I want to thank https://slink-man.tumblr.com/ @slink-man for doing this amazing draw of Aurora! <3
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Aurora was sitting in her room, stroking Kimora's soft and white fur. Her blue eyes were observing Aurora, as if she knew she was feeling hurt.
The first lesson she was going to have was Defence Against Dark Arts. She remembers, that on the first day, she arrived late, all dirty, full of eggs and flour on her hair. Professor Caput helped her clean up. She remembers how he didn't even let her thank him. She remembers he giving her, her first compliment since she had arrived at Hogwarts.
The thought of Caput in that room, hearing his voice say those things, makes Aurora's heart tight. She feels disappointed and betrayed. And today she had to look at his face...
"Here is what you asked."
Espen entered the dorm, with a toast with butter and a cup of pumpkin juice, in her hands.
"Thank you." Aurora said, grabbing the food. She didn't feel like getting down to the Great Hall to have breakfast.
Espen sat on her bed, beside Kimora, petting her.
"Are you feelling better?"
Aurora nodded her head, calmly.
"I should have told you that snooping on other people is wrong. Maybe that would have made you stay." Espen spoke.
"At least I know what they really think about me..."
"You don't need to see a good side on everything, Aurora. You're hurt. No need to act strong."
"I don't know how not to." She said, looking at her hands. Her blue eyes were tired and empty. Crying washed away all the hope she still had and all the excitement she felt from being in Hogwarts. Would she be able to regain it once again, after having her heart stepped and beaten like that?
It was time for the first class, so Aurora, alongside Espen, Hillary and the usual duo, Lynx and Caspar, headed to classroom 3C.
She stepped in the room, where her eyes met a man leaning on a small staircase near the chalkboard. He noticed her, standing, immediatly, with his back straight, like a shiver just ran through his body.
She kept walking to the front of the classroom, averting her eyes to the floor. She sat on her seat, beside Espen.
Professor Caput opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped, when he heard the sound of the door opening. It was time for him to start his lesson.
Slowly, he came down the stairs, glancing at Aurora. She didn't care if he was looking at her, she just kept staring at the table.
"Has any of you ever heard of the Knockback Jinx?" Caput asked.
His eyes roamed around the room, searching for someone who knew. Aurora knew it very well. At this precise moment, she wanted to use it on the professor. But she didn't answer, she didn't want to talk to him.
Professor Caput looked at her. He suspected that she might know the spell, but would not dare to speak to him.
Mirabelle raised her hand in the air.
"Yes, Mrs. Moriarty?"
"It's a jinx that allows the caster to jolt an opponent or an object." She said, lookind down her nose.
"Yes, very good." He said, indifferently. Mirabelle sneered, unsatisfied with his response. She thought, that if it was Aurora, he would be happy enough to give her some points. "This spell can also be used to push or activate bewitched switches."
Professor Caput walked in the middle of the tables, with his hands behind his back.
"Today, you will learn how to cast it. The incantation is 'Flipendo'."
"Professor?" Theodora, a Gryffindor from Mirabelle's group, spoke.
"Yes, Mrs. Crane?"
"Will we do it to an object or a classmate?"
"Given that this is your first lesson about this spell, it would be best if you used it against an object."
She nodded, in understanding.
Professor Caput told them to grab their books and put them on the floor, in front of every student.
Aurora grabbed tight to her wand and pointed to the book. She knew the spell, she had already done it, but what if Caput talks to her, complimenting her good work? How can she know that he is truly happy? Will it be just a façade? A trick? That thought scared her, somehow. For some reason, Professor Caput's opinion about her, mattered a lot to her. They barelly knew each other, but she felt safe around him. He didn't had a fatherly aura, but she still felt protected, whenever he was around.
"Aren't you going to try?" Hillary asked. "You're standing there like a scarecrow."
"I'm just lost in thoughts." She said.
"Is it because of what happened yesterday?"
Aurora played with her wand, between her fingers.
"It's nothing." She responded, after a while.
Hillary sighed. "Sure."
Aurora stared once again to the book, laying in front of her. She couldn't stand there, freezed, untill class was over.
"Flipendo!"
The book was knocked back, being thrown to the other side of the room. She didn't have the intention to give such a strong blow.
She glanced to the side and saw Caput. He was looking at her, but he didn't speak, just nodded. He did nothing. Maybe that's what it was. Nothing. Everything she does. Nothing.
Aurora pointed her wand to the book and, without saying nothing, the book came flying to her, softly through the air. She wasn't the one doing it. Yes, she intended to cast the Levitation Charm, just to bring the book to her, but she wasn't able to do it non-verbally, yet.
She looked around and saw him. It was him. It's always him.
Professor. She thought.
She didn't thank him, she became angry. Why was he helping her? What does he want? Aurora was getting tired of his bipolarity.
"Flipendo!" She casted the spell in the book, while it was still in the air. Because she was angry, the book was jolt far away from her, dashing above the heads of the others, who would put their hands above it, with the intention of protecting themselves.
Professor Caput waved his wand and the book stopped, paralized, in the air. He looked, bewildered, to Aurora, who was frowning in annoyance.
Class was finally over and Aurora couldn't want to get out of a room so much than at that moment.
"Next class will be outside. You don't need to bring your books."
The students nodded in agreement and got out of the classroom.
Aurora packed her things, as fast as she could.
"Mrs. Mavix, I would like to talk to you."
His words echoed in her head.
She turned around to Espen, with her eyes widened, like they were begging her for help. Espen leaned her head slightly to the left, with a sorry face. She couldn't do anything.
Aurora breathed deeply and waited for the others to get out of the room.
When silence reigned there, she could hear his footsteps approaching her. Her eyes were locked on her table, without flinching from it.
She saw his fingers touch the table, right in front of her eyes. He was already standing in front of her.
She closed her hands into fists. She couldn't stand it.
She stood up from her seat, with her eyes always stuck on the ground. She walked, hastily, towards the big doors in the other side of the room.
"Aurora!" He spoke. She kept walking.
"Please listen to me!" But she didn't listen. She just wanted to get out of there.
She reached the door and a feeling of relief dashed through her body.
Suddenly, the doors closed themselves.
She stopped, with her eyes wide open, confused.
"Listen to what I have to say."
Her body trembled. His voice was so close. When did he get so close to her?
She grabbed her wand and turned around, immediatly.
"FLIPENDO!" She shouted at him.
With a move of his hand, he dismissed the spell. Was she crazy? She tried to attack a teacher!
"Flipendo!" She said, again. Caput would, easily, protect from it, walking in her direction. "Flipendo!"
He raised his hand in her direction and then brought it back, snatching Aurora's wand from her, and grabbing it. He stared at it.
An obsidian. He thought.
"Will you listen to me now?" He asked, with cold eyes.
"Why? So that you can lie to me again? Use some kind of trick?" She replied, angry.
"What you heard yesterday-"
"Was the truth." She took a step backward. "You want to watch me, investigate me."
"I only said that so that the other teachers would stop taking Fuscus' side! If they took his side, you would have been expelled! Is that what you want? To be expelled from Hogwarts?" He explained.
She stood silent.
"No, sir." She answered, expressionless.
Professor Caput frowned. Sir? He thought. She never cared much at calling him that. She was trying to act distant and cold towards him.
"You don't need to call me sir." He spoke.
"I'm sorry, Professor, but you're wrong. I'm not different from the other students. You're my teacher, so I have to show you some respect."
He frowned again. He didn't like see her act like that.
"Why are you acting like this?" He asked.
"Because I feel betrayed. Because you didn't tell me what was going on. Because the other teachers hate me, secretly." The coldness disappeared from her eyes, as a hurted look replaced it. She tried hard to cover it, trying to have no expression at all.
Caput moved, slowly, in her direction. "I'm sorry..." He said, standing in front of her. His blue eyes staring at hers. They were trembling. She could see he was being honest. But she wanted to deny it. He had lied to her before. Maybe that was one of his tricks.
He grabbed her shoulders, softly, standing at the same height as her.
"Everything I do is to protect you. I would never hurt you, Aurora."
"Why? Why do you care so much?"
He remained silent for a little.
"Because I know there's more to you than your name. And you're my student. I have to protect my students."
Aurora knew there was more that he wasn't telling her and, no matter what, he wasn't going to say it.
He kneeled on the floor, still looking at her. He shown her, her wand.
"I understand now how you were able to do that Patronus." He spoke. "The obsidian."
Aurora looked at the black crystal on the bottom of the wand.
"It's good against negative spiritual influences. Did you know that?"
She nodded.
"Mr. Ollivander told me about it."
"Mr. Ollivander made this wand, right?"
"Yes. I'm the first person he sold it to."
"And why is that?"
Aurora noticed a grin be built, gradually, in his face. He was happy that she was speaking normally with him, again.
"Because I was the only one able to wield it. The others' energy would be slowly drained, but with me, the wand doesn't hurt me. It's like it has..." She stopped, for she thought stupid what she was about to say.
"Feelings." Caput said, like he had read her mind. "Althought wands cannot think or communicate like humans do, they can act on their own, like deciding on their owner. The wand chose you, because your character doesn't conflict with it. It must have been waiting for you."
Aurora also kneeled on the floor and grabbed her wand, from Caput's warm hands, and examined it. It was certainly beautiful and the obsidian gave it a more mysterious look. She liked her wand, very much.
"What about your wand, Professor?" She asked, curious. "You don't use it much, that's why I've never seen it."
From his black cloak, he took a slightly dark brown wand.
"Pine, horned serpent horn." He spoke.
"Horned serpent horn?" She asked, bewildered.
"Yes, from the time I was in America. It's kind of special. It can sense danger and, to allert its owner, it emits a musical sound, very soothing, very pleasent."
"It seems special."
He smiled.
"Indeed."
She stared at her wand.
"Professor, could I ask a favor of you?" She inquired.
"It depends. What is it that you need?"
"Could you teach me how to perform the Patronus Charm?"
He seemed surprised at first, but then smiled at her.
"I see you are a curious child, with the necessity of broadening your horizons, both in knowledge and skills."
"A little of curiosity never hurted anyone."
He grinned.
"I don't see why I shouldn't teach you." He stood up, reaching his hand for Aurora to grab. She gripped it, rising from the ground. "During your spare time, I'll meet you here, in this classroom, so that you can train."
"All right."
He looked into her crystal blue eyes and flashed a delicate smile, that made Aurora's body warm.
"Now, off you go, or you'll be late to your next class." He said, pointing to the doors, that opened, immediatly.
He accompanied her to the entrance of the room.
"You speak like an old man." She said, laughing, walking away.
His eyes widened, with surprised.
"I-I do not." He stuttered.
Caput saw her stroll away. When her figure was out of reach for his eyes, he turned around and headed to his office on top of the stone staircase.
He sat on his chair, leaning back and staring at the ceiling.
"Do I speak like an old man, Fairfax?" He asked his barred owl, with dark eyes, yellowish beak and grey-brown feathers. Fairfax hooted, like he understood what he asked.
"Even you?" He chuckled. "I reckon you're both insane."
↢ * ↣
"Let me see if I understood correctly. You're going to have private lessons with the man that lied to you and wants to keep you under surveilance at all times. No, no problem at all. Instead for, let me think... Have you gone mad?!" Espen said, frowning at her.
The usual quintet was walking down the hallway, heading to the Great Hall.
"I have to agree with Espen." Caspar spoke.
"He's just going to teach me how to use my Patronus. Nothing to worry about." Aurora replied.
"Come on, guys! I'm hungry!" Hillary stated, walking faster than the others.
"Let's talk about this when we reach the Great Hall."
As they entered the Great Hall, Aurora tried to find Professor Caput amongst the other teachers in the High Table.
There he was, sitting next to Headmistress Imogen, as usual.
They sat on the tip of the Slytherin table.
"I just think it's a bit suspicious that he is always nice to you." Espen said.
"Stop being so worrygut." Lynx spoke, putting food in his plate. "Maybe he likes her. Or maybe he just wants to protect her. That's the duty of teacher, right?"
"I guess... But he has this weird mood swings. A second he's being nice, the other he's being cold."
"Don't you remember what Lucas said to us on our first day?" Caspar asked. "That there was a rumour that Caput liked Professor Nyx."
"Yeah, I remember that." Hillary spoke, with her mouth full of food.
Lynx sneered. "You are so not ladylike."
"Go see if I care."
"Anyways... I remember it too."
"Yes, Lucas did say that." Espen declared. "The both of them are young and beautiful. I guess it could be true."
"Why are we speaking of this stupid rumour?" Aurora asked, taking a bite to the roast beef in her plate.
"Don't tell me you're jealous?" Lynx asked, with a smirk on his lips.
"Of course not! I don't like teachers. He's old and speaks like an old man, did you know that?" She responded, immediatly.
"He's not that old. He's only nineteen and you'll be twelve in january." Lynx informed.
Aurora bit her lower lip.
"Shut up, Lynx. Stop talking nonsense."
He laughed.
"Stop teasing her, Lynx." Caspar said.
"Why? Do you prefer that I tease you, instead?" He replied, with a glamorous smile.
"No, thank you."
Lynx hit Caspar's forehead, with his palm. "You're too dumb."
The girls laughed, already understanding what he meant.
After finishing her dinner, Aurora went to Classroom 3C, where she found a tall blonde man, standing in front of the room, like he was awaiting her.
He turned around to look at her. She took a glimpse at his azure eyes, just like a cloudless sky. They stared at her, while she moved closer.
How can Lynx think that I like this guy? She debated to herself. He's an old fart.
"So, where do we start?" She asked, clearing her mind from useless thoughts.
"I want to show you something." His soft voice spoke.
He took his wand out from his cloak and waved it, roundly, in the air.
A sudden bluewish light appeared, floating in the air, roaming in the room. It started forming a translucent sphere.
"What is it?" Aurora asked, curious.
"It's my Patronus." Caput answered. "In its uncorporeal form. I manipulated it so that it could form this orb."
"Why?"
"It's good to capture dark creatures, such as Dementors and Lethifolds. I took as a reference, Newt Scamander's magic ball that imprisoned a small portion of an Obscurus."
"That's so cool." She said, impressed. "Are you going to teach me that?"
"No." He answered. "At least not now."
Then why did you show me that? You show-off. She thought.
"Try to conjure your Patronus."
Aurora nodded, taking out her wand from her robe.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Nothing happened.
"You have to say it like you mean it."
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Try again."
She said the same words again, but received the same result as before.
"You're not doing it right." Caput said.
"Well, if you teached me, correctly, maybe I could do it." She spoke, sassily.
He sighed. "You have to think about your happiest memory, like you did in the Forbidden Forest. What did you think about?"
"I thought about a lot of things." She said.
"But one of those things is the right one. Think, Aurora."
"I think I know which one was..."
She stopped for a moment to recall it. She recalled the place, the people, the sounds, everything in that memory.
"Expecto Patronum!" She spoke, loudly.
A shiny light came out from the tip of her wand. It looked just like a bright strand of hair. However, it was still small and vanished quickly.
"That was good, Aurora." Caput said. "It was bigger than the other one."
"I guess..." She sighed.
"Don't worry. With training you'll get there."
The lesson went on and on, with Professor Caput teaching her to only think about positive things, to channel her energy to her mind and to not let the atmosphere interfere. By the end of the lesson, she could only perform an uncorporeal Patronus, just a little bigger than the ones before.
Aurora was exhausted from all her trying. She sat on one of the tables in the classroom. Caput did the same, sitting in front of her.
"It went well." He informed.
"I wish I could do it bigger."
"You're almost there."
He stopped for a moment like he was choosing the words to speak.
"What were you thinking?" He asked. "When you performed the spell?"
"A boy." She said, calmly.
"A boy?" He cleared his throat. "Your boyfriend?"
"No." She laughed. "I don't even know him."
"You don't know him... But he is the happiest memory that you have."
"Yeah... It's odd, I know." She said. "I went to a muggle school and at five, I already could do things that people thought were impossible and weird. When I was six years old, I was at the park and a group of guys from my school were mocking me, calling me a freak, like I was some kind of aberration, or whatever. But then, they started floating in the air. They were so scared." She chuckled. "I know I shouldn't be laughing... Then, a boy, maybe with 14 years old, appeared, out of nowhere. He was the one doing it. He released the boys and started throwing small rocks at them. I didn't know how he was doing it, but it scared them off. He was just like me, a wizard."
Professor Caput leaned forward, resting his head in his knuckles, paying attention.
"He came to me and asked if I was all right. I said that I was, now that he was there. Before my father came to get me, we spent the afternoon together." She looked at Caput. "Do you remember what you told me, in the Hospital Wing, after my encounter with the Dementor? You said that I was special and that I shouldn't let people tell me otherwise. That boy said the same thing to me. Exactly the same thing... But he disappeared the moment my father came to bring me home."
Aurora played with her fingers.
"I felt lonely... However, that day was the best day of my life and he made me love being me, being the girl who made things fly. He made me love being a witch."
Caput smiled, not like his usual grins, but a delicate, full of warmth and tenderness, kind of smile. He stood up and kneeled in front of her.
"I don't remember his face at all, but, still, this memory never vanishes."
"It's a good memory." He spoke, gazing at her, with a gentle voice.
Aurora opened her mouth to say something, but the minute the words left her throat, she regretted it.
"Is it true you like the Headmistress?"
His eyes widened with the sudden question.
"What-"
"Forget it!" She declared, not letting him speak.
"Why would you think something like that?" He chuckled a little.
"I said forget it." She insisted, trying to find a way to escape from that place.
"Now I want to know." He looked for her eyes. "You're not getting away, before you tell me."
"How mature of you, acting like a spoiled child." She said, frowning.
"I absolutely love acting childish." He mocked her. "So?"
"It's a rumour that I heard in my first day. That you liked Professor Nyx." Aurora explained.
"Rumours are nothing more than lies." He said, serious.
"I was told that rumours tend to be true."
"Well... She certainly is an attractive woman." He said, glancing at her.
"Then marry her." She sneered.
Professor Caput smirked.
"Yes, maybe tomorrow I'll ask her to marry me." He showed a deceiving stern look.
Aurora's mouth opened wide. "Are you serious?" He looked so rigid, that she believed it.
"I'm always serious. I even have your approval."
"You don't need my approval."
"You're right." He glanced at his watch. "Oh, look at the time! Off you go to bed. Quickly, now." He waved his hands, hushing her to get up.
"No. Wait-"
"Yes?" He asked, trying not to laugh. "Is there anything you want to say, Mrs. Mavix?"
Her face reddened. "No. I mean! Yes! I do not approve."
"Oh, and why is that?" He raised his eyebrow.
"Sh-she is way to good for a guy like you."
Now he was filled with indignation. "A guy like me?" He scoffed. "For your information I'm 'way to good' for almost every girl and I tend to be very picky."
She rolled her eyes. He certainly was a show-off. There was a side that she hasn't seen before.
"But so you know, Mrs. Mavix, I do not fancy Imo- I mean, the Headmistress. It would be very odd if I did, I assure you."
"Why is that?" Aurora asked.
"You really are a shameless girl, and nosey and meddlesome. Have you got no decency?"
She sneered.
"Well, anyway... This little chenanigan was payback for you calling me old." He smirked.
She stood up. She was incredilous. How could she have fallen for his lies about he wanting to marry the Headmistress?
"You're old and a show-off. And you speak like an old man. You geezer, old fart." Aurora snapped at him, running away through the big doors, heading to her dorm.
"That snobby, cheeky little girl..." Caput mumbled, clentching his jaw.
He looked through the window and stared at the dazzling cold night. A small grin appeared on his lips.
"That old fart... Codger..." Aurora mumbled to herself, as she got in the Slytherin common room.
"How did it go?"
She heard someone ask. She turned to the fireplace, where her usual mates were hanging out.
"I still need to train a lot." Aurora told Espen.
"You seemed a little angry." Lynx spoke. "Did your crush say something unpleasent?" He mocked.
Her eyes narrowed, treatening him. He shrugged his shoulders. "Just kidding."
"Where is Hillary?" She asked, trying to find the wavy haired gluttonous girl.
"She's already sleeping." Espen answered.
"I should go too. I'm tired." Aurora said, heading to her dorm.
"I think she likes him." Lynx said.
"You think too much." Espen replied.
"They are student and teacher, Lynx. And not to forget the age gap of eight years." Caspar said.
"Such killjoys." Lynx mumbled. "Whatever. It's not like it has anything to do with me, anyway."
He looked at Caspar.
"Shall we go to sleep, Casp?" He asked.
"Sure." He nodded.
"Remember. If you feel afraid of the dark, just call my name and I'll sleep by your side." He smirked.
"I'm not afraid of the dark."
Espen rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to bed. Goodnight, guys." She said, going back to her dorm.
"Let's go." Caspar said, leaving the common room, with Lynx.
While the others were sound asleep on their beds, Aurora was dwelling in another nightmare, where a perfidious voice haunted her mind.
She woke up in the middle of the night, as usual, with her heart beating fast.
She went to that place again, to that room full of corpses. Why was she dreaming constantly about that? And where in the world was that place?
Aurora snuggled in bed with Kimora, wishing that her warmth might chase away those bad dreams.