The next morning, Aurora sat in the Great Hall nursing a cup of coffee. The Heads of House had announced early that there would be no classes for the next two days. Several Healers from St. Mungo's had been invited to the school to assist Madam Pomfrey with a comprehensive student check-up. To say the students were surprised by this sudden decision would be an understatement, yet no one questioned it.
Only the four teachers directly involved in the Harry Potter case, along with Madam Pomfrey, who was personally tasked with examining the Boy Who Lived, knew the true reason behind the check-up.
Aurora Moonridge had been on edge since dawn, unable to shake the anxiety that had built steadily through the night. Across the castle, Remus Lupin seemed to be faring no better. They had spent the entire night together in Aurora's quarters, not as a romantic gesture, but as two colleagues weighed down by the same heavy burden. They hadn't done anything of note, simply sat in her drawing room, lost in their own thoughts as the fire flickered and dimmed in the hearth.
Neither of them needed to voice the enormity of the situation; the silence spoke louder than words. The bruises Aurora had glimpsed on Harry's arm, the lingering questions of what might be happening beyond the walls of Hogwarts, and the uncertainty of what their efforts would achieve, it all felt suffocating.
The case weighed heavily on them both, more than either wanted to admit.
Aurora, overwhelmed by the cacophony of chatter, laughter, and the constant clinking of plates in the Great Hall, pushed back her chair and stood up. The chaotic morning atmosphere felt suffocating, and she needed space, her office would do. A sanctuary of quiet where she could collect her thoughts. Without looking back, she headed toward the exit, weaving through the bustling rows of students.
"Aurora!"
The voice stopped her in her tracks, sharp and unmistakable. Her younger sister, Lucrecia.
Aurora sighed, exasperated, her heels digging into the floor as she turned toward the Gryffindor table. Internally, she cursed Lucrecia's impeccable timing. Couldn't she wait until after breakfast? Reluctantly, she crossed the hall and stood by her sister, folding her arms tightly across her chest.
"What's wrong?" she asked curtly, her voice clipped.
Lucrecia, unbothered by her sister's tone, tilted her head and regarded her with a curious expression. "What's with these check-ups?"
Aurora's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained neutral. "I have no idea," she replied smoothly, the lie tumbling out before she could overthink it. "I found out about them myself first thing this morning."
She hoped her words sounded casual enough, even as the truth weighed heavily on her.
Lucrecia's eyes narrowed slightly, as if she was testing Aurora's sincerity, but eventually she gave a slow nod.
"And since when do you eat breakfast?" she asked, her voice lilting with playful suspicion. "You've been here every morning since we got back after the holidays."
Aurora blinked, caught off guard by the observation. Quickly, she scrambled for an answer.
"New diet," she said, the words leaving her mouth before her brain fully processed them.
"Right," Lucrecia said, drawing the word out as if she didn't believe a single syllable. Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "And it has absolutelynothingto do with Professor Lupin, does it? Speaking of which, where is he?"
Aurora stiffened. She kept her face calm, but her mind raced. "And what does Professor Lupin have to do with this? Because I don't think I understand," she said, keeping her tone deliberately neutral.
Lucrecia's smirk widened, and she leaned forward slightly, as if preparing to deliver the punchline to a joke. "Oh, come on, Aurora," she teased. "Everyone knows you like each other. It's so obvious, you can tell from a mile away!"
Aurora's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" she asked, her voice rising slightly in incredulity.
Lucrecia laughed lightly. "Don't act so surprised. You mean to tell me you haven't heard the gossip? Loads of people are saying that you and Lupin are..." she waggled her eyebrows, "...athing."
Aurora's stomach twisted uncomfortably.Gossip? About me and Remus?
Had she missed something entirely?
"Lucrecia, what are you talking about? What don't I know?" Aurora asked, her voice betraying just a hint of unease. The last thing she needed was rumors, especially ones that involved Remus.
Lucrecia grinned, clearly enjoying her sister's discomfort. "Some say they saw you and Lupin, but honestly, I think they made it up. You would never do anything soobviousin plain sight. That's not your style. But I have to admit, Ilovethat theory. Lupin as a brother-in-law? Sounds great. He could help us out with our Potions tests, don't you think? I mean, hewoulddo that, right? He wouldn't say no to his sister-in-law. He's not as rigid as you are."
Aurora's lips pressed into a thin line as her sister's words hit home. She couldn't stop the sharp pang of discomfort that surged through her chest. Her mind flashed to the quiet moments she'd spent with Remus in the last few days—too many to count, really. But they were nothing, right? Just friends. Conversations. Nothing more. She shook the thoughts away.
"Lucrecia Moonridge," Aurora said slowly, putting her hands on her hips with a glare that could melt stone. "Haven't you been spending a bittoomuch time with the Weasley twins lately?" Her eyes narrowed, emphasizing the seriousness of her words. "Besides, whatbrother-in-law? We just talk to each other. That's all."
Lucrecia raised an eyebrow. "You know, conversation isn't just about words, sis. It's aboutlanguage,body language, too. You know, kisses and stuff like that." Her grin deepened, clearly enjoying Aurora's discomfort. "I mean, I don't have to spell it out for you. You're an adult. You know how babies are made."
Aurora's cheeks flushed crimson, a mix of embarrassment and frustration filling her. "You'll never see the Weasleys again, I swear," she muttered, lowering her gaze and crossing her arms over her chest as if shielding herself from the teasing.
"Too bad we're in the same school," Lucrecia shot back nonchalantly, leaning back in her chair with a smug smile. "Guess you'll have to face the music eventually."
Aurora, unable to bear another moment of the conversation, stood abruptly and left the Great Hall. She needed to talk to Remus, not hide away in the corners of her own quarters. She was tired of running from the weight of the rumors, tired of trying to make sense of everything on her own.
She found him in his office, hunched over a stack of papers, students' work, she assumed, though she couldn't make herself care about that in the moment. The door was already open, but she didn't knock. She didn't have the energy for pleasantries. She simply stepped inside and sank into the chair in front of his desk, her hands folded tightly in her lap.
"Did you know there were rumors about us?" she asked, her voice betraying a mixture of exasperation and vulnerability.
Remus didn't even flinch. His senses, of course, had already alerted him to her presence. The werewolf's instincts were always a step ahead. He didn't look up from his papers, but she could feel his gaze shift toward her, steady and calm.
"Of course I did," he replied with a quiet sigh, as though the weight of the words had already lost their sting. "It was hard not to hear them when students were practically gossiping about it right in front of my classroom door."
Aurora's lips pressed into a thin line, and she sank deeper into the chair, letting the silence hang between them for a moment.
"And what do you think about all this?" she asked, the question coming out softer now, as if seeking some kind of reassurance she wasn't sure she even deserved.
Remus didn't immediately answer. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest as he regarded her. "What am I supposed to think about this?" he finally responded, his voice tinged with a quiet bitterness. "Aurora, we both know this isn't just about a pleasant conversation in the hallway anymore. It was only a matter of time before the students started to notice."
She dropped her gaze to her hands, gripping the edges of her skirt tightly. She couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes, afraid of what might show there. "So what do we do about it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes softening with something akin to concern, though his tone remained steady. "What do we do about what? About the rumors? About us?" His gaze was searching, but not accusatory, as though waiting for her to make the next move.
"About all of this," she said simply, her voice small. The weight of her words hung heavily in the air.
For a long moment, Remus didn't speak, his brow furrowing slightly as he thought over her question. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "The rumors will die down eventually, Aurora. Don't worry about that." He paused, his gaze never leaving her face. "As for us... I think we both don't know exactly where this is going yet. So, let's just give it time."
Aurora nodded slowly, though the uncertainty still lingered between them, unspoken but palpable. Neither of them had the answers. Neither of them knew what the future held. But maybe, just maybe, that was okay for now.
"Remus?" Aurora's voice broke the silence after a while, her eyes not meeting his, focusing instead on the edge of his desk. "Have you ever thought about starting a family with Mary?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Aurora felt a knot tighten in her chest as soon as the words left her mouth. Last night, Remus had talked about how werewolf children were viewed in the wizarding world, how rare it was for werewolves to start families. He had also mentioned Mary—his lost love, the girl he had planned to propose to before her tragic death. But after that, he'd remained silent on the subject of relationships, leaving her to wonder if he'd ever truly moved on. Had he, or had his condition kept him from wanting that kind of life again?
Remus's gaze softened at her words, a flicker of something distant in his eyes. After a beat, he answered her quietly, almost as if to himself. "If you're asking about children, then no. You know... just because there have been no recorded cases of a child being born with lycanthropy when one parent is completely healthy doesn't mean it's impossible. And I wouldn't want to condemn my child to that kind of suffering."
Aurora felt a pang of empathy for him. She could see the weight of those words in the way he spoke, the fear that had shaped his life. But still, there was something she needed to know.
"But that doesn't have to happen," she said gently, her voice steady but soft. "And... did you, ever get involved with anyone after Mary died? I mean, were you in a relationship?"
There was a long pause. Remus met her gaze, a faint smile curving at the corners of his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"No," he said, his voice quiet, almost reluctant. "Not seriously. I've only... had one-night stands. But that's it."
Aurora blinked, her confusion clear as she tilted her head. "Wait," she said, voice uncertain, "You don't want children, but you still had sex? I mean, you could've used protection, I don't doubt you did, but... you know," she cleared her throat awkwardly, her face flushing slightly, "There's always a risk that a girl could get pregnant."
Remus's lips twitched into a smile, but it wasn't one of sadness or bitterness this time. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with amusement. "And who said I had sex with women?" he asked, his voice light but with a playful edge.
Aurora's eyes widened in realization, and she froze, her face burning with embarrassment. "Oh Merlin, I'm sorry. I didn't take that into account!" she stammered, her hands fumbling nervously in her lap.
Remus let out a hearty laugh at the look on her face, his warm amusement filling the space between them. "It's okay," he assured her, the teasing glint never leaving his eyes. "Well, I prefer women, but I wouldn't mind a man either, if you know what I mean." He winked at her, his voice still playful, but there was something tender in the way he said it, as if revealing a side of himself that rarely saw the light of day.
Aurora's mind wandered back to their previous conversations, trying to make sense of the pieces that didn't quite fit. Suddenly, something clicked.
"You once mentioned a kiss with Sirius Black and..." She hesitated, the memory of that brief mention lingering in the back of her mind.
"Don't finish," Remus interrupted her abruptly, his tone sharp but not unkind. "Black is a different story. He was like a brother before the events of Godric's Hollow. Although, Merlin, it sounds bad when you say it like that, considering we did have sex together, but it was just a game. Spin the bottle, truth or dare kind of thing. Nothing more." He exhaled deeply, as if the memory still carried a weight he didn't want to revisit. "Besides, Sirius always preferred girls. He was the biggest flirt at Hogwarts, after all. He did... something with guys sometimes, but only for the sake of the game. That was it."
Aurora nodded, her mind racing with the new information. It made sense in a way, though she couldn't deny that part of her curiosity was still piqued. "Okay, fine, I understand," she said quickly, hoping to move past the topic.
Remus seemed to relax a little, but then, to her surprise, his curiosity piqued again. "What about you?"
Aurora froze. She wasn't ready for this. They had crossed boundaries before, but this felt different.
"Remus, we shouldn't..." Her voice faltered, and she instantly regretted it. But Remus wasn't letting it go.
"Aurora, we both know we're not just coworkers anymore. Besides, you started the subject. Speak."
Her heart skipped a beat at his insistence. There was no denying it now. She swallowed hard, and with a deep breath, she finally gave in. "Well," she began, her voice soft, "I've never really thought about it much or analyzed it. I had a relationship with a guy once, and so it seemed obvious to me that I liked men. But I broke up with him not long ago. I didn't want to have sex with him, and he... insisted. He started cheating on me because of it."
Remus, who had been listening intently, leaned forward in his chair. He looked at her with a mixture of sympathy and understanding. "Don't worry about that asshole. You did the right thing," he reassured her. "But... can I ask why you didn't want to have sex with him?"
Aurora's throat tightened as she struggled to speak. She hadn't expected to reveal this, especially not now. Not to him. "I'm a virgin," she whispered, her eyes avoiding his. "I wasn't ready yet."
Remus's breath hitched, a flicker of surprise flashing across his face before he quickly masked it. Remus shifted slightly in his chair, as if unsure of how to respond. The sudden realization hit him hard, he had imagined so many things with her, and now, knowing that she hadn't been with anyone else, it made everything feel even more intense.Merlin, he thought, his mind flashing back to the thoughts he'd had with her at the center of them.