Lyra woke up alone in the bed. She sat up and looked around. She was also alone in the room. So she got dressed and made her way towards the front door. As she was approaching the dining room she heard Lucius.

"I forbid it Draco. You will not be with her kind in that manner."

"Lucius…" Narcissa started after a minute or so of silence but Lyra didn't stay to listen. She slipped out the front door and headed home.

About a week later her Hogwarts letter had arrived with a letter for her parents to sign saying she could go into Hogsmeade. Her mother quickly had signed it, and she had plans to go into Diagon Alley with the Malfoys the next day. Lyra was walking down her street in the dark. She knew that she shouldn't be with the threat of Sirius Black on the loose but she needed a walk to clear her head. What Mr. Malfoy had said the other day was still on her mind. Draco had said nothing to her about that night, and she had not brought it up. Of course she knew what his father was talking about that morning. He couldn't be with someone like her, a muggleborn. But would Draco listen? Probably, Lyra couldn't help thinking, he was always trying to please his father. Lyra thought that he was somewhat afraid of his father. If this was true and he only did what his father said to please him then she didn't exactly have a chance did she? She would just have to talk to Draco about it, because not only was this all confusing, but when did she start to have these feelings for Draco? One minute they were friends, and then, they weren't. She felt so much more for him, and these feelings came out of nowhere, so she thought. Was that really true? Had she always only thought of him as a friend?

Just then there was a rustling in front of her. Her head jerked up to see a large black dog standing on the sidewalk in front of her. She stopped and stared at it. She should have been afraid, but she wasn't. The dog was not menacing, and as she stared into it's eyes she saw something almost human in them. She crouched down and held out her hand for the dog to sniff. He approached slowly and sniffed at her hand. Lyra patted him on the head. His fur was matted and he was bone thin. The dog looked at her as though he recognized her somehow.

"Would you like some food? We have some leftovers." The dog's ears perked up at the sound of that. His tail started to wag. Lyra smiled.

"Follow me." She said and stood up. She turned and started to walk towards her house. The dog trotted along beside her. When they got to the front door Lyra slipped inside and grabbed a large basket and filled it with dinner rolls, half a dozen chicken legs and some other leftovers from dinner. She walked back outside to find that the dog was not on the front porch where she left him. She walked around to the side of the house, nothing. She moved to the back where there stood a man, and though she had never seen him before, she knew it was Sirius Black. Before she knew what was happening he had a hand clamped over her mouth and was whispering hurriedly in her ear.

"I am not here to hurt you but you must remain quiet. Do not raise an alarm. I want to speak with you but you are in no danger. Do you understand?" Lyra nodded and he removed his hand. Lyra looked at the man. He was skin and bones, she looked into his eyes and saw the same ones as the dog.

"You're an animagus?" She asked and when he nodded she handed him the basket of food. He just looked at her confused.

"Well, if you are the dog, that food was meant for you anyways. Besides, you are skin and bones and a strong gust of wind could knock you over." Sirius' lips twitched at this last part. He took the basket and started to eat.

After about ten minutes he looked up to see Lyra watching him expectantly. So he cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I did not kill all those muggles. I am innocent. Peter Pettigrew is not dead. And I would have never given up my friends to Voldemort." Lyra blinked.

"Well that was short and sweet wasn't it?" Sirius opened his mouth to speak but Lyra stopped him. "You have probably been waiting years to tell someone that. You don't have to tell me the whole story, it's really none of my business especially since we first met. You do however need to tell Harry. You are his godfather right?"

Sirius nodded. "You cannot tell anyone that we have met or anything, they will find me and I won't be able to accomplish my goal."

"I won't. I will also help with what I can."

"Why? Why do you believe me so easily?" Lyra thought about that for a moment before answering.

"Because if you really were a mass murderer you wouldn't have bothered sparing a thirteen year old muggleborn girl. And I can see it in your eyes how desperate you are for someone to believe you. So, I do." She stretched out her hand towards Sirius, "I am Lyra by the way. Lyra Aston." Sirius shook it.

"And I am Sirius Black, but you can call me Padfoot."

After a few moments silence he said, "Who do you live here with?" Nodding back at the house.

"My adopted parents."

"Do you know who your real parents are?"

"No. Why do you?"

"Well, no. I mean I don't know for sure but you look strangely like a girl I went to school with. But I don't think she would have ever left a child with a muggle family. I actually haven't heard anything about her in years. Do you at least know your blood status?"

"No. We assume muggleborn. But we don't know for sure."

"Ah, so that's how you got around Lucius. I didn't think he would ever let a muggleborn anywhere near his kid. But if its uncertain. Probably still doesn't like that does he?"

"No, not really. Wait, you know the Malfoys?" Sirius let out a bark like laugh.

"Of course I do. I was at school with Lucius and Narcissa. He is one of the biggest muggleborn haters out there."

Just then a voice came from the house.

"Lyra. Mom said it's time to come in."

"Be right there Simon." She stood up and looked at Sirius.

"You know, I am serious about helping you, but I want one thing in return."

"What's that?" Said Sirius apprehensively.

"I want you to teach me to be an Animagus."

For the next few weeks Sirius would stop by once a week to give Lyra lessons in exchange for food. Lyra couldn't actually practice the transformation due to the restriction for underage magic, but Sirius talked about the theory and how to do it. Sometimes they just spent time talking. Lyra suspected that he missed having someone to talk to. He told her about the night that Voldemort had killed Lily and James Potter, and how he had told them to use Peter, How after it happened he went after Pete,r but Peter turned into a rat and blew up the street. All of it, everything, Even the part about how him, Peter, and James all became animagi for their best friend Remus who was a Werewolf. When Lyra asked why he told her all of this he simply said, "Because I know that I can trust you even if I don't know you." They met all the way up until two days before Lyra was to return to Hogwarts.

"We will have to continue our lessons once you are at school. I will find some ways to contact you."

"Are you going to be able to get into the school?"

"Yes, it shouldn't be a problem." There was a mischievous glint in his eye. So Lyra said goodbye to Sirius and inside to tuck Simon into bed and sleep herself.

The next day Lyra took a trip to Diagon alley with the Malfoys. Things seemed a bit awkward between her and Draco lately. He still had not said anything about the night she had stayed over. But nevertheless she was determined to get over it today.

"Draco do you want to go to eyelops? I need to get more owl treats."

"No. You go ahead I am going with father to another store." Then he and his father walked away. Lyra sighed, disappointed.

"We will meet you at Flourish and Blotts in an hour okay Lyra?" Mrs. Malfoy said before following her husband and son. Lyra sighed but went to Eyelops to stock up on owl treats for Athena. Then she was walking by the Magical Menagerie when she decided to walk in. She still had plenty of time until she had to meet the Malfoys anyways. So she entered and was walking around looking at all the cages with creatures in them. Then she heard the door chime. She looked around to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter. Lyra watched from behind a shelf as they asked about something to help Ron's pet rat. He pulled it out of his pocket and Lyra saw him for the first time. The rat gave her the creeps. She couldn't put her finger on it but she didn't like the rat. She heard a hissing sound and turned to see a great large orange cat sitting on top of a cage. He was hissing and spitting at the rat. Lyra watched as he readied himself to pounce. Lyra tried to utter a warning but too late. The cat jumped and landed right on Ron's head. He yelled in pain as the shopkeeper pulled the cat off of him and Ron and Harry exited the store.

Lyra walked up to the front of the store where the large cat was hissing and trying to follow after Ron while the poor shopkeeper held onto him for dear life. She approached and looked at the cat and reached out a hand.

"Oh I wouldn't do that dear." She shopkeeper began to say but as soon as her hand made contact with the ginger fur the cat started to purr.

"There you go. Good cat." Lyra cooed to the cat. Just then Hermione started to pet the cat too.

"I will take him." She said excitedly, "Unless you wanted him Lyra?"

"Oh no. I have an owl."

"Dear are you sure you want him? He has been in here an awfully long time."

"Oh I am sure." So she paid for the cat and exited the store. Lyra hung around for a few minutes and then exited the store. She only had a few minutes until she had to meet the Malfoys at Flourish and Blotts. She quickly walked down the street and into the store. A shop assistant came up to her.

"Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I need-"

"Watch out." He said moving her aside as he grabbed a large pair of tongs and pulled on some thick dragon hide gloves. He walked over and reached into a large cage full of large fanged books. They were biting and ripping at each other. The assistant tried pulling to of the books away from each other. Just then a voice came over Lyra's shoulder.

"Add another one to that order will you?" Lyra turned to see the Malfoy's standing there. She turned back to the assistant who looked like he hated his life now that he had to get two books out.

"Did you get everything else you needed?" Draco asked stepping up next to her.

"Yes, and I just need to finish getting my books and I am good to go." She responded without looking at him. Fifteen minutes later they were leaving Flourish and Blotts with her books for Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Ancient runes, as well as the other books for third years. They returned back to Malfoy Manor. Lyra set her bags down and went to the piano. She sat down and started playing some basic tunes. Just some warm up pieces. After only about thirty seconds Draco's hands landed on hers and stopped her playing. She looked back at him.

"What?"

"Stop playing that damn thing."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"You didn't mind the last time I played it. What is so different now?"

"I just said stop woman. Can't you just listen to me for once without arguing?" Draco yelled at her. She didn't respond. She stood up, grabbed her bags and stormed out of the house. What the hell? She was sick of this. Acting nice one day and a complete ass the second.

"Lyra? Where are you going?" Draco had come out of the manor after her.

"Home." Lyra called over her shoulder, not breaking stride.

"No. Come back here. Please."

"Ha. No." Lyra snorted and continued on her way. Draco was following after her now.

"Lyra, please. I am sorry." She stopped and turned around.

"You are going to have to do a lot better than that Draco. I don't know who you think you are but don't you dare speak to me as though I belong to you." With that, she practically ran back home and locked herself in her room. Fuming with anger on her bed until she eventually fell into a fitful sleep.