When Aurora had prepared for Hogwarts, she had expected to know Cedric and Cedric, only. Of course she had always planned on making friends of her own, but the idea had always frightened her. She never had much opportunity to make friends growing up, and she wasn't sure if anyone would like her. And never in her wildest dreams did she expect to bond with anyone as quickly as she had with the other Slytherin first-years.
She and Draco Malfoy had become fast friends, despite their strange run-in on the train. And unlike her original fears, he hadn't just befriended her because of her blood status, they had truly connected.
Besides Draco, Aurora had found a new, almost-family with the Slytherins. Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson were still attached at the hip, but they had quickly taken Aurora under their wing. Theodore Nott was still the quietest of the group, but Aurora loved to spend time with him and the never-ending supply of books he seemed to have. They found they were often paired together for in-class projects, and he was quite adept for a first-year, especially when it came to Potions. Blaise Zabini too was good company, when he wasn't sneaking off to be on his own. Tracey Davis had come out of her shell a bit, finally biting back against Pansy's mockery, and even earning the brunette's respect, while Millicent Bulstrode was still guarded, refusing to hold conversation with the rest of the Slytherin girls for longer than a minute. And finally there was Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle who were…well, just Crabbe and Goyle. Aurora couldn't stand the way they hung around Draco, acting just like guard dogs on the prowl.
Aurora truly loved her fellow Slytherins more than anything, but she did still occasionally miss her friends from the train, who had all been sorted into Gryffindor. They hadn't gotten extremely close, but they had all seemed rather friendly and welcoming. And while it wasn't impossible to see them, the only classes first-year Slytherins shared with the Gryffindors were Transfiguration and Potions, meaning she would most likely have to find them outside of class in order to talk. A task that felt near impossible with how massive the castle was. Or it was, until Pansy spotted a new notice pinned-up on the Slytherin notice board.
"Flying lessons, this Thursday," she read aloud as the rest of the first-years, still half-asleep, gathered around.
"Finally! Move, Parkinson," Draco whooped, rushing forward, his tie loose around his neck. He bumped Pansy to the side and studied the flier intensely, his arms pinned on either side, blocking it from everyone else's view. Once he had finished reading, he groaned. "With the Gryffindors? Merlin, this is going to be miserable."
"Says who?" Theo asked, leaning over to study the notice for himself, now that Draco had gotten out of the way.
"It's just obvious!" Draco groaned. Crabbe patted his shoulder awkwardly for a moment, before Draco shrugged him off.
Aurora grinned, leaning against the arms of one of the low sofas. She had been looking forward to flying lessons ever since Cedric wrote her a letter all about his epic wipeout during his flying lessons - and how much he had loved it. She didn't even mind that it would be a shared class. As long as she got a broom all to herself, she was happy.
"I mean, they'll just make fools out of themselves!" Draco continued, tightening and adjusting his tie.
As his complaining continued, Blaise and Daphne made they way around the group, inspecting each uniform to ensure that the first-years looked ready and presentable. It was a quirk that had started on the second day, after Millicent's incorrectly buttoned shirt had gotten them a stern talking-to from Snape about the importance of keeping up appearances.
"Potter's certainly never even seen a broomstick. Doubt Longbottom could stay on for more than a second. And that Weasley?" Draco scoffed. "I'd be surprised if his family could afford a twig."
Something else Aurora had noticed since being sorted into Slytherin? They were mean.
At least, a few of them were. Draco was by far the biggest bully of them all. Crabbe and Goyle weren't far behind, and Blaise occasionally made a smart, cutting remark, but it was Draco who acted as the leader of their gang. He seemed to always be formulating the best comeback or put-down, usually aimed at the Gryffindor first-years, but it seemed that no one was safe from his attacks. Aurora didn't even want to imagine what he did when he ventured off on his own, Crabbe and Goyle stalking closely behind.
Aurora had confided in Pansy and Daphne about it, but she had been brushed off by Pansy, who insisted: "That's just what purebloods do, Aurora. It's nothing personal. We're just better than the rest, we have to behave like it."
What confused Aurora the most was that when the Slytherins were on their own, and specifically when Aurora had been alone with Draco, he was different. He showed a softer side of himself to the people he trusted. And because of that, Aurora chose to ignore his mean-streak.
For now.
He's probably just acting tough because we're in a new place, she thought at breakfast one day, after Draco had pointed out a Hufflepuff first-year to Blaise, snickering something behind his hands. It can be scary to be new.
When he wasn't being a bully, Draco did talk about flying. A lot. He complained near daily about the fact that first years weren't allowed to try-out for the Quidditch team - something that he said his father had already tried to overrule with the Hogwarts Board of Governors, but with no success, so Draco would have to wait for his second year like everyone else. He constantly told harrowing stories to anyone who would listen, usually about flying into restricted areas and ending with perilous escapes from Muggles in helicopters.
Aurora talked about flying a great deal too. She absolutely adored it. She had grown up with Cedric, who was a wondrous flier, as her teacher and she had read just about everything she could get her hands on about her Uncle Laurance's Quidditch matches, playing as a defensive seeker for Puddlemere United. When she was able - usually when Marius was away on overnight Ministry business - she would borrow Cedric's broom and zoom around the cliffs of Dorset, swooping low to feel the ocean's spray on her cheeks. She had become addicted to how free she would feel on a broom.
The rest of the first-years seemed to have mixed feelings about flying. Daphne was terrified of heights and of accidentally swallowing a bug, nearly dissolving into tears at the idea of having to take her feet off the ground for longer than a second. Pansy claimed she had been practically raised on a broom, but Aurora had noticed her turn a sickly shade of green when Draco recounted one of his nastier spills. Theo had no real interest in flying, and Blaise thought it sounded worthy of a trial.
Flying had become the hot topic of conversation that morning, all the way up to breakfast, until the mail arrived. Even though she had now witnessed it multiple times, it was still a marvel to see hundreds of owls swoop into the Great Hall all at once, dropping letters and parcels and feathers onto the plates of students.
The Malfoy family owl, an eagle owl with a massive wingspan named Augustus, was a frequent visitor of the Slytherin table. Aurora had taken to tearing off pieces of her toast to feed to the bird, getting a gentle nuzzle in reply, despite its terrifying visage. Usually it came alone, dropping off package after package of sweets for Draco from home. But today, a second, smaller owl had followed in its wake.
"Oxnard?" Aurora caught her uncle's owl, right before it could face plant into the oatmeal. She smiled as it dropped a small, plain-looking envelope into her eggs and began absentmindedly nipping at her hair. "Hey boy, I've missed you -"
The owl cooed in reply, stealing a few pieces of bacon from the center of the table before shaking out its wings and taking off again, a few feathers fluttering down in its wake. Aurora laughed as the small owl weaved its way through the exodus mass before turning her attention to the envelope.
She recognized the handwriting immediately. It was from her Uncle Marius.
She took a deep breath, a cold sweat breaking out all over her body. She felt like she suddenly had a ticking dungbomb in her hands instead of a letter. Earlier in the week, Aurora had finally worked up the courage to write to her uncle about the sorting, telling him everything that had happened and how she felt and basically asking him to please please please not disown her.
The envelope hadn't started shrieking or smoking, which were good signs that she wasn't holding a Howler. However, she knew from experience that whatever her uncle had written could still be harsh, even if it wasn't being projected for the entire castle to hear.
Slowly, she opened the letter. In Marius' sharp penmanship, it said:
Aurora,
Yes, I am disappointed. Being sorted into Hufflepuff has been a tradition within our family for generations, and it was fully expected of you to follow in those footsteps. It is a wonder what your grandmother will say when I write to her. However, I am well aware of how peculiar that Sorting Hat can be. No, you will not be disowned. While you may not be a Hufflepuff, you are still a member of this family, and at least you had the decency to be sorted into the house of ambition. I expect you to succeed no matter what house you have been unfortunately sorted into. You simply must work harder to overcome such obstacles.
Marius
Aurora felt so relieved, she thought she could cry. This was as close to a sentimental 'congratulations!' as she could expect from her uncle. She looked up from the letter to relay the news to Draco, only to find the bench beside her empty, only the torn-up remains of a piece of toast on his plate left in his wake.
She glanced around the Great Hall, which was filled to the brim with students enjoying their breakfasts before classes started, and saw Draco's blonde head weaving its way over to the Gryffindor table. Aurora sighed and folded her letter, shoving it into the pocket of her robes as she decided that enough was enough. She was going to start standing up to Draco and his bullying. There was no reason she could think of for Draco to be lingering around the Gryffindors. Or, no good reason, at least.
She arrived behind Draco just in time. He, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing near the head of the Gryffindor table, eyeing the first-years as they ate in peace.
"Watch this." Draco grinned, focusing on where Neville sat, holding a red smoke-filled glass orb Aurora didn't recognize. He strode over with Aurora on his heels, but she was too late to stop him. In a blink, Draco had snatched the ball from Neville's outstretched hand.
Ron and Harry jumped to their feet in an instant. Aurora tried to take the ball back from Draco, but he was taller, and held it higher than she could reach.
"Give it back, Draco." Aurora jumped for it again, side-glancing to where Ron and Harry still stood, looking more than ready for a chance to finally pick a fight with Draco.
"What's going on?"
Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the Hall and sent chills down Aurora's spine. She and Draco lowered their arms quickly. It was ridiculous of Draco to try and start trouble in the middle of the Great Hall, surrounded by their professors. Professor McGonagall could spot trouble quicker than any teacher.
"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."
"What's a Remembrall?" Aurora asked, but her question was met with scowls.
"Just looking," Malfoy muttered, quickly dropping the Remembrall onto the table and sloping away the way he came, Crabbe and Goyle joining in his wake. Ron and Harry watched him go before fixing their glares on Aurora, who suddenly felt very small and unwelcome.
"I'm sorry, he - I mean, I -" Aurora started, but McGonagall cleared her throat.
"I believe your own table is that way, Miss Rosier."
Aurora nodded and scurried away, trying desperately to shake off the feeling that her once friends were no longer all that friendly.
"You are absolutely ridiculous, Draco Malfoy," she chided the moment she returned to the Slytherin table. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle had sat again, the two bigger boys digging back into their breakfast as if they had never left in the first place. "Picking a fight in front of McGonagall, what is wrong with you? And what if Snape had seen? We'd all be in trouble then!"
Draco ignored her and Aurora sighed, turning away to try and focus instead on the conversation happening between Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey. But she had seen the Cheshire Cat-like grin on his face. He had thought of the perfect retaliation. And Aurora knew it would only end badly.
At three that afternoon, a half-hour before their first ever scheduled flying lesson, Draco and Aurora made their way out of the castle and onto the grounds. It was a beautiful day; the sky was a brilliant bright blue and there was a gentle breeze that fluttered the grass - the perfect weather for flying. Aurora was so excited she practically skipped down the hill to the flat lawn that boarded the Forbidden Forest. The sight of the dark trees swaying sent a shiver down her spine, but it wasn't enough to squash her excitement.
She and Draco were the first to arrive, which had been Draco's idea. He planned on inspecting every single school broom for flaws and damages, to ensure that he got the very best one. Their entire walk down to the field he had raved about his intentions of becoming the most successful Quidditch seeker of their generation, and that started by training on the very best brooms available. And since he couldn't bring one of his own, the best of the school's 'meager selection' would have to do.
"Can't you just pick one and be done with it?" Aurora eventually called out from her sprawled position on the grass, a few chains of woven together grass piled beside her. Draco had circled the ring of twenty brooms three times now, and was working on his fourth. It didn't seem like he had narrowed anything down. She glanced over her shoulder to the steps of the castle, shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. "Preferably before anyone else gets here?"
"This is important, Aurora!" Draco shouted back, shaking a broom forcefully. "If I'm going to be the best, I have to start with the best."
Aurora sighed and went back to weaving blades of grass together, figuring that perhaps she could have a crown for herself by the time Draco finished. She knew from Cedric that even the best of the Hogwarts brooms weren't particularly good: a few would vibrate if you flew too high, many drifted off in one direction or the other and needed to be corrected mid-air, and there was one that he swore had a speed limiter on it, quivering if the flier dared to go too fast.
It wasn't long before the rest of the Slytherin started to arrive, gathering together on one side of the ring of brooms. Aurora nudged Draco after Blaise gave her a pointed 'what is he doing?' look. He was now between three brooms, rapidly moving between them to test their sturdiness.
Soon, the Gryffindors arrived and bunched together on the opposite side of the ring. Aurora noticed how nervous a few of them looked. Particularly, Neville, who was as white as a ghost, and Hermione, who was still clutching a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages, as though the pages of the book would help to keep her airborne.
Their teacher, Madam Hooch, followed shortly. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk. She stood in the center, between the two groups, examining them.
"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."
Aurora quickly grabbed the broomstick beside Draco, who was clutching onto his 'best of the best' broom as if he half-expected a Gryffindor to challenge him for it. She glanced down at her own broom. She had been practicing on Cedric's beat-up broom for years now, so she wasn't worried about the look of it. A few twigs were bent at odd angles and the handle looked worn from where other riders had gripped it, but as long as it flew well, she wouldn't complain.
"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch, "and say 'Up!'"
"UP!" everyone shouted.
Aurora's broom seemed to need a moment to decide, but after a second, more confident "UP!", it zoomed quickly into her outstretched hand. She beamed and looked around the ring. Draco's broom had jumped into his hand at once, as had Harry's. Blaise's broom would get halfway up to his hand before clattering back to the grass. Theo's seemed to rattle at the command, and Pansy's tried rolling itself away down the hill. But at least they had managed to make their brooms move at all - a handful of students, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike, were still yelling at unmoving brooms. Aurora noticed Daphne gingerly picking up the broom herself when she thought Madam Hooch's back was turned.
Once everyone had called their brooms successfully (including a mortified Daphne, who had been reminded that Madam Hooch 'had eyes in the back of her head' - and nobody knew if she was joking or not), Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms properly, without sliding off the end. Then she weaved her way through the circle in order to make any needed corrections.
"Ah, I recognize this grip. You trained with Diggory, didn't you?" Madam Hooch asked Aurora, after correcting the grip of a now red-faced and embarrassed Draco. She leaned in conspiratorially, adjusting Aurora's hand placement. "Perhaps, if Mister Diggory had listened and corrected his grip as I suggested, it would've saved him that nasty shoulder dislocation last year." She tapped her nose. "You remember that, Miss Rosier."
Aurora nodded as the flying instructor smiled and continued on her way. She flexed her fingers in their new position, and was surprised how much sturdier she already felt, even with her feet still firmly on the ground.
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch, moving back to her place at the center of the ring. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"
But before the whistle could even touch Madam Hooch's lips, Neville shot up into the air like the cork of a champagne bottle. Aurora didn't even see it happen; one second he was standing across the circle, the next he was screaming, rising up, up, up…
"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted at him, her whistle dropping from her lips.
It was obvious to everyone on the ground that Neville wasn't in control of his broom at all. Once he was nearly twenty feet in the air, just level with the gargoyles bordering the castle walls, he seemed to realize how high he was, gasp, lose his grip on the broom, and -
WHAM.
A thud and a nasty crack followed, and Neville was facedown on the grass in a heap. Tracey dry-heaved next to Daphne, who had covered her eyes, her broom discarded and kicked away from her on the grass.
Madam Hooch bent over Neville, her face as white as his was. Around them, the circle of students tried to inch in and get a better look at what was happening. She said something to herself, but Aurora was too far away to hear her until she stood, Neville half-standing, half-slumped against her shoulder.
"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear."
"Poor Neville," Aurora muttered, dropping her broom to the ground and watching as the whimpering boy hobbled off. First Potions, now this - it was horrid that it seemed every bad thing happened only to him. She glanced at her discarded broom and sighed heavily, nudging it with her shoe. "Poor flying lessons."
Once the castle doors were closed behind them, Draco burst into laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"
"It's not funny," Aurora hissed, but Draco only laughed harder. Crabbe and Goyle joined in, as did, unexpectedly, Millicent.
"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped the Gryffindor Patil.
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" mocked Pansy. She joined the laughing group, who had all shifted to stand behind Draco, as if in a rehearsed formation. She stood beside him, eyes sparkling. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."
"Pansy!" Daphne gasped as the Gryffindor turned a bright red.
Pansy rolled her eyes at Daphne. She put her hands on her hips and stuck out her tongue, making the Slytherins around her laugh even more.
Aurora took a few steps back, trying to get as much distance between herself and the five bullies. Yes, she was used to her fellow Slytherins being like this, but almost always quietly and behind someone's back. Which didn't make it any better, but it was easier to forgive and forget than laughing in the face of someone's physical pain. She looked over to the Gryffindor, who were all glaring at Draco and his gang, most of them fuming, but not sure if they should speak up. Aurora felt herself in the same boat.
The Slytherins had been divided: those who were laughing, and those who were not. Daphne had shifted behind Aurora, eyes glistening with tears from Pansy's rude behavior. Blaise and Theo had remained where they were, Theo with his arms crossed uncomfortably over his chest. For once, Blaise seemed keen to keep himself out of whatever trouble Draco intended to start. And Tracey was biting her thumbnail anxiously, refusing to look up from the grass she was repeatedly kicking with her shoe.
"Look!" Draco darted forward and grabbed something out of the grass. He held it up triumphantly and Pansy let out a coo of delight - it was Neville's Remembrall, no longer red and smokey like it had been at breakfast that morning. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."
"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry sternly. He took a step forward, and everyone else fell silent.
Draco smiled nastily at Harry. Aurora could see a glint in his eyes, the same one he got whenever he answered a particularly nasty question in class correctly - it was a look of victory.
"Pass, Potter. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"
"Draco, just stop!" Aurora blurted finally as Harry yelled, "Give it here!", but they were both too late. Aurora had lunged to grab Draco's arm, but he was faster, kicking off on his broomstick. Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward as if they really were bodyguards, scowling down at Aurora, who ignored them to follow Draco's path.
Aurora had to admit, she was amazed that Draco really could fly as well as he had bragged he could. She had started to think that many of the details in his wild flying stories felt made up in order to impress his ever growing crowd of admirers, but it seemed that they were more or less the truth.
Draco floated effortlessly higher, until he hovered level with the topmost branches of an oak tree. He leaned forward, waggling the Remembrall tauntingly. "Come and get it, Potter!"
"No!"
Hermione's shrill shriek startled Aurora, who whipped her head around just in time to see her grabbing onto Harry's robes. She said something else closer to his ear, but Harry shrugged her off, his eyes focused only on Draco hovering with a smug smile on his face.
As fast as Draco had, Harry mounted his broom and took off into the air. Aurora's mouth fell open. She had figured, for someone with such a lack of magical knowledge, that he had never touched a broom in his life. But there he was, flying as if he had been raised on one. It seemed a shock to not only her, but everyone else in the circle too. Whispers broke out like wildfire.
For as high up as he was, Aurora could still clearly see the shocked expression on Draco's face when Harry reached him. They faced each other steadily, saying something that was too quiet to hear from the ground and seemingly waiting for the other to make the first move. She watched as Harry, without warning, shot himself at Draco, who was barely able to dodge in time. Draco glanced down at the crowd below, where a few Gryffindors were actually clapping as Harry turned himself around, like a bull ready to charge again.
"Catch it if you can, then!" Draco shouted, loud enough to ensure that he had the full attention of everyone watching. Then, he threw the glass ball high into the air before streaking back down to the ground.
The glinting Remembrall, now as clear as crystal, disappeared from sight the moment Draco released it, but Harry still dove for it. Draco laughed, engulfed almost immediately upon landing into a celebration with Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent, and Pansy. But Aurora was too focused on watching Harry stretch out his arm and - just before he tumbled to the ground - catch the Remembrall in his hand.
Aurora was one of the many to burst out into applause. She hadn't even seen the Remembrall as it plummeted through the air, but Harry had never lost sight of it. It was amazing!
But the celebration was short lived as -
"HARRY POTTER!"
Aurora clasped her hands behind her back as Professor McGonagall burst through the doors of the castle, half-running to the unsupervised group of first-years.
"He's in for it now," Theo muttered from beside Aurora, shaking his head.
"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -" She could barely get a full sentence out, her face pinched with shock and anger from what she had witnessed. "-how dare you - might have broken your neck -"
"It wasn't his fault, Professor -"
"Be quiet, Miss Patil."
"But Malfoy -"
"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."
Even though she was shocked and, quite honestly, disgusted with what Draco had started, Aurora kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to risk getting him into as much trouble as it seemed Harry was about to get into - she wouldn't betray her own house like that. But she did glance over and shoot Draco the dirtiest look she could muster, even more annoyed at how he was grinning triumphantly from behind the human shields of Crabbe and Goyle.
Professor McGonagall had barely gotten Harry into the castle before Draco stepped forward. "Serves him right. This castle could do with a few less lions stinking up the place." He crossed his arms, smiling smugly at the Gryffindors, challenging them to retaliate.
"That's it!" Ron fumed, his face almost as red as his hair. He stormed forward, getting only a few feet before Lavender and Parvati grabbed his arms, stopping him in his tracks. He leaned forward, his teeth bared and eyes wild. "This is all your fault, Malfoy. If you hadn't -"
"My fault?" Draco gasped, looking around the other Slytherins in feign-terror. He sneered at Ron again. "It's not my fault he wasn't fast enough. Serves him right, the git."
Ron roared, lurching forward so suddenly that Lavender and Parvati had to use all their strength to keep him back.
"Oh, stop it, the both of you!" Aurora yelled, stopping both boys in their tracks. They all turned to look at her now, and she crossed her arms, glaring at first Draco, then Ron. "This is absolutely ridiculous, just leave it! There's nothing we can do about it now. Madam Hooch will be back any minute, and if you're fighting too, then we'll all get in trouble."
Still fuming, Ron stepped back from Draco, giving Aurora a glare so cold, she had to look away almost immediately. Draco shot her what seemed to be a thankful look, but she rolled her eyes, temper much too high to even think about forgiving him at the moment. She was just glad the spat was over.
The Slytherins and the Gryffindors moved back to their sides of the practice ring, whispers sparking all over. Aurora swore she heard a sharp "Snake." in her direction, but when she glanced back, none of them were looking at her - at least, not kindly. The only semi-friendly face was Hermione, who stood farther back from the group. Her eyes were still wide from the spat and she seemed to feel just as Aurora did - glad it was all over.
Thankfully, Madam Hooch arrived moments later, ignoring all tensions as she continued her previous lesson, albeit, less enthusiastically and much more cautiously. She instructed everyone to mount their brooms and kick-off into the air. If she noticed Harry's absence, she didn't comment on it.
Once in the air, Aurora felt her anger simmering a bit. She always felt much better when she was flying. Madam Hooch shouted out pointers as the first-years flew in wobbly circles around her and, eventually she started throwing out challenges for the mode advantage fliers.
It didn't take long for Aurora to forget about the incident completely.
At least, until dinner that night.
It had taken Draco all of five minutes to track down Aurora. She had been sitting alone, half-heartedly shifting the food around her plate, not hungry with the day's events still swirling around in her mind. As soon as he slid in beside her, Aurora stiffened.
"I don't want to talk to you, Draco."
"Seriously? Oh, come off it, Rora." he groaned, his hopeful smile falling. He began scooping potatoes onto his plate. "It was just a joke. Don't be so serious about it."
"A joke is funny, Draco." Aurora grabbed his arm, forcing him to actually look at her. "A joke is not hurting a friend."
Draco scoffed, pulling his arm back and continuing to fill his plate. "Longbottom isn't a friend to me, Aurora. He's nothing more than a waste of pure blood."
"That's disgusting."
"That's the truth."
Without thinking, she slammed her hands on the table, harder than intended. It rattled the nearby goblets, and a few second year students nearby shot her a quizzical look. Draco's eyes got wider as she lowered her voice and seethed.
"You're a bully, Draco Malfoy."
Draco opened his mouth to speak, glancing across the table to Crabbe and Goyle for back-up, but Aurora didn't let him.
"A bully. You've been a bully since the day we arrived and you haven't stopped even once to think about it." Aurora paused. She could feel her heart beating in her ears. She took a breath, calming down a bit. "I still want to be your friend, Draco, I really do, but when you act like that, I - I just, it makes - oh, Merlin, forget it. I'm going.
She stood and stormed away, leaving a shocked Draco at the table behind her. As she passed the rest of the first-years, she could have sworn she heard Pansy mutter, "She's batty, that one.", but chose to ignore it. She didn't want to stir up more drama within her house; she imagined it would take minutes for Draco to report back to them about her outburst. And then they'd all turn against her.
How embarrassing. Aurora groaned internally, covering her face with the sleeves of her robes. She loved her fellow Slytherins, she really did, as if they were her family. But if she didn't say something, anything, about the bullying she had been witness to, the guilt would have eaten her from the inside. That was just the way Marius and the Diggorys had raised her.
When she uncovered her face, she was surprised to find she had made her way to the far end of the Gryffindor table.
She took a deep breath, trying to be casual and keep her breathing under control. Her palms itched with nervousness as she peered down the length of the table, searching for a familiar - preferably friendly - face.
Hermione Granger sat nearby, with five textbooks and an assortment of scrolls spread around her, taking up any space that the dinner plates didn't already. She was hard at work, her tongue sticking out just a touch as she scribbled something onto a parchment that was already so long, it had fallen off the opposite end of the table.
Aurora took another deep breath and approached her. She stood on the opposite side of the table, looking around more nervously when she didn't immediately look up.
"...Hi, Hermione."
Hermione jumped, startled by the sudden presence. But when she saw it was Aurora, her eyes lit up, and Aurora felt the wave of her anxieties begin to fade.
"Aurora! Hi!" She started to shift her textbooks and scrolls around the table, puzzle-piecing them together in a way that they were still open and accessible, but also so that Aurora had space to join her. "Sit down, please! Oh, it's so good to see you, I've missed you."
"I've missed you too." Aurora smiled as she took the offered seat. She twisted the sleeve of her robe, still nervous, but much less than before. "I - I just wanted to stop by. I know we have a lot of classes together, but I feel like we never really get a chance to talk. Especially after what… what happened today."
"I know," Hermione replied, nodding sagely. "It was awful today. But I have to agree with you Aurora. No matter what anyone else says about you, you did the right thing with stepping in. Things just needed to end there."
Aurora froze. "What are…other people saying?" About me?
"Nothing bad." Hermione took a bite of her shepherd's pie, chewing thoughtfully before she continued. "Well, nothing terrible. They're all just pointing out what's obvious. You're a Slytherin."
Aurora's blood seemed to freeze and a chill went down her spine. Hermione hadn't said it with malice, but she could imagine the hate in the word when others said it. She glanced around the Great Hall, at all the students eating dinner, and it suddenly felt as if everyone was whispering about her. Her face flushed and she started to feel dizzy. If she left now, she could make it back to the common room before any of the other Slytherin first-years did, and she could be in bed before they were, and then Pansy and Daphne and Millicent and Tracey wouldn't -
"No, no, Aurora, I didn't mean it like that!" Hermione reached over and touched Aurora's hand. The warm touch grounded Aurora, and she looked back up at Hermione, who's eyebrows were scrunched with worry. "I mean, it is true, you were sorted into Slytherin. But that's nothing to be ashamed about. They're all just being prejudicial. It's ridiculous."
She leaned in conspiratorially and continued. "And if I'm being honest, Aurora, they seem to be like that all the time. Especially those two -'' She tilted her head down the table, to where Harry and Ron sat, whispering to each other. "They're always getting into trouble. I'm surprised they haven't been expelled yet. And Ronald is filling Harry's head with all kinds of ideas - he's the one convinced that all Slytherins are evil, remember?"
Aurora nodded a little, remembering what he had said on the train, and the side-comments he had made to Harry during the Sorting.
She hated this feeling - like people were making judgements about her based on something she couldn't control. Hated that she was being made to feel ashamed about what she was. And she didn't want to feel it anymore. She loved her house! She loved being a Slytherin! Even with all the chaos and drama and whispers that came with it.
"I need to talk to them." Aurora spoke up.
Hermione glanced up from the scroll she had gone back to scribbling on, a weary look on her face.
"Are you sure, Aurora?" She glanced down the table again, to where Harry and Ron still sat, now with his twin brothers behind him. "Ronald's not exactly the easiest person to talk to. Believe me, I tried. Earlier this week, in Astronomy, he -"
Aurora shook her head. "No, I have to."
Hermione paused for a moment, then sighed. "Well, alright. I guess they're not all that bad." She paused for a moment, tightly rolling up her scroll. "Yes, actually, they are. Quite bad. But I think you're right, we could change them. Help them actually become decent wizards, instead of the dunces they are."
She smiled reassuringly up at Aurora. "You head over. I'll just need a few minutes to pack up my things, but I can meet you over there."
Aurora hesitated for a moment, but rolled her shoulders back and nodded. She didn't want to have to approach the boys alone, but with Hermione's vote of confidence - and the promise that she'd be right behind her - Aurora made her way farther down the Gryffindor table. She tried to ignore the odd looks she got, her emerald green robes sticking out drastically against the sea of Gryffindor crimson. She reasoned that she had just as much purpose as any other House to visit their table - it wasn't as if she were trying to become a Gryffindor, or worse, start any trouble, like Draco had earlier that morning.
Was that really only this morning? she thought, casting a quick glance to the Slytherin table. She had hoped that Draco would have moved on by now, but she immediately found him, now surrounded by the other first-years. His gray eyes were locked on her so intensely, Aurora had to wonder if he had been watching her since she stormed away. He leaned over to Blaise, whispering something furiously, to which Blaise nodded in agreement. Aurora bit her lip to keep from groaning. It had been a long day.
And it still wasn't over.
After what felt like the longest walk of her life, Aurora finally reached where Harry and Ron were sitting. Behind them were Fred and George, both of whom Aurora hadn't seen since the Sorting Ceremony. They were talking intently, and she approached just in time to hear a snippet of their conversation.
" - haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant." One of the twins (Aurora still couldn't tell them apart) clasped Harry's shoulder proudly. "You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."
"Er - hello."
Four pairs of eyes shot up to stare at Aurora, and she almost visibly recoiled from the distrustful intensity behind them. Fred and George quickly stood up straighter, towering over the still sitting boys. They cast each other a quick glance, silently communicating in the way that only twins could, before the one on the right spoke up.
"Anyway…we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."
"Bet it's the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week." The one on the left ruffled the boy's hair at the same time. "See you."
And with that, they strode away, but not without a final icy look in Aurora's direction. She pulled her robes tighter around herself, subconsciously, despite her House pride, wishing she could hide any and all traces of green.
"What do you want?" Ron sneered. "Come to spy on us for your boyfriend, Rosier?"
Aurora glanced at Harry, hopeful to find any reminisce of kindness between them, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. She turned back to Ron, who was looking at her expectantly with a self-satisfied half-smile.
"He's not my boyfriend, we just got sorted into the same house." Aurora crossed her arms defensively.
"Sure didn't seem that way when you defended him earlier." Ron jutted out his chin. "Practically jumped to his rescue when he landed."
"That's not true - I didn't defend anyone earlier." Aurora silently cursed as Ron's eyes glinted - she had said exactly what he wanted her to say. "I just wanted the fighting to end before things got worse. I didn't want anyone to wind up in more trouble."
Ron let out a gruff 'hmph' and went back to eating his dinner. Next to him, Harry just poked at his food, still refusing to look at her again. Aurora took a steadying breath before she spoke again.
"There's nothing wrong with being a Slytherin, Ron. You were wrong on the train."
"Don't think so." Ron replied haughtily, his mouth filled with food. "You saw everything Malfoy did, and that was just today. No thanks to you, Rosier, you just let him act like a git."
"That's not true!" Aurora repeated, her voice shrill with exasperation. Ron smirked as the sudden noise made the people sitting around them turn their heads. She closed her eyes, refusing to let Ron rile her up further. "I don't control Draco. But I did so speak up earlier." When he didn't reply, she kept going. "I'm a Slytherin and proud of it, Ron, but I'm still the girl you met on the train."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"
Aurora nearly flinched at the sharp sound of Draco behind her, his sneer so blatantly obvious in his voice that she didn't even have to turn around to see it.
No, no, no. Aurora clenched her hands into fists, willing herself not to burst into tears. It was absolutely dreadful timing - if she could have just had a few more minutes, maybe she could've changed Ron's mind. But now that Draco was here…
Harry finally looked up from inspecting his plate. "You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your three little friends with you."
Aurora glanced over her shoulder, wondering who had joined Draco in his latest attack on the Gryffindors. Crabbe and Goyle, obviously, but -?
Draco. Crabbe. Goyle. …and her.
Her mouth fell open and she turned back to the Gryffindor boys. Sure, she was rather good friends with Draco, but that came with the territory of being sorted into the same house. She had never thought she would be lumped in with his bullying posse, and it hit her suddenly how desperately she never wanted it to happen again. But before she could defend herself -
"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Draco. He stepped forward, bumping himself to get shoulder-to-shoulder with Aurora. She shifted away from him, but she wouldn't get far without bumping into either Crabbe or Goyle, who flanked them on both sides. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact." He paused, taking in Harry's widened eyes. "What's the matter? Never heard of a wizards duel before, I suppose?"
"'Course he has!" Ron shot up. He and Draco, at the same time, glanced up to the High Table, but none of the professors seemed to be paying them any attention. "I'm his second, who's yours?"
Draco turned and gave Aurora a bold smile. "Aurora, of course."
"No!" she screeched, but they ignored her.
"Midnight, all right?" Draco turned back to Harry and Ron. "We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."
And with that, he strode away, Crabbe and Goyle following on his heels. Aurora ran after him, not even bothering to try and explain what had just happened to Harry and Ron - not when she didn't understand it herself. She had barely caught up to Draco at the stairs that led down to the dungeons.
"Draco, what exactly are you playing at?" She crossed her arms, blocking his path. "A wizard's duel?"
"Not so loud!" Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her toward a slightly more private corridor under the stairs. He turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "Go down to the common room, boys. I'll be down soon."
Once they had shuffled away, Draco turned back to Aurora, a huge grin on his face.
"Well, I'm glad you're so happy, but I certainly am not." Aurora frowned. "Draco. Please tell me you're not serious. A wizard's duel?"
He sighed. "A wizard's duel is when two -"
"I know what a wizard's duel is!" Aurora threw up her hands in exasperation. This day couldn't get any worse if it tried. "What I want to know is why you've decided to start even more trouble? At midnight? Really? What, after curfew, with Filch and Mrs. Norris lurking around?"
Draco had started laughing, but Aurora was too furious to give him any grace. She continued.
"You don't even know enough spells to hurt them! What if they do, Draco, did you even think of that? They've been in a house with Hermione Granger, it wouldn't surprise me if they knew more than what we've learned in our classes. And what about if Snape - oh, come off it! What are you laughing about?"
Draco had nearly doubled over, his laughter growing as Aurora had ranted.
"Oh, Aurora, calm down. You sound like my mum."
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down, Draco Malfoy. I'm being serious!"
"And so am I!" He grabbed her arms and pinned them at her sides, still grinning wildly. He spoke slowly, as if talking to a child. "There's not going to be a wizard's duel."
Aurora's anger deflated a little, replaced with utter confusion. She narrowed her eyes. "But…you said..."
"'Meet at midnight in the trophy room', yes, I was there too, Aurora." Draco released her and she stepped back, crossing her arms again. "But we won't be there. It's all just a ruse to get Potty Potter into more trouble. Consider it a bonus that ginger blood traitor joined in too."
"Oh you are bloodyridiculous, Draco." Aurora rolled her eyes. "Can't you just leave them alone and stop being such a bully all the time."
"I'm starting to get sick of you calling me that." He stiffened, straightening his robes. "I'm not a bully. I'm a pureblood. There's a difference."
Before Aurora could say anything, Draco shot her a wolfish grin. "Now if you'll excuse me. I believe I heard a rumor that students are going to be wandering the castle tonight. And I imagine Filch would love to know."
Draco turned and disappeared down the stairwell, leaving Aurora shell-shocked and alone.
And wondering what she needed to do.
Hermione "I Can Change Him" Granger
Thank you all for reading! I'm loving writing this, so I hope you're loving this too :)