Hey everyone!

First of all Happy Holidays and I cannot believe that it is the last updates of the year and I want to say thak you for supporting me this year and I am so glad that you have enjoyed reading my stroies this year. It's been crazy at points but I think I've done well. A few lessons to be learnt as well for next year. Thank you once again for sticking with me.

See you in 2020!

Lots of love,

LM xxxx

Hidden Child-Part 61:

Lyra and Draco headed back to Hogwarts that same night and the moment she stepped back onto Castle ground something felt different to her and she couldn't figure out what. She'd only been away for a day after all.

It was when she arrived back in the dorm that she had the first hints that set her senses off.

"Hey Lyra," came Jasmine's voice, "did you have a great weekend?" she asked.

"Ummmm it was OK," Lyra replied having been caught out by the question, "I saw my grandparents again. That was nice," she added as she watched what Jasmine was doing, training teaching her to be on her guard at all times. She could see Astrid in the background and wondered if Astrid had put her up to it. Her senses were on high alert for a jinx. At least her training sessions were sharpening her senses in case anything was sent in her direction.

"That was nice," Jasmine said, "I remember you saying to Zenon you hadn't seen them in a while."

"Just leave her alone. She's not worth it," Astrid said.

"There you go again. Just because you don't like Lyra doesn't mean I don't. I am my own person Astrid," Jasmine said before Lyra went to get ready for bed.

The next morning arrived and Lyra wondered if Jasmine would still be nice to her. The girl offered to walk down with her as Zenon had been in the library already that morning and Lyra was grateful that she didn't have to walk up to the Great Hall by herself. She could feel Astrid's eyes burning a hole in the back of her head but she just held her head up and ignored it.

Zenon eventually joined her and found Lyra sat on her own.

"Who walked up here with you?" he asked.

"Jasmine did. She also defended me last night against Astrid," Lyra said as she had some toast, "seems like she's had a change of heart over the weekend as well," she said.

"She's being nice? Like proper nice" Zenon asked and Lyra nodded, "well that is odd," he added after seeing Lyra nod and a frown appeared on Zenon's face as he looked at her.

Silence fell as the two began to eat their breakfasts and Zenon kept an eye on Jasmine, the girl sat on her own, arousing Zenon's suspicions that Jasmine had a motive for getting close to Lyra.

"What are you going to do?" Zenon asked as they finished breakfast and headed to Charms.

"I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and give her a chance. I'm on alert in case anything happens. I know Astrid is a Slytherin but even she doesn't have the brains to come up with something like this," Lyra said as the two joined the queue outside the Charms classroom.

Zenon looked at her before keeping his opinions to himself and then watching Jasmine all day until the end of Potions and allowed Jasmine and Lyra to go off as he hung back to talk to Snape.

"Sir… I was wondering if I could have a word about Lyra…" Zenon started nervously before realising that the Potions Professor's icy face had vanished.

"What about Lyra?" he asked instantly.

"Well Jasmine has suddenly started being so nice to Lyra… almost like overnight and I can't decide if it's genuine or whether…"

"There is a reason behind it," Snape said as he looked at Zenon, who nodded, "well Mr. Jacobs I will speak to Lucius first and see if he knows anything about this and then I will find you and Lyra," he said.

"Thank you Professor," Zenon said before he left and headed back to the Common Room.

Snape headed to his office and instantly Fire Called Malfoy Manor and was not surprised to see the blonde matriarch answer the call first.

"Lucius home?" the professor asked.

"Due home any minute," Narcissa asked, "what's wrong?"

"I want to know IF, once again, he's interfered with Lyra's life at Hogwarts," Snape replied.

"What has he possibly done this time?" Narcissa asked.

"Told a girl to try and befriend Lyra and stand up to bullies. Zenon expressed his concerns to me," Snape replied as Lucius walked into the kitchen.

"Severus… what do we owe this call?" he asked before finding his wife on her feet.

"Have you told a girl to be nice to Lyra?" she asked instantly and sighed as she saw Lucius hang his head, "why can you not stay out of things?! You know she's going to go crazy when she finds out," she said.

"Because she needs another friend and Jasmine believes that Astrid is wrong with bullying Lyra," Lucius said, "so I spoke to her over the weekend and discussed things. Jasmine trying to be friends with Lyra is genuine."

"She has to know Severus and no doubt you will have to go and explain yourself," Narcissa said to the men before Severus exited the fire and headed to find Lyra.

"Your father was involved," Severus said to Lyra, "he wanted you to have another friend and he thought Jasmine would be the perfect one as she doesn't like the way Astrid has been with you."

"You spoke to Mother as well?" Lyra questioned.

"Yes. She is not happy and will no doubt be having words with your father after you have had words with him as well."

I want to see Father and I want to see him NOW!" Lyra said as she stamped her feet on the floor.

"I will summon him here now," Snape said, prepared for an explosion between the father and daughter, wondering how many more times he would find himself in the middle.