Snape's Daughter (Book Two)

Chapter Fifteen : The Cutest of Couples

"Shhh," Aurora whispered, placing a finger over her lips. Fred silently obeyed, following her through the snowy forests under his cloak. Marley was wrapped up in blankets in a push chair, and both Fred and Aurora had taken Polyjuice Potion to make them look like a different witch and wizard. Once they reached Hogsmeade, they both pulled down their hoods to reveal a ginger women and a brown haired man. Looping his arm in Aurora's, Fred helped her force the pushchair through the snow without awakening Marley, as she was sleeping. It was quiet, and it seemed to the pair that the Hogwarts students hadn't yet arrived. Finally reaching the Three Broomsticks, together the couple pushed the pushchair inside before settling down at a table.

"What if it's not today?" Fred asked Aurora.

"I'm sure it is, it always has been this day," Aurora assured him, before Madame Rosmerta walked over to them.

"What I can get for you two?" She asked the pair, her curly hair covering half her face.

"Two butterbeers please," Aurora said, pulling a couple of galleons out of her bag.

"I'll bring that right over," Rosmerta replied, as Aurora handed her the galleons ," She takes after her parents, bless her." Rosmerta smiled at the sleeping Marley, before walking off to get the butterbeers.

"It's a shame that we have to hide," Fred sighed, wrapping an arm around Aurora.

"I know, and I'm sorry that we do. If it wasn't for me...."

"Then I wouldn't be madly in love or have a beautiful daughter," Fred smiled, before planting a kiss on Aurora's cheeks. Rosmerta came back over, placing the butterbeers on the table.

"I'd be warned, the Hogwarts students are coming now. The new Professors, the Carrow's, aren't the nicest of people. I'd stay away from them," Rosmerta said. Aurora nodded, double checking that she still didn't look like herself in the reflection of the glass.

"So we've heard," Fred said, taking a sip of his butterbeer.

"After all, we wouldn't want two Death Eaters discovering you're here in Polyjuice Potion, Mr Weasley and Miss Grace," Rosmerta whispered, before smiling and walking off.

"How did she know?" Aurora whispered in Fred's ear, before he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm my sure, she probably recognised Marley from when my mum took me in here over the summer with Marley," Fred said, placing his butterbeer down.

"Yeah, probably," Aurora sighed, before the door flew open. In came a swarm of Hogwarts students, before Aurora finally noticed Ellia step in the pub," There she is." Marley's eyes opened wide soon after, before starting to scream.

The pub seemed almost empty before the Hogwarts students came in. Ellia was lucky enough to be one of them, as McGonagall had helped sneak her into Hogsmeade. Looking around to find a table, she noticed a familiar toddler screaming in a pushchair. It couldn't be. Marley! Ellia rushed over to the table where Marley was, only to see two people sat there, now playing with Marley.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were somebody else," Ellia said, before turning around. She thought that if Marley was there, then maybe Aurora and Fred would be too. Obviously it wasn't Marley.

"Don't doubt yourself El," A familiar voice said, before Ellia turned around again to see the couple.

"Rora?" She asked her.

"It's Aurora, now keep the noise down and let's get out of here," Aurora said, standing up with Marley in her arms whilst Fred got the pushchair.

"What are you doing here, looking like that?" Ellia asked them as they exited the Three Broomsticks.

"Came to see our best friend of course," Fred said, pulling his hood over his head as ginger hair begun to show.

"But you're wanted by the ministry? You risked being found to see me?" Ellia asked them as they continued walking down the small street.

"Well, yeah. We haven't seen you in a while and we figured you would want to see Marley, plus I want to make sure Echo is okay, and Fred wants to make sure Ginny's okay," Aurora explained to her as she bounced Marley in the air.

"They're fine, Echo got sorted into Slytherin," Ellia revealed to Aurora. She gasped, her eyes wide.

"Echo? Really? She must have it hard in there, I'm sure they know her blood status. After all, her surnames Grace and everybody knows who that I'm Aurora Grace," Aurora said, her jaw dropping as she saw Ginny walk past.

"She's a good girl though, doesn't get into as much trouble as I thought she would," Ellia explained to Aurora as Ginny ran over to Ellia.

"Ellia, thank god I found you. I couldn't find anybody anywhere and I thought they'd left," Ginny said, before taking one look at Marley, "Why have you got my niece?" She asked Aurora, not knowing she was in a disguise.

"Because it's her daughter," Fred said, quickly looking up so Ginny could see his face. Her arms went straight around her older brother, squeezing him tightly.

"God Fred you stupid fool. Why did you ever leave? And a disguise, nice one Aurora," Ginny said, smiling at Aurora.

"Cheers Gin," Aurora replied, smiling back.

"It's good to see you guys, and Marley bless her. She's grown up so fast," Ginny admired her niece, the little ginger curls hanging over her pale skinned face.

"I know, it's strange just how fast time flies," Aurora said, handing Marley to Ginny," Have a cuddle." Ginny tickled her a few times, before throwing her around, causing her to laugh hysterically.

"I'm so happy I saw you two," Ellia said, glancing over to Aurora and Fred," I so wish you were still at Hogwarts, with me. Or at least I was with you guys. I miss my friends."

"We miss you too El," Aurora said, wrapping an arm around her best friend," And I'll always be here for you. I'll be your best friend/parental figure. That's if your father hasn't bothered."

"He doesn't care, he never has. I don't know why I wind myself up about it, I have more important people in my life than him," Ellia sighed, the blood boiling inside her. She was completely right, he didn't care. He made that quite obvious and now it was time for Ellia to realise that he didn't care and wouldn't care. Ellia looked up, to see Aurora's full face without a disguise. The Polyjuice Potion.

"What?" Aurora asked, looking at Ellia as she stared at her face.

"Aurora, I can see you," Ellia told her.

"Well no kiddin', I'm stood in front of you," Aurora chuckled.

"No, the Polyjuice Potion. It's worn off. Aurora I can see you," Ellia warned her, as Ginny handed Marley back to her mother.

"Quickly go, don't let anybody see you here," Ginny said, looking around to ensure nobody could see them.

"Cheers for the warning," Fred said, pulling Aurora's cloak over her head," See you at Christmas." And with that, he grabbed Aurora's arm and ran off, the pushchair in his arms and Marley in Aurora's.

"You know, I never thought Fred could love anybody else that much except from himself and George," Ginny chuckled, watching him run off.

"I never thought in all my years it would be them two, Aurora was always the sensible one," Ellia joked, before she caught Professor McGonagall walking over to her. Her eyes were tired and worn out, and she seemed to be struggling to reach them.

"You better be going, the Carrow's are going to be here rounding up students soon," McGonagall said, her hat covering her brittle hair.

"Thank you Professor," Ellia said, before scurrying back to Hogwarts by herself, her hood pulled over her head.