Hey there everyone! I'm doing ok after the wisdom tooth extraction but haven't been able to write. I'm starting to feel more myself again and am excited to start writing some of my upcoming chapters so I really can't wait to start plotting and writing again over the next few weeks. I have some ideas... just not quite connected the dots as I've thrown in a couple of odd things that weren't in my planning. So off I go to figure this all out!

Stay safe!

Lots of love,

LM xxx


Hidden Child-Part 87:

It was midnight and Draco was sat in the Common Room in a chair by the dying embers of the fire. He couldn't sleep and he was worrying about Lyra. Somehow he couldn't understand what had been happening. Lyra was certainly upsetting his life at Hogwarts and he couldn't figure out why Lyra at Hogwarts was such a talking point. He was thankful that only a few were aware of who Lyra really was. His worry was that if anyone knew there could be danger coming for his sister from inside the Castle as well. He knew that their cousin was trailing after Lyra but he didn't want any more danger to come to his sister.

"Can't sleep?" came a voice that made his jump before he turned and caught sight of golden hair in the dying firelight.

"Astoria," Draco said before he watched as she walked over and sat down next to him, "no I can't. I tried but failed."

"I did wonder. You were rather quiet at the Manor today and I couldn't help but wonder if you'd manage to get some sleep tonight. I'm guessing you're thinking about Lyra," the Greengrass said.

"When am I ever not these days? I've been so used to being the only Malfoy in the limelight but now Lyra is too, luckily the major thing is still under wraps bit it makes me wonder if that will come out eventually as well," Draco said, "never did I imagine that we'd be in this situation really," he sighed as he put his head in his hands and sighed softly once more.

He soon felt a blanket being wrapped around his shoulders and looked to see Astoria sat beside him. She pointed her wan at the grate and then muttered something and the fire sprung back to life.

"You should go back to bed Ria," Draco said without thinking, "no need for you to lose sleep either," he said.

"And then my future husband is sat here with nobody to talk to," Astoria said, a sight smirk on her face, "oh come on Draco! Daphne hasn't told you that our parents are planning to marry us despite everything going on with Lyra?"

"Wait… what?" Draco asked, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at her, "my parents… and your sister… haven't told me anything at all," he said, trying to regain his composure, "why not Daphne? Who's she marrying?"

"Rumour has it Theodore… yes your friend Theo…" Astoria said as if it were the most casual thing in the world, "have your parents honestly not told you anything yet?" Draco shook his head and he looked at her.

"Not with everything going on with Lyra… I don't even know how they've found the time to do anything outside of what they've been doing for Lyra."

"You're feeling neglected and like your parents don't care about you…" Astoria sighed, "Dray that is far from true. Nobody said it was going to be easy with Lyra coming out of the shadows and then straight to Hogwarts as well. In my opinion your parents were wrong to keep the prophecy a secret and I will hold that against them for as long as I live." She looked at him seriously and squeezed his hand under the blanket, "at least you aren't on your own with this. I'm here and so is Daph."

"But… Lyra is just… just when you think it's beginning to settle down with her something else happens and I just want it to stop," he said as he looked at her.

"Things are beginning to settle down and with her memory coming back things will get easier," Astoria said, "just remember that it's hard for your parents as well… Lyra is 12 and cannot see how things are affecting you. She's school, training and bits of homework as well. I know you aren't being selfish either. You're just trying to make sense of what has happened."

Draco had been watching the flames dancing in the fire before he felt a hand squeezing his and he sighed softly.

"Thank you Ria," he said softly, "things are just a lot harder than I thought they would be."

"Then talk to your parents and explain that to them. They won't get angry Dray," Astoria said, "more concerned that you didn't speak up about how you were feeling sooner. They still care about you. Yes they may be preoccupied with Lyra and what she is facing but they will also be wishing and willing to listen and discuss things with you. The only way that they will understand how you are feeling is by you talking to them."

"They'll be furious that I never spoke up sooner and even more so when they realise why I didn't speak to them sooner…"

"What if I spoke with them first and explained things to them. It's not ideal but it could be better than you struggling to tell them because you are afraid of how they will react," Astoria offered, "you are supposed to be a Malfoy and not afraid of anything…"

"That might be an idea. If you're OK doing that then that may well help me out… and I am scared; scared that I will lose my sister and everything that is good in the world will be lost forever," Draco said, "she's my little sister. This should be my fate… not hers."

"Draco… Lyra was the first girl born into the family in generations. She's a special girl and one who I love like a little sister," Astoria said, "I wish that she didn't have this fate as well but there is nothing that we can do about it. All we can do is help and train her as best as we can, show her love and support and look out for her. Other than that there is nothing that we can do for her. I wish that she didn't have the task of defeating Bellatrix too but she has and nothing we can do will change that."

Draco sighed and nodded knowing that Astoria was right and he soon found her head resting on his shoulder and one of his arms found their way around the girl's waist before they eventually fell asleep under the blanket. Draco was glad to have Astoria and wondered if she had been right and their parents were arranging their marriage. That was something that could be left to discuss another day though.