I looked at the parchment in front of me, my eyebrows furrowed tightly, as I just couldn't understand who on earth would come up with an idea like this. This genius idea had been revealed to me and only me, besides the other Marauder members of course. But I mean, the level of thinking that went into this idea, wow...I'm genuinely impressed, although they do have Remus, who must have been the mastermind behind all of this.
"So?" James asked nervously, clearing his throat. "Can you help us?"
My eyes turned to finally look at him. He was sitting on my bed, his messy black hair wobbling on his head, as he had been playing with it for the past ten minutes, while I had been trying to figure out the whole suggestion. "I don't know yet James, it's not every day you come to me with an idea like this," I grinned uneasily, returning to stare back at the parchment that seemed to remind me of a map the more I looked at it.
"Well staring won't help with it."
"Well whining won't help either, I mean who even came up with this idea?"
"Me...and Sirius," he said. Well of course Sirius was it, I mean that boy had some crazy ideas on what was funny to achieve before we would graduate and leave the school behind. He knew he had only 7 years to do all the things he had in his mind, so he sure never held himself back when it came to jinxes and tricks...but something like this...was beyond Sirius genius.
"And you have the things you want it to say?" I asked, making James immediately move over to me, handing me a piece of parchment.
"Messers
Moony and the gang," I started to read out but then glared at James. "And he agreed with this nickname huh?" I sneered, thinking about poor Remus with the inevitable curse of the moon. I learned about him being a Werewolf when I saw him coming out from Dumbledore's office this one time, looking so ill that I though he must have had a deathly illness. He thought that he could never share his secret with anyone, but he just didn't think that there would be people in the world, willing to bare his secret with him. What I was always proud of, was how seriously the boys were taking the matter. While other students, Lily and the girls, never had a doubt about anything, I was the one he trusted most at first with the pain that he would had to carry with him his whole life...and now, I guess we were not that different anymore, having to carry something dark with us wherever we went.
"He did, you can ask him tomorrow when you see him!" James insisted, reminding me about the reality of tomorrow.
Tomorrow I would finally continue on where I got stuck a year ago. Tomorrow was the 1st of September, marking it the day school would start again, and marking it on the day my parents died. I couldn't believe it was almost a year ago...it still feels like it was something that happened only yesterday, even though I don't want to think about it anymore.
Although I can not help the nightmares that emerge my dreams sometimes...but in a way I'm glad of them these days...they remind me to never forget. They are the constant reminder that the evil is still out there, and while I might still be a child, I would be more than ready to get my revenge on my own flesh and blood.
After what my uncle did with those other Death Eaters, there was a huge search, arranged by the Aurors, to find Oliver and his fellow mates in crime. They searched every dark corner in England, but found nothing, which only made my suspicion grown stronger that my only living grandparents were actually hiding him, bribing the Ministry of Magic with their never ending wealth, which I remembered my mother not wanting to be a part of it in any way, always calling it "blood money", which I now understood the meaning behind.
I could never go anywhere alone anymore. There was always someone with me, even now when James and I were doing all the necessary purchases for the upcoming school year, there was always and adult with me. It was annoying at first, but when I thought about all the end the Potters were ready to reach just to keep me safe, I was more than thankful to them. They have seriously made my recovery possible. Without them and their support...nothing would have been possible for me. While depression took most of my time in the beginning...the Potter, all my friends and magic, brought back the light that I was missing. James did right by kicking me out the house and my own comfort and taking me with him to surprise Remus and Peter with the camping thing. Unfortunately I didn't see Sirius once during the summer, since he was having trouble with his own family. But I did send him letters, which I hope he got, since he never answered to them and clarified on getting them. Lily was also travelling around England with her family and her annoying jealous sister. Alice and Marlene were also occupied with some random things.
"Alright," I sighed and cleared my throat, thinking about the right spell in my mind. And as nothing specific came in mind, since I had not yet learned something that could actually work, I just gave it a try, with a riddle like spell. "Art in mind these Mischiefs had, so make their jinxes more in hand, by allowing it to their better ends."
James and I studied the parchment carefully as we tried to see if it worked in any way. "Doesn't seem to have powerful enough," I huffed.
"Pity...it sounded somewhat effective and-...oh look," he said, even sounding surprised himself. We watched as the parchment slowly yet steadily layered itself and enlarged itself to look a lot like a map than just a piece of parchment. Then the yellowish background started to have this slight tint to it, with a maroon colour.
"Mischief managed," I whispered, and the tint disappeared with the magic.
"Oh no what did you do? Now it disappeared completely and-!"
"Hush!" I made him quiet and concentrated again. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
And once more the maroon colour faintly appeared on the map, making me grin happily. "Okay that did something!" I looked at James and handed him the map. He seemed more than thrilled that something actually worked.
"Sirius will be so happy with the results! Our upcoming year will be even more magnificent than we thought!" he cheered happily making me laugh.
"Now what are you two laughing here about?" Euphemia smiles and she knocked on the door and carefully walked inside.
"Mischief managed," I whispered to the map and once more the magic disappeared. I noticed the small grin on James' face, as he hid the map under my pillow and then turned to look at his mother. "What is it?"
"Don't need to push me away every time I have something to talk about James," his mother scolded, making me giggle. "Besides, this is not about you this time," she said turning to face me. She handed a letter towards me. "This just came in for you, and as you can see it's already open, but as your current legal guardian I took the liberty of checking what the Ministry had to say," she explained warmly.
"Of course," I said and took the letter from her hand. "It's just the confirmation the law of an underage using magic outside school is now once more on you. You can not use your magic outside Hogwarts until you graduate, from midnight onward," she explained.
"So plenty of time for you to pack with magic," James chuckled and fell on the bed, staring at the ceiling, making me roll my eyes at him.
"You still haven't packed?" Euphemia asked, a gentle worry on her tone. I looked at her carefully and shook my head. I tried to avoid the subject so much. I could still remember my fully packed trunk waiting for me on the opposite side of my old bedroom. The feeling of excitement I beheld on that moment and the thought of not being able to sleep on that night...if I allow myself to enjoy that feeling again, does that mean that I'm finally moving on?
But the thought of finally moving on scares me....I don't want to seem like I'm fully okay. I'm better yes, but the sense of mourning and the need of a certain revenge...I still have them, almost every day.
"You don't have to do it alone, I will help you if you want me to," Euphemia soon continued.
I rose my eyebrows gently. "You would do that for me?"
Ephemia looked at her son, who had lifted himself up, as if he knew what his mother meant by that look. "I'll see you at the dinner," he smiled at me. "And thank you," he whispered before leaving the room.
"You don't have to ask me Aurora. Don't you remember what I promised you at the hospital? I promised to take care of you and to help you, no matter what," she said slowly walking right in front of me, making me look up at her. She gently sat next to me taking me into a delicate hug. "I know that your loss was greater than anything any of us have had to endure, and I know that no matter how much you must want it, but you can't get it back. I also know that nothing will ever replace your parents, your family...but I want you to feel needed in this family Aurora. You are now a part of this family and we'll protect each other with what we got. You don't need to be scared or insecure around us. No matter what the future holds inside, we will always love you."
Without even realising it, the small tears rolled down my cheeks, hitting the bedcovers. I closed my eyes and gently sobbed against her hug. "But I don't want to move on without them," I cried out.
"You won't," she gently stroked my hair. "They will always be with you. They will always be in your heart and in the memories you had together. They never left your side, nor will they ever do that to you."
I hugged her tighter and could even feel the similar feeling I always had when hugging my mother. "Thank you...for everything. I will forever be grateful for your family."
"You are a part of this family...of course," she smiled while gently kissing my forehead.
**
I had almost forgot how packed the King's Cross station would always be during this time of the year, and it did not help for the weird looking children to wonder around with their trolleys filled with huge trunks and sometimes even with animals. Through muggles never really seemed to care about something they couldn't really understand.
Euphemia and Felamont were walking hand in hand in the front, trying to squeeze their way through the mass of people, as James and I were walking behind them, trying to desperately follow them without losing the sight of them.
Finally we stopped at the right platform and once more with the lead of the adults, the four of us soon disappeared inside the magical platform 9 ¾ . The steam of the old train automatically hit my face as the familiar sent made me open my eyes and look around me. Nothing had changed in a year...it was as if the time hadn't moved while I was away. It still felt like I was going back to school like normally. And even though I missed my parents more than anything else...I was glad to be back alive. Would everything have turned out so well without the help from the Potters? Maybe not...and for that I was so grateful.
"Alright you two, are you ready to go for your 4th year?" Fleamont asked excited, turning to look at me and his only son. James smiled his usual wide smile while looking at his parents. "Something tells me that this year is a going to be a great one!" James chimed.
"And what about you Aurora, are you sure you are okay?" he asked, studying me carefully. Even though I had my doubts about this myself, I decided to nod my head and flash a small smile.
"I think so," I simply answered. James looked at me and grinned. "She's okay when she has me by her side."
"My night in shiny armor now are you?" I joked, gently pushing him to the side, getting a groan in reply which made his parents and I laugh.
Euphemia hugged me tightly and I happily replied her hug. "I'll see you in spring. But I'll write to you often!" she promised.
"I will write as often as I can as well," I promised to her with an assuring smile.
She nodded happily and moved to her son, kissing his forehead, even though this made him extremely embarrassed. Fleamont also hugged me, wishing me his best luck. And with that James and I moved over to the express and gave out our trunks and made our way inside the train, finding an empty compartment.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
I sat down at my seat and looked outside through the window at the Potters who were waving at me. I waved back beaming and then turned to face James. "To be completely honest...it feels weird...yet I'm quite glad to be back in where I belong."
James sat right next to me and also waved at his parents. "It's good to have you back. We have all missed you loads, and the boys will be happy to get all the help with the Marauders map!"
Just when I was about to answer to him, the compartment door flew open and two very familiar people arrived inside. My eyes started to beam at the sight of the familiar looking red-head, who seemed ever so happy to see me. "Aurora!" she squealed.
"Lily!" I giggled as she lounged at me and hugged me so tightly that I though I would for sure pass out. "Oh I have missed you so much!! It's so good to have you back! I'm so sorry that I was unable to see you during summer, but I was just so busy with the travelling and-!"
"Oh gee Evans, give her some space," James interrupted her, immediately gaining a spicy looking glare from her. But that was just what he wanted, shaping his smile into a gentle smirk. He was so happy to finally see the girl himself.
I pulled from the hug and looked behind Lily to see Remus standing there with a happy smile on his face. "It's good to have you back," he noted. I walked up to him and to his surprise, also gave him a tight hug. He soon relaxed and hugged me back. "It's good to be back," I replied with a gentle smile.
"Ouch! Sirius! Stop putting those bloody annoying jinxes after me!" Peter whined as he too made his way to the compartment. He looked at all the people inside and then at me. "Aurora! It-It's go-good to-to have yo-you ba-back!" he also said.
"Nice to hear that. Have you been well Peter?"
He just nodded his head and moved to sit down. And as expected, the infamous boy with the black longish hair appeared to the door of the compartment. He stopped and looked in front of him, seeing all the people that were already inside. He smiled after seeing James behind me, then greeting at Lily. His eyes wondered through Remus and then Peter, until they finally landed on the person standing right in front of him. He looked at me and suddenly this excited smile spread across his face.
"Hello Blue," he greeted, smirking at me.
I chuckled and shook my head amused. "Hello, Black."