━━━━━▼━━━━━

━━━━━▲━━━━━

Both Lily and Mary decided to wake up early and get ready for the day, and it was sort of obvious that ether of the muggle-born witches wanted to venture out while the pureblood stayed in. Aurora wasn't rascist in the least bit, but it sort of drives the question on how Alice and Aurora could be anymore alike.

"Hey...Alice?" Aurora voiced out, and the girl looked up from her book for a moment to pack. It was now Monday morning and they were due to get some breakfast and hurry about. 

"Everything alright?" Alice was in dear worry as she hurried over to her friend and plopped onto the bed. Although they weren't as close as her and Lily, Alice was sure it'd only take a few weeks for everything to settle.

"I messed up already," Aurora spoke, and that generally worried Alice as she took in Aurora's hands and pulled her to the bed. "What do you mean? How?" The girl questions and it was deep inhaled and exhale before Aurora plopped back down with her back connecting to the bed.

"You cannot tell Lily this...Please for the love of Merlin she'll—" Alice was easily convinced, although they were friends either side had secrets to share.

"It's obviously bothering you, I won't judge at all...If it's making you feel this way it's important for you to tell someone." Aurora licked her lips and nodded, she relayed the whole story minus any names, and Alice didn't see the bigger pictures.

"The...That boy was Remus." Alice's eyes widened in disbelief, shaking her head at the fact that Mr.Remus Lupin managed to—He could barely hurt a fly, or talk to a girl, much less manage a situation like that.

"H-have you talked to him?" Aurora shrugged it off as her head drooped further. 

"We both thought each other muggles, either of us didn't realize it until Friday. His mates obviously know what happened, and Lilys knows about the entire thing, but not that it's Remus." She babbled on, Aurora held her head in her hands and shook it.

"I wasn't even this school for how long? And now I'm a whore." She beckoned, but Alice merely clung onto the girl's body. "You are not a whore, Remus doesn't think of you like that. He is a gentleman, he won't do anything or say anything to ruin you—" 

"My reputation in the hands of those idiotic lot is dangerous, they already threatened if I didn't get Potter a date with Lils...Merlin Alice, what do I do?" She cried, and the girl stood still for a few seconds, pondering the options.

"Remus is a very good man Aurora, I'm sure after a month or two you won't—" 

"But I can't stop thinking about it, or about him...Which isn't right because of—" Alice saw the issue now, it all lead back to Jacob and the girl swallowed the new amount of information.

"Remus is the biggest sweetheart on the planet, and whether you decided, and I mean YOU. Not his friends or Lily, You...When you decide to be his friend, or whatever else you want to be with him. Then he and everyone else will have to deal with it, even if they don't like it...Aurora, you can't force yourself to live someone." Alice's words are exactly what the grey-haired girl needed to hear. Reassurance went a long way in Aurora's eyes.

"Lils wouldn't understand if I tried to tell her, and I'm sorry for bothering you with this. Honestly, I just—" 

"Are you mad? This is too much for you to keep on your shoulders! Not to mention the boys know? It's perfectly alright Aurora." With another vow of reassurance, they both decided to get going down for breakfast.

Alice took one look at Remus while he was immersed in whatever conversation with the boys before turning to her. "I can't believe he had it in him, you know he's only brought girls on a single date to Hogsmeade...But full—" 

"ALICE!" Aurora yelled, and although it didn't break the conversation of either the girls or the guys. Sirius had managed to sneak a peek.

So she went to Alice for guidance? His smirk rallied for a moment, although he was a bit disappointed that the discovery didn't end in them shagging, he couldn't blame the girl either.

"You know, I saw a paper out and about under your shoe this morning...Had the name 'Aurora I Halliwell' at the top." Remus sighed in defeat, he thought if he put his best foot forward in this weeks prank they would leave it be.

"Okay alright. I took a peek." He pouted, looking to her so easily manage the girls and eat at the same time. She looked so bloody beautiful and didn't even have to try. Merlin could he smell her perfume over the others.

Now he managed the connection as to why he kept smelling her throughout school, she was here...Near her friends and his.

"And...?" James tested the waters and Remus growled. "She's bloody perfect, I didn't need that file to know that." He speaks, trying to a gulp down of pumpkin juice to clear his problems but they were still there when he finished the goblet.

"So what's the plan Moony? Hogsmead is coming soon." Remus closed his eyes, silently counting the number of times Sirius had planted that seed into his head. He brought four girls to the town beside Hogwarts, they all had a wonderful time but Remus felt too guilty to get a relationship out of them, however, it ended and it never went passed the single time. He didn't want that for Aurora, he wanted to be friends with her first. And if that is all he could get, then so be it.

"Pads, I need you to sod off about Aurora alright?" Remus spoke, but the second Sirius opened his mouth once again, he threw in the towel, literally. He threw down his napkin and walked off to charms class, not caring if he was ten minutes early.

Aurora had met the back of his head and then her glare connected straight towards Mr.Black himself. Merlin no wonder Remus looked so panic. "How badly would his friends bother him for something like that?" Alice noticed too that Remus had departed and she sighed as well. 

"Pretty bad I'm assuming..." She pouted and made direct eye contact with both of the boys before following after Remus.

━━━━━▼━━━━━

"Remus!" She called out after him, he stopped for a moment and turned back at the sound of his name. He wasn't prepared to see her chasing after him, much less knowing that something was wrong.

"Did Pads talk to you—Merlin I am so sorry Aurora I tried to get the lot of them to—" Aurora's face twitched in confusion. "Pads? Who's pads?" She questioned, and he let out a nervous laugh erupted out of his throat.

"That's uh...That's Sirius." Aurora connected the dots with that nickname and shook his head.

"I told them to shut their trap on the field but I guess that was limited on the field." Remus was thankful at least that was taken care of, her getting distracted on a broom was a nightmare clinging to his mind.

"I wouldn't take it that seriously Aurora, they're joking." She rose her brows, he was a good friend from what Lily had written. Still trying to come across as giving them a high word. 

"Is that why you stormed out of breakfast?" His face soon started to get red and he sighed down.

"No I...Er, yeah usually just up and walk when it gets too much." Aurora smiled politely. "There's nothing wrong with that Remus." His smile was a mix of twitching and widening as he had a chance to look to her eyes once again.

"You can walk me to class." He offered and she was taken back by that approach. "You trust my directions?" He chuckles and shrugged. "We have about eleven minutes...Right or left?" She pouts as she took a look to either.

"Oh you smart arse I'm not hopeless, the stairs are to the right." He chuckled as he followed shortly behind trying not to give any hints. 

"You know, I do really like the grey hair." He spoke, and she wasn't prepared for a compliment that she looked to her side.

"I swear it's not a fashion statement, potion accident when I was younger." Remus froze, both in worry and surprise. That hadn't been a part of the file, but he assumed health concerns went start to the infirmary.

"A-are you alright?" Aurora simply smiled again. "Of course, potion exploded and I was too close. That's why my eyes are sort of messed up, sight and appearance. And this is just a mutation I suppose." Aurora offered out, taking a bit of a lock into her hands before twirling it about. That one sanctioned the tension of how her hair felt through his fingertips and it made his swallow thick.

"We won't have much luck with Lily either, just the other day she was pitching for me to take you on a date." Aurora giggled and shook her head. "Lily just wants me distracted." The boy stopped again, not liking the sound of her words.

"Distracted from what?" This time, her smile couldn't keep up with her. "I miss my friends back home, Hogwarts sort of frightened me...Part of the reason why I was out at a club." He pondered this for a moment.

"I...I can't even begin to imagine it, but at least you have Lily, and Alice and Mary...I know it can't make up for your friends back at home, but you do have them. A-and Pad—Sirius, James—" She giggled at his rambling.

"Are you going to be nervous every time we talk Remus?" Merlin did he love it when she said his name, he could say it out of anger or spite and it'd still get this reaction out of him. 

"N-no-I just...I'm not like that ether that was the first time I actually...Snogged a girl." Aurora's eyes widened, to hear it from others was one thing.

But to hear it from the man himself is another.

"Then I'm more impressed than I was before, and I'm honored." Remus laughed, Sirius was right...She is a bit witty. And that would pair well with his sense of humor. "You're almost as bad as pads." 

"Oh come now, before I get us both lost and late." She offers her clock, and he lets out a small chuckle to see that her wristwatch contains the phases of the moon.

"I'm a prefect, I could just be showing you to the class." She gives his a side eye and he was stunned for a moment, what did that thought entail? "No, I want to get at least a month into school before I start causing chaos. I promised my uncle." Now that made his brow raise.

"Troublemaker are you then?" She perks her lips and hides her smile. 

"I could say the same about you Mr.Lupin. I guess time will tell." She joyously remarks before heading into the open charms classroom, she gives a quick smile over towards Clem before heading off towards the girls, but makes it an agile point to wack Sirius in the back of the head with a book. "Oi! Hell you do that for?" She perks her lips. 

"For being a downright dick this morning." She states back and winks off to Remus before returning to her seat.

The poor boy was nursing the back of his head and Remus couldn't help but smile. That's what Aurora had done, return the light back into his mood for that.  However she'd manage. And she managed to do that all throughout the week it'd seem. Even if it was just a few words, a greeting. His friends saw his up in mood and prayed that this was their pleas were answered.

Aurora could provide a sanctuary for Moony when he was feeling the struggle and they'd send him her way. Although it sounded awful, but her smile just seemed to brighten his mood and nobody could understand why.

Well everyone could understand why, Aurora was very intelligent but also held a sort of spunk that even Lily couldn't fault for her having. It was sort of a new side of Hogwarts, to see the halls as a new sighting.

**

Aurora, out of everyone here adored the welcome of fall. Sirius laughed as she started it out as saying that it was the only season where her hair made sense and it was a very hilarious mention as Remus blushed to himself at the second-hand words.

Their first game was scheduled on Saturday, but seeing as how the girls were enjoying their last few days outside in the grass of the entire lot. Aurora pointed off to the tree. "What in the bloody hell is that?" She asked, and Lily flinched.

━━━━━▼━━━━━

"That's the Whomping Willow, it's sort of a hazard to be honest. It's very rare and Dumbledore thought that if he showcased this then students would be less likely to go in the forbidden forest." Aurora looked at it once again, seeing a small bird land onto the limbs and settle itself. Only for the mind ridden tree to flick it off within mere seconds.

"Wow...That's brilliant." Aurora spoke, getting up from their relaxing state before starting to walk over to the thing. "Aurora are you mad?!" Aurora screamed, and she twirled around for a moment to laugh at Lily's horrors.

"The tree is an entity Lils!" She shouted back, but now it was a serious situation as neither of the girls knew what to do. Aurora looked up to the tree in awe, smiling as its limbs were twitching, even though there was not an ounce of wind.

"Aurora?!" With the new voice shocking her, she spotted both Sirius and James racing down. Their bags abandoned at the edge as they both managed to stand by her side now yelling bloody murder. 

"Whoa whoa whoa, what are you two going on about now?" She offers, and they were both out of breath and completely bewildered at the idea. 

"You aren't supposed to go near the whomping willow. It's bloody dangerous, haven't you heard?" James issues, huffing and puffing. With the added bonus of his glasses fogging up.

"A stunning spell doesn't work?" The boys looked to one another, knowing full well that it does as they use this for a means of operations once a give month. But if Remus gets any indication that she was near that tree he is going to have a bloody heart attack.

"Merlin, if you two are so anal and scared of the tree then. Fine." She issues, walking back to the girls as Lily was more than angry at her for going off like that. Mary gave them a simple smile as payment for talking her out of it, but hopefully, it would stay between them and not get anywhere near Remus.

Who, by chance is already due to his own sort of outburst soon.

It was that very night, things were about to blow up.

**

Aurora had seen from her window that it was drizzling out and she begged Lily to go outside with her, as it wasn't an ample time for her to go alone so she allowed this one time promise. But as soon as they managed to get even a little bit wet, Lily saw why the girl wanted to go about.

"Do you remember that song?" Lily knew all too easily what she was getting at and smiled. 

"Down in Paris they lose their ballas and their lipdamales in the night and stumbling through the streets they say, sir do you have a light? And if you do then you're my friend and if you don't then you're my foe...And if you are a deity of any sort then please don't go..." They sang, bouncing around one another before Aurora so cleanly spoke the next lines in an accent.

"Ne Me Quitte Pas Mon cher, New Me Quitte Pas ah ah ah...Ne Me Quitte Pas mon cher Ne Me Quitte Pas." 

Lily giggled behind her hair and they continued to enjoy the light rain before Lily had seen Professor Slughorn in her mist, Aurora knew the girl had a question about their assignment and the grey hair girl was left in the rain smiling so thankful at the small bit of chill in her bones.

Although her voice had continued to carry, Remus was scolding both his friends at their idiocy for the week until he heard her singing. The two found it a blessing that it was her and Sirius elbowed him to get a move on, seeing as how they have been getting along quiet swimmingly as of late.

Remus, who welcomed the happy feeling smiled and passed his bag off to them before joining Aurora in the rain as well. 

"Ne Me Quitte Pas mon cher...Ne Me Quitte Pas ah ah ah...Ne Me Quitte Pas mon cher..." Aurora sang twirling around and she gasped for a moment to Remus standing there getting drenched as well.

━━━━━▼━━━━━

"Remus! You'll get wet!" He chuckled. "This is a fairly bad idea Aurora, should I even ask?" Aurora felt a bit hurt that he didn't find the join in something simple as that and he sighed.

"Does Lily know you're here?" 

"I will have you know Lily was singing with me, Slughorn just passed by and she needed to ask him a question." She smiled, sitting down on one of the many stones and he too found himself comfortable, after whispering a warming spell.

"Are you cold?" He offers and she shakes her head. "I'm alright, it was too hot in the common room and this is perfect." She smiles up to the sky again, but he couldn't understand what she saw in a stormy night that made it captivating.

"That...That song you were singing? That was Regina Spektor, wasn't it?" Aurora's eyes sparkled once again and nodded. "You know her?" 

"My mum plays it all the time, she's a muggle." The smile never faltered as she continued to hold his gaze. He wondered in that clear moment if she regretted denying him the chance, but then he was washed over by sounding selfish in his own head that he brushed it off.

"I thought it was perfect, Ne Me Quitte Pas mon Cher..." He pouted, not knowing how to say he didn't know the song well or what it translated to. "It means 'do not leave me dear' which Lily just did...But then the song changes to talk about loving Paris in the rain, which I do." She spoke, and his head turned even further.

"You've been to Paris?" She nods. "Not lately, but I've been to so many cities and towns that it makes my head spin. But something so similar and so different is how it rains in every place." She speaks, and now he suddenly understood why she was taking in Hogwart's raining season.

"It rains a lot here, you'll have plenty of time to dance in the rain." She giggles, but his gesture back worried him. "But it is going to be curfew soon I don't want to be the reason for your first detention." He issues and she pouts once again. "Who do we serve detention with?" She questions and he chuckles.

"Preparing for it already?" She shakes her head, perhaps she was just curious. 

"Usually our head of house, but if they're busy Flinch could be the one to handle it...He's the worse, whatever you clean is without a wand." Aurora chuckles for a moment, pulling her arm out of her sleeve to twitch her fingers oh so tendering in some pretty horrific gestures. But the second he understands what she was doing, controlling the droplets of water he smiled.

"T-That's brilliant..." He whispered, his hand coming closer and she merely shrugs. "It's a constant pain to handle though, makes wand work difficult." He nods, knowing that he needed to be careful about the questions he asks or about the information he knows.

Her ability with wandless magic probably branches as to why she was allowed into Salem if not for her parents. However, they stirred the conversation elsewhere and Aurora pulled a question into the air.

"Is the Whomping Willow that scary?" She asks, and the boy froze. Knowing oh so tenderly that he did not want her to go near it at all. "Er...I'd think any tree with a violent mind of its own is...Why do you ask?" Aurora bit her lip unsure if James or Sirius had mentioned it, but then it slipped before her mind could process.

"I just...I wanted to see what sort of magic it steams from so I went towards it. And then out of bloody nowhere James and Sirius are screaming murder at me like I committed a crime." She whispers and he closed his eyes, trying to process her foolishness. 

"You could've gotten killed!" He yells, and his sudden change in tone was all to uncomforting.

"Please if I haven't died yet a tree would—" 

"Would you stop joking for two minutes and think Aurora, the whomping willow isn't to be messed with." Aurora's face relaxed, her eyes dulled. No longer was the sparkle in her light shining, instead it had completely blanked as she perked her lips.

━━━━━▼━━━━━

Just as she has been always taught to do.

"I don't know the ins and outs of this bloody school, but I am not a child Lupin." She spoke, picking herself up from the stone and walking off back into the building. However Remus had followed her and pulled her back. "I mean it Aurora, please just—" 

"Drop it. I'm not a damsel in distress alright? I can handle myself...Always have." She growled, ripping her hand away from his as she waved her hand up and around her body to appear dry as could be.

Oh...He was about to rain hell to the boys.

He stormed up the steps the same way Aurora must've as because whichever bystanders were already trying to keep their head down to be left out of it, however the second he managed to get up the steps and into his room he glared to Sirius.

"When did she go near it." He spoke, demanding as ever. Sirius looked off towards James who had decided camping out in the bathroom seemed to work out well for him, leaving Mr.Padfoot out for the wolf.

"Moony it's fine, she was just curious in—" 

"She's smart, she's too smart...She's going to figure out Pads, I just know it...What the bloody hell am I going to do then?!" Sirius took a step back at the situation, perhaps it wasn't the fact that she was near his transformation sight but the fact that she'd be curious enough to find out.

"Did you read her essay then? About not giving a damn?" Remus had read it, and he was clenched the entire time. But her facts were presentable as well as empathic towards the cause.

"Sirius she was near the tree! I don't—I don't want her anywhere near it! Ever!" He demands and poor boy can only begin to understand what that meant. "She won't. Aurora's smart but nobody has managed to figure it out except us. But we live with you mate, she won't." He promised, and from there they thought of ways to keep her distracted.

Aurora was more than livid at the idea, but more so the stinging hold that Remus had caused on her wrist. Alice knew in the instant that something was wrong by the scowl and since Lily was still with Slughorn off and about while Mary was at the library, it cause her to be the only one about.

"Aurora what's—" 

"Bloody Remus, what is so damned about the whomping willow that he needs to yell at me like I'm a child!" Alice sighs, oh this was not voting well for Lupin at all. The girl was sure that Aurora felt something for Remus, even if it was a small feeling about to bloom.

This surely inclosed the flower once again.

"They're just really protective of their own, I remember a Slytherin was bothering Mary second year and they rallied against them. I'm sure they won't baby you for long, but then you have to remember...Remus fancies you." Aurora's brows came together, not really understanding what it meant for one of the marauders to fancy a gal or to have their backs, which was easily understood at that moment too.

"You never wonder why nobody takes a chance with Lily, not in that sense and she does get a few dates to Hogmead dates. But most are terrified of what James would do." Her eyes still seemingly were drained from her conversation with Remus but she started to come to a conclusion.

"So they're that controlling? Does Lily know that James messes with—" 

"Oh she knows, but she also knows that whenever someone bothers her they'll retaliate. It's the good and the bad." Perhaps it wasn't that they wanted to be that sort of control, but the closer Remus was to the moon it definitely made sense.

"Don't tell—" 

"Don't tell Lily. You got it darling, why don't you get dressed for bed, sure Potter wants you well rested for the game." She rolled her eyes but followed in pursuit anyway. Perhaps it was a bit of an overreaction, but Remus had started it when he was yelling nonsense about being mature.

She was more than mature, he doesn't know her at all. That's what pained her, what did Remus John Lupin know about her to have any sort of insight to her life that would look as though she's immature?

◇──◇────◇────◇──◇

Date Posted: 11-13-18

Time: 4:24

Word-Count:4462

25,722/50000