Frustration flashed across Ginny's face, and she started to open her mouth again. Hermione stared at her.
“What did you think about — when you used the Killing Curse on Voldemort?” Hermione asked.
Ginny's jaw snapped shut, and she stiffened as she stared at Hermione, eyes wide. Then she pressed her lips tightly together until her expression twisted and grew anguished.
“Oh god. It was Harry,” she finally said, her voice wracked with grief, knuckles turning white as she clenched her hands into shaking fists. “I was thinking about everything he did to Harry.”
Hermione nodded, unsurprised.
She looked down at the onyx ring on her hand for several seconds before she spoke. “Love isn't always as pretty or pure as people like to think. There's a darkness in it sometimes. Draco and I go hand-in-hand. I made him who he is. I knew what his runes meant when I saved him. If he's a monster, then I'm his creator. What did you think was the source of all his rage?”
When Aurore realised Ginny was going to take James away, she was initially uncomprehending and then, as they prepared to leave, hysterical. “He's mine! He's mine! He's my best friend! You can't take him away!”
She didn't want to be comforted by Draco or Hermione. She clung to James and refused to let go. James was painfully conflicted about leaving, although he didn't let go of Ginny's hand for a moment.
“She can come with us,” he said, “I'll take care of her.”
“No. No. Aurore has to stay with me and her father until she's older,” Hermione said as she tried to pull Aurore off James.
“I want to go too!” Aurore said as Hermione pried her fingers off of James' robes. “I want to live in Britain too. Why can't we go too?”
“I'm sorry, Aurore, we can't.”
“Why?” Aurore collapsed onto the ground and tried to crawl back to James before Hermione could pick her up.
Hermione pulled her up off the floor and held her tightly. “It's not safe for us to go there. That's why we live on this island instead of in the city with the shops, remember? Mum would get headaches there, and the healers told Mum that she can't go places that give her headaches.”
“But James is my best friend. We stick together. Best friends are supposed to,” Aurore sobbed into Hermione's shoulder.
Draco stood by, looking completely at a loss; his fingers were spasming.
James let go of Ginny's hand and went over to Aurore.
“Rory, you have to stay with your mum and dad. It's not safe at Britain.”
“I can go. I'm a Gryffindor too,” Aurore said in a broken voice.
Draco winced.
“Yeah,” James said slowly, and his expression grew pained. “But you can't come because you have to take care of Padfoot. It's not safe there for a puppy. He doesn't come when we tell him too, and he barks too much.”
Aurore's head popped up from Hermione's shoulder. “Really?” she said in a trembling voice.
“Yes.” James nodded seriously. “It's not safe for a puppy. You need to take care of him. Uncle Draco doesn't like him, and Aunt Miney doesn't go outside very much. He needs walks every day, so you have to do it.” James was gripping Padfoot's leash tightly. “He's still my dog though.”
Aurore nodded slowly, and James gave her Padfoot's leash.
After Ginny and James portkeyed away, Aurore sat on the veranda, hugging Padfoot and crying.
Aurore ran in the lab and clambered onto Hermione's lap, a piece of paper gripped in her fingers.
“Mummy. Mummy look. Father took me to the market, and there was a lady — she had these on strings, and she let me have one.” Aurore unfurled her fingers, and there in her palm was clutched a small, crumpled origami crane.
Hermione gave a small gasp, and her heart clenching as she stared at it.
“Oh, Aurore, that's lovely.”
“She said if I make a thousand, I get a wish.” Aurore stared at the crane with her silver eyes alight, then the light faded as she deflated. “But — wishes are just imaginary.”
“What would you wish for?” Hermione asked, even though she was certain she already knew the answer.
Aurore looked up at Hermione hesitantly. “I wish we could go to Britain.”
Hermione pressed her lips together into a tight smile. “That would be fun, wouldn't it?”
Aurore nodded and stared wistfully at the crane she was holding.
She'd lost most of her playfulness after James had left. Draco and Hermione had tried to bring back the spark. Draco took her to the mainland to visit playgrounds and markets, Hermione even went with them on occasion. Aurore didn't want to be friends with other children.
There were too many obstacles. In the Muggle world, she was cautioned against making any references to magic. In the magical world, Draco and Hermione had very carefully warned her that she could not tell anyone her parents' names, where they lived, or mention how Draco and Hermione had altered their appearances.