𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 ; 𝒹.𝒽

fifty-four

After Aurora ate her food, she stood up from the table. 

"Have you got a spare room?"

"Feeling tired?" Ron asked. 

"No. I need to send a Patronus to Althena and Remus. Let them know we're here."

"That could be dangerous," Harry said. 

Aurora took out her wand, "I've gotten good at the Patronus. It won't send if it senses danger."

Aberforth stood up and led her to a room with a small twin sized bed and a simple wooden nightstand and left without another word. She raised her wand, and summoned her Thestral Patronus. 

She watched it run around the room, waving her wand around as she encoded a message. When she finished, the animal bowed to her before flying off. 

It flew all the way to the Burrow, where everyone was gathered. 

Althena and Remus both stood up at the sense of the patronus flying towards them. Everyone gathered in the room as the message played out. 

"We are planning to break into Hogwarts tonight to retrieve the last Horcrux. Stand by."

Althena let out a breath and sat down on the couch, "at least we know they're alive," she said quietly. 

Remus looked to Tonks, who was cradling Teddy. 

"It's almost over," Fred quietly said.

George laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, "she's with us, you know."

Fred nodded grimly as Romare put an arm around Margot, who was curled up on the couch with a tear-stained face.

"Everyone we've lost to this bloody war, it will not have been for nothing," Remus said, "this much I know."

Back at Aberforth's home, Aurora was getting ready to walk out of the room when Augustus walked in. He looked at her guiltily, "I'm sorry, Aurora. You're right. I know it's not a joke. I just thought if I didn't seem bothered by it that it would somehow smooth over what's to come, what you're going to have to do."

Aurora nodded, "I know."

"Truth is it does scare me. It's not the dying part... it's you. It shouldn't be you."

She brushed her hair out of her face, "just another price to pay to end this."

Augustus brought her in for a hug, "you're strong, Aurora. You shouldn't have to be, but you are."

They pulled apart and Aurora let the tears fall, "I just got you back, Augustus," she whispered.

"I'll always be around, haunting you."

She smiled lightly, "I bloody hope so."

He glanced down at the black in her chest, "It's hurting, isn't it?"

She brought her hand up to it, "Yeah."

"A lot?"

"It's been getting worse. I'll pull through this, don't worry."

He nodded, "I hope so. I don't want you going down with me, you know."

"At this point I don't think I'd mind it," she said, sitting down on the bed. 

"Hey, no, don't say that," he rushed, sitting next to her, "you have a lot of people waiting on you back home. You've still got a life to live."

"So should you. And Celestina."

"I know."

She leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She hid her head in her hands, "I'm so tired of this."