Hi all! This is a rewrite of my old fic, Dangerous Liaisons...trying to work out the kinks and improve the writing. I hope you all enjoy it! xo

Full Summary:

AU Next Generation...Imagine that Harry never defeated Voldemort as a 17-year-old, but only later, after marriage, after kids, and after the murder of his wife. Imagine that his twins grew up starved for love and turned to Slytherin values to make their way through Hogwarts. Imagine that Harry's popular, badass son gets dared to seduce the most responsible, rational witch in the school...Hermione's Gryffindor daughter.

****Aurora stared coldly at him, taking in his forced half-smirk, which he evidently thought would make her swoon. "Stay the hell away from me, Potter," she warned him in a low, deadly voice, her gaze murderous.

This didn't have the intended effect, as Potter merely came close to her once more. She raised a hand threateningly, ready to slap him if he dared kiss her again, but Potter put his lips up against her ear. "Sure thing, Malfoy," he whispered, his breath hot on her skin. "But ask yourself this: can you stay away from me?"****

Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognize is mine!

Chapter One: The Potter Twins

The sun was shining, people were rushing to and fro around her, and the magnificent Hogwarts Express was ready to take up passengers, but 16-year-old Aurora Malfoy stood in her place, taking in the beautiful, familiar sight with a large grin.

"Come on, Rora, love," her mother, Minister of Magic Hermione Malfoy, said, coming up beside her. "Let's get your trunk on board."

"Can't we just have one of these special agents take it on for me?" Aurora joked, jerking a shoulder in the direction of one of the navy-cloaked wizards on the platform that were specially trained Aurors hired to protect the Minister of Magic every time she left the house.

"Now, what fun would that be?" Draco Malfoy told his daughter with a laugh. "Come on now—it's character building."

Aurora rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. "I thought there was supposed to be some perk to being the Minister of Magic's daughter," she laughed, blowing a stray strand of pale blonde hair out of her face and tugging slightly at the immovable trunk on her trolley. The damned thing was heavier than she was.

"And so there is," Hermione said, kissing the top of her head. "You get first chance at an internship at the Ministry next summer," she teased, well aware that Aurora and politics did not mix well.

"Fantastic," Aurora said wryly. "How 'bout you just levitate it for me then, yeah?" she went on, turning to her father with a jokey grin.

But Draco didn't have the chance to answer, because that was when the hardly unexpected onslaught came.

"Minister Malfoy!" about three different voices called out, and Aurora and her parents turned around to see several reporters headed their way, some with photographers trailing behind them.

The guards went into action immediately, and in a second four Aurors were holding back the shouting press so the Malfoys could have their space.

"Never a moment of peace," Hermione said dryly.

"Minister, have you come to a decision about the situation with Spain?" a journalist called out.

"What are your views on the way the Italian election turned out?" another yelled.

A woman with a purple pixie cut pushed her way to the front, and, holding up a camera, took a shot of Aurora. "What do you call the look you're sporting today, Aurora?" she asked loudly.

Aurora sighed in annoyance. She recognized the woman—she was Genevieve Elmond, an annoying writer for Teen Witch, and she'd been snapping pictures of Aurora all summer, trying to catch her in something horribly fashionable so she could make the magazine as a new teen style icon. Naturally, Aurora had resisted, not exactly craving more media attention, and also rather hesitant to have someone with violently violet hair tell her whether she looked good or not.

Aurora turned away from her, rolling her gray eyes but soon another familiar face appeared and called out to her: Fiorella Jameson, an overly perky, freckled brunette from Fashionable Witch. "What would you say to an interview, Aurora?" she asked excitedly.

"Not interested," one of the Aurors grunted, pushing the reporters away.

"Come now," Fiorella tried again. "You must tell us the straight story about those rumors we've been hearing about you and the Head of the Treasury's son!"

"Seeing as you started that rumor," Aurora said blandly over the din, "I'm sure you can create an interesting enough follow-up report without my help."

"Now, really, Aurora," Fiorella persisted, looking like she was about to lose her temper. She tried a very charming smile. "Treasurer Gerard Bertrand's son is one of the fittest boys at Hogwarts," she said, winking. "Tell me he hasn't made a move on such an exquisite young lady as yourself."

Aurora raised her brows mildly.

"What does your current boyfriend, Marcus Weasley, think about this?" Fiorella demanded before Aurora could think about responding. "Surely he isn't ready to break up with the most famous 16-year-old in Britain?"

"He's devastated," Aurora affirmed, unable to help herself. "But I've tried to explain that's what happens when you decide on an open relationship."

Fiorella's jaw dropped. This was the most she'd gotten out of Aurora all summer. She quickly began scribbling the lie down. The next moment, as if he had heard the exchange, the familiar voice of her best friend rang out.

"Ror!"

Aurora's head snapped up and she halted her trolley, twisting around and finally catching a glimpse of Marcus Weasley as he sped forward with his own trolley. He slid to a stop in front of her.

"Marcus!" Aurora screeched, throwing her arms around his neck and forgetting what any such display of affection would do to confirm the rumors that she was dating her oldest friend.

"Draco, Hermione!" Ron Weasley boomed, coming up behind Marcus with his wife, Lavender; their daughter, however, seemed to have already rushed off to meet friends. "How are you?" he said as he approached.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing up to give her dear friend a hug. "It's been so long! What have you been up to, old man?"

As Ron rolled his eyes, Hermione greeted his wife with a hug as well. "You two should really come for dinner some time soon," she admonished.

"Can the Minister of Magic really fit us in her busy schedule?" teased Lavender, and she winked at Draco, who stood wearing his signature smirk.

"Being Minister of Magic doesn't mean she's busy," Draco put in, his smirk widening. "It just means we have to put up with an armed escort every time we leave the house."

"And remind me why I put up with you?" Hermione asked dryly, but her eyes were lit up with amusement.

Lavender suppressed a smile and turned to face her son. "Now you work hard at school, Marcus, do you understand me? Sixth-year is important. I don't want to hear you slacked off after O.W.L.s," she said sternly.

"You still have N.E.W.T.s next year," Ron added.

"Don't worry, Uncle Ron," Aurora cut in with a sly grin, "I'll keep him in line."

"We're counting on you, Ror," Ron said with an exaggerated look of pain.

"Right, Dad," Marcus said, wrinkling his nose slightly.

Aurora turned to her parents. "Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad," she said, squeezing each of them into a tight hug.

"Bye, darling," Draco said fondly, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Love you."

"We'll miss you!" Hermione added planting her lips on Aurora's cheek.

After Marcus said his goodbyes as well, and his parents had left to search for his sister, the pair helped one another heave their trunks onto the train and piled them into an empty compartment, plopping themselves down on the seats once they were done. Aurora sighed heavily and leaned herself against Marcus' shoulder. While she was feeling the slightest bit homesick now, she knew it would pass. She was excited for sixth year. This was the year she'd turn it around, especially now that she had more time with O.W.L.s out of the way. She was planning on doing her best to minimize that alienating know-it-all effect she seemed to have on people and wasn't going to let those damned Slytherins get to her. And she was going to snap out of the funk she'd been in since last year's almost-romance had fizzled out over the summer.

"You should have come with me to Diagon Alley yesterday," Aurora told Marcus, a contented smile settling on her face at having been reunited with her best friend, despite the decidedly awful topic of conversation. "Saw the Potters and I could have used some backup."

"Fuckers," Marcus replied with a sneer. "What did they say?"

Aurora shrugged. "All the usual bullshit. I don't know how every summer I somehow manage to forget how awful they are. I actually tried to smile a hello at them. Which obviously came around to bite me in the ass."

She frowned as she remembered the encounter. The Potters were responsible for every rotten memory she had from Hogwarts, and mostly because they'd seemed to have declared a private vendetta with her ever since they'd began as first-years. Back then, Aurora had actually thought they could all be friends, given how frequently her mother talked about going to school with their father, but that had clearly been a hugely incorrect assumption. And worst of all, the Potters seemed to go out of their way to screw with her, which, much as she hated to admit it, actually upset her a lot.

But she was drawn from her thoughts with the compartment door sliding open and their other best friend entering.

"Hey, Rors, Marcus," Sam Thomas said, grinning at them as he kicked his trunk in.

Aurora jumped up to hug her friend. "Been weeks!" she exclaimed, punching Sam lightly in the arm. "What's up with that, Thomas?"

"Missed you too, Ror," Sam said, rolling his eyes affectionately as he kissed her cheek in a brotherly manner. "What up, cuz? Lot's happened in three days," he said to Marcus, holding out his hand for a high-five. Sam in fact was Marcus's cousin; his parents were Marcus's Aunt Ginny and Uncle Dean.

Marcus slapped his palm, smirking back widely. "I assume you mean Clem?"

Sam crashed on the bench across from Aurora and Marcus. "Yep," he said with a wide grin, waggling his brows suggestively. "Totally sealed the deal last night."

Marcus let out a low whistle, raising an eyebrow. "You're a lucky bastard."

Sam grinned back.

Aurora opened her mouth to contribute to the conversation, thinking to herself how hilariously incongruous it was that her best friend had easily landed Clemence Bertrand as a girlfriend whereas she, Aurora, had an ice cube's chance in hell at doing what the press claimed she'd already done—score Clem's older brother—but before Aurora could speak, she was cut off by the arrival of two more friends.

"Hola, hotties!"

Marcus's younger sister Emma came crashing in, her conspicuous mane of wavy orange hair obscuring her face as she dragged in her massive trunk. Still bent over, she raised her head, shaking the hair out of her face. "Miss me?"

Marcus rolled his eyes affectionately while Sam hugged his cousin in greeting. Behind her, Aurora's roommate Zoey Patil-Creevey was trying to force her way into the crowded compartment.

"Where the hell you been, Emmy?" Marcus called to his sister, whom he'd apparently lost somewhere between the platform and the train.

Emma grinned, shrugging as if she truly had no idea where she'd gotten off to. Meanwhile, Aurora rose to greet the girls.

"Zo!" she exclaimed, launching herself at Zoey and hugging the girl tightly. Aurora had always been closer to boys, but Emma and Zoey were rare exceptions, and two of her favorite people. "How was India?"

Zoey squeezed her back. "Girl, I have so many souvenirs for you," she said, pulling back. "Got you a sari and everything, it's going to be gorg with that insane hair of yours."

Aurora didn't get a chance to respond though, because the next moment, she heard a most unwelcome voice.

"Malfoy! Just the wench I was hoping to avoid…"

She jerked her head around to see a group of people standing in the doorway. But before she could say anything, Marcus had stood up, his wand out. "Call her that again, and I swear you'll pay," he said in a deadly whisper.

"I'm frightened, Weasley, really," James Potter sneered, then turned back toward Aurora.

She raised a brow coolly at the raven-haired pain in her ass. Most popular, sought-after guy in the school or not, she couldn't fucking stand him.

"Potter," she said, cocking her head and smiling pleasantly at him.

"Why, Malfoy," Potter said with feigned surprise. "Such affection in your tone I have never heard. You must have really missed me since yesterday, eh?"

Aurora leaned forward, grinning slightly. "You've no idea, Potter," she replied sweetly. "Care to go fuck yourself now?"

"Why I'd forgotten what a snotty little brat…"

"What's it matter, James?" Potter's twin sister, Stella Potter interrupted, slipping her arm through her brother's. "Come on, let's go; I could care less about hanging 'round this sad lot," she said dismissively, flipping her straight black hair over her shoulder and turning to stare directly at Aurora, raising a brow tauntingly. Stella Potter had the same piercing emerald eyes as her brother, but despite the intensity of their stares, Aurora just smirked slyly back.

Since their first year at Hogwarts, the Potters—asshole twins of Harry Potter and his late wife Cho Chang—seemed to have made it their mission to annoy her as much as possible. She'd learned that no matter how annoying they were or how much their insults hurt, it was always best to put on a confident face. And any additional sneering and condescension she could muster was always a bonus. This tended to bother Stella Potter in particular, and it had almost become a game for Aurora. Could she get Ice Princess Potter's panties in a twist?

Predictably (and gratifyingly), Stella Potter sneered nastily in response to Aurora's knowing smirk before she continued. "They're not worth our time, James. They're not worth anyone's time…" Potter spoke to her brother, but her eyes, bright and challenging, never left Aurora.

"You've got quite a mouth on you, Potter," Emma interjected rather blandly to the girl, with an air somewhat resembling that of a person who'd just looked up from a particularly engrossing novel. Stella Potter's gaze shifted over to Emma angrily.

Sam sneered in agreement. "She's a bit braver with her bodyguards, huh?"

The Slytherin girl's cheeks flushed and her eyes narrowed rapidly. Aurora watched carefully, waiting to see if Potter would go all whiny helpless bitch on them, thus inviting her brother to unleash some of his overly-protective bullshit wrath on the Gryffindors, but instead, another person spoke up.

"I don't recall anyone addressing you, Thomas," the cool voice of Aiden Black drawled lazily, and Aurora saw her jackass cousin step forward from behind the Potter twins. Black took a place beside Stella, putting a hand on her shoulder protectively. Ah, of course he'd come to her rescue. Inseparable from birth, the Potters and Black were more like siblings than friends, and the rumor flying around school was that Black and Stella Potter were madly in love with one another. Between the Potters' shitty home life and Black's chip on his shoulder from the infamy still surrounding his father and family name long after Sirius Black was cleared of murder charges, it hadn't come as a surprise when the Sorting Hat had immediately placed the three in Slytherin. From there, they'd become Hogwarts royalty, and split their time between making life hell for their enemies and sleeping with everyone else.

"I don't recall anyone inviting you in," Sam snapped now, his freckled mocha complexion turning a shade darker in anger.

Black raised a brow at him doubtfully, his smirk wide, like he knew some large, tantalizing secret about Sam. "Clever, Thomas," he said, grinning so widely now that it was all Aurora could do to keep from slapping him. "I might just have to run back to my compartment to sob my eyes dry in private."

Aurora rolled her eyes impatiently, stepped forward to look at up at him from her shorter frame, and, chin raised defiantly, snapped, "Why don't you all just leave us the hell alone? The view is bad enough, but this stench is just ridiculous."

A snort of laughter drew Aurora's attention back to Potter. "At least one of you's got wit," he sneered mockingly, as if wit were the least desirable trait he could think of. "See you lot at the castle. No doubt you'll be the ones helping up any Hufflepuffs we've already run into," Potter went on, shooting Aurora his usual smug smirk before leading the way out of the compartment, his twin, Black, and the others following.

James Potter laughed loudly at the story his best friend, Aiden Black, had just related.

"Damn it, Black," he managed to say between laughs. "You're so shitting me. That's complete crap!" James sat in his compartment, his twin beside him and Aiden across from them.

"Nope," Aiden said with a smirk. "I swear that's what Laurel told me. Avery didn't even know the guy was so old until the next morning. I guess she made them head to Paris a few days early just so he couldn't track her down again."

"And you believe Laurel?" James snickered, raising his brows.

Aiden grinned. "She may be vapid, but she doesn't lie," he pointed out, folding his arms in front of him and leaning back in his seat. "Not to me, at least," he added smugly.

Stella snorted slightly from beside James.

"What?" Aiden demanded, facing her.

"Nothing," Stella said, not raising her eyes from her book.

A look of annoyance passed over Aiden's features, but a moment later he was smirking again. "So, you ended it with that witch from Whitney, right?" he asked James.

"Yep. Let her down gently, you know. Told her I don't really date girls from all-witch academies."

"Really gently, you know," Stella said seriously to Aiden.

James shot a look at his twin. When she grinned innocently up at him, he rolled his eyes, albeit fondly, and turned back to Aiden, who seemed to be trying not to laugh.

"So guess that means you're back on the market, hm?" Aiden said, still trying to stifle his smile.

"Mate, I'm always on the market," James said with a wink and a laugh. "Although the goods are getting a tad predictable," he went on, frowning a little.

Stella snorted. "Maybe you should give it a rest then," she advised sniffily. "Or set your sights on someone with some standards."

Aiden chuckled at her. "There you are then, James. You want some excitement, start chasing after pious Hufflepuffs. And there's always Saint Malfoy."

James couldn't help but burst out in laughter. "Malfoy?" he repeated incredulously. "Fuck, Black. Thomas and Weasley wouldn't let me within a ten-foot radius of their precious baby."

Aiden cocked a roguish brow at him. "Yet you haven't said no," he mused. "Guess she's not entirely repulsive, is she?"

Stella looked at them from over her book in interest. "You're going after Malfoy?" she asked, looking skeptically at James.

James shook his head quickly. "That skinny brat? Honestly, Stell, how desperate do you think I am?"

Stella smiled smugly. "Guess she is fully repulsive," she told Aiden cheekily. "Not surprising, though. After all, her father's the most arrogant ass in England," she snickered.

"Oh, you're just jealous, Stells," Aiden smirked, clearly trying to push her buttons. "Top of the class and not so wholly unattractive."

Stella sneered at him, clearly annoyed. "You're blind," she snapped. "And stupid," she added childishly.

James had been watching the two, rather amused. "Oh come now, Malfoy's not worth fighting over," he sniggered. "Not when there are real Gryffindor knockouts vaguely worthy of pursuit…"

Aiden looked frozen for a moment before echoing a hearty chuckle. "Oh, certainly. Take Patil-Creevey. That sexy tawny skin just gets me."

"Oh, stop it, both of you," Stella huffed, catching on. "Luckily you'll be too preoccupied with Zabini." And she gave a false shudder for effect. "Horrifying."

Aiden, looking rather normal once more, snorted lightly. "Mmm, she and Laur will probably jump us the second they find us," he predicted, winking at James. Camila Zabini and Laurel Parkinson-Pucey were James's and Aiden's on again, off again girlfriends, and the two were notoriously easy—for the right guy, of course. There were your Ravenclaw sluts, who banged their way through the school's male population, and then there were Camila and Laurel, the high society variety slut, who exclusively dated only the most eligible of Hogwarts boys. Namely, James and Aiden, when they weren't preoccupied with anyone else.

Stella had a sour look on her face. "You both ought to raise your standards," she said resentfully. "Those two are disgusting."

"Come on now, love," Aiden said with a reassuring kiss to her cheek, "you know they're only for a bit of fun. And surely you wouldn't rather I start up with Lise Devereux, hm? Those Ravenclaws are a bit grimy, after all." He grinned when Stella wrinkled her nose at him.

"I stand corrected," she sniffed. "You two are the disgusting ones."

"Ugh, what's with the delay?" Marcus groaned to Aurora as they sat in the Great Hall, waiting for the feast to begin. First-years had been sorted, and his stomach wouldn't stop growling.

Aurora sniggered. "I really don't think you'll starve, Weasley," she whispered with a laugh.

"I may," Marcus replied with a pained look. Just then, Dumbledore then stood up, and the room once more fell silent.

"It is my pleasure to inform you that for the first part of this year, Hogwarts will be hosting five exchange students, years four through seven, from the Orenda Babcock Academy in southern England. I hope that each of you will treat our visitors with great kindness and hospitality. They are the brightest and best of their Academy. Please, let us welcome them." He glanced at the door, and at that moment it opened and Argus Filch entered, with five students trailing behind him. They all headed for the front of the room, and Marcus noticed all the girls goggling at the boy at the end of the line. He had dark hair and striking blue eyes, and seemed a cross between Potter and Black as he strode with a kind of lazy confidence after his classmates until they all stood before the stool upon which the old Sorting Hat sat.

"Great," he muttered to Sam. "We absolutely needed another asshole heartthrob at this place."

"Welcome, Babcockians! You shall now be sorted into one of our four fine houses," Dumbledore went on jovially.

"Think he's overdosed on the mead? It's not natural to smile that much," Sam whispered across the table, and Marcus had to stifle a snigger.

The hat broke into its yearly song, outlining the four houses, and Marcus tried to distract himself from his hunger by paying close attention as the first four individuals were sorted. Lydia Dickson and Fiona Langley both ended up in Hufflepuff, Leonard Vaughn in Slytherin, and Julianne Weber in Gryffindor.

"And finally, Mister Nolen van der Spek," Dumbledore called. The boy who had attracted so much attention walked up easily, looking utterly unruffled at being the subject of so many curious gazes. He took a seat, and waited with a growing look of irritation as the hat sat happily on his head for some time, not making any decision. When it finally announced "Gryffindor!" Marcus couldn't help but roll his eyes in annoyance. Across the table, he saw even Emma perk up.

"Not you too, Emmy," he grumbled to her.

"Our very own Potter!" she crowed, looking smug. "Look how sour the Slytherin girls look that we got him," she pointed out, smirking. "Might change their opinion of our boys, eh?" She winked at Aurora who laughed back while Marcus scowled protectively. His little sister's dating life was definitely not one of his favorite topics.

"Only once hell freezes over," Sam replied, looking doubtful.

Dumbledore stood up once more. He made his yearly announcements, then with a wave of his wand, food appeared on the tables and everyone dug in.

"Finally," Marcus breathed before shoveling a forkful into his mouth.

Sam nodded in agreement as he stuffed mashed potatoes into his mouth.

After several minutes of ravenous eating, the table of Gryffindors began to slow down and conversation started back up.

Sam had turned to the exchange students, Julianne and Nolen. "Any of you lot play Quidditch?" he inquired, sizing them up. Emma looked over interestedly. She too was on the Gryffindor House team.

Nolen nodded.

"Nice," Sam said, nodding approvingly. "We've got tryouts Saturday, and Gryffindor's desperate for some replacement players. What do you play?"

Nolen shrugged. "I'm my house's Keeper at Babcock, but I can really play whatever you need." He was trying not to look excited, but Marcus could detect a hint of interest in him.

"Well, you'd really have to have an excellent trial to get Keeper from Emmy here," Sam began with a grin, "and even then, she might just decide to clobber you for stealing her position so you couldn't get your chance to play"—Emma looked darkly at him, but Sam just smiled and continued—"still, I need a new partner in crime—you up for Beater?"

Nolen nodded once, briskly.

"Ten o'clock Saturday morning," Emma put in, apparently out to show Nolen she was indeed normal, friendly, and quite safe to be around.

He shrugged agreeably, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

"Excellent," Sam pronounced.

The feast had ended, everyone was in bed, and Aiden Black lay awake in his four-poster, thoroughly exhausted but unable to sleep. Because the face of a certain beautiful Gryffindor kept popping into his mind, and it seemed there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Get a bloody hold of yourself, Black, he instructed himself. This is fucking embarrassing.

Aiden sighed heavily, and ran a hand through his dark hair, and rolled over onto his side. What the bloody hell was the matter with him? And could he have come up with anyone more strictly forbidden? Fucking Emma Weasley. She had all the annoying, outspoken righteousness of his delightful second cousin, Gryffindor Princess Malfoy, and was Weasley's baby sister on top of it.

What would James say if he knew? Worse even than that would be Stella's response. While she hated all the Gryffindors, she loathed the girls in particular. Her tolerance for Aurora Malfoy had waned within the first few days of first year, and Stella had loathed Emma since the moment she'd arrived at Hogwarts at the start of their second year and latched onto her older brother's group, becoming something of a Gryffindor Stella herself, what with the popular brother coming to her rescue and all.

Aiden had surmised that Stella's hatred stemmed in part from the insults hurting more coming from another girl, particularly one who was so much more confident and well-liked…and in part because Stella was jealous of that self-assurance and reputation those Gryffindor ladies had in spades. When Stella was a bitch, people called her Ice Princess Potter. When Emma was a bitch, people admired her guts and ability to fully disregard even the worst insults the Slytherins sent her way; she was a hero. Aiden really couldn't blame Stella for hating her, but he also couldn't pretend he didn't find it wildly attractive that Emma said and did whatever the hell she wanted.

He covered his face with his hands, letting out a small growl of frustration. Black, you utterly pathetic weakling! She's just an ugly, annoying bitch!

Of course he couldn't convince himself that. He thought she was gorgeous, talented, and delightfully snarky. She was perfect. They would be perfect, if Aiden only had a chance to be with her. And unfortunately, he would never be given that chance.

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