The group ate the meal alongside some elderflower wine, chatting amongst each other. Aurora was quieter than usual, her mind racing with memories of her meet up with Angelina.
She decided not to tell the others, thinking it would only cause more drama. Aurora was just going to do her best to avoid her at all costs, and hope that George won't get hurt. It may be a selfish decision, but she was final.
Molly and Arthur had sent a letter saying they'd be returning tomorrow, two days before Ginny and Hermione returned to Hogwarts. Everyone was pretty tired from such a boring day, so they parted ways to separate bedrooms, but Ron stayed on the couch so he wouldn't have to take the stairs quite yet.
Before Aurora closed her door behind her, Fred placed his hand on the knob, preventing her from shutting it all the way. She turned back around and met eyes with the tall redhead, who looked down at her with a concerned expression on his face.
"Hey, Aura, can we talk?" He whispers, and she nodded at him, letting him come into the room. She took a seat at her desk, brushing through her hair, while he sat at the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees.
"What's going on tonight?" He asks, making her turn towards him.
"Pardon?" She asks, and he lets out a sigh.
"I can read you, Aurora, and I can tell something's bothering you. I'm not the brightest, but I'd like to help you if I can." He says softly, and she smiles at him.
She didn't want to drop the bomb that Angelina is threatening her life, but he could tell something was getting to her. Of course, that wasn't the only thing getting to her; Fred was running through her mind.
"Fire, pastries, and a fresh quidditch field." She said, making Fred furrow his eyebrows.
"Come again?" He asks, and she sets down her brush, standing up and going to stand in front of him, her arms lazily crossed over her chest.
"That's what I smelled when you held the amortentia. Fire, pastries, and a fresh quidditch field." She repeated, and she could see the wheels begin to turn in Fred's head, when his eyes dropped to the floor.
"I smelled you, Fred." She blurted out, making his eyes meet hers. A smile crept onto his face, and he intertwined his hands, fiddling with his thumbs.
"You smelled me." He repeated, making a small smile form on Aurora's lips.
"I did." She responded, and he stood up in front of her, the height difference making her bend her neck to look up at him.
"Brilliant news, Aura, I smelled you, as well." He whispered, pulling her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he placed a hand on the back of her head, kissing the top. She pulled away and looked up at him, and he let his hands rest on her waist.
"What does this mean...?" She asks, looking up into his light brown eyes. His calm, happy expression didn't falter, and he tilted his head to the side as he spoke to her.
"I want to see where this goes, you and I." He replied, making Aurora's brows furrow slightly.
"What about the family, or Harry, or Hermione, or-" She starts, but is cut off by Fred putting his hand on the side of her face.
"We can talk to them, if you'd like. Everyone you mentioned loves you deeply, and I think they'd be happy for you, for us." He says, and Aurora's heart melts in her chest. She was so accustomed to Fred's goofy, boyish side, that when she's introduced to the soft, romantic side, she can't help the butterflies that burst in her chest.
"So you really want to do this?" She asked, smiling up at him.
"I do. Aurora McGonagall, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" He asks, biting his lip in anticipation.
"I'd love to." She said in just above a whisper, and he pulls her in for a kiss. She could feel him smiling into it, and it only made her happier. He pulled away and let out a huff, running a hand through his hair.
"I was hoping you'd say that, or this moment was gonna get quiet awkward." He says, making Aurora laugh and lean her forehead against his chest.
"Can you stay with me tonight?" She asks, now taking her turn to bite her lip in anticipation. Fred tilts her chin up to look at him, and he nods at her.
"I'd love to." He responds, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. She turned towards her wardrobe to grab some pajamas, and began to take off her shirt, before realizing Fred's still in the room.
"Close your eyes." She spits out, making a goofy grin come to his face.
"Hey, sweetheart, I don't know if you recall correctly, but I've seen you fully naked before." He retorts, shaking his head slightly. The mention of their alone time together made her cheeks flush red.
"Close your eyes, Weasley!" She exclaims, and he raises his hands in defense, compliantly closing his eyes. She stood for a moment to make sure his eyes stayed closed, before quickly changing into her pajamas.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now." She said, and Fred opened them, letting them scan over her body in the comfortable clothes.
"You look ravishing." He whispered, making her blush again. She giggled before crossing the room, straddling his waist and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in for another hug, and his arms make their way around her waist.
"As much as I love having you on my lap, I need to change, as well." He said, making Aurora chuckle and slide off his lap and onto the bed. He stands up and walks to the door, letting her know that he would be right back, before slipping into the hallway.
Aurora falls back into her mattress, staring up at the ceiling in silence. Her hand absentmindedly went to her neck as she once again recollected the events from the night.
There was no other explanation other than she's downright mad. She didn't fully know what she was doing in the shop, but she definitely knew she was up to no good, probably shoplifting. The thought of Angelina hurting her own boyfriend's and Fred's business was appalling on it's own, and she would have to tell George at some point. Her and George were rather close, and she didn't want to see him get hurt.
Even though the obvious choice seemed so clear, yet the feeling of Angelina's wand digging into her neck kept her silent. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was afraid of Angelina Johnson.
A knock on her door drew her from her thoughts, and she turned her head to see Fred walking in, wearing sweatpants and a white tee. He walked to the bed and crawled to the side that Aurora wasn't laying over, and slipped under the blanket.
"Join me?" He asks, motioning for her to get in bed the proper way. She smiled at him and crawled under the blanket, where he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his side.
He grabbed the Deluminator from her nightstand, and took the light from the lamp on her desk, before tossing it to the floor. The room fell into darkness and quiet, the only sounds Aurora heard were Fred's breathing, and his heartbeat.
"Goodnight, Aura." He whispered, squeezing her gently.
"Goodnight, Freddie." She responded, shutting her eyes and waiting for sleep to succumb her.
She remained restless for awhile, and the soft snores coming from Fred let her know that he was sleeping soundly, which made her happy. He went to sleep knowing that Fred helped her, and made her happy.
Little did he know, he only helped a part of her issues.
—
The night passed peacefully after Aurora finally got to sleep, and waking up in Fred's arms uninterrupted was like a dream.
They said their good mornings, kissed through the normal morning bad breath, and parted ways to continue about their lives normally. The feeling of comfort and normalcy between them even though a new relationship formed was a good feeling.
Fred left to the shop early in the morning to do some last minute business management before trying to open in time for the next Hogwarts year, and without George, it would be pretty time consuming, so he let Aurora know it would more than likely be a day trip.
Aurora now laid in the den, with a warm cup of hazelnut coffee, watching A Walk To Remember, a romantic muggle movie that she adored. The others hadn't woke yet, Ron sleepily moved to his room with Hermione late last night, and George and his parents are yet to return, so she enjoyed the peace and quiet she was getting.
She got to a scene where the pair went stargazing, and it reminded her that she needed to send that letter to Neville about her becoming a professor at Hogwarts, and she cut the movie off, getting up to go do so.
On her way up the stairs, she met Hermione, who had just woken up, leaving Ron's room.
"Morning, Mione." She smiled at the tired girl, who waved back, taking the half full cup of coffee from her hands and taking a sip, making Aurora scoff.
"I'll be taking this, thank you." She smirked, continuing to walk down the stairs. She rolled her eyes, laughing quietly to herself as she continued to head towards her room.
She reached in her desk and grabbed the sealed letter, whistling for Errol and waiting for him to get to her window, where she then told it Neville's information, and sent the bright owl on it's way.
Feeling relieved that she got a task off of her to-do list, she leaned back in her chair, smiling to herself.
Looking back down at the parchment in the open drawer, she picked up a piece and a fresh quill, and doing something she hadn't done in ages: writing out her feelings.
It was a mind clearing activity she religiously used throughout her Hogwarts years, that helped her manage her stresses.
After speaking her feelings for Fred aloud, and having him say his as well, that made her feel much better. Sending Errol with the letter for Neville made her more confident about her future at Hogwarts, and she didn't feel a need to write about her future profession at the moment.
Her biggest issue was Angelina, and she was going to pour her heart and soul into writing about every little thought, feeling, and event that's happened having to do with the girl.