"You're an idiot." She giggled.
"Me? No." He too couldn't help but laugh.
Theo and Aurora were not exactly good at withholding their playful banter. Sat, in the back of the classroom, they brewed the potions Slughorn requested they mix. Although, they payed little attention to the board, rather too fond with what the other was doing.
Theodore, although had been ordered not to by his professor, splashed particles of the potion onto his partner. The particular ingredients, ticklish when met with flesh. She attempted to withhold her laughter as the droplets of mixture cascaded down her neck.
"It's so bad." She gasped for air, squirming uncomfortably beneath his featherlight touches and ticklish sensation of the potion.
Thankfully, the universe had chosen to conceal their relationship, they were not the only troublemakers in the classroom that evening. Partners and students joked and mucked about within the stone walls of the dungeons like there was no tomorrow, attention had not been dragged toward them in the slightest.
Laughing teenagers filled the room as beads of translucent liquid soaked through their pores, evoking giggles and silly fun.
"Please wipe it off me." She cackled, "Please please!" The girl squealed. He had no intention of helping her, rather laughing along as she writhed, desperately attempting to dry herself. His hand trailed up her bare arm, simply working as an addition to the tickled skin. "Ah!" She jumped.
And whilst she turned, slapping the droplets of mystical water, Theodore pulled a small and empty flask, filling it with his new favourite brew. He planned to tease her later.
"You're terrible." She huffed, her eyes skimming through the busy premises ensuring none were watching before she pressed a loving kiss to his left cheek. "You suck." She grinned widely.
"Please, I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you." He grinned widely as her scoff came.
It did not take long after that for their class to end as time did soar as they had fun. Thankful, they shared their next class they approached DA hands in pockets, words flying.
No one else had yet to arrive, lost within the swarm of students, she leant comfortably against the stone wall before the door, awaiting for both their class and Professor. "Absolutely not." She gasped.
"Why not?" Theo whined, their topic of conversation shifting rapidly by the minute.
"Have I said you're awful?" She asked, completely aware she had told him so countless times.
"No I don't think you have." He smirked. "Say it again."
It was not difficult; by that point, for the two to share conversations within public, they remained concealed by the obliviousness and ignorant nature of others, those who simply did not look beyond their noses. However it was hard to do so amongst their close friends. Theodore, not even finished his sentence, excused himself as his Slytherin companions arrived. "Blaise!" He jogged toward his friend. His arm raised, capturing his best friends attention.
Aurora liked Blaise, she liked him a lot. Barely had they ever conversed, and before Theodore, barely had she noticed him. But as she watched the two talk, and Theodore smile so brightly, it was difficult not to like him so.
Theo's hand came before his mouth, a hand on his hip, as they discussed whatever they did. She smiled, as his eyes vaguely flickered toward her, he too smiled back a flustered shade of pink coaxing his skin.
It wasn't until the entire class awaited their professor that he was departed from her direct eye-line. And, as per usual, the very moment class was due to begin within a minute, did Professor Snape, open the door, inviting his class in.
Aurora smiled toward the two who stood beside her. She gestured they walked in before her. "After you." The girl grinned.
It did not take long for her smile to falter, for there she was, unable to walk into the classroom after having invited those behind her to go ahead. Alike it were a year prior, unable to simply put herself first, despite all her training.
Theodore, who stood not too far behind her, pushed through the many students who separated him from Aurora. Offering her a warning look, he raised his own arm. "After you." He spoke. Her shoulders shrugged as the urge to crush him within a hug overwhelmed her.
Whether intentionally or not, since the very second he requested she place down her mask and no longer quake behind a facade, life had become just that much easier, no one necessarily wants to bend over backwards for everyone, and with his guidance, day by day, he was helping her. She offered him her smallest smile, the sincerity of her gaze delivered through the hazel of her eyes. And with a sigh of relief, did she gladly walk past him.
• • •
"It's love!"
"Quite frankly it's disgusting."
"I don't know about you Ginny but maybe you've just never understood what young love is." Ron crossed his arms, chin held high as he smiled endearingly.
"Neville?" The fiery girl sassed. "If I ever act like this with someone and claim to be 'in love'... please kill me." The bystander wizard attempted to withhold the awkward chortal that escaped pat his nostrils.
"Neville?" Spoke Ginny's older brother. "You know me. What Lav and I have is simply special, everyone experiences it at least once. And trust me my friend when you do, you'll understand." He pat the lean teenager twice on the shoulder, Neville smiling uncomfortably unsure as to why he was still there.
"You're vile." She seethed. "Okay," She snapped her lips. "Let's say that this is indeed 'true love' as you say it, then why on earth have you completely ghosted Hermione?"
"S'not my fault Miones gone all jealous!" He shrugged.
"Jealous?" Her eyes widened. So did Neville's. "Jealous!" The quieter, shyer asset to the argumentative trio gulped. "Why you - You're just so full of yourself aren't you?"
"Hey!" Ron called. "Okay jealous wasn't the right word." He turned red at his assumption. "I just-"
"Trouble in paradise?"
Three heads snapped toward the darkened corner. Their attention stolen by the smooth tone quickly turned dark and despite their current differences stood tall as a unit. Well, Ginny and Ron stood tall as a unit, Neville simply retreated into his own shoulders. He'd get there, Ginny thought.
"What do you want?" Returned her snippy tone.
Theodore released a throaty chuckle, pressing the bud of his lit cigarette into the wall. As he did so, the florescent ember withered to nothing but a flaked piece of blackened ash. A final puff of smoke hugged the air before his lips as his smile dimmed.
"Uh uh." He tutted. "We're friends now, no?" His eyes filtered from face to face and back again, assessing the clear signs of pure detest that clouded their heated vision, even Neville did not fear to frown. "Unless you've forgotten our little agreement, huh?" They knew what he meant, none wished to reply. "Oh, you've forgotten already? He knew they knew. "Well you see, around last year-."
"We know what you meant." Ginny's forearms came to rest over her torso.
"Ah, good." His hands clasped together. "Now, I recall doing you lot a friendly favour... with the intention that I would receive one in return." They refused to speak. "Well, I'm here to cash in your debt." He smiled cheekily, almost too friendly.
"Whatever it is you want, I can almost assure you we don't have it." Neville murmured, eyes turned downward the very moment Theodore's eyes glanced toward him.
"No." He shrugged. "No, you do." He swiftly flicked away the beaten cigarette. "I want a date." He grunted, eyes following as each of their brows furrowed downward teasing the top lids of their eyes. Evidently confused, he continued. "With Flores." Their frowns curled further downward. "Oh no need to be all guppy, you heard me. I want a date with Aurora Flores." All three fought the urge to correct him and request he call her Rory. But that would imply he have the privilege for such.
It was difficult for the boy to reveal he wanted such. He had never exactly planned to reveal any suggestion that he particularly fancied the girl, but it didn't take a genius to realise she had wanted a date to Slughorns upcoming Christmas event. She had attempted to vaguely mention it, her voice void of emotion as though she couldn't give a care in the world. And she would've convinced him of such, if it hadn't of been for the tinge of wanting within her hazel gaze.
He planned to get her what she wanted. "So?" He took their lack of response as a moment to defer amongst themselves. "No? Yes? Yes? You have no choice?" He asked as a question, they knew he meant it as anything but.
"Why?" Ron was first to deadpan.
"Oh because I'm hopelessly in love with her." His sarcasm evident despite the smallest hint of a truth that wavered. Theodore offered the bunch a dead glance. "My motives don't need revealing." The young man shrugged. "Oh! And when you tell her about our approaching date, give her this." He winked at Ginny as he presented an empty card between the pads of his fingers.
The plucked it from his grasp, seemingly bothered by his presence and the very fact she had to get so close to him. When she turned it over, the other side remained blank. He'd thought ahead and had already enchanted the parchment of apparently blank paper, successfully concealing his message. "Don't bother, only she can read it."
"When's this date going to take place exactly?" The young girl loathed the very fact he had them cornered, forced to comply with a simple checkmate. She did not wish to expose her dear friend to the likes of the snake filth that stood too proudly before them.
"Let's say." He acted unsure, as if he hadn't been planning their little public date for days now, he knew how much she'd wanted one. "Christmas!" He smiled. "Slughorns Christmas party. Sound good?" They remained tight lipped, he had predicted so anyway. "Tell her to wear pink!" He called, reversing away from the three. "She looks ravishing in pink."
Concealed, once again, by the shadows of a dark and dreary Hogwarts castle, did he leave the three all by their lonesome. Having neglected their previous argument for a more serious problem and to bask uncomfortably within their new found dark and dreary emotions.
• • •
"He did what?" Came Hermiones aghast shriek. "As if he couldn't be more vile, more horrid." She shivered.
"My guess is, we wants a way into Slughorns' Christmas party for whatever evil reason he has conspired." Ron scoffed. "Figured he'd slither in through our Rory."
"Disgusting git." Harry seethed toward the empty wall, his hand clutched tightly to Rory's open palm. As his losses doubled, his clinging followed, it was hard, Aurora found to depart from the seemingly lonely boy. She gripped him tightly. "You okay Rora?" Harry questioned with sincerity. His tone completely switched as he addressed his practical sister.
She had yet to say anything, focused on withholding the vigorous blush that desperately tried to coax her freckle ridden cheeks. The red broke through, however, and coloured the button of her nose. Her friends assumed such had occurred through rage, she allowed them to believe such. The giddy swirl of her tummy thankfully something they could not notice.
"Yeah." Her shoulders shrugged to her chin. "He's awful." She feigned a chill.
"Yeah, he is." Ginny frowned, Neville pursing his lips from behind. Their group going quiet as Rory did so, Ron and Hermione, despite their differences abandoning the piling distaste for one another for their friend. It was nice, Aurora thought, they were all back together, despite how fleeting it may be. "Oh." Ginny remembered, her hands in her pocket. "He asked we give you this"
It was there, that Aurora noticed the folded strip of parchment sat between Ginnys two fingers. She collected it from the redheaded witch's grasp eagerly, noticing the curious eyes that assessed her expression as her eyes skimmed over the words that marked the spelled, palm sized page.
_________________________________
Surprise gorgeous,
You wanted a public date, here it is. You and me... and a whole bunch of people? Just like a real, normal couple.
Love, Theo :)
_________________________________
She hated how big she wished to smile.
How good it would feel, to beam her finest grin down toward his thoughtful words. Instead, her face remained stoic and detached, as if his writing bothered her more than it did amuse her. The smily face, as she read it, evoked a chuckle, and she could not help it.
She attempted to conceal her small laugh as an unimpressed scoff, which it partly was; as a result of his blatant idiocy. His moronic tendencies were growing brash as they had been sneaky.
"So?" Ron nodded. "What does it say?"
"He's such a moron it's amusing." Aurora swiftly excused her tiny laugh. "I'll go." She feigned disappointment. "Because apparently we owe him?" The witch shrugged hopelessly, her acting proficient as it was admirable. "Would rather give him a date than the secrets of the order, right?"
She was offered no signs of any amusement, instead dull and dreading nods of encouragement. She smiled, in hopes to ease their spirits... and her urge to squeal as if she were a twelve year old girl, offered her very first Valentine rose.
"Won Won?" Aurora cringed, as did the rest of them, even Ron himself. "What are you doing?" Rushed in none other than Lavender Brown, her hair bouncing with each step, as she fiddled with the sleeves of her pink knitted cardigan, Aurora could faintly hear the jangle of her beady earrings as she approached a true sign of the girls presence.
She pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek. Some days it was hard for Rory to watch them interact. Her heart filled doe's paired with his tight lipped grins truely revealed the genuine intentions of both. They were no match, Aurora knew, but the both needed love and affection and were willing to offer such, despite how wrong they were.
So she kept quiet and declared herself ready for bed, offering the young and naive Ron a loving squeeze to his shoulder, he accepted it gracefully before the boy was pulled up and dragged away from the group which was once again incomplete.
Rory passed the dimly lit fireplace, her finger trailing gently over the patterned red walls as she made her way towards the stairs and to her dorm room, where she would collapse within a dreamless, heavy sleep. On her way up, she could hear the faint whines of Lavender Brown "What we're you doing with her?" Her insecurity breaching through her gentle whimpers as she feared she'd be alone again. It made Aurora simply sad to say the least.
Finally, alone, and eloped within the silence that was the absence of people, did she open her bedroom door, her roommates passed out and sleeping. She leant against the wooden planks of wood. Envelope to her chest, she grinned bashfully, and as her body gave in she slid down the closed door.
• • •
A peaceful breakfast at Hogwarts was difficult to achieve. The very few who managed to have such, awoke at the flinch-able time of five-six o'clock. Breakfast at six was a quiet and peaceful time to eat, those who chewed slowly on their foods and fought to part their sinking eyelids. There was no endless chatter, no food fights and definitely no noise.
Suffice to say, Aurora had wished she had awoken earlier.
The causal roar of the great hall was simply driving her up the wall, any complaints simply fell to deaf ears considering it simply how it was. Although she could definitely see the detain within her Professors expressions as they too attempted to eat.
A spoonful of porridge rested in her mouth as they spoke, her head rested against her palm and eyes falling heavy. The noise serving as a repetitive bang within the roof of her head. "Can this just not be a quiet place?" Hermione too shared her opinion.
"Right?" Aurora practically stood, on her chair. "I just want quiet." Her voice wavering as she feigned defeat. Those around her laughed. Great more noise, she did not dare to say. Harry playfully rubbed her upper back as he chuckled. She smiled into his shoulder.
It was a particularly bright day considering how thick the cold season proved to be. The gentle hue of golden rays kissed their complexions and enhanced the dull colours of Northern Europe.
Aurora couldn't help but notice the orange glow of hair from across her as Ginny spoke her lovely chatter with her Hufflepuff friend who was there to visit the Gryffindors for breakfast. She could notice the similar glow from very far down the table where Ron sat. He hadn't sat with them in days.
He chewed on his food, savouring whatever substance he could grab before collecting it all upon his plate. Lavender next to him, spoke gossip amongst her own band of friends. Her hand rested lovingly upon his shoulder despite his attempts to brush it off and extend his arm to reach for more food. As he scorfed down his many slices of toast, Aurora took more notice to the disgusted glance Lavender continued to offer as she scolded him greatly.
He didn't seem to mind the scolding much. In fact Aurora could notice the particular content he had for it.
Hermione scolded him often. Or she used to.
Her smile dimmed. Ron's head happened to turn her way as it did so. She waved, he did so too, eagerly at that, not many of their previous friendship group still did so. Harry sure, they were best friends, that hadn't meant that the bridge had not faltered slightly, for it had. Rory fought to keep him close, he was after all practically family just as Harry was.
The Weasley boys eyes skimmed over the table, she couldn't help but the sufficient notice to the way his eyes lingered on Hermione, Rory sighed before she turned away.
Beside her, she felt the gentle weight of the long plank chairs shift as a body flopped down. The others payed no mind the new addition. The table, long and windy, was for everyone, and whoever happened to sit by Rory most probably had no intention of speaking to her.
Except they had.
"It's Rory, yeah?" Came a muffled voice, she could hear the munch of their food as they spoke. As a reaction to the call of her name she turned her head, but was met with the face of none, it took her a moment to look down, and there sat next to her, a tiny thing, was the first year she had met before.
The one Theodore had payed.
Oh. She smiled warily. "Hey, and yeah it's Rory."
"D'you remember me?" He smiled as he snatched the last muffin from the tray, taking a large bite from the pastry treat.
"Yeah." She nodded. "Yeah I do."
"You know, your boyfriend has birthed a business of mine." He grinned down at his food, his hands small in comparison to hers and the food he held, the boy particularly small for his age.
"Oh?"
"Yeah! Now, here I am, making fifty galleons a day." He sat up taller, it made no difference. "I'm Nathan." He offered his spare hand, the other plopping a grape down his mouth. She shook it politely.
"Pleased to meet you Nathan." She grinned. "How exactly did Theodore set you up with such a business?" Her eyes narrowed, smile still wide.
"I'm doing jobs for him." The boy shrugged, eyes focused on his red mug filled with coffee. She paused. Coffee? "Hmm, I love my coffee."
Her eyebrow raised as she sipped her own.
"What jobs exactly are you doing?"
"Confidential." He pretended to adjust imaginary glasses. "Just some simple errands, this and that. You know yesterday I got him a dove!"
"A dove?"
"Yeah, I can get away with a lot undetected, you know... being small." He smiled awkwardly as he gulped down his coffee. "But it's worth it. Your boy toy'a rich, you picked em' good." The child winked. Cute.
Auroras eyes shifted up toward her 'not; but sorta boyfriend' from across the room. He was staring at his plate. Pansy, from beside him rolling her shoulders as she spoke. Whatever she said must've been funny because out of the blue she watched as he snorted, eyes still downward.
From across the room, separated by rows of ignorant students and oblivious ghosts, did she spot the hesitance in his smile and the conflict through his gaze. Something, hidden far past the filter of his persona bubbled a plague. And just as he noticed the flaws of her 'altercated' personality did she find his. He was hiding something.
• • •
"What's the dove for?"
Two figures clothed in black cloaks and raven robes strut through the abandoned hallways of Hogwarts castle, a newfound determination stirred within them as time seeped through their fingertips.
"A test." Theodore frowned, his steps synchronised with his blonde partner. The heavy echo of the empty hallways served as a soothing rhythm for them both as nothing else but silence cascaded down their spines.
"A test?" He scoffed, adjusting the lining of his sleeves in feigned disgust. "What for?"
"You'll see."
Theodore's lip curled in pure distaste as he passed through the threshold and into the room of requirement. Layered with dust and dirt the room disgusted him. Where he could place his finger and it be coated in brown filth was a place he'd dare not touch. Draco, who's nose was upturned seemed to share this opinion.
"I hate this place." Malfoy hissed as they made their way past the obstacles of random furniture. Two rich boys lost in a room of grit and mould, gasping as they touched anything that did not offer them their reflections when exposed to glossy light.
The wardrobe, having been scrubbed squeaky clean by Malfoy during his one of many emotional crisis's as he fought to fix the cupboard was all Theodore willingly touched... at least whilst sobre.
It somewhat amused the older boy how desperate Draco had become in hopes of mending the death eaters form of transportation. There was a phase Draco had endured in which he had taken to cleaning the closet with his bare hands, something he did only in times of utmost dire, in hopes that a quick wash may fix the portal. It hadn't.
The blonde swung open the dingy door, a line of creamy lean shelves lay empty awaiting for their gift. Theodore revealed from his inner coat a frail bird. With doe brown irises and a mellow chirp, he placed it gently upon the shelf with great sorrow. He stroked the feathered chick once before closing the door and leaving it to its fate in which its survival remained menial. "Harmonia Nectere Passus."
They awaited not long for their results, as anticipation remained thriving within the atmosphere and had the boys on their toes, relief did not sooth them as they heard the magic of the closet door work. They shared a wary look; before Theodore stood up from his conjured seat and approached the cupboard.
It leered over him in a way he knew death awaited for him past the ornate handle. With a shaky hand he opened the door a sharp creak sounding through the large room. He gulped at the sight left before him.
The frail bird now a frail, cold corpse laid on its side; wing strewn across its floor feathers plucked and neck placed in an odd angle. As he assets the bird and picked up its limp frame he could tell the neck had been snapped, by the work of a human hand the life of this creature had been stolen. The work of Bellatrix Lestrange no less. He sighed, saddened by the death of this simple dove, the first death of many he guessed.
He just had to ensure he would not be on the receiving end of a death blow... he would protect himself, him and Aurora.
__________________________________
AN,
Okay okay okay, this is merely a filler chapter don't know how I feel about it. But but but but but, I apologise for my month long disappearance but I'm back now with much much more to write. Currently in Colombia visiting family so it has been hard trying to get more chapters in, DOESNT mean I won't try. Love you all, hope you enjoy xx