::OOC:: I don't have much of a now-plot going on for Aurora at the moment. So, I'm kind of doing her own personal screwed up story thing at the moment. If anyone would like to plot, please, let me know! ::END OOC::

I could feel tears come to my crystal blue eyes as I looked myself over in the mirror. The dress I wore was beautiful. Absolutely divine. It hugged my curves perfectly and it matched so well with my skin tone. Everything about it was perfect and yet, it brought tears of sadness to me. I smoothed out the fabric, feeling the tears fall from my eyes and run down my cheeks. I looked back up at myself, holding out my wand and magicking my hair to fly up into a nice little bun, with little strands of strawberry blonde hair falling from it. I grabbed the handkercheif that sat on my nightstand and dapped at me eyes, but my eyes were still red and spoltchy from tears.

I looked like my mother. I looked just like her. I had always refused to admit it. Ever since I was very young everyone would pinch my cheeks and tell me. "You look just like Alyssa." At first, I would drink this in. After awhile, though, it not only became annoying but highly frustrating because I refused to love my mother. Since the age of seven, she had placed the blame that should be on my father on me. He was an alcholic and didn't come around that often. If he did, it was to ask for money and then leave. She had never abused me with her hands but she had abused me with words more then not.

"You're such a little skank, Aurora. I don't even know why I let you stick around this place. All you did is make my life miserable, just like your father. You're the ugliest fucking child I've ever saw." She would tell me. I never took up for myself. I would sit there quietly and take it and when she left the room, I would cry.

I looked myself over in the mirror once more. I wasn't even sure I wanted to go to the dance, anymore. I didn't have a date. But why would I have date? I had never had a boy taken with me. Not really.

Maybe my mother was right about me.

I quickly stripped off the dress, leaving me in my underwear. Tears of hurt mixed with anger filled my eyes as I began to rip the fabric into peices. I didn't stop until there was barely anything left of the dress. I fell to the floor, bringing it all closer around me as I trembled with tears.

The train screeched to a halt, sending all the students to hasten for their trunks. I was no different. I pulled my trunk down from the luggage compartment. As it hit the floor it made a big bang. I cringed from the sound. Maybe I had packed a little bit too much. I suppose I could have packed a little lighter. Less shoes, probably.

"Geez, Aurora, did you put bricks in there or something?" Minerva asked, letting a look of amusement hit her usually somewhat stern expression. When we both had ours trunks ready, we exited the train. I pulled my school robes closer around me. It was unusually chilly for a September night. We both made our way through the throng of students, toward the carriages.

I glanced at the first years who were being rushed to the lake. I remembered that. I was extremely nervous. My stomach was full of fluttering butterflies, making me feel like I was going to vomit any moment. I didn't know much about the wizarding world being muggle-born. I was afraid that everyone would be much more advanced in everything since they had grown up around the stuff. Making eye contact with the professor who placed the sorting hat was out of the question because I had just heard some little kid tell me that the Slytherins beat you up if you're in Hufflepuff. I just knew that I would go to the Hufflepuff house then and I would be beaten to a pulp but some older students and my parents would get some kind of notice telling them that I had died or- Ravenclaw! I was extremely greatful to the hat. It was only later that I found out the kid had been lieing to freak people out. It was no suprise that he was put in Slytherin.

We reached the carriages as my thoughts suddenly came back to the present. I reached out with a hand to open the carriage door but something grabbed my hand. My eyes widened as my sight fell on Tom Riddle. His hand was cold feeling and his grip was firm.

"Aurora, Minerva," He greeted, his voice crisp as his mouth tugged into a small sneer. "Let me get that for you." He let go of my hand and reached for the compartment door. I held my wrist in my other hand. I knew that he hadn't meant to hurt me but it grip was just so firm. He opened the door and held it there.

"Tom." I heard behind me. We all turned to see Albus standing behind us, holding his trunk. "Minerva. Aurora." He greeted each of us. His eyes went back and forth between Tom and Minerva for a moment as we stood in silence.

"Um, shall we go in?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence. Minerva nodded and went into the carriage, followed by Tom. I stepped in, expecting Albus to step in after me, but he just stood there. "You coming, Albus?"

"No, I think I'll just catch the next one," He said, awfully quietly. And for some reason, I was struck suddenly by the tone of his voice. I nodded my head and took a seat, while Tom closed the door with a snap. My eyes stayed out the window on Albus as he went to the carriage behind us. I turned back to the people in my compartment, however as we started to ride away.

Something was going on. And I was out of the loop.

::OOC:: Minerva, Tom, and Albus's RPers, I hope it's alright that I used your characters in this narrative. If not, I'll change anything that needs to be changed. :] - Jerrica ::END OOC::

::OOC:: See Minerva's site for what happened before. ::END OOC::

"What was that all about?"

"What are you talking about?" Minerva had obviously decided to ignore what had just happened between her and Albus. I, of course, was not going to let her. There was an obvious something there. What, I didn't know just yet. I did intend to find out, though.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," I chimed back, a knowing grin falling onto my face. We turned the corner into the little dress shop that sat in Diagon Alley. We were laden with packages, and books for school. Along with a little white owl that I had just bought. I really hadn't meant to buy one today. But he had looked so cute sitting in the window. I couldn't resist. Me and Minerva both had already decided to name her Pudding. Why, we didn't really know.

"No, I do not," She shot back, in her cool tone. I rolled my eyes, setting everything that I had bundled in my hands onto a nearby chair and table. Soon, to Minerva's happiness, we were too caught up in trying on the different gowns that our minds had completely eased away from the subject of Albus Dumbledore.

"Minerva, I don't know about this one! It's a little revealing!" I called out of a dressing room about twenty minutes later. I had tried on several dresses but none had felt right. The one I had on now was pretty. Beyond that, it was beautiful. But it was somewhat revealing and I wasn't sure what people would think of it.

"Oh, at least let me see it, Aurora," She chaped from where she was outside of the dressing room. I huffed a 'fine' and pulled back the curtain to step out. "That's the one, Aurora." She told me, instantly. I stood up on the little stool that sat in front of the corner of mirrors to assess myself.

"You don't think it's too revealing?" I asked, as I turned to look at my bottom in the mirror. I saw her shake her head in the mirror. I sighed and looked myself over. It suddenly struck me how much like my mother I really looked like just then. I picked up the bundle of strawberry blonde wavys at the back of my head and held them up over my shoulders as I looked myself over. Really, the resemblance was uncanny. It wasn't something I particulary liked, however. My mum and I had never really gotten along. She had always held everything my father did against me. But I shook my head of these thoughts.

"I'll take it."

*******

The dress:

My strawberry blonde hair blew in the wind as we coasted down the road. I was sitting in the backseat of a 1949 Crosley while a boy of about eighteen drove. Erik, I had learned was his name. He was the suave type that wore the leather jacket and slicked his hair back. Not something I was usually in to, per-say but his witty way had drawn me to him as we had talked at the store down the way.

"Come here often?"

"Is that the best you can do?"

"You know, you look familair."

"You too."

We had finally figured out that we knew each other from school. He was a wizard. I hadn't even known their was a wizard family around here. So, when he invited me back to his house, I couldn't resist. I mean, there were wizards around here and I loved my family but being a muggle-born had it's draw backs. They just didn't understand things.

"We're here." Sure enough, we coasted up to a nice little house. I stepped out of the car, smoothing out my plain white dress as I went. He lead me inside. A girl met us. She was pretty and maybe a year older then me. Her hair was held back in a bun and her eyes were covered in small frames.

"Minerva, this is Aurora." I held my hand out for the girl. She took it and a smile crossed her lovely features.