Heirs of darkness || Theodore Nott

unveiling secrets(5)

The next morning, Aurora joined everyone in the kitchen for breakfast. The tension from the previous evening had somewhat dissipated, but the atmosphere was still heavy with unspoken words. Aurora took a seat at the table, trying to mask the unease she felt by focusing on the plate of food in front of her.

Arthur Weasley broke the silence, his voice warm and welcoming. "So, you're a Slytherin, are you?"

Aurora nodded, offering him a polite smile. "Yes, I am."

Fred Weasley, ever the mischief-maker, couldn't resist chiming in. "Aren't you dating the Nott boy?"

Aurora shot him a sidelong glance, her tone sharp but not unkind. "Sure."

Hermione, who was sitting nearby, quickly intervened. "Fred, that's none of your business."

But before Fred could retort, Sirius interjected, his voice laced with a sarcastic edge. "A Nott boy, huh? Walburga would've been proud."

Aurora's eyes flicked to her father, and she replied with a biting sarcasm of her own. "Oh, yes. She was absolutely thrilled when she received a letter from his father. She was so proud, in fact, that she made sure I knew it, right before she did what she did to me."

The room fell silent, the weight of Aurora's words hanging in the air. Everyone seemed to hold their breath, unsure of how to respond. Sensing the tension she'd just created, Aurora quickly attempted to lighten the mood. "But, you know, nothing says 'I care' quite like a good old-fashioned curse."

To her surprise, Sirius let out a genuine laugh, the sound breaking through the awkwardness. The others seemed to relax slightly, the tension in the room easing. Molly Weasley looked over at Sirius, smiling softly. "She's the spitting image of you, Sirius."

Arthur nodded in agreement but added, "Though she has her mother's eyes."

Aurora's smile faltered slightly at the mention of her mother. She didn't know much about her Walburga had rarely spoken of her. After breakfast, Aurora excused herself and went back to her bedroom, needing some time alone to process everything.

She was lying on her bed, lost in thought, when there was a knock at the door. Sirius entered without waiting for a reply, holding a few records in his hands. "Hope you don't mind, but I borrowed some of your discs. It seems like we have the same taste in music."

Aurora sat up, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm surprised Walburga let you keep muggle stuff."

Sirius grinned, but his eyes held a hint of something darker. "She didn't exactly know."

Aurora smirked, then got up and walked over to a section of the floor near the window. With a deft movement, she opened a secret shelf hidden in the floorboards, revealing a stash of muggle records, books, and other items. Sirius's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You've got your own little collection, I see," he remarked, clearly impressed.

Aurora chuckled, but then her expression grew more serious. "Sirius... could you tell me about my mother?"

Sirius's face softened at the request. He set the records down and joined Aurora on the floor, leaning back against the bed. "Your mother... her name was Marlene McKinnon. She was one of the bravest people I've ever known." He paused, as if collecting his thoughts. "The day she died, the whole McKinnon family had gathered together. You were just a baby then. We were supposed to be there too, but I decided to take you for a walk. When we got back... they were all gone."

Aurora listened intently, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she'd narrowly escaped death as an infant. She had never heard this story before, and it painted a clearer picture of the mother she'd never known.