CHERRY // marlene mckinnon

-sixteen

The following week was filled with stares and whispers in the hallways. Word had spread faster than wildfire that Aurora Black was dating a Gryffindor girl, more specifically, Marlene Mckinnon. Her friends had also found out, but from a fourth year Slytherin and their friends gossiping about it. And so Aurora explained everything to them. Veronica and Narcissa were a bit skeptical at first, but nonetheless supported their best friend. The same went for Marlene. Apparently Lily and Alice had been betting on it for weeks.

But then Aurora got a letters from her parents.

Dear Aurora,

We have heard all about your, well connections with a half-blood. To make matters worst, it's a Gryffindor and a girl?! You have brought such shame to the Black family name. We do not want you to come back home. You're name has already been removed off the tree and you are no longer our daughter.

Walburga and Orion Black.

She had felt like a weight had been removed off of her chest. She didn't have to fake things anymore. She also reconnected with her cousin, Andromeda Black, well Tonks, now that she had gotten married. And she agreed to let Aurora stay with her until she found a job and got back on her tracks.

But there was one last thing she had to do.

Fix things with Regulus.

He'd been avoiding her for the past week and she didn't know why. But she had an idea. Now that she was also disowned, he was alone in that toxic household. She had been so disappointed in Sirius after he left, but it never occurred to her until now, that she had done the same to Regulus.

*****

"Reg!" Aurora called after her brother as he got out of class.

But he just kept ignoring her, as if she wasn't even there.

"Reg, wait!" She kept calling as she ran towards him. "You can't just keep ignoring me. At least tell me what's wrong."

"What's wrong? Are you seriously asking me that? Now that you're disowned, I'm all alone in that house!"

"I'm sorry, I really am. And it's not like I wanted people to find out. I mean, you were there when Avery outed me weren't you?! I had no choice, it was bound to happen sooner or later!"

"But, why didn't you tell me?" He asked.
"I- Well, I didn't tell anyone to be honest. Narcissa and Veronica didn't know either. Nobody did."

"Oh, okay." Was all he said.

"Wait! Uhm, so do you forgive me?" She asked.

"I-I don't know, I need some time."

"Okay. See you." She quietly said as she left.

Aurora had a free period before dinner, so she decided to go to the library to get some studying done.
She saw an empty table and sat down. She tried to avoid the glares from other students but it was almost impossible when you were the talk of the school.

Nonetheless, she kept working. She didn't noticed that someone had walked up to her table until she heard someone clear their throat.

She looked up to see them, and it was a Slytherin boy. More specifically Avery. There was no one she hated more than Avery, but she tried her best to stay calm."Yes?"