Fawkes: Thank you! :) I have a few ideas, but no pairings are set in stone quite yet. I can certainly tell you a few people she will not end up with though! Not Harry, or Cedric, or…Oliver Wood (sigh, Aurora will be so disappointed). Anyone else…who knows! ;)

Is there anyone, in the way way way future, you could see Aurora possibly ended up with? Let me know! I don't plan on including any actual romance until book 3 or 4, other than small crushes here or there, so really anything can happen!

The first day of the holidays was a flurry of chaos within Hogwarts. The Entrance Hall was filled with students, all of them laughing and crying with their arms around one another, promising to 'write soon!' and 'enjoy the break!'. Next to the door stood Professor Flitwick atop a large stack of books, checking students off from a long roll of parchment as they left for the train. Other professors weaved throughout the crowd, answering questions and ensuring that departing students had all of their belongings with them. The Hogwarts Express had a rather strict departure schedule, and nobody wanted to be left behind.

Aurora had woken up bright and early to see her fellow Slytherins off. While she couldn't walk with them to the train, she could at least wave from the Entrance Hall. They were quite the sight: Aurora, still half-asleep and bundled up in a cozy jumper and jeans, while most of her friends had gotten rather dressed-up for the train ride home. When she asked why they weren't in travel clothing, Draco had explained to her:

"A pureblood should never make an appearance as anything less than perfect." He had grinned at that, stretching his arms out to the sides to show off his new black sweater, the Slytherin crest embroidered near the top. "'Always be presentable.' That's what mother says."

Presentable, but not comfortable, Aurora thought now, grimacing as she watched Draco adjust the stiff collar of his shirt for what felt like the hundredth time.

As they left for the train, Theo had given her a sleepy wave, while Blaise saluted her. Draco had sworn up and down that he had a Christmas gift for her, laughing and running to the safety of the train as Aurora tried to get him to tell her what the present was. Tracey seemed nervous to board the train, confessing to them over breakfast that morning that she hadn't written a letter home since the Sorting, and was now worried her father would be cross with her about it. Daphne and Pansy had departed, arm-in-arm as usual, practically bubbling with excitement over their joint family holiday in London and feeling much less sad about Aurora remaining in the castle.

When they were all out of sight and Aurora's arm felt like it would fall off from waving, she found a nook near the front windows and settled in. Her view looked out onto the rolling grounds of Hogwarts, and she could just barely see the steam of the waiting Hogwarts Express curling over the trees. It was the perfect place to curl up and people watch, while remaining out of the way.

WHOOOOOOOT! WHOOOOOOOT!

The train let out two sharp blasts of its whistle. The professors in the Entrance Hall hurriedly began to shoo the remaining students towards the doors, pointing and scolding anyone not moving quickly enough.

"Aurora!"

The sudden shout of her name over the low rumble of the crowd made her jump. Cedric bounded up to her, wearing only a flannel against the winter's chill and grinning madly, one hand tucked behind his back.

"Cedric!" Aurora hopped down and wrapped him in a tight hug. "You'd better hurry, the train's about to - wait, how'd you even know I'd be here? I'm not leaving."

"You know what they say about Hufflepuffs…" He shrugged casually, waving his free hand in the air. "Good finders and all that. Besides, I was hoping I would find you so I could give you this!"

He thrust out what he had been holding behind his back with a flourish - a small wrapped parcel with a yellow bow taped to the front.

"Cedric, thank you!" Aurora squealed, flipping the parcel around in her hands. It was covered in hand drawn snakes and badgers that looked like squiggles and potatoes with legs (Cedric had never claimed to be an artist). A twine string was held the paper on and was stuck down by the bow on the front.

"That's from me for Christmas! I wasn't sure if Ace could make the flight alright all the way from Wales," Cedric laughed as Aurora gawked at the parcel. "But you have to promise me you won't open it until Christmas."

Aurora hugged the parcel to her chest. "I promise!"

He narrowed his eyes. Aurora fluttered her eyelashes, trying to look as innocent as possible and hoping that Cedric couldn't see how desperate she was to tear the parcel open this very second.

"Swear it?"

He held out his pinky. Aurora grinned and locked her pinky with his. Keeping their little fingers together, they twirled once before releasing their fingers and snapping in the other's face, which made Aurora double-over with laughter. It had been their secret handshake ever since they were old enough to learn the importance of a pinky promise, and it had only gotten harder to do as Cedric grew taller and taller.

"Mister Diggory!"

Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the hall. They both looked to the front doors where she stood waiting, her arms crossed and foot tapping. Despite the small smile on her face, she cleared her throat, tilting her head to the door.

"I expect you'd better hurry to the train, unless you'd like to spend the holiday here with Miss Rosier."

"Right! Sorry, Professor." He pulled Aurora into another tight hug. "Gotta go. I'll miss you, Rora."

"I'll miss you too! Write me!"

"I swear it! Happy Christmas!" Cedric called as he bounded away, holding his pinky high above his head. McGonagall watched as the doors swung closed behind him, shaking her head lovingly, as Flitwick marked off the final name before rolling up his parchment, heaving a sigh of relief.

With everyone gone for the holidays, the usually bustling Entrance Hall felt eerily quiet. Aurora left with a wave to the remaining professors, taking her wrapped parcel directly back to her dormitory, fighting the urge to not shake it and guess what could be inside with every step. Once it had been safely tucked into the trunk at the foot of her bed, she went back out into the common room, standing next to the fireplace with her hands on her hips.

She hadn't given much thought to who else would be staying for the holidays, thinking that at least a few upper-level students would sign up at the last minute to stay behind, but it seemed that she was truly the only Slytherin left in the castle. The common room felt much bigger when it was empty. For the first time, the wide window seat directly under the lake windows sat empty - usually the long bench seat was reserved for the seventh years, both for the unique view into the lake and, as Aurora discovered with a gasp, the fact that it was much comfier than the rest of the seats.

The first day of break, Aurora was content to be alone. She attempted to work on her holiday homework, but she couldn't focus. Instead, she read in the common room, sprawled out across the couches with a pile of her favorite books stacked within arms reach. And once her eyes ached from reading, she spent her time exploring the castle as much as she dared, cautiously at first, but growing bolder the longer she went. She stayed indoors to avoid getting caught in the blustering snow outside, but was still able to find a curious hallway she had never noticed before near the Astronomy Tower. She made a mental note to tell Draco and Theo about it the second they got back from holiday.

At dinner that night she was shocked to see just how few students had chosen to remain at the castle. Besides herself, it was Harry and the four Weasley brothers - his messy, black hair easily spotted in the small clump of red-heads. They were huddled close together at the Gryffindor table, laughing and chatting and occasionally flinging food at each other, much to the annoyance of Percy the Prefect, who Aurora could hear loudly scolding his brothers from her own table.

Once she had had her fill of dinner (which was a delicious personal portion of roast chicken, stuffing, and a creamy leek and potato soup), Aurora went straight back down to the dungeons, content to spent the remainder of the evening re-reading her favorite sections of Fantastic Beasts until she dozed off, alone, but not lonely.

The next morning was spent lounging in the common room, watching out the lake windows as the fish swam in lazy circles around each other. The jack-o-lanterns from Halloween had rotted and become fish food long ago, and now a snowman stood proudly in their place. He hummed every so often, a few bubbles rising out from the corncob pipe in his mouth, and flapped his twig arms wildly whenever a fish got too close to taking a nibble at his carrot nose.

When Aurora finally decided it was time to head upstairs for breakfast, she served herself a heap of cheesy eggs and bacon, humming a Christmas song all the while. She took in the Great Hall's decorations and watched as snow fell heavily from the enchanted ceiling, melting before it could reach the tables. Aurora was so lost in her own Christmas merriment, she didn't realize that Harry and Ron were standing nearby until one of them cleared their throat.

"...Hi." Aurora looked at them quizzically. Despite being the only other people in the castle, she hadn't expected them to go out of their way to talk to her, especially without Hermione there to nag them to do it. "Happy Christmas. What are you -"

"Come eat with us," interrupted Ron, his gaze lingering on her half-filled plate.

"I…what?"

Aurora was taken aback by his sudden, sort-of invitation. She leaned around them to get a better look at the Gryffindor table, where Fred and George were staring back at her. For one, it didn't feel as if they were glaring daggers at her. Instead, it felt as if they were all back on the train platform, before she had become a Slytherin, an amused twinkle in their eyes. Farther down the table sat Percy, alone and uninterested in anything other than his toast and the Daily Prophet.

"Are you sure?"

"Told you she wouldn't do it," Ron said to Harry.

"We're sure, Aurora." Harry confirmed with a smile. He nudged Ron with his elbow. "We're all friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I guess," Ron mumbled as Aurora nodded slowly, still hesitant. "And besides, you look pathetic, really, sitting all the way over here by yourself."

Aurora pointed her finger accusingly at the two boys, narrowing her eyes. "If this is a prank, I have every right to retaliate." But, despite her lingering apprehension, she gathered her plate and moved to join them.

As she took the offered spot beside Harry at the Gryffindor table, she found herself sitting awkwardly across from the Weasley twins. They looked as identical as ever - chins propped on their fists, both unashamedly staring at her. Their hair was brushed the same direction, and even their uniforms seemed to be rumpled in the same places. It was as if they had practiced this pose in advance, that's how in-sync they seemed to be. After a few seconds of staring, hoping they would speak first, Aurora tried to smile.

"Hi, Fred. George." She addressed the one on the left, then the right, crossing her fingers under the table that she had guessed correctly. "Um…you both alright?"

The twins shared a glance the moment she was finished, their eyebrows moving up and down as they had an entirely silent conversation between themselves, before turning back to face Aurora. They folded their hands on the table and leaned in.

"Aurora Rosier," the one on the left started, his voice booming in the Great Hall. "As you are well aware, you are a Slytherin."

"I am." Aurora nodded. She pinched herself, hard, between her thumb and forefinger, trying to decide if coming over to their table was a big mistake. "And proud."

"A shame, really," added the one on the right, shaking his head and 'tsk'-ing. "Snakes and lions often don't mix very well."

"I really don't see -"

"However!" the right twin continued before Aurora could say more. "Your case has been presented to us."

"We have reviewed all evidence provided."

"And we have decided…"

They shared another quick look before turning back to Aurora, grinning broadly. In unison they slammed their hands down onto the table, rattling the silverware.

"Any friend of Cedric's is a friend of ours!"

"Oh!" Aurora squeaked, unsure of what to say. She laughed nervously. "That's good!"

"Bloody hell, is that it?" Ron interjected through a mouthful of toast. "We brought her over here for you to act out a Ministry hearing? She's still a Slytherin."

"Order in the court!" The one on the left shook his head at Ron, hammering his fist on the table.

"Don't listen to ickle Ronnie-kins, he's just jealous," the one on the right said, ruffling her hair as they sat back down. "You're a right good egg, Aurora."

"An exception to the rule," the one on the left agreed, nodding sagely to his twin.

Aurora was shocked. Not only at their sudden display of affection towards her, but at how quickly they both went back to eating, as if nothing had happened. She was thrilled, of course - she hadn't enjoyed the idea of unintentionally making enemies out of two world-class pranksters. She turned to Harry and Ron, curious to see how they felt about what had gone on. Harry was laughing into his bacon as Ron shook his head, exasperated, but, thank Merlin, still smiling.

"So…does this mean we're okay?" Aurora looked back and forth between the twins.

"More than okay!"

"Cedric will be so proud of us."

"A Christmas miracle!"

"Cedric?" Aurora asked, realizing what she had missed from earlier. "Wait, what does Cedric have to do with all this?"

"Wouldn't leave us alone about you," the twin on the right said. "Practically hounded us in class about how we treated you at the Quidditch match."

"Threatened to knock us off our brooms during the next game if we didn't come to our senses," the twin on the left added. "Told him we would try, but…"

Thank you, Cedric! Aurora thought, relief blooming in her chest. As if she didn't already feel eternally grateful for him for just being her best friend, he had somehow managed to help her mend her relationship with the twins, without even being at Hogwarts.

The twins took control of the conversation then, steering the topic back to Quidditch, which they had apparently been discussing at length before sending Harry and Ron to get Aurora. There was laughing and joking and much teasing when Aurora finally worked up the courage to ask the twins how to tell them apart - apparently, George has the smallest of freckles beneath his left ear, while Fred had none. She kept waiting for them to change their mind or tell her to bugger off, but the moment never came. Instead, the rest of the meal was spent in easy merriment.

From then on, Aurora found herself practically attached at the hip to the Gryffindors. Harry had even invited her to join them in the Gryffindor common room. She happily accepted, but learned quickly that, despite having an invitation and the password, her green robes would still get an odd look from the Fat Lady in their common room portrait.

The three first-years passed hours playing wizard chess while Fred and George wandered in and out of the common room, occasionally slowing down to make commentary on chess moves, often at Ron's expense. Aurora had played wizard chess quite a bit with Marius when she was younger - she had her own set back at the cottage, and knew how to handle those feisty figures with ease. But now, playing with an unfamiliar set felt like starting as a beginner. Harry, of course, had no experience, but he was a quick learner and a decent player, even beating Aurora twice, but neither of them managed to get close to beating Ron.

Late on Christmas Eve, Aurora said her goodbyes to the Gryffindors and made her way down to the Slytherin dormitories. Before she got into bed, she laid out Cedric's present on top of her trunk, giddy with the excitement of what Christmas morning would bring. Once in bed, she fell asleep quickly, and awoke to the sight of a pile of presents at the foot of her bed.

With a squeal she was out of bed and kneeling beside the pile.

"Happy Christmas," she whispered to herself.

It was bittersweet to be alone on Christmas morning, but Aurora shook the feeling off and busied herself by carrying her presents out to the common room, where she could open them by the roar of the fireplace. It took three trips and, once the final presents had been stacked onto the rug, her arms ached with the effort.

The first package she opened was from Marius and contained a beautiful set of silver-tipped quills. A brief note was enclosed as well, wishing her a happy Christmas and telling her he would see her at the end of the term. It was as sentimental as Marius got, and she couldn't wait to test out her new quills and write him back. The next gifts were from her family as well: an assortment of homemade tarts from her grandmother, Regina; a signed Puddlemere United pennant from her other uncle, Laurance; and even a Slytherin jumper from her more reclusive aunt, Illeana.

Excitedly, Aurora slipped on the jumper; it was much too big and a bit worn, but still extremely cozy. She wondered for a moment where her aunt would have gotten a Slytherin jumper in the States, but shrugged the question off in order to open another present.

She was surprised to see a second package had arrived from the Diggorys. First, opening the present Cedric had given her before he left, she found a copy of Hoax and Dreams by Laura Thorn. She couldn't help but flip through the first few pages, excited to add a brand new book on magical creatures to her collection. Next, she opened the large parcel she hadn't been expecting. Inside was a handmade patchwork quilt. It was quite large, and made up of alternating squares of the Slytherin and Hufflepuff crests. A folded note fluttered out that read, 'Proud of you always. Love, the Diggorys'. Aurora had to take a second to blink back tears, bundling herself in the quilt.

A handful of gifts had come from her Hogwarts friends too, and she was relieved that she had had the forethought to write a list for Marius, asking him to purchase a selection of Chocolate Wands from Honeydukes to send out. Hermione had sent a bag of taffy with her family's business card attached. Daphne and Pansy sent a gift together: a photo of the three of them from their first week at Hogwarts, held within a snake-etched, silver photo frame. She also got a green leather-bound notebook from Theo, and a beautiful pair of snake earrings from Draco.

Just as she thought she had opened all of her presents, she spotted a small box underneath a discarded piece of wrapping.

"Strange," she muttered, flipping the box over in her hands. "There's no name."

Opening it slowly, worried it might contain a holiday prank from the Gryffindors, Aurora let out a gasp. Inside of the box was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. The chain was thin, with a silver locket dangling from it. The locket itself had a rose engraved along its front, with two small, ruby-red roses on either side. The clasp opened easily, and the photo inside made Aurora want to cry all over again.

It was of her parents on their wedding day.

Amalthea looked stunning in a full dress, her face framed by short, dark ringlets and practically glowing with excitement. It took Aurora a moment to notice, but her mum was wearing this exact locket around her neck. Standing beside her, Evan wore an all-black suit. His hair was swept back, and he had the slightest hint of stubble along his jaw that made him look older, more mature. They posed for the camera - Amalthea's smile blinding and Evan's gaze proud - before Amalthea swept onto her toes to kiss her new husband's cheek. A single black pearl shone on a silver band, proudly worn on Amalthea's ring finger.

Aurora held the locket delicately in her cupped hands, staring at the photo as she blinked back tears. Slowly, she clasped the necklace around her own neck. It was a little too long, the chain designed for someone older and with a more slender neck, but the locket fell close to her heart. She looked at the photo again, butterflies fluttering in her stomach at having another piece of her family history.

"AURORA!"

A sudden shout from the outside corridor made her jump. She snapped the locket shut and tucked it into her jumper. Whipping her head to the door, she expected to see someone entering the common room, but the stone entrance remained firmly shut.

"AUROOOORAAAA!"

The shout came again, this time from farther down the corridor. Aurora stood and padded quietly to the archway. Leaning her ear against the cool stone, she listened.

"Where is it?"

That was Harry.

"Dunno. Fred and George just said they reckon' it was down here."

And that was Ron.

After waiting another moment, Aurora slipped out of the common room, the snakes gliding soundlessly as they opened the hidden archway. As she stepped out into the empty corridor, it slithered shut behind her. She took a few steps out into the darkened corridor, head whipping from side to side as she tried to figure out which direction Harry or Ron had gone. She had only gotten a few feet towards the stairs when -

"GOTCHA!"

Aurora shrieked and flapped her hands wildly in defense, landing a solid blow to something she couldn't see. With a grunt, Ron's head appeared, followed by his hand. Groaning, he rubbed his ear, both body parts suspended in midair.

"Bloody hell, Aurora, what'd you do that for?"

"You're…you're floating!"

Her eyes widened and she had to cover her mouth with her hands to keep from shrieking as Harry's head appeared beside Ron's. He pulled a sort of cloak off of their shoulders and tucked it into his pocket. They were both wearing homemade sweaters - Harry's was neatly stitched and emerald green, while Ron's was maroon with a large 'R' on the front - and Ron had a smear of chocolate in the corner of his mouth.

They all spoke at once.

"Where did you even come from?"

"We didn't see you, Aurora, we were down by Potions when we heard this noise…"

"Were you just invisible?"

Harry pulled the cloak out of his pocket and held it up, sheepishly. "It was my father's."

"Wow," Aurora breathed, reaching out to touch the silvery gray fabric. It was strange to the touch, feeling like water woven into a material. As her hand slipped between the folds, it disappeared. "How did he -"

"Can we go to your common room?" Ron interrupted, craning his neck to look up and down the hall. "We were coming to get you. We didn't see a door, but it has to be around here somewhere."

"No." Aurora shook her head. "It's forbidden."

Ron groaned. "Come off it, you saw ours. It's only fair."

"Really, I'm not allowed to bring any non-Slytherins in. And besides, it's not that impressive." She waved it off, trying not to think about the impressive lake-view windows. "You said you came to get me?"

"Oh yeah!" Ron's eyes lit up, the Slytherin common room forgotten. "Come on, it's time for the feast."

The Christmas Feast was quite the spectacular sight to see. Cheers of 'Happy Christmas!" rose throughout the Great Hall as they entered, the Hogwarts ghosts floating lazily in and out of the celebration, occasionally gliding down to the tables for a bit of conversation. Fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers piled every few feet along the table. Aurora was giddy with excitement at the sight of them, reaching for her very own before they could all be claimed. She pulled it with George, her eyes wide as it exploded like the blast of a cannon and a cloud of dark pink smoke swirled around them. From the inside, a tiara popped out, followed by a wound-up dragon that breathed steam from its nose. She grabbed the tiara and propped it onto George's head, laughing as he stood and tried to conduct the rest of the table to his royal attention, only for Fred to fling a spoonful of creamed corn onto his cheek.

"I like your necklace, Aurora." George said as he sat back down, using the roll he had been using as a scepter to gesture towards her neck.

"Thanks! I think my uncle sent it, but there wasn't a name on the box." Aurora touched it gingerly. "Your sweaters are nice, too." She eyed the twins. They were both wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow 'F' on it, the other with a 'G'. "Very…identifying."

"That's certainly one way to put it," Fred laughed. "Our mum makes them for us every year. Percy has one too, see? With a big 'P' on the front. For 'Prat'."

"Used to not have letters on them, except for ours." George flung his arm around Fred's neck. "We reckon' she thinks we would forget our own names. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the main course. Percy yelped as he took a hearty bite, angrily eyeing the silver Sickle he pulled from his mouth and muttering how it had nearly broken his tooth. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read to him. Hagrid was getting redder and redder as he called for more and more wine, finally giving Professor McGonagall a bashful kiss on the cheek. The Weasley twins whistled as she giggled and blushed, a top hat sitting lopsided atop her now-messy bun.

Once the feast had concluded, they rallied with a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Aurora was teamed up with Harry and George, laughing until her sides hurt as Percy struggled to dodge a single snowball that was thrown at him. Cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they all returned to the warm fire in the Gryffindor common room. There they spent the rest of the night, playing rounds of wizard chess and, thanks to one of Aurora's Christmas crackers, a few smelly rounds of Godbstones.

After a late night meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much of anything before bed other than sit back and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor Tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge. Aurora felt her eyes getting heavier and heavier as she nestled deeper into the couch near the fire. She told herself she had to get back to her own dormitory soon, and she would in a minute. She was just…too…comfortable…

"You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.

"I'm surprised I didn't wake up. I was in the common room all night," Aurora replied, wringing out her damp hair.

After falling asleep by the fire, Aurora had been quite rudely awoken the next morning by Fred and George, who charmed a raincloud to pour down freezing cold water onto her head. Apparently, they had dubbed her the next target for their pranking, and were practically doubled-over with laughter when she awoke shrieking. The raincloud had followed her for a good twenty minutes, only dissolving thanks to Dumbledore, who waved his wand with a chuckle and made it dissolve with a 'pop!'.

"Well, I was invisible," Harry laughed. "You weren't supposed to see me."

"Plus, nothing could wake you. You snore, Aurora." Ron bit into a sausage link. "A lot."

"Do not!" Aurora flicked some water from her hair at him.

"You can both come tonight, I'm going back." Harry's eyes were wide with excitement. "I want to show you the mirror."

"I wonder what it's doing here," Aurora mused. She chewed thoughtfully on a bit of fruit. "The door wasn't locked or anything?"

"It was just..there." Harry shrugged.

Aurora hummed, extremely intrigued. She wished Hermione were here - she had read Hogwarts: A Mystery so many times, she might have been able to tell them more about the mysterious mirror hidden away at Hogwarts.

"I'd like to see your mum and dad," Ron agreed.

"And I want to see your families! Both sides of yours, Aurora. All the Weasley's, too. You'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."

"You can see them any old time," said Ron, wrinkling his nose. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people."

"That's not very nice, Ron." Aurora frowned, but Ron just shrugged.

"I'm just sayin'. And it's a shame about not finding Flamel." He took another large bite of sausage, continuing with his mouth full. "Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything, Harry?"

"You do look rather pale." Aurora furrowed her brow in worry. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Just tired." Harry pushed his plate away. Ignoring the odd looks he got from Aurora and Ron, he grinned. "Up for another few rounds of wizard chess before our big adventure?"

"Ouch, Ronald, you keep stepping on my toes!" Aurora hissed.

"S'not my fault. Keep your toes away from my toes." Ron snapped back.

"If you'd stop bumping into me, I would."

"Well, maybe, if your feet weren't so big and in the way -"
"They are not! At least I don't clomp around like an ogre!"

"You'll both get us caught if you don't stop talking," Harry whispered, his voice sharp.

Aurora and Ron fell silent. They had been bickering with each other ever since they left the common room. The fit under the invisibility cloak was tighter with three people, and they had to walk much slower than Harry had the night before. Harry was trying to retrace his steps from the library, and they had been wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.

"I'm freezing," Ron groaned softly. "Let's forget it and go back."

"Stop whining," Aurora muttered under her breath. Ron elbowed her hard in the ribs, and she was just about to stomp down on his slippered feet when Harry spotted something.

"It's here - it's here - yes!"

They turned near a tall suit of armor and pushed open a heavy door, its hinges creaking with the effort. Once they were fully in the room on the other side, Harry dropped his cloak and rushed forward.

They were standing in what appeared to be an unused classroom. The faint shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the far walls, but the main focus of the room was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling with an ornate gold frame. It stood on two clawed feet that Harry immediately stood squarely in between. There was an inscription carved around the top, which Aurora had to squint at to read by the faint moonlight:

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi

"Wicked," she whispered as she moved farther into the room.

It was certainly an eerie space to be in so late at night. The moonlight cast dim shadows around the desks, and there was a chill in the room that made her shiver. For a moment, Aurora felt as if someone were watching them from the shadows, but when she glanced over her shoulder, the rest of the room was empty.

"See?" Harry whispered from the mirror.

Aurora and Ron stood on either side of Harry, peering into the mirror. But instead of seeing the Potter family looking back, they only saw Harry, his green eyes wide and flickering hungrily around the mirror, taking in something only he could see.

"I can't see anything," said Ron.

"Look! Look at them all…there are loads of them…"

"Nobody's there, Harry." Aurora put her hand on his arm, but he pulled it out of her grasp, shaking his head furiously.

"We only see you, mate," Ron added.

"Alright, fine." Harry stepped out of the way and gestured for Ron to take his place in front of the mirror. "Have a proper look then, go on, stand where I was."

Aurora watched as Ron gave Harry an odd look before stepping in front of the mirror, unease pricking goosebumps along her skin. But there was still nothing out of the ordinary, just Ron in his paisley pajamas.

Ron, however, was suddenly transfixed by what he saw.

"Look at me!"

"We can only see you," Aurora replied, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She was getting a strange feeling from this mirror, like a pit at the bottom of her stomach. Ron had stepped closer to his reflection, his breath beginning to fog up the glass. Aurora glanced over to Harry to see if he felt odd too, but he was just craning his neck, trying to see around Ron and into the mirror again.

"Can you see all your family standing around you?" he asked.

"No - I'm alone - but I'm different - I look older - and I'm Head Boy!"

"What?" said Aurora and Harry together.

Aurora glanced up to the mirror's inscription again. There was something important about it, she knew, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She mentally flicked through everything Marius had taught her and everything she had learned at Hogwarts, but nothing clicked. It didn't seem to be a curse or a jinx or even a spell she had seen before, and, as she read and reread it again, it didn't even seem to be in a language she understood.

"I am - I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to - and I'm holding the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup - I'm Quidditch captain, too!"

Ron managed to tear his eyes away from his reflection to face Harry and Aurora. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper and quivered with excitement.

"Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"How can it? All my family are dead -"

As the boys fought, Aurora read the inscription again before glancing towards the mirror. The realization struck her like a punch to the gut.

"Oh."

"What is it?" Ron and Harry both whipped around to her.

"Nothing, it's…well, it doesn't show your future." Aurora kept her eyes on the inscription as she spoke. "It's...it's sadder, actually. It's what you desire."

"What do you mean?"

"It's what the mirror says." She read the inscription as she spoke. "'I show not your face but your hearts desire.' It's backwards."

"You can read backwards?" Ron looked at her, disbelieving.

Aurora smiled. "No, it's just - it's a mirror, so it's like you're reading the reflection."

"Then what do you see, Aurora?"

Aurora faced the mirror. She hated to admit it, but her curiosity far outweighed any uneasy feelings she had felt earlier. She moved to where Ron and Harry had stood and faced her reflection. Tears sprung to her eyes and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

Her reflection stood proud and confident. She looked older, like Ron had. She smiled at herself, a Niffler curled in the crook of her arm and a small dragon perched on her shoulder; she knew, without a doubt, the girl in the reflection was a world-renowned Magiczoologist. Pinned to her chest was a Head Girl badge.

And she was surrounded by people.

On her right stood her mother - Amalthea Fawley. She was absolutely gorgeous, with dark hair, a sharp jawline, and gray eyes that seemed to glow from the inside. When she smiled, her eyes crinkled around the edges, just like Aurora's did.

Evan Rosier stood to her left. He looked exactly as he did in her pictures, and it made her want to cry. He was tall and slender, with hair the color of honey and eyes that were a shade lighter than Aurora's own. She could see herself in him almost exactly. When he looked at her, he waved, the same way he did in her photos. The same way he did when she pretended he was waving directly at her.

The Diggorys were there too, over her father's shoulder, and the rest of the Fawleys, whom she had only ever seen in photographs and heard about in stories: her grandmother, Regina, looked round and regal, but with kind eyes; her uncle, Laurance, was stocky, with a wide smile; and her aunt, Ileana, beamed with pride, her hands clasped over her heart. Near the front was Marius, nodding his approval and, for what felt like the first time, smiling.

More people stood behind them, a whole crowd of them, but she couldn't see them in full focus. Instead, they were more like flashes of memories. She saw a man with a scarred face, a blonde boy, a woman surrounded by cats. She realized that she was looking at her family - the ones she knew and the ones she only knew bits of.

And, Merlin, how desperately she wanted to know everything about all of them.

On either side of her, her parents smiled proudly. Her father put his hand on her shoulder, and her hand flew up to touch his, but she felt nothing but empty air.

Her eyes flicked around, trying to drink in everything she could and burn it all to memory. Without realizing it, she had pulled out her locket and was now gripping it tightly in her hand. The small roses left indents on her palm, but she hardly felt the sting. With her free hand she reached out, and just as she was about to touch the glass -

"Aurora?"

She stumbled back, jolted out of the mirror's bewitching hold. She looked over her shoulder to Harry and Ron, who were both staring at her, eyes wide. The world looked almost dull now, compared to how wondrous and bright the people in the mirror had seemed.

Aurora blinked a few times, her breathing heavy. It wasn't real, she reminded herself, clenching her hands into fists as she fought to steady herself. She wasn't with them, wherever they were - she was in a dark classroom at Hogwarts,

"What did you see?"

"I saw…me. And my family." Aurora's voice sounded hollow. She cleared her throat before she continued. "All of my family was so proud of me, even the people I don't really know. The Diggory's too." She grinned at Ron. "And I was Head Girl."

He wrinkled his nose. "I don't want to be Head Boy with you."

She glanced over her shoulder at the mirror again. Her family was still there, smiling at her, beckoning her to come back to them. She wiped her eyes and sighed.

"We should probably get going. I don't think this is a good idea anymore. And besides, we don't know how long we've been down here, it could take us all night just to get back and -"

"Of course you want to leave now that you've gotten a look," Harry interrupted, scowling at Aurora. His tone was so sharp, it made her take a step back. "Let me have another look, first -"

"You had it to yourself all last night," Ron snapped, "give me a bit more time."

"Ron -"

"You're only holding the Quidditch Cup, what's so interesting about that? I want to see my parents."

"Harry!"

"Don't push me -"

"You started it -"

"Boys!" Aurora's voice was shrill.

A noise in the corridor made the three of them freeze. Ron grabbed the cloak and threw it over their heads just as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris peered around the corner. The cat moved slowly into the room, her paws near silent on the stone floor. Harry, Ron, and Aurora stood frozen, holding their breath, and all wondering the same thing - would the cloak work on cats? Mrs. Norris seemed to look directly at them, but after what felt like an age, she turned and left.

"This isn't safe -" Ron started, "she might have gone for Filch, if she didn't see us, I bet she heard us. Come on."

"You two can -" Harry started, looking longingly at the mirror again.

"We need the cloak. We all have to go." Aurora grabbed Harry's arm. When she saw the uncertainty in his expression, she squeezed tighter. "Harry!"

And with a combined effort, Aurora and Ron pulled Harry out of the room.

Sleep didn't come easy that night.

Aurora had laid in bed in the Slytherin dormitories, tossing and turning for hours. Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw the image of her parents, beckoning her closer and closer. She couldn't shake the feeling that something about the mirror was…dangerous.

The next morning she trudged up to the Great Hall, exhausted from her lack of sleep. She felt drained and hoped the remainder of the holiday would pass uneventfully.

" - don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"

"No…you go…"

Just approaching the Gryffindor table, she could feel that there was tension between the two boys. Harry didn't even look up when she sat down next to Ron, absently tracing shapes in the syrup that his hot cakes were drowned in. Across from him, Ron looked up at Aurora with a frantic 'We have to do something.' look.

"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror." Ron leaned in, trying to get Harry to look at him. "Don't go back tonight."

"You can't be serious." Aurora gaped at Harry. "You can't possibly be thinking about going back."

"Why not?" Harry snapped.

"It's dangerous," said Aurora. "I can't explain it, but there's something…off about it. It's too addicting, it can't be safe to go back a third night."

"And anyway," Ron continued, nodding along with Aurora, "you've had too many close encounters already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are still wandering the castle."

"Not like they can see me," Harry muttered to his plate.

"But what if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"

"And if they do catch you? Then what?" Aurora could picture it already. "They'll confiscate your cloak, and you'll have detention until the end of the year."

"You both sound like Hermione."

"You know she would say the exact same thing." Aurora folded her arms. "She wouldn't even have gone in the first place."

"But -"

Ron sighed. "Seriously, Harry. Don't go."

Harry finally looked up. Aurora could see the purple bags under his eyes, the result of the past two sleepless nights. She felt awful as he looked between her and Ron, not even bothering to conceal the annoyance on his face, but Aurora refused to back down. Eventually, he sighed and threw down his fork.

"Fine." He stood. "I'm going up to the common room."

They watched him leave before sharing a concerned look. Ron went back to his breakfast easily, but Aurora couldn't look away from where Harry had rounded the corner. She had a pit in her stomach; she knew he wasn't going to listen to them. No matter what they said, he was still going to go back to the mirror tonight.

She took a small bite of her eggs, lost in thought.

What exactly was this mirror doing in the castle? And why was it affecting only Harry so badly?

& yesokayfine maybe I teared up writing when Aurora saw her father :((

Thank you all, as always, for the love! Keep on reading & reviewing & enjoying, mwah!