𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐟-𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝

Observations Between The Trees

Rewritten

There were certain people out in this world that made Aurora's blood boil. She would love nothing more than to bite their jugular out, simply for existing.

Dolores Umbridge happened to be one of them.

Days passed, each day more morbid than the next, with Umbridge taking control of more and more with each passing hour.

Something bad was coming, Aurora could tell, could feel it in her bones. Her instincts were on haywire, the Harpy in her growling with anticipation. Potter began to disappear and reappear suddenly, all while he was snappish and angry, mostly staying silent in the company of others and refusing to acknowledge the physical pain Umbridge put him through. Aurora observed this with a scientist's interest, eyes close on him like some experiment she could not understand.

There was something about him that intrigued her, much to her displeasure, something that made her eyes linger a bit too long, that made her overthink his small gestures a bit too much, something that made her lookout for his lanky form whenever she entered a room without her even realizing it.

Perhaps it was his reputation that preceded him, she hadn't heard much of him before she joined the Order, but from then on a moment's break from him in the newspapers was rare. Maybe it was because she imagined a snobbish boy with an ego bigger than Hogwarts, one that Potter certainly wasn't. Perhaps it was the fact that he was The Boy Who Lived, but there was a haunted look in his green eyes.

Following her orders from Dumbledore, she looked out for him, and when he started to completely close off, Aurora decided it was time to see what he was doing. One afternoon when the students had no classes, Aurora discreetly followed Potter as he weaved his way outside the castle, walking down the plains and past the Whomping Willow until he reached the hut that belonged to the Gamekeeper, staring through the windows into the empty hut.

With a dejected expression, he found himself a spot to sit down, taking out a quill and parchment, beginning to write a letter.

Aurora watched him tuck the letter away, then simply sit there like he had no strength to stand.

He looked. . .lonely, a loneliness that somehow seemed familiar. Before she knew what she was doing, she started to walk towards his figure, a frown pulling at her lips.

He saw her coming, but he didn't say anything. When Aurora stood in front of him, he simply stared.

"Come on," Aurora murmured, hands stuffed in her coat pockets.

"Where?" His dark brows pulled together.

Aurora shifted, feeling uncomfortable under his steely green eyes, "Come with me and I'll show you something interesting," she mumbled, kicking at rocks beneath her feet. Harry Potter stood up with a sigh, lowering his eyes to her.

"Why?" His blunt question surprised her, and for a moment Aurora was stumped. Why, indeed? Why was she trying?

She shrugged. "Do you have anything better to do?"

His silence was answer enough. Without another word, she turned on her heels and started walking away, uncaring whether or not he followed her.