𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 ; 𝑜.𝑜.𝓅

thirty-nine

"I know you've got happy memories in there somewhere."

"Then why is it not working?"

"You aren't trying hard enough."

Aurora huffed as her fathered stared at her from across the meadow that they were practicing her Patronus charm. 

"I have happy memories." Aurora mumbled, her mind tracing back to Cedric, "I think I've just... turned what use to be happiness into sadness."

"Don't think of him as just gone, Aurora. He's not. He's next to you, and most likely offended that you're thinking of him in such a sad way."

Aurora fiddled with her wand, "You speak of him as if you know him."

"I'm speaking from experience." He said softly, "Close your eyes, and open up your mind. He isn't just gone, Aurora. Those memories you have of him, those helped you be the woman you are today."

She gripped her wand tightly, mind tracing back to her first kiss with him in the tree they escaped to. His blue eyes looking up at her eagerly, the soft feeling of his lips, the feeling of love.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A bright blue light emitted from her wand, revealing what she almost cast years ago when she was abroad: a large Scottish Deerhound.

Sirius chuckled brightly, "I'm flattered, really. Well done, darling!" He called out happily. 

The dog walked to her and she held her hand out to it as it slowly disappeared. She looked to Sirius, "And who says my Patronus is a dog because of you?" She said, already knowing that that was exactly why her Patronus was a dog.

"I do tend to leave quite the mark on people." He said with a small smile, walking to her. 

She gave him a hug, "Thank you, dad, for everything." 

He pulled apart from her and tears really did fall from his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, "I've been eager to hear that word. Never thought I would again... I count my blessings everyday now that you're back in my life."

"I've started to count mine. Seems I should have started doing that a long time ago."

Aurora casted her Patronus a few more times for practice, just to make sure she truly had it down. When she finished, Sirius looked like he was on the verge of tears. 

"Your mother, her Patronus was swan. Beautiful, that was." He said fondly.

"I don't resemble her at all, do I?"

He sighed, "I think you took after me more. But, you do have her compassion. Even if you don't see it yourself. When I looked at her, her eyes seemed to hold all of the answers of the universe, even if she didn't have them herself. You have same look in your eyes."

"I don't even have the answers to 7th year Potions."

He chuckled, "If it makes you feel any better, I hardly retained what I learned at school. Spent most of my time running around Hogwarts with the Marauders and begging your mother for her love, though I think she fancied me from day one, if you ask me." He said, throwing Aurora a wink.

"I think that's your ego talking."

He rolled his eyes, "You got my wit. That is going to get me one day."

Aurora matched his chuckle, "You know, ever since Christmas break, I've started to feel better. The pain hasn't gone away, but I've started thinking of all the wonderful memories I had with Cedric... and that makes me grateful I knew him at all."

"Remus has taught you well."

"So have you."

He hummed lightly, "I'm very proud of who you're becoming. Despite the fact that the papers tear you apart." He said with slight bitterness to his tone.

"I think it's a bit funny, in a way. Father-daughter murder duo. Would make a wonderful novel." She said.

"I'm sure it would." He replied, looking up at the blue sky with a sigh, "Oh, I really do miss your mother, Aurora."

"I miss her too." Aurora replied, "It's strange though, because I don't remember her at all."

"I believe you can miss someone without knowing them." He said, "Harry misses his parents deeply, and he doesn't remember them at all. I hope, as you grow up more, you turn into your mother than you do me."

"And what if I do turn into you? Minus the Azkaban bit."

"Then I suppose everyone around us will have a lot to deal with." He said with a soft smile, "Well, I suppose we should go back."

The two Apparited back to their home. Sirius was quick to announce that Aurora had finally produced a Patronus charm.

"Brilliant! What is it?" Remus eagerly asked. 

"A dog." She said, glancing at her father, "Years ago, I did almost cast it. I was able to make out a dog then, I suppose it really did mean something."

"You just shot his ego through the roof, you know that, right?" Remus asked, patting Sirius' shoulder. 

"That I do."

Althena even gave Aurora's hand a squeeze as she walked into the room, seemingly able to hear the conversation from where ever she was, "Well done, darling."

"You never told me what your Patronus is." Aurora said to her. 

Althena glanced at it, "I don't prefer mine to take actual form."

"Why? Is yours a vulture or a mole rat?" 

Althena smiled with a shake of her head, "Very funny, you've been around your father for far too long." She said.

"Dinner will be ready soon." Tonks announced, "Hopefully it'll actually taste better this time around... if not, we always have Remus' chocolate."

Everyone slowly turned to her, "What?" Sirius asked, "He only shares his chocolate whenever someone is sad or if your name is Augusus Cairo." Sirius said suspiciously. 

She looked at everyone awkwardly, "I uhh... let's eat!"