Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 5

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All I Want - Kodaline

Dear Auriga,

I'm missing you very much already - I can't believe we can't see each other until Easter. When you do return from Hogwarts, I've suggested to my Father that we go for dinner together - just the two of us. How does that sound?

I won't bore you with the details of my work and I'll leave it here,

Augustus

Auriga flipped the parchment over and then re-read the letter once or twice. She took another scoop of cornflakes and chewed them slowly in disbelief. Was that all he had to say? Was she really going to be spending her life with someone so boring they could hardly write four sentences in a letter?

It was these thoughts that haunted her as she paced through Ancient Runes and Transfiguration that day and it was only when she did her rounds with Thomas that evening that she snapped out of her trance.

"What's got your wand in a twist?" Thomas asked as they walked past the library.

"What?" Auriga replied, surprised that he'd taken any notice, "Oh-uh...nothing...it's nothing."

He looked a little bit taken aback, and stopped walking, "Woah, seriously. Something's clearly bothering you."

"What makes you say that?" she asked, half her mind still thinking about Augustus.

"Well," Thomas began, swallowing nervously, "You haven't even got your shield up. I don't think I've ever seen you like this and I've known you for nearly seven years now."

"I do not have a shield!" she protested indignantly, scoffing at the thought.

"Yeah, you do," Thomas said as they resumed their walk, "It's your 'my-daddy-could-end-your-life-with-a-lawsuit-if-I-don't-end-it-with-my-hoard-of-Slytherins-first' shield." Auriga didn't respond to that. He did have a point, she wasn't going to lie to herself. But she was more complex than that and no one seemed to realise it. She supposed that was the effect of having a shield.

"So," Thomas asked hesitantly, "What is it?"

"I'm getting married," she told him.

If possible, Thomas looked more surprised, and then even a little judgemental, but he masked it with a kind smile. "That's great!" he said, "Who to?"

"Augustus Carrow," she said.

"Never heard of him."

Auriga laughed a little, "You wouldn't have, he works at Gringotts."

"Ah. How old is he?"

"Twenty-six."

There was silence between the pair, "So, why don't you want to marry him?"

"I never said that," Auriga said.

"And yet the thought of it still bothers you," Thomas pointed out wisely.

Auriga sighed, "I don't love him. And he doesn't love me. And all we ever talk about is work and school." A horrible thought occurred to her, "You can't tell anyone. This is my whole future."

Thomas sighed dramatically, "I only really keep my friends secrets," he joked.

"And, are we not friends?" she asked with a smile.

"Do you want to be?"

Auriga thought about it, then, completely spontaneously decided, "Yes."

Thomas nodded in approval. "You don't have to marry him. No one can make you."

"You wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

She took a deep breath as they headed through the entrance hall. "I've been building up to this for my whole life. It doesn't matter that I'm clever, or have a job at the Ministry, and if I was pretty, that wouldn't matter either-"

"You are pretty," Thomas said.

Auriga felt her face grow hot in the darkness, "Whatever," she said, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I marry somebody with a good job, a respectable name, and a lot of money."

"And why does that matter?" Thomas asked, playing devil's advocate.

"Because," she said, growing frustrated, "It's my job! It comes with my last name! I don't have a choice."

"Of course you have a choice," Thomas said wisely. They walked in silence until they reached the portrait of the fat lady. "Goodnight, Auriga," Thomas called as he headed through.

"Goodnight," she replied as it swung shut.

*****

The Easter holidays came sooner than Auriga would have liked. She and Augustus had been writing to each other weekly, about work and school and various political events. Nothing yet that warranted marriage. And Auriga had been thinking about what Thomas had said to her. She didn't need money. She had a job at the Ministry - and by the looks of things she could be Minister for Magic one day, or at least a head of department.

Nevertheless, she went to dinner at Sniget with Augustus, and yet again they spoke about his work, and how it crossed over with her internship. Just after they'd ordered dessert, Augustus took her hand and stood up, before getting down on one knee, presenting a huge white gold diamond ring.

"Auriga Malfoy," he said, ignoring the stares of the other people in the restaurant, "You are a beautiful, intelligent, passionate young woman, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He smiled at her, his green eyes sparkling.

"Yes," she said with a smile, just loud enough for the people around them to hear. They clapped as the couple embraced, before sitting down as dessert came.

"I'm so glad you said yes," Augustus whispered as he folded his napkin on his lap.

"Would I really say no?" she joked, and they both laughed. Auriga felt a bit uneasy though - had she made the right choice? She dismissed the thought immediately. Her parents would only have her best interests in mind. They would never advise her otherwise.

*****

The Hogwarts Express hurtled down the track as the head boy and girl sat silently in their compartment, waiting for Charlie Weasley to return from getting changed. "You got engaged then?" Thomas asked as he shuffled the exploding snap cards and avoided Auriga's eye as she peered over the top of her herbology book.

"Yes," she said stiffly, the ring heavy on her finger, "Is there a problem?"

"No," Thomas said sarcastically, still intent on shuffling the cards, "Only, I remember you saying you didn't want to marry that Carrow bloke."

"And I remember you telling me it was my choice," Auriga said calmly, but through gritted teeth. Silence filled the compartment again, only broken by the wheels rolling along the track. "Why do you care, anyway?" Auriga asked over her book, "You have a girlfriend."

"I'm not jealous," Thomas said, finally looking up to meet her eyes. "I just don't agree with the whole arranged marriage thing. What if you meet someone you really love? What will you do then?"

"I will remain faithful to my husband, as is my duty," she said, raising her voice.

"Auriga!" he shouted, silencing her, "I give a shit about you. I don't know why, or how, but I care. I'm your friend - probably your only one - and you won't listen to me!"

"You have got no idea about my life, do you?" Auriga shouted back, "This is something I want to do! Something I have always wanted to do! And no mudblood can stop me!" Auriga turned her back on him and slammed her book shut, stuffing it into her trunk, taking deep breaths as she did so. She fiddled with the diamond on her finger, and after a few moments, she turned back around and met his eyes. They were filled with hurt. She sighed. "I'm going to do our rounds again."