CHERRY // marlene mckinnon

-twenty five

  "Would you like to explain why the fuck Avery had a black eye and a bloody nose last night?"

  Aurora had been doing what she loved most, reading, in the Slytherin common room. It was only six in the morning on a Saturday, and most of the students would be sleeping in. But not Regulus.

"I don't know what you mean." She simply replied, not looking up.

"It was right after you left the party, and then when he came back, he looked like he was beaten up." Regulus continued prying his older sister for an explanation.

"Well he could've left me alone and all would've been avoided." She muttered under breath, annoyed. In her opinion, Avery deserved what he got. He should've left her alone in the first place.

"So you did do it?" He questioned, sitting down next to her.

"Yes, I punched Avery." Aurora sighed, closing her book and facing Regulus. "But you know what? It felt pretty damn good."

"Mother and father would-"

"I don't care what mother and father think. And I certainly am not marrying him. The only reason I'm going back is so mother and father don't try to do anything to hurt Marlene, or you for that matter." She explained, getting up from her seat. "Now please, let me be."

She left to go back to her dorm. Narcissa and Veronica would still be sleeping, seeing as they came later than her the night before. They were knocked out as soon as they hit their beds.

She got out of her pajamas and changed into something more fitting for the weathers. Aurora ended up wearing a floral patterned midi skirt with slit on the side and a cropped black cardigan. And her outfit was complete once she wore her black combat boots.

Aurora then left the dungeons to go to the Black Lake for a morning stroll. The weather was breezy and slightly warm. Birds could be heard chirping, and the sun wasn't fully out yet. The Black Lake was still and calm. Not one ripple. She sat on the grass, closed her eyes, and took a breath in of the warm yet crisp, country, air.

If only things could be this peaceful all the time.

The silence was soon interrupted by a rustle of the grass. Aurora slightly jumped at the sound. Someone else was here.

"It's only me, don't worry." The person spoke up. It was Sirius. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." She replied, and he sat down next to her. "We haven't talked in a while."

"Yeah, we haven't. So, what's up?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know to be honest. Everything seems to pass so quickly. I mean, we're going to leave Hogwarts in a year and go out into the real world. It feels like it was only yesterday when I just started Hogwarts." Aurora said, reminiscing about her time in school. From the day she got her Hogwarts letter, to memories with her friends. And soon, that would all change. Not just because she was leaving Hogwarts, no, something darker was emerging. Everyone knew it. It was hard to miss. All those attacks on muggles and muggleborns. The Dark Lord and his followers and supporters. Not to mention her parents were one of those supporters.

"Remember the day we started showing signs of magic? We were what, five?" Sirius laughed, thinking about their childhood.

"And we accidentally hung Reg upside down a tree. Mother and father weren't happy, to say the least." Aurora continued. Those were the good days. Where they were merely just kids, having fun and being carefree. "I miss those days. And now there's so much to worry about. Stupid marriages and shit." She muttered out the last part, mostly to herself.