This is going along very well! I'm starting to get back into this story! :D

Oh! I forgot to tell you guys before! I don't make up these dates, I'm using a timeline coz I like being accurate...or authentic. Take your pick. Maybe a bit of both? xD So most of these events actually happened on the correct dates (though the website I'm using does admit that there are inconsistencies but anyways)...except for the Quidditch semi-final match. That I made up :D

There was silence in the room, broken only by the clinking of silverware on plates. The three sat there around the table, none of them speaking, all focused on their own food and thoughts. Draco pushed the peas around on his plate.

"Everything alright darling?" Draco looked up to find his mother eyeing him with concern.

"I'm fine," he said, trying to sound bored as usual. His voice wobbled ever so slightly on the last syllable, and he hoped she didn't hear it.

By the look on her face, he knew she had. "What's wrong Draco? You can tell me?"

"I'm fine," Draco repeated, looking back down at his plate. To avoid further questions, he shovelled some peas into his mouth. They were cold and mushy. Lyra preferred themhot and soft. Merlin's beard. She was even here at the dinner table.

Narcissa continued to eye her son. After a pause, she asked, "Is it girl trouble?"

Draco choked, then swallowed as quickly as he could, before standing in a swift movement. I can't do this. I need to get out of here.

"Draco!"

His mother's plea fell on deaf ears, as Draco ran up to his room.

Narcissa made as if to get up.
"Let him go Cissa."

The woman looked at her husband. He looked exhausted, but his eyes still lingered on the path his son had made out of the room.

"Lucius," began the woman, but he cut her off.

"He'll be alright. He needs time to think."

Wife studied husband. "You know where he's been going," Narcissa finally said accusingly. When Lucius made no move to deny it, she demanded, "And you never told me?" Her voice rose in a ringing shout.

"I had my suspicions," replied Lucius. "But I let him go. You must too, Cissa." When Narcissa fell silent, he raised his eyes to capture hers. "Draco has a chance to right the wrongs his choices have caused. He has the opportunity to redeem himself and find some happiness in life. Let him have that chance. When he's ready to tell us, he will. I'm sure of it."

As the two talked, the object of their discussion was searching frantically through his room. Draco searched left and right, throwing aside everything in his path. Finally he pulled out his wand. "Accio Lyra's diary!"

The moment the black book landed in his hands, Draco relaxed. His panic was gone. It felt like he was safe again. He could almost taste the memories and the happiness he'd once shared with his twin. Finished with his task, he moved to a clear spot. He needed to get out of here. Without hesitation he turned.

When Draco's world stopped spinning he opened his eyes. He stood in a waiting room of St. Mungo's. The waiting room on Lyra's floor. Quickly Draco shoved away pain for the thousandth time since the Battle of Hogwarts.

"You're early Malfoy."

George looked at the speaker: George Weasley. The boy lounged on one of the chairs, his face one of polite interest.

Draco sat in a chair opposite the boy. "I needed to get away. Or maybe come back. I'm not sure." He gave a short, bitter laugh. "I'm not sure about anything anymore. "Where's everybody else?" he finally managed, wanting to get away from the topic of him.

George shrugged. "Everybody's gone home but me. I just couldn't go back. Not yet," he found himself admitting to Malfoy.

Draco studied him. He'd seen it but it hadn't registered: The Weasley family gathered around the body of a red haired youth, one with laughter lingering on his face. The face of Fred Weasley. Draco's chest tightened, but he found that he couldn't speak, only nod.

So the Weasley and the Malfoy sat in the waiting room together, one reading, the other eventually sleeping, while they both waited for someone they loved to wake up.

Saturday 26th December 1994

Last night was the Yule Ball. It was a wonderful night. I didn't want to at first, because I hadn't found a date. Normally, I wouldn't have cared, but I knew that Draco would use it as an excuse to taunt me, and I wanted as little to do with him as possible, especially after his Potter Stink badges were circulating all over Hogwarts. I was debating whether to go or not, but someone made the decision for me.

George Weasley.

Isn't that weird? Someone I'm living with, who I see as an older brother, asked me as a date.

George and Fred found me in the Gryffindor common room in my free period, going over my Transfiguration essay. Fred nudged his brother "Go on then," he said, as I looked up.

George took a breath. "Are you going to the Yule Ball with anyone?" he asked. When I shook my head, he said, "Don't take this the wrong way, but would you go to the Ball with me?"

I was struck dumb, which gave him plenty of time to explain. "Fred's going with Angelina, and I know he'll never let me hear the end of it if I don't get a partner. And I'm betting your brother would bully you forever over it-I hear he's going with Pansy Parkinson. Call it…a favour? I mean, as friends?"

I finally found my voice. "Are you kidding?"

George smiled wryly. "Not this time. I really am kinda desperate."

"Well, that's just insulting," I teased him. "Of course I'll go with you. As friends of course," I added hurriedly.

"Of course," agreed George. "Look at it this way," he added. "Imagine the look on Malfoy's face when you enter with a Weasley, of all people."

I laughed. "You're right," I said, realising that with George as a date, the night ahead would be very fun. "This would be a great joke to play on Draco."

It was a great joke. I had a great time that night, laughing and dancing with George. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were also all equally shocked, but George and I reassured Ron the next morning that it was merely a joke on Malfoy. That was a very awkward conversation!

At midnight, we headed back to the common room, and said good night to eachother.

"Thanks George," I said. "I really had a lot of fun." I meant every word.

George appeared to be struggling with himself. ""Do you know why we became friends?" he blurted out.

"Knowing you two, it was probably a great prank," I joked. I cocked my head at him. "Was it?"

"Yes," George admitted. "Fred had the idea. He thought it would be funny for a Weasley to befriend a Malfoy…or at least pretend to befriend you. We never counted on actually becoming friends. You're not angry, are you?" he studied me, worried.

"Not really," I replied. "I was always surprised as to why you two were so nice all of a sudden. I thought it was because Percy was still at Hogwarts…but as the years went on I began to wonder." I snorted. "It doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Nor do I care. It all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Not the way we expected it to," replied George.
"Not for you," I agreed, "but then that's the best part of life isn't it?" When George glanced at me, I said, "When unexpected things happen."

"Only if they're good," replied George, "not like you getting into Gryffindor."

"When has that ever been bad?" I replied. "I got to meet new people, make new friends, and find a new family." I grinned up at the boy I considered to be an older brother. "I'm glad I got Sorted into Gryffindor. Aren't you?"

George chuckled. "Not really. It was so much easier to pick on Ginny when she was the only girl in the house." He laughed and I punched him in the arm. He smiled at me. "Yeah. We're all glad you got put in Gryffindor. The Malfoys don't know what they're missing. Their loss."

Draco paused to think. It really had been his loss. He'd missed his sister growing up. He swallowed, then forced himself to read on.

The next morning, I paused to thank Fred. "For what?" he asked, bemused.

"For encouraging him to ask me," I smiled. "And for befriending me in the first place. Joke's on you, though. We're friends-you're stuck with me for life now."

Fred studied me, surprised. "He told you? About our joke?" When I nodded, he sighed. "And you're not angry. I owe George 2 Galleons." When I blinked at him, surprised, he explained. "I bet George 1 Galleon that you wouldn't go with him, and 1 Galleon that you would be angry when you found out about the joke."

I laughed. "I'm disappointed Fred," I said. "All this time I've lived in your house and I thought you knew me better."

"We gambled on you, and you still don't care?" Fred was truly surprised now.

"Well, I'm not surprised. And I can't do anything about it now," I replied. "That does not mean you can play more tricks on me, by the way. Besides, Ginny and I will just get back at you."

Fred laughed. At that moment, George came down the stair leading from the boys dormitory. He looked at the two of us, and I wondered how much he had overheard.
"Oi Fred, been looking all over for you," was all he said. "You owe me two Galleons. Pay up."

Fred dug in his pocket, handing over the coins. "Knock yourself out," he said.

Then the three of us all headed off to a very leisurely Boxing Day breakfast.

Well, I don't have much to say about what happened after, except that Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and I got into a very large snowball fight involving students of all years and Houses. Eventually Professor McGonagall interrupted and sent us all inside after it started snowing too heavily. It had to be one of the best ways to spend Christmas.

Draco remembered the Yule Ball. He could almost see it, the icy statues, the beautiful decorations…

I walk in behind Professor Snape, Pansy Parkinson on my arm. Immediately, I start scanning for you. I ignore Pansy's scathing whisper about the Granger girl, who had somehow gotten Krum as partner. I also ignore the first dance between the Triwizard Champions. My mission is simple: Find you.

I finally spot you as the music ends and feel a smirk form on my face as I gaze over. I knew through the faithful gossip chain that you hadn't managed to find a ball partner. My face is already forming a smug grin when I feel it freeze.

You have found a partner.

George Weasley. I stare in disbelief. You see me looking, and give me a mirror-image smirk. George waves at me with an identical smirk. I hear Pansy's gasp of disbelief.

Quickly I school my face into that cold arrogance that I had grown so familiar with, but I can tell by the look on your face that you've seen my shock. Your smirk widens. George says something as the band strikes up another song, offering you a hand. You look at him, a grin widening on your face, and place you hand in his palm, letting him lead you onto the floor as the band begins a fast waltz.

My thoughts are gone. Intentions to tease and laugh at you have faded.

"Well," muttered Draco, pulling out of his memory, "at least George was a good dancer." He snorted to himself, and smiled sadly as he looked over at George's prone form in the chair and remembered the look of enjoyment on Lyra's face as the boy spun her around.

Taking a deep breath, he read on. Second Task, Third Task, yada, yada. Harry's return from the Third Task, Voldemort's return. Draco shuddered, quickly turning the page. It was too soon to even so much as look at any references to Him. Quickly Draco continued flipping pages, pausing before a particular entry.

Sunday 1st August 1995

Today I met someone I thought I would never see in my life. During the last weeks of the break, Dumbledore had reinstated a group he founded, The Order of the Phoenix. I don't know much about it though, because I'm underage, apart from that they were formed to fight Lord Voldemort. Because of this the Weasleys had all moved to the Headquarters, No. 12 Grimmauld Place. I was stunned at who Mrs Weasley (who I called Mum now) introduced me to.

"Wait here," she told me, then headed off to find someone. She returned, saying to the person "I thought you might want to meet her."

Sirius Black stood behind Mum.

For a moment I was speechless. Harry had told me, after his Time Turner adventure, how he and Hermione had rescued Sirius and Buckbeak and they had escaped together. And he was hiding out here!

Sirius's eyes narrowed as he recognised the pointed chin, grey eyes, pale face, and white-blond hair. "You're a Malfoy."

I got it together enough to say, "Lyra Malfoy. I'm Narcissa's daughter." Then my shock overcame me and I ducked my head.

There was a long silence before I heard the man say, "Never thought I'd be glad to welcome a Malfoy into my home." I looked up, and realised the narrowed gaze was gone. He was studying curiously. "So, you're just like me, hmm?"

"Who told you that?" I squeaked.

Sirius shrugged. "Well, you're a Black, and not in Slytherin. That makes you like me. Bet that shocked the parents."

"How did you do it?" I blurted.

Sirius blinked. "Do what?"

"Live. Without your family. How could you handle it?"

Sirius smiled for the first time since I'd met him. "Let's get everyone inside, then I'll tell you all about it," he replied.
It was probably his smile that gave me the courage to say, "I'm glad you're here. Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to meet you?"

Sirius laughed, his face lighting up. "I've wanted to meet you too." At my quizzical look, he explained, "Remus-Professor Lupin-told me all about you. We were friends at Hogwarts."

"I'm not a Professor anymore." Lupin's head appeared from the doorway to the kitchen. "I quit about two years ago, remember?" He smiled at me. "Hello Lyra. How are you?"

"Hi," I said, a real smile blooming on my face. "I've been great."
"As one would be when staying at The Burrow," replied Professor Lupin.

"Except for Fred and George. They're always stirring things up. Especially now they're of age to do magic." I added almost thoughtfully. The twins, having just passed their Apparation test, had been popping all over The Burrow ever since. More than once I'd threatened to decorate their room with my Potions ingredients (I wasn't the only one. Ginny was also coming up with inventive threats to make the pair of them stop). Lupin and Sirius both chuckled.

I got to meet up with Hermione, who I hadn't seen since we left Hogwarts. Dumbledore came as well! Although he made us promise that we wouldn't tell Harry anything about what's happening. I knew Harry would kill us when he finally got here. I'm actually worried about Harry. After Voldemort's return I know they'll be targeting him, but when I asked former Professor Lupin-who insisted we call him Remus-he said that it was all under control. Since I couldn't do anything about it, I'm forced to wait until Harry gets here and tries to kill us all.

I'll leave it at that.

Sirius Black. The name rippled through Draco's mind. Sirius was his first cousin once removed. Draco sighed. And stirred. Sirius had been killed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. The death, he knew, would've affected Lyra deeply-he knew she would've become quite attached to her cousin. His mind suddenly jumped to Nymphadora Tonks, another cousin through his maternal aunt Andromeda. Tonks was dead too, killed in the battle by Aunt Bellatrix. "What a family," he muttered to himself.

"Well Draco? Would you babysit the cubs?"

The words leapt to his mind, and Draco stiffened. The sound of Lyra's diary hitting the ground jolted him out of his paralysis. Draco sighed again and let himself shudder. He didn't think he'd ever get over his time as a Death Eater. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the diary, turning to a random page.

Saturday 2nd November 1995

Today Gryffindor beat Slytherin in the Quidditch match. Normally, this in itself would be unremarkable to say the least, but it's what happened after that made my blood boil. Draco, angry at his team losing, provoked Harry, Fred, and George into attacking him. Professor McGonagall told them off in her office and was on the verge of punishing them when Professor Umbridge intervened-and gave the three lifelong bans from Quidditch.

Our team has no Seeker or Beaters. What in Merlin's name are they going to do?

It makes me sick, so I'm going to go to bed, and hopefully in the morning I'll feel better.

I doubt it.

Draco scowled at the page. The longer he read, the more he came across instances of his extreme pettiness. He hated it. Quickly he turned the page.

Wednesday 18th December 1995

Today were Quidditch tryouts for Gryffindor. Fred and George urged me into going.

"Come on," George had said with a grin, "Ginny's going too. You've flown with us at home, remember?" I used Charlie's old Cleansweep Five.

So I went, pressured into it by those two annoying twins.

At the end of the tryouts, Ginny was appointed as Seeker, while Jack Sloper became one of the new Beaters.

The other new Beater Angelina appointed was me.

I was shocked at first. "Don't look at me like that," said my new Captain briskly as I stared at her. "We all saw you fly. You have this knack for predicting the path of players around you. I intend to have you use it as much as possible. Only, you might need a better broom," She added. I had been flying on the old Shooting Star that was used for practice. It was easily outstripped by the other brooms, but somehow I'd outdone the others anyway. She clapped me on the shoulder, then strode away with the others.

I headed back up to common room, where the second surprise of the day awaited me, in the form of Fred and George. George waited until I had sat down on one of the couches with them before placing a large bundle in my lap. "Here. You'll need all this to play."

I looked down, and realised that the bundle consisted of George's Beater's jersey accompanied with his Beater's Bat. "I wrote to Mum and asked her to send over Charlie's old broom as well," George added as I gazed at it.

I stared up at the two of them, awed by their display. "George…I…"

"Save it," replied the boy. He, like his older twin, sported identical grins. "Fred has given Sloper his stuff. Just promise us that you'll smack Malfoy when you get the chance."

I didn't save it. Instead, I stood, hugging George fiercely, then Fred. "Thanks guys."

Draco snorted. He remembered his shock at the semi-finals, when he'd spotted his sister on that pitch with the bat. He had discovered that she was playing on the team during the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff match (which would've been disastrous if Ginny hadn't caught the Snitch, ending the game 230-240 to Hufflepuff), but he hadn't truly thought about it until his team had faced hers in the semi-finals. Suddenly Draco wanted to know. Seized by a sudden curiosity, he began turning pages, stopping when he found it.

Saturday 13th March 1996

Today was the semi-final match against Slytherin. Normally I would've been pumped, but I woke today feeling extremely green. I knew that Draco would taunt me forever if we lost to his team.

I sat silently at the table during breakfast, staring at the food. Two warm bodies thumped themselves on either side of me.

"You need to eat something Lyra, unless you wanna fall off your broom."

I looked up. George spoke to me while Fred busily filled my plate.

"Here." The younger twin shoved a buttered slice of toast into my right hand. "Eat. Malfoy would never let you hear the end of it if you fainted before you even started. And our team would be slaughtered. Eat."

I shook my head, nausea rising up into my throat.

George snorted. "Lyra, you can do this. You flew wonderfully at the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match. Stop being an idiot. Malfoy can probably see you from here."

For some odd reason, that jolted me out of my blind panic. I looked down at the toast for a long moment, then shook my head again.

George scowled. "Listen, you-"

I transferred the toast to my left hand, and reached across the table. "You forgot the jam."

"That the spirit," said Fred cheerfully. When I glanced at him, he was grinning. "You know we'll be watching."

I took a deep breath, letting it whoosh back out again. "Yeah. I can do this."

My momentary attack of nerves put behind me, I joined Angelina and the others as they left the Great Hall.

The game itself was better than I thought it would be. Madam Hooch was referee, which reassured me-I knew that the Slytherins wouldn't dare try anything too stupid with her watching. Angelina shook hands with the burly Slytherin Captain, keeping a straight face despite the brute's obvious attempt to crush her fingers. At last we mounted our brooms, me swinging my leg over Charlie's old Cleansweep. I patted the broom, feeling comfortable already. The twins were right, I was good at this.

At the piercing whistle, i shot into the sky with the others, buoyed up by the crowd's roar. If I ever finish school, I want to play for England, I found myself thinking. We played far better today than at our disastrous match against Hufflepuff. Following said match, Angelina had booked out the pitch for every spare hour we had. We practiced constantly, and had really developed into a team. Maybe not the team that we had in my first year, but we were still a considerable force. I proved that almost instantly, when I smacked Chaser Marcus Flint with a Bludger, causing him to drop the Quaffle and triggering an approving cheer. Angelina immediately grabbed it up.

Jack and I had really improved our communication skills as a pair. Working together, we would harry individual Slytherins, distracting the Keeper so that our Chasers could score, and defending our team.

"Got a new boyfriend, Lyra?" yelled Draco, nodding at Jack as he whisked past.
"Why," I yelled back, "did you want him?"

Draco performed a Sloth Grip Roll around the Bludger Jack smacked at him. "Too slow!" he yelled, laughing.

My Bludger caught him in the side, he yelped, flipping sideways. "Who's slow now?" I yelled, listening to my fellow Gryffindors cheer underneath me. Draco wheezed, clutching his side, then his eyes widened in horror, just as the cheering intensified.

I wheeled on my broom just as Ginny performed a reverse loop, finishing it with the Snitch gripped in her fist. Without thinking, I broke off contact with Draco to arrow towards her. I wasn't the only one. The others surrounded my adopted sister, engulfing her in a many-armed hug. I pulled up short, cheering, preparing to throw my arms around the girl-

"Look out!" I heard Alicia yell. Looking up, I realised her eyes were focused on a point behind me. Instantly I knew that either Crabbe or Goyle had aimed at me from behind, a filthy trick, especially since the game was over.

Focus. The word drifted through my head. During my free periods between the Hufflepuff game and now, the twins had been trying to teach me a very difficult backhand blow. George had said it had taken them at least 6 months to learn, and another 3 before they could successfully apply it in an actual game. Their words rippled through me. It's all about timing. Not too soon-you'll miss and look like a fool. Too late and it will go the wrong way. Don't go to it-let it come to you. As the words flew through my head, I raised George's Bat. When it felt right I twisted around and swung as hard as I could.

There was a smack, and I watched in awe as the Bludger soared into the sky. I did it.

The others hadn't noticed of course. They were too busy embracing Ginny. After all, her achievement had cemented our place in the final against Ravenclaw. As we all drifted towards the ground, I was dimly aware of the Gryffindor crowd screaming above me. I looked up and my eyes instantly connected with two faces in the crowd. Fred was staring, a look of amazement on his face. George's face was lit in a grin. As if he could see me, he gave me the thumbs up. I felt an answering grin bloom on my face.

During celebrations that night, I was assaulted by the twins as I sat in an armchair in the corner with my Butterbeer. "That was amazing!" exclaimed George.
"Well, I had good teachers," I replied jokingly.

Fred plopped himself down next to me. "Nah, it's more than that," he said. "You heard how long it took for us to learn it, yet alone use it. You've had, what, 3 weeks? And you did it first time. You've got a gift."

"What's that?" Angelina had approached us. Fred sprang up and gestured down at me. "You picked good, Ange."

"She's one of the best Beaters our team's ever had, and that's coming from us," George chimed in. I blushed. "It's true," exclaimed George, nodding at me. "You performed a Bludger Backbeat perfectly, and you haven't even been learning it that long. How did you do it?"

Angelina's gaze settled on me, her eyes wide. "You know the Bludger Backbeat?"

I shrugged, still blushing somewhat. "Fred and George have been teaching me."

The girl stared at me. "I didn't see her use it."

"That's coz you weren't looking," replied Fred easily, looping an arm around her waist (the two had been going out ever since Fred had asked her to the Yule Ball in fourth year). "You guys were too busy hugging Ginny. Goyle hit a Bludger at her while her back was turned. She didn't even turn around, just smacked it back like she'd been doing all her life."

Angelina continued to stare at me. "Fred is right," she said, amazed. "You do have a gift."

I snorted. "Fred and George taught me," I repeated, "and they're the best Beaters Gryffindor's had in a long time."

"If you say so," replied Angelina. "I know it when I see it that's all. I wouldn't be surprised if you played professionally one day."

As I sit here after the festivities, I wonder if Angelina is right. Do I really have that much of a gift? I'm not sure. But maybe, just maybe, my sudden desire to play for England might be not so far-fetched after all.

Draco remembered that game. He had been just as shocked and awed as her when she'd smacked that Bludger back. He didn't think she done it. Which was why he'd signalled Goyle to do it in the first place.

Sudden self-disgust rose up in him. Had he really been that petty? Just because she'd hit him with a Bludger, he wanted her to get hit back?

But even as he asked himself that, he knew the answer.

Scanning down the page again, his insides twisted inside him. Lyra had wanted to play for England. She'd wanted to take that amazing passion and gift of hers and do something with it. Now she was lying here, in this ward, and may not even wake up.

"You will wake up," Draco's words burst free of him without warning, with no regard for the red head sleeping peacefully across from him. He spoke with such fierceness that he surprised even himself. "You'll wake up if I have to wait for you forever."

Hmm...I personally think the intro scene with Draco's parents was a bit rushed, but it was the best I could do!
Aww...undying devotion...finally Draco is realising what he really needs :)
Did you like the Yule Ball scene? I had that in mind for a long time, and was very happy to finally put it on paper!
Ditto for the Quidditch stories. If you haven't noticed, I've been comparing Draco to Lyra...I guess I'm doing to Draco what Rowling did to Cho and Ginny...Lyra is basically Draco with a heart. At least that's how I saw it. Now all we need to do is see if her heart is big enough to wake his up. But it seems to be going well so far!

Hopefully it continues this way!

And if you haven't noticed, I skipped the WHOLE of Prisoner of Azkaban. It was mostly stuff about Harry and Sirius anyway...I wasn't sure how that would tie in with my story. And I didn't really know what to write about xD Also, because I felt it was mostly Harry's development and it focused on his past, and I didn't want to intrude on that :)

Wow, a long essay! Sorry guys. Anyway, Hope you liked it! :D

Love MagicalLeaves