Heartbreak.

"Hello," Scorpius cried as he alighted from the floo network in his parent's front room, carrying a small overnight bag. "Is there anyone here?"

Even though he'd left home and had a flat of his own, he still visited home regularly. In fact he'd actually came home to spend Christmas with his family. It was Christmas Eve the following day and Scorpius would be staying with his family until after Boxing Day. Although Scorpius wasn't planning on spending New Year with his family, he and Alex already had plans to see in the New Year in style.

Not finding any sign of his parents and sister on the ground floor of the house, Scorpius grabbed his bag and headed off upstairs. Dumping his bag in his bedroom, Scorpius wondered what to do next. He'd been hoping to find Lyra as he still had presents to buy and he wanted his sister's advice. He'd already sorted presents for most people, but he had no idea what to get Hermione and Narcissa.

Figuring he had to do his Christmas shopping by himself, Scorpius stuck his wallet into his trousers and headed out of his bedroom. As he walked past his sister's room, he heard a noise from inside and paused. It might just have been her cat he'd heard, but just in case he knocked on her door.

"Lyra?" He called.

"Go away."

Scorpius frowned at the sound of his sister's voice. Even though she'd told him to go away, he could tell she wasn't mad. In fact it sounded as though she was crying, or had at least been crying.

"Lyra, open the door," Scorpius ordered. "I'm not going anywhere until you open the door."

"No, go away," Lyra repeated.

"If you don't open the door, I'll climb the tree outside of your window," Scorpius warned.

Within minutes of his threat, the door was flung open and Scorpius found himself standing in front of his sister. Her eyes were red as though she'd been crying, but at the minute she was glaring at her brother. No doubt she was annoyed that she'd had to open the door as Scorpius knew she would be aware that he wasn't bluffing about climbing the tree. If she hadn't opened the door, he really would have climbed the tree to gain access to his sister's room.

"What do you want, Scorp?" Lyra asked as she turned round and slunk back to her bed.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius asked, following his sister into her room and closing the door behind him.

"Nothing," Lyra replied.

"You've been crying," Scorpius said. "I want to know why."

"It's not important," Lyra said with a shrug as she settled back on her bed.

"You're my little sister and I say it is important," Scorpius insisted, perching on the side of his sister's bed. "You might as well tell me, or I'll keep bugging you. I'll stay here until you go back to school, I mean it."

Lyra narrowed her eyes, knowing that her brother was stubborn enough to keep bugging her until she confided in him. With a sigh she reached for the letter on her nightstand and wordlessly handed it to her brother. She'd received the letter that morning, hence the reason she'd been hidden away in her room all morning.

Scorpius took the short letter from his sister and read it with narrowed eyes. The letter was basically a short note, and he was annoyed to find the note was basically some boy dumping his little sister. The fact he hadn't even had the guts to break Lyra's heart in person infuriated Scorpius, and he was already wondering when he could visit Hogsmeade and give the little git a piece of his mind.

"Who is this little upstart?" Scorpius asked, handing the letter back to his sister.

"Just a boy I've been seeing," Lyra replied with a sigh.

"A boy who doesn't even have the decency to break up with you to your face," Scorpius muttered in disgust. "Do you know why he dumped you by letter?"

"I don't know why he didn't do it in person, but I have an idea why he ended things," Lyra confessed.

"Well?" Scorpius probed when his sister didn't elaborate further.

"Sex," Lyra said.

"You need to tell me a bit more," Scorpius said gently. "Sex isn't a real answer."

"He wanted it, I wasn't ready," Lyra explained simply.

"So he dumped you," Scorpius spat, shaking his head. "Bastard."

"I'm inclined to agree," Lyra said.

"Seriously Lyra, he's not worth it," Scorpius said. "You deserve better than some scumbag with no backbone. If he wouldn't wait, then he wasn't the one for you."

"I know," Lyra admitted. "But it still hurts. I really liked him, and I thought he was special."

"He's not special enough," Scorpius said. "I doubt anyone is special enough for you."

"You would say that," Lyra said with a small laugh. "You're being overprotective again."

"I'm your big brother, it's my duty to be overprotective," Scorpius replied with a grin. "If you want I can come up to Hogsmeade in the New Year and teach the toad some manners."

"That won't be necessary," Lyra said. "But I appreciate the offer."

"You need to forget about him Lyra," Scorpius urged his sister. Even though she wasn't crying, he could see the tears in her eyes and knew it wouldn't take much for her to be sobbing again.

"I'll try," Lyra said quietly. "But I thought he was the one, Scorp."

"You're eighteen, you've got all your life to find the one," Scorpius retorted.

"I guess I just wanted to be lucky, like Mum and Dad," Lyra admitted with a wistful sigh. "They fell in love at school, and they've been so happy together. I just want what they have."

"You'll get it," Scorpius promised, offering his sister a warm smile. "It just doesn't necessarily have to happen in school. One day you'll meet a really great guy, and be ecstatically happy."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise," Scorpius replied seriously. "One day, you'll not even be able to remember this bloke's name. He'll just be an unpleasant memory."

"He will," Lyra vowed as she suddenly got off the bed. "And I won't waste one more tear on him."

Marching into her adjoining bathroom, Lyra washed her face and tidied herself up. When she returned to the bedroom, she picked up the letter, tore it into little pieces and threw it in the bin.

"That's my girl," Scorpius grinned. "Now I have a favour to ask."

"I should have known you had an ulterior motive," Lyra said with a dramatic groan. "So what do you want Scorp?"

"I need help with my Christmas presents," Scorpius confessed. "I need you to come shopping with me. I still need to buy presents for Mum and Gran."

"Scorp, it's Christmas Eve tomorrow," Lyra scolded. "I can't believe you've left things to the last minute."

"I have shopped for some people," Scorpius argued. "I'm only struggling with Mum and Gran."

Grabbing her bag, Lyra swung it over her shoulder. "Come on then, let's go shopping. Although, I will expect payment for my help."

"I'm sure we can come to some arrangement," Scorpius said as he followed his sister out of her bedroom.

Heading to Diagon Alley the siblings completed Scorpius's shopping, and by the time they returned home no more mention was made of Lyra's heartbreak. Although unbeknown to either of them it was the last time Lyra would have a broken heart. In a few months' time, she would get involved with someone who would go on to become the love of her life.