Unlikely Affection

Summer Beginnings

The air at Hogwarts was heavy as the new day dawned. The realization that Cedric Diggory was dead and the Dark Lord was alive hit most of us like a train, there were still a fair few who refused to believe Harry, calling him all sorts of names and saying that he could have been the one to kill Cedric because "nobody was there but him."

I passed him on the way out of the common room while I was heading to see Severus, he gave me a weak smile which I returned and placed my hand on his shoulder. We said nothing, but I think he understood that I believed him and supported him.

It was relatively early when I knocked on Severus's office door. When he opened it, he looked as though he hadn't slept at all. His eyes were sunken and dark and his voice was tired and dull as we spoke about last night's events.

He was now leaning back in his chair, eyes closed while I rambled on about how people think Harry is a murderer and how horrifying Amos Diggory's cries of agony were.

"Does Dumbledore have a plan?" That was definitely the wrong thing to ask because Severus's eyes snapped open and he shot up from the chair and over to me, towering over my short frame.

"Do not even think, for one second that you will be a part of any of this." He seethed through clenched teeth, I felt myself shrink as he glared down at me.

I held up my hands in defeat "I was just asking, I wasn't signing up for anything Severus."

He sighed and pulled me towards him, holding me tightly to his chest. "Please stay safe this summer, Little Star, and write often." He whispered into my hair placing a soft kiss on the top of my head.

The next day it was time to say goodbye to Hogwarts and Severus for the summer. I stayed wrapped in his arms happily smothered in his kisses until it was time to walk down to the platform and board the train.

My Grandfather was waiting for me when we arrived at King's Cross, I gave him a hug and he told me how excited Millie was for me to be coming home. We apparated to the front door where Millie was waiting on us with a large smile on her face, holding a large tray that held a cake with the words 'Welcome Home' scribbled across it in blue frosting.

She was a free elf, so to show that she was free she always wore dresses, usually over formal for whatever occasion she was dealing with at the moment but in our eyes, she served us long enough and deserved to feel beautiful. At the present moment, she was wearing a knee-length pink dress that had a large white bow tied in the back, it was one of her favorites.

She levitated the cake out of her hands when I knelt down to her level and hugged her tightly. "Millie! I missed you!" I said when I released her. She patted my cheek "It is very good to have Miss Aurora home safe." I stood up and followed her inside and to the dining room where she placed the cake on the table.

"Thank you for the cake, I love it!" I smiled

"Vanilla and raspberry, Miss Aurora's favorite." She said proudly slicing into the cake and handing me a slice.

While I was greeting Millie, my grandfather had walked past us and directly to his study, closing the door behind him. Millie began to tell me how stressed he had been these last few weeks with the Murder of Barty Crouch which, I found out from Harry before I left Hogwarts that it was his son disguised as Professor Moody the entire time.

Millie and I talked for a while before I decided I wanted to go up to my room and unpack. Mainly that meant writing a letter to Severus telling him that I had arrived home safely;

Dearest Sir,

I wanted to write and let you know that I arrived home safely. My grandfather has returned to his studies to pour over everything that happened this year and try to come up with some kind of plan of action for the future.