AN/- This chapter will dive deeper into Lyra's life and sets a lot of context for what is to come. As a character, she was one of the deepest I've dived into. So her backstory is a very powerful one. As the story progresses further, you will begin to understand her more.
Chapter 10
Burns
Lyra's eyes fluttered open, and the intense ache coursing through her body immediately registered. Blinking away the blurriness, she struggled to push herself upright, wincing at the stabbing pain in her chest. With sheer determination, she managed to sit up, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. The chair next to her bed shifted as someone stirred.
Lyra's gaze fell upon Minerva, who appeared remarkably comfortable despite the peculiar cat-like way she was curled up in the large armchair.
Lyra sighed and took in her surroundings, quickly realizing that she was in the hospital wing. The events of the day flooded back into her memory, and with them came a sinking feeling. She had defied the element of fire, not once but twice. For someone who belonged to the 27 Coven, this carried profound implications.
"Lyra...?" Minerva's soft voice reached her ears as she uncoiled from her odd sleeping position. Lyra shifted her attention to her, momentarily breaking away from her tumultuous thoughts.
"Minerva, you really don't need to be here...I'm fine!" Lyra grumbled, her voice rough with discomfort, her gaze never leaving the mysterious woman.
"It's alright, I don't mind. I'm just happy that you're alive." Minerva said, her face etched with sheer relief.
"It will take more than a few dragons and trolls to kill me." Lyra replied with a smirk.
Minerva shook her head at the remark and proceeded to pour some water, mixing in a vial of strengthening potion.
"Here, this should help." She offered kindly.
"Thank you..." Lyra replied, deeply touched by the woman's kindness. Minerva was still essentially a stranger, even though she was family. She didn't need to be here, taking care of her.
Lyra glanced down at her bandaged arms and legs, suspecting that she was covered in nasty burns.
"How bad is it?" She asked Minerva, who had taken a seat at the foot of the bed.
"Madam Pomfrey said that using healing salve over a few days should remove any trace of the burns. You inhaled a lot of smoke, though, and broke a rib, but she said those should heal soon. However, no smoking!" Minerva relayed the Matron's instructions.
"For a few days…"
"No, Lyra...no smoking!"
"I'm a healer too, Minerva. I know it's only for a few days. I know how to clear my lungs when I need to. My mind, on the other hand...needs a cigarette!" Lyra said, gently shaking her head.
"Your brother was very worried about you. He'll be pleased to know that you're awake."
"Michelin…? Oh…I need to get him new cufflinks!" Lyra said thoughtfully.
"He loves me too much for his own good..." She added, sighing.
"What's wrong with that?"
"Oh…no, don't get me wrong…I love him…just as fiercely as he loves me. But…loving me…has nasty side effects." Said Lyra truthfully. Minerva frowned.
"That is such rubbish! Who put that idea into your head?"
"No one…it's just…never mind..." Lyra said, suddenly growing quiet as a painful memory flashed in her mind.
"Lyra…?" Minerva pressed, wondering what was troubling the woman.
"It's probably why my real parents dumped me, right?" Lyra said, shrugging in response.
"That's not true, Lyra…" Minerva looked at her with disappointment.
"Yeah, well…I'll never know...will I?" Snapped Lyra, sighing, and then she painfully turned her back toward Minerva. Dark thoughts began to cloud her mind, and she suddenly felt the need to be alone.
Minerva watched her silently, respecting her need for solitude. She settled back into the armchair, her eyes never leaving Lyra's form. As Lyra fell into a restless sleep, Minerva couldn't help but recall Athena's earlier warning. Perhaps her sister had been right all along.
Lyra, on the other hand, knew exactly who had sown these thoughts in her mind. It all stemmed from her annual Christmas visits to Boston. Each year, Margery Lincolns hosted the family Christmas party, and each year, Grandma McGonagall showed up with gifts and good cheer for the invited family and friends. However, Lyra was perpetually excluded from that guest list.
Ever since the Lincolns had adopted Lyra, Grandma M had harbored a deep-seated aversion to her. She had instilled a profound fear of her in Lyra's heart, a fear so potent that even her boggart would take on Grandma M's form. Initially, Lyra had endured the woman's hostility and even restrained her protective brother from defending her. Because, deep down, Lyra acknowledged that Grandma M's assessments were, in fact, accurate.
"You don't belong here."
"You're not their daughter... you never will be."
"Don't expect anything but disdain from me. You are a disgrace to this family."
"You think you deserve this? All of this? You may have fooled them into loving you, but don't expect that from me."
"You can be the best at everything, but you'll still never be a part of this family."
"You're not really their child, you know this, don't you? You're just someone Margery took pity on. Merlin knows why she ever brought you home?"
Lyra had been deeply affected by the constant stream of disparaging comments she received. No matter what she did to try and impress Grandma M, it was never enough. She knew in her heart that Grandma M would never truly consider her family, and this had become a painful taboo for Lyra. She couldn't help but recall those lonely Christmas nights when she would cry in bed after Grandma M launched into her customary tirades. The old woman always showered Michelin with extravagant gifts, which he would have gladly given away to Lyra if she had asked, but she knew they were never meant for her to take.
As Lyra grew older, she learned to ignore the hurtful comments, and her family did the same. Initially, her mother had declared that Grandma M was not welcome in their home ever again, sparking a heated argument between her mother and Grandma M. However, it was Lyra who ultimately insisted that she could handle Grandma M's words. Margery had seemingly disregarded her daughter's attempt to make peace, but Lyra remained resolute.
The family knew that Lyra was unfazed by Grandma M's insults, even though they remained uncomfortable every time the old woman said something nasty to her. Lyra simply brushed it off, but that didn't mean the fear disappeared. It wasn't just the fear of Grandma M; it had never been just that. Her true fear was of her family abandoning her, just as Grandma M had threatened numerous times. They weren't bound by blood, and the truth had been revealed to her when she turned 15. She had realized it long before, as soon as she was old enough to comprehend her situation. Her appearance, which bore no resemblance to any of them, made it obvious. However, when Grandma M had plainly stated it, that reality had hit her hard. Yet, Lyra knew that they loved her, and the thought of losing them and being truly alone terrified her. Her biological parents had abandoned her, and that fear of abandonment had festered within her.
When she turned 15, Grandma M had carelessly revealed that she had been a charity case plucked from the streets. That revelation had spurred Lyra to demand that her parents tell her about her biological parents. Initially, they pretended not to know, but after countless rebellious episodes, nights away from home, and spending her entire seventh year summer at Zenia's in defiance, her parents had finally given in and divulged two pieces of information. Her true surname was Marks, and she was born in England. As soon as Lyra came of age, she changed her name.
She had embarked on a relentless search for the Marks family, scouring through any mention of the name, whether they were purebloods, muggles, or muggle-borns. Yet, she had failed, having no contacts in England and not even knowing where to begin. Were they magical or non-magical? She had no clue, but she refused to give up. She rose in rank, joined the Coven, and resumed her search, but barriers seemed to appear at every turn. It was as if these people were ghosts. So, she temporarily set aside her quest and buried her emotions deep down. Nevertheless, these thoughts continued to haunt her, especially now, when she was so close to the source. Though older and no longer bitter about her parents' abandonment, she still yearned to uncover the truth. She longed to know who these people were, who she truly was, and what made her so powerful. She believed that the answer to her identity crisis began and ended with them. She didn't blame these unknown individuals for the way she had turned out; that was all her doing. But finding them had become her burning purpose in life, the driving force that kept her going.
As these thoughts swirled in her head, Lyra drifted off into a restless sleep, only to awaken hours later with the matron engaged in conversation with a student in the bed next to hers.
"You're awake... that's a relief!" The matron said kindly as she brought a tray of potions for Lyra to consume.
"Ah...Severus...I wonder if you could help me..." The Matron added, looking at Snape, who had just entered the hospital wing to refill the month's potions requirement.
"I need to rush to the Great Hall to assist Mr. Belby with his cure for boils. I was wondering if you could help Ms. Marks with her bandages...apply some healing salve...and re-wrap them." Madam Pomfrey instructed.
"I am not your assistant, Madam!" Snape spat out disdainfully.
"You do everything for everyone around here, and no one steps in to help..." Madam Pomfrey began her brief rant in frustration.
"FINE!" Thundered Snape as he stormed toward Lyra's bed.
Lyra eyed him warily as he yanked her hand toward him and began manually undoing the bandages.
"Don't let her touch it...her body still has active acid flowing...it'll reopen any healed wounds!" Madam Pomfrey called out as she hurriedly left the wing.
The smell was putrid as her hand was unveiled, reminiscent of burnt flesh, masked by the pungent smell of the salve itself. Snape waved his wand over her hand to clean it swiftly before generously applying the healing salve. His technique was professional, and he efficiently got the job done.
Lyra observed him carefully, studying his features. He was still the same, too "clean" for her taste. So, she decided to initiate some small talk, hoping to glean some information.
"Severus...it's an interesting name...I've never heard it before."
"It's Roman."
"Your parents were Italian?"
"No."
"Right...so...you're just not going to give me anything to work with?" She muttered to herself. He looked up at her, his hand still gently holding hers.
"Why are you suddenly interested in me...Ms. Marks?"
"I find you..."
"Find me what?" He snapped angrily, cutting her off. Arrogant, nasty, prudish, elitist, snobbish, brutish—those were generally the adjectives most people used to describe him. Which one would she choose?
"Too clean..." She said pensively. Severus frowned. Too clean? What did that even mean?
"You can read minds...so it's obvious that you would know how to block people out. What I don't understand is, why would a Hogwarts professor need to learn Legilimency? And even so, you're not like most of the others I've come across. You leave no signs, no cues, no expressions...you're as unreadable as it gets. A shadow...really!" Lyra added calmly.
Snape remained silent as he continued working on her hands and then rebandaged them using a nonverbal spell.
"Perhaps those sedatives are making you crazy, Ms. Marks...or perhaps you have always been that way. I shall ask Madam Pomfrey to start weaning you off." He sneered sharply. She glared at him.
Lyra had a strong sense that he was not pleased to learn what she thought of him.
Another Potions class had come and gone, with yet another "Acceptable" scrawled against her ranking sheet. Sarah stared at the grade in annoyance. If she didn't improve in this class, she wouldn't stand a chance of getting into St. Augustine's medical internship program, even with Lyra writing a recommendation for her. Sarah scoffed, as if she wanted to work in the potions department anyway. She wanted to genuinely heal people, not just create antidotes for poisons and such.
Sarah packed her belongings as the class was dismissed.
"Ms. Lincolns, please come see me!" Snape called out to her. Sarah hesitated, dreading another lecture about how he was going to fail her and how terrible she was at potions. Sometimes, she wished she could tell him off for being such a hard-ass.
Sarah walked up to his desk as he paused his grading. She could see red marks all over someone's essay. He had given it a score of 2 out of 100. Sarah really didn't want to be in that person's shoes when he handed the test back to them.
"Here...go deposit this with the matron. It's some extra healing salve for your aunt's burns." He said, pushing a container toward Sarah. She stared at the container with unease.
"I...I can't, sir." Sarah stammered.
"Why not?" Snape asked with mild annoyance.
"I...I haven't visited her...since..." Sarah trailed off, scraping her feet on the stone floor. He sneered at the sound and leaned back in his chair, studying her.
"Rather ungrateful of you, isn't it, Ms. Lincolns?"
"I'm not ungrateful...I'm just..."
"A coward?" He suggested.
Sarah glared at him, her nostrils flaring in a manner reminiscent of Professor McGonagall. She snatched the container off the desk and stormed out of the classroom.
Snape smirked. Gryffindors were so predictable! Even though she wasn't one, it was clear where she would fit in. No wonder Potter looked up to her. However, what Severus couldn't fathom was what Zeus saw in that spoiled little rich American brat. The boy clearly had an unhealthy crush on her. Severus rolled his eyes. Whatever it was, he had done his part. He had no idea why he had agreed to that boy's request in the first place, but Zeus had managed to convince him. Severus shook his head and returned to grading what was undoubtedly the worst essay of the year. This was definitely worth sharing in the staffroom for a good laugh later.
After lunch, Sarah decided it was finally time to visit the hospital wing. She had no idea if her aunt would be awake, but she couldn't let her fear hold her back any longer. Sarah couldn't shake the feeling of guilt, believing that it was her fault that Lyra had come so close to death. If she hadn't foolishly entered her name into the Goblet of Fire, things might have been entirely different. Lyra could have been out there, capturing dark wizards and saving innocent lives.
Upon entering the wing, Sarah noticed Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall sitting by Lyra's bed, deeply engrossed in a game of chess.
"This is absolute cheating!" Dumbledore muttered under his breath as he stroked his long beard.
Lyra chuckled softly, while Minerva tapped her fingers on the bed, waiting for Dumbledore to make his move.
"Absolute cheating…" Dumbledore muttered again.
"Go on…this was your idea…" Lyra teased.
"You do realize your aunt is brilliant at chess…" Dumbledore remarked, staring at the board. Lyra noticed Minerva rolling her eyes at his compliment.
"I thought you said you were bored...I didn't think you'd bring reinforcements." He mumbled, pondering his next move.
"Bishop to d2…check!" Sarah chimed in, smirking as Dumbledore looked at her in surprise. His piece had just checked their king. Minerva shot a look at Sarah.
"Two more moves, Professor Dumbledore, and we can win this…" Sarah exclaimed excitedly. Minerva eyed her great-niece with an impressed look.
"Queen to f1...?" Lyra blurted out, unintentionally making a poor move. Minerva shook her head in her hands. For someone as sharp as Lyra, strategic chess moves seemed to be beyond her.
"Oooo…not a smart move…" Sarah remarked, leaning over Dumbledore's shoulder. Lyra looked at her niece proudly as Sarah muttered the next move into Dumbledore's ear. He nodded, and their brilliant move not only killed their queen but also checkmated them instantly.
"Impressive…" Dumbledore said, smiling happily.
"All in a day's work for the AIMS Wizards Chess Team Captain." Sarah quipped, bowing playfully.
"Well…that was probably the fourth time…I've won against Minerva…so I am grateful for your help, Ms. Lincolns."
"Out of 50!" Minerva snapped sharply.
"Out of 50…" Dumbledore repeated, bowing his head with a smirk on his face. Minerva shook her head in exasperation at him.
"This was fun, but I have to get to class…" Minerva announced, looking at Lyra, who smiled and nodded in gratitude.
Minerva swiftly made her way out of the hospital wing, leaving the trio behind. Dumbledore also bowed his head respectfully to the AIMS champion and mentor before departing.
"Where have you been all these days?" Lyra inquired, her voice gentle and understanding. Sarah, after her recent triumph, finally returned to her aunt's side.
"Scared…to show my face…" Sarah admitted, her voice carrying the weight of her anxiety, as she carefully placed the container of healing salve on the bedside table.
Lyra frowned, her concern evident.
"Why?" She asked softly.
"You…almost died, Aunt Lyra…because of me…and…maybe…maybe Dad is right…maybe eternal glory and adventure is not for the Lincolns!" Sarah rambled, her words a mix of guilt and self-doubt.
"Sarah…you really think I'd blame you for this?" Lyra asked, her surprise evident in her tone. Sarah looked guiltily at her.
"Well, I don't!"
"Yes, but I blame myself…okay! If anything had happened to you...if you would have died…I'd never be able to forgive myself…I love you! Very much! Even if you sent me Troll Bogeys for my seventeenth birthday, even if you didn't show up for my birthday party…even if you…"
"I know you love me…Sarah…but…you know why I am here, don't you…?" Lyra interrupted with a smirk, her eyes filled with affection. Sarah looked at her aunt with tears in her eyes.
"Sarah…look at me!" Lyra gently urged, and her niece complied, meeting her gaze.
"No…force on Earth could pull me away from being by your side through this tournament. Nothing! I am here, only for you, not for anyone else. And if that means that I have to die for you, then so be it, Sarah. I'd do it…without so much as a second thought. You have no idea how special you are!"
"I'm…not that special…I should have just listened to my parents…kept my head down and gone through this year peacefully…it would have been better for all of us!"
"Don't do that…don't sell yourself short, Sarah. You are incredibly talented…you just beat Minerva at chess…your charm work is phenomenal...you think the Goblet of Fire picked you by fluke? No, it understood that amongst all the contenders…you were the one with the most courage, heart, and potential to represent AIMS. You are not the champion because of random selection. You are the champion…because you deserve the title! Whatever the circumstances may be, Sarah. You took them on headfirst, better wizards and witches would have run away…but you're here…it just goes to show how truly special you are!" Lyra said, her words filled with pride and love as she gently wiped away her niece's tears.
"You're just saying that, because you're my aunt." Sarah said weakly.
"I say this…because…I want to remind you that you aren't just some average AIMS student…you're a brilliant witch, Sarah. You think someone else would have been able to get Tessra Jones to notice them? The way you planned my involvement is proof of your brilliant devious mind. And if you want more proof of your quick thinking. May I remind you…who was the one who shot water into that Dragon's eye? That was genius too! That Dragon swallowing me whole wasn't your fault, Sarah…no one blames you…least of all me!" Said Lyra, pulling her niece into a tight, reassuring hug.
"I know…but I'm…still sorry."
"Stop saying you're sorry, Sarah. I risk my life every day, for people I don't even know. You think I'd give a second thought before doing this for you? I FUCKING LOVE YOU, KID! I'D DIE FOR YOU…yesterday, today, every day…you name it!"
"Thank…you…for sticking through this…absolute complete shitstorm I've managed to produce!" Sarah sighed. Lyra shook her head.
"Sarah. Life is shitty. It's one disgustingly shitty journey all of us have to endure. But in our crappy existence, our choices are what make us golden. Life is going to shove you, push you, throw you around, but you've got to keep fighting it, Sarah. You've got to be stronger than this. Grab life by the fucking balls and show it who's boss! Our destinies are made for us…we just have to outmanuever them!" Said Lyra, launching into one of her cryptic and bizarre rants.
"Want to know the best part though, kid?" Lyra added.
"You don't have to do this alone. You'll always find someone in an equally shitty position…squatting over some problem or the other, trying to push it out of their butts! Because life is shit…but not when you've got someone to shovel it away with!"
"Merlin! I get it…you don't have to be so graphic!" Sarah said, laughing through her tears. Lyra looked lovingly at her niece.
"I know you're a brilliant witch…that's why I push you. I want you to be your best…and Sarah…you are always going to be my best little witch! I have no doubts about you! Not a single one!"
Sarah smiled at her aunt, her heart warmed by Lyra's kindness. She began feeling a little better about their situation.
"So, tell me…have you figured out the clue yet?" Lyra asked. Sarah nodded.
"I have…it was rather obvious, to be honest…" Sarah said, shrugging.
"Really? How'd you figure it out?"
"I took a bath…"
"You…took a bath?"
"Well…you see when you open the golden egg, it screeches horribly, as if someone's dying! So, I thought about the mechanics of it, and the most obvious thing stuck out. An egg…any egg…biologically speaking, has three main components, right? The shell…the yolk…and the albumen…which I recently learned is what the white is called. This egg was missing albumen…and albumen is basically just…"
"Water!" Exclaimed Lyra in utter surprise. This 17-year-old had figured all of it out on her own.
"You beautiful, beautiful, genius!" Said Lyra, smirking as she shook her niece's head and planted a heartfelt kiss on it. Sarah laughed as she narrated the message that the egg had revealed.
"I have a feeling that the second task has something to do with spending a lot of time underwater." Sarah said, showcasing her intelligence. The two sat there on the bed in silent contemplation.
"I need to get to my defense class…Moody makes us duel each other, if we're late. He's like the weirdest teacher this place has…" Sarah said as she stood.
"Also, just so you know…we got first place, in the task. 47 points!" Said Sarah as Lyra clapped and Sarah bowed proudly. Both laughed merrily.
Bidding her niece goodbye, Lyra settled back on her pillows and continued to ponder the insights that Sarah had shared.
After her double Defense class, Sarah gathered her belongings and felt a sense of relief that she had spoken with her aunt. She could now enjoy a few moments of peace without the weight of worry about the next task. With months to go before the next challenge, Sarah planned to work on her strategy with Lyra once she had recovered.
"Hey, need an escort to dinner?" Zeus approached her, and Sarah smiled in response.
"Sure, I'm headed that way." She replied, shrugging slightly. They began walking together towards the Great Hall.
"Did...you...uh...did Professor Snape give you that container of healing salve?" Zeus inquired, and Sarah nodded.
"He did. How did you know about that, though?" She asked, curious.
"I...I...knew you hadn't met your aunt, so I just thought...that maybe you'd want an excuse to go see her." Zeus explained.
"I should have known! Snape doesn't seem like the type to have bothered." Sarah remarked, shaking her head.
"I'm...uh...sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything...just thought you seemed a little upset about...you know...her almost dying."
"I was. But I'm really glad I met her. I do love her very much."
"You're a really nice guy, Zeus...but...can I ask why? I mean...we are on opposing teams...why do you keep helping me?" Sarah inquired, curious about his motives.
Zeus looked like he had been put on the spot, but he met her gaze with a charming smile.
"I... like you... Sarah." He confessed, waiting for her reaction. Sarah stopped walking to look at him.
"I'm... sorry... what?"
"Yeah...uh...I think you're really cool!"
"I'm...not...I'm not cool!"
"Well...to me, you are...especially the way you worked on those charms with that Dragon...or that time you stood up for Potter against Malfoy...I think that was pretty badass."
"Stopping a bunch of 14-year-olds from dueling is hardly badass, Zeus..."
"Yeah, well...I think it is." Zeus said, smiling at her. Sarah blushed deeply.
"I...was wondering...if you'd want to...go get some Butterbeer with me this week?" He asked. Sarah smiled at him, and a blush crept up to her neck.
"I...would like that..." Sarah replied shyly.
As they parted ways in the Great Hall to sit at their respective tables, they kept catching each other's eyes. Zeus then offered to take her to the astronomy tower, a place they had talked about during one of their walks to class. Sarah hadn't realized that he had been walking her everywhere, assuming it was merely because they shared classes. Now, she knew his true intentions, and she couldn't be happier. They arranged to meet outside the Great Hall the following night for their trip to the astronomy tower.
Sarah brought a heavy jacket that evening, Dennis whined about how it wasn't even as cold as Boston, but Amanda shushed him and told him why. Dennis then smirked at his friend making lewd kissing gestures, the girls giggled and asked him to stop being childish.
"Ready?" Zeus asked Sarah outside the Great Hall, and she nodded.
"Won't we get into trouble?" Sarah asked as he held her hand, leading her up the many moving staircases.
"You're the AIMS head girl, and I'm the Hogwarts head boy. I think that should count for something." He replied with a wink, making her smile.
They continued their journey, with Zeus asking about her ambitions after school. It turned out they both wanted to become healers after their seventh year. Zeus leaned more towards the potions and antidotes stream of magical healing, while Sarah wanted to focus on practical magical medicine.
Once they reached the deserted astronomy tower, Sarah walked towards the edge of the observatory, marveling at the stars.
"This is beautiful, Zeus!" she said, gazing up at the night sky in wonder.
"How many dates have you brought up here before?" Sarah teased.
"Just one...and she's right in front of me." Zeus replied smoothly. Sarah turned to look at him.
"I...also got you this..." He took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and transfigured it into a bunch of tulips.
"You're really smooth...I've got to say...I'm impressed." Sarah admitted bashfully as she accepted his gift.
"I just thought you might...like them." He said, putting his wand back into his cloak.
"They're beautiful, Zeus...thank you!" Sarah replied before leaning in to plant a small kiss on his lips.
Zeus blushed but gave in, leaning in to kiss her back. As their lips met, what began as a light kiss quickly turned into a passionate snog session fueled by the surge of teenage hormones.
Over an hour later, they found themselves lying on the ground, cocooned together under Sarah's giant warm cloak, gazing up at the stars. Sarah pointed out the constellations to Zeus.
"My grandpa Franklin is a magizoologist...he was very keen on the stars...a lot of magical creatures function according to their movements..."
"Like centaurs...?" Zeus inquired.
"Not just centaurs, America is filled with so many magical creatures, you probably haven't even heard of them!"
"He's the one who taught all of us star-gazing. Although, I don't think neither my dad or Lyra, or me for that matter, were truly interested in it. But that's grandpa...he loves to pass tidbits of knowledge onto us."
"Your family...must be really close-knit, especially since your aunt left her life behind to be here!" Zeus blurted out.
"Well...my grandmom's the glue...she's the one forcing all of us together most of the time. Her classic excuse is Christmas...missing her Christmas get-togethers is like a crime for her; the entire family has to be there! She's really as motherly as mothers can get. Then there's my dad and Lyra...who are inseparable...but completely opposite of each other. He's the responsible grown-up...and she's the reckless rebel...but they love each other, like I've never seen siblings love each other this much! My dad says it's because he kept wishing for a sibling, and Lyra just happened to show up!"
"What do you mean 'show up'?" Zeus asked, intrigued.
"Well...Lyra's...adopted...but we aren't allowed to talk about it. Not after the chaos she caused in the family about it. I wasn't born when it happened...and no one tells kids anything anyway!"
Zeus wanted to ask more but she continued.
"Then there's my mom, Zenia, of course...Lyra and she were best friends in school...that's how my dad and she first met. Mom's last living family member died when I was pretty young...so she's sort of only ever told me stories about them. Mom's pretty cool too, you know...definitely the cooler parent of the two...just dialed it back after I was born...or so Lyra says. And then there's Athena...we love her...even though she keeps pretending to be a stick-in-the-mud. We know she loves us just as fiercely. And of course, there's Grandma M...my great-grandmother...I...no one really likes her, you know...because she's got these really old ideas of how the world should work. But I guess we don't have to see her a lot, so we kind of tolerate her. Oh...and Aunt Minerva...as well...but I mean, I hardly know her. But she seems really awesome!"
"What about your family?" Sarah asked, shifting the conversation's focus, and Zeus's smile disappeared. He grew extremely silent.
Sarah sensed she had hit a nerve with him and quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I... sometimes forget not all families are like mine..."
Zeus shook his head and turned to look at her. She looked genuinely apologetic about striking a wrong chord.
"You're right Sarah, my family...isn't like yours, Sarah. I...don't...exactly...have a family anymore..."
"Oh, Zeus! I'm so sorry..."
"No...no...they aren't dead. Although, sometimes, I wish they were. Them and their puritan beliefs. You see, Sarah, my parents...well...they come from a really old line of purebloods. They obviously see themselves as superior...but I...don't share their beliefs. Something...happened in my fifth year at Hogwarts..." He began, and Sarah listened attentively.
"My parents believed that...the Dark Lord...You-Know-Who...was to return that year...and they proclaimed that once he was back, I was to take the mark. I wasn't keen on it. However, my father was adamant about it. So...I left home..." Said Zeus. Sarah frowned, her curiosity piqued.
"What do you mean you left home?"
"I...ran away...became a ward of Hogwarts..."
"So...you live at Hogwarts during the summers?"
"Uh...no...not exactly..." Zeus hesitated but decided to continue.
"I live with Professor Snape."
"WHAT?!"
"Uh... yeah... that's why he's agreed to be my mentor. I never planned on him getting involved in this, but I wanted to win this tournament to push my resume with the hospital. Which is why the great display of potions during the first task as well."
"Why do you live with him though? He's horrible!"
"Well, like I said earlier...I ran away from home. Last year...was tough for me, Sarah. Please don't think harshly of me...but I tried to jump off this very tower..."
"Zeus..." Sarah whispered, horrified.
"I was shunned by my housemates, shunned by my family, friends... everyone who I held close, suddenly turned their back on me. And I decided that if they didn't want me...perhaps, there was no point in my existence. However, Professor Snape held me back that night. He spoke to me like he's never spoken to anyone before. And...I...just went home with him that summer. He wrote me a letter at the end of the year and asked me to reach an address from the station...so that's what I did."
"So...you just live with him...in his house?" Sarah wondered.
"He's actually a really great housemate...exceptionally clean...has an insane library...and Sarah, if you saw his lab at home...it's a potioneer's dream come true!"
Sarah chuckled a little.
"He's actually a really great guy...a thousand times more pleasant than he portrays himself to be. I don't know why, though..." Said Zeus, speculating a little.
Sarah hugged him tightly, feeling empathetic for what he had gone through. All she wanted to do was comfort him, and that's what she did.
In the following week, they spent all their time together. It seemed they had so much in common. As a week turned into many more, they felt like they knew everything about each other.
AN/- A lot more is to come. This is just the beginning. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please do leave a review, share your thoughts. Let me know your theories, if any! Thanks!