BUTTERFLIES! , d.m

| 07

˚◞♡ ⃗*ೃ༄

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐘, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 lit up the dark sky outside. The sleeping girls faces in Aurora's dormitory were lit up by the moonlight, as Aurora was woken by Professor Mcgonagall, in the early morning hours, whose face she had not been expecting to see.
She stared into Mcgonagall's eyes, rubbing her own sleepily.

"What-what's going on?" She asked, stifling a yawn and sitting up in bed, when suddenly panic set in as she realised something bad must have happened. Her suspicions were confirmed as Mcgongall looked at Aurora with sympathy, and sighed.

"You need to follow me, Miss Westwood." She spoke softly, trying not to wake Hermione who was still sleeping peacefully next to her.
Aurora climbed out of bed reluctantly, pulling on a dressing gown and following Mcgonagall towards Dumbledore's office.

When they reached the stone gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office, her head felt like it was about to explode. What had happened? Was it her friends? Her family? Was she being expelled? she thought desperately, too nervous to ask.

Dumbledore greeted them quietly, and beckoned for Aurora to sit.
"Miss Westwood. I'm afraid something has happened that you need to know about." His usual twinkling eyes were now replaced with sinister, nearly sympathetic looking ones, and Aurora swallowed nervously.

"What is it? What's happened?" She croaked.
Dumbledore sighed deeply before responding.

"Your parents. Alfred and Elizabeth Westwood, correct?"
She nodded slowly, unable to speak.

"They got into a car accident last night. I'm so very sorry, Miss Westwood." he spoke quietly.

"B-but they are alright, aren't they? Can I see them now?" She said desperately, leaning forward in her chair, and blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall.
Dumbledore looked down, and Mcgonagall took over.

"They didn't make it, Aurora. I'm so sorry."

Aurora's world felt like it was crashing down and breaking. Her hands slipped off the chair and she collapsed onto the floor without even realising, her steady flow of tears blurring her vision.

The small office was silent apart from her wailing sobs and as she felt Professor Mcgonagall gently try to pick her up, she thrashed her limbs around, and stumbled to her feet. Running out of the door, much to all the teachers' protests, she made her way out onto the usually crowded corridor, and was met by silence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓. No cousins, no grandparents, no siblings. True, they were not always there for her, but at least they were there. And now they were not.

Hastily ripping Draco's note from yesterday out of her pocket, her teary eyes scanned over the time he had written for them to meet. It was one in the morning now. Would Draco have waited?

She needed someone. Not Harry, not Hermione, not Dumbledore. She needed Draco, and she knew it.

As she reached nearer to the Astronomy tower, her shaking body broke into a run. She cried as she ran, heart-wrenching sobs echoing off the walls.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐘 sat waiting for the girl he missed so much, and raked a hand through his hair. The happy, so-kind-that-it-was-unfair girl that he loved to be around.

He was perched on the tower, legs dangling. His eyes scanned over the watch on his wrist, and he sighed. Had she not gotten the note? Had she decided not to come? He knew it was stupid, waiting for a whole hour, but something inside of him told him to keep waiting for her.

As he was getting ready to leave and head back to his dorm, a noise made him jump. It was a quiet noise at first, gradually growing louder as he moved closer to the entrance. It sounded like... crying?
Opening the door, he nearly yelped in surprise as he bumped into a small figure. Realising who it was, he started to speak angrily, telling her off for being so late, until her saw her face.

She had long trails of mascara mixed with a flow of tears on her cheeks, and her hair was messed up, resembling something of a birds nest.

Aurora took one look at Draco and collapsed into his arms, her tears not stopping.

She had known of people losing their close ones before, but she hadn't ever imagined the grief being this strong. It had hit her like a giant wave, knocking her off her feet and throwing her underwater until she couldn't breath.

She gasped for air in Draco's arms, and he held her closer, stroking her damp hair.
"Shhh, I've got you. You're okay now." he whispered softly in her ear, rubbing her shaking back.

He didn't need to know what had happened.

At this moment, all he knew he needed to do was be there for the broken girl in his arms.
She would explain later.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

a shorter chapter, but it was so sad I think it makes up for it :(
Obviously Aurora's parents had never treated her the best, but I hope you understand that she was upset because they were the only ones there for her.
Nearly cried while writing this not even going to lie but hope you're enjoyed 😭