âââ
Lyra woke up earlier than usual, the encounter from last night immediately hitting her. She groaned, closing her eyes again.
She spent five minutes groaning, fluttering her eyes open and closed, but she couldn't fall asleep again, despise how hard she tried.
She looked around, only to realise everyone were still sleeping. She took this chance to get dressed and make her way to the great hall.
The school was so empty at this hour, people really enjoy making the best out of their morning time, she did too honestly, but this time she couldn't fall back asleep.
The bright arising sun spread across the castle, lighting up every dark corner there was. She opened the doors to the great hall, which was almost empty. She could spot Hermione Granger, and Luna Lovegood, as-well as some other students from the other houses.
She sat down for herself, it was comfortable. Quiet. Just what she preferred in the early hours. But it wouldn't last like this any longer, as suddenly more and more students came slithering in. including all her friends.
Suddenly, breakfast in the great hall was in full swing, students chattering about everything from upcoming Quidditch matches to the latest Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.
Lyra sat at the Slytherin table, now wedged between Theodore and Astoria, absently stirring her food as her mind raced.
She had spent half the night replaying her interaction with Fred Weasley over and over again. Today, she made a firm decision. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her react at all. No more biting comments, no more sarcastic retorts.
She would ignore him completely.
Across the hall at the Gryffindor table, Fred was leaning in, talking to George and Lee Jordan, but every few minutes, his eyes flickered over to the Slytherin table. He couldn't help it. Ever since their encounter last night, something about Lyra was gnawing at him.
Everyone knew them as some kind of 'rivals' their constant back and forth, the verbal jabs, the heated glances, it was part of the routine. She always had something to say, always had a sharp retort waiting on the tip of her tongue.
But this morning, she hadn't even glanced in his direction.
â
Breakfast ended, and everyone hurried to their classes. Lyra spoke goodbye to her friends, and exited the great hall. None of her friends would be in her class today, unfortunately.
She entered the potions classroom. Snape greeted her, and she sat down beside Marcus Flint, a boy who also was a Slytherin chaser. Marcus greeted her with a small smile, which she returned.
"I hope it's okay if I sit here." She whispered to the boy, and he smiled and shook his head.
"Of course, don't be afraid to claim that seat for the rest of the year." He winked, shooting her a playful smile. Ever since he got those awful teeth fixed, he never stopped smiling. Lyra found it kind of sweet.
Today, they were supposed to brew Alihotsy draught, a potion which causes extreme laughter if consumed.
She sat and listened to the instructions given by Snape, on how to brew this potion, when all of a sudden she could hear snickering behind her. She turned around in her seat slightly, getting a glimpse of Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson, laughing together in the back of the classroom.
"Something amusing, Weasley, Johnson?" Snape spoke, and the duo could barely hold in their laughter by his comment.
"O-of course not, Sir." Fred muttered out, smiling like a complete idiot. Snape shook his head before continuing his lesson, but Lyra's gaze lingered on the two. Angelina laughed quietly at his jokes, slightly touching his hand as doing so. Fred of course, enjoyed the attention.
For a split second, Fred's eyes caught hers, and his smile slightly dropped. Lyra let her eyes linger, her expression remaining dull, before she looked away, feeling his eyes burning through her back.
They were supposed to work in pairs of two, and as Marcus turned towards her, to ask her to be his partner, Snape interrupted.
"Don't get too comfortable yet, Flint." He spoke slowly, in his usual voice. "Today, i'll choose the groups."
"Flint and Nails, Smith and Candance, Johnson and Flint, Williams and Brown, Davies and Evans, Fletcher and Knight." Snape counted, before his eyes landed on Lyra.
"Oh, that leaves Arakan and Weasley. Don't waste any time now, hurry up."
Students began shifting around. Marcus gave her a small smile before walking over to Samantha Nails, A Ravenclaw girl. Fred didn't waste any time taking his seat beside Lyra.
"Hello, partner." He greeted smugly, but Lyra didn't give him the usual sarcastic eye roll or snide comment. She simply worked in silence, her eyes on the small cauldron placed upon their desk, and only spoke to him when it was absolutely necessaryâand even then, her words were clipped, professional.
Fred groaned everytime she demanded something from him, but he didn't exactly decline her demands.
"Hand me the asphodel," she said without even looking up from her brewing, her tone indifferent.
Fred, frowned as he handed her the ingredient. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," he muttered, trying to provoke her.
Nothing. She didn't even acknowledge him.
"You're ignoring me." He exclaimed. He smirked before picking up another asphodel, throwing it in the cauldron, completely messing up her progress.
Her eyes widened as the cauldron began overflowing, and she shot a death-glare towards the red haired boy. He returned the expression with a sly wink.
"You absolute idiot!" Lyra spat at him, looking down at their cauldron, which looked like a dark red, moldy porridge.
Snape scowled Fred for messing up Lyra's potion, giving him detention after school. The sly smirk playing on his lips suggested that he didn't regret anything, which earned him another detention. Fred's smirk vanished as fast as it appeared.
â
Snape dismissed classed, and Fred was left behind to clean the mess to everybody.
Lyra smirked as she exited the classroom, lingering for a moment to watch him try to clean their failure. Angelina Johnson packed her things, but remained for a minute.
"Do you need any help, Fred?" She asked sweetly, her smile meeting his.
"No, no, don't worry about me." He replied. None of them had noticed Lyra watching them in from the door frame.
Lyra watched as Angelina placed a hand over his, helping him mop the floor.
They laughed as they mopped together, and Lyra thought she honestly was going to be sick. She left quickly, making her way towards her second class.
She hurried down the corridor with a disgusted expression.
Well, maybe since he has finally gained interest in someone else, he would leave Lyra alone.
âââ