Chapter One: Innocence

A young girl of eleven was bouncing around her home in the outskirts of London. Her curly, dirty blonde hair would have reached her elbows if she hadn't been so busy jumping about and tiring herself. Her hazel eyes sparkled with happiness and her small, pale hands were clutching an envelope.

"Lyra," laughed her mother, "come sit down and eat your breakfast." Maria Black had the same hair color as her daughter, but it fell straight to her shoulders instead of reaching her elbows like her daughter's. Her eyes, unlike Lyra's, were crystal blue.

"Okay, Mum," Lyra said, dropping the envelope and skipping to the dinner table.

The envelope, written in green ink, was open and the letters it contained fell out. One of the letters read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)

Dear Miss Black,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment along with your train ticket.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than August 15.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

The door to the Black's house was opened and a relatively young man walked in. He looked to be about 29 and had shoulder-length black hair. His eyes were the exact same shade as Lyra's and they widened almost comically at the sight of the parchment on the ground in front of him. He bent down to pick it up and saw that it was almost exactly like his had been, with the exception of the 'Miss' and the return date.

Clinking and laughter from the dining room told him where his small family was. He walked across the quaint living room and into a colorful dining room. In the middle was a circular wooden table with three chairs of different colors surrounding it's outer side. Lyra was setting the table when her father walked in.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, running towards her father and hugging him around the waist. "Guess what? Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?" she asked excitedly.

"What?" Regulus asked, smiling at his only daughter.

"I got a letter that said that I was accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Just like in the stories you told me!"

"That's brilliant, Lyra," Regulus smiled, hugging his energetic daughter.

"Breakfast is ready," Maria said, coming into the room and smiling at her husband and daughter. Though she didn't know much about the Wizarding World, she knew a little bit about Hogwarts and was glad her daughter had the chance to attend; but she was also sad that her little girl was leaving.

Regulus seemed to know were his wife's thoughts were heading and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's alright, love," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled sadly at him before changing the conversation. "Regulus, there's a snake in the backyard. Do you think you could get rid of it?" she asked, shivering slightly at the thought of snakes.

He chuckled and nodded.

Lyra, however, seemed to have remembered something. "Daddy?" she asked, her voice low and scared. "What if I don't get into Slytherin?"

Regulus smiled at her and said, "It doesn't matter to me what House you're in. Remember, your Uncle Sirius was in Gryffindor and your cousin Nymphadora is in Hufflepuff."

She smiled at him and went to go help Maria with breakfast. Regulus sighed, thinking that his little girl was starting to grow up.

As he walked towards the backyard, he remembered all the events that had made him who he was today: husband, father, shop owner.

Flashback: Summer, 1977

They had first met in the bookstore where she had worked, of all places. For them, it was love at first sight. He kept coming back, coming up with reasons to talk to her. Eventually, he had asked her out. They went on many dates that summer, though they never confessed their love for one another. However, the time soon came for him to return to Hogwarts. As far as she knew, he attended a small boarding school in Scotland for the gifted. Technically, it wasn't a big lie, as Hogwarts was a boarding school in Scotland. During the time that they were separated, they both yearned for the other.

Flashback: Winter, 1977-1978

He had decided to return home for the winter holidays. Everyday, though, he spent with her; he even celebrated Christmas and New Years' with her family. On New Years' Eve, just minutes before midnight, he had told her the truth about him and proposed. She was shocked, but, after he proved that he wasn't joking, she accepted. They kept the engagement a secret, for the Dark Lord could not know.

Flashback: Summer, 1998

They had gotten married in secret. She had tried to convince him to leave the Dark Lord, but he couldn't. He was in for life, or so he thought…

Flashback: Winter, 1978-1979

He had sneaked out of Hogwarts on the weekends to spend time with her. However, they had been quite forgetful and they would become parents in about nine months' time. Regulus knew that he had to find some way to leave the Dark Lord, to protect his family.

Flashback: Summer, 1979

She looked ready to pop by the time the perfect opportunity to leave arose. He had found out about the locket and was planning on destroying it. Kreacher had wanted to save him, and found a way. He duplicated Regulus, took the locket, and Apparated the real Regulus back to his wife. The Dark Lord was none the wiser. Eventually, she had suggested a Muggle form of removing tattoos, when the pain of the Summons became too much. Though quite painful, it was entirely affective. Who would have thought that something Muggle could defeat something magical? Little Lyra Vega Black was born in early August. She had been quite small, but not alarmingly so. The little family had isolated itself in the London countryside until the Dark L- Voldemort's defeat.

End of Flashbacks

Though the process of escaping Voldemort may have seemed easy, it was anything but. However, that's a tale for another time.

Flicking his wand at the black snake, Regulus headed inside to eat breakfast with his family, none of them knowing what lay in their futures.

Special thanks to: Head-In-Disarray, a great beta.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.

Keep a lookout for the next chapter. Coming soon!

Next chapter: Lyra heads to Hogwarts. Which House does she end up in? Who does she befriend? What reactions does her surname get?

Please vote on the poll on my profile. What House do you think Lyra should be in? If you could give me reasons, that would be great.