Although she never thought she'd feel this way about leaving Hogwarts, Lyra couldn't have been more relieved when she woke up on the very last day of term and was greeted with sapphire blue skies, an abundance of sunshine, and kernels of hope blooming in her chest for her mysterious evening to come. She couldn't wait, it was about damn time she was free of the shackles her school put on her. Summer was here and she adored its hot debut.
The last stretch of the school year passed without any more major incidents, her exams were a breeze (to everyone's excitement, Professor Dumbledore took it upon himself to oversee the rest of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes and subsequent practical tests Remus had painstakingly mapped out and sent to him), Gryffindor's house points were at an all-time high (Fred and George ensured no one discovered their numerous attempts to terrorise the three third years despite the spectacular feathery yet gloopy mess they left in their wake whenever they came into contact). And judging by Hagrid's jolly mood whenever they hung out, their Professor friend had passed his OWLs with a comfortable margin and was well on his way to becoming a fully-fledged wand wielder. If it wasn't for Ron's absence, this was quite possibly the best end to a school year ever.
But none of that mattered right now. Tonight was the night. Her father was going to visit her and they were finally going to discuss everything. Sirius sent her his long-awaited letter announcing he wanted to meet up only two days ago and she hadn't thought about anything else since a black crow with a minor attitude problem arrived at her dorm window to drop off his excited correspondence. What was she going to ask him about first? What was he going to ask her? Did he know about Regulus defecting? Did he know about the Horcruxes?
"Yer being unusually quiet," Hagrid snatched Lyra from her day dream and she smirked, coming back to the impromptu tea party they were having in his garden. The End-of-Year Feast was due to start within the hour but neither her, Hagrid, Hermione or Harry were in any rush to head back to the castle. Not while Fang was lounging against Lyra's legs, whining for more of her enthusiastic ear scratches.
"Sorry, I was away with the fairies again," she said, giving the boar hound the attention he deserved, "you'll write to us as soon as you receive your grades, won't you?"
"Of course," Hagrid answered, smiling to himself. "I'm not expectin' any Os but—,"
"But nothing, you're better at Transfiguration than you think. I wouldn't be surprised if you earned at least one," Hermione interjected kindly, leaning back in the grass to soak up the rich rays looking very much like Crookshanks. "By the sounds of it your practical exam was easier than ours."
"I would have much rather have been asked to transfigure an owl into opera glasses instead of the tortoises we were stuck with," Harry sighed, a soft frown on his tanned face as he remembered the hardened shell his teapot had. "Care for Magical Creatures though, you must have aced that exam. That's an easy O for you if I ever saw one."
"Oh yeah," Hagrid brightened even more, his dewy cheeks were glowing over his beard as he stretched his grin wider and offered them more iced tea. "I forgot about that one, suppose yer right about that. It was the shortest test of 'em all considering…" he wasn't keen on saying it out loud in case he jinxed himself but the three innocent expressions beaming up at him loosened his tight lip, "considering I knew the invigilator in charge of the test. He came ter me and asked for me help in persuading the Bowtruckles ter leave their island out in the lake. They don't like leaving their island, you see, very protective of the wand trees over there." He pointed vaguely in the direction of the Black Lake where the tiny island was barely visible from their vantage point, his tone bashful and airy. "I got first pick and chose the Bowtruckle elder, they're much more docile."
"Brilliant! Oh, and thanks for giving us Hippogriffs for our exam, by the way," Lyra remembered her manners and lifted her cup in gratitude which Hagrid gladly returned.
"And thank you fer avoiding Malfoy throughout it too," he complimented the trio, proud of their ability to hold their tongue around the blonde pest in his third year class. "Right pain in the neck, he was. Dunno why I thought it was a good idea pairing him with Buckbeak, he's the proudest of the herd."
"It was a great idea, actually," Harry piped up, taking a lot of pleasure in the memory of Draco almost soiling himself when Buckbeak chased him around the clearing and interrupted everyone else's Hippogriff grooming demonstrations. "Serves him right, it was a shame when Buckbeak got distracted by the cage of rats we used for food and stopped going for him."
"A shame? Nah, he was checking to see if those rats were real and not Animagi, Buckbeak did us a solid. What a top lad. I can't be the only one who still can't look at a rat the same?" said Lyra, shivering.
"You're definitely not," Harry mumbled into his tea.
Hagrid frowned over the brim of his own cup, still coming to terms with the news. Lyra wasn't sure whether Professor Dumbledore or one of the other teachers told him what had occurred that Easter evening but it didn't matter, she told him everything regardless. He was utterly gormless once she finished her version of events that contained way more information than Minerva's reiteration.
"I know yer gonna do whatever you want no matter what I say, but I still need to try and persuade you ter listen to the law and wait ter become Animagi when yer old enough to register?" He said to them with the firmness of a beloved parents that caused them all to smile.
"Aw," Lyra pouted, moved. "So you really think we'll be able to succeed? You believe that we can perfect the Animagus transformation?"
"I more than believe in yeh, that's the problem," Hagrid sighed, shaking his head and catching Hermione's inspired eye, "I know this one has probably found a way ter cut the ritual's time in half and achieve it in less than six months or summat, and I also don't doubt that you," he eyed Harry's innocent expression and narrowed his eyes, "have been encouraging her," he looked back to Lyra, "ter use her house elf and bend more of the rules in order ter do so."
"I do not encourage her," Harry objected, fanning his shirt as the sun on the back of his neck was reaching scorching territory. "What Lyra does with her house elf is her prerogative, I just usually happen to be near her when she makes those choices."
"Do you really think I'll be able to halve the process?" Hermione wondered, unable to move on from his comment, and Hagrid regretted bringing it up in the first place. He wasn't completely naive to the plan the trio were concocting in order to support their wolfish friend. It worked well for her godfather and his friends, of course they were going to do it for Ron too.
"I really shouldn't be saying this," Hagrid aggravated himself and huffed, "but yeh'll need a copy of the Animaguide if you're gonna do it properly. The school library doesn't have any on record, I'm afraid, so you'll have ter source it elsewhere."
"If it did, I bet half of the students here would give it a go," Harry wagered, "Fred and George would've perfected it by their second year."
"All the more reason it's banned," Hagrid shook his head, dreading the prospect of the Weasley twins running amok in new animal forms. He glanced Lyra's way and tutted, as though remembering why they were speaking about Animagi in the first place. "I dunno why I didn't figure it out sooner, the more I think about it yer fathers weren't exactly subtle about their secret."
"Don't tell me they were parading around with a giant black dog and stag on their jumpers or something," Lyra hazarded a guess, focusing more on fetching Fang some fresh cold water, but Hagrid thankfully shook his head.
"No, but I caught a wild hound and stag mooching around me bins and stealing my mead multiple times while they were here. I shoulda known, the wild animals have never gone for my good stuff before," he sighed, shaking away the past and the flyaways sticking to his shiny brow.
"Hand on heart, I promise that we will not scavenge your bins for alcohol while we're in our hypothetical animal forms," Lyra vowed, grinning. "We will ask first, like the polite, well-behaved children we are."
"See? She's a fox," Harry told Hermione who was watching Lyra closely, aptly to make sure her analysis was correct.
Her pink lips pursed, she shook her head and dug through her bookbag's heavy pocket until she pulled out a handful of Sickles. "I disagree, I'm placing a bet on her being a bird. How do these bets work? Do I offer the money up front?"
Harry cracked his knuckles and dove into his own bag to find a suitable notebook to keep track of their expensive predictions. "How about we make this interesting and all place bets on what each other will be?"
"Oh! Oh ooooh!" Lyra raised a hand, hyped by his suggestion. "I bet five Galleons that Potter will be a horse!"
"I'm not a bloody horse!" Harry shot back defensively.
"Fine, I'll think of a real answer and get back to you," Lyra clicked her tongue and finished her tea in one slow sip.
Hagrid pretended he couldn't hear them as he began to get ready for the feast. They departed after one final scratch behind Fang's ears and traipsed up to the castle and toward the entrance of the school. Judging by the sparse flow of people, the Great Hall was already open and ready for everyone to attend Gryffindor's winning cup ceremony. Lyra was only half-excited to see her school house finally win the annual competition, none of her fellow lions' cheer was infectious enough to spark her own and she knew it was because Ron should have been here to celebrate too. Behind Hermione, he was the most keen to see Gryffindor win the cup at least once.
Lyra doubted her eyesight at first when she suddenly realised there was a high concentration of red hair in the entrance courtyard outside. Was it just because Ron was on her mind or did she happen to spot all of the Weasleys together by chance? She couldn't quite see who was a part of the ginger gathering, more people were filing in from outside, chatting animatedly with each other. Was something happening?
"Guys! Over here!"
Lyra heard Neville before she realised he was making his way over to them at top speed, his toothy smile sparkling. She called Harry and Hermione back and they shuffled over to him through the growing swarm of people once they waved Hagrid off.
"You ok, mate?"
"Ron's here!" He couldn't get it out fast enough, Neville was delighted, hopping on the spot, "he came back for the End-Of-Year Feast! He's—!"
Hermione was already gone by the time Lyra recovered. He was going to tell his siblings the truth today! Oh happy days!
"He's outside looking for you guys, come on!" Neville grabbed Harry's arm and escorted the remaining gobsmacked pair out into the entrance courtyard where the majority of Gryffindor were catching up with the surprisingly smiley Ron who was loving being the centre of attention.
As she suspected, his oblivious siblings and most of the lions were interrogating him to the nth degree, it was a nightmare. But he took it in his stride and let them bother him until they were hoarse. In fact, Lyra might have guessed that Ron was having a lot of fun holding his secrets over them judging by his goofy grin.
"St Mungo's finally released you then?" Harry greeted him with a quick embrace.
"It did take some convincing, the old dears looking after me were sad to see me go. Said I was the life and soul of the ward," Ron played up the lie and sighed dotingly, "I'm going to miss them, they brought in the best brownies I've ever tasted."
Realising he was being too weirdly detailed, Lyra ushered Ron away from his nosy brothers and sister in the hopes of dimming the brightness of the attention on them. "Enough about that, did you come to this feast so you could watch Draco's face crack when we win the House Cup?"
"No but that was a major factor when I made my decision," he boasted without shame. "Come on, let's go and claim the good seats. I want a clear shot of his stupid face while they're still available."
"Stay petty, Weasley," Hermione shook her head, unsure whether to laugh at his unabashed childishness in this instance. "I think you've earned this one. I can't wait to see his face when he sees you too."
Draco's reaction was simply marvellous, Lyra snickered along with the rest of her mates when he noticed Ron was sitting amongst his least favourite people on the third table. And to further his great disappointment, Ron was visibly unharmed and happy. Everyone brought Ron up to speed with the rumours but he shrugged them off, not wanting any of his answers to get back to the salty blonde Slytherin glaring at him.
Lyra savoured the Gryffindor celebration as much as possible and snapped a couple of photographs of her friends' group toast as the scarlet and gold lion banners unfurled above them, but something dropped into the pit of her stomach when she noticed the empty seat amongst the staff table behind them. There was still someone missing from the celebration and evidently from his postal silence he wasn't up to celebrating much. Maybe her father would know what to do, maybe he had seen him already. He didn't mention Remus in his letter but she could only assume he'd be up for talking about him—
"Uh oh, firing squad at seven o'clock," Harry's abrupt warning pulled Lyra from her thoughts and she zoned in on the flustered trio storming across Hogsmeade station, weaving through the bodies with necessary force. She grasped onto Apollo's cage before she knocked him over, not realising how close she was to banging into Hermione and Crookshanks and Apollo hooted back his thanks, clutching into his perch for dear life.
"I think it's time, Ron," Lyra encouraged him lightly, shying away from the twins' determined smirks. "Please, I can't handle any more of those melting fudge thingys they've made and been spiking us with. It makes your mouth numb for hours. Hours!It's been horrible."
"Ok, but I ain't telling Percy," Ron compromised, taking an apologetic lead as he helped lift their trunks onto the train. "In fact, I don't think we're gonna tell him anything about what happened, Mum and Dad don't think it's a good idea and I agree with them."
Lyra couldn't help but agree too. Percy didn't like her, who's to say he won't use the information about her father against her in the heat of the moment?
"That's risky but it's up to you," Hermione commented, thanking Ron as he helped with Crookshanks' basket, and she politely stepped out of the way as Ginny and the twins cornered them, their own owl cage and trunks in tow. Lyra hopped into the train before they could begin their tirade to find them the perfect compartment. Once she found a suitably large one, she helped Apollo settle in and claimed one of the window seats for their long journey ahead.
"Don't suppose you fancy a game of chess?" Harry arrived next with Ron's chess set in one arm and Hedwig in the other. He claimed the small table opposite her and flashed a look that suggested they should probably not say anything for a while.
"You betcha!" She cheesed and rushed to lay out the pieces as the raucous group of Weasleys and a blushing Hermione came streaming in and nabbed the rest of the seats.
"You know we're gonna tell Lee all about this, you might as well let him join us in here," George complained as he cosied in between Lyra and Ginny, awkwardly using his trunk as a makeshift footrest while his sister struggled to put her owl away. "We can't leave him, he's like a brother to us."
"Fine," Ron facepalmed and unlocked the sliding door he just locked, "but only Lee. No one else can know."
"Wait! Colin has my snacks!" Ginny jumped up after Fred, frustrated with her poor packing job this morning, "I'll be right back."
"Be quick then, I want to get this over with," Ron stood at the door, tapping his foot as he allowed them passage. Once they disappeared, George grinned and leant on his knees, eyes wide pleading.
"Go on Ron, tell me first. What happened—?"
"No," Ron shut him down and slammed the door, stressing about their upcoming reactions, "this is hard enough as it is, just please let me tell you together!"
"That bad, eh?" George pouted, turning down his jests a notch, "what is it? Bad Penis disease? Tell me, did you catch Really Bad Penis disease?"
"Is that the official Latin name for that illness?" Lyra giggled, making him wink.
"I think it's German, actually."
Ron blanked George until the others returned with Lee and the tote full sweets that Ginny was reluctant to share. Hermione shuffled in next to Harry and cuddled a purring Crookshanks as she watched their chess game. They tried not to interfere too much with Ron's speech about how sorry he was that they'd been kept in the dark and that they were wrong to torment his friends about keeping his secret. The train locomotives hissed as the platform filled with thick white mist and they finally pulled away from Hogsmeade station.
"Get on with it! What happened? What did Sirius do to you?" Ginny pestered him but she shot Lyra with a sympathetic side-eye. "Sorry."
"Sirius didn't do anything," he confessed, ears burning and arms firmly crossed across his chest. He winced at his rib twinges but he didn't hide his aches this time. "But Remus did."
"Remus did what?"
Lyra nearly strained her eyes, she was glaring at her shiny black bishops so intensely that she had forgotten it was her turn.
"You can't tell anyone about this. I mean it, don't tell Percy either."
"What are you on about?"
"Ron, just spit it out!"
"Remus is a werewolf," he dropped the bomb and the trio tensed, waiting for the vicious impact. "And he accidentally bit me."
"WHAT?!"
"FUCK OFF!"
"HE BIT YOU?!"
"And Scabbers was an Animagus, a man named Peter who incidentally framed Lyra's dad and betrayed Harry's parents to You-Know-Who," Ron continued, getting it over and done with with an awkward grimace, "so yeah, Sirius is innocent and I'm a werewolf now. Surprise!"
Ten seconds of nothing but the chugging of the train and the clacking of the steel tracks as they zoomed off through the highlands, Hogwarts skyline shrinking in the distance against the greens of the grassy mountains and aquamarine blues of the lake that reflected the crystal sky. Lyra admired the bittersweet view and stole Harry's rook as her cousins and a dumbfounded Lee gawked at the suddenly bashful Ron.
Ron widened his smile and tugged up his t-shirt, showing off his purple scar. "Wicked scar, right?"
Ginny squeaked, hands clasped over her slack mouth and tears welling in her warm eyes, horrified by his injury. "But… But… Oh Ron!" She pounced at him and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry!"
"I'm alright, I promise," he choked out as he rubbed his sister's back, smirking at the twins who, for the first time in their lives, didn't know how to respond. "I've transformed twice now, it really ain't so bad with the Wolfsbane Draught. It's not like I lose my mind completely, being a wolf is kinda nice."
"I can't believe it," George said ever so quietly, staring at his little brother in a brand new light, "you're… you're officially cooler than us? Really, I can't believe this!"
"It's not cool, George!" Hermione couldn't help but scold, she had held her tongue for long enough.
"And your dad? He's innocent?" Fred turned to Lyra, processing the news a lot faster than the others. Lyra nodded, trying not to tear up as he cracked a smile brighter than the sunshine streaming into their compartment as the train curved around the mountain peaks.
"Wait wait waaait a second," Lee backtracked and honed in on the most horrifying piece of information Ron threw at them and shook his head, "hold on. Scabbers… was a man? Who betrayed Harry's parents?"
"Unfortunately," Ron confirmed with a heavy blush, and Fred and George burst out laughing, caught in a giggle fit of utter disbelief.
"LET US TELL PERCY! Please! Let us be the one to tell him! Pleaaase!"
"We ain't telling Perce about any of this. Bill and Charlie agreed, he's gonna flip and he might rat out Sirius," Ron urged them to listen, bringing the mood back down. Still coming to terms with the fact that a grown adult has been hiding in her house, Ginny snuggled up next to Lyra and she gladly wrapped her arm around her shoulder, overjoyed that their war was done and dusted.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this sooner," Lyra muttered for her ears only, letting the Weasley brothers' loud conversation dominate the compartment. "I wanted to tell you but we promised Dumbledore we wouldn't."
"No, I totally get it now," Ginny mumbled, observing their game of chess as she rested her muddled head against Lyra's shoulder, "I'm sorry for making your lives hell, I wouldn't have done any of it if I knew this was going on."
"The pranks weren't hell, not talking to you was the hard bit," Lyra clarified, still tickled by the image of Harry covered in gold glitter. She moved her knight and nodded at Harry to continue.
"You're thinking about it again," Harry scowled at her, crossing his arms as he watched the girls whisper to each other. He spotted Lyra's dimples immediately and sulkily scoped out his next move. "Stop thinking about it."
"I'm not thinking about it!" Lyra lied, thinking about nothing but the very thing he didn't want her to imagine. "I would never think about that!"
"What are you thinking about?" Ginny furrowed her brows though her smirk was incredibly telling.
Harry's frown deepened. "Don't act all innocent! Don't you think about it either, it's all your fault it happened anyway!"
"The more you talk about it, the harder it is not to think about it," Lyra objected to his irrational demands, but she couldn't keep her giggles in when Ginny clocked onto why Harry was glaring at her and she erupted, cackling at his sizzling red cheeks.
"I forgot the bombs did that! So that's why you've been shooting daggers at me around school?" Ginny gasped, relishing how Harry fumbled in embarrassment and knocked over Lyra's pawns by mistake.
"Damn right it is!" He exclaimed, "so stop thinking about it!"
"Never!" Lyra grinned, though she couldn't bring herself to actually think about how long Harry had to endure having a shiny gold penis while waiting for the side effects to fade. She had trouble looking him directly in the eye for the rest of the train journey but she didn't let that stop her from having as much fun as possible while she still had him in her company.
Eventually the shock wore off and the Weasleys came to terms with their brother's new affliction. The subject of Animagi cropped up before they entered England and they spent a long time choosing who exactly was going to attempt to complete the illegal transfiguration process. By the time the glorious sunny countryside merged into the equally bright urban landscape of the north, they decided that everyone in the compartment bar their wolf friend was allowed the chance to partake. It took some convincing for the boys to accept Ginny's strong argument to join in on their quest, stating that she and Ron may one day be at home or Hogwarts alone when the full moon arrived, but eventually they gave in and welcomed her to the team.
"I could see Ginny being a horse," Harry commented when they were spitballing potential animals, and Ginny scoffed, offended.
"Excuse me?"
"See!" He shot Lyra a look as if to say that he wasn't crazy for being insulted by her constant comparisons, but Lyra simply rolled her eyes.
"It's not an insult! Horses are great, majestic creatures! You'd be lucky to be a horse!"
"You just want another pet," he called her out, "and I'm saying this now, you are not allowed to ride me!"
"Woah steady on there, Harry," Fred chortled, wiggling his brows, "I wouldn't start making promises like that just yet, mate."
Lyra caught into his innuendo as Lee snorted into his sleeve. She decided to stare out of the window for the foreseeable future, allowing her face a chance to return to a normal, less sweaty temperature as she once again tried desperately not to think about it. Thankfully no one else cottoned onto her internal struggle and let her be.
Kings Cross Station was illuminated in blood orange light as the train pulled into the secret platform where hundreds of families were waiting in their anticipated huddles to collect their children. Lyra took her sweet time gathering her belongings and relocking Apollo's cage, she allowed everyone else the chance to escape first and eventually she followed Harry onto the platform where they reassessed the many faces staring back at them.
"It's only a month," she muttered to him when she spotted the unease slip onto his usual stoic mask, "and you know I can drop by and visit any time you need me to."
"I can handle my family for a month, don't worry," he assured her as they trailed after the Weasleys, occasionally checking the coast in case his aunt and uncle somehow braved the brick barrier for once. "As for dropping by, we need to take full advantage of Kreacher's magic this summer again. Fancy meeting up tomorrow?"
"Maybe Hagrid was right," Lyra wrinkled her nose, feigning disappointment, "you are a bad influence on me."
"Ha," he faked a laugh.
"I'll see what I can do about tomorrow, I've got my first doctor's appointment booked for midday and I don't know how long it's going to take. Maybe the day after next?" Lyra complained, taking his suggestion seriously, and he nodded in pity.
Lyra wasn't heading to Herefordshire straight away with the Tonkses, she had to return to Weymouth first to appease the social workers in charge of Coles. Danielle tried her best to write off her health reports herself so she could escape sooner but she still needed to attend at least three GP appointments. It had been a whole year since her dance with the demonic parasite trapped in that forsaken book, she was due for her annual medical reviews and she begrudgingly accepted her responsibility to look after her health. Who knows, maybe the doctor would agree to her needing some mellow mood pills or something, she had to look on the bright side.
Besides, a part of her was excited to have time to herself, she deserved a bit of peace and quiet before the hectic Quidditch mad summer ahead of her.
"Oh!" Something small and mustard yellow flew past her head and she squeaked, blindsided by the delicate swallow bird circling her. Apollo cawed, affronted by the paper imposter. Ignoring the boisterous group of Weasleys and Grangers a couple of feet away, Lyra plucked the bird from the air and instinctively searched the crowds around her for her secret admirer.
She locked eyes with Cedric across the way where he was loitering with his fellow Hufflepuffs dishing out late-minute hugs. He was watching her with a cheeky grin and nodded as though encouraging her to read his private message so she rushed to unfold it before those around her noticed the crooked smile burning her lips.
Don't forget to write to me.
Please try and attempt to do those exercises I set for you.
And if you're hanging out with your cousins this summer then remember that I'm only down the road…
Eyes glowing, Lyra pocketed his note and sent her black folded reply his way. She watched as he stole her origami Thestral from the air, unfurled its wings and guffawed at her silver scrawls. She made sure she caught his grey eye one last time and without realising it, she blew him a small kiss.
Instant blush, Cedric was beet red and she imprinted the image on the back of her eyelids.
"And who, may I ask, is that you're blowing kisses to?"
Lyra swore her stomach vanished into thin air as she heard Danielle's dulcet tone behind her. Without knocking Apollo over, she spun on her heel and pounced at her, embracing the rush of coconut oil and Shea butter that melted over her upon contact. Danielle looked more radiant as ever, her blonde locs were much shorter now and she had a new piercing! The tiny ruby gem sparkled against her nose and Lyra oohed, encouraging her to bend low so she could see it up close.
"It's so pretty! Very you," Lyra complimented, hoping to divert the attention away from the Hufflepuff having trouble tearing his gaze away from her. After caving to his many personal questions during their tutoring sessions, Lyra told Cedric all about her saving grace in the Muggle world and clearly he was keen to see her in the flesh.
"Thank you chick, but don't change the subject," Danielle smirked, playfully pinching her shoulders as she tried to turn her around to face the boy watching them. "Who is that over there? Is he a new friend of yours? He's cute…"
"Danielle," Lyra whined, fighting against her to remain cool under his gaze. "Not here, I'll tell you later!" She batted her hands away and Danielle accepted her proposal with a subtle wink before escorting her key child over to her family and friends who were seconds away from saying their final goodbyes.
"I'm glad to see you both looking very well, my dears," Molly kissed Danielle's cheek before ushering Lyra into a tight hug. Lyra couldn't deny that she was nervous to see her aunt again, she hadn't heard from her since she discovered the truth but the moment Molly stroked her face with tender consideration and a motherly smile, her anxiety faded away. "Andromeda told me the plan already, it'll only be a week until you're back with us all."
"A week and a half, I'm afraid," Danielle winced, breaking the bad news that had been playing on her mind since the moment she arrived at Coles this morning. Lyra furrowed her brow at her shaky tone. "Another appointment has been booked for the following Tuesday, I'm sorry."
"Another one? Is Sandra adding more hoops for me to jump through out of spite?" Lyra complained, and Danielle shrugged, chewing the inside of her cheek with conviction. She hid it well though, Lyra thought nothing of it.
"Andy is aware of the rearrangements, and I met with Professor Dumbledore yesterday where he explained what… um, what happened over the Easter holidays," Danielle said softly, trying her best not to glance over at Ron too often, "and I want to let you know if you need any resources in terms of keeping tabs on your children's mental health then please don't hesitate to ask. My psychology degree never covered these kinds of tough topics at university but I would be more than happy to look into lycanthropy therapy."
Lyra was swiftly pushed to the side as Molly latched onto Danielle and called Arthur to her side, erupting with a million and one questions about their current situation. She didn't mind though, it gave her a chance to give Hermione a proper farewell hug as well as the opportunity to secure herself another promised vacation to the Grangers' hometown.
"I hope you don't mind but I told my parents about Sirius," Hermione whispered into her ear before she let her parents loose on her.
"Should we say congratulations? Is that appropriate?" Hermione's father Hugo greeted her with a solid handshake and Lyra happily took it.
"Sure! I think finding out my dad didn't kill my mum is a cause for celebration, thanks!" she replied, accepting Claire's hug.
"Does this mean I can go with them to the Quidditch Final this year?" Hermione asked her parents, batting her lashes as Lyra showed her. Lyra then realised why she told her parents and helped her plea with a charming smile of her own.
"Of course! And remember that you are more than welcome to spend Christmas with us this year," Hugo offered, brightening Lyra's day even more. She accepted their proposal, enjoyed a few more hugs and even an affectionate head to hand bump from Crookshanks, and waved them away as they left the platform.
Harry admitted he'd wasted enough time as the Weasleys began their second final parade of goodbyes, he couldn't keep his aunt and uncle waiting much longer. With Percy finishing Hogwarts for good, he spent the longest out of them all dishing out his farewells to his classmates so the Weasleys let them go as they were going to be a while. Danielle finished strategizing with Molly and Arthur and led Lyra and Harry out into the Muggle side of the ever busy train station, leaving the Wizarding world behind for another year.
"So!" Danielle began when she spotted the first of the many wanted posters still plastered around the platforms, "you met your father then?"
"Yup!" Lyra beamed, "and what a meeting it was. Bet you never thought that would happen."
"With your track record, it crossed my mind a few times," Danielle sighed, habitually scanning the area for signs of Harry's guardians. She led them toward the emptiest coffee shop once five minutes had passed and offered to buy them a welcome back treat while they waited around. Harry objected to her kindness at first, insisting that he pay as a thank you for their last car ride, so Lyra waited outside with their luggage while they battled it out at the till.
"Next time I'm paying, Potter, I mean it," Danielle tutted as they joined Lyra on their makeshift trunk seats, confirming the winner, and Lyra exaggerated her gratitude with a pompous bow as she took her Earl Grey.
"Aww, what a gentleman," she teased, making him flush pink.
"It's the least I could do, thank you for waiting with me," said Harry, ignoring her dramatics.
"We're in no hurry to leave, it's still rush hour," Danielle yawned, clutching her coffee with two hands as she admired Apollo and Hedwig who were hopping about in their cages, mimicking each other's rhythm.
"I hope this doesn't eat into your month time limit," Lyra thought aloud, watching a tired mother wrestle with her unruly child wriggling in their pushchair a few feet away. The toddler was mesmerised by their owls and was desperate to escape his belted restraints and run over to them.
"I take it you're staying with Andy and Ted too, once a month has passed?" Danielle questioned, pleased with the news, and Harry nodded.
"Only for a week, then we're off to the World Cup Final at the beginning of August," Lyra confirmed, already daydreaming about her summer's main event.
"You're gonna have a blast, Dad took me and my brother to a World Cup Final years ago," Danielle smiled at the childhood memory, exciting them both further. "Make sure you get a pair of these really cool binoculars thingamabobs they sell when you're there. I've forgotten what they're called but you'll know what I mean when you see them, definitely worth the purchase."
"Done and done," Lyra nodded, making a note to buy her a pair too as a present.
"And while you're staying with the Tonkses or the Weasleys, the pair of you will behave and not run off all over the place together using your secret little party trick you've been keeping from me?" She continued, turning their casual conversation into a mini lecture with a simple shift of her groomed brow, and they both hung their heads in shame.
"What did Dumbledore tell you?" Lyra dared to ask with her most innocent expression in place when she raised her chin, and Danielle gave her a single look that screamed 'you know bloody well what he told me!'.
"Does the name Kreacher ring a bell, missy?"
"In my defense, when I met him he was a raging racist," Lyra defended herself, "I did you a massive favour by keeping him a secret, trust me!"
"She's right, he would have hated you," Harry backed her up, but he frantically backtracked when Danielle scoffed into her drink. "Uh, but he wouldn't now! He'd love you! Like we love you! You're not hateable at all."
"Good, then you won't hate me when I say that I think it's a good idea for you not to abuse your house elf's magic this summer. You need to stay in places that are safe," she lowered her voice, wary of those passing by. "Be sensible with your privileges, keep your guard up. Magic is not an invulnerable weapon, it won't always solve everything."
"I promise you I'm being careful," Lyra said in earnest, worried that Danielle would be opposed to Kreacher full stop. Once she met him she'd understand. "Kreacher cares about me, he refuses to put me in harm's way."
"We use him mostly to communicate, he checks in with me when I'm in Surrey," Harry interjected, changing Danielle's opinion on their sneaky messenger in a heartbeat.
"Oh! That's so smart!" She gasped and patted Lyra on the arm, motivated by the endless possibilities her elf gave her. "And very ecologically-friendly too, I guess I don't have to offer you guys my driving services anymore when you want to meet up."
"As if, I love our car rides! It's the only time I have to catch up with the Top 40 charts these days, and you love getting lost and finding cute mystery villages in the middle of nowhere! Don't give that up," Lyra protested, but the rest of her defense was drowned out when Harry said the inevitable words that all of them were dreading.
"I can see them."
"Do you want us to leave you to it?" Lyra asked as she climbed from her trunk to embrace him, but in a shocking turn of events Harry shook his head and smirked as something devious crossed his mind.
"Actually no, I think it's time I formally introduce you to my family," he decided, causing Danielle and Lyra to ooh.
"That's going to piss them off, isn't it?" Danielle heaved a sigh and Lyra tried not to laugh as Harry nodded vigorously.
"Yes, I haven't seen them since I blew Vernon's sister up and I'm in the mood to remind them that I've got people in my corner."
"Then lead the way, dude!" Lyra cried, marching onwards with her owl and eye-catching luggage plastered with dozens of unsightly stickers. She checked her outfit once over, glad that she picked out the lesser of the revealing vests she owned this morning. She did, however, pull her open shirt tight to her chest just in case. Sometimes her curves had a mind of their own, better to be safe than sorry.
As they presumed, Vernon and Petunia Dursley were far from impressed that Harry had invited the girls they insulted last summer over to greet them. Lyra slapped on her most charming smile and remained polite as Harry introduced them by name and explained who they were and why they should care in some capacity.
"Your godsister?" Petunia repeated, looking at Lyra with a peculiar lour, almost as though she was annoyed with herself for trying to place another face to the freckled one staring up at her.
"And most importantly his manager, pleasure to make your acquaintance," Lyra purred.
Vernon misinterpreted Harry's intentions and grumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes. "If you think for one second that I'm going to say yes to housing her too then—,"
"Absolutely not, that's not what this is," Harry cut him off.
"If anything, Harry would be coming to live with me in this hypothetical," Lyra corrected him.
"Then what is the meaning of this? Do you truly think we care about meeting your friends?" Vernon asked his nephew, indicating that they were wasting precious driving time.
"I wanted you to meet Lyra because her father is Sirius Black," Harry dropped the piece of trivia at their feet and nodded as they zoned in one of the countless posters pinned to the brick pillars. "Yeah, that Sirius."
"Good heavens," Petunia wheezed, her skin paler than her cream frilly blouse, looking from one Black to another. "Your godfather is that crazed criminal?" She spat the word as though it went rancid in her mouth.
"Just so you know, he is innocent but he will still kick your arse if he finds out that you've been neglecting your awesome nephew. You know, the literal saviour of our world in case you forgot? There are hundreds of people out there who would kill to be in your position and you couldn't care less," Lyra said as patronisingly as she could, hoping they felt her cold snap after every word. A quiet voice in her head began to tempt her into exercising her dark sensitivity to the shadows hiding around them, to scare them into complying with their demands to look after Harry, but she tuned it out before it started to entice her.
"You brought your friend over to threaten us?" Vernon growled, side-eyeing Harry who bravely nodded.
"I'll be out of your hair in exactly a month's time, I just thought you might want to know who I'll be spending the rest of my summer with," he explained as though it were obvious, but only Petunia's expression changed a fraction.
"You only have to stay with us for a month? Where did you get that information from?" She interrogated him, suspicious of its authenticity. Harry's aunt sparked Lyra's curiosity the most out of the pair, she was his blood relative. Lily's older sister. Did she really despise her sister so much that she'd treat him like shit? Was she in any way like her beloved-by-all sibling?
Your uncle murdered his sister, it's not uncommon for siblings to hate each other.
Fair point.
"From Professor Dumbledore himself," replied Lyra, glancing up at Danielle for backup and she nodded, "he said as long as Harry calls your house his home then he's free to spend his summer wherever he likes."
An unspoken discussion took place between the Dursleys, she knew what the narrowing and widening of their beady eyes meant, and she was astonished to see them absorb the information without many complaints. Though they still had one.
"Then why not move out completely right now? Why stay for a month?" Vernon was clearly the one out of the pair who struggled to understand it all. Even after all these years he couldn't wrap his head around the fact his wife refused to kick Harry out, it was a sore subject amongst them and he couldn't hide it in front of strangers any longer. Vanity mattered a lot to these people so Lyra gladly watched them bicker in public.
"He has to stay, it is not up for debate," Petunia answered as though that was the end of the matter.
"Do you actually care about my mother's protection charm?" asked Harry, seizing the chance to ask the question that had been burning away at the back of his mind for years. "I know that's why you agreed to take me in, to strengthen the protection she gave me when she died, but do you really care about that in any shape or form?"
"Don't ask such silly questions, of course I do," Petunia answered to save face in front of Lyra and Danielle who were delighted by Harry's show of confidence.
"But you hate magic, you hated Lily, and my dad, you actively hate me," he continued, striving to get some kind of answer that explained their poor attitude.
"Yes, I hate magic," Petunia said proudly, affronted by his stubborn display. "I despise it. Magic is selfish, it is dangerous, and it ruined the best parts of my childhood. Do not pretend that magic is the be-all and end-all of this world because it is far from. Magic ruins everything."
"And I completely agree," Danielle chipped in, suddenly drawn to Petunia, and she stepped forward with a hand on her heart. "Mrs Dursley, I am a Squib, please believe me when I say that I understand where you are coming from and I have a horrible feeling that you may be justified in your feelings toward magic. I grew up the only Muggle in my entire family, extended and all. Your emotions are valid but there are much healthier ways of dealing with them than taking them out on your nephew."
"We did not come here today to be lectured!" Vernon complained, wary of any eavesdroppers brushing by their small circle, but he quietened his grumbling when he realised his wife was being strangely accepting of what the social worker was telling her.
"You're a Squib?" Petunia repeated though Lyra suspected it wasn't because of the unfamiliar word. She was very familiar. More than she let on. Something in her hardened face shifted, hopefully for the better.
"I watched my younger brother receive his Hogwarts letter on his eleventh birthday, I stayed home while he ran off to Hogwarts and left me at home with a broken heart," she relayed the difficult memory out of empathy, "trust me when I say I know what you've been through."
"Have I ever told you that Danielle is the coolest?" Lyra whispered to Harry who was watching his aunt go through about a thousand different emotions at once, in awe.
"Is it too early to say that this month might go well?" he uttered under his breath, and Lyra clapped his shoulder in agreement, all of her fingers and toes crossed for extra luck.
"I still don't understand why the boy has to stay, wasn't that spell supposed to ward off that bloke with the funny name? The one who died?" Vernon interjected before Danielle began an impromptu therapy session in the middle of the train station and charged him a fortune for it.
"What, Voldemort?" Harry asked but he quickly apologised when Danielle jolted, shooting him a fierce look. "Yeah, but he's not really dead."
"What?" Petunia was paler than a ghost as she darted her watery eyes from Harry to Lyra to Danielle, petrified. "What do you mean? I thought—?"
"It's a really long story, but I'm sure if you talk to Harry nicely and with the respect he deserves he'll tell you all about it," Lyra grinned, not giving his aunt the satisfaction of a full answer. Let her freak out for a bit, she deserved to be afraid.
Neither Vernon nor Petunia were particularly amused by her answer but it certainly straightened their spines and smartened their attitude toward Harry. None of their scowls were malicious as they impatiently waited for Lyra and Harry to finish their goodbyes and they even issued them a polite 'drive safe' as they parted. Danielle sneakily suggested to Lyra that they should follow them out to the car park to wind them up further but her fragile bladder ruined that idea and they exited the station after a lofty wait outside of the ladies bathroom.
"I knew her attitude stemmed from childhood trauma, I bloody knew it," Danielle sighed as they found her silver Ford amongst the many in the busy car park.
"I take it that it's common for Squibs and Muggles with Wizarding siblings to grow up hating magic?" Lyra wondered, worried for Danielle's own position. "Do you hate magic?"
"I used to," Danielle admitted. They lugged the trunk and cage into the back seat and retired to the front where they rushed to roll the windows down. Her car was molten, Lyra clawed at the air conditioning and turned it to its highest setting. "But I've come to accept it and even enjoy it again. It took a lot of time though, and good thing too. At least I didn't end up like Harry's aunt."
"Thank God, I wouldn't have made it to Hogwarts if you were," Lyra shivered, but Danielle rolled her eyes and ruffled her hair.
"You made me fall in love with magic again, duck. I think it's me who should be thanking God."
The cherished silence that settled over them lasted until they exited the car park and joined onto the slow queues and their blaring red brake lights leading their way home. Danielle twizzled the radio's volume knob and cleared her throat, snatching Lyra's attention from the window.
"Right then, start at the very beginning. Tell me everything about your third year and don't leave out any details — especially about that boy you were making kissy faces at back there," she commanded, unable to stop the cutesy grin that overtook her face. "Spill, girl!"
Lyra flushed, finished her tepid Earl Grey in one final sip, and shuffled in her seat so she could be comfortable for the duration of her whirlwind of a tale. As they followed the dying sun toward the south coast of England, Lyra rambled on and on in graphic detail about her third year, painting colourful images as vivid as the grapefruit and lilac clouds above them in Danielle's head. She spent way too long describing her Quidditch matches, she wanted to give her achievements the attention they deserved and she glowed with pride when Danielle celebrated her title as a Quidditch champion by stopping at one of the countless service stations near Southampton for a fast food treat.
It wasn't long until she got into the nitty gritty with Pettigrew and her father but she sped through her recount of her Easter break so she couldn't linger on the Dementors too much. She neglected to tell her anything about her deathly talents or her investigation work, and luckily she never asked about it either. Her headmaster kept his word, he hadn't told anyone else.
But her father knew. And at long last the hands of the analog clock in Danielle's car crept closer toward their imminent meeting. Once Lyra recognised the signage directing them to the small hamlets that would lead them to Coles, she hurried through the last weeks of term with brief descriptions and ended on the highest note of all.
"—and Snape has officially kicked me out of his Potions class! He doesn't get to teach me anymore! Isn't that exciting?!" She finished, eyes shining in pure joy at the prospect of a Snape-free fourth year, but Danielle didn't look at all impressed.
"Isn't Potions your best subject? How does that work?" She asked as she turned onto the steep, dusty road that Lyra hadn't seen in what felt like forever. The last time she was here, she had no idea what surprises lay waiting around the corner. The last time she was here she considered herself an orphan. Not now, not anymore.
"Albus said he'd arrange a tutor for me, relax. I will still be the best at Potions," she explained, her stomach whirring until it knotted itself. They pulled up outside Coles and Lyra gasped, admiring the fresh coat of paint on the rickety fences. "Shut up, who painted that?"
"Johnny did," Danielle smirked, "as part of his community service."
"Ha!" Lyra didn't bother with hiding her glee at the news, "community service? What did he do this time?"
"Stole a load of bikes amongst other things, don't get me started," Danielle muttered, "make sure you keep your bedroom door locked while you're in there, he's turning into a real menace and I don't want him catching you off-guard."
Ew, gross. Lyra always had a suspicion that Johnny was a little creep but it sucked to hear that she was right. Her hand hesitated on the car door handle as she remembered the other blonde pain in the arse in her life and she bit her lip, dreading the answer. "What about Rachel?"
To her surprise, Danielle flashed her a smile and exited the car, breathing in the salty sea air that hit her in the face. "Rachel no longer lives here, she moved out a few months ago," she revealed, huffing slightly as she manhandled the back-breakingly heavy trunk from the back seat. "Jesus girl, how many rocks did you pack?"
"Only ten this time," Lyra gasped, she couldn't believe it, "please tell me you're not joking. Rachel's gone?!"
"She moved in with her best friend near Portland, so avoid the island if you don't want to run into her," Danielle laughed as Lyra cursed as loudly as she could and punched her fists into the air, unable to vocalise just how indescribably happy that made her. BEST DAY EVER!
Although the fences had been updated, the interior of Coles hadn't changed in the slightest. Well, almost nothing had changed, Lyra noticed that the children she passed in the hallways were enamoured by her presence and stuck their heads out of their rooms to gawk. She didn't recognise a single one of them and at Danielle's encouraging smile she dared to wave at them.
"Hey, I'm Jane," she announced, subtly showing off Apollo as she realised why their jaws had dropped, "and this is Apollo, nice to meet you."
"No fair! You get to have an owl as a pet?" The younger of the faces exclaimed, a dark-skinned boy with the bluest eyes she'd ever seen.
"That's a cool suitcase," another face, a shy girl with pigtails eyed her belongings with a faint pout, "it looks very old."
"Are you the girl Johnny warned us about?" The oldest of the bunch braved his question. He must have been about eleven or twelve, he reminded her of Colin.
"Oh boy," Lyra facepalmed and tried to fight her spiky defensive walls from popping up, "yeah probably. What did he say?"
"That you were a witch," the Colin-lookalike admitted, unfazed by the heavy accusation. Huh! Finally some kids with sense!
"I thought he said she was a bitch?" corrected the youngest boy, giggling at the swear word, but he ran away cackling when Danielle gasped.
"Damian! Do not say that bad word!"
"I wouldn't listen to everything Johnny says, he craves the attention he lacked as a child," Lyra said sadly, playing up the charade that she was a perfectly normal girl, and she waved goodbye to her new housemates with a hopeful smile as she continued on to her dingy bedroom at the very back. The shy girl waved back and Colin's twin nodded, still staring after her as though he had more questions he had been hoping to ask her.
"That was new, they're not scared of me," Lyra commented as she unlocked her bedroom and collapsed on her bed, breathing in the familiar scent of Danielle's perfume. "Have you been hanging out here without me?"
"I changed your sheets yesterday, you're welcome," Danielle teased as she perched on the end and absently massaged the small of her back. "And yes, without Rachel here it's been a hell of a lot easier warning the new children about you. I've told them you attend a veterinary specialist boarding school so make sure you run with that lie."
"Very nice," Lyra yawned, fighting off the waves of fatigue with determination. Her night was far from over. She jumped back onto her feet, unlatched her trunk, and heaved a convincing sigh. "Ugh, I'm knackered. I might have an early night."
"Smart girl, I'll leave you to unpack. If you need me, I'll be in the office until ten and then I'm heading up to bed," Danielle kissed her forehead like the doting older sister she saw herself as and broke into one more pearly grin. "It's good to have you back, chick."
"Love you lots, Greene. See you in the morning," she blew her a kiss and swiftly locked the door behind her, ensuring she was all by herself for the first time in what felt like forever. The click of the lock lifted the weight from her shoulders and a shot of pure adrenaline revitalised her as she checked her battered alarm clock — for once in her life, she was right on time.
With the grace of a sneaky fox, Lyra rushed around her room and threw all of the essentials into her leather backpack. She swapped her flimsy unbuttoned shirt with a distressed black cardigan, filled the pockets of her baggy jeans with as many coins as she could carry, tightened the laces on her heavy trainers, and hid most of her wild curls under the first cap she found in her trunk.
"Don't give me that look, bud," Lyra hissed at Apollo who was openly judging her as she slid her bedroom window open and started to climb out, "I'll be back soon, I swear."
Miffed that she was abandoning her so soon, Apollo ruffled his feather and spun around to emphasise his shunning. Trying not to take his grumpy gesture to heart, Lyra slipped a handful of treats into the tray beneath his perch before she snuck into the wily garden, leaving her window half open for her owl's leisure.
She kept close to the ground as she crept toward the back fence of the garden, cautious of any stray eyes following her from the home. She vaulted the fence in one hop and dashed through the long grass of the cow field, her mind set on one thing and one thing only.
Oh my God… There he is.
When Lyra escaped the cow field through a lesser-known fence break hidden between a thicket of bramble bushes, she crouched low to the floor and scanned the main road for any neighbours— her heart lurched into her mouth and her legs nearly gave way when she realised someone was watching her at the top of the darkening gravel road.
The shaggy black dog was sitting beneath the same lamppost where she first met Dumbledore what felt like an age ago. Back when she was still Jane. His sharp ears perked up when she locked eyes with him, his wagging tail picked up speed as she jogged over to him beaming ear to ear.
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," she stammered, unusually out of breath and shy. Was she nervous? She didn't realise. "I know somewhere safe we can go, follow me."
The dog slobbered on her offered hand and happily trotted alongside her, analysing the scenic cliffside route she decided to take him on. Dusk was settling on the south coast and the sun's dying light cast everything in a deep rich orange, it made looking at the infamous coastline somewhat manageable today. No, not manageable, the sea looked nice. She led him past the stone benches and pink bindweed plants where she first met Kreacher and headed down the vicious zigzag public path that would take them down to a secluded part of the beach. Seagulls cawed as their sudden appearance spooked the flock lounging on the sand and she giggled as the dog barked and took off running after them, scaring them into taking to the skies. He looked much healthier than their last meeting and her hopes soared.
Looking very much like the seaside's average dog walker, Lyra ambled along the beach until she found the cove hidden behind the rusty shacks fishermen used to store their crab hutches. Careful of the slippery rocks, Lyra hopped inside and was glad to see only one puddle at its centre. She dumped her backpack on the floor and tried to calm her racing heartbeat as the shaggy dog traced her steps.
And in a blink, he was there.
"Hello Princess," greeted Sirius in the softest voice, back in his sorry but much more suitable human form. He was still wearing his prison uniform but he wasn't skeletal, wasting away on a pitiful diet of rodents and scraps he found in bins. He looked perfectly homeless at best, he blended in well with the folks that were often found sleeping in coves like these.
"Hi," Lyra croaked, gormless and tongue-tied in her father's presence. She didn't know how to begin. "I got your letter."
"Yeah, I gathered that," he said, equally as breathless as his daughter, "I hope my messenger didn't give you too much grief, little bugger pecked me when I tied the letter to his leg." He showed her the pink dotted scratches on his dirty hands and she smirked, showing off her own crow bite marks.
"It's ok, I won him over using Apollo's crackers in the end."
"Is Apollo your owl?"
"Barn owl, he gets offended if you don't use his full birthright," she laughed awkwardly, still unsure what to do with her hands. Sirius was just staring at her as though he believed her to be an apparition. He was just as on edge as she was and she exhaled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Half of her was desperate to launch herself at him and never let go but the other half was considering running away just so the awkward tension would vanish.
Sirius clutched his chest, choking back a stifled sob. The darkening sunlight shining through the cove entrance reflected off the slime coating the stone walls and gave Lyra a chance to memorise her father's face while she still could. He was on the verge of tears already. "Of course you have a barn owl, I should have known."
Lyra shrugged. "Duh, they are by far—,"
"—the prettiest type of owl," Sirius finished with her, struck by the weirdest sense of deja vu. "Merlin, it's like looking in a mirror. We used to have a barn owl, she was your mother's. Eris, she was one feisty girl."
"Just wait until you meet Apollo, maybe it's a barn owl trait because he's one heck of a fighter when he wants to be," she scoffed, buzzing at the mention of her mother. Her knees knocked but she stood tall, unafraid of the nausea welling in her stomach. With another nervous hop she slipped her backpack off and busied herself with her gifts for him. She wasn't entirely sure what he needed — what does one give a wanted man on the run from the wizard police? —but she did her best and presented him with her gifts with an anxious giggle.
"I didn't know what to bring, I don't know if you'll be able to carry half of it while in your dog form so I packed light, but then again you're able to keep your clothes and things in your pockets so really all of this shouldn't be a bother," Lyra couldn't shut herself up as she began to hand him flasks of tea and individually wrapped food parcels she stole from breakfast, sweets, a torch, clothes she transfigured to fit him, toiletries, a mirror, a dagger, matches, perfume—
"Lyra, stop," Sirius tried to interrupt her but she was on a roll, nothing could stop her from chattering away.
"—and then I thought about asking Kreacher to help you with anything else you'd need but I haven't actually told him about you yet and I don't know how to approach that tough subject yet because he hates you—," she panted, realising how prickly her dry eyes were. Her breaths were shorter, faster. She couldn't slow down.
"Lyra!" He barked as he closed the tense gap between them, hoping to snap her out of her panic attack. "Stop talking!"
"I can't! Sometimes I can't shut up no matter how badly I want to! My mouth runs away from me and I work myself up and I panic!" She exclaimed, enduring each wave of pain like a lighthouse. "I'm sorry I don't know what to say to you, I still can't believe that this isn't some perfect dream that could end at any second. I'm scared of waking up, I don't want to lose you again. I need you because life really fucking sucks… I…"
She ran out of steam when she felt the wet trails rolling down her cheeks. Sirius was already wrapping his arms around her, rocking her gently in time with the gulls song beyond the cove, as though rocking her to sleep to their lullaby.
"It's ok, baby, I've got you now," his voice was gruff with emotion and she relaxed her heavy lids, soothed by the wild thumping of his heartbeat. "This is awfully overwhelming, I couldn't be more sorry that I'm putting you through this, but believe me when I say you are, without a doubt, the strongest person I have ever met. You are handling this like a professional."
"Thanks," Lyra sniffled, muffled by his robes, "I aim to please."
"You're not the only one who doesn't know what to say, imagine you're in my position," Sirius sighed, feeling sorry for himself as Lyra dried her face and removed her cap, "one day I'm watching you smash your chocolate birthday cake into your mouth pretending to be a dinosaur, then I spend over a decade believing that you were killed, and the next thing I know you're suddenly alive again and I'm watching my beautiful baby girl fight off against Dementors and… and… Death? Am I understanding this correctly? Are you fighting Death? Lyra, honey… DEATH?!"
Oop, here it is!
Be very, very careful with what you tell your father.
I think you can trust him, I like him.
Feeling much more emotionally stable after her leakage, Lyra drew away from his embrace and took a deep, stabilising breath. Though he was now glaring at her with his hands on his hips, it did look quite unnatural on him. Obviously Sirius only had experience parenting a toddler, not a teenager, so Lyra took advantage of their unconventional relationship and ignored him. She lit the candles she brought and set them up on the flattest rocks so they could at least see who they were talking to.
Now softly lit by the dim glow of the stubby pillar candles, Lyra pointed at the rock. "Be a good boy and sit."
"Psssh, excuse me?" Sirius scoffed at her cheek but begrudgingly followed her order, her grumpy face was too cute to ignore, "fine but you better explain yourself, young lady. What's going on?"
Lyra smoothed back her unruly kinks and stood before her father, existing in the final seconds of his obliviousness, before his opinion on her changed forever. She had to tell him, right? He was her parent, he might know something about ancient magical gods and Death and Lord knows what else, he grew up as a Pureblood. He was intelligent, he could help her…
Sirius pursed his lips, concerned by her silence. "Lyra—,"
"Lord Voldemort somehow gave me Death's Soul and used Uncle Barty to do it!" Her secret exploded out of her and snatched Sirius of his voice. "I am Death, I'm not fighting Death — it's me. And I don't know what to do about it because it's ruining my life! If you thought you were the only major problem in my life then you would be one hundred percent incorrect, Daddio! Help me!"
Her secret lingered within the evening sea breeze that rushed in and ruffled their black tresses. The old 'rip it like a plaster' trick usually worked a trick when she had to tell her closest comrades something pretty life-changing, heart-wrenching news and as she stood there watching Sirius absorb her revelation she presumed it worked here too. He wasn't shouting at her, he wasn't scared, he didn't look even the tiniest bit upset. Wait, did he even hear her?
"You're Death?" Sirius repeated slowly. "You? My baby… is the fearsome, eldritch god, ruler of death and all things that are relatively… dark?"
Oh ok, he did hear me then.
"Ta daaa!" Lyra presented him with her full set of pearly whites and wiggled her hands for added flair.
She held her breath as Sirius inhaled as much fresh air as his lungs could physically contain and closed his eyes. Lyra dropped her arms and panicked. Did she just fuck up? Was he about to lose it? Was he going to scold her…?
But all of her anxieties floated away with the seagull's song as Sirius threw his head back and laughed, and laughed, and then laughed some more. A true belly cackle, one that came straight from his soul and Lyra couldn't help but join in. He had a point, it was pretty fucking hilarious when she sat down and really thought about it.
"Ouch, ooh I think I bruised a rib," Sirius gasped, clasping onto his tender bonecage in defeat to his giggles. "Oh dear, my poor baby! I… I don't…? You know I'm rarely speechless, Princess, I truly don't know where to begin with this one. Wow..."
Lyra calmed her laughter until it was a quiet titter and she reached for the flask of tea. She passed him one of the steaming cups of Earl Grey and sat cross-legged opposite him on their flat perch, draping one of his new blankets around their shoulders. Sirius was hypnotised by her, he should have been the one to comfort her, to make sure she was warm and watered, and yet here she was as her own person. A stranger to him, really. Death…
Shadows grew against the cove walls behind her, looking over her shoulder like a protective beast, comforting her in a way he never thought the darkness could be capable of. He sobered up before her eyes.
"Lyra," he said in his most fatherly, mature voice yet and captured her undivided attention in a single whisper. "None of it matters, ok. I've got you no matter what you are, or what you do. We're a team, you and me."
A part of Lyra's broken heart she thought was gone forever healed. "You and me. And Harry, by default."
"Ahhh yes, Harry…" Sirius revealed his devilishly handsome smirk in its entirety and sipped his Earl Grey with relish. "So when were you going to tell me about you and him? Because quite frankly I'm disappointed it wasn't the first thing you said to me in the Forbidden Forest, are you afraid that I wouldn't approve of you dating so young? Well, I mean I'm not thrilled but—,"
"DAD?!" Lyra whinged, covering her blushes in case he thought she was lying, "What?! No! We're not dating?!"
"Give over, what do you mean you're not dating?! Sirius cackled, unconvinced, "ok, you're going to sit here in front of me, look me dead in the eye, and tell me that I'm the insane one here, O' Lady Death? I watched you two all year, I know what I saw!"
Lyra scoffed and dove for her backpack where she pulled out a beautifully crumpled wanted poster. "According to this, not only are you insane but are known to lie too!"
"Hey, I'm very sensitive about that! Give it here!" Sirius abandoned his tea and opted to poke at his daughter's ticklish spots under her armpits and he howled along with her when she convulsed, a slave to her sensitive skin.
"Not fair! Stop it!"
"Hand over the poster!"
"No freaking way!"
"Gimme!"
"Argh!"
"Hey!"
Nothing but the joyous sounds of the Blacks experiencing their first play fight and the steady crashing of the waves slapping the empty sandy shore filled the coastline that evening. The universe twinkled down on the isle and allowed Lyra her well-deserved evening of peace, laughter, and an abundance of love with her father.
thank you so much for reading! shoutout to my fellow pisces out there, this is my early birthday present to you 33
