and silver, I'll show you them another day."

"Good," Cassius said, nodding, "mine are a bit boring, a lighter sort of grey, but I'll see if I can add some purple in somewhere. I'm quite decent with colour changing charms but it might take a few tries before it holds on fabric."

The idea of them turning up to the ball in co-ordinated robes gave Aurora a pleased sort of thrill, and a confidence which allowed her to move closer to Cassius as they made their way up to the castle, warm despite the cold winter weather.

Once they parted at the doors to the common room, Cassius headed for a shower, Aurora sought out Gwen and Pansy, finding the latter in a corner working on Herbology homework. "I need you," Aurora said, trying to hide her smirk. "And It isn't often that I say this, but it's even more important than homework."

Intrigued, Pansy clasped Aurora's hands and followed her to her dorm room, where Gwen was painting her nails. "Hello," she said, glancing up, "I figured you'd want a shower once you got back — oh, hi, Pansy."

"I need you both," Aurora said, barely able to contain her smile as she closed the door behind her and Pansy.

"What?" Gwen asked, with a smirk. "Don't tell me—"

"Cassius asked me to the ball!"

Pansy shrieked, hugging her tightly. "Oh, I knew it, I knew he was going to ask you! Did he ask you just now?" Aurora nodded, tight-lipped, and Gwen squealed as she rushed over.

"Tell me everything!" she gushed. "How did he do it? Montague wasn't there too, was he? I heard he asked out some Durmstrang girl and got rejected?"

"Her name was Ilyana, and he might have to duel her boyfriend — but no, Cass and I were walking back up to the castle alone because Graham was putting the Quaffle away, and we talked about the ball and then... Oh, he was nervous? But it was sweet? I didn't expect anyone to get nervous over me! No one else had even asked me!"

"Cecil was going to," Pansy admitted, "but I told him to hold off because I thought it was a stupid idea, and I just knew Warrington would, it's so obvious he fancies you!"

Aurora's instinct was to deny it, but blushed when she realised that she couldn't now, because if he had asked her to the ball — and made very clear that his intentions were not platonic — then it stood to reason that he did fancy her. Gwen cackled. "She's blushing," she sang. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Do you know what sort of dress robes he's going to wear?"

"I haven't seen them, but he says they're light grey and he's going to add some purple in so that we can match!"

Pansy and Gwen both squealed again, united momentarily in their excitement for Aurora. "That's so sweet," Gwen said, clasping her hands. "You two are going to look so good together."

Pansy hummed, grinning. "The Warringtons are a relatively decent family, aren't they?"

Aurora nodded. "His father's in a high position in the Department of Magical Education, and his mother, I believe, works in law. And he's sweet."

Letting out another low human, Pansy squeezed Aurora's shoulders. "Alright, you have to tell us everything about how he asked."

"It wasn't that exciting—"

"But you look pretty excited about it anyway," Gwen said, grinning as she and Pansy both dragged Aurora over to sit on her bed. "So, spill."

She couldn't help but smile as she recounted the tale, and if she had a strange, excited flutter in her chest the whole time when she thought about how he grinned at her, well, it wasn't as if she had to tell anyone that detail. Even if it did show on her face, regardless.

-*

After Cassius asked her out, Aurora's rare good mood persisted all week and into Saturday morning, something which did not go unnoticed by many of her classmates. Hermione Granger seemed all too aware of the mood change in Arithmancy, though only questioned Aurora once before she turned the question back around on her and gained the sight of a great scarlet blush. Whoever had asked Hermione Granger to the ball, they had clearly made the girl very happy indeed, and suitably distracted her thoughts from speculating on Aurora's own happiness.

Draco, however, was not so easily distracted, largely because he was using her as a distraction from worrying over who to ask to the ball. Her cousin had looked at her with suspicion all of Thursday, and when he saw her chatting to Cassius at breakfast on Saturday morning, it seemed to click into place and a look of horror dawned on his face.

"You can't get a date before me," he hissed, after Cassius left to go to his Charms study group. "It's not fair!"

"It isn't my fault you haven't plucked up the courage to ask someone yet," she whispered back, eyebrows raised.

"I don't know how," Draco complained. "How did Warrington ask you?"

She smirked at him, and drawled, "Do you really want the details, dear?"

His face flushed red. "No! I don't want any details, actually, thanks, Aurora!" He stood up but Aurora grasped his wrist, tugging him back.

"Don't worry, Draco, it was all very sweet and proper. He just asked me, while we were on our way back to the castle after flying. Well, there was some awkwardness while he tried to get us onto the subject but really, if whoever you want to ask likes you, simply asking her will be enough."

She didn't miss the way his eyes flicked to Pansy and back again. "I mean it," she told him, checking her watch. It was five minutes to ten, and Harry Potter had just left the Gryffindor Table. "She wants to go with you."

"How do you know who it is?" Draco asked, frowning.

"Because I have eyes," Aurora replies flippantly, standing up, "and you are both dreadfully obvious, especially to me." She winked at his surprised look. "Just ask her, Draco. Before someone else does and she gets fed up waiting around for you."

As she stood up, downing the rest of her orange juice, Draco stared at her. "But — where are you going now?"

She raised her eyebrows with a small smirk. "Do you really want to know?" she asked, and his eyes widened even further, staring out the doors of the Great Hall. "Relax, Draco. Nothing untoward, I promise. I'll see you at lunch. Try to ask her before then, it will be a nice little talking point."

Small triumphs came in the form of her cousin's gobsmacked, slightly indignant look as she left him, only for her place to be taken by a beaming Pansy not thirty seconds later. Aurora smirked to herself, shouldering her bookbag — which also contained some of the chocolate frogs she had gotten on her last Hogsmeade visit, as they always seemed to taste better if she got them out of Honeydukes — and heading to the third floor corridor where the statue of a one-eyed witch stood guard over what was apparently a secret passageway to Honeydukes' cellar.

The corridor appeared empty when she reached it, but just as she made her way towards the statue, Harry Potter's face appeared from thin air right before her, and her heart leapt up into her throat in fright. "Bloody Merlin," she cursed, jumping back as the boy laughed to himself. "That isn't funny, Potter, it's disturbing."

His head bobbed, as if he was shrugging somewhere with invisible shoulders. "Sorry," he said, without sounding sorry at all. "Figured we should both hide under it."

Aurora wrinkled her nose as he moved the cloak. Both could fit under relatively comfortably, but it was still a squeeze, and she didn't like being in such close proximity to him. "Try not to breathe on me," she muttered, holding the cloak tightly as they went towards the statue.

Potter murmured, "Dissendium," and tapped it with his wand, and they slipped inside the small gap that opened up.

"Did you use this one much last year?" he asked conversationally.

Aurora looked at him blankly. "I don't make a habit of breaking and entering into sweet shops, Potter."

She left out the part where she had come this way with Cassius a few weeks ago. Technically, she reasoned with herself, they hadn't broken into the shop itself, only the cellar.

His lips twitched in a smirk. "I wouldn't have been surprised. I mean, you did harbour a fugitive for five months."

"Shut up, Potter."

"Oi, I'm letting you use the cloak with me!"

"Yes, to see my father, so I'll thank you not to be so rude."

"I'm just saying," he grumbled, picking up the pace so that Aurora had to trot awkwardly to keep up with his stupid long legs. "Anyway. I brought chocolate frogs. He said he liked them, during the summer."

Aurora resisted her instant urge to glare at him. She had some in her bag, too. "It seems chocolate frogs will be in abundance today then."

Potter gave a small snort, and they went the rest of the way in silence, uncertain and wary of each other. He seemed more accustomed to slipping into Honeydukes than she was — quite a few customers were already in the store, though not nearly so many as there would be during a weekend when Hogwarts could come down. Still, it was busy enough that, with the cloak around them, Aurora and Potter could go unnoticed out the door and down the cobbled streets.

"Where exactly did my father say he was going to meet us?" Aurora asked, wishing she had written him a letter to confirm herself.

"He said he'd meet us as Padfoot near the Hog's Head, and we'd go into the woods. It's a bit cold but he said he could do a heating charm to manage it, and we're not really meant to be here at all, and he still draws attention—"

"You don't have to explain everything," Aurora sighed, waving a hand. She kept an eye out for her father's dog form, spying him at the edge of the village. From such an angle, with the morning's mist still not quite cleared, he did look rather ominous. "Do you think he'll know when we reach him?"

"No one can see past the cloak," Potter said, "not even Animagi. Well." He frowned. "Maybe Mad-Eye Moody can, sometimes it feels like it. He creeps me out."

"I think he's intelligent."

"Well, yeah," Potter conceded, "But he is a bit, well..."

"Mad?" She smirked. "Implied in the name, Potter. Surely you've dealt with worse in the way of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors."

Potter huffed but Aurora knew he knew she had a point, and was quite pleased with his silence as they went on up the path. As they got closer, her father's dog form barked, as if he knew anyway, and Aurora raised her eyebrows at Potter, who frowned as they reached him. "Hey, Padfoot," Potter said, reaching a hand out from under the cloak. "Show us the way."

He let out a loud bark and his tail wagged as he took off at a proud trot towards the forest. The wall felt far too long, and though Aurora had certainly done far worse than this the year before, she kept having to look over her shoulder, feeling like someone was surely going to notice them. She didn't allow herself to relax until they had reached the clearing in the forest and her father transformed back into himself, grinning as Potter swept the cloak off of them.

"I brought food," he said cheerfully before Aurora could even get a word in.

"He brought snacks," she clarified, rolling her eyes. Then she turned to her father, grinned, and allowed him to hug her tightly. "Hi... Dad."

"Good to see you, sweetheart. I've missed having you around." He hugged her tighter when he said that, like he didn't want to let go at all — but he did, eventually, even though his smile shook in a way that Aurora didn't really like. "Andromeda and Ted send their love, and wanted me to check if you're coming home for Christmas or staying for the ball?"

"Oh," she said, blinking.

"I daresay Andromeda would be rather upset if you backed out of the ball," he said, smiling, and Aurora nodded.

"I completely forgot, I should have written. I just... Didn't think about it. Usually — well, I've stayed at school the first two years. And everyone's going to the ball."

"Yeah," Potter said dejectedly, and both she and her father turned to him curiously. "Like, five girls have asked me. It's weird."

"How tragic," Aurora sneered.

"I don't know any of them!" he protested, while Aurora's father laughed. "There was this one girl I've never seen before and she looked like she could punch my lights out if I stepped on her toes."

Still laughing, her father said, "In my day, blokes were typically happy when a girl asked them out."

"Yeah," Potter sighed, "but there's only this one girl I like and I can never get the chance because she's always got her friends around. Giggling."

He said it like it was the worst thing a girl could possibly do, to giggle. "Then find an excuse to talk to her alone," Aurora said, before her father could give any advice, "honestly, Potter, that should be obvious."

Narrowing his eyes, Potter snapped, "I had tried that, funnily enough. I just get..." He ducked his head and muttered something which sounded like nervous.

Aurora coughed. "If we can get over Potter's tragic love life, please." But her father was watching her curiously now. "What?"

"You haven't," he started slowly, "got a date to this ball, have you?"

"Yes," Aurora said shortly, and his eyes widened. "I don't know why that's a surprise."

"Not saying it is," her father said, frowning. "But — you're going out with someone? A bloke?"

"Yes," she repeated. "And he's very nice, and I'll remind you that I can go out with whoever I please."

"Not saying you can't," he said, raising his hands. "But do I get to know a name at least?"

She pursed her lips, considering it for a second. Even Potter was looking at her, seemingly baffled at how anyone would fancy her, or else actually get her to go out with him. "Cassius Warrington," she said at last, and Potter's mouth fell open.

"The Slytherin?"

"Yes, the Slytherin. I'm a Slytherin, if you hadn't noticed."

"I'm not stupid, Black."

"You could fool—"

"Who's this Warrington guy?" her father asked, frowning. "How d'you know him?"

"We're both on the Quidditch team," Aurora said, steadily ignoring Potter, who had gone back to his usual habit of glaring at her. "He's a brilliant flyer, we get along really well and..." Heat rose to her cheeks. She could not admit that she thought his hair was nice, or his jaw, or that there was something rather attractive about the cologne he always wore and the way he was almost a head taller than her, which she felt shouldn't have mattered, but for some reason did, even if it — and all those things — were rather vain. "He's a good friend," she settled for saying, a description which didn't seem to truly appease her father, "he's funny, and he... Well, I like him, and he asked me, so I said yes." Cheeks now burning, she moved swiftly on. "And I believe there was another purpose to us being here, other than the Yule Ball."

Her father raised his eyebrows, but shrugged. "If you're happy. Though I'm probably supposed to make the usual threats if the bloke hurts you."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I can go without that. Potter?" He startled, blinking at her. "You're the one who organised this little excursion. Give him the chocolate frogs and start talking."

It earned her a glare, but that was nothing new. Potter took the bundle of chocolate frogs from the back he'd brought with him and Aurora did the same, watching her father's eyes light up in amusement. "Great minds?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"One great mind," Aurora corrected, throwing Potter a superior look which she only half meant as he ground his teeth. "One fool."

"Guess which is which," Potter said, frowning at her.

"No thank you," her father said stiffly, "I'd rather not start that argument. Harry — your dreams. Tell me about them."

Potter still cast Aurora a wary glance, despite the fact that he had been the one to invite her to come with him. She raised her eyebrows and gestures for him to go on, though didn't want to admit that she was curious, and ever so slightly concerned. His dream in the summer that he had told her about had been concerning enough on its own and even moreso in the light of what had happened at the Quidditch World Cup. Aurora had never had much interest in Divination, but she knew it could have its uses, and if these were prophetic dreams that Potter was having, then they were both alarming and greatly useful.

"I don't know if they mean anything," he said slowly, with a slight flush on his cheeks as he rushed, "and I mean, they probably don't, but I told Hermione and then she was all you have to write to Sirius and tell him. But they — usually I feel like they're about... him."

"Voldemort?" her father asked, and Aurora winced. The name still sent a shiver through her, whether simply because she had always picked it up from others' reactions, or because the name itself held a curse. She still didn't like him saying it, even if Moody insisted on using the name in class.

Oblivious to her reaction, or perhaps just not caring, Potter said, "Yeah. And when I wake up, my scar hurts. Sometimes it's just a bit of a twinge but the other night, I dreamt of this house... There was a snake, and it — it killed this man and it was like somehow I knew, without seeing him, that Voldemort was there. There was one other, I think... And a woman's voice. But Voldemort was angry, really angry, about something. Someone had failed him, he said. And when I woke up, my scar, it was like it was burning, Sirius." She looked away so she didn't have to see the pain that burst across his face, shining from his eyes. "It's probably stupid. I'm just overreacting."

"No," he said, in a cool but firm voice. "You're not overreacting, Harry. What about the other dreams?"

"Well, some of them... I don't know. It's not like he's always there, but sometimes I feel like he is. Like I just know. There'll be a flash of someone, a normal dream and then I hear his voice, or someone else's. It doesn't have to mean anything though, right?" He looked up hopefully.

"It doesn't have to," Aurora's father said reluctantly, "but it may well do. I'm not saying he's going to pop out any second," he added quickly, because Potter's eyes had widened at the words he clearly hadn't wanted to hear, "but it means something. I'd say you could talk to Dumbledore about it. Certainly if it happens again."

He sighed, and Potter said — with a hesitant look at Aurora — "There's something else, too. Karkaroff."

Aurora couldn't bring herself to be surprised, but she sat up straighter, curious.

"He's been acting weird," Potter explained, "I mean, he's always a bit weird — I don't like him anyway, from what I know — but there was this... Indicent, at the First Task. What I told you about, Sirius. And you noticed it, too, didn't you, Aurora?"

It took her a second to realise he had said her name, but Aurora nodded quickly. "Crouch was attacked by a dragon," Potter explained, "but I thought I saw someone. Ron and Hermione didn't see anything, but we were all about to get clobbered by a dragon. And there was someone in the arena, someone that wasn't Krum."

"I imagine they did make use of the dragons' handlers," Aurora said dubiously, but Potter shook his head.

"No. It wasn't one of them, they disappeared like a second later but I swear I saw them. They — I heard them call my name and I got this weird feeling, for a second..." He chewed on his lip, opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but then stop himself. "I don't know what it was." Though she got the impression he had some idea, and merely didn't want to voice it. "But I did hear something and it sounded like Karkaroff. It was like he was trying to, I don't know, summon me?"

That sent cold trickling through her. "And he hates Crouch, and then Crouch was attacked and it just seemed... Odd. And I — I heard he was a Death Eater, right?"

"Yes," Aurora's father said softly.

Aurora felt a heaviness on her chest. She had looked up everything she could about Marlene McKinnon, and her family. She knew who had been charged with setting the fire that killed them. She knew who gave the Ministry his name.

"He did a deal with the Ministry, though," she told Potter, "he stayed out of Azkaban in exchange for giving names. You think he's still... What? Working for the Dark Lord? The Death Eaters he didn't put away?"

It didn't sound likely, and her father shook his head anyway. It was not likely that the Dark Lord would welcome him back after his treachery, though perhaps, those other Death Eaters who had stayed out of Azkaban, might. Still, there was something distressing about this whole thing, a feeling she couldn't shake.

"That's right." Her father looked to Potter, who appeared shocked, forehead creased, with a look of indignation on his face. "He was caught. He was in Azkaban with me, but only for a short while, then he was released. I'd bet that's why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year, so he could keep an eye on him. Moody was the one who caught Karkaroff, and put him into Azkaban, in the first place."

"He was let go?" Potter asked. "And he's a teacher?"

"That does appear to be the case, Potter."

Her father sent her a quelling look, eyebrows raised. He was right — this was serious, not the time to pick a fight. "He said he'd seen the error of his ways, named names... Put a lot of other people into Azkaban in his place, he's not popular in there, I can tell you. And from what I've heard, he's been teaching Dark Arts to every student who's gone through his school."

That was what everyone had been saying, of course. When she had weighed up her options for schooling, the main difference in teaching between Hogwarts and Durmstrang had been the Dark Arts, and the intensity of spellwork. And Draco's father had wanted him to go to Durmstrang, after all, as a friend of his.

"But do you think Karkaroff's up to something," Potter asked, leaning forward. "Getting revenge or something?"

"It wouldn't benefit him right now," Aurora said slowly, "I don't think, anyway. He can't go back to the Death Eaters. If he's found attacking Crouch then he'll be put right back in Azkaban. I don't know what would possess him, not when he's in a good position."

"But something's wrong," Potter insisted, "he's not happy, the way he talks to Snape... something must have changed with him. Do you think Karkaroff might try to hurt me?" he asked. "Or you think he's got something to do with these dreams?"

"I don't know," her father admitted, sighing.

"Because he does give me the creeps," Potter said, and Aurora tried not to smile at the blunt way that he said it. "Even besides what happened at theFirst Task. First night he was here, he looked at me all funny, until Moody came and distracted him. He was kind of... Agitated, I guess I'd say. So was Crouch, so it might have just been the fact they knew there were dragons on the way, but..."

Frowning, her father said, "I've been hearing some very strange things. The Death Eaters, for one, have been far more active, turning up at the Quidditch Cup like that. From what Andromeda's said, there've always been whispers, incidents which could be motivated by blood purity, but no large co-ordinated attacks like this, with loads of them in one place. And then there's the issue of that Ministry official who went missing... Bertha Jorkins."

Aurora frowned, but Potter seemed to recognise the name. "Bagman mentioned her, I think! Ludo Bagman, at the cup!"

Her father nodded. "Yeah, Tonks said she was moved into his department from Crouch's a few years ago. She's got me calling her Tonks now, by the way," he added to Aurora, "apparently Dora privileges don't extend to me."

Aurora smiled faintly. "Well, she still insists on calling me munchkin, so it's more than a fair trade. What else has she said?"

"Well, Bertha disappeared in Albania, which is where Voldemort was last rumoured to be. It seems she got there alright, but hasn't come back. I don't know. It all seems a bit fishy to me, I just can't tell if it's all connected yet. But certainly if he got ahold of her..."

He lapsed into silence, frowning. "Well, I expect he'd appreciate her information very much. About the cup, about the Tournament, Merlin knows what else. But as I say — I just don't know. But be on your guard. Both of you." He looked intently first at Aurora and then at Potter.

"Like I said." Her father frowned and put a hand on Potter's shoulder, gripping it tightly. "Be on your guard." His eyes flicked to Aurora, who nodded. "And I reckon you should tell Dumbledore if you think you've seen something fishy, Harry. If not him, Moody. Karkaroff, I don't think he's the type who'd go back to Voldemort, not unless he was forced — I wouldn't say he's reformed, but he has moved on, and he'd probably get himself killed if he tried. But even so."

Silence fell for a moment, broken only by the faint whistling of the breeze in the trees around them. "We will be careful," Aurora said. "I don't think Karkaroff poses a real threat to us, not alone, anyway."

Her father nodded, though still wore that look of concern. "Is that everything, Harry?" Potter nodded. "Aurora? There's nothing worrying you? Or — just anything I need to know about? Or that you want me to know about?"

There were many things she thought of, from the Duelling Club she was hoping to improve in, to the fact she still didn't know what to do about Callidora, Cedrella, and Marius, her uncertainty over what it meant to go with Cassius to the Yule Ball, and the way it felt like the world was constantly shifting around her and she wasn't sure how to keep up.

Instead, she settled for, "Well, I found what happened at the First Task odd, too. I thought I saw someone, and I just got this awful feeling, but I don't know how to describe it."

She didn't want to admit in front of Potter that she thought she had felt Death. That was something he couldn't be privy to. It was family-only.

"I guess it worries me. The whole situation is worrying and..." She bit her lip, glanced at Potter, and decided that considering the nature of this venture, he was admittedly quite unlikely to rat her out to a teacher. "Cassius and I snuck out a few weeks ago." Her father's eyes widened.

"Excuse me? You were sneaking around with a boy—"

"Not like that, we were getting drink for a house party in the common room, it was the night before Halloween—"

"A party?"

"Merlin, Dad, you didn't use the map to stick to the rules, did you? Anyway, Cassius went to go get the drink and I kept watch in the Honeydukes cellar. It was closed by this point — the shop — but I heard voices from above. I don't know how it was, but the only bit I could make out was someone saying they were tightening control. Having someone delivered... It didn't really make sense, but it creeped me out." She avoided looking at either of them. "I don't know, it might mean nothing."

"I fear everything means something," her father said heavily. "This is what it was like..." He trailed off, and when Aurora looked up she saw his gaze drifting to something far in the distance.

"We'll find out more," Potter said confidently, "there's definitely something wrong and I want to know what. Ron said Charlie said, that dragon's ill. Something was done to it."

"You didn't say that part!"

"I was going to get to it—"

"Someone's interfering with the tournament," Potter said, "and someone's going to get hurt. Whether that's Crouch or someone else."

When he looked at he, Aurora got the terrible feeling that he wanted to do something about it. Worse, that he wanted her to do the same.

She sighed. "You may be right," she admitted. "But I doubt we'll see Crouch soon. Not til the ball, anyway."

"That's not so far away," Potter said, "but what if something happens in the meantime?"

Aurora shook her head, leaning back. "It's not on you to do anything, you know."

"Well, what if no one else does?"

She shrugged, feeling Barty Crouch might not be too much of a loss, not that she would say such a thing aloud. "There's definitely something odd," she agreed, "But is it anything to do with you? Who knows. Maybe someone just really hates Barty Crouch. I wouldn't blame them."

It was a surprise that Potter didn't say anything. Her father even gave a vague sort of nod. They lapses into a slow, heavy sort of silence, before her father changed the subject.

"Andromeda told me to tell you to get some photos of you taken in your Yule robes, by the way.."

"I'll ask Gwen to help me out," she promised, thinking again of how good she and Cassius were going to look together and trying not to blush. "If you promise to tell Dora that she's not allowed to tease me for having a date."

"That seems awfully harsh on poor Tonks."

"Necessarily so." Aurora sniffed dramatically. "She's a terror when she tries to tease me. And she will tease me something rotten."

Her father laughed, and even Potter smiled a little, though he still appeared preoccupied.. "I'll tell her, but don't think I can get Tonks to agree to anything."

"You can try," Aurora said, grinning.

"As for Harry." Her father's eyes lit up when he looked to Potter. "Who did you say you were going to ask again?"

He mumbled something under his breath. Aurora and her father both raised their eyebrows. "Didn't catch that?"

"Cho Chang," he admitted, staring at the ground.

"The Ravenclaw Seeker?" Aurora asked, surprised. She had never known that she even knew Potter, though they must have met on the Quidditch Pitch before. "She's nice."

"Yeah." Potter's cheeks flushed. "But, er, like I said. Don't know how to ask her."

"In my experience, Harry," her father said, "you just have to go for it."

"But I can't! I just get all... Tongue-tied."

"Then don't," Aurora suggested lightly.

"Thanks, Black. That's really helpful."

"Anytime."

Looking like he was trying not to laugh at either of them, her father said, "I'm sure you'll be alright, Harry. Just go for it, be honest about wanting to ask her, and if she says no, it's not the end of the world."

"But it will be really embarrassing," Potter said with a wince, and Aurora was inclined to agree. She was rather proud of herself for abstaining from saying anything.

"That's growing up," her father said, grinning, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Trust your godfather, Harry, you'll be fine. And now, you two should probably get up to school before someone realises you're missing."

Though she sighed, Aurora knew he had a point. It was creeping closer to midday, it would take some time to get back up to Hogwarts anyway, and she really did not need an annoyed Snape finding out she had left grounds to see her father. "Alright," she agreed, getting to her feet and hugging him tightly. "I'll see you again soon. And tell Dora to hurry up and reply to my last letter."

"Will do," her father promised, grinning. "She's probably just got the reply buried under paperwork, she complains about it every time I go round for dinner."

Pleased to hear that he was still visiting the Tonkses, and therefore getting some human interaction, Aurora smiled and let go so that he could embrace Potter too. That was something she could do without, but it was also something that she couldn't very well raise, so she kept her mouth shut and hoped her annoyance didn't show as Potter swept the Invisibility Cloak back over them. "I'll walk you back to Honeydukes," her father said, before transforming.

As they headed back through the village, cloak buffeted by the cold wind, Aurora couldn't help but let her gaze drift to the boarded up flat above Honeydukes sweetshop. A shiver went up her spine.

She would hate to have to admit it to Potter, but it was very, very possible that something really was greatly wrong with the world and the tournament. It was, therefore, possible — to her annoyance — that Potter might just be right about something.

There were two reasons why she hoped that was not the case.