Brave

Worried

The next day, Aurora was walking back to the Gryffindor Common room after her classes. The fifth year was enjoying her quiet alone time; however, the peacefulness was ruined when Pansy Parkinson and a couple other Slytherins walked up to her.

"Hey, Lupin! Whatcha doin all alone? Where are your bodyguards?" Pansy asked, chuckling.

Aurora didn't respond, instead, she just walked by quietly, knowing that if she said anything it would earn her a detention.

"It's like you always need to have someone around to protect you. Gosh, you're so weak and clingy. At least we have you alone now."

"What do you want?" Aurora asked, finally speaking out.

"We just saw you all alone and figured it would be perfect to have some bonding time with our 'favorite' Gryffindor," Pansy snarled, "I hate you, Lupin, you know? I thought that I could get past you yelling at me in third year. I thought that maybe, with Voldemort coming back last year, you wouldn't come back to Hogwarts, maybe leave the country. You're a coward anyway, of course you'd run away from a wizard that has hardly done any harm."

"Leave me alone, Pansy," Aurora told the Slytherin.

"I don't think so. That's not fun, is it, girls?" Pansy said, asking her friends who were standing behind her, "None of us like you, no one really does, and we're tired of you getting your perfect little self into everyone's business. You're not perfect, Aurora Lupin-Black, but, somehow, you've convinced everyone that you are. You deserve to suffer for it."

Out of nowhere, the other two girls who were previously standing behind Pansy latched themselves onto Aurora and began punching her. Nobody was around to see it, of course, since classes ended late that day so dinner was about to start, so everyone would be heading to the Great Hall.

Pansy and her friends soon walked off after deciding that the girl was in enough pain, leaving Aurora to her own tears.

* * *

A couple days later, Aurora and Harry were in the common room together. It was late at night, so they were alone, and Sirius had scheduled to meet with the two of them through the fireplace around one.

"Psst! Harry! Aurora!" the two jumped at the sudden sound of someone speaking.

Aurora turned to look at the fireplace, "Sirius!" she exclaimed.

"Listen, I don't have much time to chat, considering I'm not supposed to be doing this. I've heard your scar has been hurting, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Erm... yeah. Rory and I were at a detention with Professor Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and she touched my arm, and right when she did that, my scar hurt," Harry explained, referring to one of their later detentions with the horrible toad.

"I've known Umbridge for years, and although she's a terrible person, she wouldn't have any relations to Voldemort. I'll need to look into it more, but there could be someone or something near that is causing your scar to hurt? Or it could be a coincidence."

Harry nodded in response, before remembering that Sirius couldn't really see him.

"Rory, how are you doing?" Sirius asked, turning the attention to her.

"Good, I guess," Aurora responded quietly. Harry tried to hide the concerned look on his face, while Sirius went on to openly express his concern for the girl. She was his daughter, and Sirius was able to tell when she was lying just by the short time the two spent together and from what Remus has told him.

"We'll talk more about this when you come home for Christmas break," the older man responded, not wanting to push her into talking about something that would make her uncomfortable, "Aurora, you'll owl your papa or I if you need anything, right?" the girl hummed in response but Sirius not convinced, spoke to Harry next, "Harry, if something's wrong with Aurora or she needs something, you'll owl Remus or I?"

"Yes, Sir," Harry responded formally due to how serious and scary the man was about the health of his daughter. Before Sirius could say anything else, however, a hand reached into the fireplace, causing him to quickly disappear.

"W-what was that?" Harry asked Aurora, worried.

"I don't know. Listen, Harry, it's late, I need to get to bed," Aurora said, although she knew that her reoccurring nightmares would make her do anything but that.

"Are you okay, Aurora?" Harry asked, "You look really pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine, Har," Aurora responded, standing up, "I'm just tired."

The girl walked off, making him sigh.

I don't own Harry Potter. The series belongs to J.K. Rowling. I only own Aurora and anything you don't recognize from the books or movies.