★ ★ ★
CHAPTER THIRTY:
BLISS
★ ★ ★
"I know this is probably a bad time to ask but what are we suppose to do about your adoption?"
It had been a day since she woke up in the hospital and on that day she spent it at Harry's bedside. He wasn't waking up for some reason, which caused her worry and fear to intensify. She wasn't allowed to see him currently but the doctor Jackie brought her in once yesterday evening. He looked miserable: he had been sleeping quietly, hooked up to a machine and barely looked alive. The surgery went well they said but it was ultimately all up to Harry now.
According to the doctor, he should be awake any day now.
That was the only reason she was alright. That's the only reason she hasn't completely broken down.
Luke was drawing his name across her cast. "Given everything that happened, does that still matter anymore?"
"Of course it matters," Remus says from the armchair. He had slept there nearly all night. "There's a solution somewhere. I just don't think me fake marrying someone is going to do any good—"
"It's a brilliant solution! We just need to find the right woman!" James says.
"It will do good!" Sirius interrupted at the same time. "Then you'll be able to adopt Luke and once this stupid war is all over then we can all go back to normality. We can all finally focus on what is important."
"It's a pity ye won't have long of living together, though." Aurora chirps, folding her clothes and placing them into her trunk. She continued to do so until noticing Sirius, Remus and James all became quiet and full-on confused.
"What do you mean?" Remus asked Luke.
Aurora became silent and she and Luke exchanged a look.
"Well, I'll be moving back into the apartment in London once I finish Hogwarts," Luke told him.
Sirius was surprised, and his attention then went to his daughter. Was she thinking of doing the same? The entire concept did not even occur to him. She was a child.
"Are you both doing this?" James asked, hazel eyes flickering between them.
"Well...I mean...I'll be moving out after seventh year." Aurora tells him, and they all seemed extremely surprised by this. "Y'know, that's why I got the apartment? Luke and I were gonna live together before everything happened in the fifth year. I think Harry is going to move in with us too. Edward and Luke were going to rent one of the apartments also."
James sat up, offended. "I...what?" Betrayal.
Suddenly she felt bad. "Sorry...I thought you all knew..."
Sirius put his hands up the air and they landed on his hips. "So you're all planning over moving out this time next year?"
"Yes." Luke and Aurora answer in unison.
For a few moments, all of them seemed fine with their answer. Aurora was happy about that. The last thing she wanted was for them to be upset with them. She continued to pack away her belongings. When she finished, only then did she notice Sirius' expression.
"Oh, my....are you crying?"
Sirius sniffled, "No."
"Merlin, are you crying also?" Luke asked towards James and Remus. Much to her surprise, they all seemed rather upset. "What is wrong with you three?"
"The house will be so empty!" Sirius bellows. His eyes suddenly widen. "Are you taking Otis?"
"Of course. He is my dog." Luke replied, setting the black-haired man off even more.
"Betrayal!" James continues to shout.
"Give it a rest, will you?" Luke shouts back.
"Detention for a month!" James declared. "Fifty points from Hufflepuff!"
"Now that's betrayal." Luke sighed.
Aurora's mouth opened and closed for a few seconds unsure what to do or say. They all seemed rather upset. She was horrible at comforting people or so she felt she would be right now. Luke was thinking the same and the two of them stood there awkwardly packing their stuff away.
"I was just going to--" Jackie came in, and looked at the three dramatic men. "Is everything alright?"
"Oh? Us?" James exclaimed, eyes flickering from Jackie to the two teenagers. "You mean the forgotten fathers? Yeah, we're fine over here. Just trying to live through the hardship of the knife that our children keep constantly putting through our backs!"
"The forgotten fathers? I like that." Sirius muttered.
Remus steadied himself very quickly when Jackie came into the room. He sent her an awkward smile which she returned.
Aurora looked at Jackie. "Please excuse them. Being dramatic comes as naturally to them as speaking. What did you want to say?"
"You'll be happy to know Harry is awake and talking," Jackie answered, and Aurora almost lost her breathing for those few seconds. Everyone sat up abruptly. "Now, I know you're all eager to see him but he needs some time to gather himself. I recommend one at a time. He can't feel overwhelmed."
Naturally, everyone looked at Aurora.
"Go on, then," James muttered.
As much as she yearned to see him, James had been awake for almost four days worrying about his son. Missing him. Aurora loved Harry but James' love had been completely different. He deserved to see him first. The selfish, impatient part of her wanted to go but the stronger part said to wait.
"You go and see him. I'll go after."
James was surprised. "Are you sure?"
"You're his father. Go."
James did not need to be told twice because he ran out of the room. Jackie smiles gently.
"At least he's finally awake?" Jackie says to them all. "You'll be back to school in no time!"
Aurora and Luke grunted.
When James came back, almost half an hour later, she practically leapt from her spot and ran out the door, she almost knocked over Jackie on the way but that wasn't her concern. She ran up the stairs and into the room at the end of the hallway.
Harry sat upon his bed, smiling. Hair was as messy as it always was. His glasses were cracked. That smile could cure all her problems. "Hello."
She let out a relieved sigh. "Thank Merlin." She breathed before running over to him, he extended his hand when she climbed into the spot beside him and hugged him tightly. He grinned happily when she pulled away.
Every ounce of stress she felt left her body at seeing him sitting there happy, not in pain, and alive.
"I was so worried." She whispers leaning forward to move the fallen hair out of his face. She looked at the new scar at the top of his head, above the old one. You couldn't see it unless you lifted his hair. "I thought...I thought maybe you weren't going to wake up."
"I'm alright." Harry forced a smile.
"You could have died." She told him, shaking her head.
"But I didn't."
She looked at him. "No, you didn't." She whispers, moving over more so she was resting her heart on his chest. His touch was giving her more comfort right now than anything. He put his arm on her shoulder and held her tightly. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to imagine a world where he was not in it: she couldn't.
"You're alright?" Harry asked, she sat up. He leaned forward cupping her face with his bruised hands. He looked in pain. "The accident did anything-"
She took his hands, curling them up into a fist and brought them to her lips. In a gesture unlike her, she pressed an affectionate kiss against them. "Don't worry about me."
Harry rose a brow, smiling, "You seem sad."
"I thought you weren't going to wake up."
"Are you mad? And give Voldemort the pleasure?" Harry retorted, "Pft, never."
The first laugh in days escaped her lips, and she was silent for a few minutes. "When you are going to find the Horcruxes, I'm coming with you. We're doing it together."
Harry sat up slightly, holding his side. "But Sirius-"
"I'm going with you." She interrupted. She needed to be with him. She needed to figure out her magic and protect him. She needed him alive. "I'll help you."
"It'll be dangerous..."
"Harry! We're the two most 'dangerous' people in Wizarding World, we'll find them in no time. It'll be an adventure!"
His eyes melted, "You're sure you want to come?"
"I'm not sure of anything," Aurora told him truthfully. She tore her eyes away from examining the marks on his hands to looking at him. Only him. These last few days taught her several things. "I do know I love you more than you can imagine. I know that even though I don't believe in marriage, that one day I want to marry you."
Harry looked at her.
"I know that's cheesy but I'm not good with words! And I thought about a thousand things to say and--"
She was cut off when he leaned forward, hand going to the bottom of her jaw, just above her neck and gently clasping it, his lips met hers instantly. His lips glided over hers gently and she moved closer to him, hands wrapping around him. She grinned gently which forced him to pull away. Breathlessly, he smiled at her. He reached out, and his long fingers ran underneath her eyes. She didn't admire his smile for long because she leaned back into his lips, needing him right now.
Awkwardly, she pulled away and asked, "I know we've been friends -- best friends, and then dated and then broke up and then got together for sex and then stopped.....but I...do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
She had went through a thousand thoughts over the last few hours and only one of them was right. It was that she wanted to be with him. It might be slower than before but she just wanted him back.
He grinned. "Hogsmeade with you? Nah."
She sensed his sarcasm. "Don't kid."
"How do you know I'm joking? Maybe I think you should go and give Seamus a chance?" Harry retorted, grinning madly. "Maybe you're supposed to be with Seamus!"
"Stop it!"
"Or maybe—"
In the middle of his sentence, she rolled her eyes and went to get up, throwing her hands up dramatically at him, but he reached out and caught her right hand, pulling her back to him. Her eyes widened, almost in surprise. Harry watched her cheeks instantly heat.
"Of course I'll go to Hogsmeade with you." He replied, a toothy happy smile on his face. He wrapped his hands around her waist. "Just to clarify, you're asking me to be your boyfriend again?"
It was a rare sight to see Aurora Black so vulnerable, so open to admitting her feelings to him. She stared at him hoping for a moment. Something about it sent Harry's heartstring flying.
"Yes," Harry stated and watched a large grin on her lips come. He pressed a gentle kiss against her lips. He remembered her telling him how she felt as though she was second best to Lucinda. Something about that didn't sit right with him. Something about Aurora thinking she wasn't the one. "I'm all yours."
Her eyes softened but turned to another expression very quickly. She leaned forward and up to his neck, she reached out and brought him closer to her. Her fingertips were cold against his neck but he welcomed it anyway. She kissed him slowly and on the parts of his neck that were most sensitive. The parts she knew.
His breathing increased. "Merlin. If that's all it took for you to be happy with me, I would have got into a car crash a long time ago."
She chuckled against his neck and his heart beat faster and faster.
She lifted her head and he took this opportunity to kiss her again, needing her.
Suddenly Sirius and James walked in. Without so much as a second thought, Harry shouts and decides to practically push Aurora off him.
Sirius covers his eyes. " It burns. It burns."
"Why didn't you knock, Dad? Why didn't either of you knocks?!" She replied, standing up from the ground. She fixed her top.
Sirius continues to wave his hands over his eyes.
Harry steps forward. " We weren't doing anything. She had something....in her mouth."
Sirius's eyes glowered. " Yeah your tongue, you stay back. .you petulant little child."
Aurora looked at Sirius, a blank expression taking over. "You're the one who told me I should start expressing my feelings!?"
"Not those type of feelings." Sirius says lowly.
"Oh."
"Anyways!" Sirius says strolling over and giving Harry a very quick hug. "How are you feeling?"
Harry could answer what he was thinking but decided that would probably end with him dead.
He nodded quickly, somewhat too quickly, "I'm alright. Feeling better."
"Good. You three are lucky. You could have all got seriously injured." James commented.
"I know. We're all fine though, that's the main thing right?"
"Yes. It is."
Aurora spent the rest of the day curled in the boy who lived arms and she finally felt contempt for the first time in her life. Everything was out in the open, and nothing ever felt more blissful.
★ ★ ★
Please vote and comment if you enjoyed it! Harry and Aurora are officially back together! What do you think?
Sorry for the short chapter. I wanted to space it out a little!!!
Make sure and check out my new marauders fanfic: it's a marauders fic following the marauders and female characters through Hogwarts! There is no oc and the main relationship is James/Lily!