Meddling With Potions

To Grieve and To Love: Part 1

Disclaimer: I only own Aurora and any other OC's. Remember, I will occasionally use quotes from both the books or movie, depending on the scene; I do not own direct quotes or phrases. UPDATE: I do not own any of the chapter pictures. All were found via Google. 

~ oOo ~

Several hours later, along with numerous cups of coffee, Aurora sat beside her mother's hospital bed at St. Mungo's as she twiddled with her thumbs, not knowing what to expect. As the witch turned her head to look at the clock, she noted that it was nearly three in the morning and she had been at the hospital since she received the letter from Rose earlier that night. Downing the remainder of what was left in her cup, Aurora crossed her legs and ran a hand down her face. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, as she'd had her turn of crying over the last several hours; but when the door suddenly opened, Aurora slowly lifted her gaze to see her oldest friend standing in the doorway.

Severus watched Aurora as her eyes slid from his back down to her mother before reclaiming his empty seat next to her side. Handing her some water and a snack he retrieved, the wizard opened his mouth to speak, but knew there was nothing he could do to console Aurora. Beside him, the witch in question was biting her fingernails, every few seconds her gaze would lift to glance at her mother's still body before looking back down.

When she had retrieved the letter during dinner, Severus had no idea that her evening would result into this. Once Severus had followed Aurora to her room, he was expecting something other than the grave news she had to tell, but when she said it was about her mother, he just knew that he had to stay by her side. Something deep within him said that he needed to be there for her, and although Severus' head refused to acknowledge the truth, his heart stated otherwise; and for the first time, the wizard actually listened.

When he felt that he had calmed Aurora enough that she could be by herself, Severus excused himself to speak with Albus, who, uncoincidentally, was standing outside of her quarters. When he explained the situation, the Headmaster understood the gravity of the situation and asked for the Potions Professor to keep him in the loop with any new information. And before Aurora even knew what was going on around her, Severus had flooed both of them straight into the waiting room of St. Mungo's where they were met by Rose who filled her friend in on the state of affairs.

And since they had been by her side, Aurora's mother hadn't opened her eyes at all, but Severus could still hear Rose's words from when they had first arrived.

"We were having dinner as usual when she suddenly just collapsed to the floor! Earlier she'd been complaining about her chest, but she's done that before and she said she was fine! She wouldn't respond, wouldn't open her eyes – nothing! I brought her here before I contacted you."

When he had left the room, the Potions Master spoke with the doctor and questioned what it could be, but the doctor only stated that she was suffering from a broken heart. Severus would have scoffed the idea, but he'd read several papers, all written within different centuries, stating similar symptoms to Cassandra's. He knew it was true, but something still tore within the wizard at having Aurora witness her mother experience such pain.

He wondered if Aurora had felt such pain when he left her, all those years ago?

Glancing back at his friend, he could tell her eyes were still bloodshot, she had yet to try and gain any sleep. "Aurora...you need to try and get some rest."

But she firmly shook her head, the answer she had given him the last ten times he'd asked. "I...I can't. What if she wakes up?"

"You do realize that I am still here."