Shades of Grey

Three Words

“Finch, Aurora.” Professor McGonagall called out not long after. Aurora took a deep breath, still debating with herself as she walked down the hall. What if her parents didn’t want her anymore? What if the hat told her she couldn’t be in Gryffindor because she wasn’t brave enough?

The hat was placed upon her head and she gasped as it began to speak to her.

“Hmm, yes…a Finch. I know what to do with you.” The hat said but she didn’t let it finish.

“I don’t want to be in Ravenclaw.” She whispered fiercely, surprised that the words had actually left her.

“Well, then, there is only one other place I can put you. GRYFFINDOR!” Aurora sighed with relief as she walked over to the Gryffindor table, sitting next to Liam.

“You know, making decisions like that is brave.” He grinned. Even then, he’d always understood her somehow.

~

The first thing Aurora thought to do was to run. Her feet took over as she dashed through the corridor and down the stairs, heading towards the dungeons. Once she’d gotten far enough away, she stopped suddenly, leaning against the wall and trying to restore her normal breathing pattern. Her mind was racing.

Liam liked her? Obviously- he’d kissed her! Although, as she began to think about it, it all made sense. His jealousy over thinking she was seeing someone. His demands to know what the letters said. His tendency to blush and look away whenever she spoke to him. His lack of affection with Emma, lack of nerves with Emma, lack of anything with Emma. That prat! Aurora was angry, now that her overall shock had subsided. How could he do that to her? He could have ruined everything. If Emma found out, she was sure to blame Aurora. That meant the end of their friendship. Emma would grow angry and she would let something about her relationship with Lupin slip to the wrong person, and that would be the end of that. If Lupin didn’t break it off with her first.

How unfair of Liam to put her in this situation! What in the world was she to do?

Forget about checking on the Slytherins. Was the first thought that came to her mind. No, Liam could finish the duties on his own. She needed to see Lupin. She hadn’t planned on seeing him tonight and hoped that he wouldn’t be put off by her surprise visit, but she needed to explain herself.

She was fuming the entire way to his office, barely paying attention to her surroundings, not even to make sure she wasn’t being followed. It was as though she had tunnel vision, with one goal, one destination.

Lupin had been working on grading some papers for his classes when there was a knock at his door. The sound startled him and he looked up quickly, wondering who it might be. Aurora? She had said she was going to work on homework after her rounds and wouldn’t be stopping by.

“I’m so sorry to barge in but I have to talk to you.” Her words rushed out in one breath as he opened the door, pulling her in gently before someone heard her. Her chest was heaving, begging for air, and she looked near to tears. His immediate thought was something to do with that psychotic man.

“What’s happened?” He asked cautiously, his hand going to his wand instinctively.

“I was doing the rounds and I was just trying to get Liam to talk to me because he’s been ignoring me and he was angry with me and then he…he kissed me and I don’t know what to do and I’m afraid that you’re going to be upset with me but I love you and…” She could have kept rambling on but he cut her off.

“Hold on.” He said softly. Though he’d been listening, only one part of her words had really struck him, really forced its way into his ears and into his brain. She’d said she loved him. The feeling he got from hearing those words was beyond anything he’d felt yet. It was warm; it was blossoming in his chest and filling him up. She loved him. He could tell from the way she spoke that she meant it. She probably hadn’t even meant to say it, though he knew she meant it. Was it too soon for him to feel the same way? They had been together only about a month when he thought about it, though it felt like much longer.