You're quite right in thinking I favored Fred. It's true, I did. Because he was subtly trying to prove to Lyra he didn't think of her as a sister so he was trying to be more attention-getting!

I'm glad you all enjoyed the double update and the chapters, hopefully you'll like this one as well. Sorry if this one seems a tad rushed. I really just want them to get back to Hogwarts already!

disclaimer: I don't own anything but Lyra, and Wicky, and Mac...and whoever else isn't in the original story line.

To be a Gryffindor

It was Christmas day and Lyra absolutely refused to move from her bed. Wicky, the distraught little elf held out a tray of a small breakfast hoping to entice his distraught Lie from her bed.

Sniffing, Lyra buried her head back under one of the jewel toned pillows. "Go away Wicky, I'll eat later." Probably not, she was still too disgusted with herself to do more than cry and turn over in her bed.

It had been two days since she revealed her Minstrel status to her fr- Fred and George. Two days since Lyra apparently lost her mind and controlled them, forcing Fred almost to use one of the Unforgivable curses. Salazar's frosty white head, she was despicable! An unforgivable! A curse that could have killed her instantly if she'd finished her song. And the look in his eyes as Fred collapsed…

Curling into herself she sniffed and gently wiped her cheeks, the skin red and raw from crying off and on since she'd had Wicky take her from the Black residence. They never would be able to forgive her for that she was sure, despite them being alright with what she was, now that Lyra had forced them to see how much of a threat she could be.

Wicky nervously wrung his hands as he set the tray down. "Lie…Wicky knows you're sad. Wicky understands. Please, master wishes you to come downstairs." Wincing as her elbows and back popped painfully once she sat up Lyra pushed a hand through her knotted hair. "I can't, ok? Not yet. Let me mourn." The little hybrid whimpered, because she truly believed she was in mourning over the friendship that she'd lost. 'You're being dramatic, Lyra' She chided herself; even her mental voice was weak and watery despite the attempt. "Please, Lie? For the Wicky?" He pleaded his lower lip in a quaking pout. Drawing her knees up to her chest, Lyra rested her chin on one thinking it over.

She hadn't been out of her room in two days either. With only Wicky and that damn voice for company (who'd decided to make an unwelcomed appearance during the day!) Lyra figured she could go downstairs for a half hour and speak to the old man, maybe open one or two presents as well. They might even cheer her up….Ok they wouldn't. But the old man was expecting her. Tossing her used tissue in the nearly over flowing trash bin (Wicky had emptied it several times since she'd been home) she nodded. "Alright, but only for a little while." Because she really wanted to come back to bed and crawl under the covers and pretend she could disappear.

Godric's ghost! Things were so much simpler when she was invisible!

But damn her if she didn't wish she could forget about her time hanging out with Lee, Fred and George. It was over now; she'd probably even have to move to a different school. Most likely Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. And if she were being honest, Lyra absolutely dreaded being around all those pretty Veela's. As if her confidence hadn't already taken a beating. Despite that, her grandfather would have to pull a lot of strings, not that she was worth it; heartless betraying cow that she was.

Wicky clapped in excitement, scrambling up on her bed with her, summoning her silver comb to pull it through the strands. "Oh Master will be pleased! Wicky is, Wicky has Lie's gift all ready for her." He chatted the bed bouncing as he bounced in excitement, his tongue peeking out of his lips in concentration over his task, and despite the despair she wanted to drown herself in, her chapped lips cracked into a small smile especially when his hand curled around hers comfortingly.

Until she heard muffled yelling, making both her and Wicky pause in confusion. No one had ever really yelled in the MacKade house before. Not to say they were a perfectly peaceful bunch, the perfect family, but it was very uncommon for a screaming match to suddenly break out in what sounded like the front hall. Curious, she stood wondering if could be one of the house elves. Some of them definitely had wicked streaks (but were nowhere near as bad a Kreacher. Honestly, that loony elf was in a league all his own) and one or two were even known to deliberately pick fights. Yes, odd for the usually meek and obedient race and Lyra didn't take too long to dwell on it as she opened her door (strange things were always happening in her house anyways).

Padding down the hall, hardly noticing when a nervous Wicky disappeared, Lyra only paused at the top of the stair case jaw dropping. Fear skirted down her spine.

"What do you mean" "We can't see her!? You brought us here!?"

Heart rate picked up.

"I brought you here? You're both madder than old Voldy on a trampoline! You jumped me when I was leaving!"

Breathing hitched.

"A trampo-what now?" "We did not. It's not our fault you forgot the verbal invitation!"

Limbs trembled.

"Lad, that doesn't make any sense."

Eyes watered as they widened comically

"You're the one talking about you-know-who" "On a tramp named Pauline!" "That's just sick!" "Dirty old bugger!"

Fight or flight mental battle being weighed.

"A trampoline not a- forget it. I'm taking you both back before Molly hunts me down and skins my hide."

Urge to laugh hysterically.

"She won't" "If you just let us"

Oh…Fred and George were at her house standing toe to toe with her grandfather, yelling about Voldemort, trampolines, and skinning people alive. That was nice. And if she could trust herself, she would have laughed hysterically at the sight they were making. Instead a strangled noise left her throat, she thought it wasn't loud enough to carry over all the yelling, but obviously she's been wrong before because Fred and George's heads snapped toward the stair case so fast she was afraid their necks would break from the sudden jerk.

"Shit!" Merlin's magical ghosts save her now! But she really didn't expect Merlins' silvery ghost to appear and keep the Weasley twins from snatching her.

"You!" They practically growled and Lyra whimpered taking a step back. Damnit, damnit, damnit, she should have just stayed in bed! Wait, bed! Her bedroom door had some pretty tough charms on it. That would keep her safe. So, being the quick little thing she was, Lyra spun around and ran back down the hall, the heavy thumps on the stairs echoing, if she was wondering if the twins were following or not.

Why did this seem to awfully familiar? And why was this hall so damn long!?

Panting, exhausted from not sleeping well or moving around much in the past two days, she really wasn't surprised (the universe clearly hated her for some reason) when she tripped on the sleek material of her night-gown, which thankfully didn't lead to a face plant.

But it did lead to George catching her and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as they calmly walked toward her open bedroom door.

"George! Let me go!" Lyra struggled, wiggling around on his shoulder. He paused, and Fred grabbed her chin roughly, jerking her head so she was staring into furious cobalt eyes. "No one's letting you go anywhere, sweetheart. Not when we need to talk." He sneered releasing her as George carried her into her room, Fred slamming and locking the door.

George set her down and with a surprisingly rough spin as he jerked her wrist, causing the hybrid to lose her footing as she fell on the cushioned stool of her vanity back slamming painfully against the edge of the wood. Yelping, Lyra hopped back up only for Fred to roughly push her back down, she whimpered standing again only for him to repeat.

Her eyes still reptilian glared heatedly up at him in challenge baring her fangs. This was her room, her territory and she would not be ordered around in it! George's hand whipped out quickly, batting her on the nose.

Yelping she cupped the sensitive nose whimpering as she stared up at them, the silver shimmering through the water sheened over it. "Are you going to try to control us again to get away?" Fred hissed his eyes flashing. Lyra couldn't help physically and mentally flinching at the accusation in his tone. She bowed her head, sliding to the floor her back pressed against the stool, hand falling from her nose to curl in her lap as she sniffed. Well, she certainly deserved a few kicks while she was down. Shaking her head softly, she kept her eyes down cast and didn't have to wait long for the Weasley temper to explode before her, twice as deadly.

"You have a lot of nerve!" "A lot of nerve!"

"Running out on us" "Again! "

"Snarling and growling at us!"

"Then hiding out in this old fortress!"

""After we've done nothing but offer you friendship!"

"Deliberately putting ourselves in danger for some" "Barmy minstrel with a habit of running off before anyone" "Can get a word in!"

"Being driven completely mental by said minstrel who" "Appeared out of nowhere and stole our rightful detention from Umbitch!" "When we hadn't a clue who she was!" "With her big pretty eyes and bittersweet smiles…"

"After admitting she was dangerous!" "But refused to explain further!"

"Then coming to visit us after hearing our dad was injured by Voldy's ruddy snake"

"Giving us one hell of a good night's sleep after listening to her song"

"Not to mention getting in a brawl with a werewolf over us…"

Lyra stared at them in shock (having raised her head in disbelief after Fred mentioned Umbridge, or Umbitch as everyone had taken to calling her), wincing as they stressed the word minstrel each time. But their voices were growing softer and softer; all the rage that had been stored in the first few lines was gone as if they'd never been so angry to begin with.

Their pale faces were solemn as they spoke but their eyes were glittering like mad with that familiar mischief. "So…." Fred drawled his smirk well in place as he winked. "We're thinking that for you to make up for running away from us…again…" "We're claiming a life time of servitude from you." George finished with his own playful wink from above her.

Lyra was still frozen the only thought running through her head was:

What in Salazar's green and silver fun house had just happen?

Her poor mind couldn't seem to wrap around any of what had just transpired and for good reason. Everything they said had contradicted how they started (how Lyra had expected them if they ever had come to see her which wasn't likely.) "You're….you're not mad? Or afraid?" Lyra whispered licking her lips as her voice cracked.

George smiled softly, falling to his knees first as he reached out brushing his fingers across her sore cheeks then up to push her hair behind her ear. "Furious." He said softly leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "And we told you before, we're not afraid. We're men." Fred said, following George's example joining her on the floor he too reached out an touched her face his fingers curling around her chin much more gently this time around. "But don't ever do it again." The words were playful, but there was a warning in his eyes. He didn't ever want her to put him in the position with her puppeteering to shoot a killing curse. "I can't. It was so hard to do it that time.." She whispered softly as his fingers fell away and he pressed his lips to her cheek gently.

"No offense, but you look like shite." Fred teased and Lyra huffed hitting them both when George snickered trying to cover it with a cough. "Neither of you look any better." She snapped back crawling out from between them to stand and walk to her adjoining bathroom. Not even daring to look in the mirror she went about washing her face and slipping on the clothes that were mysteriously (suspiciously) already waiting for her in the bathroom. Slipping on the red dress she cocked her head to the side. Narrowing her eyes in thought as she went back in her room where Fred was lounging carelessly across her bed and George was curiously looking at the knick knacks that were on her shelves.

Seeing him pick up the crystal dragon she gasped. "George, please be careful with that!" He looked startled by her urgency, but luckily his hands remained steady as he set it back down. Pressing a hand to her chest she wandered over affectionately brushing over the gold tipped wings and horns on the silvery dragon. "Sorry, its special to me." Looking at the small dragon she frowned rubbing her forehead. Why was it so special to her again? But George nodded in understanding eyeing her dress. "You look better, rabbit." He said with a small smile.

"Rabbit?" Lyra breathed her eyes wide the color brightening as a smile formed on her lips. Was she still rabbit? "Yes, rabbit." George echoed arching a brow in clear amusement as he directed her over to her bed where Fred was already sitting up. "Looks like she forgot her name again, Gred."

"Rabbit, Forge, her name's rabbit." Fred mocked playfully as George cuffed his twin on the back of his head. "Not me nutter, rabbit's forgot her name!" Fred wagged a disappointed finger in her face as George tugged her down beside him on the bed. "How could you!?"

Why they were so good at making her words twist around in a way she didn't want, Lyra would never be able to understand. Cheeky carrot tops. "I didn't think…I mean I…how could…after…" Sighing she gave up as they both pressed fingers to her fumbling lips. "You can seduce us into-" "Doing whatever you want with that" "Sexy voice and needy eyes at will.." "But you're still.." "Our rabbit." They concluded in unison with matching lazy smiles.

She fought it perilously, fought against the cliché reaction she was about to have. That old predictable, but cheer extracting, muggle movie moment when the heroine cried tears of happiness at the reunion with her lover, or when she found her home. Lyra was already home, and neither Fred nor George were her lover, but the happiness was drowning her as her eyes stung for the thousandth time since she came home. They lost their smiles, Fred looking panicked while George kept that knowing look in his eyes as her traitorous eyes filled with tears. "You're both awful! Completely awful!" Lyra muttered and leaned up on her knees, slightly wobbly as the mattress shifted under her. She wrapped an arm around each of their necks, bringing them closer. "Hear that Georgie-ow! Watch the hair. I know I smell delicious and we both look like carrots from up their but I assure you we're not." He joked

George chuckled moving his head slightly to nuzzle her neck. "S'alright pretty rabbit." He purred softly and probably meant to seem consoling but sounded so perfect in her ears. She drew back, beaming, narrowing her eyes playfully as she tugged both of their hair watching in pleasure as they winced. George pulled her waist, spinning her so she fell in his lap; her legs flopped over Fred's lap to which he wasted no time playfully drawing patterns on the skin making her twitch and giggle.

"So…" Fred drawled with a grin and Lyra stiffened immediately in George's lap (she was way too comfortable with this and it took all of her discipline to keep from squealing again). "We're thinking you should begin with your lifetime of servitude with hot chocolate and biscuits." George finished cheerfully giving her a loud smacking kiss on her cheek before giving her a playful push out of her lap. "Yeah, what kind of hostess are you?" Fred teased adding his own plaufyl shove. "Making us wait around and ask for a beverage." "We're growing boys!"

Lyra rolled her eyes crawling out of bed. "Forgive me, two crazy carrot tops decided to appear in my house, obscuring my duties as a proper hostess." Smiling as they nodded in approval at the saucy reply she flushed and hurried to the door. "Cinnamon in George's and a dash of mint in Fred's." Lyra questioned softly looking at them for confirmation, only to see their surprised expressions. "How did you" "Know that?"

Because I've watched you for a while and observing means your notice certain things about your crushes…Nope couldn't say that. Too much, way too much borderline stalkerish. And now wasn't the time. "I um.." Well, with no explanation there wasn't much she could do to escape their fond bemused smiles as she rushed to the door opening it only to find Wicky waltzing in with a small tray. "Hot chocolate and biscuits! Master sends."

Lyra still at the door closed it in confusion as the boys made an enthusiastic grab for the snack. that had happened a little too perfectly in her opinion, Wicky had been with her before the boys had spotted her, but had disappeared before she swore (her cheeks flamed, had she really screamed out shit before they chased her? She needed more friends who didn't have the mouth of a wounded sailor). And the old man…he'd gone to visit the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix and Lyra didn't believe for a second that her grandfather could be caught by two red heads the moment he'd been about to apparate. "That lying, strategy making, white haired Santa Claus looking…"

She whirled around pointing accusingly at the two stuffing their faces with the biscuits. "All three of you planned this!" Fred didn't even bother to stop as he shoved a chocolate covered biscuit in mouth, while George just winked playfully. "Come on rabbit, you know us…did you really think we would just let you run away?" He snorted and took a sip from the mug in his hands as Fred snickered with a shrug.

Wicky stared at the empty plate. "Should Wicky get more biscuits?"

Fred grinned widely. "Wicky, my dear little elf friend, you've got two Weasley's in the house…I think getting more biscuits is a fabulous idea." Wicky nodded beaming as he made for the door.

"Oh and Wicky-love." Lyra cooed kneeling down to smirked slightly. "It's Christmas, I think grandfathers stash of biscuits, you know the ones he pretends he doesn't have, can be used for such a special occasions." Her eyes glittered dangerously the violet in her eyes nearly vibrating into the black.

The elf grinned his cracked lips stretching out as he hurried out the door.

"Their better be at least one saved biscuit for me!"

"Rabbit" "That is highly unlikely"

Nervously Lyra clung to the twins. She was between them in the front hall of Grimmauld place arms wrapped tightly around one of their's as George tugged them both for side-along apparition. How had they convinced her!? How!? It was a blur in her head. Her mind had been drunk with spicy and musk as they invaded her space, fanning their breath on her lips and ear (who was where, Lyra couldn't tell) purring and drawling promises to get her to go to Molly's Christmas feast. Either way those crazy carrots hoodwinked her into coming back to this..place.

"Don't you dare leave me. " Lyra trembled her necklace around her neck seeing as the others didn't know about her. But her sense were on high alert and she could scent Lupin around too. She shook them a bit. "Either of you." She whispered as they led her into the dining room where Mr. Weasley, battered and bruised yet still smiling, was at the head of the table. "We promise." George whispered comfortingly as he kissed her cheek. "Yeah rabbit, relax." Fred mimicked the kiss as they led her to the three open spots (well it was two but Fred glared heatedly at Ron until the boy scowled and shoved off).

Sitting between them, Lyra glanced up nervously to see Lupin staring at her thoughtfully. He offered a tired smile and Lyra bit her lip glancing up at Fred and George who had joined in the mixture of banter with Sirius and Harry, and nodded slowly in understanding. The werewolf relaxed and raised his wine to her to sipping it. And just like that the tension dissipated.

Lyra didn't take part much in the conversation, to busy staring in wonder at the family around her, and how easily Hermione, Harry, Sirius, and Lupin seemed to just be welcomed in the warmth the Weasley's had. It was amazing, and Lyra found herself to interested in them all to find herself envious of the family she didn't have. Because she did, didn't she? Wicky, grandfather and Mira were enough. And that was fine with her.

So dinner passed without incident (if you didn't count Ron getting gravy spilled in his lap, and Ginny turning into a canary from the desert, or Lupin turning bright red his hair shifting green) The twins doing, obviously, after everyone had laughed and moved on to digest, Fred and George pulled her upstairs to their room, where the presents she'd gotten them were sitting there still wrapped.

"You didn't open them?" Lyra asked moving further into the room picking up the presents. One a deep emerald color, the other a soft blue for Fred and George respectively. "Nah, we were waiting for you" "So we can open our presents together."

That snapped her head up. What? Presents? They'd gotten her something? Watching as Fred rummaged through the drawer presumably for her present, Lyra frowned. 'You didn't have to get me anything."

"That's good." George muttered with a grin as he played with the blue box in his hands. "Cause we made it." He winked as Fred let out a triumphant 'ah-ha' and pulled a medium purple box, to which Lyra honestly wanted to know he even had to look for the box considering it wouldn't hide very well in the drawer but…whatever.

"Our's first!" Fred said with all the excitement of a puppy as he thrust the box in her lap, George following suit by giving her a small lavender box no bigger than from the tip of her thumb nail to the first knuckle.

Intrigued Lyra eyed them both. "This isn't going to turn me purple is it?" They shook their heads eagerly. "Open, open, open!" They chanted like children practically bouncing as she took the top off tipping the contents wearily in her palm. It was a small piece of chocolate.

But she would have been a complete nutter to believe it was a simple piece of chocolate from the twins. It wouldn't have caused such a fuss other wise and Merlins knickers she was no idiot. "What does it do?" Lyra asked holding it as far away from her body as possible. They laughed and Fred curled her fingers around it, pushing it back toward her body as George removed the larger box from her lap.
"You trust us, right?" "Then take a bite!"

Even more weary of the rhyme she sighed nervously. "Alright, mad hatter, march hair, let's see the new edition to wonderland." Lyra muttered to herself squeezing her eyes shut as she popped the candy in her mouth chewing thoughtfully only for it to taste like a…carrot? She grimaced and shuddered feeling her body change.

Fred and George eagerly waited for their newest candy to take effect. And when it did, they burst into hysterical laughter. Sitting in Lyra's place was a small sweet looking cotton tail, looking up at them with large black eyes. She was certainly an interesting colored rabbit, her long silvery ears tipped black, her feet blue but nearing her toes shifted a soft baby blue and then hot pink. The change lasted a few minutes until Lyra was sitting back in her place pouting.

They would change her into a damn rabbit! Crazy pranksters! That should have been the question to ask. If they could change someone into a canary then they could change her into a rabbit. "Cheeky bastards." She muttered out loud as they wiped tears from their eyes.

"Oh shove off! The chocolate tasted like carrots by the way..." While the damn hyena's laughed to until they were sore (she hoped they busted a gut with the way they were carrying on) she opened the larger box more cautiously instantly cooing at the round ball of fuzz she scooped out. It was a bright crimson red, the color of a perfect apple as it purred and rubbed against her thumb.

It was so cute! Like a ball of fluff with a small face. Smiling she asked the two (who'd thankfully stopped laughing at her by now which was good because they were irritating her, once again she was crushing but hyena like behavior was a bit of a turnoff) "What is it?" "Pigmy…puff." Fred answered as he tried to catch his breath both of them still clutching their stomachs.

"Pigmy…what?" "A pigmy puff, we've decided to sell them in our shop, but we wanted you to have this little guy. " George explained further, gathering his composure quicker than Fred who was trying not to laugh again. "Yeah. Comes in assorted colors, but we figured it will remind you of us. We'll always have Honeydukes!" Fred cried falling back on the bed raising a weak arm. "And…a red pigmy puff."

Lyra rolled her eyes as she nuzzled the downy fur of the red ball. "Everything you need to take care of him is in the box too." "So now…you need to think of a name. "

Silent she closed her eyes, petting the ball before opening her eyes in delight pressing a kiss to the puff who purred making some sort of barking sound. 'Mac. His name is Mac." "Mac?" She flushed nodding. "Yeah, as in MacKade. Mac." Sliding Mac back in the box, she clasped her hands nodding to them. "Open you're gifts. They're not nearly as cool….but I hope you like them. "

"nonsense.." "We'll love'em!"

They attacked the wrapping paper to her amusement. Opening the slim black boxes to star down at the two watch like objects in the box. It looked like a pocket watch, on a band, accept it had a stone in each of them embedded in the face. She reached out touching the red-spotted stone in Fred's present first smiling shyly.

"It's called, Fire Agate. It's supposed to have a calming energy, and a protection stone. It's linked to fire, which in old magic you would call upon to aid you since…" She trailed off biting her lip nervously at his expression. "You remind me of fire. It um…also inspires knowledge. " Blushing she turned to George, who was holding his up carefully, noticing his was different from Fred's. It was still reddish, but his had crazy patterns in it, almost looking like lace.

"I told you before, Geo, you remind me of earth." Lyra said softly touching the stone with a small smile. "And that's true. The stone is connected with earth, it's called Crazy Lace Agate, which I thought appropriate…" Shifting restlessly at their silence she continued. "Um...it's also a protection stone. But this one brings laughter and keeps away emotion pain. It'll also bring focus to your work." Why weren't they saying anything? They always had something to say! "If you touch it, and say 'Mischief Managed' it'll open. But only for you. I've charmed it that way." She'd heard them used that term' mischief managed' when they finished a prank or something. So it was fitting in her mind.

They followed her instructions, touching the stone and murmuring the words (the first time they'd spoken since she'd begun her explanations) the inside looked like a compass a small needle spinning 'round and round with no direction. "If you concentrate on a person, one person you need to find, it will point the way." She watched as the double needles paused and pointed at the other brother, smiling she looked up. "It will also warm up if one of you is in danger since the two are linked. And if the person you're trying to find is in danger the inside." She pointed as they both began to spin wildly again to the small top. "Will read off like a wizards clock, so you know."

As they closed their watches Lyra waited, but when they still didn't speak she said. "Well..I was just thinking, you know with the war and everything coming…I…if you don't like them I'm sorry. You don't have to keep them." "Rabbit.." "Please shut up."

She was sprawled across them again, as they turned this into some sort of puppy pile as they hugged her tightly. "Love'em." They murmured. "Thank you." And she shivered as they pressed their lips to her neck. Friendly, friendly, it was a friendly gesture. She had to remind herself of these things even though a brush of their lips against her neck felt more intimate than just friendly..

Stop it Lyra…

At some point she'd fallen asleep, and was swept into someone's arms as they carried her downstairs were some words exchanged before the person holding her twisted and they were probably back at her house. "Shh, Freddie. You'll wake her."

"Che, I didn't even make a noise." "You're making one now." "Only because you're being a bloody idiot…"

Did no one have respect for her sleep!? She growled softly. "Shut up." Didn't they know how lovely it was to dream? To get away from that damn voice. "Yeah, Geo, shut up." "Shut up you idiot. She was talking to both of us. Come on, her rooms this way…I remember."

She sighed and snuggled back into their arms as they chuckled, whichever one was holding her was warm and smelled so good, a mixture of both their intoxicating scents (whose scents she couldn't seem to remember since she was almost on the verge of sleep) . A door creaked, someone shuffled and she was laid gently across her bed. While someone removed her dirt repelling white flats (I bet some of us wished we had these!) and drew up the blankets. When they tried to release her she whined, eyes cracking open slightly.

" Stay, please?" It was drowsy garble but the two seemed to know what she was asking. "Not yet, love."

"Not quite yet." The other echoed in agreement. "Please?" Another whimper, another whine but they seemed stubborn. "Still something's we have to work out between us two, love" "So we can't stay." She grumbled and they chuckled.

Gently her face was tilted up by gentle fingers and someone asked. 'Are you going to remember any of this in the morning?" Lyra sighed and shrugged nuzzling the back of her head into the soft mound of pillows. "Stay.." She breathed to her dream again but they denied her. Softly, as if it hadn't happened, they brushed their lips over hers once and with a long pause, did it again. Same pair, different pair of lips, Lyra didn't know or care. The kisses didn't register between her foggy mind.

"Love?" Someone whispered gently in her ear, and she growled menacingly at the interruption to her sleep. "We don't, you know." "Don't what?" Lyra whined, all she wanted to do was sleep!? Why was the world so cruel that she couldn't get some decent rest? The covers drawn over her shoulders now, and a different set of hands chanced a touch across her skin, fixing the thin straps of her dress.

"Think of you as our sister." Whoever it was, breathed the words in her ear and the warmth pulled away but not before two more soft brushes of lips against her cheek and forehead.

'If only, if only.''