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Lyra's conversation with Lupin had completely changed her mindset. She grew more interested in the black brother's, her family tree and Lupin himself. She had sprinted to the library right after the conversation with the professor.
She went to the restricted section too, and found a book, including a 'school year picture' book, where she had found a picture of her mother, and her class, including Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, and Harry's parents.
As well as professor Snape.
She studied and studied, read every book that even had the mention of her family name, or the Blacks, and suddenly the end of the school year loomed on the horizon.
For Lyra, the past few months had been consumed not just by schoolwork, but by an obsession that had taken root after her conversation with Professor Lupin.
Her days blurred into a cycle of research and restless nights, where even her dreams were haunted by questions she still hadn't answered.
Fred Weasley, the source of so many of her frustrations and distractions, had faded into the background. Their fiery rivalry, the insults, and heated moments had faded into silence.
They hadn't exchanged a single word since the boggart incident. He seemed to have vanished from her world, and she didn't know if she was grateful for it or disturbed by the absence.
Her life had become books, her friends, and Professor Lupin's advice.
With only a few days left before she would board the train home, Lyra felt restless. She sat by the window of the Slytherin common room, staring out at the darkening sky, her mind racing through everything she had uncovered about her family's tangled history.
The locket, the ties to Regulus, her mother's madness. All of it had left her with more questions than answers.
As she closed her book and prepared to head back to her dorm, something caught her eye. A familiar figure was waiting for her just outside the common room entrance.
It was Harry Potter, standing awkwardly, looking like he was debating whether or not to knock.
Lyra blinked in surprise. She and Harry had barely spoken throughout the year. She couldn't imagine what would bring him here now, at this late hour, just days before the end of term.
"Potter," she greeted warily, stepping through the doorway and crossing her arms. "What do you want?"
Harry looked nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to the other before speaking. "Remus asked me to tell you something."
Her curiosity sparked by the mention of Lupin's name. After their conversation about Regulus and her mother, Lupin had left Hogwarts a few weeks later, and she hadn't heard from him since.
She had no idea where he had gone or why. She was afraid he had left her in the shadows, just like her mother had done.
Harry's eyes met hers, and he spoke softly, as though delivering a secret. "Sirius is safe."
For a moment, the words didn't register. Lyra frowned, confusion clouding her thoughts. "Sirius Black?"
"Who else?" Harry sarcastically shot back. "Remus said to tell you that. He didn't explain everything to me, but he wanted you to know."
Lyra's chest tightened.
Her mind raced back to her research, to the family tree she had meticulously mapped out. Regulus and Sirius, the Black brothers.
"Where is he?" Lyra asked, her voice coming out sharper than she intended.
Harry shook his head. "Gone. But he's safe, and Lupin told me that you should be patient."
Lyra clenched her jaw. Patience wasn't exactly her strong suit. She had been chasing answers for months now, and just when she thought she was getting close, she was told to wait.
"Why are you telling me this, Potter?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Harry hesitated, then sighed. "Look, I don't know everything that's going on between you, Remus, and Sirius. But I think it's important. I don't know if you'll ever get another chance to know the truth, so don't waste it."
Lyra studied him for a moment. She hadn't given Harry Potter much thought before, but now, standing before her, he felt like a strange reflection of herself, someone seeking answers about the past, someone trying to piece together a broken legacy.
"Thanks," she muttered, though the word felt foreign on her tongue.
Harry gave her a small, awkward smile, and without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Lyra standing in the dimly lit corridor, her mind spinning with this new piece of the puzzle.
Sirius was safe.
The words echoed in her head as she headed back to her dorm, her thoughts already racing ahead to what this could mean. The locket, Regulus, her mother's madness, and Sirius. It was all connected. It had to be.
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"Who was that?" Theodore suddenly called out, his voice low and probing.
Lyra's pulse quickened when she heard Theodore's voice,
She kept her back to him, staring down the dark corridor where Harry had just disappeared. For a second, she considered telling Theo the truth about what Harry had said, and about Sirius Black and the strange web of secrets she was entangled in.
But no, not yet. Not when she was still piecing it together herself. Not when everything was so unclear.
"Nobody," Lyra replied, her voice steady.
Theodore stepped closer, his presence now beside her.
"You're lying." His tone wasn't accusatory, but knowing. Theo had always been able to read her too well. His eyes narrowed slightly, scanning her presence for any lies.
Lyra turned to face him, her expression cool and unyielding. "I'm not lying," she said, though the subtle whisper her tongue left on her mouth told him otherwise.
Theo's gaze lingered on her face. "Potter doesn't just seek people out for no reason. And you've been different lately, more than usual, atleast. Why won't you talk to me." He said, and now Lyra knew he had seen Potter.
She sighed. Theodore had always been protective of her, in his own way, but right now, it felt suffocating.
"I don't owe you an explanation, Theo," she snapped, her voice colder than she intended.
He raised a brow, but he seemed unphased by her outburst.
"I'm not asking for an explanation. I'm asking if you're okay." His words were genuine, and his tone softening as he added, "If there's something going on that I should know about, you can tell me."
There was something so genuine in his voice, something that almost made Lyra want to spill everything to him. But she couldn't. Not yet.
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I can handle myself," she said finally with a firm tone, but her eyes softened for a split second when she met his eyes.
Theo didn't respond right away, and the silence around them were heavy. His dark eyes were always so piercing. He searched her face, trying to pull the truth from her without her saying a word.
Finally, he sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Fine. Keep your secrets, then," he muttered, though the words lacked the bite they usually held.
Without another word, Theodore turned and walked away, leaving Lyra standing alone in the dim corridor, her heart still racing.
She watched him disappear into the dorm stairs, a wave of guilt washing over her.
She was now alone in cold hallway, and her mind spun back to what Harry had told her. Sirius is safe.
She sighed in exhaustion before heading back to the Slytherin common room. She hoped Theo would take it lightly, and not hold a grudge against her, especially now before school ending.
She entered the common room and her friends were already scattered around the room. Draco lounged on one of the couches, looking half asleep, while Daphne and Astoria sat near the fireplace, deep in conversation.
Blaise, as usual, was engrossed in a book, but his eyes flicked up as Lyra entered the room.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Blaise remarked, lifting his head up from the book he was reading.
Lyra shot him a glare, but said nothing as she dropped into the seat next to Astoria. She could feel their eyes on her, but she was too exhausted to explain.
"What did you tell Theodore, he looked furious." Draco smirked, he had always had an interest in gossip.
Daphne chimed in, her tone playfully suspicious, "What was that all about with Potter earlier? He looked like he was delivering some sort of secret message."
Lyra tensed. "Theo told you?," she questioned. "Anyways, it wasn't anything important, just school advice."
Daphne raised a brow. "School stuff?" she echoed, clearly unconvinced. "Since when does Harry Potter seek out Slytherins for 'school stuff'?"
"Since never," Draco added from his corner, who was suddenly very awake. "That's suspicious as fuck, Lyra."
Blaise smirked. "Potter doesn't exactly interact with us. You've got to admit it's a little odd."
Lyra rolled her eyes, but she could feel the weight of their curiosity pressing down on her. She wished she could tell them everything, but the truth was that she didn't have the full story herself.
"Let it go," Lyra finally said, her tone firm. "It's nothing important."
Astoria shot her a concerned look but didn't push further, sensing that Lyra wasn't in the mood to elaborate. Daphne, however, seemed less willing to let it go.
"Alright, fine," Daphne conceded, though the look in her eyes made it clear that this wasn't over. "But you can't keep hiding things from us forever, Lyra. We're not blind."
"I'm not hiding anything," Lyra insisted, though the lie tasted bitter on her tongue.
"Yeah sure, but just don't steal all the Gryffindor guys." Pansy suddenly chimed in, who came walking down the stairs with a cup of tea in her hand.
"Oh yeah, you already have Fred, why do you need Potter as well?" Blaise chuckled, sending her a smirk.
"Because Gryffindors are so tame, you have to keep an extra one hidden away." She winked back sarcastically, obviously joking.
"Ew, never say that again." Daphne fake gagged, before raising a brow. "What's up with you and Fred anyways? I haven't heard you too bicker since, forever." She questioned, and the others agreed.
"Well, if I know you well, that bickering will return after a long summer holiday." Blaise winked.
The rest of the evening passed in relative quiet, the usual chatter of the common room swirling around her.
As the night wore on, she found herself staring into the flickering flames of the fireplace, her mind drifting back to Harry's words.
Sirius is safe.
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