𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 ; 𝒽.𝒷.𝓅

thirty-three

Everyone had no choice but to continue on with their lives. Despite Fred and George offering days off for Estella, she refused and continued to work. Similar to her, Zoya went back to Hogwarts early despite her father saying she could wait to recover.

The Joke Shop was getting plenty of business due to the New Year approaching, as they were running sales all over the store. Aurora was in Fred and George's office taking her break, drinking water and eating a sandwich Molly sent her to work with.

George was at his desk, completely lost in his work. Aurora didn't mind his silence, she found that it was nice after dealing with the loudness of the store.

The door opened, and Fred walked in with a letter.

"For you." He said, giving it to Aurora. She opened the letter and read it, "Who's it from?" Fred asked.

"Darren."

George looked up from his papers, "Who?"

She sighed, "Darren Solaris. He was a Slytherin a year above us and he dated Augustus for quite sometime."

"What does he want?" George questioned.

"He wants to see me."

"Whatever for?" George quickly asked.

"I don't know. He said... oh, wonderful." She said, reading the rest of the letter, "He wants to meet me at Augustus's grave."

"That's not creepy at all." Fred said as he grabbed a box from the closet.

"Yeah, Aurora, are you sure you should go?" George asked, "I mean, you are currently being hunted. As much as I enjoy your presence here, I wish you would listen and stay at the St. Clair Manor."

Aurora stood up, "Sorry, love, I never listen." She said, pecking a kiss on his forehead before walking out of the office.

After her shift was over, Aurora met Darren at the time and place he wrote to her. She walked through the graveyard, memories of standing alone in it after Augustus's funeral flooding her mind.

She found a tall, and slightly lanky man standing by his grave. His hair was nearly white with his dark hair growing in at the roots, creating a stark contrast from his all black clothing. Aurora walked to him, "What, are you an honorary Malfoy family member now?" She asked.

He struggled to hold back a smirk, "Nice to see you as well, Aurora."

"So you've been reading the Daily Prophet."

"It's a bit hard to escape it these days." He said, placing his hands in his coat pockets.

After the tragic night with the deaths of Sirius Black and Augustus Cairo, the news of Aurora being his daughter broke to the press. Everyone had no clue how it happened, but they didn't care enough to look further into it.

Darren's pierced ears were nearly pink due to the cold weather. He shivered, "Bloody hell, shouldn't have come all the way out here."

"Do you come here often?" Aurora questioned.

He sighed, "Yeah."

"What do you want?"

"Grayson Hemlock paid me a visit. Thought you should now." He said with a sniff, "Wanted me to join his little club."

"It's not a little club, Darren, their Death Eaters and they are bloody dangerous."

"I know that. But making fun of them takes the edge off. I mean honestly, how can you not laugh at the fact that they follow a guy with an over-extended life that looks like a snake?"

Aurora blinked, "I suppose you have a point. So, what did you say to him?"

"Told him I wasn't interested. Then, he tried to set my flat on fire."

"What did you do?"

He pursed his lips, "He's not dead..."

"Darren."

"I hexed him." Darren replied, "Tarantallegra, it was. He tap-danced his arse all the way back to his haunted mansion to his insane father."

"That is... brilliant."

"I know." Darren proudly said before turning to Augustus's grave. He let out another sigh, "I never expected him to be gone so soon."

"Neither did I. If you don't mind me asking... what happened between you two? He never told me."

"We just grew apart, that's all." He said, "I still love him, though. Can't really forget a first love, you know?"

She nodded with a sad smile, "More than you would believe."

"Let's get out of here before I start crying like a little girl." Darren said, turning on his heel and walking out of the graveyard. Aurora followed him and they walked down a sidewalk by a snow-covered field with Diagon Alley visible in the distance.

"How's Gwenna?"

He shrugged, "All right, I suppose. My parents were absolutely furious with her when they learned that she joined Dumbledore's Army."

"Must be lonely being a Ravenclaw amongst Slytherins."

"I love how you speak of the Slytherin house as if you weren't one yourself."

She glared up at him, "I haven't said anything bad about them."

"Your tone suggests otherwise." He quipped back, "Anyways, Gwenna did the right thing. I would have joined as well if didn't already graduate."

"Do your parents support the Dark Lord?"

"Merlin, no." He said with a scoff, "But they don't care enough to help your cause, either. Regardless of the outcome, we're all safe because we are pure-bloods. As for you..."

"I'm a half-blood."

"Wishing you all the luck then." He said as they continued their walk, "So, are you seeing anyone or do you still cry yourself to sleep over Diggory?"

"Watch it, Darren." Aurora warned, "No, I don't cry myself to sleep, at least not over him. I am seeing someone, though."

"Who?"

"George Weasley."

Darren stopped in his tracks as he stared at her, "No fucking way. You're pulling my leg, right?"

"No..."

"I don't know what shocks me more. Someone is crazy enough to go out with you or that it's a Weasley." He said, beginning to walk again.

She sighed, "You are such a git sometimes, Darren."

"Oh, I know." He said, stopping again. He grabbed Aurora's wrist softly, and she stopped as well to face him. She looked up at him and he looked more serious than usual, "Listen, I also wanted to tell you that should you need me, you've got my support. I don't like what's going on, it makes me scared for Gwenna. All I'm saying is that... I'll be around if you need a foot soldier or just a helping hand."

"What gives you the idea that I'm involved in all of this?"

"Well, if you're Sirius Black's daughter, I can't imagine you not."