Chapter Twenty Two – Happy Birthday
There wasn't a day that went by over the next two weeks where Lyra didn't receive a letter. There were Howlers telling her how despicable she was for using the Dark Arts and long winded letters detailing why she didn't deserve her position.
In fact, Lyra was surprised that Albus hadn't fired her yet, as she was sure that he too would be on the receiving end of letters requesting her dismissal. He hadn't mentioned it to her or any other staff, they all seemed to be sympathetic about the situation. None of them harboured any negative feelings towards Lyra as they all knew her and had seen her grow, the only negativity they felt was towards the authors of the article and the numerous letters she received.
Lyra didn't mind the letters, she read every one of them and took every bit of criticism, using it to train herself and her emotions for her Occlumency lessons. Severus spent every night trying to pry open her mind and despite the insults she was receiving regularly, Lyra could manage to keep her mind closed.
Not every letter was harsh and critical. In amongst the complaints were letters of warmth and encouragement from her family and friends. They all gave her different advice to deal with it; Andromeda and Ted saying to keep her head down whilst Lucius claimed he had a way to enact revenge, all she needed was to say the word. She was curious as to what it entailed but decided to follow her other Aunt and Uncle's advice, waiting for the whole thing to blow over.
She was sure that the public would soon follow the same suit of her students. They would become less afraid and forget as their mind would become occupied with a new topic of interest. For her students it was the upcoming Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw match.
Lyra was sure her reputation had been damaged by the article but it didn't shake her. A tarnished reputation was something she was used to and she wasn't going to allow that to affect her anymore. No, she was happy. For the first time in her life she felt genuinely happy.
She had a man who loved her back and cared for her. She had a job which she enjoyed and allowed her freedom.
But there was still a part of herself that craved more.
You could call it her Slytherin ambition but really it had manifested from one of the many lessons that she learnt from her family; to never be satisfied by mediocrity, to push yourself to achieve nothing less than excellence.
And oh, how Lucius dangled excellence right in front of her with those words 'Order of Merlin'.
She could envision it. She could almost taste it. She had been so close and now she wanted it.
Lyra suspected that it was his plan all along, to drop the name of a prestigious award and allow the idea to worm its way into her head but why? To get her to quit her position at Hogwarts? To deter her from pursuing a relationship with Severus? To somehow gain his family prestige?
They all seemed like viable motivations and Lyra was sure that if she took him up on his offer to enact revenge it would all somehow play into his hand. Reluctant to be used by her Uncle, Lyra ignored his offer and instead she did what she did best, throwing herself into her work, focusing on her students and training her mind.
The Quidditch Match came and went, another success for Slytherin, and February came to its end, rolling into Spring. The letters were less frequent and the article seemed to be in the past. Lyra and Severus were closer than ever as they spent every night together. He would challenge her mind's ability to keep closed during tasks such as writing, cleaning and learning advanced potion making techniques. At times he could be a harsh teacher but when the lessons came to an end they would fall into bed with one another, occasionally exchanging passion.
Lyra's birthday landed on the third weekend of March that year and she was woken up by Severus pulling her close to his body, muttering "Happy Birthday" in her ear. She smiled and snuggled closely, relishing in the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, their naked bodies pressed against one another. Her hands interlocked with his and she drifted off to sleep for a brief nap before they woke fully.
"What do you want to do today, my love?" he asked as he played with her hair.
"I don't mind," she said, "We don't have to do anything particularly special.
"Maybe we should go out on a date," he said, "I haven't taken you out since that night in London."
"You don't have to take me out," she replied, "You don't even need to buy me a gift. I'm happy just being here with you."
"Too late," he reached over to his bedside table and reached into the drawer, pulling out a small square package.
She sat up and glared at him, "Severus."
"Lyra," he mocked, sitting up and handing her the gift. "It's not much but I hope you like it."
She pulled the wrapping paper off, revealing a simple black jewellery box. She opened it, revealing a silver chain with a small, light pink, circular stone sat in the centre. She smiled weakly at the necklace and said, "Sev, it's gorgeous."
"Not as gorgeous as you."
She exhaled a small laugh, "You really didn't need to get me anything."
"I know it's not fancy or anything," he said, "I mean you're probably used to more glamorous things, I've seen what Lucius gets Narcissa but I could never afford it."
She shook her head ferociously, "Sev, it means a lot."
"It's rose quartz," he said as she looked back down at the box, "There are many stories behind it from ancient civilisations from it being the physical manifestation of the gods gift of love to humans to it blooming from the blood of a god as she tried to save her dying lover."
Lyra took his hand and squeezed it before saying, "I hope you don't jinx our relationship by giving it to me."
He smiled at her jest before continuing, "Its actually also my birthstone, perhaps that's why I was drawn to it when I was searching for your gift."
"I can always carry a part of you with me," she said, "Help me put it on."
She held her hair up, exposing her neck. Severus removed the necklace from the box and hooked it around her neck, fastening the clasps together. It sat high on her chest, the stone resting where her clavicles met.
She turned away and gave him a kiss, "For good luck."
"I didn't know you were superstitious," he said.
"It's silly, I know but I don't want anything bad to happen to us."
"It looks great on you," he said.
Lyra reached for her wand and summoned a mirror so she could get a closer look at it. She touched it gently, "It's so pretty."
"It's not too boring or plain is it?"
"No, no, no," she insisted, "I love it, it's so simple and understated. Thank you, Sev." She waved her wand and dismissed the mirror before leaning over to kiss him. "I'm never going to take it off."
"Good because I've enchanted it to protect you," he said touching the stone. It glowed as his fingers pressed against. Lyra was unsure as to whether it was from his touch or whether it had briefly just caught and reflected the light in the room.
"It's only a small stone," he explained, "So it can't hold much magic but it should be able to protect you from basic curses and ward off your nightmares. Apparently the magic works best if the wearer is in love with the giver."
"It should work well then," she said, "Oh, Sev, it's perfect. Thank you." She kissed him once more, wrapping her arms around his neck.
The kiss was long and as their lips lingered, desire overtook Lyra and she climbed on top of Severus. She sat on his thighs, each leg on either side of him as Lyra's tongue dared to venture into his mouth. His tongue fought back and they played with one another as their hands roamed one another's bodies.
Lyra's ran down his chest, appreciating his pecs and flat stomach. Severus' caressed her curves from her waist to her breasts. His attention was captured by her nipples, standing erect from the arousal. He pinched and pulled, and Lyra moaned against his mouth. She wrapped her hand around his half hard cock and teased it in a similar manner as he was to her nipples. She made slow gentle strokes, teasing and massaging the shaft.
Once he was fully erect Lyra coaxed him to lean back and he relaxed into the bed. His head was propped up against a pillow, alonging him to watch as Lyra shifted her weight up onto her knees. One hand was wrapped around his cock, holding it upright and guiding it into her pussy as she slowly sank back down.
His eyes were focused on her, enchanted by the way she moved her hips to the way her tits bounced with each movement. Her eyes were closed as she ground their sex together, occasionally fluttering open and gazing into his. Those dark eyes were full of lust, complete desire for her and her body.
Lyra rode him until she came, she panted, moans spilling from her as she came. Her body shuddered from the shock of the orgasm and her pussy clamped around him, yearning for his seed but he wasn't ready yet. Her movements slowed and she rolled over to lie in bed next to him.
Severus stood, moving to her side of the bed, tugging at her legs and pulling her body so her hips sat at the edge. Lyra watched him now, her tongue darting out and wetting her lips as they caught one another in an intense gaze. He kept his eye contact even as he slid deep into her, watching her eyes roll back slightly and her eyelids shut as his cock pumped in and out, Lyra's hand reached down between her legs, teasing her clitoris as he continued his assault. He could feel her pussy clenching around him as she craved another orgasm. He reached down and pinched her nipples hard, the stimulation driving her nearer. Soon, she unravelled, another moan escaping from her.
Severus continued, his fingers released her tender nipples and instead groped at the flesh of her breasts and greedily pressed into her curves. Lyra's moans continued, breathing a small one out with each thrust, her body overstimulated from his persistence. His pace quickened and he to came not long after, spilling his seed inside of her.
Lyra's wand was still floating on top of the sheets, she reached over and cleaned up the mess before they slid back into bed, basking in the aftermath of their orgasms. She peppered kisses on the side of his face as they spoke, whittling away an hour before they decided to get out of bed.
It was still rather early in the day; early enough for them to catch breakfast. They carried out their usual routine of Lyra flooing back up to her room and coincidentally seeing one another at the high table. Yet again, there was a large pile of letters awaiting her and as she pulled her chair out to sit down she heard several other chairs follow suit.
She glanced around the room and each person in the room was now standing, looking at her. Filius took the lead and lead the group to sing 'Happy Birthday'. She looked around and smiled, her face turning a delightful shade of pink as they continued to sing. Her smile grew as she locked eyes with Severus who was merely mouthing the words with a plain face.
"This is awful," she mouthed to him.
He smirked and whispered, "This is why I don't allow anyone to see me on my birthday."
Lyra let out a small laugh and allowed her attention to be drawn to the giant cake that floated in front of her. The song reached its conclusion and the staff and students began to cheer. She leaned over and blew the candles out before comically bowing and waving to the audience.
Before Lyra could breathe a sigh of relief and take a seat, she felt a hand gently sit on her shoulder. She turned around and her eyes meeting the twinkling blue of the Headmaster.
"May I have a word?" he asked.
Lyra nodded and followed him out of the Great Hall. Albus stopped just outside the door and waved his arm around the two of them, casting a privacy barrier despite the hallways being clear.
"As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, it is my honour to invite you to receive an Order of Merlin for your contribution to the Healing Arts and discovery of the cure to Psyrot," he said.
"What?" Lyra asked, slightly dazed by the statement.
"You're being awarded an Order of Merlin, Lyra," he said, "Happy Birthday."
And with that he turned on the spot and left the witch there to process what had happened.
She was frozen, her mind reeling, trying to make sense of their conversation - if one could call it that. She didn't allow herself to become overwhelmed with her emotion, the excitement and disbelief subsided and instead her mind questioned the situation.
Was it a genuine nomination? Did Lucius have a hand in this? He was the first to mention it and she knew how close he had been getting to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
Perhaps even Albus could have played a part in it. He did suggest he wanted her to continue her career in Healing and this would be a sure ticket to get all those offers back.
Maybe Lyra just had a problem. She just couldn't allow herself to be happy. No, she had to question all of it.
She was pulled from her thoughts as she noticed Severus' head poke out from the door to the Great Hall. She smiled fondly at his appearance, her thoughts seemed to fade away. She was happy. He made her happy and that's all that mattered.
"Where's Albus?" he asked as he approached the witch, a curious expression.
"He left," Lyra replied.
"Really?"
Lyra smirked at his snark, "Yes, really."
"And what did he need to discuss with you?"
"It was more of an announcement which he dropped on me then left."
"Which was?"
"That you are looking at the next recipient of an Order of Merlin," she said smugly.
He cracked a small smile, "Congratulations, my love."
The excitement was there, buried in her chest and burst out through her expression. "Thanks," she said, pulling him in tightly and squeezing hard.
He held her close, one hand stroking the back of her hair and his lips pressing against her forid. "I'm proud of you," he said.
Lyra didn't know how to react to those words. She had never had anyone say that to her and in realising that Lyra felt tears spilling from her eyes as her heart was shaken by the approval she had been craving for years. No one had ever felt pride in her work, no matter how hard she studied or performed she never felt that approval. Of course, one as talented as Lyra could easily gain attention but to feel true validation in what she had done for the first time in her life shattered her world slightly.
It made her feel whole.
Every single bit of effort she invested was finally worth it. Maybe it didn't come from her parents or her aunt or uncle but to hear it from her former teacher turned lover was all she needed to feel like she was finally enough.
Embarrassed of her overreaction to such a simple statement she hid, clinging tighter to the Professor. When she was ready she took a deep breath and with a shaky exhale she pulled herself away and using her sleeves she wiped away her tears. She took another deep breath attempting to steady herself and her emotions before she looked back at Severus who asked, "Are you alright?"
"Oh, it's dumb," she laughed, tears falling once more which she quickly dried. "I've, um, never heard someone say that to me before? And I guess it's weird."
Severus gave her a sympathetic smile before pulling her in once more, "I'm so proud of you, Lyra. You are so smart and intelligent, you have worked so hard for this and you deserve it. Truly."
As Severus held her close he felt overwhelmed by the love he felt for her. It was a strange, almost foreign feeling. He had never felt that way before, not for Lily, not for any friend or family member. He was afraid of it and what it entailed but it felt so comfortable and warm. To love her. To hold her. To be with her.
And in that moment, Severus saw so much of himself in Lyra. Perhaps, that's why he loved her so much. He could see so clearly who she was and what motivated her, maybe he was projecting himself onto her slightly but he understood why she could be so fragile and why she did work so hard. It was because, like himself, she had lacked the love and attention from her parents and she just wanted someone to say she was good enough.
So, he told her, not in those exact words but in a way which was enough for her to know that she was good enough and he hoped that it would stave her from the Dark Arts, encouraging her to continue with her talent in healing magic. Silently, he prayed for her; that she was right in that the Dark Lord wouldn't return, that she could continue to do wonderful things and that his love for her would be enough.
"I love you," he said as he stroked the back of her head.
She looked up at him and smiled, her heart feeling somewhat lighter. "I love you too."
"We should probably have some breakfast," he said, "Then we can spend the day together."
She smiled, "I'd like that."
All too naturally, Severus' hand found hers and their fingers intertwined. With a gentle tug, Lyra followed Severus to the staff room and he pushed open the door with his free hand but he quickly realised his mistake. His hand quickly slipped out of the witch's and he composed himself, heading towards his spot back at the High Table.
During that short walk he admonished himself. How could he be so careless with public displays of affection. Perhaps, he was too used to the two of them being in the privacy of their own quarters, they hadn't practised their discretion enough. The last thing either one of them needed was for their relationship to get out. He could imagine the smug face of McGonagall and the attention it would garner from his colleagues and students. It wouldn't be long until word would somehow get back to Lucius, he cringed at the thought. He did not want to ruin his friendship with Lucius but now he cared too much for Lyra.
He looked over to the girl who was happily reading her letters from her family and friends, there were fancy packages as well that surrounded her. He glanced at the necklace he had given her, maybe it wasn't enough? He couldn't help but feel incompetent and slightly out of place in Lyra's life as she opened designer clothing and jewellery, cupcakes from Narcissa and a book from the Tonks'. Lyra looked over at him once she set them aside smiled at him. It was a genuine smile, her brown eyes warm and her cheeks full, almost hiding her eyes as she smiled wide. It was enough to steady his heart and racing thoughts, everything else faded to the background and she was at the forefront of his mind.
All he knew for sure was that he didn't want to lose her.
He couldn't stomach the thought. For a moment an image of her being tortured by the Dark Lord flashed through his mind and his heart dropped, stomach churning. 'You've put her in an awful predicament'. It was selfish, self-indulgent but she insisted it was what she wanted and he too wanted her so he allowed it to happen. The only thing he could was to prepare her better and he knew that he would have to up the ante on her lessons but that was a job for tomorrow. Right now, he wanted to indulge a little more and spend his time with his love.
They snuck away with discretion this time, staggering their disappearances from the High Table. Lyra made the journey back to her room then flooed down into Severus' quarters. He took advantage of the short time they had apart and decorated his room with candles. For a moment he considered flower petals but he decided it was too cliche and maybe a bit too cheesy.
Lyra's heart fluttered at the sight of the room, touched by the romantic gesture. "You spoil me, Sev," she said as he emerged out of the shadows.
He walked towards her and embraced her, "You deserve it." He spun her around and guided her towards the bathroom, rubbing her shoulders as they went and saying, "I was thinking we take a nice long bath then I can make love to you and then we can have a small bite to eat here before we go out on another date."
She giggled, "You don't have to take me out for my birthday."
"I want to," he insisted as they stopped in the tiled room.
"Ok," she said, spinning back around and laying a kiss on his cheek. "It sounds like a great plan."
Severus leaned down slightly, allowing his lips to meet hers he kissed her full and deep before parting. He reached for his wand and flicked it towards the bathtub, allowing it to fill with hot water. Another flick of a wand and a vial emptied into it filled with salts and herbs. He noticed her close her eyes and inhale the scent that wafted, "Lavender?"
Severus nodded.
"Sage and rosemary too?"
"Yes, but you could've gathered that by looking at the leaves," he said.
"I didn't peek," Lyra protested, attempting to look innocent but her eyes had a devilish glint in them.
He rolled his eyes before starting to undress, "Let's get in."
Lyra nodded before slipping her dress off with ease, pulling her hair into a bun and sliding into the tub. Soon after, Severus joined her and pulled her close so that she was sitting between his legs. Lyra hummed in approval as she sunk into Severus' embrace. One of her hands found his and she began to play with it, her eyes looking over it almost as though she was memorising every crease and line before she held it tightly. She closed her eyes and leaned back.
"This is nice," she muttered, "I don't want to leave."
"You never seem to want to leave anywhere," he said, pressing his lips onto her forehead.
Her lips tightened in amusement, "I don't want to ever leave your side."
"One day that day may come," he said.
Lyra's eyes squeezed shut at that statement and she shook her head. "I don't want to believe it will."
"Everything comes to an end, my love."
"Not us," she replied, reopening her eyes and staring into his. "I refuse," she smirked and allowed her expression to fade into a natural smile, relaxing into the bath.
"What do you usually do on your birthday?"
"Nothing," she replied, "Usually Lucius and Narcissa just have my favourite on the menu for dinner, they'll usually give me things I want or need. Lucius always picks out something quirky like a score for a piano piece or a book whereas Narcissa likes to get me a dress, she used to buy me jewellery but it would always be some lavish piece that I would refuse to wear. Sometimes Lucius will play music with me. On my 18th birthday they took me wine tasting, Uncle attempted to develop my palate but it took a while before I could tolerate the reds."
Severus exhaled a small laugh, "You know Lucius adores you?"
"He is a lot kinder to me than Narcissa."
"He told me that he always wanted a daughter but Narcissa only wanted one child so it had to be a boy to carry out the Malfoy line."
"Interesting."
"What about you? Do you want kids?"
Lyra paused for a moment to think, "I don't know?" Her face crewed up before she settled on an answer, "I've always wanted children but not until much later, in my mind my career came first. I want to do something with my life before buckling down and having kids. I guess it just depends on how things pan out. I don't know how many and I don't have a preference but I want them. How about you?"
"No," he said firmly.
She laughed at his abruptness, "Any reason as to why?"
"I deal with children every day and they are a great annoyance. I don't believe that if I was a parent to one it would change them a great deal."
"If you raised it right probably wouldn't be a bother," she replied.
"I doubt I'd be a good father," he said, "I didn't exactly have the best role model myself. It's probably for the best that a child was spared the misfortune of having me as their father."
"You're not that terrible," Lyra replied with an amused undertone.
"I fear that you have been blinded by love."
"I don't think so," she said.
"You on the other hand would be a wonderful mother."
"What makes you say that?" she asked, sitting up in the tub and spinning to face him.
He remained relaxed as he answered, "You are sweet and nurturing, I've seen you with Draco and your students. You genuinely care for their wellbeing and learning-"
"As do you, Severus," she said with her eyebrows raised, "In your own curious way."
He exhaled a breath of amusement.
"It's not obvious," she continued, her fingers beginning to lightly touch his arms, "But, underneath your hard exterior there is a sweetness inside."
"You're describing a chocolate instead of me," he quipped.
She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "You're afraid of someone seeing your true colours but oh, how I've dug under your skin and revealed something more than the strict, sullen Potions Master."
He pursed his lips, "It's something only you will have the pleasure of knowing."
"Don't I feel special?" she asked, leaning in and kissing him.
He returned the gesture, "I hope so."