Dissindere Temporalis

So here we are again. Much like last chapter, this one wouldn't stop writing itself once I got going.

I was unsure who's perspective I wanted for this chapter. I wrote about 1,000 words from Tom's, then another from Harry's and finally almost 2,000 from Ron's. In the end I realised I wanted one of the new characters, and Aurora was the one who fit.

This chapter represents a jump forward, and a step into a new path of History, even as the old echoes through it.

I hope you all enjoy!

Vita Itineribus

"Life journeys.

On the way, you are influenced by others, helped by others, harmed by others.

Some things happen because you have earned them. And some things happen because cruelty flickers through the dark currents and rises up without warning; causing harm, causing pain, causing tragedies that can devastate one person or an entire village."

- Anne Bishop, "Belladonna"

Aurora had never really thought of herself as the type to have friends.

Sure, she'd grown up alongside Druella and also Tierra, when the Hufflepuff was permitted into the higher echelons of society, but she'd also kept herself a little separate from them too.

Her place would one day be to marry an heir from a powerful family, to bring them power and prestige, to assist with philanthropy and political manoeuvring, and also bring that family heirs, continuing the traditions of their world.

The Selwyns were notorious for not taking a political side, as a collective unit. Sure one or two of them might espouse an idea, but they were always careful that the family itself, the name, was always kept out of the muck.

But one day she would no longer be a Selwyn.

Her family had been negotiating with the Lestrange family since the day she was born, so shortly after Rexton that they'd been swift to suggest an alliance. After that vile list of Nott's came out, naming Selwyn in his 'Sacred Twenty-eight', the negotiations had gotten more serious.

It chafed that no matter how intelligent she was, no matter her skills, or thoughts or abilities, that her family would, by and large, only think of her as a way to create alliances. To continue the good breeding of the Ancient families.

The Lestranges were only interested in her because of her so-called Pure Blood.

She was more than that.

She had grown up with access to the Selwyn library. A vast hall of tomes and grimoires that had so many hidden corners and nooks, as well as secret passages, that no one could stop the voraciously curious girl from reading.

When they thought she was getting her beauty sleep, she was poring over texts.

Dark secrets, dark powers, ancient and deep… they called to her.

In fact it had been the single consolation that at least, if she did have to marry Rexton, that she would be able to access the Lestrange library.

Which was said to be even darker, and more secretive.

Oh she wasn't a fool. She knew the dangers of such power, and knew the terrible consequences of delving too deep.

Or rather the dangers of trying to subvert the balance of magic itself.

It was the only real power she had in her life. Her knowledge, her mind, her magic.

Until she met them.

Until she met Draco.

Draco was a Malfoy, an ancient name as vaunted as Selwyn or Lestrange, but he defied all expectations with a haughty grandeur that Aurora appreciated.

When he looked at her, he didn't see a pretty young woman, delicate and sophisticated. He looked at her, and she knew he saw her as a witch, his classmate, a magical person as powerful and talented as any other.

And there was darkness to him too.

Once or twice when they'd been studying, she'd thrown in a spell as an example that was darker than usual, and not included in the text. She'd done it carefully, casually.

He'd commented on them idly, as part of the lists she'd provided, but not really considering them separately. Just as she'd intended.

Thus she knew they were familiar to him. Familiar enough for his mind to register them as an appropriate part of the discussion.

He knew dark magic, just like her. But he wasn't hungry for power, either.

He wanted freedom.

So did she.

And then there was Hermione, powerful, brilliant, and unafraid to show it.

There was Potter, raw power and potential. What a wizard he could be…

And then there was Tom.

Dark, powerful…

Like a midnight lake.

His power dwarfed hers, but instead of making her resentful, it excited her. It called to her, on a different level. Like calling to like, she supposed.

But all made her magic itch with possibility. With potential.

She wanted to be a part of it. Whatever 'it' would end up being.

She knew they could never settle for being merely mundane.

So a few days after the Year's End Ball, that memorable first year, she'd found her mother in the solar.

"I'm not interested in marrying Lestrange."

Her mother paused, cup of tea lifted halfway to her lips, before slowly it lowered to her saucer once more.

"The match with Lestrange is a powerful one." her voice was low, not angry but definitely with a note of censure in it, "why the change of heart?"

"Heart has nothing to do with it," Aurora manoeuvred around the verbal trap neatly, "My heart was never a factor of this match, as well you know."

"And is it a factor with you not wishing it to go forwards?" her mother asked, dark eyes intent on her face, "You are young, my rose. Young and beautiful, and there will always be men wanting to give you their attention. You must not get distracted by such false gold."

Aurora rolled her eyes delicately, "Mother, do you doubt your training? My heart has nothing to do with not wanting this match either. It is simply that…"

She paused, trying to think of a way to word it.

"Lestrange is weak," she decided to be blunt for once, "Oh he has his family's gold, its connections, its clout, but he is weak, personally. He's nowhere near the top of the grades, he is mediocre at spell casting. He is simply a thoroughly boring Wizard, with good blood and little else to recommend him."

Her mother blinked, "Interesting. But he does have money, connections and a family with high social status. Unlike your… less than grand… 'friends'."

The pause before 'friends' told her everything about her mother's opinion of them.

"I think they represent a change," She rebutted, "Riddle is powerful, and he's… he's going to do great things. I truly believe that."

She'd heard Bash remark that comment, that Riddle was going to change the world, and she had agreed.

Her mother looked unimpressed, "So you wish a match with this… Riddle?"

Aurora sighed, "I don't want a match. Not yet. Give me a few years, see for yourself."

Her mother considered the request, her face impassive as she gazed at her daughter.

"Very well Aurora. But if I am not assured of this…potential, before you leave school. You will marry my choice of spouse. Agreed?"

"You will be fair?" Aurora swiftly retorted, mind looking for loopholes, "You will actually look into their potential?"

Her mother paused, and something flickered over her face, "You should have been born a boy. What a heir you would have made, what Selwyns the next generation would have been."

Aurora tilted her chin, "I like myself as I am."

A chuckle and Pandora Selwyn extended her hand to her daughter, "We have an accord. This should prove interesting."

Three years later and Aurora woke up in the big squashy mattress that Draco had conjured, his blond hair tickling her cheek as Kel's soft, even breaths came from behind her.

Slowly she sat up, taking in the sight of the young men and women fast asleep around her, her friends, her future…

They looked so young, so innocent.

How was it fair that they had to fight to change the world? They were just children… it was the adults job to create and build a world they could live in, so that they too could take it over and improve it for the next generation.

How was it fair?

But then no one was asking them to do it.

Surely they should be able to be… to simply be.

However she knew what 'simply being', meant.

It meant that one day she'd be Aurora Lestrange.

She didn't want that.

And she knew that her friends would never settle for simple mediocrity. Not now they'd found each other, gotten a taste for excellence. Not now she knew the feeling of pushing and being pushed by others to get better and better. How could she ever be content with simply being, when being exceptional was on offer.

More and more, Draco and the others were opening her eyes to the possibilities, the true potential...

And Black had almost taken it away, with her stupidity. How could you look at Tom and discount him, simply because he didn't have an Ancient name. How could you experience his power and control and intelligence, and not think that here was a man worthy of being followed?

When she got her hands on Black…

A noise at the door startled her, and she looked around to see it swing slowly open to reveal Harry, looking pale and utterly exhausted, firmly holding Tierra's hand as they came through the door.

The Hufflepuff looked utterly wrecked, with red rimmed eyes, dishevelled hair, and a haunted look about her.

Both of them looked like they'd had a terrible night.

As Harry shut the door behind them, the others stirred around her, a chorus of relieved voices calling both their names, and the pair joined them all on the bed, the group forming a loose circle.

"Tom's okay…" Harry's voice was quiet, but they all let out sighs of relief at his words. Aurora felt almost lightheaded with it, and she could see that the sentiment was shared among the group. "It was dark magic, a curse. But the Nurse and Professor Merrythought recognised it…"

"It was a nerve burning curse." Tierra's voice was thin, but there was something burning in her gaze, "And then they locked him into his body with the 'living coffin' curse too. He was aware of everything, every second of agony and he couldn't-"

Her voice hitched, and Abraxas, the closest to her, curled an arm around her shoulders, rubbing her arm gently.

"Do they know who it was?" Draco asked, voice carefully measured, and when she glanced at him she saw his gaze was on Harry's.

"No." Harry's voice was quiet, "Dumbledore suggested that him being cursed was a distraction, that the threat of Grindelwald attacking was worse. Dippet agreed. Professor Merrythought nearly hexed them both."

"It has to be Black!" Ross hissed, and Aurora nodded, as did a number of the others, "He embarrasses her and then suddenly he gets cursed?"

"There's no evidence-"

"Bollocks to that!" Weasley burst out, and she'd never agreed with him more in her life, "We know! We know it's her!"

"We don't know." Abraxas began and Aurora had had enough.

"Even if she didn't cast the curse, it would have been on her orders!" she snarled, "We need to teach her a lesson."

"We went through this, vengeance will only-"

"We can't let her-"

"Tom deserves-"

"-expelled if we're not careful."

Everyone's voices meshed over everyone else's, filling the room with arguing.

"ENOUGH!"

Harry's shout was louder, and there was a note in it that made every single one of them stop. Aurora ran her eyes over the group, seeing a mixture of expressions on their faces, that ranged from worry to anger…though thankfully not directed at Harry.

The green eyed boy sighed, and leaned forward.

"We don't know. We suspect it's Walburga but we don't-"

"It was her."

Aurora blinked, surprised at the interruption, and swivelled slightly to look at the speaker. Kel's voice was quiet, but steady, even as her knees came up protectively to her chest.

She looked deeply uncomfortable to be the centre of attention but she met their gazes steadily.

"Kel-" Victoria's voice held a note, a warning or cautionary note, and Aurora observed that whatever Kel was going to reveal, it was something that Victoria already knew. Furthermore, it was something that Victoria was worried about.

The blonde bit her lip, shaking her head at her concerned friend.

"It was her."

"How can you be so sure?" Harry asked, keeping his voice steady.

Kel's mouth opened, but nothing came out for a moment, "I… I saw."

"You were in Ravenclaw tower with us…" Draco frowned for a moment before stilling, and at the same moment Aurora felt realisation hit her too, "You.. you Saw it."

Seers were rare, and so widely varied that it was almost impossible sometimes to differentiate the scammers from the gifted. Very, very few had control of their visions, able to summon them at will, others could summon them, but at great personal cost. Others had no knowledge or recollection of their visions at all. Some just had 'feelings'... instincts. Some had to be triggered, by taste or touch.

It was a mysterious and unknown area of magic, and one that wasn't overly studied. Most scholars accepted it as a talent, but due to the ephemeral nature of the predictions… it remained mysterious.

Kel nodded slowly, biting her lip again.

"It was her."

Clearly Hale didn't want to talk about her gift. She looked so uncomfortable, and smaller somehow, like she was afraid. Best to act like it was nothing.

"So it was Black." Aurora drew attention back to herself, and once their eyes were all on her she gave them all her best cold grin, "I vote we thrash her."

"Aurora," Draco sighed softly, exasperated, "We've been through this."

"You say we can't get revenge," Aurora huffed at him, "I don't see why not. Look what she did, look what she did to Tom. Merlin, look at Harry and Tierra!" she pointed at the pair who blinked at her like over-exhausted owls, "It wasn't just Tom they attacked, it was us!"

"She's right," Ron backed her up immediately, "Tom may have been the target but he's one of us. He was the one they wanted to make a statement with, but we'd be fools to think it wasn't directed at all of us."

"What happened to 'hearing a fart'?" Hermione swiftly rejoined, "We can't stoop to their level!"

"That was Moody! Moody is a fart!" Ross leapt to his fellow Gryffindor's defence, "Black isn't a fart, Black was a declaration!"

"So what?" Druella joined the fray now, "We get her back, tit for tat and then what happens? She attacks again, and it goes on and on and on! Nothing resolved…"

"So we let her get away with it? Give her the victory?" Bash growled at his twin, "In the eyes of Slytherin it will look like she won, it will diminish all of us."

"I'm not letting her make us look weak!" Aurora declared, and saw a number of heads around the circle nod, "We are not to be messed with!"

"You all have good points,"

Tierra's voice was quiet, but, much like Harry's, it drew all their gazes, and all their attention.

Their Hufflepuff looked utterly exhausted, but her gaze met theirs fearlessly.

"We can't let Black win." She declared, "We can't simply let this slide. This wasn't some schoolyard prank, tripping someone up on the way to Potions, or making them shit themselves." Aurora saw Bash's lips curve up out of the corner of her eye, "They hurt Tom. Worse than that, they attacked him when he was sleeping, and they almost killed him."

She shifted, and when she spoke again, her voice was a little rougher, "They wouldn't have cared if they did. To them he's less than them, worth less. And so are we. If we let this go, who's to say they won't one day kill one of us… I won't let them hurt Tom, hurt any of you, again." Her face was determined, even as her lip wobbled a little, "So… we have to make a statement."

The look that Hermione, Harry, Draco and Ron shared was so quick the others wouldn't have noticed, but Aurora did.

It wasn't the first time either, the four often shared looks, like they had secrets only the four of them knew. A bond that the others didn't share. Normally it was minor, but this time… there was something.

They knew something. Or thought about something.

Something they didn't want to share.

And this time Aurora wasn't willing to let it slide.

So when everyone started talking and thinking about plans, spreading out over the room, she immediately grabbed Draco's arm and yanked him to the side.

"What was that look?"

"What look?" Draco gave her his best haughty glance.

"That look that you gave Harry, Ron and Hermione." she pointed her finger at his nose, when he opened his mouth, "Don't deny it, I will Hex you."

"Aurora…"

"No!" she hissed, completely done with all of this, "I know that look, it's a look that means you all know something. So tell me!"

"Aurora," It wasn't Draco's voice now, but Harry's, and he sounded tired, "Come on,"

She turned to look at him, at him, and at Ron and Hermione flanking him, and knew even more firmly that something was going on, "No. You four know something. Something you're not telling us, and I…" she put her hands on her hips to stop them shaking, "How can I trust you if you're manipulating us…"

"We're not manipulating-" Harry sighed, running his hands through his abominable black hair. After the night he'd had it looked rather more like a bloody bird's nest than usual, "Okay, listen, it's just a thought we've had. It might be nothing…"

"Tell me." she insisted, stubbornly, and then looking over their shoulders at the rest of the frightened, tired, determined children talking together, "Tell us."

"Is it about Tom's name?"

Someone needed to put a bell on that girl.

All of them turned to take in Tierra, who blinked at them all with that abominable innocence. Bloody Hufflepuffs.

"His name?" Harry blinked at her,

"The nurse said it earlier in the Hospital wing. I'd never heard it all before." Tierra shuffled slightly, "Tom Marvolo Riddle. Marvolo… is familiar."

Aurora turned to face her fully, sufficiently diverted, "Marvolo? That isn't a common name… certainly doesn't sound Muggle, does it?"

Harry gave a weak laugh, "We have actually wondered… if there was some connection that Tom didn't know about. He's never mentioned family. But he.. Doesn't seem to believe he's Muggleborn. Just doesn't argue against it because… well… What does it matter? His merit should be his own."

"Marvolo…" Aurora murmured again, frowning slightly, testing the word on her tongue, "You said it's familiar, Tierra?"

The Hufflepuff nodded as Ron sighed gustily, "Look this is interesting but it doesn't solve our problem… Black."

Aurora, however, was staring at the Hufflepuff.

At her sweet, clueless face.

A thought was growing, in the back of her head, like ruthless puzzle pieces falling together.

"I have to go," she said weakly, turning towards the door, "I'll be back later."

"Aurora," Hermione's voice sounded worried as she called after her, but Aurora wasn't stopping now. She had an idea.

She needed the Library.

She was right.

Aurora stared down at the book before her, and it felt like there were bells ringing in her ears, alarm and excitement and worry all mixed into one.

Before her was the solution, and a problem, all on its own. And honestly she wasn't sure how to proceed now that she'd solved the mystery itching in her head.

So she sat, and continued to stare at the book.

"Hey."

She looked up sharply and blinked at the sight of Abraxas, who looked concerned as he took a seat opposite her, "You took off pretty quickly."

"I… needed a shower and to look something up."

He cocked his head at her, those pale blue eyes considering. He looked so similar to Draco, and yet the two were so different. Draco was cunning, almost conniving. Abraxas was more… straightforward. Neither were leaders, not like Harry or Tom. They lacked that ineffable quality that the two other boys possessed. But Draco did have something, some confidence that Abraxas lacked. Not a leader of nations, but a leader of something… at least.

Abraxas was a follower through and through.

She'd known him her whole life, had grown up alongside him and Rexton and the twins and so many others. But Abraxas was a kinder soul than most. Or rather he was more open than the others.

He longed for a purpose, for direction. And he'd found it in Draco, and Tom.

Abraxas considered her and then looked down at the book laying open before her, "What is it?"

For a moment she hesitated, unsure if she should share the information burning in her brain. But then she thought of the others, and the phrase Hermione had often said. 'A problem shared was a problem halved'.

Slowly Aurora rotated the tome, facing it towards him.

"The House of Gaunt." Abraxas mused thoughtfully, "They're one of those hard-line families, like the Blacks and the Lestranges… marry their siblings and cousins."

"Tom's middle name… is Marvolo." Aurora watched his face, as his eyes followed where her finger was pointed, to a name.

His face paled.

"Marvolo Gaunt."

"Gaunt names are always distinctive," she breathed, "They aren't big on repeating them. Unless it's in a middle name."

Abraxas looked up at her, and he looked as stunned as she felt, "You think, Tom is a Gaunt?"

"Have you ever heard of that name before? Most families repeat them constantly, stars and latin and all the rest." Aurora tapped the old parchment page, "I'd never heard of the name before."

"What made you look here?" Abraxas shook his head, "It's… it's almost unbelievable. No wonder he-"

Aurora smacked him over the head sharply.

"Ow!" he yelped and then ducked as the Librarian glared in their direction, "What the hell?"

"You start thinking like that, and we're done." Aurora hissed, "Tom isn't powerful because he's a Gaunt. Who was the last really stand out Gaunt? They were centuries ago…if that. The family has been in the decline for decades, much like the Blacks and Lestranges, Squibs and madness…"

Abraxas looked abashed, "Sorry I- You're right. Tom's powerful because he's Tom."

"Riddle is a muggle name." Aurora traced one of the lines under 'Marvolo Gaunt', "Marvolo had a daughter… Merope. The magical registry says she died on 31 December, 1926."

What little colour Abraxas had left, fled.

They had found out Tom's birthday last year, after much pestering and hounding and had made sure to spoil him for the two birthdays they had missed prior. He'd been exasperated with them all, but also quietly pleased.

31 December.

And he'd been born in 1926.

It was too coincidental.

"He's descended from the Gaunts," Abraxas looked stumped, "THE pureblood family. Descended from Slytherin himself…"

"A Half Blood." Aurora mused, "The first and only in that Family I would say. And their first and only truly powerful wizard in generations. Kind of proves Harry's theory doesn't it."

"If Black knew…"

"What, she'd suddenly respect him for his Slytherin blood?" Draco's voice was sharp above them, and they jumped, looking up at him guiltily. The blond frowned down at them, his ice grey eyes stormy, "They'd give him the respect his skills deserve?" he scoffed, "It's not true respect then, is it?"

"Draco," Abraxas looked up at his cousin anxiously, "He's practically wizarding royalty…"

"He's more than the Heir of fucking Slytherin," Draco hissed, and his language made Aurora gasp. She'd never seen Draco this heated, "He's Tom! And if you try and turn him into some… pure-blood maniac…"

This was spiralling, his voice was raising and students were starting to look up, so Aurora pinched him.

Hard.

"Ow!" he yelped and then sheepishly winced as the Librarian SHUSH'ed him, "Okay… fair enough." he took a seat at the table, and nudged her gently. She nudged him back, feeling especially fond of him, "So what are you thinking?"

"He deserves to know who he is," Aurora murmured, "Worthiness or no, that's his history. It's where he comes from. He will always wonder. And we'd be poor friends to keep it from him."

Draco winced, "And if he decides to buy into the whole… he's powerful only because of his blood, schtick?"

"Then we bring him back to reality," Aurora waved her wand, "Or let Kara do it."

Abraxas winced, remembering the redhead's accusations the night before, "Yeah Kara can do it."

Draco smirked faintly and sighed, "I suppose… I can't hold him back out of fear."

Aurora rested her cheek on his shoulder and felt him smile above her, "You're looking at it the wrong way Draco."

"Oh?" he turned his head and she caught sight of the corner of his mouth, quirked up, "How so?"

Aurora smirked.

"Imagine. The Heir of Slytherin, the founder of pureblood rhetoric, destroying it for good. Poetic isn't it?"

They returned to the Undercroft not long after, and Aurora felt keen relief upon seeing Tom sitting with the others.

He was pale, quieter than usual, but he was there, out of the Hospital Wing.

Although, eying him, she rather thought he was there so as to show Black and her cohorts that they hadn't hurt him as much as they had. He probably had needed a few more days in bed.

Typical that he should refuse, bloody fool.

And in a way, it was a relief.

It meant they had to talk about this now.

It meant that Draco and Abraxas couldn't angst their way out of it.

She clutched the tome closer to her chest and moved to join everyone else.

The mattress and coverlet had been replaced by large squashy armchairs that had a gross floral pattern that could only be Hermione's, set in a circle around a brazier that gave off warmth but likely wouldn't burn.

All of their friends watched them approach, with welcome or concern on their faces. And Aurora knew she had the Malfoy's flanking her.

"Aurora," Harry was looking at her warily, "You guys alright?"

She nodded, and turned towards Tom.

"Good to see you Riddle, you look less ghastly than I imagined."

Someone snickered and someone else made a faint noise that could be construed as a whimper.

Tom meanwhile simply arched an eyebrow at her, as used to their usual acerbic banter as she was, "Suppose I should be grateful no one left me in your tender care Selwyn."

She bared her teeth at him, and saw his mouth curve into one of those rare, honest grins, before his face sobered again.

"What've you got there?" Hermione asked softly, nodding at the book in her arms, curiosity obvious, "An idea?"

"Information." Aurora hesitated for a moment and took comfort as Abraxas gently squeezed her shoulder, "Tom. Do you know anything about your family? Anything at all?"

Tom blinked at her, but more interestingly, beside him, Hermione's eyes widened.

Interesting, Aurora thought, sharp mind whisking through it all, Hermione had already thought of this. Or wondered…

Now why hadn't she brought it up before?

"Nothing much," He answered softly, "Just that my mother died giving birth to me… said I should be named Tom after my father…and Marvolo after her father." He wrinkled his nose, "One name was so common as to be almost insulting, and the other-" he paused, taking in all the faces watching him, fascinated as they'd never heard much about his past before. He'd mentioned an Orphanage once, almost casually like he hadn't even realised he'd said it, but that had been the most they'd ever heard.

Other than the fact his childhood hadn't been a happy one.

"Why do you ask?" he turned back to her, and there was something hard in his gaze, something defensive. Tom didn't like being made to think of weakness, or a time when he'd felt weak, and he didn't thank her now for bringing it up.

Hopefully he'd be more understanding once he heard her reasons.

"I hadn't heard your middle name, not until today." Aurora said softly, nerves gripping her as she tightened her hold on the tome, "Marvolo, isn't a common name Tom. And… it was familiar to Tierra."

All eyes flicked towards the Hufflepuff, who blinked, and then they turned back to her.

"I went to the Library, and I found this."

Gently she laid the book in his lap and pointed at Marvolo Gaunt, at the daughter Merope who had died on the same day of his birth, and then slowly trailed it back up the page to the top where it read: Salazar Slytherin.

Tom's eyes were wide, but his face was impassive as his gaze roved the page.

"I see," he said quietly, too quietly.

Alarm began zinging through Aurora's nerves, instinct warning her of danger. Slowly she moved back, as the dread increased.

It felt like a heavy hand was in the air, pressing down on her, like her breaths were being stolen by her chest, and looking around the circle desperately she saw all of them could feel it too.

Tierra and Harry were clutching their chests, and the others were wincing.

The feeling intensified, feeling a bit like a whirlpool, sucking them deeper and deeper into a darkness that was so dark, so encompassing it almost terrified her.

"Tom!" Kara cried out, but her voice almost seemed lost in the maelstrom. Other voices too but even Aurora could barely hear them. Tom certainly couldn't, sitting in the eye of the storm, untouched, eyes fixed on the page.

Aurora felt her head start to ache, like it was being crushed, and knew that enough was enough.

"Tom!" she screamed, a scream that was silent, bottled in her throat, and when he remained unresponsive she looked around desperately.

Suddenly the storm vanished.

Shocked, Aurora turned back, and saw why.

Harry and Tierra.

Both of them were wrapped around him, in a hug so tight that it was almost impossible to tell who was who. Harry was whispering something, something inaudible, and Tierra's fingers were in Tom's hair, stroking and stroking, and his face was buried in her neck, hidden from them all.

Slowly the rest of the group recovered, and looked around, awkward and unsure, before Hermione stepped forward into the side, and slid her arms through to hug him too, followed by Ron on the other side. Everyone else followed swiftly to wrap the trio up into a giant, many armed group hug.

Aurora was the last, standing with Draco as they gazed at their friends.

But they joined.

As soon as Draco's arms, the final pair, curled around them all, something that felt like sunlight flooded Aurora's body.

It felt like the accidental magic she'd done when she was a child, it felt like every magical promise she'd ever made.

It felt like Magic itself.

And when she drew back, with all of the others, they all looked as shocked as she did.

Tom coughed, turning away to wipe his face, "Sorry I- That was unacceptable."

"Shut up," Harry nudged him gently, "We understand."

Everyone nodded, concerned but also understanding.

Tom had been attacked for his lack of magical blood, had been abandoned by his mother when she died, in an orphanage, unknowing of his true heritage. The last of Slytherin's direct bloodline.

Of course he'd reacted badly.

"Sorry Tom," she murmured, and he turned back to her. He looked so lost that she felt guilt eat at her belly. He'd deserved to know… but she shouldn't have…

She should have waited.

"Don't be sorry," he moved forward and cupped her cheek lightly, bestowing a smile on her that made her chest ache. This was her leader, her salvation from a pointless destiny. She would have followed him anywhere in that moment. Done anything he'd asked.

She smiled back at him weakly, and he winked at her softly before he turned away, sighing, "I don't know what to do…with this."

"I do,"

All of them turned in surprise to look at Ron, the most unlikely source of inspiration in that moment.

Ron shot Draco a crooked grin and waved his wand.

"Serpensortia." he called, and a long green snake burst from his wand, making the Ravenclaws skitter back with yelps.

"Weasley!" Bash yelled, shocked, "What the-"

"Speak to it." Ron challenged Tom, facing him directly, "You can, can't you."

Tom nodded slowly, "I always have." and then he looked down at the confused green snake that was hissing in fear. His mouth opened and soft hissing sounds left it.

"Parseltongue." Abraxas whispered, and there was delight in his eyes, "Slytherin's gift."

"Wow," Victoria breathed, but nearby Ross was pale and shaky.

"Parselmouths are dark wizards…" he began, before subsiding sheepishly as everyone glared, "Sorry."

The snake finished its conversation with Tom and closed its eyes before disintegrating into air before their very eyes.

"What does that prove Weasley?" Bash grumbled, a little green, and she remembered Druella giggling that her brother was afraid of snakes back when they were much younger.

"It proves nothing," Weasley's grin was wicked, with a mischievous look in his blue eyes, "But it makes a statement, doesn't it Aurora?"

Aurora stared at him, appreciation flooding her.

"Indeed it does Weasley," she murmured, a slow wicked grin on her lips.

She imagined Slytherin House watching as Tom Riddle used Parseltongue. She imagined Walburga Black's face.

It would be Victory, without revenge, without endangering each other.

It was beautiful.

She looked at Tom, and saw from the curling smirk on his lips that he had also gotten the idea, as had the others.

"If we're going to do this," Hermione's eyes sparkled with delight, "Let's make it something they'll never forget."

Eagerly the others began to plan, ideas flying as they all became galvanised by the idea.

Aurora watched them, and watched as Tom leaned into Harry, who leaned back into him, propping them both up. She watched as Ross eyed them, warier than before, but soon enough getting into the idea.

She watched Druella coo at a flushed Ron Weasley, praising his idea.

She watched Hermione who was watching Kel, a small frown on her face.

She watched Kara slip off to the side, touching the tome left forgotten on the chair, an expression kind of like heartbreak on her face.

"What are you plotting?" Draco murmured in her ear, and Aurora smirked faintly.

She didn't answer, but she didn't need to. The two of them stayed where they were, watching the group, Draco's shoulder warm against hers.

The world was changing, even now.

And Aurora would have her freedom.

To Be Continued...

Reviews

David12leca - I absolutely loved reading your reviews for each of the chapters so far, and I'm so glad you enjoyed! I hope you continue to do so!

vexinity1227 - My update schedule is higgledy piggledy, but tends to be once or twice a week. Depending on inspiration, or how long said chapter is when I write it out. Sometimes the characters won't shut up.

amk - I hope you enjoyed my friend!

Bakeku67 - Your little snippet did make me laugh. And yes I am sure if Draco had heard about it he would have been super super huffy.