She's done it, she figured it out. Why in merlin was no one here to witness her brilliance? She couldn't even pat herself on the back, because what was the point if only she knew about it? Huffing, she tossed the notebook off to the side before rushing out of the common room. If she remembered correctly, Fred and George would be at Quidditch practice. They were so excited to be able to join once they entered second year, and ended up getting the positions as beaters.

Once she reached the pitch, she hurried over to where Fred's bag was, beginning to rummage around in it. She was breathless from the run over, gasping for air as she fumbled her hands around in the sack. Once her hands made contact with the parchment, she let out a noise of success, pulling it out quickly.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing lass?"

Yelping, she spun around, facing Oliver Wood who hovered above her on his broomstick. "Uh." She stuttered, "H-Hello Oliver. Fancy seeing you here." He raised a brow at that, "Fancy seeing me? Practicing with my team?" He narrowed his eyes at the parchment she was hiding badly behind her back, "What are you doing here, eh? You spying on the Gryffindor team? Trying to help your Hufflepuffs? Cause I tell ye, we're going to beat your sorry tails!"

Cyra tried not to groan as he jumped to conclusions, his competitiveness beginning to show its ugly rear, "No, Oliver. I am just borrowing Fred's..potion essay, he wanted me to look over it before he turned it in to Professor Snape." At that, Oliver snapped out of his paranoia, "Oh..yeah. That makes sense. Professor Snape is always assigning extra work on us Gryffindors. He probably wants us to fail so we can't play."

She nodded along, beginning to step away, "Yep, he's probably just worried about how you guys are going to wipe out his Slytherins next match." Oliver puffed his chest out, "Good! Our Team Captain has us working on new techniques, we'll have won before those Slytherins could hiss out, 'Quiddich'!" Cyra tried not to laugh as she inched further away, "Right, so I'll be reviewing this for him. Can't let you guys lose a beater!" He waved her off, flying back up to his team, "Very good, thank you Lupin! Hope to see you cheering us on!"

"Oh you know it!" She shouted back, before taking off back to her common room. Once Oliver reached the rest of his team, he tapped Fred on the shoulder, "Good friend you've got there, Weasley." Fred furrowed his brows at that, looking at him confused, "Huh?" Oliver chuckled, motioning down to Cyra's retreating figure, "Lupin. She came and got your potion essay to read it over for you. Good thing she is too, she's mighty good at that class. She'll be sure to help you pass." Fred nodded, smiling back at him, "Yeah, she's great, right?" As the older boy flew off to his post, Fred was hit with another wave of confusion, "Wait..what potion essay?"

"Hey Cy-"

"Bit busy, sorry Cedric! I'll see you for our library session!"

The Hufflepuff boy watched confused as the brunette sped past him, rushing up to the girl's dorm, "O..kay?" As the door slammed shut, he blinked for a moment before turning back to his essay, "I guess I'll ask her to help me with Potions later.."

Upstairs, Cyra was checking every nook and cranny to be sure she was completely alone. Once satisfied, she hopped onto the bed, placing the parchment before her. Whipping out her wand, she pointed it at the parchment with a satisfied grin, "I am up to no good!" There it was. Her genius. It took her almost half of second year to realize they were dropping hints with each attempt. And she had now put them together.

When nothing happened, her grin faded, staring at the blank parchment. Was she wrong? She couldn't possibly be. The high she had been riding was completely gone. There was no response, either. Did she manage to mess up and grab the wrong thing from Fred's bag?

Slowly, the words appeared, causing Cyra's heart to race.

'Mr. Moony would like to know, do you solemnly swear?'

"What?" She whispered, her brows furrowed in confusion. Pointing her wand at it again, she spoke again, "Yes. I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

'Mr. Moony would like to congratulate Ms. Lupin!'

'Mr. Prongs would like to applaud Ms. Lupin for demonstrating the intelligence she earned from her father!'

'Mr. Padfoot says it took long enough, well done.'

'Mr. Wormtail is proud of Ms. Lupin!'

At that, the words faded into the parchment, before something entirely different appeared.

"Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present 'The Maruader's Map'" Cyra read out, her eyes wide as she took in every inch of the work. Upon opening it, she took in a sharp breath, seeing the multiple names appearing on different parts of the map, moving around and leaving footsteps.

"This is..incredible!" She laughed, glancing over to where Fred and George were, watching them hover around the Quiddich Field. Looking over for more, she saw 'Percy Weasley' wandering around Library next, a 'Peter Pettigrew' on his side. During her search, more words appeared in the blank spot at the top.

'Mr. Moony would like to offer some help to Ms. Lupin. Whenever you are finished with your troublemaking, it is advised you say, "Mischief Managed".'

Cyra smiled as the handwriting faded, "Thanks Papa." Hearing footsteps approaching, she pointed her wand at it quickly, "Mischief Managed." At that, the map shut itself, fading back into a blank and unsuspecting parchment.

It was Sarah who entered, looking over Cyra's strange position on the bed, "Evening..I just came to get my transfiguration book." Cyra nodded, slipping the map into her bookbag, "Sounds good, have fun!" Sarah watched her curiously, raising a brow, "What are you up to, Cyra?" As she stood up, the brunette put on the sweetest smile she could manage, "Nothing." At that, she was out, leaving her housemate even more suspicious.

As Cyra hurried along the halls, she looked around nervously, trying to figure out where the twins would be. They weren't at the field when she went to find them. Pausing in her steps, she realized she could just use the map to find them. Her pause was enough for her attackers, a hand covering her mouth to muffle her scream as she was dragged into a dark alcove.

Cyra fought against the arms that held her, biting down on the fingers over her mouth, causing one of her attackers to yelp, "OW! Bloody hell, Cyra! Watch where you're chomping!" Oh, that was just George. Spinning around, she smacked him and his brother on their shoulders, "Don't ever do that again!" They winced and backed up away from her assaults.

"Well what did you expect us to do?" George defended, pointing out in the halls, "You were running like a mad hippogriff! It was our only chance to catch you!" Cyra huffed, fixing her robes back, "I was looking for you two." George blinked at that, "Oh."

Fred was next to step up, putting his hands on his hips, "Why did you steal the parchment from my bag, little lady?" Cyra raised a brow at that, "Little lady? Who are you, my papa?" Fred flushed for a moment before he stilled himself, pointing his finger at her chest, "Don't change the subject! Where is the parchment?"

"You mean the map?"

"Yes! I mean the- wait..what?"

Cyra shot him a mischievous smile, slipping said item out of her bag, "I said, the map. The Maruader's Map, to be correct." At their confused looks, she snapped out her wand and pointed it at the blank parchment, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." She watched their expressions turn to pure shock, allowing them to soak in everything as they explored it. After a few moments, she was snatched up in a tight hug.

"Cyra Lupin, you absolute genius witch! We love you so much!"

There it was. The proper praise for her brilliance. This is what she had been waiting for. Now she allowed herself a pat on the back.

Cyra always waited for late at night for her to get undressed. She used the excuse of being absorbed in her reading, waiting until everyone had gone off to sleep. Once the final light went out, she placed her decoy book to the side, padding off quietly to the bathroom.

It had been a long day, it felt like classes just got harder from last year. More work, and more difficulty. She was grateful that next year she would be able to choose some of her own. Divination and Care for Magical Creatures are what she planned on taking. They just seemed to be the most interesting.

Starting up the shower, she began stepping out of her uniform. She knew the hot water would be best for her sore muscles, not wanting to wake up with a crick in her neck in the morning. Sighing, she took her hair down from the ponytail, feeling some gunk stuck in it. A result from the recent escapades of a certain pair of twins.

She really needed to get them to lay off of the Slytherins, target someone else for a while. It was good to equally prank, not just picking on one house. Stepping in the shower, she let out a happy hum, already feeling relaxed.

This was the time she looked forward to. A time where she didn't have to cover up, and just enjoy feeling relaxed after a long day. She earned it, this year had gone by in such a flash, but she felt all the weight from it.

Once her hair was clean from the gunk, she allowed herself to soak for a few moments longer before stepping out. It was at that moment however, the door swung open. Letting out a yelp, she snatched up her towel, covering herself from the intruder.

It was Elizabeth Graham, a third year Hufflepuff. Covering her eyes quickly, she calmly spoke, "Oh my apologies, Lupin. I didn't think anyone would be awake at this time." Cyra glanced in the mirror for a quick moment, grateful her hair had covered the bite on her shoulder, "I-It's fine. I usually wait for others to go to bed, more peaceful that way."

"And cause of the scars?"

Huh? Cyra's eyes widened at that, looking back over to the older girl, "W-Well.. I mean.." Somehow she was speechless, unable to come up with an excuse. Had she been found out? Elizabeth carefully put her hands down, smiling at her, "You know, there are some muggle creams to help with such..imperfections. You should try them." Cyra found her tone to be almost sickingly sweet, as if it was laced with poison.

"Might help you feel prettier, y'know? Though, it may not work all the way." Elizabeth continued, not aware of the frown that had formed on the younger girl's face, "They looked pretty deep." Cyra swallowed down the words she really wanted to say, forcing out, "Thank you."

At that, she snatched up her uniform from the floor, walking out the door that led to her dorm, leaving the older student to get her shower. Once she was in the dark room, Cyra let out a shaky breath, blinking back the tears. For the first time, she felt ugly.

That summer was much worse, as with another year came changes. She looked herself over in the mirror, her brows furrowed with worry. She looked awkward, her height had randomly shot up and it felt like she gained weight almost overnight. Turning herself to the side in the mirror, she let out a groan as she saw the stretch marks on her hips. She felt like she was covered in them.

The knock on the door caught her attention, Remus's voice following, "Cyra? Are you okay?" She glanced at her reflection again, huffing, "No, I'm being destroyed by puberty!" The chuckle he gave in response only fueled her aggravation, "It's not funny, Papa!"

"No, no, you're right." He stifled his laughter, "I'm sorry. Can I come in?"

She snatched up her shirt, slipping it on, "Go ahead." He stepped in, looking around the messy room with a raised brow, "Did..a tornado blow through here?" Cyra noticed the mess as well, shame beginning to sink in, "No..it was me. Nothing fits right."

Realization hit him, his eyes softening as he looked down at his daughter, "Oh Cyra. We can get you new clothes. Or you could steal from my closet like usual." She let out a dramatic sigh, falling back on the bed, "I know. I just.. I'm frustrated!"

He joined her, sitting on the edge, looking down at her with a patient smile, "Do you want to talk about it?" Cyra pouted as she stared at the ceiling, staying silent. Knowing this was just her angsty teenage silence, he laid himself down beside her, waiting.

"I feel ugly."

There it was. Turning his head to look at her, he whispered, "Cyra, you're beautiful." He watched as her face scrunched up with emotion, amber eyes filling with tears, before spilling out alongside her words.

"I don't look like the other girls. I noticed it second year. The scars didn't bother me until Graham saw them."

Remus reached over, petting her hair softly, "Graham? Who's that?" She sniffled, narrowing her eyes at the ceiling as she remembered the girl, "She's a year ahead of me. She walked into the bathroom while I was in the shower, saw the scars on my stomach. She..She said that there's muggle products to reduce 'imperfections' but that from how deep they looked, it might not help that much. I didn't know what to say, so I just.. thanked her."

After her explanation, she covered her face to shield herself away from the world. Remus felt anger boil inside him at the thought of this awful teenager hurting his little girl's feelings. Pulling her into a side hug, he kissed the top of her head, "Cyra, no. You don't need to listen to that awful girl. Your scars are not imperfections. They are your marks of survival."

"I know! And I told myself that! I kept saying that she was just jealous, but jealous of what!? Surviving a werewolf attack!? Being marked up like a piece of meat!? Yeah I'm so sure any teenage girl would be jealous of that!"

Remus winced as he heard the self-hatred in her words, remembering how he did just the same when he was younger. The only difference was the boys in his dorm didn't care, thinking the scars were cool. But he knew that it was much different for his daughter.

"Fred and George invited me to the swimming hole this summer and I just..couldn't. I didn't want them to see me like that. For them to look at me with such disgust. It would kill me, Papa."

He sighed, feeling his eyes begin to water at her words, hearing the pain in her voice. "Cyra-" His voice broke for a moment, "Cyra, I know. I know. But you have to believe me when I say, the twins will not care. About your scars or.." He trailed off, feeling the doubt begin to sink in. He honestly didn't know how they would react to Cyra's condition.

They were loyal. He had seen how passionate they were about their bond, always stuck to her like glue. They were the exact same as when they were six. He didn't know back then if their friendship would remain strong throughout Hogwarts, but the past two years had proved it. Fred and George cared a great deal about Cyra. Much like his friends did.

"Or?"

He squeezed her tightly against him, knowing his next words may seal her fate. She needed to have a support system. She deserved the same he got. It wasn't fair to keep lying to them. But, he was so terrified. He couldn't live with Cyra being rejected from her friends.

"Or your condition. If you choose to tell them."

Remus let go of her as she pulled back, seeing her eyes wide with panic, "No! No! I-I can't tell them! They'll see me as some monster!" He shushed her, trying to calm her down, "I won't make you tell them Cyra, it was just a suggestion." Once he was sure she wouldn't freak out, he continued, "I don't think they would think you're a monster though. You've been friends for seven years, they wouldn't let a friendship go like that."

She let out a huff, rolling her eyes, "Yeah, seven years of lies. They would never forgive me." He sighed, petting her head, "You don't have to. But eventually they will find out." She glanced over at him, looking unsure, "What do you mean?" Remus smiled weakly, "Mine did. Third year. It's hard to keep this secret from your closest friends."

Cyra now looked worried, pressing her lips tightly together. Pulling her back into his arms, he held her comfortingly, "Shh, you don't have to do it now. But I do suggest you do it soon." He felt her nod against his chest, his hand coming up to run through her hair, "What do you say we go on a little shopping trip, huh? And you know what? We'll get you a bathing suit too."

Cyra looked up at him, her eyes red from crying, "Really?" He smiled down at her, nodding, "Yeah, and then we'll get some ice cream from your favorite shop." She let out a loud gasp, sitting up with an excited grin, "The one that has the candy bar!?" Remus grinned back at her, raising up from the bed, "The very one!"

"I'll get my bag! You go get your slippers off!"

He hurried out of the teen's room, laughing as he hurried to go get his shoes, "Yes ma'am!"

"Hmm.. you are definitely not a A-cup anymore young lady."

Cyra shuffled her feet on the podium as the helper lady measured her chest, "What..am I then?" She saw the lady shoot her a smile in the mirror, "You'll be a B-cup. Just a little adjustment, no worries. We'll also have to fix up your band size."

At that, she hurried out, leaving Cyra to stand awkwardly in the dressing room. This felt so weird. Why couldn't she just stay in training bras? What was even a wire? This was all very confusing.

"Alright, I got you a little floral one to try on!"

Oh she was already back. Turning around, she saw the rose patterned bra. It was shaped much stranger than her training bras. They looked more revealing.

"Off with the old one, let's go!"

Sighing, she followed her orders. Once she was fitted in the new one, she stared at her reflection. She supposed it was much more comfortable. Maybe a wire wasn't all that bad.

"There we are, gorgeous. You look like a young woman now."

Cyra smiled weakly at the helper, "Yeah..I guess." The lady saw it and tsked, "None of that. I wish I looked like you, love. You've got an angel face." The teenager frowned at that, motioning down at her stomach, "Yeah, just the face." The helper's stare softened at that, "Now dear, you're not the only woman with scars. They are a sign you're a survivor. If anything, it makes you more beautiful."

She was grateful the helper never asked about what happened, muggles seemed to know not to cross many boundaries. But her response confused her, her frown disappearing as she thought about it, "Beautiful? How so?"

The helper smiled at her, quoting, "Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." She gave a moment for the words to sink in before continuing, "Kahlil Gibran said that. He was a writer and visual artist. He appreciated the real beauty in the world. Your scars are not nuisance, but a visible representation of your soul. A strong and fighting soul, which I think is precious."

Cyra swallowed thickly, looking back at her reflection. Her pale skin held jagged scars, covering her stomach that made its way to her sides. Running her fingers over the discolored skin, she whispered, "Thank you.." The helper placed a hand on her back, "Of course, dear. Now, I think we'll pick some plain bras, but keep some cute flower print for you, sound good?" She waited until she got a nod to head out and grab them, seeing Remus waiting outside.

He smiled down at the helper, "Thank you again." She winked at him before hurrying off, "Next we'll choose the bathing suit! I'm thinking something darker to suit her complexion!"

Remus was soon carrying around the bags, not complaining from how heavy they were. The smile on Cyra's face was enough payment for him to lug around the weight. Next was the salon, an idea brought up by the helper in the store. It had been a bit since Cyra's gotten her hair cut, and he figured it would be good for her to get all girlied up.

Once they entered, he was assaulted by the smell of heavy perfume. Cyra crinkled her nose as well, letting out a noise of discomfort as she looked around the bright shop. A hairdresser came up to them, "Hello there! Welcome to Snips and Clips! What can I do for you?"

Remus motioned to Cyra, who stepped forward awkwardly, "Um.. hello sir, can I have a haircut?" The Hairdresser smiled down at her, holding out his hand to her, "Indeed you can, lovely. I am Jacque, you are?" She took it, shaking it carefully, "Cyra."

"Gorgeous name for a gorgeous girl. Now let's get you in a chair!"

Once Cyra was shampooed and propped up, Jacque messed around with her hair, "You have some beautiful curls, love. Very thick. I'm sure it must get hot for you." She sighed, nodding tiredly, "Yes, I just tie it back." He looked it over, feeling the texture in his fingers, "Hmm..we'll thin it up. That should help cool you down, but also add a bit more bounce to your curls."

And he was off to work. Remus watched curiously as hair dropped to the floor in a pile, yet her hair didn't seem to change. Jacque then did what he called, 'layering' and Cyra's curls began to become much tighter.

"How's that feel love?"

Cyra shook her head, watching her curls bounce around, "It's great!" She didn't lose a lot of length, her curls still reaching her shoulders, but it seemed much more tamed. She noticed it was also glossier. Once the cape was removed, she turned to Remus for approval, "Papa?" He stared at her in awe before smiling, "Well, I didn't think it was possible for you to become more beautiful, but you did."

She smiled back, running her fingers through her hair, it felt so light.

That night, Cyra got dressed in one of Remus's old shirts. As she stood in front of the mirror, she tucked a curl behind her ear, smiling at her reflection. She was growing up fast, but somehow after today, it felt much less scary. Pulling up her shirt to her ribs, she looked over the scars.

"The most massive characters are seared with scars..huh." She whispered, staring at them for a moment before letting go of the shirt. After a moment, she leaned in to examine the scar on her lips, smiling softly, "Well.. I suppose they all think I'm pretty with this one.. why should my others be different?"

"Come on Cyra! Hop in!"

She listened to the cheers, staring down from the dock. Fred and George were already in the water, beckoning her in. Percy was sitting on the edge, letting his legs hang in the water as he read his novel. Ron and Ginny were trying to splash him, laughing each time he got irritated and kicked some water back at them. Bill and Charlie were gone, the latter having moved all the way to Romania.

Glancing back at her friends, she let out a nervous sigh, stripping off her band tee and shorts. The lady at the shop had found her a dark blue one-piece, with one shoulder strap that covered her bite perfectly, coming off into a cute ruffle. Pausing as she heard the silence, she looked at them worried, "What is it?"

Fred and George were staring at her weirdly, their mouths agape. She began to feel self-conscious, "W-What?" Percy looked up, seeing her, his brows raising up in surprise, "Oh, Cyra, you look lovely." That seemed to snap Fred and George out of it, spinning around to glare at their older brother, "Keep your eyes to yourself, Prefect Percy!"

Taking the distraction, she slipped into the water, shivering a bit at how cool it was. Once they brought their attention back to her, she tried to joke as she swam around, "Do I really look that weird?" Her voice wavered in insecurity.

"No!" George shouted, his cheeks flushed as he shoved at his brother to speak up. Fred gasped out, "U-Uh.. pretty.." Percy snorted from his place, shaking his head, "Idiots.." Once Fred noticed his twin staring at him, his previous words came back to haunt him. A glance at his female companion's shocked expression, he turned around to George, "Right, drown me." George gave a determined nod before pushing him under the water, "It was nice to know you, brother."

"Stop! Don't actually drown him!" Cyra swam over to them, grabbing at George's arms. Fred soon came up above the water, gasping for air. George swallowed thickly as Cyra held his arms, trying to look at anything but her. She huffed, letting him go, "Okay, seriously! What is the problem here!?"

"You're just..very exposed."

Now she was irritated. This wasn't even the most revealing swimsuit they had. If anything, she was more covered up than most teenage girls. Glaring at George, she gritted out, "You're both shirtless."

"Your shoulders are showing!"

Fred coughed up water, gasping out, "And your legs.." Cyra directed her glare at him next, "Should I go cover up then!? Am I not allowed to wear a swimsuit?" George groaned, shaking his head, "Nooo, just..give us some time to adjust." Fred made a noise of agreement, still trying to get the water from his lungs.

"Fine. I'll go swim with Percy.." She trailed off, turning away.

"NOT LIKE THAT!"

She gasped as a pair of arms grabbed at her, hugging her back against a body. Realizing what he did, George began stammering, "I-I just mean.. stay with us..but still give us time." Cyra nodded slowly, waiting for him to let her go. When he didn't, she turned her head to look at him, "George?" Upon seeing him, she felt her curiosity pique. How was it possible for him to be so red? Even his ears were tinged.

"Did you get sunburnt already?"

"N-No!"

"You're practically a lobster! Fred is also burnt!"

Percy hid his smile behind his novel. He couldn't wait to tell Penelope about this.