Aurelia's Story

“Tell me what it takes to let you go
Tell me how the pain's supposed to go
Tell me how it is that you can sleep
In the night, without thinkin' you lost
Everything that was good in your life” Aerosmith

The summer before her seventh year passed in somewhat of a blur for Aurelia. She threw herself into her studies, for what else did she have to distract her from the constant ache arising from the absence of Lucius? Those around her noticed her pain, but no one dared to ask her the reason. Severus Snape, however, asked Albus Dumbledore.

“Albus, surely you have noticed the pain she’s in. If you have forbidden her from seeing Lucius, I must urge you to reconsider. I realise that Lucius isn’t good for her, to put it mildly, but without him she is merely a shadow of her former self.” Severus tapped his foot impatiently. “It is cruel to force her to suffer so. It went too far, and she is in too deep.”

Albus Dumbledore sighed, and shook her head. “Whilst the blame for allowing it to develop as it did does lie with me, I did not ask her to stop seeing him. In fact, we have not spoken about it since the first night they spent together.”

Severus looked shocked. “But… I don’t understand. Why would she put herself through this pain? And you, Albus, why did you allow it to develop as it did?”

“There was a prophecy…”

“Just because you believe in them, Albus, they should not have to dictate everybody’s lives. I suppose you have brought Aurelia up to believe the same bullshit,” Severus snapped.

Albus appeared pained. “I could not afford to disregard this prophecy, Severus. It referred to the defeat of Voldemort. It stated that Aurelia and Lucius needed to be bonded together for him to be fully defeated.”

Severus gasped. “And you have told Aurelia this?” Albus nodded. “Then why would she break it off?”

“I don’t know. I suppose something must have happened that we don’t know about. Severus, you are on good terms with Lucius. Perhaps you could speak to him?”

Severus grimaced. He would rather not place himself in that situation. Lucius’ temper was already inflamed after his removal from the board of governors following the events of the last term, and Severus strongly doubted that Aurelia’s actions would have improved his mood.

“Please, Severus? For Aurelia’s sake.”

Severus nodded, resigned. He would Apparate to Malfoy Manor that afternoon.

Narcissa Malfoy greeted him when he arrived. “Severus, how pleasant to see you again. You are see to see my husband, I presume.”

“Yes. Is he at home?”

Narcissa pouted. “Yes, he’s locked himself in the study, as he has for the past two months. If you can solve the problem he has, I will be most grateful, I assure you. Please, go on through.”

Severus took his time to study the manor as he walked through it. Malfoy Manor was always fascinating, richly decorated with historical wizarding artefacts and decorations throughout the halls. His eye was caught by some papers on a table detailing the history of noble British wizarding families, but as he leant closer, he became aware that Lucius was watching him from the doorway. “Severus, you have come to gloat I suppose.”

Severus was not surprised by Lucius’ accusation. “If by that you mean that I had a hand in the ending of your relationship with Aurelia, you are quite mistaken. In fact, I have come to see you in an attempt to ascertain what happened. Aurelia seems to have been affected quite badly, and I would rather like to know what happened.”

Lucius snorted. “By that, you mean that you wish to stick your overly large nose in, in the hope that there is no chance of reconciliation between us. I can assure you, Severus, that the desire I hold for her is as strong as ever. However, events came to something of a head in June…” he smiled, and his eyes darkened as he recalled the events by the lake.

Severus took advantage of Lucius’ distraction to use Legilimency on him. As soon as he saw the scene that was in his mind, he whipped out his wand and sprung towards Lucius. “You fucking bastard!” he shouted. “How could you do that to her?!”

Lucius laughed. “Quite easily, thank you. You see, when I am in a situation like that with a woman as attractive as Aurelia, my instincts seem to take over. But don’t worry; I made sure that she enjoyed it as much as I did. Hearing her scream my name as I thrust into her against her will was very gratifying. She even managed to fight off the Imperius curse, which made it more enjoyable. After all, we’ve had consensual sex many times. The thrill was much greater this way.”

Severus went white, and pointed his wand at Lucius’ throat.

Lucius smirked, and continued to taunt him. “Yes, the feel of her body against mine is a truly wonderful feeling. I could quite easily trace every curve and dip of her body from memory. She really is the most attractive woman I have ever made love to, and the way she loses control in bed… She truly is like a wild animal. Some of the things we have done would shock even you, Severus.”

He walked away from Severus, and sighed. “I will do anything necessary to have her back, Severus. Anything.”

“How can you expect me not to report this, Lucius?”

“Easily. You see, who would believe you? Dumbledore, perhaps, but my Lady would certainly deny it. I believe she was rather ashamed of the fact that her body responded so dramatically to mine… And Minister Fudge is a dear personal friend of mine. One word from me, and you would be in Azkaban where you always deserved to be.”

“How can you even begin to imagine that she’d ever want to be with you again? You’re evil, Lucius, and Aurelia has been brought up to detest that.”

“She promised me, Severus. As soon as the Dark Lord is risen again, we shall be together.”

“And in the meantime, you are both just going to suffer? It seems crazy.”

“Those were her terms. It would be everything I ever wanted come true; the Dark Lord back and in power, and Aurelia in my arms. I would truly be content. Why, I may even stop torturing Muggles for fun if that were to happen.”

Severus shook his head. “You disgust me, Lucius. Don’t forget, I shall be watching you. If you make any attempt to harm her at all, you’ll regret it.”

Severus rose, and left the room. He glanced back to see Lucius with his head in his arms on the table. He couldn’t deny that their relationship was not healthy for either party, but there could be no doubt that they needed each other desperately. For Aurelia’s sake, he almost wished that the Dark Lord would return, so that this strange charade of love, desire and evil could be played out in its entirety.

As Severus walked back up to Dumbledore’s office, he realised that he would have to conceal the full details of his conversation with Lucius. If this prophecy was as important as Dumbledore believed, then it was essential that Lucius and Aurelia were not kept apart for too long. If Dumbledore learnt that Lucius had raped her, he was more than liable to ensure that Lucius would not be able to get within 50 miles of her, and damn the prophecy.

Albus Dumbledore’s head snapped up as Severus entered the room. “Well?” he said anxiously.

Severus bit his lip. “I have ascertained that Aurelia was the one who called off the relationship. Apparently, she has told him that they cannot be together until the Dark Lord is risen.”

Albus let out an audible sigh of relief. “That, at least, gives her a little more freedom, I hope.” Just as he said that, a shadow came over the window, and they looked up to see an owl perched outside with a letter bearing the Ministry seal. Albus reached out to get it, and as he read it he visibly paled, and grasped at the chair for support. “Severus, it’s begun.”

“What’s happened?”

“Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. The Dementors are hunting for him. This is the beginning of Voldemort’s second rise, I can feel it.”


Aurelia’s NEWT year flew past. With the worry over Sirius Black, and the amounts of work that all her teachers were setting, she had little time to think about Lucius, and it seemed that he was respecting her wishes. She had not seen him since the incident by the lake, and as time progressed, she became more adept at pushing her emotions aside, helped in part by her lessons in Occlumency. Uncle Albus had also insisted that she work hard on her Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Remus Lupin had proved to be a more than adequate teacher. Aurelia had confided in him in a little of the events of the past year, and they spent many an evening eating chocolate and working on defensive spells. They got on so well, that she had eventually come to the decision to take him into her confidence about her family. Aurelia believed that he had the right to know, as he had been close to James Potter, and had therefore been one of the few aware that he had a young cousin.

She knocked on the door to his office, and smiled as the door opened and she saw a bar of Honeydukes chocolate already on the desk. “Evening, Remus,” she said with a sad smile.

Remus stood up, looking concerned. “Are you alright, Aurelia? You seen a little subdued.”

“Don’t worry… I’m fine. It’s just that I have something quite serious to discuss with you, and I need you to promise me not to reveal this to anyone without my permission. It could put me and anyone I know in grave danger, but I believe you deserve to know.”

“Of course… Here, have some chocolate first.” He broke off a square, and handed it to her as they sat down.

“I haven’t always been called Aurelia Pendragon – in fact, you yourself knew me under a different name when we were younger. You won’t remember, because of the charms that were cast when my name was changed, but I was born as Aurelia Potter.” She sat back and waited for the comprehension to dawn on Remus’ face.

“Potter? But… James’ cousin? How could we all forget so easily? And why was it covered up?”

Aurelia smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “My parents were killed simply for bearing the Potter name. When Grandpa took over my guardianship, he and Uncle Albus decided it was unwise for me to openly bear that name, and I had the duty to continue the Pendragon name anyway. So they cast charms to make people believe I was born as a Pendragon, and no one associated the Potter name with me.”

Remus was clearly still shocked. “I take it Harry does not know?”

Aurelia shook her head. “No, as much I would love to tell him, Uncle Albus has forbidden it until his seventeenth birthday. He hasn’t given me any reasons, but I’m sure there must be a strong one.”

Remus nodded. “Yes, I’m sure Albus knows best when it comes to Harry. Aurelia, this is a shock. Not an unwelcome one, by any means, but it certainly explains why I always felt a little uneasy around you.”

“Uneasy?”

“Like there was something I’d forgotten, but I couldn’t quite place it. At least I know I’m not becoming senile now!”

Aurelia laughed, but it quickly turned into a yawn. “I’m sorry, Remus, it seems I’m a little tired. I have had rather a lot on my mind, I suppose.”

His face sobered. “Yes, you have had an awful lot to deal with recently. Get some sleep, and we’ll talk properly tomorrow. I’ve a lot of stories about your cousin to fill you in on, and I think I may even have some photos of the two of you tucked away, now I remember.”

“That would be fantastic. Thanks for being so understanding, Remus.” As they embraced, she noticed the goblet of Wolfsbane Potion still smoking on the desk. “Oh, and don’t forget to take the potion – full moon tonight.”

Remus looked shocked.

“I figured it out a while ago, Remus – the fact that your illnesses coincided with the full moon, and the fact that I’ve been helping Professor Snape make the potion. It wasn’t difficult! Good night!”

Had she looked back, she would have seen Remus’ attention become distracted by a large piece of parchment on his desk. The potion stood there forgotten and undrunk.

Aurelia was woken 4 hours later by a deep-seated feeling of unease. As she always did when these feeling came over her, she made her way up to the Headmaster’s office. She went in and saw Albus looking weak and concerned, and hastened to his side. “Uncle, what’s happened?”

“Too much – suffice it to say, Voldemort’s return is in motion.”

Aurelia’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

“It turns out Sirius Black is innocent. He, Remus, Harry, Ron and Hermione apprehended Peter Pettigrew-“

“Pettigrew? But he’s dead!”

“No. He faked his death, because he was responsible for the death of James and Lily.” Aurelia gasped. “There’s more. I’m sorry to have to burden you with this, but you need to be prepared. Professor Trelawney made a prediction about Pettigrew. She said that he would return to Voldemort, and cause him to rise again, greater and more terrible than before. However, if we can get to Pettigrew first, we may be able to delay that.”

Aurelia knew she had to make a decision fast. The sooner Voldemort was risen, the sooner she could be with Lucius again. But could she really justify the effect his rebirth would have on the rest of the wizarding world? She made up her mind. “Obliviate!” Luckily, her mother’s talent in charms had passed on to her, and she was able to specifically target the memory of the new prophecy in the Headmaster’s mind. Hating what she was becoming in the name of love, she fled the office.


Aurelia did not get back to sleep that night, and was glad to be disturbed by an owl at 7am. It was a letter from Bill Weasley, inviting her to the Ministry Summer Ball. Aurelia smiled, her first genuine smile for days. She had played with the Weasleys when they were children, and Molly had always treated her like one of her own. Perhaps the ball would be just what she needed to take her mind off everything, and she and Bill had always gotten along well. She owled back accepting.

The day of the ball came around fast, and Aurelia was looking forward to it. She bought herself a new blood red gown and cream robes for the occasion, and had her hair styled in Diagon Alley. When Bill arrived to escort her, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You look stunning, Lia! Have you got your eye on anyone in particular?”

She laughed, and shook her head. “The people who work at the Ministry aren’t really my type, hon! I swear your hair is at least two inches longer than when I last saw you. I’m willing to bet that Molly’s not happy with that.”

Bill grinned. “Nope, and she’s not keen on the new earring either.”

“Well, I like it,” stated Aurelia decidedly. They chatted easily, and soon arrived at the ball. After the first dance, Bill disappeared to get drinks, and Aurelia went to sit at a free table to wait for him. However, on the way there, a flash of long blond hair caught her eye. Lucius was stood across the room, with Narcissa on his arm, laughing at something she had just said. It felt as if an ice-cold dagger was going through Aurelia’s chest, and she stumbled outside into the fresh air. She took a great gasping breath to steady herself, and went to sit down in a secluded corner of the gardens.

Lucius was not enjoying the ball. He had only come because Minister Fudge had insisted, and unfortunately, he could not make an appearance without Narcissa. She was trying her hardest to entertain him, but was unable to hold his attention. He looked across the room, only to see Aurelia rushing out of the door. Lucius pushed Narcissa away, and went after her.

He reached the door in time to see her disappear into the gardens, and quickened his pace. He caught up with her easily, and spun her around. Despite himself, he gasped out loud when he saw her properly. In the year they had been apart, she had become even more beautiful. Lucius held one of the strands of hair that had escaped from her hair-do, and twirled it between his fingers. “My Lady… oh, my darling Aurelia,” he murmured huskily. “I have missed you so, so much.”

Aurelia broke away from his hold. “I don’t understand why. After all, my Lord, you still have Narcissa, your wife, on your arm.”

Lucius shook his head desperately. “She means nothing to me. Aurelia, I have not made love to anyone else since you, I swear. Seeing you tonight, it has brought everything back to the surface. Please, darling, kiss me.”

Aurelia looked into his eyes, and saw he was telling the truth. She pulled him towards her, and he began to trail kisses down her neck. Aurelia sighed with pleasure, and moved her hands under his robes and along his chest. He shook under her touch, and tipped her head up towards him. Their eyes met for what felt like an eternity, and then their lips met and became one. The electricity between them was more intense than ever. Lucius hooked one arm around Aurelia’s waist, and with the other pushed her robe off her shoulders, all the while refusing to relinquish his claim on her lips. Aurelia moved her hands up onto his head, and ran her fingers through his hair, revelling in the feel. She pulled his robe off as well, and unbuttoned his shirt. The feel of his skin on hers again was almost more than she could bear.

Lucius stepped back, and began to slide her dress down. As he freed her breasts, he moved his head down and began to gently kiss them, licking each nipple tenderly. “Oh, Lucius,” Aurelia moaned his name. “I wish this never had to stop. I love you so much.”

Lucius closed his eyes, and began to move his fingertips all along the outlines of her body. It was an exquisite torture for Aurelia, for she was coming dangerously close to climax just feeling his fingers on her breasts.

“Lucius?” Narcissa’s voice floated from the area of the mansion. Lucius hissed with anger, and kissed Aurelia deeply once more.

“I knew it was too wonderful to last, my Lord. But do not worry. Before the next year is out, the Dark Lord will have been reborn. I promise you, soon we will be together forever.”

“I hope so, my Lady, because I can’t live like this for much longer.” Lucius swept up his robes, and hastened back to his wife.