Moon and Stars

fourty six

Aurora let herself read over Fred's letter not once or twice, but three times before she gently slid it back into the envelope where it came from, laying it on her nightstand.

He had hope, and that hope is what motivated Aurora to push through her final days at Hogwarts for awhile. The seconds went by slowly now that she had a reason to return home, and the anticipation was killing her.

On the day she was set to leave, she decided not to sit with her fellow professor's at the front of the room during mealtime, and instead took a seat in front of Ginny and Hermione. Luna was off doing her own thing at the Ravenclaw table, so Aurora didn't want to be a bother.

"He wrote me." She said as she sat down, a smile on her face. Hermione furrowed her brows, but a large grin came onto Ginny's face, and she grabbed Aurora's hand from across the table, squeezing it gently.

"Fred sent you a letter?" Hermione asks, and Aurora nods her head happily.

"I wrote him, and he wrote me back!" She said, pulling out the letter from her bag. She had packed and brought her bottomless bag with her, so she could just leave after dinner.

She slid out the parchment and gently handed it to Hermione, and the two girls read over it. By the end, Hermione had tears brimming her eyes, and Ginny's hand covered her mouth, which had fallen open about halfway through.

"Rory, that boy is in love with you." Hermione says from across the table, and Aurora takes her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding her head.

"I know he is, and I swear I'll do everything in my power to preserve him and his heart. I know I'll love him just as hard one day, and until then, I'm not going to mess things up." She said, inhaling through her nose.

"I've never seen Fred so adamant about something, not even his own business," Ginny said quietly, looking up to make eye contact with Aurora, "You know I love you, Rory, but you have my brother at his most vulnerable, and I need you to promise me you won't take that and hurt him again. I need to hear you promise me that." She said, and Aurora exhaled, taking Ginny's hands in her own.

"Ginny, I promise I won't hurt your brother like I did before. There's no excuse for my actions, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make up for it. I really like him, Gin, and I want it to only escalate from there." She said with her voice full of sincerity, and Ginny nodded in response, a small smile on her lips.

"I think this will work itself out." Hermione says, nodding her head at the two of them.

"I think so, as well," Replies Aurora, "I'll be returning home tonight, so I'll have to see how it goes." She says with a shaky exhale, and the two girls give her reassuring smiles.

"He wrote you, Rory, so that means he's willing to try as much as you are. Don't overthink this and stress yourself out, alright?" Says Ginny, and her knee begins to bounce, the realization that she would be facing him shortly hitting her in the chest.

"I'll try my best, and since the holiday's are approaching, I'll make sure to tell the both of you how it played out when I see you next." She replies, and Hermione smiles at her, before dishing herself a plate of food.

Aurora takes the letter back from Ginny and carefully slides it back into the envelope, closing it and folding it into her bag. The rest of supper consisted of normal conversation, and a delicious final meal before her departure, and Aurora felt better than she had in the longest time.

She felt herself get better over the course of the week, and she felt her mentality repair it's broken parts a bit, as well. Her situation with Fred left her an absolute mess, and she had to admit that she was embarrassed that she responded the way she did. A main concern was seeing Fred for the first time since that night, and she was worried that his anger would rekindle, or he would be unable to forgive her after she explains her reasoning.