Always : Theodore Nott

Chapter 62

Aurora stood before the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her pretty pale pink dress was lovely. Molly had dug it out of some forgotten cupboard and altered it to fit her perfectly. A wedding was probably the last thing on anyone's mind. But she understood the motive behind it. It was more about bringing a little joy into the world around them, one that had been darkening day by day for some time now. A wedding. A happy celebration. One that would hopefully involve laughter, and light. Her thoughts then drifted to the last time she had been happy, felt light. His dark curls and chocolate coloured eyes swam into view as she closed her eyes. The melee of freckles that adorned his face.

All of this horror......all of this death and war. Aurora knew she would happily go through it all as long as she had those eyes, that hair, and that smile to look at after it was all over. But how likely it was that both of them actually managed to get out of it all alive? Those odds haunted her day and night. Her nightmares were full of images of him dead, dying or tortured. Most nights she woke up screaming. But the night they returned to the Burrows, the night she had confirmation he was, in fact, alive and unharmed, sleep found her easily and she did not awaken.

Her attention shifted to the letter and envelope on her nightstand. A letter from Dumbledore, delivered by the Minister of Magic that morning. He had come to read aloud the late Head Masters will. Ron received a deluminator, Hermione a children's book, Harry a snitch and Aurora a rather worn looking letter. One that looked as though it had been written for some time. A letter addressed to her. Reminding her of her responsibilities. And how nothing should be considered more important than them. More like nobody. That was all she was in this war, another soldier. Another wand in the war against evil. The last line had made her stop short.

"Be wary Jenkins. This is a war, and from what I have seen, love has a way of crossing lines long before armies do."

"Good morning," a voice sounded from somewhere behind her.

Aurora felt her eyes snap open and whirled around to find George staring at her from across the room, thoughts of that mysterious letter eddying away.

"You look rather lovely, oh mighty one,"he said, a playful smile on his lips.

She rolled her eyes. Seeing him so lifeless on that sofa had jolted her into realising that fighting with either of them, about a situation they had no idea about, when their lives were on the line every day, was somewhat pointless, even ridiculous if she was being honest.

"Oh sod off Holy One. How's the ear?," she retorted with a grin.

He smiled back at her.

"Inexplicably painful. Poor, little old me....in so much pain. I've discovered I love attention,"he said.

Again, Aurora felt her eyes roll.

"I hate to be the one to break this to you, but that comes as no surprise to anyone. Least of all me,"she said, shaking her head.

He chuckled and then she watched as mischief began to play in his eyes.

"Guess who I caught getting all up close and personal in the kitchen?,"George said with a wink before beginning to kiss the air around him.

Aurora gaped at him.

Who on earth........?

Then a realisation hit her.

"No way,"she said, her mouth hanging open.

He grinned.

"Way."

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"We have plenty of aurors stationed on all sides. Go in and enjoy yourself," Lupin repeated for the fiftieth time that evening.