I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Aurora stared at Svetlanna intently, debating whether or not to take the younger Gryffindor under her wing. Teaching someone how to restructure their lives is a huge responsibility that takes a lot of patience, patience being something that Aurora has very, very little of.

“I’m not a push-over person,” said Aurora, stopping her movement and looking up at the stars, “which means I’m not going to be a push-over teacher. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Svetlanna nodded her head almost eagerly and gave Aurora a small smile, “I’m sure. I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t sure about this.”

“Alright then, uh I'm going to give you a couple books to read when we get to the common room. I don’t want you to just read them, I want you to dive into them, to tear apart the text and see how it pertains to you. Once you’re done reading we’ll have a discussion and then we’ll build from there,” spoke Aurora, moving her gaze from the stars to Svetlanna.

Svetlanna smiled softly, “What books?”

“Way of the Peaceful Warrior and The Little Prince,” answered Aurora, resuming her walking.

“The Little Prince?” repeated Svetlanna, confused as to why she would have to read a children’s book. “But that’s a children’s book. Why would I read a children’s book?”

“You’d be surprised how deep it is for being a kid’s book. Most people cast it aside as not being important but I look at it as a very important philosophical document and hopefully the words will move you as they do me.” Aurora closed her eyes while softly uttering a line from the Peaceful Warrior, “I call myself a Peaceful Warrior . . . because the real battles we fight are on the inside. That’s one of my favorite quotes and I think we can all relate to it.”

Svetlanna stared at Aurora in wonder; the soft moonlight illuminated the older girl’s facial features making her look like the Greek goddess Athena. She hoped that one day she would be able to carry herself with such confidence, that she would be able to love herself fully.

No words were exchanged during the rest of the walk but although there was silence it wasn’t an awkward one. It was comfortable, the type of silence that exists between great friends as opposed to strangers.

Aurora hadn’t felt so at ease around a person in a long time. Svetlanna knew what it was that plagued her thoughts but she didn’t treat her like some broken doll instead she looked at her as a person that was composed.

Everyone in the common room was shocked when they saw the pair walk in. No one understood why Aurora, the standoffish Gryffindor, would be waltzing in late at night with Svetlanna, the shyest Gryffindor, at her side.

“Want to come up to my dorm so I can give you the books or do you want me to bring them down?” asked Aurora.

“I can go up,” answered Svetlanna, surprised that Aurora had asked her to enter her dorm.

Aurora muttered hello to her roommates when she walked in, but those were the only words she directed towards them. She pulled out her vintage suitcase and rummaged through it, letting out a successful sigh when she found the two tattered books.

“Analyze every sentence, nothing is unimportant and always try to relate things to yourself. When you make a connection jot it down in a journal,” Aurora said softly, not wanting her roommates to hear her.

Svetlanna nodded her head, “Thank you again. I really appreciate it.”

“You don’t have to thank me. Thank yourself for having the strength to want to better yourself,” responded Aurora while she showed Svetlana out.

Angelina exchanged confused looks with her fellow roommates. They were all shocked that their antisocial roommate was speaking to someone other than the Weasley twins, but not only were they shocked truth be told they were a bit insulted that she had chosen to speak with the shy Gryffindor as opposed to them, the girls that ran the quidditch team.

“Are you friends with Svetlanna now?” asked Angelina.

Aurora ignored her inquiry.

“It doesn’t make sense you know,” Angelina began, “We’ve been trying to be friends with you since you got here and you don’t say more than a few words to us but there you are waltzing around with her.”

Aurora couldn’t help but chuckle at how childish Angelina’s argument was. The girls were jealous that she had ignored their attempts at friendship and had accepted Svetlanna’s; it was something very fitting of drama in a muggle high school.

“And you’re ignoring us! All you ever bloody do is ignore us! How do you think that makes us feel?!” cried an exasperated Katy.

“I feel sorry for the man you marry,” muttered Aurora while her hands grabbed her pajamas from her trunk.

Katy’s eyes narrowed, “And why’s that?”

“Because all you’re ever going to do is bitch at him! I can already imagine the poor guy either pounding the bottle hard or pounding the hookers hard,” shot back Aurora, a smirk on her face.

Katy was flabbergasted by Aurora’s response, she’d never heard the young woman say anything so hurtful to anyone and not wanting to appear weak Katy decided to attack Aurora, thinking that the American wouldn’t be as fit as her but she was sorely mistaken.

Aurora quickly ducked the blow that Katy had tried to deliver. She stood back defensively, not wanting to hurt her roommate unless it was absolutely necessary. Katy should’ve backed off but she needed to redeem herself because there was no way that she, the chaser for Gryffindor, could lose to a pretty face.

Aurora reacted quickly; violently shoving Katy away from her while her eyes flickered with annoyance and anger, “Why do you guys want to be my friends so badly?! I'm not an amiable person and I purposely push all of you away because I don’t want anything to do with you! The only reason that you or anyone else puts in the effort to try to be my friend is because I come from an old rich pureblood family and don’t say that’s not why because unless you guys are lesbians and want to bang me then that’s the reason why. Now if you’ll excuse me, I'm going to shower and if anything happens to me in the middle of the night you can rest assured that I’ll fuck up everyone in this room.”

Nothing happened to Aurora that night for everyone in the room was terrified of what she would do to them. They had underestimated her as nothing more than a pretty face but now they knew not to mess with her and even though they were a bit intimidated by her they couldn’t help but gain some respect for her.

When Aurora awoke the next morning she did her usual weekend routine of working out, showering, curling up on the couch to read while her peers are fast asleep.

The peaceful silence that fills the common room on weekend mornings is very soothing to Aurora, it offers her breathing room but that morning the silence didn’t last long because two gingery twins stormed down the stairs yelling about how bloody marvelous Saturday was going to be.

“Merlin’s Beard!” exclaimed George when he saw Aurora. “We were just thinking about how we were going to wake you up!”

“I'm up early everyday,” responded Aurora, closing her tattered copy of The Republic so that she could pay attention to them.

Fred’s eyes widened, “Bloody hell! Why on earth would you wake up early every morning?! That’s ludicrous!”

“I enjoy running in the morning,” explained Aurora, “It’s invigorating.”

“Let me get this straight you not only wake up early but you do it so that you can run,” Aurora nodded her head, “Woman thou art mad!” shrieked George. “I don’t wake up unless I have to and I only work out when forced to.”

“It’s true! I can’t get his lazy ass to run with me during the summer he claims that it’s his off time,” spoke Fred. “But enough about my lethargic brother, we have something to tell you!”

“What is it?” asked Aurora, curious to see what had the gingers smiling more than usual.

“Well as you know today is one of those days that we can roam to Hogsmeade and our brothers sent us an owl inviting us to lunch at the Three Broomsticks!” spoke George, his eyes twinkling at the mention of his older brothers.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but how does this involve me?” she asked.

“Don’t be daft!” George exclaimed. “You must know that we’re taking you along with us so that you can meet our brothers!”

“You better not say no because you’re going even if we have to drag you by the feet or throw you over our shoulder!” warned Fred.

“Or stun you!” added George.

Fred pursed his lips before screaming, “Or have Snape kiss you!”

George shook his head disapprovingly, “Oh that’s going too far. No one should ever be forced to kiss that greasy haired git!”

“Well of course we wouldn’t force her to kiss him but the idea is that they’ll be so disgusted that they’ll agree to whatever we’re asking them to do,” explained Fred.

“Makes sense, a bit cruel but it does get the job done. So what do you say Aurora? Will you meet our dearest ginger brothers?” asked George, pouting slightly.

“Why do you guys want me to meet them so badly?” she asked. “I'm just Aurora.”

“You’re not just Aurora! You’re quickly becoming one of our best mates so you must meet our family that way you can make honest men out of us,” joked George.

Fred nodded his head, “It’s true. We love running around with you and all but our relationship has come to the point where you have to state your perverse intentions that you have for us to our brothers. It’s the only way we can continue to be seen together in polite society.”

“What time do I have to be ready by?” asked Aurora, knowing very well that the gingers wouldn’t give her any peace unless she agreed to go.

George turned to Fred, “What time is it right now?

“Ten,” responded his twin.

“You should be ready by ten thirty that way we can explore the town because I know you haven’t been and then when we’re done we’ll go have our family lunch! Oh it’s going to be marvelous!” exclaimed George overdramatically.

Fred nodded his head, “I do hope they’ll approve or else we’ll be forced to elope with Aurora and our family name shall be tarnished.”

“And what if I don’t approve of them?” she inquired.

Both twin snorted at the same time and then in unison they said, “Everyone approves of Bill and Charlie.”

“We’ll see about that.”