Where Secrets Abound

After the whole incident with Snape, Sirius tried to tone down his pranks for the month. He really couldn't afford to make Lyra mad at him again... She had jinxed his quill to grow teeth and bite his fingers when he tried to write, refusing to undo it for an entire week. Finally, though, she'd calmed down enough to accept his apology, and was now sitting beside him during lunch.

The Christmas holidays were approaching, but the Malfoy family had yet to send any indication that news of Sirius' little stunt in transfiguration class had even reached them. Not a Howler, not even an ordinary scrap of parchment to express disapproval. So, warily, the two of them had begun to relax. They no longer limited themselves to midnight meetings and stolen kisses in abandoned corridors.

Sirius wrapped his arm around Lyra, and was just about to offer her piece of his turkey, when the doors to the Great Hall burst open. Standing there, in all their rich, Pureblood glory were Mister and Missus Malfoy themselves. Everyone stared. Parents might show up at Hogwarts on occasion, but never without some preceding disaster such as physical harm to the student, and never would they interrupt a meal.

Sirius saw Lyra go pale. Once glance at the teachers' table told him that Dumbledore didn't appear to be too concerned. The Headmaster merely rose, calmly and headed to greet the unhappy couple.

Before he could reach them, however, Lyra's mother had locked her silver eyes onto her daughter. A sneer curled upon the woman's face, and she marched over, Abraxas Malfoy close behind. Lyra stood to face them, but Sirius could tell she was terrified. When her mother grabbed her sharply by the arm, he stood beside his girlfriend. The husband (Sirius refused to acknowledge that these people were Lyra's parents anymore) glared at him, but Sirius stood his ground.

"You're coming straight home, young lady!" the woman somehow managed to shriek through her clenched teeth.

"Mark my words, you'll be sent off to Durmstrang next term," Abraxas drawled lazily, glancing around the Great Hall with disdain. "You'll learn how to represent the family there."

To Sirius' surprise, Lyra yanked away defiantly. She was trembling. This was probably the first time she'd ever disobeyed them to their faces.

"I am home," she all but whispered. "And the only family I have is at this table beside me."

Sirius reached for her hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Remus, Lovetta, Lily, Peter, and James all rising to stand behind them. For a moment, the Malfoys almost looked frightened, as if this small group were threatening them by this small act.

Before anyone else could say a word, the woman reached out and struck Lyra across the face, prompting a gasp from her and sending indignant murmurs rippling across the room, even from some of the more elitist students. Sirius nearly growled, even without his Animagus form.

Suddenly, Dumbledore was standing right next to the couple.

"That's quite enough," he said calmly. His voice was kind, but his eyes were not. "I believe it has been established that you no longer have a student at this school, therefore, I must ask you to leave the Hogwarts grounds... permanently."

Abraxas Malfoy watched him coldly, but evidently decided not to challenge him.

"Come, dear... we're leaving."

Sirius didn't bother to watch them go. Instead, he focused on Lyra. Her gaze was fixed on the retreating figures of the ones she had once considered family. The doors closed with a dull thud, and the students slowly returned to their gossip. The Marauders all sat back down in silence as Dumbledore nodded to Lyra before returning to the teachers' table. Soon, an angry red mark on Lyra's otherwise fair skin remained the only proof that there'd been any incident at all.

---

"So how does it feel to be disowned?" Lovetta asked.

Lyra knew her friend was just trying to make her feel better, but to be honest, she really didn't know how to answer.

"Lovetta!" Lily hissed, scribbling a few more notes.

"What? I'm just trying to diffuse the tension..."

"It's okay, Lily," Lyra murmured. "Everything is just taking a bit to sink in."

Lily still seemed concerned, setting the library book aside to get a closer look at her. "Did Madame Pomfrey get that bruise taken care of?"

Lyra nodded, tilting her head to show the now flawless skin.

"I told her I could've done it myself..."

Lovetta snorted. "Trust me, I've tried that before. It never makes a dent with old Pomfrey."

The corner of Lyra's mouth twitched into a smile, despite the seriousness of everything. "Yeah..."

"So what are you going to do now?" Lily asked.

"Honestly... I can focus completely on school now that I'm not looking over my shoulder."

A noise of disgust came from Lovetta. "Are you joking? That's what you want to do with your newfound freedom? I can't believe you!"

Lyra laughed as Madam Pince shushed her friend. "Come on, Vetta, let me have this moment..."

"Fine, I suppose," she sighed. Then, suddenly, a devilish grin spread over her face. "So... I guess that means you and Sirius can get married without interference now?"

The statement caught Lyra off guard, and she made a small noise of surprise. "Lovetta! We're only sixteen!"

Lovetta rolled her eyes, still smirking. "Well obviously, I meant after we graduate."

Lyra could feel her face flushing. To be honest, she hadn't really thought about what would happen after. That is, there was the general assumption that she and Sirius would still be together after everything they'd been through, but anything beyond that hadn't crossed her mind until now. Clearing her throat, she quickly stood, trying to hide her face before Lovetta could see her embarrassment.

"I'll catch up with you later. Gotta go, bye!"

As Lyra left, she heard Lily berating Lovetta quietly. If she hadn't been so deep in thought, she might have found it amusing.