Always : Theodore Nott

Chapter 60

London in late July was horrifying. The smell of sweat seemed to stick to all as a result of the higher temperatures torturing the bustling city. She always hated the city. Hated the crowds. Hated the reason that always dragged her here. Hated the dull apartment she was forced to spend time in. Hated the person who lived in said apartment. How she wished those problems were still the worst things she had to deal with now. Now, they seemed so painfully simple, so easily avoidable. The current situation, was anything but.

Aurora toyed with the end of her jumper as she sat and waited in the kitchen. Minutes, that felt like hours, later a familiar locked clicked open and her pulse quickened as footsteps sounded in the hallway. She once again turned toward the sunlight pouring in the window, and took a deep breath.

A sharp intake of breath sounded from behind her.

"Aurora! How did you- what are you doing here?,"her father asked from behind her.

He rounded the table to face her, his face was more lined than it had been the last time she had seen him. She had always looked at him with such disgust, such underlying hatred. It made her stomach churn. A man, who she thought incapable of love, yet turned his back on everything he knew when his own love was taken away. Magic had killed her mother. Magic had taken her from both of them, but he held the grudge. He surrendered his wand and swore to never practice again. Barely tolerated Aurora speaking of it. Now, she almost pitied him. How weak he was. How remarkable he could have been as an auror, how unremarkable he was now. An average, underpaid Muggle accountant.

"It's lovely to see you as well,"she said dryly.

He furrowed his brows as he looked at her.

"I wasn't expecting you for another few weeks,"he said, matching her tone.

Aurora glared at him.

"Have you not heard? My headmaster, your FORMER headmaster, was recently murdered on behalf of a well known and highly dangerous wizard. Murdered on school grounds if you must know, in front of me and Harry. So, now that we've got that out of the way I may as well get down to it. I've been charged with protecting Harry as part of my duties as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. It is an order set up in an attempt to defeat Lord Voldemort. As Dumbledore is now gone, the dark lord is on the move quicker than ever and people are already disappearing left, right and centre. So I thought, I'd come and do you the favour of wiping your memory of my existence should you be targeted. For your own protection and mine. I'll spell the memories to stay intact for three years, and if after the three years I have not given them back then you will remain unaware of my existence permanently. It is up to you whether or not you choose to accept this offer,"she said, once again looking up from the table to meet his stare.

She had practiced that speech a thousand times on her way here. She knew it was for the best. Knew it would be safer for everyone if he forgot about her completely. Knew that without priceless information and hidden in the human world, her father would be less likely to be used against her. But despite all that, a small part of her wished he would reject her offer. Tell her how he would never wish to forget her. How she was his daughter, his priority. How he loved her. How he wouldn't let anyone harm her. How he would fight for-

"That sounds agreeable considering the circumstances."

And there it was. The rejection hit her like a stone to the head. Aurora cursed herself for the lone tear that managed to escape down her cheek. She found herself staring at him for a long moment, before quickly rising from her seat.