Love The Heartless

Chapter Eighteen

February 14th, 1971

Bloody hell. It looks like Cupid threw up in here.

Aurora made a face as she walked through the Great Hall. Dumbledore had gone all out this year. Paper hearts were flying through the air, some landing in front of other students. There were pink and red roses all over, and Elves were seen hand-delivering some valentines.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Professor!" Ted waved to her as she passed his table.
"You as well, Mr. Tonks." Aurora gave him a weak smile and made her way to her spot at the teacher's table.
She had always been a fan of Valentine's Day. Well, before when she and Bellatrix were together, at least. Aurora didn't want to think of times passed. She preferred to think of the future, and whatever it may hold.

Aurora thought back to the two times she had seen her ex-girlfriend in the past year. Once, exactly a year ago today when she had rescued Andromeda from the Black House. And the second time on August 22nd, when Bellatrix had tortured her, sending her to Saint Mungo's.
Aurora couldn't help but think of what the Death Eater was doing at this moment. Was she thinking of Aurora? Or was she planning some way to get back at her and Andromeda?

Aurora shook her head and poked at her breakfast. Yogurt with berries.

"Knut for your thoughts, Professor?"

Aurora looked up at Minerva, who was looking at her with a worried expression.

"Just thinking of some things to do in my classes tomorrow. I was thinking about having some of the transfiguration classes work on Avis. Maybe the sixth and seventh years?"
"I think that sounds appropriate for the day after Valentine's." Minerva nodded with a smile. "I also wanted to let you know, the new defense teacher will arrive in a few hours."

"So I'm no longer needed for defense?" Aurora tried to leave her reaction neutral, but she had come to love the class.
"If Professor Lewis needs assistance, I would hope that she could come to you. Seeing as you have been leading the classes for most of the year."
"Of course. If Professor Lewis would like, I can arrange a meeting between us this afternoon so that I may give her my notes."
"That would be wonderful, Professor Nott. I will let her know, and we shall meet you in your office tonight after the feast."

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Aurora stood, stretching, as a knock on her door echoed through her chambers. She had been grading the last bit of defense homework for the past four hours. She had hoped to be finished before the new Professor arrived.

"Enter." Aurora waved her hand, and the door opened slowly.

"Hey, Mum." Andromeda grinned as she stepped through.
"Hey, love. What are you doing here? Don't you and Ted have plans for tonight?"
"Mum, it's almost curfew. We've already been down to Hogsmead."
"Bloody hell, is it really?" Aurora groaned. The day had flown by.
"Are you alright? I've hardly seen you today." Andromeda sat down in the seat opposite of Auroras desk.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just trying to get some of the last bit of grading done before the new defense professor arrives."
"I just wanted to stop by and say thanks." Andromeda looked down, studying the carpet with new intensity.

"Whatever for?" Aurora pushed the paperwork aside, giving the younger witch her full focus.
"Just... what you did a year ago." Andromeda mumbled.

Aurora's mind flashed back to how she found Andromeda that night. Bloody and bruised.
"I'd do it a hundred times over, if it meant having you as my daughter."

Andromeda looked up at her with a wide smile as a knock echoed through her chambers.
"Enter."

Minerva walked in, leading a young woman behind her.

"Ah, Miss Black. Shouldn't you be heading back to your common room? Curfew is soon." Minerva raised an eyebrow at the young witch.
"Yes, Professor. I was just talking to my- Professor Nott." Andromeda stood quickly.
"You can speak freely here, Andromeda." Aurora nodded to Minerva.

"I'll see you tomorrow? We can have dinner to celebrate. Night, Mum." Andromeda gave her a wave and a smile while she walked out.

"Tomorrow makes one year since I adopted her." Aurora told a curious Minerva.
"Ah, I see. Celebrations are most definitely in order then. Professor Nott, I'd like to introduce you to Professor Lewis. She'll be taking over the defense against the dark arts classes."

Aurora turned her attention to the other woman in the room. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with her shoulder length pink hair, and tan complexion. Her eyes were bright blue, like a spring sky.

"Carina Lewis. You can just call me Carina." Carina held out a hand, and Aurora shook it happily.
"Aurora Nott."

"Professor Nott offered her notes from the year, I will leave you two to it then." Minerva nodded to the two women while walking out.

"Would you like something to drink? I have tea, or I can ask one of the house elves to bring you something different?" Aurora asked as she moved to her desk.
"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Carina sat down in the seat that Andromeda had sat in.

"It should be finished brewing in a moment. I had already started making me a pot when Andromeda visited." Aurora sat down, flipping through her notes.
"Miss Black, your daughter?" Carina asked.

"Yes, as of a year ago tomorrow."
"You look a bit young to be a Mum to a seventh year."
"I'll be nineteen in June." Andromeda chuckled. Her age was always a surprise to anyone looking from the outside in.

"A Hogwarts Professor at eighteen?" Carina gasped. "You must be the brightest witch of your age!"
Aurora scoffed and waved off the compliment as she went to the stove, grabbing the tea pot.
"I'd hardly say the brightest. I'm not perfect. But I did manage to achieve some of the highest scores the school has ever seen. How do you take your tea, Carina?"

"Color me intrigued. One sugar. No milk."

Aurora hummed and handed the witch her tea.

"So, what brings you to Hogwarts other than the vacancy?"
"I've always been intrigued by Hogwarts. I wanted to come here as a child, but my Mamma insisted on Beauxbatons. My father graduated from Hogwarts back in the day."
"Beauxbatons is a very good school. I considered going there."
"Why didn't you?" Carina questioned.

"Ah, my Father insisted that I come here." Aurora shrugged. She didn't want to drag up her family in front of a stranger.

"I sense that there's more to the story. But we'll save that for another time. I'd love to go over your class notes."

Aurora spent the next hour and a half pouring over her notes, what she had taught so far, and what she had outlined for the rest of the year. Granted, Professor Lewis had every right to change the curriculum, but Carina insisted that the lesson plans were perfection and didn't want to change anything.

"Well, you are a very excellent teacher, Aurora Nott." Carina grinned as she sipped the last bit of her tea. Her face turned into a grimace as she tasted the cold tea, her hair slowly turning brown.

"You're a metamorphmagus!" Aurora gasped.
"The bright pink hair didn't give it away immediately?" Carina chuckled, shaking her hair, making it turn back to pink.
"I just assumed that you dyed it." Aurora said with a shrug. "I've never met a metamorphmagus before."

"Well, I'm glad to be your first. I hate to break this up, but we both do have lessons in the morning, and it is quite late." Carina stood, gathering up the papers that Aurora had given her.
"Of course. I apologize, I always lose track of time when I get in the zone."

"It's no problem. I was wondering, maybe we could reconvene next Saturday? See how I'm doing with taking over your class?" Carina hovered by the door.
"That sounds wonderful. How does noon sound?"

"Perfect. It's a date." With that, Carina turned and walked out of Aurora's chambers.

"Wait- what?"