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"There's literally nothing going on at Hogwarts," said Tonks as Auriga had her weekly lunch break with her. "We just stand there all day in the cold."
"Sounds rough," said Auriga with a grimace. "And Robards is saying he wants to add me to a couple of shifts."
"Which ones?" asked Tonks, taking a forkful of salad.
"He said the Tuesday day shift...oh! And Thursday evening! Imagine that!"
Tonks perked up at this. "I'm on Thursday evenings!"
"Really?" Tonks nodded excitedly. "Oh thank Merlin. That's not so bad."
"It'll be great," said Tonks giving her a nudge. "We'll have a right old laugh."
The pair of them jumped as Kingsley Shacklebolt slumped down next to them. "Wotcher Kingsley," Tonks said brightly.
But Auriga noticed the frown on his face, a frown deeper than usual. "What's going on, Shacklebolt?" she asked, putting her spoon down. "I thought this was your day off?" Day off being a codeword for Order Mission. They didn't get days off.
"It was," said Shacklebolt darkly. He lowered his voice. "I just got word from Arthur that someone's been hurt by Greyback. Badly."
"Isn't that the werewolf?" asked Tonks, leaning forward and putting her fork down. Shacklebolt nodded. "Well who was it?"
Shacklebolt shook his head. "I don't know. I think it happened a few days ago."
"So someone on a longer day off then?" suggested Auriga. She felt her heart flutter and the back of her neck tingle when a sudden, horrid thought occurred to her. Remus was on a long mission. With the werewolves. And when she'd last spoken to him...Tonks had said he'd been a mess...
But why did she care? She shouldn't care! She was getting over him.
Tonks however, seemed to read her mind. "It's not him, Auriga."
"How do you know that?" she hissed, unable to help herself. "You know when he showed up at your parents'? That was my fault!"
"I...what?" asked Tonks with a frown.
"Who are we talking about?" asked Shacklebolt.
"No one," said Auriga quickly, feeling the room go very hot all of a sudden. She began to pack away her lunch things. "I'm going to ask Dumbledore."
"You've got work," said Tonks, looking like Auriga had gone mad.
"Tell Robards I've got a stomach ache," said Auriga, already tucking her chair in. "I'll see you later."
*****
Dumbledore wasn't here. He was the headmaster of the school and he wasn't here. If she'd abandoned her post while guarding, she'd lose her job-
A black-haired figure stumbled to the floor, apparently out of thin air. "Harry?" she asked with a frown. "What are you doing?"
"Oh," said Harry, looking very nervous at her appearance. "Nothing." She offered her hand to help him up, which he took. It was very clammy. She tried to subtly wipe it in her robes.
"Looks like nothing," commented Auriga, forcing a smile. "I don't suppose you know where Dumbledore is?"
"He's not in his office?" asked Harry. Auriga shook her head. "Sorry then. I don't suppose you know where he goes?"
"Nope," she said, letting her hands swing by her sides. "Have you-er...have you heard anything? From anyone in the Order?"
"Well Sirius writes," Harry began. "But not really other than that..." He stopped, pretending not to notice the tears pricking in Auriga's eyes. What if something had happened to him? It would be all her fault, even if she told herself she didn't care.
"Well, I better get going," she said, trying not to blink for fear of crying in front of her brother's ex-boyfriend.
"Yeah," said Harry, looking around. "See you." But Auriga was already off.
*****
It was now part way through spring, and Auriga was thoroughly enjoying her work. They'd had a couple of very successful anonymous tip-offs in the office, which Robards assured her was thanks to her work with Augustus, and her two shifts at Hogwarts weren't so bad with Tonks on Thursdays and Woodburn on Tuesdays.
She arrived back at Grimmauld Place after one particularly good raid. They'd made an arrest and she'd got through with nothing more than a cut on her arm. But Sirius, yet again, was sat in the kitchen, white in the face and looking haunted. Auriga's heart instantly dropped. "What's happened?" she asked with a sigh.
"Sit down," said Sirius quietly.
"Just tell me," Auriga said, crossing her arms. Yes her day had been good, but it had been long and she was tired.
"Please," said Sirius, a sort of desperation in his voice. "Just sit."
Auriga frowned and obliged, folding her hands in front of her. "What's going on, Sirius?"
"Draco's been taken into the hospital wing," said Sirius. "And they don't know if he'll recover."
"Oh, Merlin," Auriga breathed, breaking eye contact and staring at her fidgeting hands. "Oh, Merlin, no. No, no, no." Tears began to pour down her face, and she could hardly catch her breath as her throat burned, threatening to suffocate her.
"Auriga," said Sirius, a warning tone in his voice. "Look at me." She obliged, but she could hardly see his face, her vision was so obscured with tears. "It's going to be OK."
"I'm g-going to lose him!" she wailed, unable to stop the thoughts from flooding her mind. "I can't lose him! Please, Merlin, no!"
"Auriga, listen-" Sirius tried, attempting to reason with her, but it wasn't working. How could she let this happen? He was all she had! She promised to protect him!
"No!" she cried, still hardly able breathe. "No, this is my fault!"
"Harry did it!" Sirius said, raising his voice. Auriga's tears stopped, almost instantaneously. She breathed heavily, her chest heaving, as the cogs whirred in her mind, trying to comprehend what he'd said.
"What?" said Auriga. "Harry?"
"Harry," Sirius confirmed,looking grim. "It sounds like an accident. They got in a fight, and he used a spell he didn't know. I'm going to be having some words with him."
"But..." said Auriga, "Harry wouldn't have poisoned Ron, would he?" Sirius frowned and shook his head. "So Draco's attack isn't linked to the others?"
"Apparently not," said Sirius, sounding bitter.
"Can we go?" asked Auriga. "Can I go and see him?"
"Dumbledore gave the all clear half an hour ago," Sirius said. Auriga grabbed her cloak.