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CHAPTER ELEVEN:
REALITY HITS
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When the twenty-sixth of September came around the birthday boy, Luke Murphy, would have been seen curled up to the currently Aurora Black. The sun was shining into the room, and the two turned around and faced one another.
She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Happy birthday."
"Do you feel all cried out?" Luke asked, ignoring the fact today was his birthday.
She shakes her head, and sniffled. "No."
It had been a few days since her and Harry broke up and in those days he hadn't spoken or acknowledged her presence even once. In those days, he would either clear away when he saw her or completely act as though she wasn't there. Every time she looked at him, she just wanted to burst into tears but for some reason it never happened until after she left the room.
"Today's not about me though, it's about you. Happy birthday!" she grinned, and out of nowhere Luke watched as she pulled out a birthday banner from under her pillow and threw it at him. "Happy Birthday -"
"You've said that too many times but thank you. How long have you had that banner under there?"
"All week. I have the entire day planned out -"
"I just want to stay here with you." he mumbles, moving closer to her and resting his head in the gap of her neck. "Its weird not having a birthday with my grandmother. This is the second one. I miss her."
Aurora brings her hand up and places it across his temple, and softly brinde her fingers back along through his hair. She never forgot about the amount of pain Luke was put through during his life. He was bitten when he was a child by a werewolf, he suffered through social anxiety for so many years, and his grandmother died a little over a year ago.
"I'm always going to be here for you." she told him quietly, and his eyes flickered up to meet hers. Out of everyone she had come to known and trust, Luke would always be number one at the top of that list. She looked down at him. "Even when you don't want me to be, if you ever want to talk anything. I love you Luke."
Luke, who was looking at her like her words made him want to cry, nods softly. He leaned up and pressed a kiss against her forehead. "I love you, and the same goes for you."
For the first time in a few days, sunshine came through the windows of the Burrow and directs itself towards Luke. He rests his head in his hands and props himself up by his elbows. His hair becoming less tussled by the minute compared to when he woke up. His auburn eyes filling with curiosity as he looked at her.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"I don't ever want to talk about it." she admitted to him quietly. She had contemplated what Harry told her about talking about it. She couldn't see it from his point of view about how it would benefit her. "The Other World, I can't see how talking about it will make a difference. I know everyone wants me to talk about it, but I can't."
Luke looked at her. "I know you don't want to talk about it."
"It's not that I don't want to, I can't."
"I get it, you weren't conditioned growing up to talk about things." he mentions with a small nod. "It's going to be a while before you're gonna want to talk about anything."
Slowly she nods. "Why doesn't Harry get that? Why didn't he get that...."
"He doesn't know...." Luke trailed off, and when she gestured for him to continue he did. "He doesn't know about the way your grandparents treated you. He only wants what is best for you. You know how everyone deals with grief differently? Harry deals with it differently, he would want to talk about it, unlike you. He doesn't know what you're been through."
Her heart raced at the thought of her grandparents and she found the room getting smaller. She sat up in her spot and brought her legs up to her chest. Every time she thought about them, part of her felt like she was being dragged back into the basement in that house.
He placed his hand on her back, and she felt comfort at the touch.
"Your grandparents took so much from you, your innocence, your childhood, they took that from you." he whispers. "Don't let them ruin more."
They fell into a small silence and she was the one who indicated it by not replying to him. Her grandparents wanted to have control of her life even though she hadn't seen them in months. They wanted control of her. Had she been letting them have control over her? Was she letting them control her again?
Should she tell Sirius about the way she grew up?
For a long time, she did deny that anything was wrong with how she grew up. She told herself it was something that just happened and didn't affect her, but now she was seeing differently. Was the reason she didn't want to talk about her feelings to Harry because she never talked about anything that traumatic that happened to her?
"I know it's going to take time and I know that right now you don't think it'll help you but...just consider it?" Luke asked eventually. "Just consider the thought of telling Sirius...not even Harry...just Sirius."
She found herself glaring at him, but when he gave her the smallest of glares back, she stopped and sighed.
"Alright. . . .I'll consider it." she told him and even saying that sounded wrong to her, but she didn't go back on her word and would do so.
"Fantastic, I'm going to go get a shower."
Whilst Luke took his shower, Aurora went downstairs in the hopes Sirius had returned and gotten her the gift she got for Luke. She walked down the stairs and saw James, Remus and her father all laughing. Laughing with no a care in the world. It was nice to see. She liked seeing all three of them this way.
"Did you get it?" she asked, coming down and looking between Remus and her dad. "Please say you got it."
"I got it. Hold on." Sirius grins and gets up from the couch, and goes into the kitchen. She waits a few moments until Sirius comes out with the tiniest of dogs.
It was a little adopted pug.
For the first time in a few days, all three men watched as an oversized smile came on her face.
"Oh my god, he is so cute." Aurora whispers, getting down to the floor and allowing the puppy to prance over to her. It jumps into her lap, and she frowns. "He is the cutest dog I have ever seen. Aren't you a good boy? Aren't you the cutest little puppy in the world....."
James glances down. "Have you ever had a dog?"
She hadn't. "No, never."
Before he could ask anything else, Harry came in and her eyes flickered up to him. Granted, it was still very awkward between them but considering he wouldn't even look in her direction, it wasn't that bad right now. However, it was still incredibly awkward.
The puppy without hesitation jumped from her lap, and ran over to Harry who picked him up in his arms as if a child. He must have bonded with the dog this morning.
"What do you think Luke will call him?" Remus asked, brows furrowed. "He looks like a Piper if you ask me."
"No, he looks like a Wilbert-"
"That's the name of a pig, Sirius. I think he should name him Walter." James replied, eyes rolling. "Originality is important here."
"He'll choose a good name." Aurora says after a moment. Her eyes flicker up towards Harry who held the puppy and pressed a kiss on it's head, she was sure his tight black jumper was covered in the pups hair. Clearly he didn't seem to mind though because he was giving heart eyes at the dog.
"Did your bitch of an aunt of and uncle ever have a dog?"
Harry tore his eyes away from the dog and towards his father. "Petunia and Vernon? Merlin, no. They couldn't even take care of me let alone a dog."
"That's sad." she muttered.
Harry's eyes flickered to hers for a split second before returning back to the dog. "You're adorable." he muttered looking down at the dog. "I want to keep you myself."
"Right. Are we ready to go to the Ministry?" Sirius questioned, sending her the smallest of smiles. She tore her eyes away from looking at Harry, and towards him. "They said we can come in whenever we want."
Aurora nods figuring she might as well get it over and done with. "We can to now, maybe? It could take forever and I want to spent the rest of the day with Luke."
"Figured." Sirius nods.
"Right, Remus you're staying here I presume? Talk to Luke about that thing?" James mentioned standing up, and grabbing his coat. Aurora's eyes narrow and she looks between them, thing? James turns back to Harry and Sirius. "It'll just be us four then?"
"Why do I have to go?" Harry asked rudely.
Aurora sent him a look, but made no comment, and instead diverted her attention to the dog.
"Harry." she heard James say lowly. "Don't you want to go anyway? Er moral support-"
"Why? We're not together anymore. I don't care."
"Harry-"
"What? It's the truth. We've broken up so I don't need to go with her for moral support. Besides, she's not exactly upset about us anyway."
His words stung. They shouldn't have affected her as much as they did, and she knew she shouldn't have felt the prickle in her chest at them. She was the one who broke up with him. She knew this was going to happen.
But still. "I'm going to get my jacket and tell Luke we're leaving."
The second she left the room, Sirius turns to Harry. "Harry I love you and I'm not trying to nose in on whatever went on between you two but I don't want to hear you talking to my daughter like that-"
Remus cleared his throat.
"I know you're upset but just take it down a notch, alright?" James told him softly. "You need to give it time-"
"You don't know what it's like-" Harry began.
"I chased the same, one girl since I was eleven and now I'm living in a world without her! How do you think I feel? You got your Lily back, I didn't." James says. "It doesn't matter if you're not together, you still have her back. Don't mess that up."
Harry pauses.
"No one is saying you need to become best friends with her again, Harry." Remus stated softly, "All we're saying is that you two fighting won't be good for anyone. You're both going through a lot right now. Maybe at least try and become friends again."
Friends, Harry thought bitterly, how could they possibly be friends?
★ ★ ★
The interview didn't go as badly as Aurora hoped. It was fine. The only bad thing was the fact that she had to lie and claim Voldemort must have been the one to have brought her back.
James also forced Harry to come and back her up with her lie. Him coming made it better because her and Harry looked like they had some sort of epic love story that Voldemort had to kill her to make him in pain, to make him weak.
In reality, it felt like they were both strangers.
"That didn't go as badly as I thought it would." she mentions coming out of the room she did the interview with. Harry, James and Sirius follow her out of it. "I thought it would be a lot worse."
"I'm glad." Sirius muttered under his breath. "It could have gone a lot worse."
"The article should be out tomorrow morning." James whistled, as they near the elevator at the end of the hallway. "You'll finally be able to get back to Hogwarts."
She stops walking but not because she wasn't excited to return, but because she realised that she would be back to being around Harry regularly. They were in the same friend group. Typically that didn't happen with ex's. Granted, before they broke up they were around each other almost every hour of the day, but now, she couldn't even stomach to be in the same room as him.
She quickly tries to push those thoughts aside and instead steps into the small elevator.
She went to the back and stood beside Harry whilst Sirius and James stood in the front, chatting away.
Her eyes flickered over to Harry, and he must have felt her eyes on him because he retracted his eyes from the sign on the wall to meet hers.
His eyes only stayed on her for a moment, very briefly, just for a few seconds. In those seconds, she just wanted to say three little words and tell him how much she'd loved him.
But then she reminded herself of what she'd done to him.
He turns away, as she did and she patiently waits for the stop.
Aurora was doing her best to swallow the lump in her throat that started to form. When he had looked at her, all she could see was green. She didn't see anything in them. He hated her. It was so painfully clear.
Something just clicked in her head, not her head, no, her heart. Some sort of realisation happened and she came to terms with the idea that she would never be with him again. The idea that they weren't even together for that long. After everything, that they were finished.
Even after what her mum told her: her and Harry ended up breaking up.
She kept her eyes on the elevator door, especially when they started to become full with her tears at a rapid race.
Stupid emotions, she thinks, trying her best to shove the thoughts out of her mind, she miss the days when I would never cry and could hide this-
She thought of Harry, whose favourite colour was red because it reminded him of Quidditch, and who grew his hair out in fourth year because she told him in third year he should. She reminded herself how he'd changed her perspective on relationships, and his comfortable he always made her feel. The security from him was almost overwhelming at times. The way he waited years for her to even come to terms with her feelings and never pressured her to replicated his ones. The way he wouldn't kiss her for the first time until he knew she was finished with Beckham because he didn't want to cheat.
The way when he could never hold in laughter, even if he wanted to. Typically in Snape's lessons mostly. She loved the way before he smiled the corner of his left lip would twitch upwards.
And how ultimately he was trying to look out for her and she ended up hurting him.
It would have been easier if it was just a normal breakup between them but it wasn't. It was also six years of friendship that was over.
She felt his eyes on her, and she couldn't turn to look at them.
It took her to long to realise that there was tears coming down her face, the ones she tried to hold in. Not only was it bad because she was crying in public but because first of all, Harry was next to her, and Sirius was in front of her.
She brought her hands up to wipe the tears, and Harry was still looking at her.
Thankfully the door opened and she quickly pushed past James and Sirius. Not hearing the Potter boy who called her name in such a small, unhesitant voice with an extended hand.
Harry left but didn't go after her.
Both James and Sirius stepped out of the elevator and sighed.
"I don't even know which one of them to begin with."
"I think we're going to have to stay out of this one."
★ ★ ★
Belle nourriture, was a four star restaurant that opened during April earlier that year. Remus had booked a massive table outside for them all - which included Molly, Arthur, Sirius, James, Remus, Harry, Luke and herself.
"What happens if someone knows me?" Aurora asked as they all sat down. She went to sit across from Harry but when he saw this, he moved up and swapped seats with James. She could barely see him as she sat down. She sat in between Luke and Remus. "What happens if someone takes a picture?"
"It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. The Ministry should have the official statement put out by tonight." Sirius stated.
In response all she could do was sip on her water, she was glad that was over with now.
She picks up her menu and examines it. Her eyes flicker around the table and land on Harry who was squinting at the menu, even though he had his glasses on. Then, they landed on James who was doing the same. Sirius seemed to be engaged with reading the menu and she noticed he was reading the French version of it rather than the English. He must have picked up the wrong one.
"What does this say?" Luke asked her, pointing down to his menu. "Or what is it?"
"Moules Marinières. They're mussels that are soaked in white wine broth with shallots." she answered, and watched his expression. She pointed down the menu and added, "You should try and Hachis Parmentier I think you'd like it."
"Bonjour, what might I get you started with this evening?" comes a voice and she glances up to see the waiter. Everyone begins ordering and she only caught Harry's, until Luke did his.
"Ah, I would the meele marnsores?" Luke cleared his throat, attempting to pronounce the word. "Mules...maerine?"
"Il veut le Moules Marinières." Aurora imputed, and he turns to her.
"Oh, une jolie dame qui parle français? Qu'est ce que je peux vous servir?" the man asked.
"Oh." she mumbled, "Et j'aurai la Soupe de Poisson à la Rouille."
"Merci beauté." the man says with a smile. "Si vous souhaitez autre chose, appelez-moi."
Right, she thought with a nod in his direction. She liked when waiters were friendly. However, she was a little confused when he continued to stand there and stare at her waiting.
"Er.. ....you can go now. Thanks." Aurora told him with a nod in his direction. She didn't spare him another thought and turned to Luke and mumbled. "What was he waiting for? A tip?"
"He was flirting with you."
"No he wasn't...." she laughs out.
Luke smiles softly. "Trust me, he was."
She sunk into her chair, holdings her head in her hands. "I didn't notice."
"I didn't know you speak French." James mentions and she nods. Who taught you?"
I didn't really have a choice but to learn it. When she was ten years old she vaguely remembered being a nuisance to her grandmother which resulted in them trying to take as much time away from her as possible, piano, French lessons. Although they hated her and didn't think she deserved nothing from them, they always thought her speaking French was important. Considering that side of the family spoke and mostly lived in France.
"Uh I had a tutor when I was younger. I mostly grew up talking French in my house. I'd like to go live in France after Hogwarts though. I've only been there a few times before."
She noticed how at this Harry looked up.
Sirius wanted to cry at that, part of him forgot that she was growing up.
"James, Sirius how did the interviews go this morning?" Molly questioned, and both men quickly gave
"Interviews?" she interjected, eyes flickering back and fourth between the two. Just by the look on her dads face, she knew he hadn't intended for her to know that information. "Oh, no. What are you both planning?"
"After some careful consideration and taken into account what you said about wanting to return to Hogwarts, James and I have decided we are going to work there."
"What?" Harry's face turned pale. "What do you mean you're both going to be there?"
"We'll both be working in Hogwarts!"
"But no! You can't be here this year. If it was any other year then maybe but not this one. This is the year, it's my year. My sixth year is a big thing. You know?!" Aurora exclaimed and everyone at the table turns to look at her.
Sirius's eyes narrowed. "Why is sixth year a big thing? What are you planning to do?"
"Yeah, Aurora." Luke grins with the smallest of smirks. He turns to her, eyebrows raised. "Tell us what you were planning to do this year?"
"I.....I," she paused. The first thing that came to her head she could most definitely not say. She sent Luke the smallest of glared. "It's just an important year for me. I've learned that with every year that you should treat it as though it's your last."
Sirius grins happily. "Good point but with me being there with you in Hogwarts, nothing will happen-"
"Literally." she whispers to herself. Literally, nothing would be able to happen with him around her for that many hours everyday. Not to mention it would be kind of embarrassing having him there. Of course, she loved him but still, that was awkward.
"There was an opening for two muggle studies positions in Hogwarts. Dumbledore already knows about you being back and when we saw the opening for the jobs, we told him right away." James said after a moment. "So, once everything is sorted we'll be your new professors!"
"But.....you're both not a muggle studies professor?"
"Really? I didn't know that." Sirius told her, sarcasm lacing his tone. "Obviously we have to go and do a small training course for a month before we can go and work there!"
"But what about Snape-" Harry began.
"Let's not spoil dinner with that." James cut him off so quickly the second the professors name left his sons lip. Instantly everyone at the table didn't press any further.
Thankfully a few moments afterwards the food came out and that occupied everyone.
Aurora was happy with Sirius' words but not the idea. She was happy at the fact that Sirius was now a free man. He could do whatever he wanted now. They could go anywhere. She had wanted him to be free from the moment they had met (even thought she did hate him). It was hard to even comprehend that he was allowed out of Grimmauld, like right now, he was sat in this restaurant.
Aurora twirls her food around on her fork but made no attempt to eat it. I miss Ron, I miss Ron a lot. Even though I really don't want to admit it I miss Hermione too. In the middle of her thoughts, she turned to Luke who was attempting to twirl his food with his fork, extremely confused.
She smiles softly, shaking her head at him before returning back to her food. She looks down at the plate and makes a face before deciding she had enough.
Harry got up and left and entered the restroom after a few moments. He'd gone in there for no reason. He just needed air. He felt like he was suffocating. He was suffocating and it was no one except his own fault because he knew the risks of ever getting together with Aurora and still took them. He still took them: he knew there was a chance their once secure friendship could be ruined and now, it was.
The last few days were making him realised how wrong it was for them to get together. Not wrong, but stupid.
"Your friend does she have a boyfriend?" a voice asked, and when. Harry turns he sees the waiter.
"Friend?"
He points outside and Harry follows his finger towards the beautiful black haired girl who was laughing with Luke. Her grey eyes glistening as she placed her hand over her mouth to stop her laughter. She did that because once she let it slip she'd found her laugh was loud. Harry didn't think that; he thought her laughter could drown out all that was bad. It'd been the first time he'd even looked in her direction in days. For a moment he didn't want to look away.
The welling feeling started to flare when he turns back to the waiter. Instead it was replaced with something that clawed away at his insides and made his boil boil. He had an urge to jinx the waiter into jelly.
"Yeah she does." he said. "Her boyfriends also best friends with Voldemort I heard, he's a secret death eater or something like that... so I wouldn't go near her."
The waitors eyes widened. "Wow thanks mate."
"No problem. I wouldn't talk to her again if I were you."
He knew it was most certainty not his place to say that.
The issue was Harry knew the moment he started looking back into her eyes was when it would happen all over again: he'd fall in love with her. Or maybe he'd fallen in love with her more, because he knew that it would be months before he would get over her.
That's why he decided not to look at her anymore.
Outside Aurora had stood up deciding it was time to give Luke his present. Thankfully, Fred and George had been minding it out in the park across from the restaurant. She greeted the boys and quickly took the puppy back to the restaurant.
She came up behind him and covered her eyes over his. "Keep them closed."
Luke waited a moment, and the waited another few moments, until suddenly something had licked his face. Instantly, he went to move his friends hands from his face.
"Aurora, I thought we agreed you'd stop doing that-"
"Luke, that's not me!"
Instantly he he gently took Aurora's hand off his eyes, and when he looked down he saw the smallest of pugs. It sat by Aurora's legs, glancing up at him. His eyes widened, and without hesitation he took the dog into his lap.
"Oh, my...." he mumbles, eyes softening at the puppy. "It's a baby pug. My favourite dogs. Where did you...how did you....is he for me?"
Aurora nods, and leans forward hugging him. "Happy birthday."
"I take back what I said, I do like birthdays."
Luke grinned widely as he held up the puppy who already liked him. "I have the perfect name. Otis."
The dog looked up, and it was clear it was a good name. Luke held the puppy in his arms happy. His smile was infecting. Her eyes flicker across to Harry who glances away from Luke and over to her for a moment. She looked away and down at the dog.
At least Otis the pug was happy.
★ ★ ★
The day before she was returning to Hogwarts, Luke had brought her O.W.L results in. The two of them sat by the window and opened them.
Aurora's eyes scanned through the sheet of parchment and when she saw her Muggle Studies result, her face flattered in disappointment.
Her hands flew up. "I....I....I failed muggle studies but that's the one I worked the hardest on."
Luke gives her an assuring nod. "But look at all the rest of them! You got how many O's again-"
"I failed the muggles."
"You did not fail them-"
"I can't believe I failed it! I-I'm so disappointed."
And suddenly she had started crying. Luke though she was joking and he went to laugh before realising she had been completely serious. It was so dark, her eyes looked more charcoal than grey and they had been filling with tears so fast he didn't know what to say.
"You're not crying about the muggle studies exam, are you?" Luke asked, although by her cry he didn't even need her to answer. Aurora had many different types of cries and he knew which one this one was.
"He hates me. He hates me so much." she cried and he leaned forward wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back to him.
She stayed wrapped up in his arms for what must have been fifteen to twenty minutes.
"He lied to you for a year, Aurora." when he says this, she pulls away and looks at him. "He kept something big from you and you forgave him for that. He had a choice to tell you about your dad but he didn't, and you forgave him for that. The least he can do is forgive you considering the entire reason you broke up with him was because you're scared you're going to hurt him. He needs to get over it."
She'd never heard him sound so brutally honest about something. He didn't seem to regret his words and as she thought about them, she understood what he meant. It was true, she had forgiven him rather easily for lying. She could have dragged it on for months but didn't because at the end of the day, she cared about their friendship.
"I still love him."
"I know you do."
She sniffles. "What if I never fall in love with someone again? What if he was my one?"
"Then you end up alone with ten cats, me and Otis."
In between them, Otis wakes from lying down asleep and comes up and lays on Aurora's stomach.
"Did you see that?" Luke asked. "That was him confirming he'll live with you even if you end up alone."
"Shut up."
At least she would have Luke and Otis.
★ ★ ★
I just remembered people who never finished this book before it was edited don't know what Luke does to her grandparents!
I am very surprised I updated, let me know what you think of this chapter? I didn't love it to much but glad I got to update!