One Hundred Galleons

Aurelia was discharged from the Hospital Wing in time for lunch and afternoon classes. In truth, she felt a bit nervous. She was sure no one would notice that she had been missing over the weekend, not even her roommates. Still, Aurelia shivered with nerves. At least one person would notice or wonder at her absence, and she was sure that person was Sirius.

She was not looking forward to seeing him… not ever again. Alas, she did have Charms this afternoon, so she’d be forced to be in the same room as him. At least it wasn’t Potions where he sat directly behind her. The thought of laying eyes on him sends a fresh wave of shivers down her spine. If only I could have my eyes closed for all of Charms, Aurelia thought mournfully to herself.

As Aurelia dressed halfheartedly in her uniform behind the curtain, she heard the shuffling of feet beyond the divider. Aurelia neatly tucked her oxford shirt into the waist of her skirt, slipping her socked feet into her boots. Aurelia took a deep breath in and then out—time to face the day.

Aurelia saw a shadow through the curtain. She quickly threw on her robes and opened the curtain.

Regulus had returned from his morning classes.

“Hi,” he said bashfully, his cheeks flushing. He examined her thoroughly, his eyes tracing the top of her head, the length of her hair and neck, down her legs to her boots.

“Hi,” she returned.

Regulus didn’t say anything. He had two bags full of books, one over each shoulder. Wait, that’s my bag, Aurelia thought dumbly to herself.

Regulus followed her gaze and began to chuckle awkwardly. “Um, yes, I… brought your things for afternoon classes. So you… didn’t have to go all the way to the dungeons.”

She took her bag from him, her face flaming. She had forgotten all about it. He must have held on to it after she had fainted. Even with her red face, she offered him a small smile.

She certainly appreciated the gesture. She had forgotten that she’d have to walk by where it happened. Her face paled as the scene played out behind her eyes again. She remembered her head crashing into the stone walls of the dungeon, her hands bloodied, and Sirius shaking her by the collar–

“You have a lot of books about centaurs,” he observed, freeing Aurelia from her thoughts.

“Yes… I do,” she said simply. 

She sighed. She’d have to find time during the day to return them. There would be no more late-night study sessions as far as Aurelia was concerned. Not in the library, at least. Not when she would have to walk back to the dungeons by herself. 

Regulus nodded. He blushed again, this time reaching all the way to the tips of his ears.

“And I brought a dear little friend,” he said, smiling through his flushing cheeks. It gave him a look of pure, dear innocence.

Regulus opened his bulging book bag gingerly and lifted out a meowing black cat.

Aurelia squealed with delight and dropped her bag to the ground to free up her arms for her sweet, precious angel baby, Dolce, who purred and vibrated strongly. She nuzzled him into the crook of her neck like a newborn infant, scratching him behind the ears just like she knew he loved. She murmured sweet nothings into the side of his head, slipping in and out from Italian to English like it was one language.

“He hasn’t left me alone for days,” Regulus said, his eyes softening, “He’s even taken to sleeping in my bed,”

Aurelia blushed at the mental picture he portrayed but was still not surprised.

“He has never been alone at night,” Aurelia said simply.

“I thought as much.”

Aurelia was filled to the brim with warm and fuzzy feelings. There was no more room for anxious ramblings anymore, not with Regulus endearing himself to her as much as he was. Bringing her cat to her? It was just the sweetest thing. She looked up at him and gave him her best and brightest smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “Thank you so much, Regulus. You don’t know what this means to me.”

“I think I do,” he said knowingly, in that silly little cryptic way of theirs. He still had that soft look on his face, watching as Dolce desperately purred and nuzzled the side of Aurelia’s head. Of course, he saw. He had more than once been on the receiving end of such affection from Dolce and even spent the whole weekend with him. He knew the effect this precious cat had on mere mortals. Something otherworldly. Something magical.

“I… thought you might… want company for lunch,” he said tentatively. He drew up a hand to scratch the back of his neck bashfully.

“Oh! Um, yes, thank you,” Aurelia said, suddenly shy. She didn’t want to face the world just yet, but it was time. She tucked Dolce under her arm and slung her bag around her shoulders.

Despite her fears, Aurelia was overwhelmed with gratitude. She didn’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the line, between the few words shared between them, a sense of kindred between her and Regulus had flourished. She relished that she didn't have to say anything for him to know what she was thinking. The quiet bond between them was growing stronger, turning links into chains.

He offered her his arm, and she took it with a shaking hand, her nerves running rampant. He drew her close as they walked, Aurelia’s hip bumping his. She looked up at him with a blush on her cheeks. An apology was on the tip of her tongue, but he was already looking down at her with a smirk on his face. There was no sign of the blushing boy in sight. 

“I want them to see you close to me,” he said simply.

Aurelia’s face burned. She could guess why. She supposed he wanted to make it clear to Gryffindors and Slytherins alike just where her place was, right beside him. Her nerves crawled up the nape of her neck, her hair curling into winding coils. She didn’t want attention drawn to her. She would much rather quietly integrate herself back into the school day.

As they rounded the corner before the Great Hall, Aurelia tugged Regulus to a stop. He glanced down at her, and his eyes widened at her hair, but he did not comment.

“I… don’t want to make a scene,” she said.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

Aurelia bit her lip and averted her eyes. Maybe Regulus hoped that Sirius would finally leave them alone, once and for all, by showing them walking into the Great Hall together. Something could be similarly said for the Slytherins. Maybe Regulus hoped that by advertising their closeness, he hoped that the other Slytherins of their house would rally for her should the need arise.

The thought sends shivers down her spine. Sirius was cold and cruel to her, but it was nothing compared to what Mulciber was capable of.

Still, she did trust Regulus, so she nodded.

Regulus guided her into the Great Hall, now resting his hand on the small of her back.

Aurelia kept her eyes down, focusing on Dolce, who was peering up at her with wide eyes. She wondered idly if Dolce had ever explored this far into the Castle. She kissed the top of his head and allowed Regulus to lead her to the Slytherin table. She barely looked up to sit on the long bench, Regulus sliding in next to her.

“Severus,” Regulus said.

What about him? Aurelia thought, finally looking up questioningly.

“Regulus,” drawled the unmistakable tenor of Severus Snape, seated directly beside her on her other side.

Aurelia jerked and then bowed her head again, staring holes into her empty plate. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Aurelia released Dolce on the bench, putting a feline buffer between herself and Snape. Dolce sat up regally on the bench, his tail swishing this way and that. He eyed the tuna salad sandwiches in the center of the table, and Aurelia fetched one at once, scraped the tuna salad off the bread onto her plate, and gave it to her cat. Her appetite was nonexistent from nerves, so someone may as well enjoy the lunch spread.

“Must the cat eat at the table?” Snape said, his nose scrunching while Dolce devoured his meal.

Aurelia’s face lit up in flames. I’m being so rude!

She quickly placed her plate on the floor behind them, Dolce leaping from the bench and meowing before continuing to eat.

“Sorry,” she murmured… again.

“Leave her, Severus,” Regulus said, clearly annoyed.

“My apologies,” Snape said before turning to his own food.

Aurelia couldn’t believe what was happening. Was their intimate circle of two becoming a circle of three? Aurelia didn’t like this. She did not like this at all. Opening up to someone like Regulus was hard enough, but adding another one to the mix did not sit right with her. Especially someone who seemed to have something against her cat! Aurelia firmly believed that people who disliked cats ought not to be trusted.

Aurelia examined Snape. He was, unfortunately, as oily as the bullies said. His hair was greasy and lank, parted down the middle of his head, hanging into his eyes. It didn’t seem to bother him, however, even when she could see it poking him in the cornea. His nose was large and hooked, and a big bump was visible on the bridge from his side profile. His eyes were dark and cruel as if constantly judging everything in sight. His skin had a sheen, looking like sweat, but Aurelia knew it was just…. Oily. Even the collar on his white uniform shirt had faint yellowing stains on it. Could not even house elf magic get it out? Aurelia thought to herself. Or perhaps he forgot to use the laundry chute this weekend?

Still, nothing in his appearance revealed that he didn’t like cats.

“May I help you?” he asked, looking bothered.

Aurelia swallowed, caught. She couldn’t say what she was thinking, which was she was checking his appearance for signs that he might hate cats, as it is a trait used on her barometer of trustworthiness. Even that might be too weird for Regulus, who was accepting of her blood traitoring beliefs.

Thankfully, Aurelia was saved from answering by Professor Kettleburn, who hobbled in the aisle but made special care not to step on Dolce. He appeared harried, his white hair sticking up and out in all directions and his breaths rapid and deep.

“Miss Centore!”

“Hello, Professor Kettleburn,” she said.

“I’m pleased to see you with us! You must know I was deeply troubled when I heard what happened!”

Aurelia couldn’t help but blush. She knew she had a very good relationship with Kettleburn but never imagined it would be close enough for him to worry after her! Aurelia smiled graciously up at her dear Professor.

“Thank you, Professor,” she said simply.

“The full moon will soon be upon us,” he said, winking at her, “do you think you’re still up for a little adventure?”

Aurelia blanched, knowing that her seatmates had likely heard his comment. How could she explain this to Regulus? It didn’t matter. She would not pass up this opportunity to be part of something great.

“Of course, Professor! Just like we agreed!” she exclaimed, feeling renewed vigor at once.

He patted her on the head like she was eleven and not a research partner. “My dear Aurelia,” he said with such fondness that Aurelia smiled widely at him. He left them to their meal and walked right out of the Great Hall. She couldn’t believe that the night of the full moon was finally upon them, and on the night of the Halloween Feast, no less.

She returned to the table and ladled some chicken soup into a small bowl. Mm, it was good today. The chicken soup was always her absolute favorite. It was creamy and hearty, thick with carrots, celery, and potatoes. It filled her finally hungry belly. She savored it, smelling the rich aroma of rosemary and garlic. The house elves had outdone themselves again. Perhaps she would find them and ask for the recipe.

“Aurelia,” Regulus said, disturbing her thoughts, “What’s Kettleburn want with you on the full moon?”

Aurelia primly dabbed her lips with her napkin. “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said.

She knew this answer would likely not be enough for Regulus, but she scrambled with what to say. What would he gain by knowing what she was working on with Professor Kettleburn? Surely nothing… if that were true, then he didn’t need to know, did he? But she supposed friendships were based on a series of disclosures, not for the sake of power but for the sake of friendship, right? Yes, that’s true… and she’s sure no harm would come to her by having Regulus know. It’s not like he would try to stop her from exercising a bit of her own Slytherin ambition, would he? No, he wouldn’t…

“It doesn’t seem like nothing,” Regulus said, a questioning glint in his eye.

Aurelia took a deep breath in and then out.

“On the night of the full moon, Professor Kettleburn and I will be journeying into the Forbidden Forest to…” she pauses, feeling her face heat up at the sheer irony of it all, “... well, to encounter the centaurs” she finished, trying her best to whisper over the loud Great Hall.

“You can’t,” Snape said. Aurelia had quite forgotten he was there! And what right did he have to tell her what she could and couldn’t do? She barely knew him!

Aurelia was about to tell him as much when Regulus interjected, “Severus, leave her.”

“No, I will not leave her as you so eloquently put it. There are dangerous creatures in the Forbidden Forest…” he said, his hackles raising.

“She’ll be with a professor, Severus. She’ll be fine,” Regulus insisted, surprisingly coming to her defense.

“You don’t understand,” Snape said, “there are dangers far beyond what either of you would imagine inside and outside the castle!”

Inside and outside? Aurelia thought to herself. She supposed that much was true. She was attacked just outside of her own common room by a fellow student. But she was alone then. She would not be alone in the Forbidden Forest. Even missing most of his limbs, she knew that Kettleburn was a formidable wizard. And though she liked to pretend she wasn’t so good at magic, she knew that she could hold her own. Quite frankly, she felt insulted but tried not to let it show.

“If it makes you feel any better, Kettleburn did a similar project last year to study the unicorns,” she said proudly.

“Was it the night of the full moon?” Snape asked.

“Well, no, but–”

“Exactly! I’ll say nothing more. Centore, let’s go,” Snape said, “time for Charms.”

Aurelia was shocked but kept her expression schooled. Why would Snape ask her to leave with him? They were not friends; they were barely acquaintances! A rush of realization flooded her, and she knew. She looked accusingly at Regulus, who would not meet her eye. She excused herself from the table, fully intending to walk away with her cat haughtily, but when she reached for him, her hands met empty air.

He had assigned a guard detail to her. Who had given him the authority? Aurelia silently fumed, stomping three feet ahead of Snape, who trailed behind her silently. He must think she ought to be grateful, but how could she be? When everyone in the bloody school was likely watching Snape follow after her like a guard dog? He’s not like a guard dog. He is one! Aurelia thought to herself, completely annoyed.

And her cat! To leave her abandoned in her time of need! It was so typical of him.

As she approached the Charms classroom door, Snape reached from behind her to open the door. He held it open while she looked at him up and down, hopefully conveying her disdain for the situation. The message was received. She knew by how he rolled his eyes at her as she crossed the threshold. She made sure not to thank him.

She slumped into her seat and opened up her Charms textbook. Having only truly missed the weekend, Aurelia was still caught up on all her Charms homework. The class was still working on perfecting nonverbal magic. Last week, it had been simple sparks, and it was vinegar to wine for this class. She sat quietly and waited for the rest of the class to enter the room, listening for when he would come in.

She took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. She tried to clear her mind. She closed her eyes. She could smell the jugs of vinegar in the front of the room. She could hear her classmates chatting around her. She felt her soft tights around her toes in her boots. She felt her hair begin to relax against her scalp and back, returning from wispy coils to delicate waves along her back.

“Neat trick, Aurelia,” said Lily Evans’s high voice.

Aurelia’s eyes shot open. Lily was right in front of her, looking down at her with a small smile on her face. Her brilliant red hair was straight and tidy around her shoulders. Her Head Girl badge was pinned high and prettily on the outside of her robes. As beautiful as she was, Aurelia shivered. She wanted to trust that Lily didn’t tolerate the actions of Sirius and Potter, but in truth, she did not feel confident. Aurelia was sure the Gryffindors felt a sense of loyalty within their house, so the safest assumption would be that Lily would inevitably side with Sirius.

It would be best to hold her at arm’s length for now.

“Mm,” she mumbled, feeling all at once exposed. She collected her hair and drew it tightly over one shoulder. Hiding again, Aurelia thought sadly, in plain sight. She looked over to where Snape was sitting, and he was already staring at them, watching their interaction. She averted her eyes and looked lamely at her homework.

“I didn’t see you all weekend,” Lily continued carefully. Aurelia met her eyes. Lily’s head was cocked, her face looking concerned. “I’ve seen you before in Hogsmeade, you know. Well, not this year, of course, but last year. I saw you in Honeydukes. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, she really likes chocolate’ because you must’ve spent 10 galleons on candy. And then this weekend, I expected to see you again, but you were gone.”

Aurelia blinked. Lily’s face had grown red. Aurelia felt her own face grow red.

She… noticed I was gone? Aurelia asked herself quietly.

“I… I fainted and fell down the stairs,” Aurelia whispered, glancing around her. Aurelia let out a deep sigh. Sirius had not yet arrived with his friends. He could not have overheard her outright lying to the Head Girl.

Aurelia was jerked back to reality by a soft pressure on her hand. Lily’s hand pressed lightly onto Aurelia’s. She met Lily’s eyes. Lily had a mothering look on her face, like a hen who had separated from her brood of chicks.

“Are you alright?” Lily asked, and Aurelia balked at the earnest look on Lily’s face. “Were you in the Hospital Wing? I wish I had known. I could have visited you.”

At this, Aurelia knew that Lily must have absolutely no idea what had truly happened to her. Aurelia was relieved. She didn’t think she would ever be ready for anyone to know about that. Aurelia offered Lily a small smile, but with so many Slytherins watching them, all Aurelia could say was, “It’s for the best that you didn’t,” hoping that Lily would not be offended. Aurelia discreetly tilted her head toward where she knew Silas Mulciber was settling next to Snape.

Lily, the clever witch, nodded in understanding. She squeezed Aurelia’s hand slightly and withdrew to her seat behind her.

Flitwick emerged from his office at the front of the classroom, wearing a cheery set of sky-blue robes. He had a pep in his step as he approached the students. He drew his wand from the billowing sleeve of his robes and levitated a jug of vinegar on the front demonstration table. As he poured the vinegar into wine glasses, he spoke.

“Good afternoon, children!” He said jovially. “As you might have guessed, we will be nonverbally turning vinegar into wine. This spell should be familiar to you, as it was covered last year, but I will remind you of the incantation: acetum vino with a tap to the rim of your glasses.”

Flitwick held up a glass full of vinegar, tapped the rim, and it turned into a rich red color. Ever the showboat, Flitwick took a small sip. “Ah, notes of cherry and oak… Begin!”

With a swish of his wand, the glasses floated to each student, delicately landing on the desks with a clink.

Sirius tried to focus on his glass of vinegar, but his attention was incessantly drawn to the front of the room. He knew for sure now that she had finally joined her house for classes. He thought he had caught a glimpse of her earlier in the Great Hall, but he’d felt so much shame he turned his back to the Slytherin table to avoid accidentally meeting her eye.

Now, there was no avoiding her. He could see her just there standing at her desk, her wand at her side. She appeared to be concentrating, tapping the rim of her glass with her wand once, twice, and thrice, but vinegar remained.

When Sirius entered the classroom, he mistook her for someone else. He didn’t think Aurelia had riotous wispy curls until he saw her attempt to relax them, falling in thick, shiny brown waves. Then he remembered how he insulted her hair in this classroom just last week and wanted to gag with embarrassment. When did I become so cruel? Sirius thought, shame turning his stomach.

Sirius feared the answer to his own question. Deep down, he knew he was born with the same darkness that plagued his family. As much as he tried to deny it and renounce his heritage, the fear would always remain. It was not a fear anymore. It was true.

I almost killed her, Sirius thought while watching her.  His vision became watery, but he blinked it away.

Sirius knew his jokes about calling her horseface were completely ridiculous and untrue. Aurelia was a beautiful girl. He could see why his brother took a shine to her so much. Her skin clung desperately to the last bits of a summer tan. She had big, brown eyes with full, long eyelashes. Sirius didn’t know how he never noticed her before. How could Regulus have seen her first? Ridiculous question, they’re in the same house! But, wasn’t she in Sirius’s year? Yes, and the other boys seemed to know her… and I tried to kill her.

“Padfoot? Are you even going to try?”

“Hm?” Sirius said, unable to drag his eyes away from Aurelia.

James waved a hand in front of Sirius’s face.

“The vinegar, Pads, you gonna try?” James said.

“Right,”

Sirius tapped the rim and silently chanted acetum vino, and instead of wine, his vinegar completely froze, cracking his wine glass.

“Serves you right for not paying attention,” James said, laughing.

“Oh, shut up,” Sirius mumbled, putting his head in his arms on his desk.

“Oh, come on, Pads, cheer up. We can’t take much more of this,” James whined.

“Did something happen over the weekend that you’re not telling us?” Remus asked from behind them.

“Something with Centore?” Peter prodded.

Sirius immediately picked up his head to say, “No! Nothing happened… I’m just… thinking about… quidditch,” he finished lamely.

James nodded sagely. “Don’t worry, Sirius, I completely understand,” he said before launching into a monologue about quidditch and its impact on young, studious minds.

Sirius attempted to tune him out, preferring to watch Aurelia fail time after time to turn her vinegar to wine. Finally, when Flitwick had his back turned, Aurelia looked around briefly before tapping her wand once more. Her glass became a full red color. He watched her smirk. She raised the glass to her face and gave it a small swirl before shutting her eyes and inhaling deeply. Her eyes still shut, she took a long, slow sip of her wine. Sirius watched her tongue dart out to lick her lips, catching a stray drop of wine.

Sirius swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.

“Excellent!” chimed Flitwick’s voice, “very good job, Miss Centore! Please share with the class how it tasted.”

He watched Aurelia shrink into herself. Her shoulders were suddenly hunched inward, trying to make herself appear smaller. Her hair began to curl up from the ends. She turned slowly to face the class, her hands clasping and unclasping with themselves. Her eyes darted around the room before finally resting on Sirius.

Sirius sat up ramrod straight. His eyes were wide, and he felt a hot blush flaming on his cheeks.

Aurelia’s eyes left him, her own cheeks red, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Um,” she mumbled, “dark fruits… Um, like blackberry… and chocolate.”

“Five points to Slytherin! Please join me here, Miss Centore, and demonstrate for us.”

Aurelia wiped her hands on her uniform and picked up her wand to join Flitwick at the demo table. He poured her a fresh glass of vinegar; all the while, her eyes desperately darted across the room, hoping for an ally. Look at me, he willed. Look at me again, one more time.

She did. Sirius hoped to be able to give her an encouraging nod, something that he knew she would think would be completely out of character for him. Something inside of him knew that he had to do something… something to ease his burden of guilt. Something to help her see he was not a bad person. He could do at least this for her.

But when her eyes met him for the second time, her eyes widened, and her face paled. Sirius knew that look. It was the same look she had when he cornered her in the dungeons just a few nights ago. 

It was fear. She’s… afraid of me.

He looked away.

“Aren’t you going to say anything, Padfoot?”

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Say what, James?”

“The plan?” He asked, using his eyes to point toward the front of the room where Aurelia was attempting to turn vinegar to wine in front of the class.

The plan. Sirius had forgotten. The plan. The plan is to call her horseface. The plan is to turn her into a centaur. The plan is to humiliate her in front of everyone. With what purpose? To get at Regulus? Sirius couldn’t remember anymore; all he could think of was how embarrassingly ridiculous the whole thing was.

“Maybe… maybe we ditch the plan,” Sirius whispered.

“Ditch the plan?” James said aghast. “You can’t be serious!”

“I am Sirius,” he replied, smirking.

“No,” James said with finality. “We are not ditching the plan. We are this far into it. Moony has already begun Step 2, Part C!”

“Maybe we’re going too far?”

“Too far? Sirius, what has gotten into you? This is your plan!”

Ugh, don’t remind me, Sirius thought to himself.

Sirius knew he had no choice. It was either go through with the prank or confess why he had changed his mind. Confess to his only friends that he was a cruel monster just like his parents after all.

Sirius laughed pathetically. “Ha, ha, just kidding, Prongsie. We can’t quit now!”

James gave him a weird look but shook his head and patted Sirius on the back. “That’s a lad,” he said.

“Excellent work!” Flitwick said from the front of the room. 

Sirius looked back to the front of the room. Aurelia was already back in her chair, her back to him. At the demo table sat a solitary glass of red wine.

Sirius needed to do something. He couldn’t keep hiding his guilt, away from his friends. He knew he couldn’t tell them. It would surely be the final straw. They’d leave him, and he knew he probably deserved it, but he allowed his selfishness to win out. He needed to make things right with Aurelia to preserve his friendship and make his guilt go away. A simple apology should suffice. Yes, he would make her see he wasn’t so bad. Then she would forgive him, and Sirius would have the best of both worlds.

He’d easily clear this all up. He’d just explain to her that it was a mere misunderstanding. Yes, that would be fine. And he would charm her the way he knew how girls liked, and then she’d forgive him. Yes, and then he’d be able to execute the prank as a bit of harmless fun. Yes! And because he’d apologized, maybe she’d even laugh!

Yes. Sirius would make this right. This is the best way. No one would be mad at him this way.

Flitwick dismissed the class, and Sirius went through the bustling students to get to the front of the room. As he approached, Aurelia slowly collected her books and parchment and neatly put them in her bag. 

Sirius swallowed, wetting his mouth.

“Centore,” he called out to her.

She jerked away from her desk, away from him, her empty chair tilting and rattling to the ground. Her eyes were panicked, her hair curling tightly back into wild curls.

Sirius felt like a bludger had rammed him in the gut. I did this. I traumatized someone.

“What do you think you’re doing, Black?” said the sneering voice of Severus Snape.

Snape approached quickly, stepping between Sirius and Aurelia. She seemed to shrink behind him, hiding in his shadow.

Sirius looked between Snape and Aurelia, feeling like a child caught with his hand elbow-deep in a cookie jar.

“I-I was… I–”

“Well, out with it!” Snape demanded.

Frustrated, Sirius laughed darkly. “I don’t take orders from you, Snivellus!”

Snape only smirked, like a cat who had finally caught his dinner. “What do you think, Centore? Should we hear him out?”

Sirius blinked away his anger, remembering his goal. “Aurelia, I–”

“Let’s just go, please, Severus,” she mumbled, tugging on Snape’s sleeve.

Sirius watched Aurelia dart out from behind the desks, taking a brisk pace to the exit, with Silas Mulciber holding the door open for her. 

Snape moved to follow her out, but before making his own exit, he said, “Don’t speak to her.”

Sirius was left alone in the Charms classroom, his nose burned by the strong smell of vinegar.

Aurelia sighed in relief and even mumbled a quiet “thanks” to Severus when he eventually caught up with her. He only nodded at her and followed her to the library so she could return her borrowed books.

Feeling suddenly tired, Aurelia decided to skip dinner and retire for the night. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, she needed to be alone to gather her thoughts and debrief herself. The dutiful guard dog he was, Severus walked her to the common room entrance without issue. She nodded thanks and sent him on his way.

Aurelia trudged down into the bowels of the dungeons to her common room. It was mostly empty with some students rushing past her to get to dinner on time. Aurelia settled in to her dormitory, shedding her uniform and folding it neatly on her trunk at the foot of her bed. She got in her four poster bed, and drew up the emerald green blankets all the way up to her chin. Aurelia inhaled deeply the smell of her sheets and shut her eyes, trying to collect her thoughts.

Aurelia thought about Sirius. She thought about the way that he approached her. He didn’t seem violent like he had that night. He seemed a bit more reserved, and almost… bashful? Maybe he felt guilty about what he did to her and intended to apologize.

She never thought she’d say it, but she felt glad that Severus was there to intercede for her.

She couldn’t believe Regulus and how he ordered Severus to essentially be her guard detail. Regulus knew that the last thing Aurelia wanted was to have attention drawn to her, but he does it anyway! It was completely exasperating! She supposed he expected her to be flattered or grateful (and maybe, deep down, she was), but all Aurelia could feel was annoyed. This was far more than what she bargained for.

She would have liked to see Severus but Sirius in his place in the middle of the Charms classroom, but Aurelia’s own guilt had caused her to ask him to leave with her. Come to think of it, she saw the way Severus smiled at Sirius after being goaded by that foul nickname. It was almost like he knew that Sirius would say exactly that. She’d never known Severus to be able to predict anything that the Gryffindors do. He always seemed to take the bait that they so obviously throw at him. So why in that moment did he look like the one with the upperhand?

Aurelia rolled her eyes with the realization. It was Regulus. It had to be. He must’ve given Severus coaching with how to deal with Sirius should he attempt to speak with her. Sirius and Regulus may have been estranged, but it did not make Regulus any less an expert on his brother and his behavioral patterns.

The thought frustrates her and excites her. Regulus is a mastermind. He orchestrated the whole thing, and put his pawns in exactly the right place. But why?

Why? Why go through all this trouble for her? Aurelia didn’t know. She knew that he cared about her at least a little bit. She knew that she shared something big with him, something that she knew no one could know about. But was that enough to warrant… this? That he would order other students to follow her around like a little protection detail?

Aurelia felt she severely underestimated his involvement with the little group of baby Death Eaters. How was it that they just do whatever he said? Does he truly have authority over them? She supposed it was certainly possible, after all he did come from a very prestigious and elite family.

Like always, Aurelia felt unsettled with how many questions had so few answers. She glanced at the clock. Dinner was about halfway over. Maybe she would wait for Regulus in their spot by the Black Lake window. Maybe she would wait and see if she could get a few answers of her own.

Aurelia traded her cotton pajamas for a pair of flowy silk trousers and a warm knit jumper. She wanted to look comfortable but still put together. She wanted to seem casual and relaxed. She wanted Regulus to feel like she wasn’t angry and confused.

When she approached the pair of highback armchairs, her cat trailing after her, she paused. He was already there waiting for her.

Aurelia sat in her chair with a mumbled “hi.” Dolce leapt up into his mistress’s lap, curling up and staring at Regulus, accusation in his eyes.

“Hi,” Regulus said, “You weren’t at dinner.”

“No, I wasn’t,” she said.

They fell into silence. Regulus appeared frustratingly comfortable and relaxed in his chair. He gazed into the darkness of the Black Lake, his expression revealing nothing of his thoughts and feelings. The only sign that he was experiencing any kind of distress was his loose tie, rumpled robes, and his hair was untidy like he had repeatedly run his fingers through it.

“Why?” Aurelia asked.

It was a loaded question, she knew, and he knew exactly what she was asking about from the way he sent a nervous look at her before schooling his features. Why did he ask Snape to follow her around? Was Snape the only one? How did he know to give Snape advice on how to exactly handle Sirius? Why was he going out of his way to protect her?

Regulus inhaled, and looked at her. His eyes were earnest and his mouth was downturned. He looked… solemn as he gazed at her. His eyes searched her face for Merlin only knows what. Aurelia felt her frustration slip from her mind, replaced with a stunning sense of endearment for her friend.

“You are all I have,” he whispered to her.

Aurelia’s heart quieted and she blushed. He was all she had, too. He was the only one who knew and shared her deepest secret, and she was the only one who knew and shared his. For once in her life she was not alone or isolated. It was something precious. Something to be treasured. She had someone who knew her, and she knew him.

She still had so many questions left unanswered, but she chose to trust him and did not press him further.

“I understand,” she said. And she did.