Aurora liked to think of her life as one that, unlike seemingly everybody else nowadays, she did not want to re-live.
Sometimes, when she's lying awake at night, she likes to think that the fates, or God or whoever it was that planned out peoples li...
Fred and Aurora were still sat on Aurora's bed, in the Hospital wing. It was dusk now, and the sky outside was a rich, royal blue; Aurora was still wrapped up in Fred's embrace, though they had relaxed a bit and were now lay side by side - Fred's thumb rubbing soothing circles over her bruised knuckles. Aurora decided that she quite liked it.
"Yeah, Snape outed him as a werewolf this morning - resigned after Lunch..."
"Oh-" Aurora said, slightly disheartened - Professor Lupin had been the best DADA teacher they'd ever had. His class was a safe space, it made her feel comfortable. "That's a shame - I was starting to warm up to the fellow."
"Noble man, that one was-" He spoke in a fake aristocratic accent, placing his hand over his heart dramatically. "-you know, it was him that helped us stick all of that furniture to the ceiling?"
"Believe it or not, I already knew that-"
"What? How" Fred's eyes were bulging, and Aurora couldn't tell whether he was acting genuine or was just naturally dramatic.
"It wasn't too difficult to figure out, Fred-" She replied dryly. "I mean, come on? It's always you two- what? Did I say something?"
Fred was gazing at her with a surprised dopey grin plastered across his face - looking as if Peeves had just shaved Mrs Norris.
"....you called me Fred-" He blurted after a moment of silence, "-not Weasley or Weaslebee or beanstalk or mutilated Leprechaun - Fred!" He said in amazement, his grin widening as if the absurdity of the situation was only just setting in.
Aurora laughed slightly. "Yeah, I did-" Than she felt the familiar sense of anxiety creep up from underneath her stomach, "Unless, you don't want me too?"
"Oh no no no-" Fred said breezily. "No, was just shooketh at the lack of insults-"
"Shooketh?"
"Shooketh, yeah - I like to imagine that that's something they would say in the medieval periods. Just imagine: 'Oh Mary, Hugo just left me because he was entraced by Lady Jane's ankle - I am shooketh...'"
"Would they say fucketh, than too? 'What the fucketh is going on in my thatched cottage, Elizabeth? Looketh at you - you're the filthieth, swine i know. Most Unholy...'"
"What in Merlin's left toe nail in going on in here?"
Madam Pomfrey suddenly appeared from inside her office. Fred and Aurora hastened to untangle their limbs, Aurora accidentally shoving the taller boy off of the bed.
"...ow..."
"Nothing Poppy, Weasley was just giving me my potions homework-" Aurora spluttered indignantly.
"You don't have potions until Tuesday, Aurora-"
"Oh-"
The school nurse sighed. "Mr Weasley, you may leave now-" Fred huffed, but stood and grabbed the invisibility cloak from where it was scrunched up at the foot of the bed; he shuffled over to the door, waving awkwardly at Aurora.
"Bye than-" He uttered, smiling softly.
"Yeah, cheers for the...um cake - was really nice of you-"
"No problem-"
Poppy waited until he had gone before she fixed her hard glare back at the raven haired girl, who was nervously avoiding her gaze.
"Oh well, can't protect you forever I guess..." She sighed. Aurora looked up, baffled.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing dear- just know that you have a choice, and that i don't want you coming in here complaining of morning sickness or a bloated belly-"
"What are you on about?"
Pomfrey rolled her eyes, as if the answer was obvious. "I'm talking about Weasley, deary-"
"What about him-"
"So...do you like him?" She asked, smirking smugly as Aurora flushed and diverted her attention to her hands.
"No-" She squeaked, "No, of course not-"
"Whatever floats your boat" She huffed, folding up Aurora's spare sheets "anyways, i actually came to talk to you about your Summer transformations..."
"Every year, you come back to me with horrific injuries," She continued, "And after the year you've had, with attacks and your hormones and just teenage shenanigans," She stared pointedly at the space besides Aurora that Fred had previously been occupying. "I just want you to be safe..."
She bit her lip, "You'll be aware of Remus's condition by now, I suppose..."
Aurora nodded. "Yeah, I've known since around November."
"Well, he transforms out in thick areas of woodland - with protective spells of course - and I thought that that might be better than having that dreadful woman lock you in a silver cage-"
"But how would I get to wherever we would be transforming?"
"That's the thing- Aurora, dear...you know that Lupin is close friends with your father, and that he and Potter accompany him on the full moons...Remus can't apparate too close to nightfall...so one of the two with have to collect you-"
"No, absolutely not-" Aurora glared, "I think I'll take the cage, thanks-"
"Aurora - listen. I've already spoken to Remus before he resigned, and he's agreed to have James pick you up; however, I can't guarantee that you won't see your father-"
"Than I don't want to do it, Poppy! I've had a shit year, my mental health is all over the place and seeing my father is not going to help...I just.." She gulped, "I don't think I can do it....it hurts, you know? More than the transformation it's self...It's not worth it."
"Aurora," Poppy placed a comforting hand on Aurora's arm, "Do you know how many times he's been in here after your transformations - that time when you were attacked by a dementor I had to threaten to use Minerva on him....I'm not saying he shouldn't feel guilty. I can't understand what your feeling - I'm not sure anybody can - but I can try too."
"My point is..." She continued, "Is that you shouldn't let him control what's right for you. You need this, darling, I can't stand seeing you like I did last week. Please..."
The last sentence hung heavily in the silence. Aurora mulled the options over in her head, weighing up the pros and cons: on one hand, she wouldn't feel like she had just been fed into a paper shredder, and it would do her some good to be out in the wild. On the other hand, she would have to see her father, the man that had essentially abandoned her and rode off into the sunset with his best mate. She supposed that she didn't have to talk to him, it wasn't like he had any control other whatsoever, and she was sixteen; she didn't care. Well, she did care, but she couldn't let his shadow hang over her for the rest of her life - Poppy was right. It wasn't about him.
"...Alright-" Aurora rasped, "but if he even attempts to go near me, I have permission to give him a piece of my mind-"
"You don't need permission for that....do it when you want to."
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