A New Dawn at Hogwarts

Chapter Twenty-Five: Of Siblings and Surprises

Though they didn't hit anyone whilst spitting out the window, Aurora and Erin did manage to draw the attention of Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Jamie, who had wandered outside soon after the girls had returned to the common room.

"OOh, watch me hock a big loogie at Doofus," Aurora said, sticking her head out the window and working up quite a nice bit of phlegm. Just as she was leaning her head back to release, Draco looked up. She aimed and let it go, then watched disappointedly as it was swept onto the side of the castle and frozen by the brisk November winds. Draco gestured rudely as his cronies laughed, then the quartet walked on towards the Forbidden Forest.

"What are they doing?" Erin asked as Aurora craned her neck to try and see around the tower.

"I dunno. Maybe they're going to sacrifice Doofus. That'd be great, wouldn't it?"

Erin grinned. "Yeah, but let's discuss it by the fire. I'm freezing!" They pulled the window shut and settled in the armchairs, glad to be the only two in the room. "So, are you going to tell me what was in the last letter?" Erin finally asked.

"You're a seer," Aurora commented. "Don't you already know?"

"I told you I can't see everything. You used to be easy to read, but now - it's like there's a curtain there, and all I can see is fuzzy stuff. So, now I have to resort to asking." She put such an exasperated emphasis on the final word that Aurora couldn't help but laugh.

"All right, I give up then. It was kind of odd," she said, remembering the message, "the room filled up with smoke, then there was a Death Eater, and -" their conversation was cut short by the entrance of Kim, who looked extremely disgruntled.

"You two are always going off and leaving me," she wailed. "I wish you'd stop doing that!"

"Sorry, Kim," they muttered apologetically.

"Yeah, well, don't let it happen again," she said testily, though the other girls could tell she had already forgiven them. "So what have you two been up to?"

"Tried to spit on Doofus," Aurora said nonchalantly. "But it froze to the wall. He gave me a very nice sign, though. Wish I'd had a camera, it would've made for some nice decorations around here." More students began filing into the common room, with David bringing up the rear. Aurora rolled her eyes and leaned over to Erin. "Don't look now, Erin, but there's your darling big brother."

"Ignore him," she instructed, not even looking up from the book she'd started to read.

"Easier said than done," Kim replied as David made his way over to them, an evil smile on his face.

"So," he said triumphantly as he leaned on the back of Erin's chair. "How are the three musketeers this afternoon? Not causing trouble? I'm shocked." Erin's face turned crimson clear to her hair as she buried her face further in her book.

"Davey!" Aurora exclaimed in her most annoying sing-song voice. "How absolutely lovely to see you! Would you be a dear and go jump out the window? There's a good lad." She smiled sweetly at him as her friends stifled their giggles.

David's ears burned brightly as he narrowed his eyes to glare maliciously at Aurora.

"Are you sure you wouldn't faint, little Rinkle? I heard you were crying for your mummy during Snape's class last week. How did the old git deal with that one?"

"Shut up, David," Erin muttered between tightly clenched teeth, though she didn't look up from her book.

David looked down on his sister in mock astonishment. "What's this? My baby sister is actually speaking to me? Better not tell Mother, she'll pitch a fit."