An Auror's Work is Never Done

Chapter 11 Bites of Disappointment

On the eve of 'my wedding day' I didn't sleep. Nicholae and I had talked all night. I had grown fond of him in the short time I had known him. He retired and I stayed up to usher in the last day of my mortal life. Knowing I'd never see another sunrise made it that much more important to me to watch every moment of it.

I sat on the front porch and watched the dark night sky as it was gently brushed away with the sparkling rays of the sun. The day passed. The sun was slowly overpowered by the velvet plush of twilight.

Mimi found me still sitting in the same position as I had been at breakfast and lunch, both of which I had refused to go inside for. She had thoughtfully brought the food to me. I couldn't bring myself to let any moment of sunshine go unnoticed. I knew it would be the last I ever saw of it.

"It's time now, Miss."

I silently followed her to my room where she helped me prepare for the ceremony. I felt hollow inside. All that I knew and loved would soon be lost in the bite.

Mimi fussed over me. She buttoned the long gown Nicholae had had made for me. Its simple beauty seemed foreign to my dulled senses. The elf said a quick spell and my chestnut hair curled softly. She added gloss to my lips and a touch of mascara.

"The master will be pleased," she announced.

I gave a courtesy glance in the mirror. A woman I almost couldn't recognize gazed back with haunted pale green eyes too large for her face. She'd apparently lost weight because her cheekbones were a bit more prominent than usual. Her lips were full from constant nibbling on them, a habit I'd had since childhood. She looked like a Fay creature without wings. 'Yes,' I had to admit, 'Nicholae would be pleased.'

Mimi knocked on Nicholae's door and left. I waited, panic building. 'What am I doing?!'

He opened the door and moved aside. I stepped over the threshold, saying goodbye to life as I had known it.

"It is normal to be nervous and unsure, Dear One." He filled a glass with dark wine and handed it to me.

I lifted the goblet and let the calming elixir soothe my parched throat. 'Blueberry.' A tear slipped down my cheek when I remembered the last time I had had that particular flavored wine. I resolutely pushed thoughts of that night with Harry away as I drank quickly, trying to banish memories better forgotten.

The bed seemed to grow more and more enormous. My anxiety increased when he gathered me in his arms and kissed me.

"Come. It is time." He waved a hand at the bed.

"Time for what exactly?" I asked hoping he didn't mean what I thought he meant.

He chuckled, his rich voice washing over my mind, calming it. "We will have the exchange first. I wish to wed you as one of my own kind. But it will be more comfortable for you if we lie down."

"Oh."

I moved to the bed and climbed in. Nicholae placed a pillow against the headboard and suggested I recline and rest my head on it. Once I was situated he embraced me and rained tender kisses on my face. His hands roamed over my arms sending chills down my spine. It seemed like forever since I had experienced this. His mouth crushed mine over and over in an assault to my senses. His tongue traced a path to my collarbone and back to my neck.

The teeth sinking into the offered flesh brought both pleasure and pain when it came. His hands caressed, soothed. My mind wandered as my body grew weaker and my breath more shallow.

"Harry," I whispered, guilt causing another tear to fall. Was I feeling guilty because I felt as if I were betraying Harry or Nicholae? I'm still not sure.

Nicholae let go suddenly and I looked into his eyes, confusion evident on his elegant features. "It is not you! All these years and you are not her. I release you from your pledge. I must get you to a hospital!"

I think I smiled before everything turned black.

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The next thing I remember is waking to see a pair of startled grey eyes I had thought I'd seen the last of.

"Aurora! She's awake! Aurora, you're going to be okay."

"Dragon? Where...where am I?"

"In a hospital. Nicholae brought you in two days ago. You've had all of us so worried."

"Where is he?"

"He said he'd be back tonight."

"I don't understand. Why did he bring me here?"

"He told me he'd explain when he sees you."

"Oh." I closed my eyes.

"Dancer?"

"Yes?"

"You look like hell."

"I missed you too, Dragon." I fell asleep.

Hours later I heard furious whispering teasing me to open my eyes.

"Where the hell has she been, Draco? She disappeared for four days. I know she told you were she was."

"If she'd wanted you informed, she would've."

"Draco, I'm warning you---"

"Dragon?" I whispered trying to sit up.

Draco pushed the curtain around my bed open and came to stand beside me. "How are you feeling, Sis?"

"Better. Who are you arguing with?"

"Potter."

"Harry?"

"Hey, Aurora." He moved to the opposite side of the bed. "Glad to see you among the land of the living."

His comment hit too close to home. The color drained from my face. Draco caught me when I wobbled and gently forced me to lie back down.

"Harry, would you mind giving us some privacy for a few minutes? I really need to talk to Draco."

"Sure." I heard hurt in his voice and wondered at it.

When Harry closed the door I told Draco everything about the last five days.

"I'm sorry about your father."

"Don't be. The bastard got what he deserved. Nicholae told me what you looked like when he found you," he confessed.

"He's the only reason I survived, Draco." I started to cry, remembering the crazed Lucius and the pain he had inflicted.

"He's gone, Dancer. He can't hurt you ever again." He sat on the bed and rocked me in his arms. "Shh. Big brother's here."

"I think you should tell Harry," he urged later after I'd calmed down.

"Are you insane?"

"No. He's been really worried about you."

"Sure."

"I think he still loves you."

"Right. That's why we're still together."

"He's the one who located Father's hideaway. He used some kind of locator charm for you pendant. But we arrived too late. You'd been gone for an hour already. Aurora, the Healers had to sedate him after he realized Lucius had tortured you. He went crazy."

"He came to find me?"

He nodded.

"I can't do it. I can't talk about what happened with him yet." I looked away and Draco changed the subject.

Night came, as did Nicholae. Dad and Draco left with the others.

"You are feeling well?" he asked me when we were finally alone.

"Yes. What happened? Why didn't you finish it?"

He turned his back to me, gazing out of the open window. "When you called Harry's name I had another series of visions." He faced me again. "I saw you and a man together. Playing at your feet was a baby girl who was your mirror image at the age. Then I saw her fully grown standing next to me, love shining in her green eyes as she kissed me. I realized it was not you I have waited for. It is your daughter."

"But...I thought..."

"I was confused but I have never had visions of you and I together. I am sorry for what I have done to you. To pull you from such a traumatic experience only to plunge you into another is beyond unforgivable."

"It's okay, Nicholae. You did what you did because you cared for me. Any woman would be lucky to have her love returned by you."

"Truly?"

"Truly. Will you stay and meet my family and friends properly?"

"As you wish, Dear One."

I smiled as he went to open the door.

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In the early morning hours I was ripped from my sleep by my own bloodcurdling screams. I bolted up fighting against the bedcovers, convinced the horrors I'd seen in the dream had followed me to the waking world.

"Aurora, it's okay. It's me, Draco."

Gradually my vision focused on his pale face.

"You had another nightmare."

"Yeah." I pulled the blanket over my shoulders to ward off the sudden chill.

He sat on the bed beside me and held me until I had warmed up again. "Want to talk about it?"

"I was following someone into a basement. We went further and further down until we entered a room that reminded me of...that tower. Chained to one of the walls was a Muggle couple and their little girl. She was about five. The man I'd come in with said something in regards to teaching me a lesson. He used the Crucio Curse on the little girl and the mother until he killed them. Then he taunted the dad, saying it was HIS fault his family had been killed because he hadn't been strong enough to protect them. I woke up when he hit him with the Killing Curse."

"Bloody fucking hell!" Draco jumped up.

"Draco?"

He paced the room, running his hands through his platinum blonde hair and cursing periodically.

"Draco, what's wrong? It was just a nightmare. I'm fine now."

He walked back over to the bed, sat down in the chair next to it, and hung his head. "It wasn't a dream. That was my memory. I was thinking about it while you were sleeping."

"That man with me was Lucius?"

"Yes. Remember how I told you once that there were things in my past I didn't want you to find out?"

"I remember. I stick with what I said too."

"You haven't heard the story yet. When I was thirteen Lucius informed me Voldemort was anxious to begin my education into the Dark Arts. He wanted me to learn the Unforgivables. So Lucius kidnapped a family and Crucioed the little girl and her mum. When I refused to help, Lucius finished and then beat me near death. That was the day I realized I could never be like him but I couldn't let him know. That's why I was such a prat to Harry." He sighed heavily. "I've always felt guilty I couldn't do more to try to save those people."

"Dragon, look at me. There was nothing you could have done. You were only a child, no match for your father. I'm proud of you for standing up to him."

"You aren't disgusted?"

"Only with that bastard. The only good thing he ever did was help bring you into this world."

"Well, I am pretty wonderful," he smirked.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Brother dear."

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