A New Dawn at Hogwarts

Chapter Forty-Three: Successes

The dreams didn't come every night, but they were often enough to make Aurora consider taking Dreamless Sleep again.

Her father raised a concerned brow when she came out into the sitting room over a week later—the third time she'd done so—curling up in her chair before the fire. He glanced at the clock to note the hour. "The same?"

She nodded, wrapping the blanket—proffered from his own chair—around herself. "Everyone dead." Aurora stared into the flames. "Poisoned. And then Mum—" She sighed. "I'll be fine."

He stared at her, a hot bolt of anger rocketing through his body. She was just a child, she should not be made to pay for his perceived sins. "Yes." He stood from his chair. "Because you're going to take the Dreamless Sleep again."

"Father—"

"You need to sleep. If you wear yourself too thin, the effects of the poisoning may resurface."

"What if the accomplice wants to send me another warning? I thought we decided it was better not to block them."

"We did." But that was before he had to watch her stare into the fire until dawn, her face getting paler with each dream. "However, I will not allow you to sacrifice your health. The restorative will be ready in little more than a week, at which point we may have all the answers we need. Until then—" He went into his room, returning with the bottle of potion.

Aurora shook her head. "I won't take it."

Severus ground his teeth. "You do not have a choice. If necessary, I will pour it down your throat."

Her eyes snapped. "The poison is gone; I haven't had any symptoms since I stopped taking the potions. A little lost sleep every few days isn't going to kill me, Father." The anger turned to pleading. "Please. I don't want take the chance that we'll miss something important just so I won't be tired for a week or two."

He hesitated, setting the bottle onto the side table between the chairs. "Perhaps there is a compromise. When you find yourself unable to sleep after a nightmare, you take the draught. Do this, and I won't force you to take it preemptively." Aurora's shoulders sagged with relief. "On the condition that you then do not attempt to hide your nightmares."

A hesitation, then another nod. "Deal."

Severus breathed a little easier. "And while they do continue to disrupt your sleep, you'll take a fortification potion."

Aurora let out a huff of air and rolled her head to the side. "I'd rather not."

"It's that or the Dreamless Sleep daily. Take your pick."

"Ugh. Fine. I'll do the fortification potion."

"Good. Now take this," He poured some of the Dreamless Sleep into a goblet and handed it to her, "and go back to bed."

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She wouldn't admit it to her father, but Aurora was glad for the fortification potion the next morning. Even with the Dreamless Sleep she woke with gritty eyes, her brain in a groggy haze. Severus handed her the phial and she gagged it down, coughing as the stench filled her nostrils. "Worse than I remembered it."

He gave an amused sniff and pocketed the phial. "We tend to gloss over memories of unpleasant things. Get your things or we'll miss breakfast."

Aurora gave a weary smile to her friends as she slid into her seat beside Erin. The potion had helped a bit, but her eyes were still heavy.

"Rough night?" Erin's brows were brought together in a worried 'v'.

Aurora shook her head. "Not that bad. Just more of the same. Father's making me take Dreamless Sleep and fortification potions again."