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CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
HYPERION
(A/n: I'm sorry for the long chapter)
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The full moon of November had been one of the worst Aurora had seen Luke go through in a long time. The month of November, in general did go slowly.
After what felt like hours she sat in the hospital wing after changing into dry clothes. Her hair unfortunately had been soaked to the brim and was tied back in a messy braid. Her legs were crossed over her lap and she tiredly looked at the sight ahead of her.
Luke squirmed in pain as Madam Pomfrey applied a white coated cream to his shoulder.
Otis barked at Luke at the fact he wasn't picking him up.
"think he thinks you're in danger or something." she comments trying to control the dog.
Otis barked at Madam Pomfrey.
"Would you mind continuing for a few moments? I'm afraid I must go check on another patient," Madam Pomfrey asked her, "A first year fell off his broom this evening, landed in one of the stands."
She nods, taking the jar of the woman and applying it to his forehead where he was covered in bruising.
Luke stopped squirming once her fingers came in contact with his jaw like where one of his more worse scars had been from last year. Although he did flinch every few seconds, he didn't look as pained as he did.
Otis lay across his chest letting out small growls.
"Otis relax." Luke grumbled.
He growled lowly, and closed his eyes.
Aurora yawned. She'd gotten no sleep over the last few days. Firstly, Otis was staying in her dorm since Luke was in no state to mind him. Secondly, the relationship between Lucinda and Harry was taking a toll on her sleeping. Lucinda came in and spoke about him almost every night, even though no one asked.
"When did you last sleep?"
"I'm fine-"
Luke frowns softly. "That's the fifth time you yawned, you can lie down if you want."
She didn't need to be asked twice. She moved beside him and lay down wrapping her arm around his torso. He pulled the blanket of her, and allowed her to rest her tired head on his chest. Otis gave an unimpressed hum at being moved but said nothing and repositioned himself in Luke's arms.
"I'm sorry this happened to you. You don't deserve this, any of this." she told him quietly. After a few seconds, she hesitantly added. "How does anyone move on? Generally, speaking."
His eyes widened in shock. "You want to move on?"
"I don't know what I want anymore. It's all so complicated." she didn't believe she could move on, that was the problem. "I don't think I'm going to ever feel about someone the way I do - did Harry."
"I think that you are able to open your heart up now to so many new people that you'll fall in love without even realising it. It might be a quick love or a long one but you'll meet someone new and have moved on without realising it."
In the dark abandoned hospital wing Luke could vaguely see Aurora's grey eyes glistening in the darkness of the night. She hadn't broke eye contact for a moment as she took in his words but then after a moment she creased her eyebrow lightly and gave a small nod to him.
"I like him, I still love him. As much as I tell myself I don't, I do." she whispers, hating herself for it. A big part of her heart still beat for him more than anyone else.
"I know you do and I know he does to-"
"Are you kidding me? You think he still loves me? Hardly, have you seen how him and that Pillock have been over the last few weeks?" she frowns. "I hate feelings."
"I do too." Luke mentions in a small voice. "They're the worst."
After a moment she told him that. "I want to become an animagus this year. It has been nearly a year and I still haven't gotten it. I'm going to try again and again until I've gotten it."
It had been hopeless, she had tried multiples time every full moon with Luke but it never seemed to work. It became more and more difficult every time she did it. She couldn't understand how James, Remus and Sirius were able to do that, although according to James it wasn't as easy as it looked, which she had already figured out.
Once Luke had fallen asleep she unwrapped his arm from her shoulder, and stood up. Otis stayed with Luke refusing to move from his side.
"He's lucky to have someone like you." Madam Pomfrey commented walking over to the bedside mixing something in a large basin. "I've watched you're father and his friends and now I see you. You're a very kind person, Aurora."
"I'm lucky to have someone like him." she replied, sending her a tired smile. Her eyelids felt as though they were closing. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Goodnight Miss Black. You get a good night sleep. How is your sleep now? It's just you haven't come to me about sleeping since Christmas of...fourth year."
When Aurora was in her more earlier years of Hogwarts, she never slept. There was some weekends when she did but it was rare. In the Aleksander mansion she was up at ten to five in the morning most mornings for the daily schedule during the summer, and at that she wasn't sleeping until three or four.
She quickly says. "Yeah my sleeping schedule has gotten better-"
"You are staying with your father now my, I presume? And not your grandparents anymore?"
At the mention of her grandparents, she stilled and forced herself to respond with a nod. She sends her a tiny smile before turning on her heel and walking away from the woman. She climbed back into her bed that night and pushed the nightmare of her childhood away.
The following morning she woke up, and extended her hands. She glanced around and sees everyone except Hermione was gone.
"Be right back." Hermione tells her yawning as she goes into the bathroom to get change. Aurora could see how red and puffy her eyes were but didn't comment on it.
She lies back down in the bed and pulls her blanket up to her chest. It was coming into winter and it extremely cold. She was starting to regret wearing shorts to bed. Her eyes travel down to the bracelet on her wrist.
She remembered how she felt when Harry first gave her the bracelet in first year. Typically she only got jewellery from her grandparents who wanted her to showcase it at an event. The bracelet meant a lot to her, it was the first piece of jewellery that meant something to her.
She unclips it and slips it off, she gets up and opens the trunk at the bottom of her bed. She folds it up and slips it into the jumper Harry gave her in third year. The two pieces sat untouched in the bottom of her trunk as she closed it.
Aurora got dressed and entered the bathroom where Hermione was taken her slow time at getting ready.
The two of them starting avoiding breakfast.
NIt was like the four of them were having a non-official, non verbal argument. In an easy way of putting it, Hermione wasn't speaking to Ron. Ron wasn't speaking to Hermione. In return, Aurora wasn't speaking with Harry and he wasn't speak with her. Not necessarily speaking but the two didn't pay any attention to the other.
Nothing was wrong between her and Harry. They were just not really talking. To her it was weird to see Harry with another girl, not even as his ex girlfriend but as his friend. Now everywhere Harry was going the brunette was attached to his hip.
If Lucinda wasn't enough, every girl in Hogwarts was practically fawning over him, including Romilda Vane who she heard wanted to slip a love potion into this food.
"She can't complain," Ron told Aurora last week early in the morning as they walked outside with Otis. "She snogged Krum. So she's found out someone wants to snog me too. Well it's a free country. I haven't done anything wrong."
That part was true, Aurora told herself.
"Otis chase the stick! Go!" she shouts as the dog (fails) at catching the stick she threw.
"I never promised Hermione anything," Ron grumbled, "I mean all right I was going to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with her but she never said just as friends...I'm a free agent...."
"I can see that." was all Aurora replied. "Otis don't eat that butterfly! Stop!"
The dog barks at her.
"How about you?" Ron questioned, a moment later. He trails off like he wanted her to answer. "Any guys have your fancy at the moment? You bringing a date to the Slughorns party?"
"Shit! I forgot about that."
Then yesterday evening, Harry found himself in a similar position with Hermione in the library.
"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes," Hermione told him whilst stacking her books back, "I really couldn't care less. Oh and you, you need to be careful."
"For the last time. I am not giving back this book, I've learnt more from the half blood prince than Snape or Slughorn have taught me in-"
"I'm not talking about your stupid so-called prince," Hermione cut him off giving him a nasty look. "I'm talking about earlier. I went up to the girls lavatory and heard about a dozen girls trying to decided how to slip you a love potion. They're all hoping you'll invite them to Slughorn's Christmas party. . . ."
"What? Oh."
"But you know since your no longer on the market it shouldn't matter anyway. I suspect we'll be seeing Lucinda at the slughorns party in a few weeks?"
Harry nodded, and stuffed his hands into his pocket. "Are you going?" he asked Hermione who nods, and after she replied he added. "Is Aurora going?"
"Oh, Aurora? Hm not sure, actually."
Back to this week, she would admit the tension had died down but they were all still not talking much with one another. Aurora was fine with him and Lucinda and told herself that if that's what made him happy, it wasn't her place to judge anymore.
Aurora sits down on the stool that she'd brought from Grimmauld. For the last few weeks, she'd been wearing her hair up in a plait but changed it this morning.
"I'm going to leave it down." she told Hermione, as she brought her brush up to deranged the mess. She brushes through the black layers that went down to her rib cage. "Thought might do something differently."
"I like it." Hermione smiles.
"I think that today is going to be a good day Hermione." she announces, pulling open one of the many drawers of makeup in the bathroom and taking it out. She glances down and begins. "I'm going to make sure of it."
"You're not wearing your bracelet." Hermione looks into the mirror and down at her exposed wrist. Everyday since first year, she wore that bracelet on her wrist and Hermione always admitted the handpicked charms Harry chose. Her favourite was always the snowflake he'd gotten her for Christmas on fourth year. "You took off the bracelet."
Aurora brows furrow. "How did you notice that?"
"For six years you've worn that bracelet. I've never seen you without it."
Aurora wouldn't lie; her wrist felt empty and she felt oddly uncomfortable knowing it sat underneath all her clothes in her dresser. She sat up from the chair and examined herself, before rolling her skirt up higher and grabbing her bag. Over her school jumper she put on a black one. She gave one last look at herself in the mirror before leaving.
Slowly, as they walked down the stairs, Hermione whispers. "You're trying to move on."
"What? No I'm not." she told her, shaking her head. She wasn't trying to move on. Did putting a little more effort into your appearance mean that she was automatically trying to get male attention? Plus why did both Hermione and Luke want her to get back out there and find someone.
"You're wearing lipstick-"
"That doesn't mean anything. So are you!"
"That's because I have chapped lips because of the weather. You don't!"
When they make it to the top of the stairs, her eyes land on the two figures who were waiting for them. She had almost forgotten about them two and instantly when her father spots her, he ran up the stairs and picked hugged her.
Him and James both wore their Professor uniforms and it looked ridiculous on them.
Aurora was bright red. "You're...here. So soon and today of all days!"
"Yes! We started this morning. Dumbledore already introduced us to everyone and we spoke with Harry and Ron for a brief few moments." James grins happily but she saw the way he looking at her at the last part.
"I noticed you left your Star Wars blanket at home, the pink one so I brought it here and later we can-" Sirius begins extremely loudly.
People were staring. "Dad, stop."
"What's wrong?"
"If you're going to be working here we're gonna need some ground rules." Aurora shushes him with the snap of her fingers. "First of all, no hugging unless someone is dead. Secondly I'm not your daughter here! No one can think your giving me special treatment. You can't embarrass me here!"
"What? I'd never embarrass you my love-"
"And no more nicknames!" she told him as they all walk down the staircase.
"Okay you're right." Sirius agrees sending a firm nod her way. Suddenly both him and James stop walking and her father turns to her, he takes out a notebook and with a complete stern expression says. "Five points from Gryffindor for not wearing the correct uniform, Miss Black."
Both Hermione and Aurora laugh at this before realising that the two men weren't laughing with them. She rose a brow. "You're kidding right?"
"I'm completely serious."
"Good pun, but I'm wearing the right uniform. You'd be surprised at what I've worn before to my lessons. One time I-"
"You should be heading to your lessons or try and make breakfast." Sirius interjected, shaking his head. "Have a good day....non-daughter who looks like me."
Without a care in the world both him and James turn and walk away.
"Did you just disown me?!" she shouts at him and she heard a small snort. "I thought you said that you'd never do that!"
Once they left the two Gryffindor girls continued making their way to the Great Hall. Now, even if Aurora had wanted to move on she couldn't. Not like she was thinking of doing that anyway.
They enter and instead of going up to Harry and Ron, they sit down beside Pavarti, Padme, Luna, Neville, Fay and Lavender. Lavender and Hermione sat far apart and didn't say anything. Her eyes go towards the laughter at the top of the table and she already knows who it belongs to.
She paid it no attention.
Thankfully the bell dinged out and she was up and out of the Great Hall in minutes.
Ron and Harry both went to speak to them but she grabbed a slide of toast, shoved it in her mouth and told them she couldn't talk. She quickly made her way down to the forest for Care of Magical creatures.
"Hey. I see your dad is the new muggle studies professor." Theo states, coming up behind her. He looks slightly out of breath and she realised he ran to catch up with her. He brings a hand up to stretch his neck. "That's gotta be awkward."
Aurora glances up at him. "That's a nice way to describe it. He's missed so many years of my life so of course I'm happy he's here but still, having my dad at my school isn't the best thing."
"Probably won't be the best for the aftermaths of Gryffindor winning Quidditch matches either." Theo comments, and it leads to him saying. "I heard about Potter and Williams, I'm sorry."
"Is everyone talking about it?"
"Not everyone. I have been thinking about you though, how you been holding up?"
She turns to him abruptly. "Theo, you don't have to be nice to me, alright? I'm fine."
Theo rolls his eyes. "It's not necessarily that I care but we did hang out with one other every single Christmas when you lived with grandparents. You were good company." he said, "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."
He had a point. Before she was with Beckham last year, she'd always had an odd thing with Theo. Part of her knew it would keep her grandparents off her back because everyone in Slytherin knew about them and spoke about it. She liked Theo, he wasn't the worst lot of the bunch. He'd never judged her for being in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin like she was meant to.
"I'm sorry, my head is all over the place lately." she told him honestly, and she stops walking and turns to him. "Thank you for asking."
Theo smiles, "You're welcome. You look nice today by the way."
She felt as though she looked the same as she always did. She gives him a small nod letting him know she heard the compliment but didn't think much of it. She and him both continue to walk down to Hagrid's hut.
"Are you going to the match Friday?" he asked, and in response she could only furrow her brows. What match was Friday? Their next match was against Ravenclaw and was weeks away. "The Ravenclaw captain, Davies is having some sort of four-way tournament. All the houses are playing."
"All the houses are playing against one another? But McGonagall would never allow that-"
"Obviously not, they don't know." Theo said, giving a small shrug. "It's not really a match for say. I heard that there's going to be drinks from the three broomsticks."
Oh fantastic, it was another party. Those were happening so much lately she was beginning to loose count. However, this was different because all the houses were going to be there, as in all the sixth years who wanted to go.
"Have fun. I'll be spending the night in my room." Aurora told him giving him a big grin. When his mouth opens, she quickly added. "Alone, Theo."
"Oh come on! Why won't you go? You're never one for missing a party."
"I don't fancy the idea of seeing my ex with his girlfriend who I hate, and I also don't fancy the thought of having to see my best friend sad again because my other best friend doesn't realise he likes her."
"Right. That's a fair reason."
He lets out a snort and continues walking. However
she turns and looks at him walking away. She goes to catch up with him but she walks so fast that trips. Forgetting, they were walking down to the forest on the hill and she falls forward, pushing him down to the ground. The two of them practically go rolling down the hill, letting out a groan each.
"What?!" Theo exclaimed and she shoved his hands off her waist. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"No. I fell!"she tells him, getting up from the ground and she continues walking without waiting for him.
She heard him snort but ignored it.
Both of them enter the tent and take their seats by the cage. Everyone else has their dragons out and are cautiously holding them. Theo and her sit in the corner of the room and he takes Hyperion out and brings him over.
"Hi..." she murmurs and he taps his feet softly moving from Theo's hand to her own.
Theo connects his fingertips to hers and allows the dragon to move back and fourth between the two of them. However as he does so, he slowly starts to move his hands underneaths her. She payed the Slytherin boy no attention. She could feel his eyes on her and when she gave him a glance, he kept them on her. His brown eyes filling with mischief as he moved his hand so it was covering her.
Aurora's eyes lit up. "He's breathing fire. Look."
Both of them turn towards Hyperion who wad sitting in his lap now, coughing out sparks of red. The sparks however started to turn into tiny clouds of fire red. Aurora opens the cage up and picks up the tiny creature.
Hyperion sits on her finger and looks between her and Theo. He let out another tiny roar and this time a large string of fire came out.
"Careful." Theo practically yelled out, pulling her hand back from the cloud of tiny smoke. "He might be small but I don't think you don't want to be burned by a dragon."
Aurora didn't feel it burn. "It isn't hot. He's only a baby. It can't be that harmful."
"Oh he's harmful alright!" Hagrid says loudly and when the two of them look up, the rest of the class were looking at them. Aurora scoots away from Theo and puts Hyperion back in his cage. The dragon cries out and claws against it, wanting to escaped. "Even when they're a child! Soon they'll be breathing practically lava and you'll all be wearing cloves!"
"Hagrid, How long will it take before they're fully grown?" Luke questioned at the opposite end of the room.
Aurora would have liked to know the answer to that also. For many reasons, firstly Hyperion was growing rather fast. It had been about two months since they got him and he was rapidly growing taller. His sight
and hearing was now fully developed and he could recognise her when she opened the cage.
"After Christmas they will be about the size of a toddler!" Hagrid tells them and in response the class all exchanged looks. "Once the end of the year comes...there's no telling how big they'll be!"
She looks into the cage where Hyperion is desperately clinging to it trying to get out to her and Theo.
"I'll feel sad when he goes.." she trailed off with a frown. She puts her finger to the cage and Hyperion tries to pull it through. "I think I've grown attached."
Theo is writing up about their development and he glances back to the cage. "They need to be in a bigger place though. Romania is the best place for them to go. They've got some wild life over there."
"I know. I wish we could keep him though."
"I know. I wonder what we'll be studying next year." Theo told her quietly, as Hagrid was continuing to speak about what would happen to them in Romania. She keeps her eyes on Hagrid but gets distracted when Theo leans over and whispers in her ear that, "I hope we'll be partners again."
"Theo?"
"Hm?"
"Shut up."
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Aurora continued with the rest of her classes for the day but Care of Magical creatures occupied the most of it. Afterwards, she had a study period, Herbology which was an exam, and lastly she now had muggle studies.
When she entered the classroom, she spots Ron and sits down beside him.
"Merlin. Are they going to stop laughing or what?" she asks.
James and Sirius were at the top of the classroom, laughing away with one another. Everyone was waiting them to start but they didn't seem to care.
"Haven't seen you all day." Ron says quietly. "Haven't spoken to you in a while actually."
"Oh, sorry that's nothing. I've just been really busy with my Care of Magical creatures project-"
It was technically true, Hagrid had them working weekend on monitoring the dragons.
"Is that why you and Mione aren't sitting with us at lunch anymore?" he asked, but there was no sting in his tone.
She knew this must have felt awkward on his behalf because of her and Harry. Before they even dated, the three of them often spent more time together than her, Ron and Hermione would. Probably because the three of them became friends long before Hermione joined them.
"Ron, it's not you. I just...can't be around them. I can't be around him." she lowered her voice. "I can't watch him with her-"
"He watched you with the guys you've been with!"
"Before we dated. Besides, I never loved those guys, though did I?"
Ron rose a brow. "You think he loves Lucinda?"
"You think he doesn't? Merlin, they're practically attacked to the hip."
Ron thought back to the conversation he had with Harry the night after he got with Lucinda.
"I think the two of you would be better off if you just spoke and became friends again." he told her slowly. "You two were always the closest, you two not talking is what's making us all fall apart-"
"Ron-"
"Next thing none of us will be talking!" Ron ranted. "First it's us not talking then not sitting together at lunch! Next thing you'll say you can't talk with me anymore because I remind you of Harry. We'll stop talking and then Hermione and you will become friends with everyone else whilst I'm stuck with Harry and Lucinda. We will all promise to be civil and then we won't ever end up talking again-"
"Calm down, will you? Hermione and Harry are still friends-"
"Are they really though?" Ron retorted dryly. "When was the last time you're seen them talk?"
"The library last week."
"Yeah Harry told me that conversation only happened because they accidentally ran into one another. Before that they didn't speak in weeks and haven't spoken since!"
She didn't want them to fall out. She never told Hermione not to talk with Ron.
"I'm sorry Ron, I'll talk to Hermione but I'm not being around them-"
"Weasley and Black keep it down will you? Actually cut out the talking!" her fathers (incredibly fake) strict voice cut across the room. Everyone turned to them. "For the next few weeks we're going to be...."
Sirius stops talking seemingly forgetting what they were suppose to be doing.
"We're going to be studying the daily lives of muggles!" James finishes. "We're going to ask ourselves how they do the things we do but without magic. Does anyone have any idea of how they can do the same things we do?"
Many hands went up but not Aurora's cause she had no idea.
"Using electricity, technology and science." someone answered.
"Exactly, five points to whatever house you're in." James mentions and she deadpans. The class are all seemingly enjoying this. "We're going to be wondering why muggles need electricity in big groups."
The class was big this year for muggle studies. It was in the biggest classroom in Hogwarts. She had an idea some people just wanted to go and see if James was even real. She looks around the classroom and sees many unfamiliar faces. She sees Hermione who was sitting by herself, arms crossed and glaring at someone.
"Right so when you hear your name called please go with that group. Group one, Tracey, Kevin, Wayne, Terry, Oliver, Roger, Sally-"
Her father and James continue to list off all the names. Many people like herself were surprised to hear them calling their first names rather than seconds.
Aurora zoned out while they went though the people.
"Group eight, Fay, Seamus, Dean, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and-" her father paused, and she glared at him. Don't say my name, do not say me. "Aurora."
You absolute dick.
A lot of eyes went towards the loud groan of annoyance Aurora let out as she grabbed her stuff and moved across the room.
She looks around the room, and her eyes landed on Theo (she didn't expect him to be
in this class) and his group which was four.
Eventually, she spots her group by the window.
Slowly she walks over.
"Aurora!" Dean says happily when she makes her way over. All of them look up and Hermione looks incredibly relieved. "You look great today!"
If she heard correctly, she heard nerves in his voice.
She glances towards the one seat left which was beside Harry. She wanted to die right there and then but forced herself to walk around the circular table and sit.
She sat down and rested her head in her hand and turned so that she wasn't facing Harry.
She and Hermione exchange a look.
"Sir." she didn't need to look around to know whose voice it was. "Can I switch groups? I don't know anyone in this group and that will affect the project."
Sirius was confused about what the girl wanted him to do about that.
"Okay. .er well everyone's already got their groups now."
Aurora raised her head slightly to see Lucinda who was in the same group as Theo, and a few other people. Instantly she sat up.
"I'll switch with you." Aurora offers loudly and Lucinda turns to her. She was more than delighted, Aurora stands up and takes her books. Everyone at the table all watch as she quickly turns to the two professors, "If thats alright?"
Sirius and James looked annoyed but none the less nodded.
"You're so nice, thanks." Lucinda mentions and in response she switched seats. Aurora didn't reply to her.
She let out a relieved breath and buried her head in her hands.
Theo leans over once she sat down. "I think you did that to get closer to me."
Her eyes flicker to his for a moment. "You can believe what you want."
At the top of the classroom, Sirius and James exchanged looks.
"Is it time to intervene?" James questions lowly.
Sirius could only sigh. "They need to figure this one out by themselves."
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I will write a lot more Sirius and James bring professors but for this chapter I wanted to write a little how the four of them are splitting up in terms of not being friends anymore! Let me know what you think of these newer chapters!
Incase you're wondering the next chapter is the one where the match will happen!! That's the one I accidentally posted.
I will be focusing half blood Prince on a lot of things and new stuff that I want to write! Personally I love half blood Prince because it's the only movie where it's not that sad (sorry Draco) and it's more time to write more drama!!