Aurora pensively sat across from her parents at the dining room table. She could not understand why they have summoned her to their château. The date was July 5th, and as far as Aurora could recall, it wasn't anyone's birthday, nor was it a holiday. What was so urgent that she needed to be here? Her parents rarely called on her.

"Ma chérie, what is wrong? You have hardly touched your plate."

"Rein du tout, mère."[1] Aurora stated flatly. "I'm just confused, that is all." She looked up from her plate, eyeing both her parents.

"Confused about what, mon ange?" Emmanuel asked, setting down his fork.

"To be frank, I do not understand why I have been summoned here."

"Well, we wished to see you, of course! Nous manquons notre enfant chéri."[2] Ophelia smiled adoringly at her daughter.

Aurora resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She honestly did not understand her parents, but then again how could she? Despite the fact that Emmanuel and Ophelia were the people who had brought her into this world, Aurora felt as if they were nothing more than mere acquaintances. Her parents rarely visited her in America; they only made one appearance on her birthday or on a holiday, but never both in the same year. Aurora had also spent many summers at the châteaux but Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier were never present; they were always off on some lavish trip, leaving her and her brothers with the governess.

Why have children at all when you can't be bothered with them? Aurora asked herself bitterly. It's not like I was much trouble growing up anyway! I learned to stay out of everyone's way. Aurora closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, for she could feel her ire beginning to rise. She had always repressed her resentment toward her parents, but now it was getting harder to control.

"I received an owl from Celeste the other day." Her mother announced, pulling Aurora from her thoughts.

"Oh?"

"Yes, she wrote about all sorts of interesting things.

So that is what all of this is about. "What kind of things?" Aurora asked, even though she knew exactly what her mother was implying.

"It seems that a certain young man has taken some interest in you."

"I would hardly called it that, mère." Aurora stated warily.

"Que feriez vous appeler?"[3] Ophelia questioned attentively.

"Amitié."[4]

"Il ne semble pas que pour nous."[5] Emmanuel stated brusquely.

"Je suis désolé, mon père, mais je ne sais pas quoi vous dire."[6] Aurora was beginning to get irritated. What is with these two?

"Nous dire quand vous prévoyez vous marier!"[7]

Aurora gasped at the bluntness of her father's words. "What is the rush? I don't see a need for me to marry now."

"You don't, but I do, ma chérie, I am getting old. It will bring me some peace to see you wed to a good man, and soon."

"Many young suitors have, come to ask for your hand, but we turned away every single one of them, since it appears that you have taken interest in Lucius and Narcissa's son. Your father and I think that you and Master Malfoy should officially start courting. People are beginning to talk." Ophelia gave her daughter a knowing look.

Aurora was aghast, her parents didn't seem to care for her happiness at all; the only thing they seemed to care about was their own comfort and good name. Marry? For what? For the sake of them protecting their reputation? Aurora bit the inside of her cheek to keep from lashing out at them.

"I'll give it some consideration." She said through her teeth and rose from her seat. "Mother, Father, it's always a pleasure to see you. Do forgive my early departure, but I have much to do. I hope to see you at my graduation ceremony."

Emmanuel and Ophelia didn't even bat an eye when Aurora left. They continued with their meal.

Aurora was pacing back and forth in her apartment like an agitated lioness.

How dare they?! They have been absent for the past 20 years of my life and now they feel as if they are entitled to get involved!

The words of her parents kept on echoing in her mind, and the more she thought about what they had said, the angrier she got. Aurora kept on thinking about it until she passed the point of anger and entered into a boiling rage.

Just who the hell do these people think they are!?

She continued to circle her apartment until she heard a BANG! Followed by a popping noise.

Aurora looked down to see that her fist had made contact with the drywall. She looked between her fist and the now slightly dented wall utterly horrified; never in her life had she acted so violently. Aurora had a reputation of always being so well composed, even when she was angry. She didn't know she could even make a fist until now.

"Oh my God! Look what they've done to me! They turned me into a barbarian!"

She pulled out her wand, repaired the damage she inflicted on the wall, and moved to the couch to examine her injured hand. It was beginning to swell and the pain had extended from the tips of her fingers to her wrist. Aurora new a few basic healing spells, but she wasn't sure if they'd be enough to undo the damage. She pointed her wand above her wrist and the swelling halted and began to go down, the only question that remained was how long the spell would last.

Aurora woke the next morning from an excruciating pain emanating from her hand. The swelling was back with a vengeance, her hand was all sorts of colors: green, yellow, blue, purple even a little red.

"I think I broke something." She said humorlessly.

Aurora rose from her bed and with her good hand grabbed her wand to summon some parchment and a quill. She would write to the only person she knew who could remedy the situation: Draco.

Draco was having tea with his mother in the garden when he saw Aurora's owl, Socrates, appear.

"Socrates?" Draco asked as the owl cocked his head to the side.

"Do you recognize this owl, dear?" Narcissa asked ask she took a long sip from her tea.

"Yes, it's Socrates, Aurora's owl." Draco took the envelope from the owl and read what it contained.

Narcissa watched her son's expression change as he read the letter; he had gone from being confused to concerned in under 30 seconds.

"Forgive me, Mother, but I must cancel our plans."

"Is everything alright?"

"It's Aurora, she broke her hand."

Narcissa gasped. "How?"

Draco looked back to the letter, even checking the back to make sure he didn't miss anything. "It doesn't say."

Aurora was sitting at the kitchen table, struggling with her breakfast when she heard a wrap at her door. She quickly jumped up to answer and found Draco and a very regal-looking Narcissa at the door. Immediately Aurora drew her robe closed to cover her cupcake printed pajamas.

"Hello Draco, thank you for coming." Aurora turned to Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy! What a surprise. Please forgive my ghastly appearance."

"Nonsense! Your hand is broken, we can't expect you to be able to dress yourself with a broken hand."

Aurora smiled sheepishly and stepped aside to allow her guests to enter. Draco immediately walked towards the kitchen and motioned for Aurora to follow him.

"Okay, now which hand did you break?" Draco asked once they were seated at the table.

"My right hand."

"Let me see."

Aurora held up her swollen hand.

"Oh my!" Narcissa gasped.

"And how did you manage this?" Draco asked, completely baffled by how such a tiny creature like Aurora could inflict such damage on herself.

"Forgive me, but I'd rather not say." Aurora was already embarrassed that she had to call him all the way here and his mother came with him, no less, oh God they probably had plans and she interrupted them. Also she was in such an indecent state, she could have at least tried to get dressed instead of strutting about in her pajamas; Narcissa probably thinks she has gone mad!

I will forever be known as 'broken-handed pajama girl'. Aurora thought to herself.

Draco took her hand and gently placed it flat on the table and held his wand over it.

"I'm warning you, you are going to feel a lot of pressure and it's going to be unpleasant."

Aurora's eyes went wide with fear; her hand already felt like it was on fire and now he's telling her it was going to get worse?!

"Draco! Don't tell her that! You're scaring the poor girl." Narcissa reprimanded her son.

"Mother, please, what did we discuss before we left the manor?"

"Alright, fine, I will not intervene with your work." Narcissa put her hands up in surrender. "Aurora dear, if you don't mind I will relocate myself to the living room, seeing as how my son no longer welcomes my presence."

"Oh not at all Mrs. Malfoy, please make yourself at home."

"Are you ready?" Draco asked.

Aurora nodded.

"Okay take a deep breath in-"

Aurora did as she was told.

"Reparatione phalanges."

Instantly Aurora felt the bones snap in place, leaving behind shooting pains in her hand.

"Breath out." Draco said while still fixated on his "patient"; the bones were back in place now all he had to do was do away with the inflammation. He looked up at Aurora and saw that she was completely red in the face and beads of sweat where forming on her forehead. Mending bones wasn't particularly a hard procedure to carry out, however, it was undoubtedly painful for the patient.

"Okay, just bear with me, the bonds have been repaired now I just have to make the swelling go down. Take one deep breath in."

Aurora nodded and drew in as much air as she possibly could into her lungs.

"Minuere inflammatio."

The shooting pains that she was feeling vanished and were replaced with a burning pain, it felt as if her hand was being flattened. Aurora looked down and saw that the swelling was gone but the bruises were not.

"It's normal for bruises to be left behind after an injury like this." Draco stated, reading the puzzled look on her face. "Your hand will be sore for the rest of the day but it should be as good as new by tomorrow."

Aurora opened and closed her hand and wiggled her fingers about, testing Draco's handy work.

"Thank you. I apologize for dragging you all the way here."

"It was no trouble at all. You are by far one of the best patients I've ever had!" Draco mused playfully. "However, please try to refrain from injuring yourself. You gave mother a bit of a fright."

"Really?" Aurora was actually touched by Narcissa's concern, as not even her own mother showed that much concern for her. She recalled one summer when she was five where she had taken ill and called for her mother, but instead of coming to her side to comfort her, she sent the governess instead. Apparently her Ophelia was busy preparing for another trip and couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters.

Draco noticed Aurora's grim expression. "Are you alright?"

Aurora looked up at him. "Yes I'm fine, I'm just a bit tired."

Draco decided to drop the subject. "Well anyway, if you feel that there's anything amiss with your hand don't hesitate to write me."

Aurora nodded and made her way to the living room to find Narcissa elegantly sitting on the couch reading one of her books.

Narcissa looked up at Aurora and smiled. "Ich wusste nicht, dass du auch in deutscher Sparche bewandert."[8]

Aurora looked down at the book that Narcissa was currently occupying her time with, Die fröhliche Wissenschaft by Friedrich Nietzsche. Aurora was currently reading Nietzsche's works in its original German.

"Natürlich gnädige Frau, ich habe eine Begabung für Sprachen."[9] Aurora smiled brightly.

"A trait that I find to be appropriate for a young lady."

"Mrs. Malfoy-"

"How many times must I tell you dear? Address me as Narcissa, there is no need for formalities."

"-Narcissa would you like to join me for tea? I understand that you and Draco had plans and I interrupted them, and I feel awful. I know a quaint little tea house not too far from here and I would love it if you would join me."

Narcissa took a moment to think and graciously accepted Aurora's invitation. Under ordinary circumstances she would have declined, as Narcissa was not one for public outings. In fact, she preferred to spend her time at the manor rather than anywhere else, but for Aurora she would make an exception.

"Splendid! If you will excuse me I must get dressed."

Narcissa nodded and Aurora went up to her room to put on her finest robes; after all, it was not everyday one had the privilege of having tea with Narcissa Malfoy!

Draco walked up to his mother about to announce his departure when she interrupted him.

"You best make a wife of that young lady my dear boy, or I fear that someone else will come and sweep her off her feet."

[1]: "Nothing mother"

[2]: "We miss our darling"

[3]: "What would you call it?"

[4]: "Friendship"

[5]: "It does not appear that way to us"

[6]: "I'm sorry, father, but I do not know what to tell you."

[7]: "Tell us when you plan to get married!"

[8]: "I did not know you were well versed in German"

[9]: "Of course, madam, I have a gift for languages."