Ever since her first year at Hogwarts, she had spent her christmases with her father, at Hogwarts. She had gotten used to it over the years, but it always sucked when Hermione had to go home. This year was no different, only now, it felt ten times worse since they had grown ten times closer.
They walked down to the station together, Aurora tightly holding onto Hermiones hand as they walked, knowing that it would be hard to let go.
"I can't believe I won't see you for two weeks." Aurora mumbled, leaning into Hermione's arm as they trugged through the snow.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Rors." Hermione frowned as they approuched the station.
"I'll miss you more."
"I'll miss you most." Hermione chuckled. Aurora laughed, shoving her to the side. "You're such a romantic."
"Only for you." Hermione mused, pecking her on the nose. Aurora giggled, wiping her slobber away on Hermione's coat.
"I'm going to remember that." Hermione said with norrowed eyes, a grin making it's way onto her face.
"Whatever." She mumbled back, the fact that Hermione was leaving truly sinking in as they came to a stop outside the train.
"Here you go." She said, bringing out the wrapped book from her bag. "It's not much, but I hope you like it." She handed it over to a smiling Hermione who pulled something out of her enchanted bag.
"Thank you, Rors. This is for you." She beamed, handing over a rectangular package wrapped in christmas paper. Aurora smiled up at her.
"Thanks, Mione. I hope you have a nice Christmas with your parents. And I really will miss you terribly, you know." Aurora said, launching herself into Hermiones arms.
"I'll miss you too, Rory." Hermione hummed, kissing her on the head. "Do try to get on with you dad. I think this could be a good time for you to resolve what happened." At Auroras foul look she continued. "I'm not siding with him. What he did was awful and you did nothing wrong to deserve that, but he is your father and you're all he's got."
And he was all she had as well, Aurora added to herself.
"You're right as always, Mione. I'll try. Now off you go. Don't want to miss the train talking to me." Se said, giving her a lopsided smile. Hermione smiled back and leaned in to give her a kiss. They had given up on hiding now. Some people still insulted them on occasion, but the comments had gratefully died down.
They hugged a final goodbye and she watched as Hermione boarded the train to Kings Cross in London.
She looked around the platform and noticed a lonesome Draco Malfoy board the train as well. He looked terribly ill, pale and downcast. She felt a tinge of worry for him because lately he had been so kind to her, or as kind as she could ever imagine Malfoy being. After the episode in Hogsmead she had forgiven him for the event with Blake. He hadn't known what Blake was going to do, and she realized that he had hardly taken part at all. He had been the one to refrain from kicking her, and although he still went along with it, she knew it was a big deal coming from him of all people.
She was distracted from her thoughts about Malfoy when she spotted Hermione waving to her form a window as the train pulled out of the station. Aurora waved back enthusiastically, running after the train until she reached the end of the platform where she watched the train disappear into the sunset, a wide smile on her face. There was no one left on the platform now, so she walked back up to the castle on her own, enjoying the silence and the scenery. The trees all had a layer of snow on them that was glittering in the setting light. She couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of it.
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By the time she returned to the castle her cheeks were red from the cold and she began trying to rub some heat into them while she went to find her father. No one was staying this year apart from her, so she figured she would listen to Hermiones advice and spend some time with him, to try and let him make up for how he treated her.
She found him in his living quarters, where she would be staying during Christmas, since she had her own room here and it would be very lonely in the Hufflepuff common room.
Opening the door to his quarters, she was met with him clutching his forearm, eyes scrunche dup in pain. In a hurry she rushed over to his hunched form, putting an arm around him.
"Dad?" He recoiled at her touch at first but noticing it was her, let her lead him to the sofa.
"Dad, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She reached for his shoulder, concern for her father pushing his wrongdoings to the back of her mind. She didn't often see him like this.
"Nothing is wrong. It would be best if you left." He grunted out, still clutching his arm.
She was no fool. She knew what hid under her fathers sleeve and was familiar with the Dark Mark tattooed into his skin. She also knew what it meant and knew what her father was involved in. She had seen Death Eaters last summer when her father met up with them. She knew that when her father left at night he went to meet them, but he never let them see her. Never talked about her or let them know she still existed, but they did know about her. They just left her alone for now.
"I know its Him, dad. What does he want?" she braved. He never told her, but she always hoped she could know something. Things had been getting very bad and Voldemort was no secret from the public anymore, not after he had appeared at the Ministry the past year. Everyone knew what he was doing and that something bad was going to happen very soon.
"Aurora." He said in warning, looking up at her with furrowed eyes.
"No, dad. I deserve to know what's going on. What if you get hurt, then what? I need to know what He wants from you." She said desperately. "Just like you can't lose me, I can't lose you." She clenched her jaw as she waited, daring him to push her away again.
"He's got plans for me. Things He wants me to do." He said, accepting her help and letting her sit him down in the sofa. "I've been hesitant to answer, to comply, and He's not happy. There is one thing I need you to understand, Aurora. Aster and I, we never intended to get this involved with the Dark Lord. I've already told you how your mother died. They killed her for leaving Him. I can't leave or else I'll suffer the same fate, and I can't leave you alone, not now. So, understand that I don't want this and am doing it for you." He reached up and cupped her cheeks with his warm hand, brushing away the tear that had fallen.
She felt terrified for her father and the memory of her mothers death had set her on edge. She remembered the night as if it was yesterday. She was due to start Hogwarts the next year when still loyal Death Eaters found their home and burst in. Her father was away and it was only her mother and herself at home. The Death Eaters had told her mother she had betrayed them, before they murdered her in front of Aurora. She had cried and cried, but they had ignored her entirely. Their mission was only to kill her mother it seemed, because they left immediately after. She lay by her mothers dead body until her father came home and found her on the living room floor crying in her mothers unmoving arms. Her father had been heartbroken after her death and different ever since.
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The next day her father was busy grading papers, so she decided to go see Madam Pomfrey about something. She had been thinking about it for almost a week and had been incredibly nervous to speak to the matron, but it was necessary. She had run out of medication for her internal bleeding they had given her at St Mungos and had been told to see Madam Pomfrey if she still felt like she needed the medicine. The pain had not yet gone away and she had gone an entire week without them, resorting to laying with her arms wrapped around her stomach until the pain dispersed.
She walked into the hospital wing and saw the matron writing on her desk. Aurora didn't know whether to interrupt her or wait until she was spotted, so she just walked up to the desk and waited. After a while of standing in silence she spoke up.
"Excuse me, Madam Pomfrey?" she said quietly, feeling incredibly rude for interrupting her concentration. Pomfrey looked up in surprise to see her and put on a smile.
"Oh dear, you gave me quite the fright." she said, not looking bothered in the slightest.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Aurora replied sheepishly, already cursing herself.
"No matter, what can I help you with, dear?" The matron smiled, waiting patiently for an answer. Aurora took a deep breath, gulping.
"I - erm- I was told by a nurse at St Mungos that I could come to you for...for pain medication." She said nervously, wringing her hands and nervously rubbing up and down her arms. Talking to adults was not her strong point.
"That shouldn't be a problem. What kind of medication is it you need?" The matron asked the nervous girl, putting on a smile hoping to easy the girls nerves.
"Oh...well I- I thought it might be written in a file or something?" Aurora said, scratching her cheek nervously. She really did not want to be an inconvenience and she felt like a very big one right now, she just didn't like telling people about what had happened. It made her feel weak and as if she was asking for attention. The matron began looking through some files, but came up short handed. Aurora could see she was about to look further, and she felt terrible for being such a bother she interrupted the matrons searching.
"I just need some...something for-uhm- to help with... internal bleeding." Pomfrey's gaze softened as Aurora's face flamed red in embarrassment at having to tell her.
"I'll fix that right up for you, dear. Why don't you just wait right there and I'll be out in a second." she smiled and walked into a back room, presumably where the medicine was kept. Aurora let out a deep sigh, rubbing her palms into her cheeks to get rid of the heat in her face and to try and recover from the embarrassment. She removed them hastily as Pomfrey returned with a small bottle, handing it to her as she sat down in her chair once more.
"There you go, dear. When did you say you ran out?" Pomfrey asked. Aurora had in-fact left that piece of information out on purpose, but it seemed the topic was unavoidable.
"Last week, Miss." Pomfrey gasped at her.
"Darling, you should have come sooner. I can't imagine how that must have hurt. Next time come straight to me, okay?" Pomfrey looked up at her seriously, eyebrow raised. Aurora turned beet red but nodded frantically, hating how much of an inconvenience she felt like in that moment.
"Now, of you go dear." she was shooed out and once she was out of sight she let out a long sigh before going to the library to finish some homework due after Christmas break.
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Her gift from Hermione had been a mini painting set, which she put to good use during the break.
The rest of Christmas went by quickly, she got closer with her dad after everything that had happened and they had enjoyed themselves, playing board games, opening gifts and reading together. She still had the constant thought that she might do something that angered him or which he didn't know about and that he would ignore her once more, but she tried to push that feeling away. One evening they had been sitting in the living room of his quarters when he had asked something she wasn't expecting.
"How long did you keep the fact that you liked women from me?" He seemed indifferent and she didn't quite pick up whether he was asking because he was curious or because he was cross she hadn't told him earlier. If it was the latter she knew her temper would get the better of her. "You said that you hadn't wanted me to know. That you had no intention of telling me and that it was unfair of Malfoy to have told me for you." he continued.
"Quite a while. Probably fourth year. And yes, I didn't want to tell you because I knew what you though on the matter, and I turned out to be correct didn't it?" she said snidely, wanting to leave before she got angry. He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.
"That long?" he said in surprise. She wasn't sure what he had expected, so she just raised an eyebrow back at him. "Yes, I suppose you had the right to refrain from telling me." all she did was nod. She had a bloody good reason. He had been homophobic as hell.
He must have noticed her anger spike because his face softened and he looked over at her with a saddened look. "I really am sorry, Aurora. I wish I hadn't made you want to keep it from me." She frowned but nodded to acknowledge what he had said. Her father had been getting on her nerves, but he was trying. Trying after he had pretended she wasn't his daughter for two whole months. She still had nightmares about being alone. She would be begging for help to someone who did nothing but watch her cry and scream. She always woke up with an empty feeling in her chest after those nightmares.
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She was waiting by the train platform as the Hogwarts Express rolled into the station. She was exited to see Hermione after two long weeks of not seeing each other and as people began streaming out of the open doors she spotted her and they ran into each others arms. Aurora picked her up and span her around, kissing her on the lips as they hugged. People gave them side wards glances but no one said anything or called out anything disgusting. She was glad.
"I missed you, Rory." Hermione said, hugging her tight as they stood on the platform. "I missed you more, Mione." Aurora said back, rubbing up and down her back.
"How was Christmas with your dad?" Hermione asked as they began the walk back to school through the fresh snow.
"It was fine. He was like his old self again and I'm glad we got to spend time together. He was really trying to show that he was sorry, which I'm glad for, but I guess we can say he doesn't quite understand the extent of his actions and the effect they had on me." Aurora said, waving their joined hands back and forward in a slight nervous gesture. "You should have seen him in the muggle Christmas hat I found. I've never seen him looks so embarrassed." She changed the subject to something else. Hermione was trying to imagine her potions teacher with a santa hat on, but could came up short.
"I'm glad you're on better terms with him, and I can't imagine it's been easy, but you're really doing great Aurora. He put you through a lot and I really honestly think you're being the bigger person here. I'm proud of you." Hermione said, squeezing her hand. Aurora felt her heart warm at Hermione's comforting words.
"Thanks, Mione. That means a lot." Aurora replied, leaning into Hermione's side as they walked.
"Now, enough about me. How was your Christmas? Did you go anywhere nice?" Aurora asked, knowing Hermione's parents liked to travel during Christmas break.
"We went to France as usual and it was lovely. We even went swimming, which was very strange as it's been snowing here. Mum and dad kept on nagging that I should have brought you along, so I said maybe during the summer. Would you be up for that?" Hermione asked cautiously. Aurora smiled shyly.
"You told your parents about me?" Aurora asked, blushing. "Of course, you're my girlfriend." Hermione smiled, giving her a nudge in the side at the small smile Aurora gave her. "You're so cute."
At that Aurora blushed again before answering the previous asked question. "I'd love to meet your parents! They seem so nice. I'll ask dad after the feast!"
They continued their walk, catching up on lost time, but sadly parted ways as they sat down for dinner which was lovely, with all kinds of delicious foods which Aurora enjoyed every last bit of. As they began to leave she walked up to find her father leaving the Great Hall. She caught up with him and walked in sync beside him. He looked over at her and gave her a small smile.
"Dad, could I stay with Hermione for a few weeks next summer?" she asked, getting right to the point, smiling brightly. "Her parents said they would love to have me."
"Summer is a long ways away, there really is no point talking about it yet." He said, still looking amused. "But it doesn't sound like a bad idea. Why don't you ask me closer to the time. Now, of to bed, it's getting late and you've got potions first thing in the morning." he winked at her and she let him walk of.
"Thank you!" She called after him. He just waved a hand in the air. She decided to go find Hermione and tell her the good news, hoping she hadn't already left for the common room. Thankfully she was waiting in the entrance hall and Aurora rushed up to her.
"He said it didn't sound like a bad idea!" she almost squealed, grabbing her hand and skipping around the abandoned hall. "Isn't this great!" she exclaimed looking at Hermione's smiling face.
"Next summer will be the best!" Hermione replied.
If only they knew that the beginning of summer would be a very bad one indeed.