Aurora couldn't stop staring as Hermione walked down the stairs into the entrance hall beside Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. She looked so stunning and bright, it would be like removing your gaze from a star. She was pulled out of her gazing when said star stopped right in front of her, a smile on her face.
"You ready?" Hermione asked excitedly. Aurora nodded, lifting the small basket she had gotten from the kitchens house elves.
"Where are you going?" Ron Weasley asked. Looking between the two. Hermione turned to him, arms crossed.
"I told you just a few minuets ago that I'm going for a walk with Aurora. Harry, you heard me, right?" She turns to the green eyed boy, eyebrow raised.
"Yes, Mione, I heard you. It was difficult not to, you kept going on about it. Honestly, Ron, how didn't you hear her?"
"See? Please try and keep up, Ron, honestly."
"There is too much going on around here. How's anyone expected to remember everything." Says Ron, sighing and moving his glance to Aurora. "Say, Snape, whats in the basket? Is it food?"
"Yes, got it from the house elves in the kitchen. Perks of being a Hufflepuff, I suppose." Aurora said with a small smile. She didn't know Harry and Ron all that well, so she felt rather shy around them.
"Can I come along? I'm starving and lunch isn't for another hour!" Ron sulked. Aurora looked to Hermione, worried that their 'quality time' would dissappear, but to her relief Hermione had other ideas.
"You most certainly will not. This is a girls walk." Hermione huffed. The boys gave each other a look, prompting Hermione to reach for Auroras arm and drag her out into the courtyard.
"See you later!" She called over her shoulder to the boys watching them leave.
They had agreed last night to follow Auroas suggestion to walk around the Black Lake and Aurora was incredibly pleased with that. It meant more time to be with Hermione and privacy from others interrupting their walk.
"I'm sorry about them. Ron can be quite a child sometimes." Hermione says with a familiar fondness as they leave the castle grounds.
"You're lucky to have them. They seem great."
"They really are. But it's nice to have a break from their male ego sometimes." she laughs. "All they want to talk about is the war." She sighs, frowning down at Auroras hand.
"Speaking of, Umbridge has been a real pain recently. Its preposterous to not teach us to defend ourselves against dark magic, its the whole point of the class for gods sake. Ron and I have been urging Harry to teach some students defense spells in case You- Know-Who ever comes to the school. Would you be interested in that by any chance?" Hermione inquired, tilting her head to the side in that cute way she always does it.
Aurora agreed with Hermione when it came to Umbridges incompetence and she felt a tingle in her left hand where the words starred back at her from beneath the bandage, covered by her long sleeve.
"Would you be joining too then?" Aurora asked, hoping the answer was yes so that she would have even more time to be with Hermione.
"Of course! I want to be able to defend myself if need be and if Umbridge wont do her job, I certainly don't want to be the one who cant help herself." Hermione said firmly. "How's your hand doing?" She asked on a more serious note, looking down to Auroras still bandaged hand.
"Its getting better, still hurts a bit, but I'm sure it will hardly leave a scar, don't worry."
"Maybe your dad can heal it again just to make sure?" Hermione asked, an concerned look on her face.
"I'll talk to him." Hermione gave a firm nod in approval. "Good."
They were half way around the lake now and decided to stop by the shore where they would have a nice view of the castle. They put out the blanket and the food the house elves had packed for them. The spot also had birch trees surrounding it, so it made it even more cozy when they sat down by the water. The birds were chirping around them and Hermione was smiling at her. Aurora couldn't help but lean in closer to her. She was just so incredibly perfect. Hermione noticed Aurora's movement and turned her smiling face to her instead. Although the smile didn't stay for long, she didn't move away. She was staring into Aurora's blue eyes, watching her with anticipation.
Aurora could no longer help herself and she lent in all the way. Their lips meeting softly and eyes closing gently. Hermione's lips were so incredibly soft and her cheeks were warm beneath Auroras hand. It felt like kissing autumn. Warm earthy tones, crisp air but soft lips and her soft curls brushing her hand. It was a brief kiss and it was gentle and soft.
Aurora pulled away first, scared to open her eyes and take in Hermione's reaction, but as she did, all she received was a bright expression and sparkling eyes, a grin taking over the brown eyed girls face. Aurora smiled nervously convinced she was feeling as happy as she had ever felt in her life.
"I've been waiting to do that for a long time." Aurora whispered. Hermione smiled and nodded, a cute red blush on her cheeks.
"I've been waiting too." she replied. A relief was lifted off Auroras shoulders, knowing she hadn't made Hermione uncomfortable.
"I'm so happy right now." Aurora said, lying back on the grass, pulling Hermione down with her kissing her as she went. She put her hand behind her neck to pull her closer and kissed her more intently. Hermiones hand reached up to her face, her fingers igniting little sparks under her skin.
Hermione pulled away and grinned, kissing her nose gently. She was so close Aurora could see the faint freckles spread across her face and see the details of her eyes. She was beautiful.
"I'm happy too." she smiled, her eyes crinkling slightly, looking deeply into Auroras eyes before lying down beside her and turning to watching the sky.
Aurora lay there for a second, not moving, trying to comprehend what just happened. She had kissed Hermione, and Hermione had kissed her back. She had kissed Hermione! How did she have the guts to do that? She'd been thinking about it for over a year, and now she had finally done it! And Hermione kissed her back!
As she was lost in her thoughts of shock, Hermione made herself comfortable, laying her head on Auroras stomach as they looked at the clouds taking shapes as the most random things in the sky above them. Aurora hesitantly reached out with her hand and began playing with Hermione's soft curls, watching the bushy haired girl look at the clouds, sighing in relief when she didn't object. Aurora could not stop looking at her. Long lashes, tan skin, faint freckles, chubby cheeks and curly hair. Aurora loved it all.
They lay in silence for a long while, reveling in the peace that came from being so far away from the castle and it's inhabitants.
"Did you know that I've liked you since fourth year?" Hermione suddenly said. Aurora perked up at this and tried to stop blushing. It was so surreal that someone liked her. "You were always there for me, from first year to now, I just didn't know what it was until last year."
"Really?" she said in surprise, hardly believing her ears. Hermione nodded. "I think the boys have noticed by now. I've talked about you a lot." she said, laughing nervously.
"You have?" Aurora felt a surge of happiness of the fact that Hermione had spoken about her to her friends and felt a sudden need to say thank you for thinking she was worth talking about.
"I knew I liked you the second I saw you at the Yule Ball. Before that I'd entertained the thought, but when I saw you in that dress I realized that I could like whoever I wanted, and I wanted it to be you." Aurora said, a faint blush on her cheeks. "You were so beautiful that day, you know. You still are."
Hermione lifted her head from Aurora stomach and smiled. "You're beautiful too, Aurora." They both blushed furiously and grinned at each other. Hermione moved up to lay down right on top of Aurora, arms on either side of her head to keep her from falling on top of her. Hermione's hair fell like a curtain around their faces and gathered together in the grass as she lent in to kiss her.
"We're both beautiful." She whispered. The pair of them couldn't stop smiling, even as they kissed.
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Neither of them wanted to go back to the castle. They stayed for as long as possible and walked back as slowly as could be considered walking once it began getting dark. They knew that back at the castle, they would have to act as friends. No one could find out. Harry and Ron might have an idea, but they hadn't commented on it, so they probably didn't mind. The problem was most people in the wizarding world were far more conservative then in the muggle world, and they would certainly not accept it.
Aurora couldn't even imagine how her father would react if he found out. She was sure he would disown her. Probably expel her and leave her to rot somewhere. She had eventually lost trust in her father, because countless times things had happened and he would get angry and jump to conclusions, then realize what he had said or done and apologize, asking for her forgiveness. First when she was sorted into Hufflpuff, then when she later had failed her Transfiguration exam, he had been furious, but hadn't even attempted to find out why. Turns out when he found out one of Malfoys buddy's had cursed with a confundus charm before the exam, he apologized and gave the poor Slytherin a years worth of detention. He was still her father and she loved him dearly, but she didn't trust him as much as she wish she could. There were a lot of things she wished she didn't have to keep bottled up, but didn't dare tell her father in fear of his reaction.
This on the other hand was too far, even for her father. He would not apologize this time, nor would he regret it. He had connections with bad people, and bad people didn't like people like her.