Smile Like You Mean It

A HUGE THANK YOU to hyperventilate who wrote me the nicest review ever!!


And to the other reviewers, thank you as always!

Okay, I know this is not a very popular fic, but I'm enjoying it way too much to just give up.
So, please keep reviewing because that's what's going to keep this baby going!

xxx Aera

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Chapter 29 - Unorthodox Orders and Covenants


The weekend had disappeared somehow.

After returning from Hogsmeade, Aera had found Harry and the others in high spirits. Practice had gone well and they were anticipating an easy win in the upcoming Quidditch Match. She excused herself quickly and fled to her room, hiding away her new outfit in the biggest trunk she owned, sealing it with a powerful locking charm to stop a curious Ginny from getting in.

Then Aera had remembered the three essays she had to complete and a new spell she had to research for Charms. With bad grace she had joined Hermione in the library and spent the remainder of the weekend reading large, complicated texts and scribbling down compositions.

It had been on her way back to Gryffindor Tower, after dinner on Monday, that she remembered the note from Dumbledore. She'd plunged a hand into her robe pocket, finding the letter nestled in the bottom.

Eight o'clock.

Aera glanced around, spotting an ancient grandfather clock at the end of the hall. The big hand was nearly at twelve. She had only a few minutes to reach Dumbledore's office. She groaned under her breath and hitched her school-bag higher onto her shoulder before striding back down the way she had come. Harry had pointed out the Headmaster's office a few weeks ago, in passing.

She reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office as the clocks started chiming out the hour around the castle. A stone gargoyle leered at her. "Password?" he grated.

Aera glanced at the note still in her hand. There was nothing in there that hinted at being the secret word. She looked back at the gargoyle who winked suggestively at her. "I don't think he gave it to me. But he asked me to meet him, my name's Aera Vale." she added hopefully.

The gargoyle gave a kind of one shouldered shrug, losing interest. She felt a surge of annoyance. If Dumbledore wasn't going to bother to give her the password in advance, she certainly wasn't going to bother waiting around in a cold corridor.

She was about to turn and stride away when the stone figure began to slide to one side, revealing a spiralling set of stairs and Sirius Black, blinking in surprise at her.

"Aera! I haven't seen you outside my classroom in a while."

Aera winced imperceptibly. She had been hoping the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher wouldn't notice she was avoiding him. He had, after all, admitted to being Dumbledore's man and she hadn't believed he would keep it to himself if she let on that she had revealed herself to Harry.

Sirius must have seen the guilt and secretiveness in her eyes and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Did you tell Harry?" he whispered, stepping forward into the hallway. The gargoyle slid back into place with a groaning of stone on stone.

Caught unawares by his sudden insight, Aera hesitated in answering a moment too long. But rather than frown and stride back up the disappearing flight of stairs to expose her betrayal, Sirius grinned widely.

"Excellent!" he breathed in the same hushed tone. His eyes shifted back to the gargoyle. "Best not tell Dumbledore yet, though. He'd be furious." His smile stretched. "Better put your game face on, though, 'cause he's coming down now."

Nerves twisted gently in Aera's stomach. If Sirius had guessed so quickly, how in Merlin's name would she keep it from the headmaster? A thought occurred to her. I kind of wanted Sirius to know, though. He told me he wished that Harry could know about me, I only kept it from him to avoid letting on to Albus.

Perhaps she could succeed in keeping it from the headmaster if she was prepared. She straightened her face, watching as the grotesque carved figure began to move again. Sirius took one look at him and patted Aera on the shoulder.

"Come see me sometime. I missed our chats." With that, he was gone, striding around the corner of the corridor. Aera envied him. She really wasn't looking forward to her meeting with Dumbledore. But there was also a little bit of impatient curiosity. Why was he coming down from his office?

The curled toes of the old man's boots appeared, followed by the rest of him. He smiled indulgently at the sight of Aera.

"Hello, my dear. So nice of you to accept my request." he said, waving the gargoyle back into place.

From behind him came the low rasping voice of the stone figure, complaining about all the work he was forced to do. Dumbledore ignored him.

"Albus." Aera replied levelly.

Dumbledore raised an admonishing finger at her. "Now, now, my dear. You are in school and I am your headmaster. Professor or Sir will suffice."

Aera clenched her teeth. She had no patience for the old man's superior attitude. "Yes Sir" she ground out sarcastically.

"Very good," Dumbledore continued, ignoring her tone. "Now, our destination is the library this evening. Shall we?"

Aera suppressed the spark of surprise she felt. The library? Of all the places she would have guessed they were going to in the castle, that would not have been one of them. She followed as the headmaster swept down the corridor, his robe flowing out behind him. He moved fast for an old man and she quickened her step to keep up.

Despite still being an hour before curfew, the halls were mostly empty. Every now and then a ghost would glide past but other than that they remained alone. It seemed that Hogwart's students had better things to be doing.

Much like myself. Aera thought bitterly. Her mind was drifting back to Draco. She was still irritated at him for the stunt he had pulled in Polgara's shop, but it was stifled by the growing ache to see him.

They reached the library sooner than she expected, lost in her imaginings of how she could get her own back on Draco. Dumbledore didn't pause to greet Madam Pince, striding past her with barely a nod. Aera hurried after him, noticing how they passed through the shelves more frequently visited by students, right to the back of the library.

The light was dimmer back here. Aera had rarely needed to wander so far into the depths of the great room, but had seen the cage that appeared to be their destination. The large words 'Restricted Section' warned against entry.

She hesitated as Dumbledore waved a hand in front of the cage door and entered. She wasn't sure she wanted to see what books the teachers felt necessary to keep from students' prying eyes. Albus turned and smiled slightly, waving her inside.

She stepped inside unenthusiastically. The shelves were positioned in one large square, leaving only one entrance. In the centre of the square was a table accompanied by a solitary chair. It was a lonely, isolated place. Her eyes scanned the books, each of which was secured in its place by a thick, heavy chain. She shivered as her eyes passed over a dark blue coloured volume with a brownish stain across the spine. She didn't want to know what fluid had caused it.

"You don't like this place, do you?"

Aera jumped. She had almost forgotten Albus's presence, unable to tear her eyes away from the sinister shelves. She shook her head.

"Good. I would not give a student unlimited access to the Restricted Section unless they showed some level of discomfort at the idea." He stretched a hand out to brush lightly over the spines of the books. Aera was sure she could see the books arching under the stroke, as if aware of the touch. "You see, I have been trying to understand why your presence here is so important and I am sorry to say I have come up short. I cannot figure out what your purpose is." The frustration was clear in his tone. "I have decided to increase my efforts. You may take whatever knowledge you can glean from these books in an attempt to unearth some hint as to how we can aid Harry."

Aera hid her dismissal. She already knew, from the prophetic dream, that her purpose was to be present at the final battle. She had already brushed aside her promise to Snape. She understood that if Harry was to succeed, she would have to be there.

Suddenly her heart lurched. A heavy volume had caught her eye, grey and faded, almost easy to overlook. It was by a man called Ano Malous and was titled 'Unorthodox Orders And Covenants'.

I invoke the Order of Uller.

Surely that book would explain what her dream had named.

She tore her eyes away lest Dumbledore follow her gaze. She had no intention of revealing that she had taken the Prophet's Elixir, nor what she had learned from it. He was watching her with liquid eyes, waiting for some sort of response. She gave a bored smile.

"I suppose I could help in that way, yes. I have unlimited access to this?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I will adjust the charm on the door to allow your entry. And now I must leave, I am meeting Minerva. Enjoy."

Aera breathed out a sigh of relief once he was gone and immediately snatched Ano Malous's tome from its place, disturbing the dust so that it billowed up, clouding it the air. She swiped at impatiently, moving to sit in the only chair there. The chain connecting the book to its place was just long enough allow her to place it on the table. Clearly you couldn't check out books from the Restricted Section.

To her disappointment there was no index. Instead the volume appeared to be more of a journal, handwritten and without a system. Frustrated she flipped it open at random, hoping without reason that she would find the right page. No luck. After trying a few more times she resorted to starting at the beginning and working her way through. It was slow, tedious work. Ano Malous's penmanship was messy and condensed, with few paragraphs and headings.

By the time Madam Pince arrived in the doorway to the cage informing her that it was nine o'clock and the library was closing, Aera had barely dented the book. She nodded at the librarian, closing the tome with another spray of dust and replacing it in its spot.

As she made her way out of the empty library, she reasoned with herself. She would have more time the following afternoon in which to work. Surely she'd make better headway then.


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Saturday arrived with no mention of the Order of Uller in the Unorthodox Orders and Covenants. Aera's frustration and impatience had increased significantly. She was forced, however, to set it aside for the time being. The Quidditch Match would start shortly and she didn't want to disappoint Harry or Draco by not showing up.

Out in the corridors she realised she must have lingered longer than she thought in the library. Not a soul was to be seen in either direction and she could hear voices floating up through the windows from the grounds. She quickened her step, feeling guilty.

It was a surprise, therefore, when she spotted Draco around the next corner, dressed in full Quidditch armour, his 'captain' badge shining brightly on his chest. His own eyes widened at the sight of her and he paused in his haste to reach the pitch.

"Cutting it a bit fine, aren't you?" Aera asked, secretly pleased that she was not the only one running late. He grinned at her as she reached him.

"They're hardly going to start without their captain."

Aera's eyes roamed over his figure, unable to help herself. The uniform accentuated every muscle, every contour. She reached out and touched the leather plating. It was like touching Draco's bare chest, hard and erotic. She pulled her hand quickly away, fighting a blush.

Draco was watching her with a bemused expression and when she pulled back he grabbed her wrist, jerking her forward until she was pressed up against him.

"So . . ." he whispered deeply in her ear, sending shivers racing across her skin. "Are you going to be cheering for me?"

"Maybe." Aera replied noncommittally. She knew any cheering for Slytherin would have to be done in her own head, however. Shouting out encouragement to the opposing captain would probably get her lynched.

Draco grinned and stepped back. "I probably should get down there. They're beginning to sound impatient." Indeed, the noise from the grounds had increased in volume. Draco still stood there, however, his eyes thoughtful. "Would you be able to meet me afterwards? I'll be in the changing rooms."

Aera nodded and suddenly he was gone, disappearing down the hall. She sighed. She had completely forgotten to berate him for his stunt the previous weekend. That would have to wait till later though she had a sneaking suspicion she'd missed her chance.

She followed the path Draco had taken, walking slowly. She didn't want anyone suspecting that she had met Draco and asking what had happened. Yet, despite the fact that she had had to abandon her search for the Order of Uller temporarily, she felt buoyant. She was off to see her first Quidditch Match of the season and after . . . well, she might have some time with Draco.

Just the two of them.


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Ooooh!!! Something naughty this way comes!!

If you're looking forward to the next chapter (with lots of yummy Draconess!) leave a review.
It's already written, but I need to know if you guys want it . . .

xxxx Aera