Harry found Lyra in her room, pulling books from her trunk. The trunk sat on the bed. Half of the young witch's body was in the trunk while her feet dangled in the air. Despite the issues they'd been having lately, Harry found himself strangely charmed by the sight.
"If you're going be here, the least you could do is help me." Lyra said
Harry felt the anger roil in his stomach but he quashed it down in favour of going to Lyra and taking the books she handed him while still head first in the trunk.
"Thanks." She said.
Harry preened a little.
"What are you looking for?" he asked.
"I had a book on the Black family magic but I can't seem to remember where I put it."
Harry admired her legs and grabbed more books as she waived them in the air for him.
"Why would the book be in your trunk?" Harry asked.
"What my parents don't know won't hurt them." She answered.
Harry rolled his eyes but in some ways, he understood. Adults could do a lot of damage under the guise of protecting you. At the same time, Lyra's way of thinking seemed to be so terribly involved and unnecessarily complicated.
He sighed. "Must you keep secrets from everyone?"
"I'm a Malfoy." She said as though that answered everything. It didn't but Harry knew better than to argue with her. He would get angry due to the influence of the ring and she would become even more waspish and mean spirited which would lead him to get even angrier and the cycle would just continue until one of them walked away. Then they wouldn't talk to one another until either Draco or Hermione pushed them together or one of the adults, either Narcissa or Sirius, noticed something off and they had to pretend for the sake of pretending. No matter what, it was tedious and often times completely avoidable.
"Of course you are." Harry said.
Lyra popped up from the trunk, in her hands a black box with silver markings. She handed it to Harry.
"Happy Birthday." She said.
Harry put down the books he was holding and took the box, confused.
"I know you said you didn't want to make a big fuss about your birthday and I know my mother isn't going to listen and knowing what I know of cousin Sirius, he's just going to encourage her. So, I thought that I would give you this before the chaos starts." She continued.
"Thanks." He said. Lyra rolled her eyes.
"Open it."
He did. Inside the box was a silver locket with the letters 'HJP' engraved on it. Harry took hold of the locket and opened it. Inside was a picture of his mother and father holding him. Tears came, unbidden, to his eyes. Harry stroked the picture and allowed the tears to fall. He closed the locket, clenched it in his fist and looked at Lyra.
She smiled at him, a gentle tilt of her lips. It was the softest expression he had ever seen on her face. "I figured you'd like that."
Harry surged forward and kissed Lyra on the lips. It was nowhere near as chaste as the first time they locked lips. Instead, this was raw and hungry. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She reciprocated and wrapped her arms around his neck, ring on full display. It sang between then and shone with a dark but soothing light.
Her small hands carded through his messy locks and Harry's hand tightened around her waist and strayed a little lower. The ring sang louder, it's joyous song echoing in both magic users heads, urging them yet closer.
Then it was over. Draco and Hermione bursts into the room and the song came to an abrupt end. Harry and Lyra pulled away from one another. Harry dropped like a stone. Hermione, with her hand still wrapped in Draco's shirt, rushed over to the fallen wizard. Lyra swayed on her feet. Draco strode over to steady her.
"What was that?" Hermione asked. Harry still lay where he fell. She cradled his head in her lap.
Lyra held her head. "Did you hear the song too?"
Draco nodded but Hermione shook her head.
"I couldn't hear the whole thing. It was distant, like an echo with some parts missing." Hermione said.
"How is no one else here?" Draco questioned.
"Maybe we're the only ones that heard it." Hermione said.
Harry groaned but didn't wake up. Hermione stroked his forehead.
Lyra took a deep breath. "Right. We need to get access to the Black library."
She was still woozy but as she stood gathering herself, she caught the look that Draco and Hermione gave each other.
"Right. What am I missing?" she asked.
Hermione spoke up. "We tried to get Sirius to give us access to the library but he refused."
Instead of looking at Hermione, Lyra fixed Draco with a look.
"Sneaky you." She said.
Draco didn't look the least bit sorry or ashamed.
"I do what I can." He said.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Draco knows that I'm very good at getting people to do what I want." Lyra said.
Hermione nodded. "Scary good."
"So, what better way to get Sirius to give you guys access to the library than to have me get him to do it?" Lyra asked.
"That all seems terribly involved." Hermione said, unknowingly echoing Harry.
"We're Malfoys." Draco said.
"Can't you for once simply ask and see if you get what you want?" Hermione asked.
Draco snorted. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, how'd that work out for you?"
Hermione scowled at him. Draco smirked back, a challenge in his eyes. Lyra watched the two with interest. While she wasn't one for matchmaking, she did enjoy watching two people match wits. It was always interesting watching Draco and Hermione go at one another. Yes Hermione was more intelligent. She was simply the brightest witch of the current age but Draco was sly and cunning. Hermione was a stickler for rules and Draco always had an angle. He was always trying to get around the rules and she was always trying to follow them. When the two of them butted heads, it made for a ton of entertainment.
"And you didn't think to tell me, your plan?" Hermione said.
Draco shrugged. "Why? It worked and we're here."
Lyra could watch the two of them go at it all day but they didn't have the time.
"That's enough of that, you two. Flirt on your own time. Hermione, you and I are going shopping with Mother." Lyra said.
Hermione frowned. "I thought we were trying to convince Sirius to take us to the Black library."
"Do keep up, Hermione dear. That's exactly what we're doing." Lyra said.
Draco snorted.
"Sneaky you." He said to Lyra.
"I try."
"Now why I didn't I think of that?"
"Because you don't like shopping with mother."
"Can you explain for those of us who aren't Malfoys? What does shopping have to do with getting to the library?" Hermione asked.
Lyra sighed. "Cousin Sirius won't take me seriously but he will listen to mother."
Hermione grinned, having finally caught on. "You're going to get your mother to ask."
Lyra shook her head. "Darling. Malfoys never ask."
-(INSERT LINE HERE)-
The next day, the day of Harry's birthday found Lyra and Hermione tagging along with Narcissa Malfoy as she shopped for last minute items for the 'surprise' party for Harry.
"I thought your mother wasn't going to throw a party for him. Harry said he didn't want one." Hermione whispered to Lyra.
"Have you not been paying attention? My mother tends to do what she wants." Lyra whispered back.
"Harry's not going to be happy about this."
"No, I don't suppose he will be. But I think I'll enjoy the gifts."
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Watch and learn, Hermione." Lyra said.
She turned away from Hermione and went over to Narcissa. The older witch stood comparing fabrics, one a shimmering gold and the other a deep, dark wine red. Beside Narcissa, a portly man with a bald plate and glasses stood wringing his hands and hopping from foot to foot.
Narcissa heard her approach and looked up. She smiled, a simply crinkling of her eyes, and the rotund shopkeeper all but fainted.
"Angel? Which do you like more, the gold or the red?" Narcissa asked.
"That red will go perfectly with the silver accents in the main ballroom." Lyra said.
Narcissa nodded and handed the fabric to the recovering shopkeeper. He gathered it in his arms and ran away.
They were all in a small fabric shop in Diagon Alley. Narcissa walked around.
"Alright dear, what do you want?"
"Can't I simply want to spend time with my darling mother?" Lyra asked.
Narcissa stepped forward and tucked one of Lyra's curls behind her ear.
"Your wants are far from simple." Narcissa said as she regarded her only daughter. She was being manipulated and she knew it. She knew that Lyra knew that she knew as well. She allowed Lyra her machinations up to a point and Lyra knew where that point was. She often skirted the line but very rarely did she cross it.
"This time it isn't for me. It's for Harry and Hermione." Lyra said.
Narcissa knew her daughter and the older witch could spot a lie of omission a mile away. Still, Lyra hadn't reached the point yet so Narcissa allowed her the lie.
"I see." Narcissa said. She glanced at Hermione who was fingering different fabrics. At first she found the idea of having a muggle-born in her home distasteful but it seemed that Lyra was a civilizing influence on the girl. And, while her manners could use a bit of refining, Hermione Granger was quickly earning Narcissa Malfoy's respect.
"I figured it would be a great birthday present. After all, Harry's grandmother was a Black. And he is heir apparent to the Black fortune." Lyra said.
"I see." Narcissa said again. Lyra gave her an angelic grin.
Narcissa turned away from Lyra. The younger witch and Hermione exchanged looks. Lyra was confident that Narcissa would do what she wanted no questions asked.
-(INSERT LINE HERE)-
Harry hated parties. He also hated to be the centre of attention. He knew on some level he should be grateful to Narcissa Malfoy for caring enough to throw him a party but he couldn't help the scowl that threatened to overtake his face.
Lucius had been smart and pleaded out of the party stating that he had other business to attend to. In fact, he wasn't even in the manor. Still, there was one bit of solace for Harry and that was that Draco seemed to be just as miserable as he was.
The blond didn't war with a scowl like Harry did. Instead it was a look of displeased detachment.
"It's just a party, Malfoy." Harry said.
"I'm not overly fond of parties and I don't particularly like the person that this one centres around." Draco sneered back.
But Harry, having been in close proximity to the snarky blond for the better part of the summer, simply grinned and nudged him with a shoulder.
"I've grown on you."
Draco snorted. "Like a fungus."
Harry looked out at the thankfully small gathering of people. Harry had put his foot down. He didn't want a part at all but since Narcissa was insistent and Sirius wasn't going to come to his aid, Harry agreed on the condition that it be a small intimate gathering of his closest friends and the people he viewed as allies.
Narcissa wanted a large and lavish event, partially because of the optics of it being the saviour's birthday and partially because she loved large, lavish events. Eventually Narcissa agreed and while still a lavish event, it was nowhere near as large as the older witch wanted and that suited Harry just fine.
-(INSERT LINE HERE)-
"He doesn't look very happy, does he?" Narcissa asked Sirius as they stood off to one corner of the room.
The ballroom was impeccable. Instead of live music, Narcissa charmed the very air to play sweet melody that echoed throughout the room. The silver and blood red draping meshed well with the bronze and silver fixtures in the room as well as the dark greens and blacks that decorated the floor and the furniture.
"From what little I know of him, he loathes being the centre of attention." Sirius said.
"I really don't understand why. The boy was born for greatness." Narcissa said. Her eagle eyes watched Harry and Draco interact. Despite his vehement denial, Narcissa knew that her son was forming a friendship of sort with the young saviour and Narcissa wasn't mad about it. In fact, she was delighted. She had heard about and seen for herself just how protective he could be when it came to his friends and she was thrilled that her children were on the list.
"Well, greatness is as greatness does. He is constantly thrown into situations that he is ill prepared for and praised because he's simply lucky to be alive when all he really wants is to learn magic and be just Harry."
"I suppose. There are tools that he can use to fight back at his disposal."
"Oh?"
"He is the Boy-Who-Lived. Descended from two noble houses. And while that might not mean much to you, Sirius Black, there are those who would gladly assist the child; even if it is only out of some misguided sense of guilt and gratitude." Narcissa said.
Sirius turned to her fully but the crafty witch kept her eyes on the ballroom.
"I might be the black sheep of the family and blight on the name but I am still a Black. What do you want, cousin?" Sirius asked.
"Allow the children access to the library." Narcissa said.
Sirius' face hardened. Narcissa ignored it, instead choosing to scan the small gathering once more. Of course the Lovegood girl was there as was the Longbottom boy but there were a few others that shocked her. The Abbot girl was a surprise as well as Amelia Bones and her niece Susan. It would seem that Harry Potter was slowly but surely gathering friends in high places.
"Children have no need of what's in that library." Sirius said.
Narcissa snorted delicately. "They wont be children for much longer, cousin. And I suspect that they want to know more about that ring."
Sirius went quiet.
"Why wouldn't Harry come to me?" He whispered, sounding quite hurt.
Finally Narcissa turned to him. She laughed and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"I highly doubt that the boy was involved in this or if he is, my son and daughter have threatened him. No. I believe this is idle curiosity of a distinctly Malfoy nature." She said.
"Tell me truthfully, dear cousin. Do you think Harry trusts me?" Sirius asked.
"I believe that if could come to you for anything, he would. I believe that there are things about him that you know that the Granger girl doesn't even know. He put everything on the line to get you out of Azkaban. He trusts you." She answered.
And Narcissa Malfoy nee Black sounded sure but she wasn't. She knew her children too well. They had something planned and had somehow roped Potter and the Granger girl into it.
"Still," She continued. "It doesn't hurt to be absolutely sure."
"Meaning?"
"They cannot go to that house by themselves. It is dangerous. They will of course need chaperones."
Sirius readily agreed. Narcissa had an ulterior motive. She loved her children and she was intimately aware of the penchant Malfoy's had for getting in over their head and mistakenly thinking that they were in control of the situation. No, she would go and make sure that they didn't get into anything dangerous.