INSTEAD, james potter [1]

Chapter Seventy

It was early November 1979 when Lyra Malfoy attended one of her only Death Eater meetings. She usually tried to stay away, coming up with some excuse or saying that she didn't feel necessary whenever anyone would invite her, especially Rabastan. 

She didn't want to hear the Dark Lord once again ask her if she was soon available to take the Dark Mark. Lucius, her husband of nine months, usually covered for her if he had to. He knew that he was bound by honor to keep that mark off her left forearm. It had been one of his promises made to make her marry him. 

Rabastan had invited her to the meeting she currently found herself at, one that was set in his own family manor. She had tried to decline, saying she felt sick (which wasn't a lie, she had been feeling a bit under the weather lately.) He said it was absolutely vital that she was there, although promising the Dark Lord wouldn't take a specific interest in her. 

Lucius said that he had tried to get her out of it, but Rabastan had been adamant. Even if she puked all over the Dark Lord himself, she was going to stay there throughout the whole meeting. The image of that happened made Lyra laugh internally. 

So, that's how she got there. Sitting in between Regulus, a new Hogwarts graduate, and her husband at the Lestrange Manor. It was hard to know who had come to the meeting, seeing as everyone was strangely wearing their intricately designed masks. Well, everyone except for her.

She was quiet, keeping her gaze on her hands, who were tightly intertwined on the dark, wooden table of the dining hall. She was intently listening to the Dark Lord's evil speech, that seemed to get more evil every time. 

"I am pleased to inform you of our infiltration of the Order of the Phoenix. We now have a man on the inside, giving us important information," he smiled coldly. "That is exactly why I have called more of you here than usual, and asked you to wear your masks."

He glanced at Lyra, the only one who was barefaced and shown off the world, seeming to find it amusing that she was sitting there, trying to be unnoticed next to her husband. "Well, those of you who have masks. Now we must only wait."

She thought it was especially strange to think about the Order of the Phoenix in the Lestrange Manor, where she had discovered its existence, forcing her way into Sturgis Podmore's mind, gathering information to help Rabastan and Regulus. She was only seventeen then. Now she was a month from twenty. 

Though she was also wondering what they were waiting for. No matter what it was, Lyra was sure it wasn't good. She also hated the feeling of being so exposed in comparison to everyone else, wearing her usual clothes and her face on show while everyone worse Death Eater robes and masks. 

Then the Dark Lord smirked, pulling out his wand. Just as one of the walls of the Lestrange Manor exploded, he cast a powerful shield charm, allowing his Death Eaters to have enough time to get their wands out. 

Some of the debris flew past the charm, though. Lucius hurried to pull Lyra underneath him to shield her from it, instinctively. They had been married for nine months and had been living together for over a year. They had learned to become some sort of team. 

Spells started flying past her, and Lyra was fumbling as she reached into her robes, looking for her wand. She was internally cursing herself for being so clumsy when it mattered, but she was also externally trying to avoid actual curses being thrown at her head. 

The Dark Lord had known about the attack, that much she knew. He had been quiet obvious about. If he knew, she wouldn't be surprised if Rabastan did as well. She wondered, if he knew, why did he tell her to come?

Maybe he was still angry about her and James, the way she had betrayed their cause for so long without him knowing and he hoped she would get hurt because she deserved it. She didn't find that very likely. He had always tried to protect her when need be. He had proven that.