Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 13

Thank you so much for reading! :)

Auriga stood on platform nine and three quarters surrounded by families who were chatting to each other. She, however stood alone, waiting for the Hogwarts Express to role in. A hand tapped her on the shoulder, "Hello there."

Auriga turned around in surprise, and grinned widely when she saw Thomas stood there with his parents a little way behind him. "Thomas, hi!" she said, embracing him in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I'm picking up my little sisters," he said with a grin, "Hey - Lucy made prefect! What's up with you then? Everything sorted?"

"I moved out," she said.

"Wow," Thomas said, apparently surprised, "That was really brave of you, Auriga. I- well done."

"Well, I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't written to me," Auriga said, "So thanks."

Thomas opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the sound of a train whistling and cheers of the students on board as they waved out the window. She peered around as hoards of students poured out the doors, carrying their trunks and owl cages in their hands and on their shoulders.

Something rammed into her from behind, and she peered under her arm to see a platinum blond head. "Hello squirt," she said, ruffling his hair. He stepped back and frowned, trying to flatten his hair back down.

"Stop it," he hissed as a boy with jet black hair, red hair and a girl with bushy brown hair walked past.

"Who are they?" Auriga asked, mildly entertained.

"Dumbledore's favourites," he scowled as Auriga levitated his trunk. "A mudblood and a blood-traitor."

She watched as the group approached a crowd of red-heads. "Ah," she said, "A Weasley."

"You know him?" Draco asked as they left through the barrier.

"His brother was in my year and his oldest brother was head boy three years ago," she said as they found an isolated place to disapparate. "So," she said, "I was going to take you for some dinner and then take you home? I think I've got some explaining to do."

He nodded and took her arm and they disapparated to Diagon Alley, where Auriga held the door to the Leaky Cauldron open. "What are we doing here?" He asked, wrinkling his nose.

"I'll explain once we're sat down," she said, indicating that he should go inside. Draco sat down nervously as Auriga stored his trunk and their cloaks in the cloakroom and went to the bar to order. Ten minutes later, the pair were eating pie and chips and washing it down with butterbeer and pumpkin juice.

"So, Augustus and I are no longer getting married," Auriga began.

"I'd gathered that when you disappeared," Draco said haughtily.

"Alright, squirt, get off your high horse," she laughed.

"How come you're not getting married, then?" he asked, cutting into his pie.

"We weren't happy together," she said simply, "And I panicked."

"So where did you go?" Draco asked.

"I came here at first," she said, "And then I bought a house in Cornwall. You can come down and stay for a weekend if you'd like?"

He grinned at her, before taking a swig of pumpkin juice, "Yes, please." He paused, then said, "Why did you have to buy a house? Father has plenty of properties you can use."

"Well," she said hesitantly, "I'm not exactly a Malfoy anymore."

Draco forced himself to swallow the mouthful of food, his eyes wide, "But your name's Auriga Malfoy!" he protested loudly.

"Father had to disown me," she said quietly, "I don't have access to the vault, the properties or anything associated with the Malfoy name."

"What about me?" Draco asked, apparently horrified, "Are you still my sister?"

Auriga smiled and leaned across the table, "I will always be your sister," she told him, "And if you ever need me, I'll only be an owl away."

*****

Auriga knocked tentatively on Crouch's office door, having received a memo from him when she returned from her lunch break. All it had said was he needed to speak to her. Was she getting fired? She hoped not. It was right before Christmas as well - Draco would be gutted.

"Ah Malfoy," Crouch said, "Have a seat." Auriga obliged, hands folded in her lap, but her fingers twitching nervously all the same. "How have you found your first year here?" he asked her, shuffling some paperwork around.

"I've enjoyed it very much, thank you," she said truthfully and politely.

"Excellent, excellent," he said absentmindedly, "I'm promoting you."

Taken by surprise, Auriga feel her face grow hot, "Thank you very much, Mr Crouch."

"Yes yes," he said dismissively, "One of our senior diplomats from the International Office of Magical Law has retired. His place has been filled, but that leaves a junior position open. Would you be interested?"

"Very much, Mr Crouch," Auriga said. This was brilliant! "What would the position involve?"

"Well, you'll probably have to travel a fair bit to the Ministrys of other countries," he said, "various negotiations about immigration laws. Reporting to the Minister's office about laws set by the International Confederation of Wizards. Nothing major, but you will be a representative of our country, so you'll need to be presentable."

"That won't be a problem, Mr Crouch," she said with a laugh, "Who will I report to?"

"Martin Cowell," Crouch said, "He holds one of the British seats to the ICW, and is the head of the office."

"Is that everything, Mr Crouch?" she asked, barely able to contain her glee.

"Yes, thank you. You will start your new position on Monday, and I want your desk cleared out by Friday evening."

"Thank you, Mr Crouch," she said happily as she hurried back to her own desk. She scribbled an owl to her parents, telling them the good news. She was celebrating tonight.

*****

Auriga knocked on the International Office for Magical Law's door and it was opened by a sprightly, yet stiff looking witch in minty-green robes, about thirty years old. "Auriga Malfoy, yes?" she said and Auriga nodded. "I'm Maggie," she said, "Mr Cowell's assistant."

Maggie led the way through the office, that was filled with about two witches and seven wizards all scribbling away with quills and glancing up briefly to look at her, before turning back to their work. "This one's yours," Maggie said, indicating a desk by the far wall.

Auriga nodded her thanks and began unpacking her things. "It'll be good to have another witch in the office," Maggie said to her, leaning against her desk, "There's only three of us and Sharon can be a right moody cow sometimes. Good for gossip though. That's her in the purple robes." Auriga looked up to see a middle-aged witch with a crooked nose and dark brown hair that was tied into a ponytail. "And then Megan's over there in blue," Maggie carried on, pointing at a witch of about thirty with brown-red hair, "She's loads of fun - got a lot of energy."

"Cool," Auriga said, "Thanks."

"Well," Maggie said with a wide smile, "I'll let you get settled in, and then Mr Cowell wants to see you." Auriga nodded her thanks again and smiled as she placed a picture of Draco on his first day of school on her desk. She was going to like it here.