"We transfigured her body into a bone and buried it under a bush in the Malfoy grounds."

"That's so sad." I wept, as tears fell from my eyes.

"She was going to kill your baby, Aurora." My mother said sternly. "Don't feel sorry for her."

"It's her parents I feel sorry for," I said sadly, kissing Nova's head.

My mother sighed, stroking my hair.

"They'll be none the wiser. Narcissa has left them a note in Pansy's handwriting explaining that she's gone to Australia to find herself after realising that marriage to Draco isn't what she wanted. If we get through this war, we can return the body to them and confess everything. But whilst You-Know-Who is alive, it's too dangerous. This story will at least keep Draco safe."

And that's all I needed to know.

I was sat on the edge of my mother's bed in Shell Cottage where she lay recovering from her seventeen year imprisonment. She was in a terribly weakened state. Fleur brought her up potions on a regular basis, tending to her in such a kind and delicate manner.

I was so grateful to Bill and Fleur for everything they were doing for us.

Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived shortly after us, bringing back with them Dobby. Dobby, who died saving us all.

It broke my heart, he had done so much for us. He didn't deserve to die. No one did.

I lay down on the bed alongside my mother with Nova sitting in between us, jabbering away as she chewed on a teddy that Fleur had given her to play with.

"She's beautiful," my mother sighed as we both watched her suddenly throw her head back and giggle delightedly. Her innocence took my breath away, and it saddened me to think she may grow up in a world of such horror.

A gentle knock on the door made us both look up. It was Harry.

"Sorry to disturb you, I was just wondering if I could have a quiet word, Aurora?" He said, giving furtive looks to my mother who was staring at him strangely.

"Oh," I said, sitting up, "I don't think you've been introduced properly through all this craziness. Harry, this is my mother, Nova. Mum, this is-"

"Harry Potter, I know," she cut in, her voice wistful as she stared up at him. "You look so much like Lily and James."

Tears were swimming in her eyes and it just occurred to me that she too had been in the Order with them.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Harry said stiffly, uncomfortably.

"Your parents would be so proud of you, Harry - for everything that you are doing." My mother said fondly. "I don't know if you know, Harry dear, but Sirius was not your only godparent. They asked me to be your godmother."

Harry looked at her, momentarily stunned. As did I.

"You're my...?" Harry tailed off, looking at her in disbelief.

"Godmother, yes."

"Why did Dad never say anything?" I asked, completely thrown.

"Your father, god love him, had always felt uncomfortable with my closeness with the Potters." She explained, placing a delicate hand on my own. "I'm not talking about jealously, I'm talking about fear. He loved us all so much and he was always so afraid of losing us. He hated me being in the Order and he hated anything that would threaten us being torn away from him. The Potters were well known for being a big target of Who-Know-Who. He wasn't happy when I agreed to be Harry's godmother - afraid it would make me more of a target. Your poor father, what this all must have done to him..."

I felt a lump form in my throat at the thought of him sat in St Mungo's - the trauma at having his worst fears come to life causing him to shut himself away in his own little world. I wondered if my mother's 'resurrection' would be enough for for him to come back to us, or had Cedric's death been the point of no return?

"Mrs Diggory," Harry murmured, his face still pale with shock, "I had no idea. Nobody told me."

"Call me Nova, please, Harry dear," my mother smiled warmly. "And I expect my husband may have had a hand in that. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry you've been on your own."

Harry just shrugged, suddenly looking bitter. "It's okay, I'm used to it by now."

"Harry, you wanted a word?" I prompted him, suddenly wanting to escape this awkward atmosphere.

"Ah, yes," he nodded, "if you don't mind stepping out for a second? Take a walk with me?"

I nodded, going to pick Nova up.

"Let her stay with me," my mother smiled, placing a hand on my arm, "I could do with some granddaughter time."

I couldn't help but hesitate. I felt uneasy leaving my child again.

"She'll be fine," my mother assured me, "I'll call for Fleur if I need assistance, now go on - it's lovely out there."

I kissed the top of Nova's head before leaving with Harry.

We walked silently side by side towards Dobby's grave.

"He was a hero," I whispered, as we both looked morosely down upon it. "We didn't deserve him."

"Aurora," Harry said, looking at me gravely. "I don't want his death to be in vain. I need us to win this war. But I'm going to need help."

My heart plummeted. I knew what he was about to ask me, and bringing me here to Dobby's grave was all part of his plan.

"You want me to go with you again," I murmured. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, Aurora, I do." He answered. "I know you don't want to leave your daughter again, and I understand that. But you'll be doing this for her future. For yours and Malfoy's too-"

"I'll do it." I interrupted. I didn't want to hear him plead his case anymore. I had known this was coming. And I knew Nova would be safe here with my mother and Bill and Fleur.

But just the thought of leaving her again tore my heart into shreds.

"You're making the right decision," Harry nodded.

And he went on to explain the plan; about how he, Ron and Hermione were working with Griphook to break into Gringotts.

"Mummy will be back before you know it," I cried, weeks later, as I hugged Nova tightly to me. She laughed and called me 'ma-ma' as I kissed her face all over.

I handed her back to my mother, who was now strong enough to be out and about of bed.

"She'll be fine, Aurora, I promise you," my mother said, as Nova happily snuggled into her.

They had bonded so well over the past few weeks in Shell Cottage. It was a relief to me, knowing that Nova would be around people she loved. It just broke my heart that stability was not something she was getting, however. The guilt of shoving her from pillar to post, from person to person was killing me.

"That's why we are doing this, Aurora," Hermione said as I confessed my fears to her, "just think of the life you and Draco can finally give to her once it's over."

She was right, and I took that thought with me as we said our goodbyes to Shell Cottage and Apparated to Diagon Alley.

I was back on the Horcrux hunt.