★ ★ ★
CHAPTER SIX:
OPEN GRAVE
★ ★ ★
She woke up with a gasp for air.
She was not expecting to wake up feeling the way she felt. She felt like all the life had been drained out of her. A screeching noise rang through her head, it sounded worse than a fork being scratched across a plate. Worse than paper rubbing off each other, or a used out marker wiping against a board. Darkness was all she could see, pure darkness and not a spectral of light shun in her face, it was pure emptiness.
The last thing she remembered was a white light, and a tugging feeling on her body before everything went blank.
She couldn't seen Beckham. Actually, she couldn't see anything.
Her body felt different, her legs felt stiff, her arms felt like she had nothing on them. She moved her jaw around several times, she could feel clicking. She waited a moment before attempting to get up.
That was a mistake she realized once her forehead made contact with a hard wood.
Instantly a painful gasp escaped her dry throat as her body moved itself back down. She gently raised her hand up to to the hard wood hovering above her, as she moved her legs and arms around she realized that it had been surrounding her entire body.
She realised she couldn't move. It was like she had been submerged into a box, suddenly it dawned upon Aurora where she was.
She was in her grave, or coffin in this case. She was under the ground, under the earth some might say. That alone itself terrified her, Aurora wasn't scared of much things but the thought of being trapped was one of them. She moved to her left slightly with the small space she had occupied there wasn't room to extend either of her hands. Her hands which were burning in pain.
Aurora felt a burning feeling rise in her chest as she bellowed out.
"HELP ME." her voice was raspy. She screamed out. "I'm in here. I-I'm stuck. HELP-"
She banged her hands off each side of the coffin as her screams took over the small space. She couldn't do anything and she raised her hands nothing worked. She tried using her mind, and nothing happened. It like was before she died when she used her powers so much and quickly that they stopped.
The more time that went by the more she started to panic.
It must have been twenty minutes.
She was going to die in her coffin. She was going to die. She closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply.
The irony of her dying in her coffin caused her to hysterical laugh before realising just how morbid it was.
She missed Harry. She missed Ron. She missed Luke. She missed Hermione. She missed Sirius. She missed her family.
She never realised that she had a family. Once she left Aleksander Mansion she thought she would be alone, despite the fact she would have her friends, she thought she'd be alone. She had a family.
Which is why she was not going to die today.
She knew her death would eventually come, but not today.
"I'M STUCK IN HERE. SOMEONE HELP." she screamed.
Beckham. Where was he? She hoped he was safe. She thought back to him. She thinks of her mum.
Mum, if you can hear me, I know you probably can't, but Beckham. Wherever he is, please make sure he's safe.
In sheer frustration, she leaned forward banging her head off the box.
She frowns, and groans. "Stupid."
Aurora was cut of her own thoughts when she heard the sound of soft brushes.
She immediately stopped breathing. It sounded like a mouse...or worse worms.
If it was some sort of bug, she was going to puke.
"NOT A WORM." she screamed, shaking the box.
But then as time went on, the sound became more louder and aggressive.
As Aurora listened closely, the sound of soft pants filled her ears. Her eyebrows lightly, it sounded closer to her. She couldn't identify the sound.
Hesitantly, she banged on the side of the coffin as hard as she could.
"I-I'm down here...please help me." Aurora bellowed. "I'm not a ghost a swear! I-I'm really friendly and I'm really rich so if you let me out I'l-"
Suddenly, a loud bang fell against the coffin.
The box suddenly tipped forward from the bottom as if someone had landed on it. She sucked in a breath as her vision blurred from dark to brown.
Slowly the lid off the coffin started to crack open.
Suddenly, she was looking up at the bright stars in the sky. She hadn't seen them in months and realised she was finally home. In the other world, there hadn't been any stars at night, just endless darkness.
Her eyes didn't need to adjust to the brightness because there wasn't one. It was night time, and when she turned away from the sky and towards the figure, her heart froze.
Or started to beat again, she wasn't sure of how it worked now that she was alive.
Luke Murphy stood in front of her, his face covered in dirt. He looked older but something told her they all did now. Not just that, but he also had a scar that trailed along eyebrow - it was barely noticeable but she was so entranced to see him she noticed everything about him.
His orbs widened looking down at her in the coffin, with every slow second passing and in unison the two of them let out a scream: his was off terror and hers delight.
His scream echoed through the foggy graveyard and it woken Aurora from what felt like a slumber-like state.
Instantly she had sat up from the coffin. A rush of adrenaline ran through her, and she sat up.
She climbed out of the coffin. She had no speech, which is why she ended up saying...
"Oh my god, hey?"
Aurora took one step forward prepared to run into his arms, but instead her legs gave out and she fell to the floor.
She kissed the green grass. "Oh sweet Merlin. I have missed you world." her nose scrunched up. "I'm never doing that again."
Luke had gone completely pale in the face whilst he watched his best friend emerge from the ground. She looked like Aurora but looked not like Aurora.
Her face was pale, and her cheekbones had become so defined. Her shirt hung against her body and she looked thin. Except part of her, looked older. Her grey eyes were somehow bigger and her lips were as soft and pink as ever.
"Oh, yes." she says confidently, strutting over towards him. "Death did make me come back ten times more sexier than I already was. However, I am still taken-"
Luke suddenly turns to his side and vomits for a few seconds.
"I'm going crazy, I'm gone crazy. This isn't real." Luke held his head. "I'm gone crazy. I've done this to myself. I'm seeing th-things."
Now he was going insane, he thought as his breathing increased.
Aurora was so wrapped up in the fact that she had been here, here, and that she was officially back that she forgot how terrifying that must have been.
She held her hand out. "Luke, I know this may seem crazy, and I know I died but my mum she brought me back months ago-"
"I'm seeing things, this isn't real." Luke cut her off, shaking his head furiously. "I'm seeing things, this isn't real. You're not real. I've gone insane. I've officially gone insane."
"And I had this whole speech planned but-"
"I'm insane. I'm seeing people-"
"You're seeing me because I'm alive! Touch my hand!"
Aurora knew Luke and any moment he was going to sprint away. She extended her hand and he didn't take it. "Please just take my hand. I-I held your hands every time after the full moon for almost six years."
His eyes burn into hers and he leans across and takes her hand. However he instantly withdraws it. "Cold. Cold hands. Aurora had warm hands-"
"Aurora just came back from the dead! Her entire body is cold and this shirt is to loose. I might freeze to death-"
Luke stepped back, took in her appearance before turning away. She ran after him and fell down again, her legs were like literal jelly. When she was able to stand, she caught up to him. She noticed she was in a graveyard in London, it was one she visited with Sirius once to see mums friend.
"Y-Your name is Luke Jonas Murphy." she stood in front of him, and looked up. "You were the first person I ever told about what my grandparents did to me because you were the first boy I ever trusted. Trust means a big thing to both of us cause we never really many people growing up. You had your grandmother and I...well I had an imaginary friend. You were the first person I ever loved. I realised this when I found out you were a werewolf. When we first met in Hogwarts it was because we spent so long admiring the woods that we-"
He slowly looked at her.
"We missed the boats and everyone forgot about us. We ended up swimming across the Black Lake and we've done so for years. A-And if you leave right now and I think I might just go and jump back into that grave and you'll regret it later."
She gulped and the tears that she held back finally let loose, and strolled down her face. He was still looking at her, but she seen him stop.
"When we became friends and I started to get popular you didn't want to hang out as much. That upset me. Then I realised it was because you didn't want to draw attention to yourself and then I found out you were a werewolf-"
"You said you'd never tell anyone, and promised-" Luke whispers, lowly.
"I promised you that you would never have to go through a full moon alone again because-"
"We had each other."
Before another word could be said Aurora had used the adrenaline in her body as she sprinted over towards him, Luke had been to frozen in his spot to even realize what was happening. As she collided with him she found everything fell into place. He looked at her with his gleaming eyes and brought her to his warm embrace. She sank her tears into his chest as if to ask him to never let go as her arms gripped around him.
Desperation rose from Luke's heart as he clung to the girl in front of him.
Once they had pulled away, he cupped her face, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "How...how are you? How are you here? How are you alive? You - you were..."
She placed her hands over his and accepted the warmth.
"My mum, Luke, she saved me. I met her." his eyes widened with happiness. "We met, she was everything I imagine and more. She saved me. Remember the portal world she build, she never destroyed it like my dad thought. She sent me there, and Beckham. She saved him too. We went to this place, the other world. I had to escape. I'm here Luke, I'm back."
"B-Beckham's alive too? You two have been over there this entire time? You've been alive...."
"I've been alive."
"Your mum saved you both." he breathed, holding her so softly. "She saved you again."
She nods and falls into his chest again. She couldn't stop crying. Luke had clasped her hand and hugged her tightly. This time more tightly, as if begging to make sure she was real.
"What about you?" Aurora pulled away. "How have you been? Why are you here all alone..."
"I visit your grave every day. I never went to your funeral. I couldn't go, I needed time. Everyone was so sad. Harry, Hermione and Ron were all over the Daily Prophet. No one had any idea of you and me. I didn't think I deserved to be there. I was going to leave Hogwarts, leave England...just leave it all. I thought I'd come and visit your grave one last time before I did so. I only heard you because of my heightened sense."
She breathed it out. She would discuss his previous words with him later. "I've never been so happy you're a werewolf."
"Oddly enough, me too. Your dad too, he's been all over the paper. They haven't stopped apologising for what happened."
She burst into tears. "He's-he's innocent?"
Luke wiped his own tears and nods. "He's free."
Moments passed, moments spent with her explaining what happened. She didn't go in any details of anything other than telling him how great her mum was. Aurora shivered causing Luke to stop as he removed his jumper lifting up his shirt lightly whilst doing so.
And as she examined him, she realised something. Luke had changed.
Physically.
Not only had he gotten taller, as in she barely reached his chest now. He was much more broader. His jawline was more defined now, as well as his cheekbones. His features now filled out his face. She never found him not good looking but now he had changed physically in a way that would surprise those who did. He also seemed as though his stutter and waver in his voice has disappeared.
"Since when did you get abs?" Aurora questioned, reaching across and poking his flat stomach.
"Since when did you come back from the dead?" Luke retorted, zipping the jumper up.
It was silent for a few moments before Luke leaned forward and hugged her again. His chin rested on the top of her head. She closed her eyes. Out of everyone, she was glad she met him first. Especially since he was thinking of leaving - that worried her. What had he been doing all these months?
"I love you." he breathed out.
She raised her head from his chest. "I love you, too."
Even though she had always had an issue with saying those three words, perspective had been put into key for her. She realised that she was in the moment, right now all she wanted to do, was be in the moment. She would never hesitate to say those words to Luke.
"What are we going to do?" Luke asks. "What do you want to do? Find Sirius?"
"Yes, not tonight though. First, I've got a really important question."
Luke glanced down seeing the black haired girl struggling to walk. He stepped in front of her and kneeled down. There wasn't a second of hesitation, as Aurora jumped onto his back. He gripped underneath her legs tightly as they walked. She held into his neck as they two made it into London street.
Aurora never thought she would be so delighted by the smell of fresh fish and chip.
"Yeah, whats that?" Luke asked, holding her tightly.
"Is there a late night food store open somewhere around here?"
★ ★ ★
Luke had never seen someone eat as much and as fast as Aurora did right now. She inhaled her food rapidly.
In Luke's and Aurora's apartment in London they both sat on the couch. The apartment was very big and some people might not have realised that behind the pullout couch attached to the wall, was the second half of the apartment where Luke stayed all the months he was gone. It had been two hours since they got here. They stayed low in the streets, and got food. It was devoured by the both of them before they even reached the apartment.
Luke informed her that she had taken over every wizarding magazine since she died.
Also he mentioned the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Blacks bombards had opened.
"What is the plan? Aurora slow down, you're gonna get sick." Luke commented, as she ate a rapid pace.
Aurora glances up at him with a mouthful of chips in her mouth. She doesn't stop.
"Luke," she begins. "None of the clothes in my wardrobe fit me, and my ribs are now sticking out."
"You've always been on skinner side." Luke mentions offhandedly and she glances up at him and waits for him to add. "Cause your grandparents didn't feed you."
"Exactly why I joined Quidditch to get toned!" she groaned. All the work she did went down the drain. Even her wrists felt like mostly bone. She moved onto her bowl of pasta. "Harry used to always comment on how toned my stomach was. He used to always kiss it to-"
"That's enough." Luke quickly says. "Harry, they're all back at Hogwarts. How are you going to tell them? What are we doing?"
"Shit, Hogwarts? What month is it?"
"Half way through September."
"WHAT?" she paused. She thought it was the end of the summer at this stage. She knew she was gone a while but nearly five and a half months? Her mind switched to Harry. "Do you think Harry's....moved on?"
Luke hesitated. "I doubt so, he thinks you're dead."
"Oh, well that relieves my stress!" she yells sarcastically.
Luke wrapped a blanket around her shoulder. She was starting to look a lot better now that she had food. "How are you going to tell everyone?"
Aurora grins like she was waiting for that question.
"I'm so glad you asked. I was actually thinking of pulling a prank, a really funny one that will scare everyone, we put my body on the couch and then-"
Luke stared at her. "Aurora you can't do that. You being dead - or you dying I should say....it wasn't a joke. I don't know about everyone else cause I haven't seen them since you died, but it changed me. I know it changed Harry. I heard he didn't even speak with his dad all summer, he was to hung up on you. I heard Hermione, Ron and Harry haven't spoken. You dying changed everyone. It wasn't a joke."
She hadn't even thought about what everyone else was thinking. "Sorry."
"Even when Sirius left, I don't even think he's been found-"
She spat out her chips. "Still not found? What do you mean my dad hasn't even found?"
"I think he just left to clear his head. Last place he was seen was at the funeral and that was it." Luke answers. "Sorry I forgot you don't know that. I've only seen it in the papers, maybe James or R-Remus found him. I can't imagine he's been gone for five months with no contact-"
"You were gone for five months with no contact."
Luke ignored her. "Plus I say he wouldn't be happy around James, you know? He got their son, and his daughter died."
She frowns. So Sirius was gone.
Luke rose an eyebrow. "You do you know you brought Harry's parents back from the dead?"
"Yeah, pretty cool." she shrugs aimlessly, and eats another chip. "Very cool."
She hadn't told him about Marcos and didn't plan to tell anyone yet.
As minutes went by she wrote Beckham a letter. He told her that he died outside Hogwarts castle and his father left him there, in the woods so he luckily she knew he was okay.
"Aurora please don't ever leave again." Luke says quietly, as she gave his owl her letter. "Please don't leave me here alone, without you. I would prefer to die than have to live in a world without you."
Aurora stops eating and meets his eye. She didn't understand his pain fully, but she could only imagine if the situation had been the opposite way around.
A world without Luke would be a world she didn't want to live in.
"Can you pass me some water, I'm going to need it for when I vomit at how incredibly cheesy that was." Aurora tells him.
Luke rolled his eyes. "Haven't missed your sarcasm. If you that was cheesy imagine what Harry will be like when he sees you."
"It won't be that bad."
Luke noticed how she didn't seem to understand how her death affected everyone.
"Aurora. He'll cry."
She gave him a look. "No he won't."
"Yeah, he will. I think you should tell him first. Send him a letter when you're back to normal-"
"Why him first?" she asked curiously.
Luke sighed. "Because the minute everyone finds out your alive, it's all going to change. I doubt you'll get a spare minute alone before someone is there."
"That's a good idea. I'll write to him tomorrow." her heart sped up at the thought. "What about you? What did you do all this time?"
"After everything that happened, I left and came here. I only told McGonagall that I was here and she told me to take as long as I needed. She brought me food once a month too before school. I stayed in this apartment. The more I heard about everything that happened, the more I stayed away. Everyone sent me letters, especially Remus. He hasn't stopped."
"Oh you're in trouble." Aurora whistled, laughing.
"How was it in the other world?" Luke asked, he noticed she hadn't stopped smiling and laughing since coming back. She was unusually happy. He watched as she stopped eating but showed no emotion. "Must have been lonely?"
Aurora forced herself to smile. "Not that bad. A little lonely before Beckham showed up but after that it was fine."
Without another word, Aurora got up and went into the bathroom and examined herself in the mirror. The one good thing was her hair still looked the same. Aurora found she had also looked unbelievably good looking right now.
"The truth." Luke sighed standing the door.
She sighed. She rolled her eyes and turned around. She didn't want to talk about it, but she knew deep down she needed to tell someone.
"I'm only going to say this once and I don't ever want to speak about it again."
Luke was taken back but nodded.
"It was horrible." she started. "Everything was so empty. Everyday was so empty. I was completely alone and I lost track of the days. Everyday, alone for months. The same weather everyday. The sky never changed and nothing ever grew. Everything stayed the exact same. I knew I was alone, but at first but I felt like I had a million pairs of eyes on me. I felt like I was being watched under a microscope and laughed at every night when I would try not to cry. I did eventually cry though, because I realised no one could see or hear me and it didn't matter. My grandparents couldn't call me weak for crying and I didn't care. It was horrible. I stayed at Grimmauld, despite the fact I hated it just because part of me felt like I was with Sirius."
Luke watched her, she didn't show even one bit of emotion.
"What kept you sane?"
"Beckham."
"He kept you sane?"
"He kept me distracted. I never realised it until now but he did. He made sure I didn't even think about anything other than leaving that place. Everyday he distracted me. Even when I was crying because I was so angry we were still there he still made sure I was alright. He kept me sane." she told him. "I have to find him."
"We will, right now, you just need to rest."
Luke reached over to pick up her hands. "You're home."
She smiles at him, her big grey eyes softening. She was home.
★ ★ ★
FINALLY LUKE IS BACK!!
WHAT DID U THINK? AND TELL ME WHAT YOU WANNA SEE IN THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE? MAKE AS SPECIF AS POSSIBLE!
THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME SHE SPEAKS ABOUT THE OTHER WORLD FOR A LONG TIME.
REMEMBER TO VOTE AND COMMENT AS IT REALLY INSPIRES ME TO UPDATE!