𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 ; 𝑜.𝑜.𝓅

sixteen

Despite the big secret being out, nothing seemed to change for Aurora. Althena was distant, and Sirius just didn't know how to fully connect with his daughter.

She found herself talking to the Moon more than she did to the other people that would come and go in the home. The days were bleak, and nights were lonely. All she wanted was him, yet he was so far away.

When she would talk to the Moon, part of her wished it would talk back and it would be Cedric. She clenched the locket around her neck, feeling the painful weight in her heart.

Aurora got up from the desk she was sat at in her room, and crept downstairs. The sun was slowly rising, and that's when she realized that she hadn't slept one bit. When she made it to the kitchen, she found that Remus was already awake and pouring a cup of tea.

"Can't sleep?" He asked kindly, already pulling out another mug for her.

"Yes." She replied.

He poured her a cup of tea and gave the mug to her, "How are you?"

"Fine." Aurora distantly replied as she sat down.

Remus took a seat across from her, "I mean it, Aurora. How are you dealing with the loss of Cedric? Seems like nobody around here has asked you about that."

She took a sharp intake of breath as she looked out of the window, "Some days are harder than others. Today is one of those days when all I can think about is him in the worst ways."

"What ways?"

"I should have known better than to get close to him. If I just stayed away, he might still be alive."

"You can't blame yourself for the decisions other people make. He cared for you, Aurora. That was his decision and I don't think he regrets it one moment." Remus said to her, "You deserve love just as much as everyone else does."

She tore her eyes from the window and looked down at her tea, "Despite knowing everything about Sirius and Althena and my family... I feel so lonely. More than ever now. I use to have someone that I could run to, I use to have something to look forward to, someone to see and someone to hold me. I should have held on a little tighter."

"Part of losing those you love is learning to hold onto the next person a little tighter, Aurora. You will fall in love again, and when that happens, you will carry what you have learned from Cedric and the loss of him with you so you can love that much harder."

Aurora shook her head, "I won't fall in love again."

"You will." He softly said, "And it will find you in the most unexpected way. Maybe you won't find it today or tomorrow or next year... but you will find it."

"And what will I do then? How would I shake the feeling of guilt for loving someone else?" She asked, "It all just feels so overwhelming."

"When you find true love, guilt will leave your vocabulary." Remus said reassuringly, "You are so young, Aurora. You still have your entire life ahead of you. A life full of adventure and future friendships. You have time with your father and your aunt. Althena will come around eventually, I promise you that."

"Why has she been so cold?" Aurora asked, "It feels like she hates me."

Remus hummed lightly, "She doesn't hate you. She had her heart broken years and years ago by someone quite close to us. I don't think she ever moved on from it. That night when your mother was killed... Althena didn't just lose a sister."

"I probably won't as well, move on."

He shook his head, "No no, this is a different heartbreak. One that I am not in the position of telling. Do cut your aunt some slack, Aurora. She made a great sacrifice being here."

"What? Did she leave her family or something?"

"No." He softly said, "She came back to it."