Duplicitous | T.N.

XXXVI • I made a friend...

"I did indeed." Sirius shrugged, he too allowing his eyes to wonder through the inky premises.

"Are Slytherins all bad?" She wondered aloud, her question was delivered with such a vulnerable tone, it had the man of Black suspicious.

"Is there something you're meaning to tell me Rory?" He peered down at her from across the dark room. The candle light being their only source of light, Sirius internally grounded at that, for he couldn't see her reaction.

He couldn't witness as her face dropped and paled. "No." She spoke to quickly. "My friend -" she sought for a quick excuse. "Daphne! She's an angel and she's in Slytherin. I'm just confused."

He didn't believe her not one word, he knew all too well of her friendship of Daphne, he had witnessed before hand as she single-handedly, fought with all of the Weasley children, in Daphnes Greengrass' honor. Called her a saint if he remembered correctly.

"Greengrass right?" He frowned.

"Yes." Aurora looked downwards yet again, continuing her work with the flowers whilst pretending to act unbothered by the entire conversation.

"That family is a lovely bunch." He sighed loudly. "But never trust a snake, you could be poisoned."

She frowned.

"My brother was a Slytherin. I loved him but"  his head lowered in grief. "He chose my parents. He chose Voldemort." She flinched lightly at the unspoken name being said aloud, force of habit. "At the end of the day, just be cautious."

She attempted a smile, but it presented itself as a grimace, she hoped Sirius wouldn't notice but he did, it had him curious, too curious. Smiling one last time the man wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Come on, let's get to work, we don't have all day. Tell me what to do"

After two hours of sorting the bloomed golden flowers, the two were at their end. Taking a step back to admire their work, Rory clapped lightly. "Done." The two smiled.

"Now get." She ordered. He gasped mockingly.

"You're kicking me out?" He nearly laughed.

"Yes I am. I have other chores to do, and Miones gonna be here who knows what time." She cackled back at him.

"And why can't I join?" He adjusted the colar of his pyjamas in feign seriousness. "I'm an acceptable partner."

"You'll see your present." She nodded towards the stairs. "Now bye bye."

He squeezed her nose before retreating back to bed, wearing a fond smile as he watched her Chet back to work. For a moment as she collected wrapping paper and string he saw something that made his heart ache. He saw her mother.

• • •

Hermione too tried to hold her breath when tiptoeing down the creaky stair case, she too failed, sighing loudly once reaching the very bottom, she saw her friend, wrapping the first gift.

The bushy haired Gryffindor came to stand beside her. "You've gotten better at doing it by hand." She jested, attempting to lighten the mood.

During their first Christmas together, Rory witnessed Hermione up at four o'clock in the morning preparing presents for the following day, Aurora too always woke up for an early Christmas and was appalled at the sight of Hermione doing the work with her hands, neglecting her wand entirely.

The two made it tradition to rise earlier together, and wrap the gifts amongst each others company, Hermione teaching Rory, what to do and how to do it the physical way. At first it was a catastrophe, but over the years the Flores witch had improved.