Aurora | Harry Potter

chapter thirty-nine

"That is a very serious accusation, Potter," McGonagall says with a very serious expression on her face. "Indeed," Snape adds, "your evidence?" I turn to Harry, awaiting his answer, not entirely sure if I'm angry or confused... or both. 

"I just know," he responds, almost glaring at Snape. I roll my eyes slightly, thinking that this is just to spite Draco because of their little rivalry. "You just... know," Snape repeats, in disbelief and completely unconvinced.

 "Once again, you astonish me. Your gifts, Potter, gifts mere mortals can only dream of possessing... how grand it must be to be... The Chosen One," Snape says, staring at Harry. McGonagall then sharpishly sends us back to the Gryffindor Tower and I'm in utter astonishment at Harry's bluntness. 

He goes to grab my hand, but I move it out of his reach, turning around to face him. "I can't believe you, Harry," I say, knowing Ron and Hermione will just walk away. "What makes you think that Draco could even possibly attempt to curse someone? And why Katie? She's completely harmless."

He shrugs slightly, so I just sigh and tell him that I need to take a walk around the castle to clear my head. He looks like he's going to protest, but just groans and walks off.

Running my fingers through my hair, I walk down the corridor and try to forget what just happened. "Merlin, that boy sometimes..." I mumble to myself as I pass into another corridor.

"Having boyfriend troubles?"

I spin around on my feet to see Draco sat in an archway, a book in his hands and his eyes tracking the pages. "Not really, he can just be... frustrating at times," I reply. "What are you reading?" I ask, trying to change the conversation. He ever so slightly smiles and shows me the book, which is a piece of romance fiction I've read before.

"Oh wow, I didn't take you for a romance lover," I say, smiling at him. He shrugs slightly as he places the book aside. "I'm not usually, but Mother sent me it, so I thought I'd give it a read." That makes me glad, that he has a good relationship with his mum because his dad isn't the nicest wizard in the world.

I go to walk back to the Gryffindor Tower, but stop when Draco grabs my arm. Unlike last time, his touch is calm and soft. "I... I need to apologise for kissing you. It wasn't right of me. You're with Potter, I was acting out because I wasn't in a good place and as soon as it happened, I felt like such an idiot."

I smile and pat his arm as he lets go of mine. "It's okay, Draco. We can start over again, right?" For a brief moment, he just looks at me, then his eyes fill with... hope and he gives me a large, genuine smile. "I would love that. We can be... friends?" He asks, to which I nod my head.

"Yes. We can be friends."

-

"So tell me, Cormac, do you see anything of your uncle Tiberius these days?" Slughorn asks as I fiddle with my dress slightly, making sure it isn't creasing or that there's anything smudged on it.

It's been about a week since Katie was cursed and Harry apologised for being so blunt about Draco. Currently, we're sat with Hermione and Neville at Slughorn's dinner party. I only recognise two other students, Cormac and a Slytherin student named Blaize. 

"Yes Sir, in fact, I'm meant to go hunting with him and the Minister of Magic over the holidays," Cormac responds, most definitely twisting the truth to make himself seem more impressive. Which he isn't, in the slightest. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him glance over me and Hermione before smirking slightly, making me slightly confused.

Slughorn asks another student at the table about his family, but his accent is so thick that I can barely understand what he says, so I just take another spoonful of my dessert. "Miss Diggory, does your father still work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?" Slughorn asks, Hermione, Harry and Neville's heads all snap to look at me.

"Um, I don't know, Sir," I reply, staring at the ground, "I've been living with Molly and Arthur Weasley for the past two years and... haven't heard anything from my father..."

Thankfully, Slughorn can sense the awkwardness, so he asks Hermione what her parents do and when she tells a joke about dentistry, only her and Harry laugh as they both lived in the Muggle world. 

Then, a door opens and Ginny walks in, her eyes red and tear stained. "She's been fighting with Dean again," I whisper as she sits down, apologising for being late. "It's alright, Miss Weasley," Slughorn says as everyone continues eating their desserts. 

Once the dinner is over, Harry tells me he's going to stay behind to talk to Slughorn, so I press a quick kiss to his cheek and walk out with Hermione, who's comforting Ginny.

"Aurora, what can I do?" She asks, tears dripping down her cheeks as her nose starts to run slightly. "We fight constantly and I don't know how much longer I can put up with it." I pull her into a tight hug and tell her that if this is causing her so much heartache, she needs to leave him.

"There's someone better out there for you," Hermione says as she pats Ginny's back comfortingly. When I pull out of the hug, I wipe her tears away and tell them both to find Ron. "He'll know how to make you feel better, only a brother can properly comfort a hurting sister."

Ginny smiles and nods her head, Hermione leading her back to the Gryffindor Tower. I smile as I watch them walk away, Hermione holding Ginny's hand supportively, hoping that Ron will convince her to leave Dean and go after someone better for her.

I walk the other way down the corridor and find the girls toilets, which I decide to head into. I approach the mirror and smooth my dress down before turning the tap on, washing my hands to get some small chocolate stains off.

I hear the door open but when I turn around, I see Cormac, a lustful smirk on his face and look in his eyes. "Cormac... these are the girls toilets, please leave," I ask, standing still in the middle of the room.