❝ Late Christmas and birthday gift. ❝
████████████████████████████
The next day of the ball turned either for the better or worse for certain people. Brightly morning, Aurora was too happy and filled with energy to sleep so she didn't. Despite taking a long and warm bath in the Prefect's bathroom, she managed to feel at ease in such a long time and decided to abuse the feeling. For it was only temporary and she came terms with the fact when she was six years old.
During the dance, Aurora was stolen quite a few times by Elias, Fred and George. It slightly tempered Fleur's patience of being forced to watch the scene happen continously. First, it was Elias and Aurora tried to refuse but the boy gave her no choice and apologized to Fleur, telling her that he'd dance with her after Aurora and so he did. As Elias and Fleur share a delicate moment to talk about Aurora, Aurora was dancing with George.
As they did, Fleur can't help but recall what Elias told her.
"Take care of her, yeah? Aurora may seem like this bubbly lass but she certainly mastered the effects of acting. She's told me plenty of secrets but I'm certain there are much more than she hasn't told me. I can tell it hurts and it's why I don't ask. Don't hurt her. She's been through too much."
Fleur couldn't see an outcome of her path with Aurora where it ends with them both hurting each other. Most importantly, she doesn't see herself willingly hurting Aurora. Either by physical or emotional way, they seem to be the type of people to apologize when the other interrupts so rudely in a conversation.
Already dressed in white coat and underneath was black shirt, worn boots to prevent snow from corrupting her feet and Slytherin scarf wrapped around her pale neck, Aurora was early to her Hogsmeade trip with the Triwizard champions. The tiredness was there but she pushed it away when she reads her father's letter to her from yesterday.
Leaning against a wall and unbothered by snow beneath, Aurora voiced out the immature students having snowball fight in the middle of the courtyard.
Dear Aurora Black,
Happiest eighteenth birthday to my little girl. I know I've missed every single one including this one but I hope that one day, we get to celebrate it together as a family with Harry and your friends. Especially Miss Delacour who I want to meet one day if possible based on how you think of her and told me first. Like I've said in an earlier letter, I've arrived in England and I hope to get closer to Hogwarts to see you in person again.
I would've given it to you myself but I cannot. In the envelope, is a necklace gifted to me by your uncle Regulus. Before the dark lord, before I fled from my once home, me and my brother were close. He hoped to one day for me to pass this necklace down to any of my future children but I laughed it off, thinking, at the time, that I won't ever have a child.
Thank you for proving me wrong, little one.
your father, Sirius.
P.S. burn the letter
Aurora could read it perfectly and imagined her father's voice foretelling her every single word and line. Then she took one last look before tossing it in the air, her free hand holding her wand and casted a fire spell that completely obliterated the letter into ashes. Because of the cold, it was now dark ashes planted on white snow by her feet.
Satisfied, Aurora hums and grasps the envelope in her inside coat pocket and grabs the heavy weight inside and investigates.
It was a silver and delicate thread of a chain, its charm a single thread of small yellow feather.
"Have you been here long?" It was Cedric Diggory accompanied by Cho who smiles politely to Aurora who returns the gesture.
"Not long." Aurora simply says, placing the envelope back in her coat pocket whilst keeping her hand closed and protected the necklace. It's the only thing she has that is given by her father. All the letters she received from him was meant to be burnt in the end. "Where's Harry?" She now asks, crossing her arms once more.
"Here, here." Harry struts in the scene with Ron besides him. "Sorry — Are we late? Ron won't stop making excuses to stop every step we took."
It made Cedric and Aurora laugh, knowing full well that Ron Weasley is still embarrassed by his attempt to take Fleur to the dance yesterday. Even more so when Fleur's date happens to be Aurora who didn't mind that he asked first but leaned more to the idea of teasing him about it. Especially when he left abruptly and almost tripped to fall on his face but quickly recovered from what people said.
"My shoelaces were undone, alright?" Grumbled Ron who seemed feverish and nervous.
"Sure they were." Harry remarks teasingly and it brought Cho to laugh. It was Harry's turn to feel flushed and decided to keep quiet.
"Appears that Hermione and Krum's the only one left." Aurora pushed herself to stand properly, walking slowly towards an incoming date of hers who smiled merely at the sight of her.
They've met halfway and Fleur presses a kiss on Aurora's cheek, "Sorry I'm late." She says with sincerity, looking at everyone else. Speaking of, Aurora had her arm behind Fleur's back when she snorts, hiding the fact she was about to laugh in seeing Ron hide behind Harry who was shorter than him so he had to slightly crouch. "Where is Hermione and Viktor?" Fleur asks, looking at Aurora.
"Oh — She mentioned she'll meet us there." Harry informs.
"Okay then, shall we?"
Staggering behind in the path to Hogsmeade, Aurora kept a light conversation with Fleur who appreciates it being as it's early in the morning. The Delacour notices an unfamiliar necklace wrapped around Aurora's neck and reminded herself to ask later. The two didn't notice Ron who kept looking back, partially to make sure that Fleur wasn't making fun of her because of what he attempted to do.
Then at the same time, Ron recalls that vile awful nickname that Ginny created behind Fleur's back. Aurora didn't know of it and surely Fleur didn't as well. If ever Aurora did, who knows what would happen if she learned that there are people beyond Ginny who is still aren't over her being involve with Fleur.
"You look like you haven't slept."
"I actually haven't yet," admitted Aurora who nudges to the side when Fleur hits her arm.
"It was a tiring day yesterday and you're telling me you didn't sleep at all?" Fleur couldn't understand as she kept noticing the tiredness under Aurora's eyes but managed to laugh or grin wickedly. Then Fleur would be lying if she said she doesn't find it pleasing.
"Mind stopping by the candy shop later? I promised your sister I'd buy her sweets."
"There's no changing your mind, is there?"
Aurora simply shrugs before taking Fleur's hand as her own. Even by the cold and shivering weather, warmth spread across them in heat of their body temperature. This time, Fleur holds back and rests the side of her head on Aurora's shoulder as they peacefully walk.
Entering the Three broomsticks at this early hour should be illegal. It was nearly deserted and now brought to life by Viktor Krum's boastful and deep voice, leading his new and profound friends to a table large enough for all of them. Doing so, Aurora and Harry stays behind to get them drinks.
"Little bit early in the morning, isn't it, kids?" Madam Rosmerta says, hanging about behind the bar counter, eyes heavy and hair in a bit of a mess but tied up to counter her hungover state. It was known to only Hermione and Harry that Ron fancied the british woman. Then again, so did many students in Hogwarts
"Four butterbeer, one coffee and three tea, please, Madam Rosmerta." Aurora simply smiles, looking around for a moment and sees two students at the very corner of the inn. "And you are not drinking beer at this age and hour." She points at Harry who seemed offended.
"I can handle it."
"Sure you can." Aurora rolls her eyes, "You, Hermione and Ron will be drinking tea."
After retrieving the drinks with Harry's help and also paying already, both returns to the table which filled with chatter between Cedric and Krum. "Coffee, really?" Cedric comments after he had helped distribute the drinks despite Ron and Harry's disagreement of just tea.
"Sod off." Aurora takes a seat between Fleur and Cho, perfectly content with her freshly brewed cup of coffee that kept her hands warm as she held it between her palm.
Fleur looks between the two and lets Aurora settle down, "Are you trying to get me drunk?" She asks with playfulness, not familiar with a butterbeer but it seems and sounds like there's alcoholic content in it.
"I thought you wanted to try it." Aurora chuckles, felt warmth spread across her body almost too instantly when Fleur rests her hand on her knee without saying anything of it.
"And you? You're okay with coffee?"
"I don't like drinking." Aurora admits with a light shrug. Ever since she tasted one drop of liquor, she didn't see herself drinking another. It felt like drinking alcoholic beverages was a way to drown out of her problems like what her mother did behind closed office doors in the manor. Plus, "And I don't like the taste."
If Aurora was to drink, she'd feel like her mother in occasions. Elias and many more like the Weasley twins teased her about being a lightweight but she just went along with it, didn't see an excuse to tell them the real reason why.
"Makes you more admirable." Fleur smiles softly, finds Aurora adorable. Though her fearful expression was always there, Fleur would've never guessed that Aurora wouldn't touch the kind of beverage her friends would willingly.
Upon the feeling of being criticized because of it lifting, Aurora slowly relaxed and realized she needed to stop expecting Fleur to act like the people she knows. Because ever since she's been showing bits of the side she'd rather hide, Fleur's done nothing but feel appreciated she's willing to make an effort in expressing herself.
Extending an apology to their friends, Aurora and Fleur decided to take a little stroll before going to Honeydukes to buy Fleur's sister sweets like planned. Upon their leave, Cedric got in a good tease to them and told them to be careful seeing as the wind was picking up. The only one seemed to be sour about it was Hermione.
Again, like anyone else, Hermione was worried of Fleur's veela heritage affecting one of her good friends — Aurora Black. It was no secret everyone fancies Fleur because of looks. Then no one could really tell if Aurora is only about to engage a relationship because of the irresistible allure. And like Hermione, Ginny was reluctant of it as well.
They resented Fleur, secretly accused her of bewitching Aurora because of her title and to use her for the Triwizard tournament.
Though they never really do hear what Fleur and Aurora talk about when it was just the two of them like now. The way they walk in deserted streets of the village, footprints planted by each step they took and would remain there until another pile of snow covers it.
"I've almost told you my entire life history. You haven't given me much to go on about you." Fleur was currently wearing Aurora's scarf that represented the color of her house — Slytherin. Despite the wretched cold and wind, Aurora managed by something as simple as Fleur holding her hand as they walk to their pathway.
"My life would darken yours." Aurora says as if it was something to be proud of but her tone is sorrowed, damned.
"Not everything about my life is so perfect, Aurora. You must know that by now." Fleur could understand why Aurora is still resilient about her own life to tell. Judging by how students in Hogwarts fear her because of her last name despite being the most generous person there is, Fleur wanted to know her not because of her family. But because she likes her deeply enough to know she is seen in perspectives that isn't correct.
"I'll make it worse."
"Since when do you inflict bad influence?" Fleur scoffs but only to Aurora's amusement of it.
"All the time. You should see how Daphne reacts when me and Eli —" Interruption by a great story, Fleur steps in front of her and their bodies almost clashed but Aurora was quick enough to stop just millimetres away from the blonde Veela. "Fleur." She smiles slightly, bringing her hand up and delicately brushing away a strand of hair blocking Fleur's face.
Even that abrupt and heart flattering action didn't falter Fleur who stood ground.
"I can't go on like this forever." Fleur says firmly, not wavering when Aurora's expression shifted to a worried one. As if she was scared to lose whatever was between them. "My patience runs low too." She reminds and slowly smiles, almost to assure Aurora who seemed in between conflicts, eyes lost. "Come, I believe the store is —"
When Fleur turns around, Aurora reached for her wrist and quickly turns her back with a gentle tug as their bodies finally clashed. As it did, Aurora brought her hand up and gently captured Fleur's lips with her own, leaving the latter breathless by such contact that she forgot to function.
Like she had expected, Fleur's lips was soft, sweet as it moved on hers. Warmth spread across her face and caused a burning sensation in her chest, felt her own beating heart heavy and rung in her ears. Fleur took hold of her shoulder and cheek, softly grazing her thumb on Aurora's cheek. It was difficult to restrain herself to not feel Aurora, to not feel her closer as she flushed their bodies together impossibly closer in the bright and perfect day.
Then when Aurora pulls away, it left Fleur to a conclusion when she opened her eyes that she should've savoured the moment much more delicately than she did.
"There are things I know that you shouldn't. It would get you in trouble." Aurora confesses, couldn't bear to see Fleur get in serious trouble if she knows about Sirius Black and that he is innocent and that he's hiding in England again. Aurora wanted to tell Fleur but would it cause a whole different problem to her father that he didn't need?
Still has her eyes closed, Aurora relaxes when Fleur slowly and gently runs her thumb on her right cheek again, the Black leaning on her touch. "You can trust me."
"I do trust you." Aurora says too quickly, sighing and dropping her head down in shame. "I'm just scared to lose. . . you." Admitting it out loud felt as if a weight was taken off her shoulders.
Fleur shakes her head, "You can never."