When Gwen arrived to stay the night before September the First, Aurora had never been more glad to see her. They were quick to get the adults talking so that they could run upstairs to Aurora's room and she could tell her everything that had been bothering her for the month since her father escaped from prison.
"So you think he's after Potter?" Gwen asked when Aurora was done, clasping her hands to her mouth. "Really?"
"I don't know. Dora does, and considering he killed his mother and father, he might be." She looked down. "Did I ever tell you he's the reason my mother died?"
Gwen gave her a long and searching look. "No."
"Yeah. It was only a few months before the end of the war. But he was scared, I guess, and he wanted to change sides. His brother died - my Uncle Regulus - and the Dark Lord wanted a Black son to replace him. My father did it, even though the family still hated him, and they still do." Her grandmother had hated him until her dying breath. "I guess my mother found out he was the spy. He led Death Eaters to our house before she could tell anyone, and they killed her. Made it look like an ambush. They killed her whole family - my whole family, just for good measure. I don't know why they never killed me. I suppose my father wanted to save my life." She shrugged, not meeting Gwen's eyes. "I hate him."
"But he won't hurt you, will he?" Gwen's wide eyes darted nervously around the room. "You don't think he might... Come looking for you? At Hogwarts? I mean, you're his daughter."
"He's been in Azkaban twelve years, Gwen. That place is meant to drive people insane. He might not even remember me."
She wasn't sure if she would be comforted by the thought that he might. It would provide even more reason for him to go after her. "But - I mean, you don't think... If he comes for you, what will he do if he gets to the dorms?"
Aurora stared at her. "I'm sure it won't come to that. I'll be fine."
"But what about the rest of us?" Gwen looked horrified. "Say he comes after you, but someone gets in his way? Like me!" She paled considerably and Aurora had no idea what to say.
"Well... I don't know! But he won't get into the castle, I'm sure." She winced.
"But he supported that man. Voldemort! And he's meant to hate muggleborns like me. He's a murderer!" Her eyes were wide and for the first time since first year, she was giving Aurora that uncomfortable look, like she was again a threat.
"He won't hurt you," Aurora said, not looking at her. "I'm the one who needs to worry."
"But..." Gwen seemed to be flailing for her words and there was an uncomfortable feeling that settled in Aurora's stomach. "He's a murderer."
"Yes, I think we established that, Gwendolyn."
"What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong?" Aurora turned to stare at her. Was she being serious? "Really?"
Gwendolyn winced. "I'm sorry. I know you must be scared."
"I'm not scared," Aurora ground out.
"Right. Well... I am."
"Good for you," she said coolly.
Silence fell in the room for a moment. Aurora found herself fidgeting with her family ring, and snatched her fingers away, glaring at the floor. "He um... You said he, that your family all hate him... Do you want to talk about this?"
"No."
"Right. I just think that, if he's out there, then we need to take extra precautions."
"I'm sure Hogwarts is taking plenty of precautions," Aurora said stiffly. "The Aurors are convinced he's after Potter, and Dumbledore simply loves him."
"And you?"
"Yeah, Dumbledore loves me."
"No, but they must think you're in danger, too."
"They do." Aurora couldn't even look at Gwen. Why did she think she had to talk about this with her? "Look, I've already had a whole conversation with Draco about this. I don't need to talk about it with you."
"But..." Gwen sat down next to Aurora with a confused sort of sigh. "I'm your friend."
"Yeah. And I understand you're worried because we share a room and if I'm dancer you are too, but I'm sure we'll be protected. I just don't want to talk about it."
"You said you spoke to Draco Malfoy, though," Gwen pointed out.
"I did." Gwen pursed he rlips. "What?"
"Well, then why can't you talk to me-"
"Because I don't want to, Gwen," she snapped. "I can talk to Draco because he's basically my brother and he understands more of this. Pureblood society and-"
"Oh, so this is a blood thing?" Gwen asked, voice colder than normal.
Now it Aurora's turn to stare at her. "What?"
"I wouldn't understand," Gwen said slowly. "Because I'm not a pureblood."
"No. No, that's not what I meant, it's just... Draco is my best friend, and I worded that badly-"
"It's fine," Gwen said shortly, standing up. "I get it. We shouldn't argue. I should say goodbye to my mum again before she leaves."
She hurried down the stairs and Aurora was left to stare at her, immobilised for a moment before she followed, just in time to see Gwen and her mother hug and exchange a sweet goodbye. A strange pang went through her and she glanced away, grinning falsely at Dora, who eyed her with confusion. Aurora just shook her head and folded her arms, waiting.
When they got back upstairs for bed, Gwen changed the subject determinedly to school gossip, asking about the gala and giggling over stories about the week she'd spent with Robin, with little need for Aurora's input. And despite the nerves in her stomach and confusion in her head - how had that turned into an almost-argument and why couldn't Gwen just say what she clearly wanted to say? - she was comforted when she went to sleep by her roommate's familiar snoring.
They were prompt as always when they arrived at King's Cross station in the morning, hauling trunks onto the train with Ted and Dora's assistance. "Write us every week," Ted reminded Aurora. "And be careful."
He hugged her tightly, which was unexpected, but Aurora found that she didn't mind it all that much. "I will, Ted. Promise." She grinned at Dora. "Good luck with training."
"We have stealth this afternoon," Dora said with a grimace. "I'll need it."
They hugged, too, and then Aurora and Gwen went to find a compartment on the train. Robin was already seated in one on his own, so they ducked inside, Gwen beaming, while Aurora merely offered him a short wave.
"Morning, Oliphant."
"Black." Robin grinned as he hugged Gwen, greeting her. He held his hand up to Aurora, who after a few seconds of confusion, hit it feebly. He grinned further and sat down.
"Done your homework yet?"
He looked at her darkly, and held up a piece of parchment. "Does it look like it? This is for McGonagall. She's going to kill me, I completely forgot."
Aurora laughed half-heartedly. "Good luck with that, Oliphant."
"I'm sure we can give you a hand," Gwen said enthusiastically. "Can't we, Aurora?"
"I'm not letting him copy," Aurora said, and pointedly took out Numerology and Grammatica to read it for the fifth time.
Gwen just rolled her eyes. She worked with Robin on his homework, while Aurora flickered between her Arithmancy and Ancient Runes notes in an effort to distract from them, trying to find any similarities that she could use to tie the subjects together. It was important, in her view, to understand how different branches of magic interacted, in order to get a better idea of how it worked as a whole.
The other two both seemed confused by her actions, but didn't press. While both intelligent, neither were quite as academically ambitious as Aurora herself was, and didn't see the purpose in studying before term even started. As proven by Robin's failure to complete his Transfiguration homework. The train rattled on and Aurora turned to reading Great Expectations, one of the books Gwen had given her last year; she watched with silent approval at the choice.
A few hours in to the journey, the train groaned suddenly and lurched to a stop. The lights above them flickered and then went out, and Aurora shivered as a sudden draught came through the compartment. "What's going on?" Gwen whispered. "Why've we stopped, we can't be there yet."
"I don't know," Aurora said, the chill creeping over her. There was a cold sound like the wind rattling through the aisle.
"Looks like everyone else's lights have gone out too," Robin said, voice grim. He shuffled closer to Aurora, and the three of them pressed together, huddling for a bit of warmth.
"I don't like this," Aurora said decisively. There was a sliding sound like the train doors opening. Someone had come on board. Her father? Could Sirius Black have found a way to board the train? Of course not, she told herself with a sick feeling in her stomach. That would be ridiculous.
"Can you see anything?" Gwen asked. She was holding Aurora's arm tightly, and her voice wobbled with fear.
"No more than you can," Aurora replied. She got shakily to her feet. "There are people moving about, I want to know what's going on."
She barely made it to the door when Stella hissed loudly and made a run towards her, scrabbling at the leg. "Ow!" she yelled as she thrust the door open and shook Stella off. "What'd you do that for, Stels?"
"What's going on?" yelled a voice from the other side of the train. It sounded very distant.
A cold wind rippled through the corridor and then something dark and hooded came into the edge of Aurora's vision. The cold chill that she'd felt earlier increased, gripping her around the chest. She felt like she was going to pass out, swaying on the spot as her vision dimmed. Aurora grabbed ahold of the edge of the door. Gwen's voice was oddly distorted as she asked, "Aurora? Aurora, what's happening? Are you okay?"
She knew these things. Dementors. The kind that guarded Azkaban, they were looking for her father and now they'd found her. There were three of them that she could make out. Two glided down the corridor but one stopped before her, reaching out a blackened and twisted sort of hand, and touched her cheek.
She gasped, throat tightening. There was a ringing in her ears and then memories flashed through her head; her grandmother's funeral in the dark and grey and rain; holding Arcturus' hand and trying her very hardest not to cry as he went cold and still; at Lucretia and Ignatius' funeral, sitting all alone beneath a tree when Death came for her; first year, when she'd looked over at Potter and been sure that he was going to die and that it was all her fault; and then the ringing of a woman's voice, screaming. "Sirius, no! They'll kill her, Sirius, please! Please, stop! Stop!"
A flash of green light and she snapped out of it suddenly, trying to focus on the compartment in front of her, but voices echoed in her head, whispers of the the dead. She was shaking and she couldn't stop it. Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to fall, and she had to hide her face so that neither Gwen nor Robin saw. Her whole body felt cold, and she couldn't get any of those memories out of her head. So many deaths, all of them too early for her to handle. And that last one. She couldn't quite remember that voice but she knew it somewhere within her soul. Her mother. Dread swelled inside her chest.
Someone else stumbled into their dark compartment, Astoria Greengrass' voice calling out, "What's happening?" and Aurora's trembling hands reached out to tug her inside.
"Its just Aurora," she said quickly, as Astoria shrieked.
"Your hands are freezing!" she complained. "Where's Daphne, I want-"
And then a shadow of something passed in front of the door. A woman screamed somewhere in Aurora's distant memory, and terror gripped her. She buried her head on her knees, but it couldn't stop her shaking. That woman was dying and it was her mother, and her father had led her to her death. Even Arcturus' soft whisper, "Don't cry," didn't soothe her when the sound of that scream sent such pain and instinctual terror through her.
She barely noticed the silver streak racing past, fending off the darkness, and she still felt cold and exhausted as the lights came back on and the train rattled. Gwen was saying something to Astoria, who left quickly, hurrying down the corridor. Gwen put an arm around Aurora's shoulders but she shook it off, tensing. "I'm fine," she muttered, trying to stand up. Her legs trembled and she felt she was going to be sick as she swayed.
Robin grabbed her right before she could fall and Gwen pushed her to sit down again. "Merlin, Aurora, you're white as a sheet!"
"It's fine," she said, though she couldn't shake the feeling of dread and intense terror that told her nothing, absolutely nothing in the world, was fine. "Just feel a little bit shit."
Gwen laughed. It felt wrong to her ears.
"At least you can still swear," Robin said.
She shook her head, putting her head between her knees and trying to breathe deeply so as not to pass out. She felt ridiculous like this. Gwen and Robin were both pale, and looked scared, but they didn't look as wretched as she felt.
"Where did the Dementor go?"
Robin shuddered. "I don't know. There was this weird silver light that sort of chased it down the corridor, came from that way. We sent that girl to find a prefect."
"Right." She swallowed. "Well, it's fine. I think I should go and find Draco, see if he's alright."
But she was no sooner standing up and shaking again, when a worried-looking man dressed in shabby robes. He looked vaguely familiar, but Aurora didn't know where from. "Who's this?" she asked Astoria, who looked frightened.
"This is Professor Lupin," Astoria told her quickly, looking along the corridor, like she was trying to spot her sister.
"Go find Daphne," Aurora said, avoiding Lupin's gaze; he was looking at her like she was a curiosity in a museum, and it set her on edge. "She'll be worried about you."
Astoria didn't need another second before she scurried off and the professor stepped inside.
"Aurora Black, is it?" he asked. She nodded. "You're very pale." He reached into his pocket and brought out a bar of chocolate, breaking off a piece. "Here. You'll feel better for some chocolate."
She went red as she took the bit of chocolate. "Thanks," she mumbled. She immediately felt better when she ate, and warmth settled in her chest. There was a question on the tip of her tongue, but she daren't ask. Instead, because everyone was looking at her, she asked, "Are you the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher then?"
He looked surprised by her choice of question, but nodded. "Indeed I am. I suspect I'll be seeing you all in my class soon."
"Do you know what those things were then?" Gwen asked him curiously.
Lupin looked awkward, but Aurora answered for him. "Those were Dementors, Gwen. I told you." She looked down and swallowed tightly. Her cheeks were burning.
"Yeah, but what-"
"They guard Azkaban, remember?"
"Oh," Gwen said softly. "They're horrible. They have those there all the time?"
"Yeah." Aurora took another bite of chocolate so as to avoid saying anything. Gwen was looking at her with a frightened sort of pity that made Aurora want to scream in frustration. She didn't want her pity. She didn't want anyone's pity. "I think I'll be alright now, Professor," she said, glancing up. "Thank you."
He smiled like he was thinking about something. Aurora was sure she recognised him from somewhere. "You're very welcome, Miss Black. I have to speak to the driver up front. Excuse me."
Lupin dipped his head and left, closing the door behind him.
"You're still shaking, Aurora."
"I'm fine," she said. "I will be, anyway. Those things really were ghastly, I don't know why they were on the train." She had an idea of why though. Why they'd gone for her. But she hadn't done anything - none of this was her fault.
Her mind went back to the voice she'd heard. Screaming for Sirius - for Aurora's father - to stop, because they, someone, was going to kill Aurora. And she didn't know, but she had a feeling that it was her mother's voice, and from the sound of an explosion, and the terror in her voice, Aurora was sure that had been how she died. Her eyes burned with tears, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment that she might cry in front of Gwen and Robin.
"Yes, but... I thought you were going to faint, Aurora. Those things were horrible, but - you seemed to really take badly to them."
"That's fantastic," she snapped. "How come you're okay?"
"I don't know," Robin said, looking startled. "It felt horrible though. I was so cold, I was shaking, wasn't I, Gwen? It felt like I'd never be happy again."
Aurora sat back, watching the rain against the window as the train rattled on again. "They're looking for my father," she said without looking at either of them. "That's why they came on the train."
"They really think he'd come on here while all the students are together?"
"Seemingly so." She sighed. "Did either of you two hear anything?"
"Hear anything?" Gwen asked. "Like what?"
"I didn't think so."
"Did you hear something?" Robin asked, and she nodded. "What?"
"I'm not sure. Merlin, do either of you feel tired now? I could sleep for a week."
She didn't sleep, though. The other two kept up a quiet and gentle chatter as the train kept on its journey towards Hogsmeade. Eventually, she made her way out the compartment in search of Draco and the others, unable to bear the stifling atmosphere inside.
She found them swiftly, and Millicent beamed as she came through the door, hurrying to hug her tightly. "Aurora! I wondered where you were, we were all worried!"
"Oh?"
"The Dementors," Daphne said with a shudder. "They were horrid, Astoria's told me all about them. Are you alright?"
"Oh. Well..."
"Stop hassling her," Pansy said sharply, tugging Aurora's hand so she'd sit beside her. "I thought you were going to be stuck holed up with Tearston and Oliphant forever."
She laughed tightly and Draco gave her a curious look from the other side of Pansy. "They're not so bad," she said. "But I need a break." Theodore gave her a sympathetic look over the top of his book.
When they at last came to a stop at Hogsmeade Station, it was dark outside, and Aurora had to hold Stella very tightly to stop her from running around and going missing in the darkness.
The skeletal horses that drew the carriages whinnied as Aurora came nearer, one of them peering at her with haunting amethyst eyes. She stroked its neck gently, as Pansy and Daphne climbed into the carriage. "Come on," Pansy said, shivering. "The sooner we get up to school, the better."
She nodded, and hurried into the carriage, joined by Millicent and Lucille, while the boys went on ahead. Theodore ran up to them just as the carriage was about to depart, looking harassed. "My brother's just been talking my ear off about how excited he is to go on the boats and then he almost missed it," he said in one breath, shaking his head and sitting down by Aurora just as the carriage started rumbling away. "Idiot."
"He didn't have a run-in with the Dementors, did he?" Daphne asked. "Only Astoria said a few of the first years got in their way - wherever it was they were headed."
"No, he's alright. He was a bit spooked hearing about it but he wasn't anywhere close by and he knows how to deal with them, of course." His face fell into a grim frown and he looked away. Aurora was reminded again that she was not in a wholly unique position. Though he had never escaped, Theo's father was in Azkaban too, as a Death Eater, and Theo had been raised by his mother and grandfather. She didn't know if he'd ever met his father, and all of a sudden she felt terrible that it had never occurred to her to ask.
"Longbottom said Potter fainted," Pansy said, laughing, and Aurora blinked, distracted out of her thoughts. "Actually fainted!"
Aurora looked away uncomfortably and laughed mockingly, though she didn't think it was too convincing. The carriage started to rattle on, the horses taking them at a gentle pace as they glided through the night. Aurora held Stella closer to her chest, grateful for the extra warmth. Even though it was only September, it could have been Winter from the cold of the air. The cold seemed to press in around them. She wouldn't have been surprised if there were Dementors nearby that she just couldn't make out because of the darkness.
The carriage ride was unusually awkward, mainly because Aurora didn't know what to say to anyone and Theodore kept giving her curious glances from behind a book. She was altogether rather relieved when they got out of the carriages after the school gates, even though the Dementors' chill still seeped through her. Draco was only a few carriages along, and Aurora and Pansy were about to join him and the others when she heard him calling Potter's name. Ordinarily she would have joined in, but given recent events she would rather just ignore Potter's existence altogether this year, and made to go around them with Theo.
"Is Longbottom telling the truth?" Draco was yelling at Potter. "You actually fainted?"
"Shove off, Malfoy," Weasley said tightly. He already looked wound up. Aurora wouldn't like to get on his bad side any more than she already had.
"Did you faint too, Weasley? Did the scary big Dementor frighten you too?" Draco taunted as Aurora and the others caught up to him. He smirked in her direction as though she ought to be impressed.
"Leave them, Draco," she murmured, and then said louder, "I'm starving."
She saw Professor Lupin watching her carefully as she tugged Draco away, forming their little group of Slytherins again. Theodore slipped to the back, talking lowly to Millicent, while Aurora and Draco led the way for the others. "Will you at least try and stop taunting Potter so much?" she whispered to Draco.
"Oh, but it's so fun, Aurora."
She rolled her eyes. "I know that, but I just don't want to draw his attention this year. It's bad enough with my father having broken out."
"You're not going to make Potter like you by ignoring him," Draco told her.
"I don't want him to like me, I just don't want to get into a fight. If he knows what my father did, who knows what he'll do if I give him the excuse to go after me."
"You're not scared of Potter?" Draco laughed loudly. "Stop feeling all guilty, Aurora. If he does come after you, you know you're a better dueller. You proved that last year, didn't put?"
"I suppose," she said. Aurora didn't want to admit that she did feel guilty, because she knew herself that it was foolish. And besides, she doubted sincerely that Potter would feel guilty for anything that had happened to her or her family. "Did you lot actually see the Dementors then?"
"Oh, yes." Draco did seem to have paled a little. "It was really rather horrid." He glanced sideways at Aurora. "Don't tell anyone, but I felt a little sick, too."
She smiled wanly. "Yeah. I didn't like them one bit. That Professor was good - the new one, Lupin. He came and gave us chocolate, and it did actually help to make us feel better."
"So we've finally got a competent teacher," Draco said with a sniff.
"Perhaps," Aurora said. "But I wouldn't speak too soon, we still haven't had a class with him yet."
Aurora couldn't wait to get into the Great Hall and watch the Sorting Ceremony. In addition to Daphne's sister Astoria, Wilfred Nott - Theodore's little brother - and Lucia Selwyn were due to join the first year ranks this year, and she wanted to see them getting Sorted into Slytherin. But she'd barely gotten to the doors when Professor McGonagall was calling her name over the crowd of students.
"Yes, you, Miss Black, over here, I haven't got all day."
Aurora scowled as she made her goodbyes to her friends and hurried over to McGonagall. "Good evening, Professor. Is everything alright?"
"Professor Lupin alerted me to the incident on the train, and as your own Head of House appears to have preoccupied himself-" her lips twisted in irritation "-as Deputy Headmistress, I ought to deal with the situation. Ah, Potter, Granger! The two of you over here, too!"
Her plan to ignore Potter was going swimmingly, then. Neither of the Gryffindors looked pleased that they were being made to join Aurora. Granger looked a little nervous - not helped, Aurora was sure, by her determined scowl - while Potter was outright glaring at Aurora. "What?" she snapped as they followed McGonagall upstairs. "Stop looking at me like that, Potter, if you have something to say then I'd rather you just said it."
"Miss Black," McGonagall said tiredly. "Please leave the squabbling for another day. Madam Pomfrey will be here soon."
Madam Pomfrey? Oh, surely this couldn't get any more embarrassing. McGonagall had really gotten the school nurse to check on Aurora, and in front of Potter and Granger, no less. She was sure her cheeks were bright red when she entered the small office, though she tried her best to appear dignified. She'd never been in Professor McGonagall's office before, but it was rather sparse. At least Snape's had some interesting looking potions. "Professor Lupin sent an owl on ahead to say that the two of you had taken ill on the train."
Potter went red but looked at Aurora curiously. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and said, "I'm quite alright, Professor. I assure you I don't require any medical assistance."
McGonagall's thin mouth seemed like it might just twitch up into a smile. "Be that as it may I would much prefer to be certain."
A second later, the door behind them opened and Madam Pomfrey came inside. "Oh, it's you is it?" she said to Potter. "Been up to something dangerous again, I suppose!"
"No, I-"
"It was a Dementor, Poppy," McGonagall said, cutting over Potter.
Madam Pomfrey made a disapproving sound. "Setting Dementors around a school!" She fussed furiously over Potter and pushed his hair back from his forehead, while Aurora watched, smirking as his face went entirely red. "He won't be the last to collapse. And Black?" Aurora couldn't stop her from fussing over her too, feeling her forehead and pulling her hair over her shoulders. "Ah, you are a little clammy dear, and you're very pale. Terrible things, those Dementors, and the effects they have on those who are already delicate."
"Excuse me?"
"Not you, dear. Potter, do have some chocolate, I can't have students fainting again, I'll have to tell Dumbledore to keep them at bay."
"I'm not delicate!" Potter said crossly. Aurora smirked at him when Pomfrey turned her back to take Potter's pulse.
"Of course you're not, dear."
"What do they need?" McGonagall asked. "Bed rest? Should they spent the night in the Hospital Wing?"
"I'm fine!" Potter insisted, jumping up. Aurora snickered.
"I'll be alright, Madam Pomfrey. I think being with my friends and enjoying the feast might help to take my mind off of it. Happiness is the best thing to combat the effects of Dementors, isn't it?"
Madam Pomfrey's eyes softened a little. "Of course, dear. You two ought to have some chocolate."
"Professor Lupin already gave me some," Potter said.
"And me," Aurora added.
"Did he now?" Madam Pomfrey looked pleasantly surprised. "Well, it seems we finally have a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies."
"Are you both quite sure you feel alright?" McGonagall asked in a crisp voice. She looked especially concerned by Aurora, who put on her most warm and confident smile.
"Of course, Professor. There's no need to worry, Potter and I will both be quite fine. But thank you for your concern."
Politeness never failed to win her professors over, and though McGonagall still appeared worried, she nodded. "Very well. The both of you can wait outside while I speak to Miss Granger."
Potter looked curiously at his friend, but Aurora didn't care. She swept out of the room and leaned against the wall with a freeing scowl as Potter shut the door behind them. Neither of them spoke. Aurora looked determinedly away from him, arms folded and ankles crossed. "Does your little pal Malfoy know you fainted then?"
Aurora didn't looked at him, just sneered. "And why is that any of your business, Potter?"
"I'll take that as a no. What, are you embarrassed?"
"Why are you talking to me?" She glanced sideways along at Potter, who looked extremely satisfied that he'd gotten on her nerves. Great. She pursed her lips.
"Well, you are the only other person in the corridor. I'm a bit out of options."
"Piss off, Potter."
"Original, Black."
"You're already doing my head in and we've not even gotten to the Sorting yet."
"And what are you going to do about it?"
She seethed, but she couldn't very well threaten him right now, especially outside McGonagall's office. "You're getting awfully cocky, Potter," she told him in a low voice. "You might want to check your attitude."
"Or what?" He glared at her. "Going to get your dad to do me in, are you?"
She didn't even feel herself move, but she felt the sting of her hand and the sound of her slapping his cheek. Potter gasped, stumbling back, and she seethed, fury running through her. She was meant to try and be civil, but if he didn't have the decency or the basic common sense to keep his tongue in his head, then maybe she'd just have to cut it out. Aurora took a step closer to him, glaring down her nose. "Don't you ever," she said in a low and threatening voice, "talk about my father, Potter. He is nothing to me, but if you start getting ideas, or start spreading any rumours about me, I am more than capable of doing you in myself. Don't you think?"
"You don't scare me, Black," he said, clutching his cheek with swimming eyes. "You're pathetic."
She laughed. "I'm surprised you think I actually care about your opinion, Potter. Now shut your mouth before I shut it for you."
The moment she stepped away, McGonagall came out of the office with a beaming Granger. It was just in time - things could very well have gone further with Potter, and Aurora knew it. "All settled here?" McGonagall asked crisply, and Aurora nodded.
"Yes, Professor, just hungry for the feast. I really ought to have gotten more from the trolley on the train."
Professor McGonagall smiled a little at her, while Potter seethed behind her shoulder. Granger realised something was up immediately, of course, looking between Potter and Aurora like she thought the answers to her questions would simply float down the air to her. "Well, I think it is time we all headed down then."
Potter was silent on their way downstairs but the second he and Granger were reunited with Weasley, they started whispering, sending furtive looks over at Aurora. She ignored them as best she could and held her head high as she went to the Slytherin table. Maybe she had overstepped, but what did Potter think he was playing at, bringing up her father like she had any connection left with him? What had he expected?
"What did McGonagall want with you?" Draco asked as she sat down between him and Pansy. Gwen was avoiding her eye from a few places down the table.
"Oh, she just wanted to talk about my Transfiguration homework," Aurora replied. The lie came easily. "I wrote her over the holidays, I was uncertain on the section about human to animal Transfiguration and wanted to learn more so I could fill the essay better."
Pansy rolled her eyes. "You're so boring, Aurora."
She smirked, filling her plate with dinner. "As boring as they come. How did Astoria do?"
"Slytherin, of course," Daphne said from next to Pansy. "So is Lucia Selwyn - see, down there, just next to her - and Wilfred was a hatstall but he made it here anyway."
A small, pale boy stuck his head out from around the side of Theo. "Hello," he said cheerfully. "I'm Wilf. You're Aurora, aren't you?"
"Yes," she said smoothly. "How do you do, Wilf?"
He grinned. "Quite well. Theo's going to show me all around the castle first thing in the morning."
Theo grimaced and Aurora pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "I see. Well, enjoy."
He snickered and then sat back, obscures from view from Theo, who gave a long-suffering sigh. Aurora smiled as she tucked into dinner, feeling like possibly, this year wouldn't be so terrible - as long as Potter stayed out of her way.
When she and Gwen got back to their dormitory, they didn't speak. Aurora didn't know how to fix that or even what had truly caused it, and Gwen didn't seem at all forthcoming. So she tucked herself into bed in silence, and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the castle moving about her.