NAGINI'S DAUGHTER | 18+

48 I 𝓐 𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼

We sit, we sit in silence of the Gryffindor Common Room. I am staring at the table that's filled with plans, and I can't think of a way out.

"Aurora, please-Just have some rest. We haven't been attacked in a month, yet you act like there could be danger any second." Hermione walks behind me, her hand on my shoulder.

"Be careful, you're close to my mark." I whisper, distracted. Hermione retracts her hand very quickly, then goes to join Ron on the couch. "If it's so dangerous, why is your back bare?" He comments, I'm wearing a shirt that doesn't cover up my mark. At this, I turn around. "I don't know, sometimes I feel like it's getting suffocated. It needs to breathe." I mutter, tiredly rubbing my eyes. I fail to mention what happened with Draco.

"Does it ever hurt?" Harry asks quietly. I look up at him. This is the first time anyone has asked me about it, what it feels like, what it is-And actually seemed to care. However, this isn't the time, I need to plan out my counter attacks, where to hide the students, who to call. "George and Fred, please go and find Blaise-I need you three to go to Dumbledore's office and find some information about a student-I am suspecting he's a traitor."

"..And what gave you that impression?" Ron asks.

"He looked at me weird in the halls as I was walking by."

Silence.

"Aurora, stop." Harry is the one who stands up now, and then taking my arm. "You've been bossing us around all day, telling us what to do, where to go-" "-BECAUSE WE ARE AT WAR!" I explode, turning to him with a glare.

Harry's hand lets me go.

"Yes.." He says more gently, I notice everyone is staring at me with sad eyes. "Yes, we are at war. Which means we need each other more than anything. You are.." Harry places his hand on my cheek. "You are our strength, and we need you to sit down with us on the couch and..let's just talk."

"We have so many things to do." I shake my head. "We can't just sit on the couch and talk-As if.."

"As if we were actually friends?" Ron frowned.

I am breathing rather heavily, stressed out of my mind. I walk up to them, baffled. "We are friends?" A laugh escapes me that wasn't rather humourless, "Charlotte fucking hates me-I broke her hand! George and Fred blame me for Ginny's death. Hermione and Ron are so love struck with each other they barely notice anyone else. Dean is getting suffocated with his Lycanthropy-Noah is battling with alcohol addiction and Neville sits in the corner of our Common Room instead of the couch because he's half expecting us all to fight. Luna is getting bullied for joining us-And Nicole can't pray without fearing that a stone would be thrown at her in this school, I can't just sit here and pretend we are all friends."

"And me?" Harry asks. "What about me?"

What did the snake say? Who's the Chosen One?

A boy.

"You keep fighting Draco." I lie, exhausted. "Why? Why can't you all just make this so much easier for me and just-Get along? Listen to orders?"

"Because we are human." Harry mutters sincerely.

Silence overcomes the room, only the cackling of the wood breaking in the fireplace is audible. My heart is struck with realisation, and whilst looking around the room-I notice every one of my friends has tired eyes as well, exhausted even. Sad. Lonely. I can't describe the heart ache that takes over, as I realise what I have been doing to my friends. I have became the thing I hate the most.

"Let's just sit down..And talk." Harry takes my hand gently, and makes me sit down in between George and Fred. My hands are shaking, and I don't know where to look for I have not felt their warmth around me in a very long time. They look annoyed, stubbornly avoiding eye contact.