Chapter 16 – Burning Bridges

Aurora was in no shape to face Cedric that night. Draco had spent most of the night healing her wounds and Aurora had gotten very minimal sleep. She knew tonight was the night the night. The night someone would die for their child.

"Aurora…" Draco leaned over the bed. "Are you ready?"

Aurora turned on her side still stricken with pain to see Draco and Blaise standing by her bedside. Aurora hadn't slept well that night, but it wasn't wasted time. In her sleepless night Aurora began to realize she had to do this alone even if it meant losing her life.

"Draco I've been…" She sighed. "I've been thinking…"

"About what?" He looked confused.

"I have to do this alone…" She began. "She's my daughter, and I have to do this alone."

"Well what if he kills you."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Aurora you can't be serious?"

"Can't be serious about what Draco?" She became a bit angry. "I can't be serious about risking my life for my child."

"Aurora I love you please don't do this alone…"

"Draco I love you too, but I love Phoenix more…" She sighed. "She's my child, and I can't risk angering Cedric."

"Damn it Aurora… please don't do this…"

"Draco I have to." She began to weep.

"She's right mate…" Blaise intervened.

"What about the plan with the cloak?" Draco reminded.

"Cedric's not stupid Draco." She added. "He's very well informed of invisibility cloaks, and we can thank St. Potter for that."

"Well we need some way for you to contact us if you're in trouble." Draco pondered.

"What about the Protean Charm?" Blaise spoke up. "Then she can summon us if she's in trouble."

"Ok but do you suppose we place it on?" Draco added.

"How about on a galleon?" Aurora added. "If I'm in trouble I'll turn it red."

"Alright." Draco murmured. "I know this something you have to do."

Aurora took out three galleons and placed the charm on them. Then she tested them to see if they were working properly.

"So if I'm in trouble all I have to say is Dragon, and then my coin will turn red which will turn your coins red as well." She explained as she revealed the master coin which was placed on a chain that was rested around Aurora's neck.

"Dragon?" Blaise chuckled.

"Yes my safe word is Dragon…" She giggled slightly looking over to Draco who knew the significance of her choice.

"Well careful…" Blaise comforted.

"Of course." She smiled weakly.

"Don't hesitate if you need us."

"I won't…" She gave him a kiss on the cheek hoping it wouldn't be the last. "Draco I love you…"

"I love you too Aurora." He held her close.

"Alright here it goes…" She whispered to herself, and stepped into the fireplace.

"Draco I can't believe you let her go by herself." Blaise seemed stunned.

"Me either…" Draco sighed. "But if she's not back before dark we're going in."

Aurora arrived in the living room of the Diggory home. It was dark and felt cold, as she walked out of the fireplace chills ran up her spine. She looked down and saw blood and she had feared the worst. She followed the trail and it led her to Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, and Aurora couldn't hold her shrieks of terror.

"Well look who showed up." Cedric spat. "I'll ask you not to do that again our daughter is napping upstairs."

"You wanted to talk…" She began. "So I'm here… talk."

"So rude…" He smirked.

"Well my dear it's kind of hard not to be rude, when you beat me unconscious and I wake up to find our child missing."

"Well I apologize for not leaving a note." He replied sarcastically.

"Cedric I want to see my daughter…"

"Don't you mean our daughter?"

"Cedric I want to see her…"

"No manners, obviously your step-mother wasn't harsh enough on you." He said coyly cocking his eyebrow. "Maybe I should pick up where she left off."

"Cedric please let me see her…" She pleaded changing her tone.

"That's better…" He smirked. "Convince me…"

"How?" She seemed confused.

"I think you know how…" He smirked suggestively.

"Cedric I… I…" She stuttered.

"You what can't… I'm shocked wasn't it you who was screwing me as well as Malfoy." He spat. "What happened to the little whore from Hogwarts?" He continued. "What was it they called you… oh yes The Harlot of Hogwarts."

"That girls gone…" She was on the near brink of tears.

"Hardly… I know you're screwing Malfoy…" He spat.

"I have done no such thing…"

"The day I was disguised as him says different." He reminded.

"Draco and I have done nothing of the sort we're taking things slow…" She smirked. "Yes that morning we almost did-"

"Whore…" He hollered as he struck her face with great force.

"What Cedric you can't take that I'm happy with a man other than you…" She laughed maniacally.

"Shut up…" He whimpered as he struck her again.

"Or what… what's the big bad Hufflepuff going to do to me?" She smirked coyly as she continued spiting up blood. "Remember that Cedric, you will always be a Hufflepuff the lowest of all the houses."

"You stupid bitch I'll show you…" He bellowed.

"Show me what?" She hollered struggling to stand up. "You think you can outwit me, I'm the Slytherin Princess for Christ's sake."

She looked Cedric dead in the eyes and she saw nothing except fear. She hoped it would be enough to help her even if only for a few moments.

"Now take me to my child." She spat as she walked towards the staircase.

Aurora turned her back to walk up the stairs and as she did she suddenly fell to the ground unconscious once again. Cedric hovered over her body and picked her up off the ground. He walked up the stairs with her limp incapacitated body and proceeded down the hall to his bedroom and placed her on the bed. He began to think that if she woke up she would surely come after him, and he bound her arms and legs to the posts of the bed.

It was getting late and Draco was beginning to worry it shouldn't have taken this long. He began to think the worst, as he got up of the couch he confronted Blaise.

"It's been to long…" He announced. "We have to go now."

"Draco we can't just go barging in."

"Like hell we can't…" He countered.

"Alright we'll go but we have to be discrete…" Blaise instructed. "We can apparate outside the property and fly the rest of the way."

"Fine…" Draco groaned.

"Do you know where it's at?" Blaise inquired.

"No… shit." He hollered. "Damn it I was planning on flooing there."

"Well who knows where he lives…" Blaise sighed.

"I think I know…"

"Who…" Blaise wondered.

"Cho…"

Aurora was starting to wake from her forced slumber. On the inside she was scare out of her mind. On the outside she was smiling mischievously. She looked at her arms and legs to see that they were bound. She looked to see if Cedric had taken her wand, and he hadn't. She had to be smart about using it. She couldn't very well free herself right now. She had to wait for the opportune moment.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in…" Aurora smirked as Cedric entered the room.

"That's not very nice…" Cedric toyed. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson?"

"Well maybe if you give me what I want I'll behave."

"Maybe if you behave I'll give you what you want." Cedric countered. "Or I could make you go to sleep again."

Aurora didn't say another word. She wouldn't be broken. She had a duty not only to herself but to her daughter as well.

While Aurora was still being held captive, Draco and Blaise rushed to the Chang home to confront Cho.

"Draco?" Cho seemed shocked as she opened the front door.

"Cho we need your help please…"

"Sure what is it?"

"Cedric has Aurora and Phoenix…"

"What can I do?" She seemed puzzled.

"You know where Cedric lives correct?" Blaise added.

"So you need me to take you to them?"

"Yes." Draco replied.

"How are we going to get there I don't have my apparition license yet?"

"Neither do we…" Blaise added. "But we still do."

"How are you on a broom?" Draco inquired.

"Not so good…" Cho sighed.

"She can ride with me." Blaise intervened.

"Alright…" Cho replied.

The arrangement was set, and Draco summoned two of his brooms. Blaise and Cho on one, and Draco on the other. They knew flying would take longer, but it was the only option.

Cedric had left Aurora alone for a few moments and she managed to wiggle her wand to her hand. The moment it was in her grasp she muttered.

"Relashio" And within seconds she was released.

She had her wand firmly in her hand and slowly turned the doorknob and slowly walked down the hall. She crept as quietly as she could and she could hear her precious angel Phoenix in one of the rooms. She turned the doorknob as slow as she could and peeked in to she her child sitting alone she rushed in and closed and locked the door. She knelt and as she held her child in her arms she began to weep.

"No cry Mommy…"

"Sh… sweetie…" She hushed her child. "We have to be very quiet can you do that for Mommy?"

Phoenix nodded in agreement and Aurora crept once again through the hallway. She made it down the stairs and her hand was on the front door when she heard.

"Where the bloody hell do you think your going?"

Aurora turned around to see Cedric with his wand at his side firmly in his grip. Aurora's hand was in her pocket hiding the grasp she had on her wand.

"I'm taking my child."

"Like hell you are…" He spat.

Aurora pulled out her wand and pointed it in his direction. Cedric could feel the anger and rage burning through him.

"Cedric we're leaving…"

"Aurora the only way you are leaving is when the come to collect your body."

"I've been you tool for to long Cedric, and I'm through with it." She spat. "Goodbye Cedric…" She hollered. "Avada Kadavra…"

She fell to the ground crying and as she sat weeping Cho, Draco, and Blaise came through the front door.

"Aurora what have you done?" Cho shrieked, as she saw not only Cedric's body, but his parents as well.

"I only killed Cedric…" She wept. "They were like that when I got here."

"Aurora are you ok?" Draco inquired.

Aurora nodded and squeezed Phoenix closer to her. "He was going to kill us…"

"Draco we have to cover this up…" Blaise informed. "There is no way the ministry is going to believe a Slytherin killed a Hufflepuff in self-defense."

"But it's the truth…" Cho seemed confused.

"Cho when you're a Slytherin…" Blaise sighed. "Nothing you do is noble."

"He's right…" Draco added. "Apparently us Slytherins can't do anything without having and ulterior motive."

"What about his Dark Mark?" Cho wonder.

"It disappears upon death." Blaise responded.

"Draco I have to get out of here." Aurora squirmed.

"What about the bodies?" Blaise inquired.

"Just get rid of them…" Aurora shrieked.

Aurora had killed the father of her child, and though it was justifiable. She felt like she truly had done something wrong. She knew this would come back to haunt her later.