Chapter Thirty-Two

The First Task

A/N: And now we're back to some plot once more. But please, I'm asking for a friend. Do you, my readers, still enjoy this story?

Disclaimer: I only own Aurora and any other OC's. Remember, I will occasionally use quotes from both the books or movie, depending on the scene; I do not own direct quotes or phrases.

~ oOo ~

"Snape…Snape…Se-verus Snape…Snape…Snape…Se-verus Snape…"

"What in the bloody hell are you singing my name for?"

Glancing upwards from her desk, Aurora was surprised to see Severus standing in the entryway to their chambers, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. One eyebrow was raised on the man's face as he gave the infamous 'Dungeon Bat stare'. Smirking, Aurora merely giggled as she stood, making her way over towards the man and encircled her arms around his waist.

Staring upward from her position, she said, "It's a catchy tune!"

"Tch, you can't sing something else?"

"Nope!" Returning back to her chair, Aurora grasped the quill she had dropped and resumed grading homework assignments from her Muggle course. Finally leaving the entryway, Severus made his way over to his wife's position, stopping only to drop a kiss upon her head. "So where have you been all morning?"

"I was organizing and stocking our ingredient storage."

She nodded, eyes not once leaving the parchments. "Sounds productive."

"It was, but I came back to ask you something." Removing his outer robe, he lay it across the back of the couch when he appeared behind Aurora. "Have you been taking more ingredients than necessary for your courses?"

Leaning her head back to stare upwards at the man, she shook her head. "Not anymore than I usually take from our stores. Why do you ask?"

Shaking his head as well, Severus scoffed. "There seems to be some ingredients missing."

This caught Aurora's attention. Twisting in her chair to face her husband, she asked, "Missing ingredients? Like what? Besides Albus, we're the only ones who know about the location of our storage."

"I noticed a shortage of boomslang skin, lacewing flies…"

Aurora grasped her chin. "Hmm, those are the basic ingredients for a lot of potions…"

Severus turned to her with her arms crossed. "The infamous three aren't brewing another Polyjuice Potion, are they?"

"Oh heaven's no!" Aurora shook her head vigorously. "Besides, I'm the one who took the ingredients last time, not them." When she noticed Severus didn't seem convinced, she then added, "We'll just have to keep an eye on it. I guess that's all we can do."

SQUEE!

Both witch and wizard turned towards the opening of the portrait to find Merlin and Sapphire entering their chambers. The dragon held letters within its tiny mouth as she made her way towards her mother. Merlin walked right up to Severus and began rubbing against his leg for attention. He grasped the cat beneath its belly and curled the creature into his chest. Sapphire, on the other hand, jumped to land upon the table, nearly spilling the bottle of ink in the process.

"Oh my dear Sapphire, what am I going to do with you?" Taking hold of their post, Aurora scratched the dragon beneath its mouth, the dragon slithering its tongue against her hand.

Moving to stand behind Aurora, Severus asked, "What'd we get today?"

"Let's see…a copy of The Daily Prophet…a letter from Rose, something for you from the Apothecary, and…oh."

"What is it?"

Dropping everything else, Aurora held one letter in her hand as she flipped the envelope over and over, curious to read its contents. "I received a letter from Charlie Weasley. I haven't spoken to him in some time!"

"From Charlie? Don't you still keep in touch?"

"We do, but it's been some months since I last received a letter. He's very busy in Romania with the dragons. Hmmm, I wonder what he wants." Tearing the envelope open, she quickly read its contents several times, smiling the whole while.

"Well…?" Severus dropped Merlin to the ground and peered over Aurora's shoulder to read the letter.

"He…wants me to meet him Thursday night in preparation for the First Task this Saturday."

Skeptical, Severus took the letter from her hands and fully read the contents. "Ah, that's why. The First Task is supposed to deal with dragons, is it not?"

Aurora shrugged one shoulder. "I mean, that's what Albus told the staff so we'd be prepared. Oh!" Snatching the letter back, she reread it once more. "He probably wants my help with the dragons they're bringing in, or something like that. Hm, guess I'll find out more on Thursday, won't I?"

"That we will." Severus turned towards his own desk, when he hissed suddenly. The sound caught Aurora off guard as she quickly rotated in her seat to find Severus holding onto his left arm.

Lips falling into a thin line, she stood and walked in front of the man, grasping his arm in her hands. "It's hurting again, isn't it?"

The wizard turned his face away to hide behind his curtain of hair. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"That's not the point!" Aurora nearly screeched. Sapphire scattered from the table and flew towards the couch where she hid while Merlin ran off to his position by the fireplace. Inhaling deeply while exhaling slowly, Aurora blinked. Staring upwards at the man, whose face was still turned off to the side, she snatched his chin in order for him to face her. "I don't like this, Severus."

"I don't like it either, Aurora, but there's nothing I can do, now is there?!" Plucking his arm from her grasp, the man walked off towards his own desk to take a seat.

Staring at the man, Aurora's mouth fell. "S-Severus…"

Wincing at the call of his name, the man glanced up to see his wife was almost in tears with the cloudiness of her eyes. Huffing a sigh, he said, "Come here." Obeying his command, Aurora walked around Severus' desk to sit on his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned her head against his. "…I'm sorry for snapping like that."

"…it's ok," she meekly replied.

"No, no it is not. Look," the man huffed another sigh. "I do not know why this is happening…"

"What if Voldemort truly is returning?" Sitting straighter in the man's lap, Aurora cupped her cheeks in fear. "Oh my god…if he returns, you'll have to return to his side, and…bloody hell he's gonna ask about me! He's going to want to know about the Muggle-Born you married!"

Removing her hands, Severus replaced them with his own, pulling the woman's face close to his. "Aurora, I need you to look at me." Obliging, her teary eyes stared into his obsidian orbs. "We will cross that path when it happens but believe me…if Voldemort does return, he won't lay a finger on you. That I promise."

Tracing a finger against his cheek, Aurora wasn't sure what to say at first. "Are…Are you sure he won't just kill me first? I mean, you were his most loyal servant after all. What if he expects you to kill me?!"

The woman began hyperventilating. Breathing suddenly became difficult as she wheezed each breath that tried to escape past her lips. Severus took note and dropped his hands from her cheeks to her shoulders. "Aurora! Look at me!" Her gaze had fallen, only to be lifted back up to Severus' handsome face. "That's it, now watch me. Breath in….breath out…breathe in…breathe out…" Copying his actions, her breathing gradually slowed, her flushed face turning back to normal. "That's right," he said. "Is that better?"

Aurora could only nod.

Kissing her cheek tenderly, Severus then said, "Look, there's nothing I can do to take away this fear you justifiably hold. But I promise you, Aurora-Nyx, no matter what happens if Voldemort does return…he won't take you away from me." Cupping her cheek again, Severus kissed her lips. "Do you believe me?"

She instantly nodded. "I believe you." Taking another deep breath, she then questioned, "We're…gonna have to do a lot of lying in the future, won't we."

"Most likely. That's why we also need to continue your Legilimens lessons. You're getting better and stronger every day, but that won't stop Voldemort. I need you to become a Master in order to protect yourself."

"And you," she quickly stated. "Voldemort would most likely cast through my mind in order to find something about you."

"And if we keep practicing, we won't let that happen, now will we?"

"No sir." Aurora gasped. That seemed to be the new nickname for her husband. It was also a sign that Aurora truly wanted her husband and wanted him now.

Eyebrow lifting, Severus smirked happily. "What was that," he said, feigning obliviousness.

"I called you 'sir'," she reiterated. "Or could your gaining hearing not pick that up?" She giggled.

"Oh, so I'm aging now, is that it?" Aurora said nothing other than smirk as well. "That's it, I'm gonna show you how 'aged' I am."

~ oOo ~

It was finally Saturday morning, the day of the First Task for the Triwizard Tournament. Aurora woke up nervous as could be, though she knew Harry would be one-hundred times more anxious than she. After having the talk with him the day prior, she felt comfortable knowing he at least had a plan to tackle the task.

The weather had made a drastic turn, so it was slightly cold out. Donned in a black dress, thick leggings and her coat, Aurora was ready to tackle the day. Severus, dressed in his usual attire, added his thick coat on, as well as the gloves and scarf Aurora had made for him several Christmas' ago. Hand-in-hand, they traversed from the depths of the dungeons, only to release their grip once they were around the students.

It was a trek to the stadium where the First Task would take place. There was a small section covered by a canopy, which is where the faculty and staff were sitting. Claiming their seats in the front row, Minerva soon joined them as they waited for the event to start.

Aurora was a nervous wreck. Her discussion with Harry the previous day should've been enough to calm her nerves, but alas, it had not. She was worried for the boy; he was only fourteen going up against a bloody dragon! Hell, she was at least in her early twenties before she set sight on a live dragon, not fourteen.

Still, there wasn't much she could do. For some reason, somehow, Harry had made a contract with the Goblet of Fire, signifying his placement within the tournament. She didn't agree with it at all, and as she sat there beside her husband watching the firs three contestants fight for their golden egg, she wondered if Harry's trick was actually going to work. He was to go up against a Hungarian Horntail. Compared to this dragon, the others looked like stuffed toys.

And finally, after nearly two hours, Albus' name over the speaker finally called for Harry to advance towards the stage. From her position, she could see the boy slowly making his way towards the egg. But he hadn't noticed…

"Watch out Harry!" She cried from her position in the stands.

Though Severus would never understand her affiliation with Harry Potter, he did respect the care she held for him. Placing his hand on her thigh, he squeezed her muscle, wanting her to know that everything was going to be alright.

The Horntail suddenly threw its giant, clubbed tail towards Harry's position. Narrowly avoiding the boy, harry was thrown off his feet as he stared at the dragon. Fire was soon brought to the fight, angled specifically at Harry as he jumped again.

It was enough for Aurora to cover her mouth. She was afraid. She was deeply afraid of what might happen.

It was then she realized Harry had just used the Accio spell to retrieve his Firebolt. She clapped, knowing this was exactly what he needed to finish this once and for all. What she didn't expect was for the dragon to tear it's shackles off from its neck and chase after the boy. Aurora released a gasp, her body falling into itself as the dragon chased Harry around the stadium. As if knowing he needed to leave, Harry flew directly towards them, then right above their heads to leave the dragon behind. The Horntail, however, was following closely behind and flew exactly where Harry had. Its tail tore through the canopy sheet, nearly crashing into Aurora and Severus.

At the last second, Severus had wrapped the side of his coat around Aurora shoulders as she fell into him. The majority of the wood and splinters thus attacked him rather than his wife.

Helping Minerva back to her sitting position, Aurora sat backwards in her seat, fingering her hair to try and remove as much wood as she could. Severus helped as he could see the back of her head. She thanked him and began to lean over to kiss his cheek, then she remembered where they were. It wasn't the appropriate time for that.

And so, they waited.

It seemed as if time had stopped and they weren't returning. Sitting in silence, Aurora occasionally peered at Severus to see what he was thinking. He stared at her through his peripherals, wondering the same concept. What the two didn't realize is there was someone behind them watching their every move.

And then suddenly, Harry appeared from across the stadium, slowly making his way towards the golden egg. Once in the middle of the arena, Harry dropped his feet to the ground and everyone stood to their feet, Aurora and Minerva included. They yelled and hollered, thankful Harry had made it back from the dragon in on piece. Until…

The sound of an echoing roar captured the attention of everyone in the stadium; it was the Hungarian Horntail.

Echoing closer and closer, Aurora sat down, watching from which possible angle the creature could be coming from. It was then the dragon latched its hind legs upon the top section of the bleachers; students quickly ran in different directions away from the creature in fear of being attacked.

"Aurora!" Hearing the Headmaster's call, she glanced over at him, sitting opposite of Minerva. "You know what to do!"

"On it!" She screamed.

Throwing off her coat, Aurora tossed the item to Severus who only watched as she jumped upon the wooden railing. Her eyes, focusing on the dragon, who was in turn focusing on Harry, blinked several times before she jumped into the arena. She heard numerous people from behind call her name but it didn't matter to her ears. This is what she was supposed to do if any of the dragons were to become out of control. Before her body even landed on the rocky ground below as she jumped, she had begun to alter her appearance.

For you see, Aurora Warrington was one of the rarest witches in the Magical World, for she had the ability to contain two animagus forms within her soul.

Everybody watched in awe as she transformed into a dragon herself, her mighty, scaly form was bewitching to anyone who dared set their eyes upon her. She was a beautiful black dragon with glittery scales that shone blue in the light - but her large eyes were red. Up in the stands, Severus couldn't resist his stare. Leaning forward in his seat, he grasped the railing, watching as she slowly approached Harry and covered the boy with a wing.

He had known about her ability to transform twice, but had never seen this animagus form before and wondered why she never shown him. Severus Snape was in awe of her beauty.

Harry, watching everything happen, allowed his mouth to drop as he held the egg and broom in his arms. Using her snout as the Horntail roared once more, Aurora nudged Harry towards the exit so she could take care of things here. The boy didn't want to move, he was too captivated by what he was seeing; although, he relented when Aurora nudged him harder. As soon as the boy was out of the way, Aurora, in her dragon form, stared at the Horntail who roared with all its might.

Screeching back at the dragon, Aurora lifted her wings and flew into the sky, flying straight towards the Horntail.

The Horntail, seeing it now had a new enemy, blew fire towards Aurora, but she quickly dove out of the way, trying to ensure that no one in the stands would become hurt due to their fight. Both dragons flew into the sky, the Horntail attacking first as it was able to grasp Aurora's leg in its jaw. She cried away, exhaling her own fire onto the dragon's face. Released from its mouth, she flipped around and crashed into the beast, starring it away from the stadium.

All the students and faculty were in awe over what was happening. Minerva, turning towards Severus, who had a small smirk plastered on his face, asked, "Did you know, Severus?"

"Yes Minerva, I knew."

"But have you seen it?"

The Potions Master stared at his longtime friend. "No, she's never really had the chance. Besides, its such a large animagus she could only transform here. I think…no, never mind." Minerva shook her head and opened her mouth to speak once more when more roars and screeches from above grasped their attention.

Aurora, landing on the rocky outcrop behind the stadium, roared and continued to roar until the Horntail copied her movements, sitting probably a hundred feet away from her. It blew another round of fire in her direction, which she was able to easily overpower with her own breath of fire and shoved the Horntail's back into its own face. Bracing itself against the rocks, its muscles began to grow weak and Aurora kept attacking it to prove who was the strongest one. Finally, it seemed the Horntail gave in as it fell against the ground.

The only movement was its chest to indicate the creature was still breathing.

Walking towards the creature, Aurora nudged the Horntail's head with her snout. Its eyes narrowed at her, but otherwise. The creature didn't move at all. It was at this moment, Charlie and his assistants appeared, knowing it was their moment to take the dragon back to its cage in the forest.

Appearing beside Aurora, Charlie clapped her scales and said, "Good work. This could've been a lot more messy if you weren't here, Aurora." Dragon Aurora hummed thickly from the depths of her throat in acknowledgment.

Everything after that moment seemed to happen in a blur. One moment Aurora's in her dragon form near the stadium, the next she's in the forest with Charlie as a human. All four dragons were now held captive once more and were ready to be transported back to their original homes. "Do you think you have everything taken care of, Charlie?"

The Weasley adult turned towards her. "Yeah, we're all good." He scratched the back of his head. "I didn't think today would turn out the way it had. Never expected the Horntail to break out of its chains like that."

Next to the said dragon, who was laying complacent in its cage, snarled in their direction as they passed by. Aurora, knowing something wasn't sitting right in her chest, walked up towards the beautiful creature and began to steal with it.

"Thank you for not killing Harry today." The dragon huffed, its eyes following her movements. Reaching into the cage, Aurora tenderly placed her hand on the Horntail's snout. Behind her, Charlie was going bat-shit crazy, yelling at her to stop and to think about what she was doing. But she didn't care. The woman wanted to form a bond with this particular dragon.

Allowing her hand to stay nearly a foot apart from the creature's snout, she waited for the Horntail to make its move. She wanted him to be the one to come forward and touch her, not the other way around. When it did nothing but stare, she spoke again.

"I'm really sorry about having to attack you, but…I needed to keep the students and my friends safe. You were going to hurt them. But…in the end I hurt you, didn't I?" Raising it's head, the dragon surprised Aurora and everyone else around her.

He lifted his head and allowed Aurora's hand to touch its snout.

Smiling at the endeavor, she rubbed the scaly snout, taking note how the dragon closed its eyes and purred; exactly the same way Sapphire reacts too.

Removing her hand, Aurora stepped back and said, "Be a good boy for Charlie on the way home, alright?" And though she couldn't speak dragon - despite wishing she could - the Horntail acted as if it huffed before laying back down again.

Behind her, Charlier was chuckling. "I swear, even with all the assistants and people I've worked with, none have the gift of working with these creatures as you do, Aurora."

"Ehh, it's nothing special. I've always just been fascinated by them since I was young."

"Hmm, I can tell," he said. "Well, we better get these guys back."

"I know, you have a rough journey ahead of you." Stepping forward, Aurora pulled the young male into a hug, watching all the dragons before she began to step out of the forest. "Keep my in the loop Charlie! Let me know if you need any help with anything!"

"Will do Aurora, will do!"

~ oOo ~

It had been several days since Harry and the other three Champions won the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Currently, Aurora was residing within her N.E.W.T.S. Medicinal Potions class where she was instructing the students about a new potion they would be learning. Her students were doing very well with the course; except for today, because all they wanted to talk about was what happened the previous Saturday.

"Ms. Warrington! It's true your animagus form is that of a dragon?"

"I heard that form is really, really rare!"

"Not only that, I've heard she has two forms!"

"What? No way!"

Standing in front of her class, Aurora groaned. Dropping the chalk onto the table, she turned and faced her class, their mouths instantly shutting the moment she turned. "If I tell you can we please get back to the lesson?"

"YES!" Her entire class screamed.

Rolling her eyes in amusement, Aurora dropped her parchment of notes, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Alright here's the deal. Yes, what you saw on Saturday is true, I have a dragon animagus form and yes, the dragon is super rare for witches or wizards to obtain. Even that, you are correct in that I have a secondary form, which is that of a black panther. Any questions?"

All hands immediately rose into the air.

"Ugh, why did I ask…?" Aurora mumbled to herself.

And that's how the rest of the week came to be.

Even walking through the halls Aurora would be stopped by students who weren't even in her classes to ask about her animagus. It was nonstop. Question after question no matter where she was. Everyone wanted to know about her dragon form as they were finding that more exciting than the actual event of the First Task. There was, however, one individual who would not leave her alone, despite everything she tried.

Rita Skeeter.

"Ms. Warrington!" The writer called.

Inhaling a deep breath, Aurora stopped for the hundredth time and turned towards the female, knowing exactly what she was going to ask. "Yes, Ms. Skeeter?"

"Tch, oh please, call me Rita!" The female wore her all green dress with the feathers at the end of her sleeves and collar. Aurora wondered how she wasn't itchy all the time.

Taking the time of day, Aurora sighed. "Alright. Rita…what can I do for you this time?"

"Your animagus form. A dragon?" Her infamous quick quill began writing in mid-air; Aurora watched it, trying to see what it was writing. "That's very, very rare these days. And to think, a professor at Hogwarts School actually has that form. Quite interesting, don't you? I know my readers would think so, that's for sure."

"Ms. Skee - Rita. We've been over this." Aurora was exasperated, her hands nearly curling into fists at her side. "Several times in fact. There's not much for you to know other than I can transform into a dragon. So, I thank you for wanting to learn more about it, but there's nothing to know." She turned to walk away, gaining several steps when Rita's voice entered her ears from behind.

"I've…also heard from students that you have a second form, my dear. How quaint is that?"

This had Aurora stop in her steps. Students around them wanted to stop and listed, but as they glanced at the female professor, they saw her stare and the way she shook her head. They were soon off to the Great Hall for lunch. Which is where Aurora was headed, except she was being bombarded - again - by this certain individual.

Slightly turning, Aurora said, "And, pray, where have you heard that?"

"I've heard the whispers and have asked several students to confirm the truth. They say its a black panther? That you use this form at night when on patrol duty and sometimes in your classroom?"

And Aurora sighed for the hundredth time that day. She was getting really tired of all these questions. It was just her animagus form, there really was nothing special about her nor her forms!

Grasping the bridge of her nose, Aurora looked directly at the infamous writer. Well, maybe not quite as infamous as one would think, but she was infamous in her own way. "Rita, whatever it is you are trying to do will not work." Glancing around her to see if there were any students around, Aurora was glad there was not.

"One article, that's all I'm asking."

"No," Aurora reiterated for the hundredth time as well.

"No?" Rita seemed confused to be told 'no'.

"Because I have no idea what else you'll write about me, Rita! I know how you work." Stepping closer to the writer, Aurora lowered her voice. "You're sleazy when it comes to your writing and will do anything to obtain the latest news. I saw the article you wrote about Harry Potter. All of that wasn't true. You're just seeking fame and loyal readers."

"Ah!" Rita seemed hurt, though Aurora knew the truth. "I would never! All my reports are factual to tell the truth. I'm sorry you believe that about me dear, but - "

"What is going on here?"

Glancing behind Rita, Aurora saw the swish of black clothing; oh was she happy to see her husband at a moment like this. She hadn't even tried to tell him that Rita had been bothering her for the last several days, trying to get information out of her for a silly article.

Appearing from behind Rita, Severus walked up towards Aurora and stood by her side, his hand itching to grasp hers. "What seems to be the problem here?"

Rita didn't even reel. In fact, she seemed excited to see the Potions Master before her. "Well, well…the one and only Severus Snape standing before me. So tell me: what do you think of one Aurora Warrington having two animagus'? Surely one of them must be unregistered with the ministry if she's to have a form that rare." Rita smiled devilishly.

"Excuse you…?" Aurora exclaimed, her face falling slightly. "Unregistered?!"

Severus held his hand up. "Ms. Skeeter…"

"Rita," she said annoyingly.

"Rita," Severus copied. "Whatever it is you are trying to obtain, I would let it be. Obviously Ms. Warrington doesn't want to have an association with you nor an article written about her."

"My readers deserve to know!"

"Deserve to know what, Rita?" Aurora asked. "There's nothing special about me. I just happen to have two animagus forms, and yes, one of those is a dragon. So what?"

"Hmph," Rita scoffed, grabbing her infamous quill midair. "My readers deserve to know," she stated once more.

"Well I do not consent to this," Aurora commented, her lips pressed into a firm line.

Glancing back at her photographer, Rita smiled, brushing the end of her long quit against Aurora's arm. "That's ok, I think I've…got everything I need." And then she and the photographer were gone, leaving behind the end of the corridor.

Waiting until they were gone, Aurora sighed. She then pressed her forehead into Severus' chest. "Thank you," she mumbled. "That woman has been bugging me nonstop all week."

Checking around him to ensure there were no students or faculty, Severus wrapped his arms around the woman, rubbing his hands up and down her back. Kissing the top of her head, Severus said, "I'm sorry you've been bombarded like that. Why haven't you said something sooner?"

"I didn't think it would become a problem like this, to be honest."

"Well…she's gone and hopefully she won't bother you about your animagus form again, so let's - "

SNAP.

Both witch and wizard tensed, their gazes falling towards one another. Slowly, they turned towards the end of the hallway to find both Rita and her photographer smiling brightly, a small puff of smoke surrounding the camera. Instinctively, Severus grasped Aurora's arm and pulled her behind him to protect her from any further pictures to be taken.

"Now, I've definitely got what I needed," Rita commented slyly as she whisked the quill across her face.

"Mr. Skeeter I'm only going to say this once, but leave my wife alone!"

Rita and the photographer starred at one another before they both gleamed at the couple. "Hmm, wife, you say? Now that's news my readers will want to here."

~ oOo ~

The article was released a week later.

At first, Aurora hadn't known anything. As she bustled her way into the Great Hall for lunch one afternoon, the whispers were upon her.

"She's here!"

"There's no way she married him, is there?"

"How long do you think they've been together?"

As she passed by the tables towards the staffing table, the murmurs grew louder as the students watched her go by. Their heads lifting from their meal to watch her. Seemingly unaware, Aurora was one of the last staff members to reach the table for lunch, having claimed her seat next to Severus as she always had.

"And she's sitting next to him!"

"They have to be married!"

"It just…there's no way!"

As she grabbed her plate, she began constructing her sandwich, the typical lunch she had every day. As she mixed mayo and mustard together, Aurora couldn't withstand the whispering any longer. Turning towards her husband, she asked, "What are they murmuring about?" Severus simply shrugged, still focused on eating his own lunch.

As best she could, Aurora ignored the stares and whispers. By the rime the bell rang signifying the next class was about to begin, Aurora cleaned up her area, waved goodbye to the rest of the staff, then slowly made her way down into the dungeons where she was bombarded by the students who were to be in her next class.

"Ms. Warrington, Ms. Warrington!"

"Yes Ms. Bones?"

"Is it true?"

She was slow to answer. "Is what true?" By now, they were nearing their Potions classroom and as Aurora neared her desk, she was surprised to find a copy of the Daily Prophet that was released just that morning. Pushing it aside, she gathered her chalk to write more notes on the board.

The student claimed her seat, and by that time, nearly all of her class were in their seats. When she turned to address the student, who had now gone quiet, she was surprised to find that all of her students held a copy of the Prophet within their hands.

"What is going on here? Place those down and turn to page two-fifty in your textbooks."

"But we need to know!" Another student asked.

Groaning, Aurora dropped her chalk. "Know what? Is there something going on that I'm not aware of?"

"Have you read the Prophet today Ms. Warrington? You're in it!" Ms. Bones exclaimed.

"I…what?" Turning towards her desk, she grabbed her copy of the newspaper. "What page?"

"Seven!" The entire class answered. Slowly blinking, Aurora shook her head, what exactly why she was in the paper. And then it hit her like a wall of bricks.

Rita Skeeter.

Quickly fumbling through the newspaper she found the correct page and was immediately shown a moving picture of her and Severus. It was the moment he had kissed the top of her head to him grasping her arm to pull her behind him. Covering her mouth, Aurora was afraid to read the article but dared to in that moment.

Hogwarts Potions Master May Have Found His Potions Mistress, read the title of the article.

In light of the Triwizard Tournament, it seems love is in the air. One Severus Snape, Potions Master for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the last thirteen years, seems to have found his long lost partner in life. Ms. Aurora-Nyx Helen Warrington, currently the professor for Muggle Appreciation and Medicinal Potions for the last three years, has seemed to claim his icy heart. What initially drew me to Ms. Warrington was her fascinating ability to have two animagus forms - one being the rarest of them all. That of the dragon!

Now, as exciting as that seems, the romance between Aurora Warrington and Severus Snape seems to have escalated without anyone's knowing. It would seem the two have been wedded in holy matrimony. Non of my sources can confirm how long this marriage has been intact, but judging by the way they appear in the photo, they have been together for some time.

The article continues from their, but Aurora scoffed, throwing the newspaper upon her desk. She was livid that Rita had the audacity to publish such private information.

Oh no, she thought. What if Severus hasn't seen this yet? Aurora merely shook her head. If her students in this class now knew, then that explains the whispers during lunch. Looking across of at her class, she dared to ask, "You want the truth…?"

"Yes!" They all screamed.

Sighing, Aurora lifted her left hand and waved over it, casting off the magic that hid her ring from all others. Raising to display the ring to her class, the females erupted into cheers whilst the boys groaned. "It's true," she said. "I am indeed married to Professor Snape." It was then she was bombarded with questions asking about the wedding, how long they had been together, and so many more. Waving her hands to silence the class, Aurora then said, "Oh no. I have answered your questions, so now we will begin our work. So put the newspaper down and turn to page two-fifty."

Thankfully, she was able to control her class during the rest of the period. There were no more questions regarding her marriage to Severus and she was very, very grateful the students seemed to understand that subject was closed. However, since she had two more periods after this while Severus had three, she waited for him in their chambers, anxiously walking back and forth in the kitchen for his arrival. When he did finally walk through the portrait, she was all over him.

"Have you seen? Have you actually seen it?!"

Severus groaned loudly as he dropped a stack of parchment onto his desk. "If you're talking about the Prophet, I couldn't get my students to focus on their assignments for nothing because of it. I was bombarded by questions before, during and after class."

"I mean…the cat's out of the bag now, isn't it? The entire school knows we're married!" Aurora was exasperated, breathing hard as she was that pissed off. "I mean, I don't care if the entire school knows, but there is one person I'm terrified to discover this!"

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Severus had the woman look directly into his obsidian eyes. "Listen to me; we've been over this Aurora. Whatever happens, we will get through it together, regardless of the consequences."

"I believe you Sev, trust me, I do. But…but what if…!"

Pulling the woman into his chest, he held her as he had done on so many other occasions. "I've said this before and I'll say it again: I will protect you." Guiding her several steps away, the Potions Master leaned down to her height. "Till death do us part, right?"

The woman sniffled, her growing fear causing tears to form on the edge of her eyes. "Those weren't part of our nuptials…"

"No, but I still consider it when I think back to our wedding. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will keep me away from you. Not Lucius, not Voldemort, not even Rita and her atrocious articles."

It was that moment, they could hear Sapphire yelping in the hall. As the portrait opened for her, she sought Aurora and landed on her raised arm. Aurora, grasping the letter from the dragon's beak, set the creature down upon the back of the couch. Curiously, she stared upwards at Severus, wondering who it was from, and as she flipped the envelope over, she realized it was from the one person she feared the most.

"…it's from Lucius," she muttered, scared to the core.

~ oOo ~

DragonGoddess629