Aurora watched the four walk inside Gringotts nervously. She wore a black cloak over her jeans and leather jacket, not much for a disguise but it at least hid her tattoos that easily gave her away.
She stood in an alley across from the bank, wand gripped tightly in her hand as people passed by her.
She kept her head down and eyes up, feeling disoriented in her current location as it's been months since she stepped foot in Diagon Alley.
"Have you given any more thought to us moving? Just for the time being," a soft voice said near Aurora.
"I told you, Mary, we shouldn't be so far from him."
"He won't be far, Amos," the soft voice reasoned.
Aurora turned her head at the name of Amos, eyes widening when she saw the middle aged couple standing close to one another mere feet from her.
They both looked tired.
Mary turned her head when she felt Aurora's eyes on hers. Aurora quickly turned her head and looked back at Gringotts, willing them to hurry up.
"Hello..."
She mentally cursed herself and slowly turned around, "Hi."
Amos stepped forward, "Au-" he cut his words off when a group of people passed by. He beckoned her over and she reluctantly obliged.
"Don't worry, we won't give you up," Amos quietly said before turning to Mary, "Mary, this is Aurora Black. Aurora, this is my wife."
She had never met either of them, yet Amos spoke to Aurora as if she was an old friend. Mary had tears in her eyes as she shook Aurora's hand, "He told us so much about you."
Aurora's breath hitched, "I... I don't know what to say."
"What are you doing here?" Amos worriedly asked, "You're being hunted."
"I have my reasons. What are you two doing out?"
"We have to go to Gringotts," Mary answered.
"Don't," Aurora said, "Go home. Please. Just... trust me."
Amos glanced at his wife before turning to Aurora, "I won't ask why you're here, but I trust you have good reasons," he quietly said, "Please, Aurora, be careful."
Mary brought Aurora in for a hug, "Thank you for all you've done. Thank you for being so good to our son he... he really loved you," Mary quietly whimpered, "He spoke so fondly of you in his letters to us."
"I'm sorry I couldn't save him," Aurora quietly said.
Amos shook his head with a faint smile, "None of that. It wasn't your fault."
Aurora sighed, "I'm glad I could meet the two of you, but please go now."
The two nodded and turned back around, Mary sparring Aurora one last glance before disappearing around a corner.
She let out a breath, but felt strangely liberated. His parents showed no malice towards her. They showed her kindness and believed her.
Aurora stayed in her area for 30 more minutes, until the most unexpected happened.
A dragon. A fucking dragon.
Her eyes widened at the sight of it breaking through the roof of Gringotts. She caught a glimpse of Harry on top, and she took deep breaths, trying to focus on apparating there. With a crack, she was on top of the dragon and holding onto Ron for dear life as it flew away.
"What happened?!"
"Several things, Aurora!" Harry yelled back.
After sometime of flying, they found an opening to get off of the dragon. The four fell into a lake, Aurora and Harry falling close to one another. She grabbed onto his arm when she saw him struggling, and she saw flashes of Voldemort penetrating Harry and her own mind.
She tried to fight it off while trying to stay above water, but she found it increasingly difficult. She saw a flash of Hogwarts and Rowena Ravenclaw and then Voldemort angrily destroying a room at the knowledge of...
She let go of Harry and gasped for air when she was finally above water. She swam to shore with everyone else, "I have to leave for a second,"
"What?" Hermione asked.
"He knows. About the Horcruxes. He knows I found the one in America," Aurora rushed.
"How did he get into your mind?" Ron asked.
She shook her head as she took off her cloak and leather jacket, muttering a quick spell to fix her jacket before the damage was irreversable.
"I don't know. I was holding onto Harry to keep him above water and... I saw him. I have to go get the Horcrux."
"It's not with you?!" Harry asked.
"Of course not! Look at what it's done to me!"
Harry sighed, "Okay just... don't be gone long."
With that, Aurora apparated away.
She arrived at her and George's shared home, wand raised as she walked inside. She searched each room to make sure nobody was with her before walking to the old cupboard where she found the letters her mother wrote to her. She was about to wave her wand to disenchant a box that the Horcrux was being held in before she heard footsteps behind her.
She quickly stood up and turned around, eyes widening at the sight of her brother.
She lowered her wand, "Draco..."
She remember he had no weapon due to Harry taking his wand. She sat hers down as a signal of peace before they quickly embraced one another in a tight hug. Despite everything, he was still her brother and just about the only family she had left.
"Are you doing okay?"
"I don't know," he said as tears streamed down his face. He hugged her tighter, "I'm so sorry."
She shook her head as they pulled apart, wiping away her own tears, "No. I should have come back for you. I'm sorry. I should have never left you alone."
He looked down at the floor guiltily, "I let it all happen. Zoya was tortured for months and I did nothing. At least she's out now. Is she doing okay?"
Aurora stilled, "Uh, no she..."
Draco looked at her, "What?"
"She's gone."
He stepped back and turned his back to her, "It's all my fault."
"Not entirely. You... this is all you know, Draco. You're a kid."
"It's not an excuse. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Following the Dark Lord."
Aurora stepped forward, "Keep following him."
He turned to her, "What?"
"It'll keep you safe. Draco, I need you to promise me something," she started. He looked at her expectedly, "When the time comes, you need to run away from the fight."
"Why? So I can just be more of a coward than I already am?"
She shook her head, "No. So you can stay alive. As much as you've pissed me off over the years, I can't risk you dying too. None of this is your fault. Please, for me, run away from the fight as soon as you can."
"Lor– Aurora..."
"Why are you even here?"
He looked around, "He sent me. He's sending people out to look for..."
"The Scythe?"
He nodded, "Is it here?"
"I can't say."
"So then what do I do? Lie to his face? He'll kill me."
Aurora sighed, "Don't lie then. You came here, looked around, and found nothing. That's not technically a lie."
"But it's not the whole truth."
"It's enough. And if he sees through it, tell him the truth. Better him come for me than you."
He shook his head, "I won't give you up."
"Don't try to be a hero."
"So I'm to be a coward?"
Aurora sighed, "Yes."
Draco looked around warily, "There are others. Looking for the Horcrux."
"Did you come here alone?"
He paused, "No..."
"Who did you come here with?"
Before he could give an answer, Aurora stormed outside with her wand raised. In the distance, she saw Lavinia standing over her parent's graves.
"Expelliarmus!"
Lavinia was disarmed and she turned to Aurora with wide eyes. She stormed up to Lavinia and pushed her up against the tree, her wand pointed under Lavinia's chin.
"Do it," Lavinia whispered.
"What? Not gonna try to defend yourself? Crucio me again?"
Lavinia stared down at Aurora, "It wasn't me."
"Quite the excuse, that is."
"I- I think it was the Dark Lord. When I killed Natrix and Hesperia. The Dark Lord couldn't do it himself, so he manipulated me into doing so. Gabriel Hemlock has kept me under his thumb for years," Lavinia whispered, tears brimming her eyes.
"What's changed?"
"Snape. I don't know what he's been giving me, but some things are coming back."
"You're still insane."
"Insanity is just apart of me, now," Lavinia said.
Aurora glanced back at Draco, who was standing distantly from the two. She turned back to her aunt, "Does he know?"
She shook her head, "Severus had the idea to send us here. Narcissa supported it heavily."
"Why is that?"
"Because they know if you're here as well, we'll come back alive."
"Draco will. I'm not sure about you."
Aurora let go of Lavinia and stepped away, picking up her wand and placing it in her coat pocket.
"Is the Horcrux here?"
"I'm not telling you that."
Lavinia slowly moved away from the tree, "Are you going to kill me?"
"Still deciding."
Aurora walked back into her home and opened a closet, pulling out an old broom that moved awfully slow. She walked back out and gave it to Draco, "You both will leave and tell the Dark Lord that you found me, and lost the fight."
"He won't believe it," Lavinia said.
"He will. You found no Horcrux, either."
"You expect us to lie to his face?" Lavinia asked.
Aurora threw the broom down onto the ground, "This is me showing you mercy, Aunt."
She turned to Draco and hugged him once again, "Stay safe, baby brother."
"Thank you," he whispered.
With that, the two mounted the broom and slowly took off.
Aurora walked back inside and made her way to the cupboard, taking out a wooden box. She disenchanted it and pulled out the Horcrux and basilisk dagger. She placed the two items in her bag that had an extension charm, placing a protective bubble around the Horcrux before placing it in.
Just before she was going to apparate back to the three, the door flung open, Celestina and Augustus tripping over their feet looking disheveled.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Augustus asked.
"I could ask you two the same thing!"
Celestina wiped the bit of blood that was coming from her hairline, "We were attacked. Death Eaters. They were looking for the Horcrux."
Aurora's eyes widened, "Is everyone okay?"
"I– no," Celestina said sadly.
She felt her heart drop, "Who?"