The Untold Reborn

Chapter-18 : Of Bracelets and Brooms

The castle was unusually quiet as the sound of footsteps faded, signaling the departure of the third years and above students heading to Hogsmeade. Aurelia stood next to Harry at the entrance hall, watching the backs of Ron and Hermione disappear into the crowd. They had been animated, promising to bring back sweets and jokes from Zonko's, but now that they were gone, the emptiness hit harder.

Aurelia shifted her weight, her eyes flicking to the door one last time. George Weasley hadn't even said goodbye. He hadn't said much of anything to her in days. The silence between them felt heavier than anything else, like a hole in her chest.

"Don't worry, we'll get through it," Aurelia said, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt. "There's always the feast later."

Harry, who had been quiet for most of the morning, finally sighed. "Yeah, but it's not the same. They're going to have fun, and we're just stuck here."

Aurelia nodded in agreement. "It doesn't help that George still won't talk to me. It's getting to me, Harry. I miss him."

"I'm sure he'll come around," Harry offered, but his voice lacked conviction. "He's just...angry, I guess. Maybe he doesn't know what to say."

Aurelia bit her lip, nodding, but the ache in her chest didn't ease. George's jokes, his playful banter—she missed them more than she'd admit to anyone else.

They wandered the halls together, Harry kicking at loose stones as they walked. The atmosphere between them was heavy with shared frustrations, though neither of them spoke about it openly. Harry had his own reasons to feel down—missing Hogsmeade, the Dursleys not signing his permission slip—and now her own issues with George added to the weight.

As they turned down a quiet corridor, a familiar voice snapped them out of their thoughts.

"You two! Out of your common rooms, are you?"

Aurelia and Harry whipped around to see Argus Filch, the castle's ever-watchful caretaker, limping towards them, brandishing a broomstick as if it were a weapon.

"Back where you belong before I report you!" Filch barked, his beady eyes gleaming with suspicion.

"We weren't—" Harry began, but Aurelia grabbed his sleeve and pulled him along before they could get dragged into one of Filch's lengthy rants.

"Come on, Harry," she muttered. "Let's just go."

As soon as they were out of Filch's sight, they slowed their pace, but neither of them made any move to return to the common rooms. Instead, they lingered near the staircases, unsure of where to go next.

"Well, that was close," Aurelia said with a half-smile. "I think Filch is just waiting for any excuse to throw us in detention."

"He'd lock us in the dungeons if he could," Harry muttered darkly, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

They had just turned another corner when a voice called out from behind them.

"Harry! Aurelia! Over here."

It was Professor Lupin, standing in the doorway of his office with a welcoming smile on his face. His robes were a bit more worn than usual, and there were dark circles under his eyes, but his smile was as warm as ever.

"Come in, both of you," he said, stepping aside to let them into the dimly lit room.

The office smelled faintly of old parchment and herbs, and in the center of the room sat a large tank filled with murky water. A strange, spindly creature swam inside, its sharp teeth gleaming as it twirled lazily through the water.