Shades of Silver and Black

Chapter 80 | casually cruel in the name of being honest

Previously, Arcturus would have declared that five months was not a long time for people to change. But Lyra's placid stance, toneless tone and glaring lack of manners made him reconsider.

Arcturus followed her gaze to the picture, recognising it. "This is a rather new picture. Dear Andromeda insisted that since all of us were in the same place, we absolutely had to take a family portrait."

"It looks lovely," Lyra intoned, folding her arms on her chest as she tilted her head. "All your smiles are blinding and you look very happy." She finally turned to face them, her disposition showing indifference and her voice cool. "I'm not in this picture. Neither is Bella. Does that mean the two of us aren't considered family anymore?"

Lucius dwindled into silence but moved closer towards Lyra in a show of support as Arcturus and Melania froze at the accusation. The Lord and Lady of House Black locked eyes on the portrait and were subsequently enlightened with the epiphany that Lyra was indeed correct. The picture had been taken near the famed Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Pollux, Irma, Walburga, Orion, Sirius, Regulus, James, Charlus, Dorea, Arcturus, Melania, Narcissa, Druella, Cygnus, Alphard, Andromeda and even the mudblood of the family, Ted, were present in the portrait— smiling and happy. Lyra and Bellatrix were missing.

"We took a small, unplanned, vacation in the summer to Australia," Melania explained with a forced smile. "Bellatrix declined to attend since Ted was going to, while you had just gone to Argentina. We didn't want to call you back to London so soon."

"It fascinates me that this 'unplanned' vacation was implemented soon after I exited the country, that it couldn't have been done in the one-and-a-half months of summer days that had already begun, during which all of us were free and present," Lyra said with a smile, making the old couple stiffen. "It also intrigues me that rather than choosing Bellatrix, who was born a part of this family, you all chose to take Ted Tonks."

"Bellatrix declined to attend," Arcturus repeated, adding, "Besides, if Ted hadn't come, neither would Andromeda."

"Aah, yes. Silly me. I forgot Bellatrix is always the second choice," Lyra chimed, directing her gaze towards the portrait once more and feigning ignorance to the concerned glances exchanged by her grandparents.

Lyra couldn't help but observe that her Aunt Lucretia wasn't present either, prompting her to believe that since Lucretia and Bellatrix were married and Lyra was engaged, that was the reason for the growing gap between her and her family.

Lyra didn't allow her grandparents to brainstorm an explanation to throw the blame off themselves. Rather, she forced a faint smile to grace her face. "I'm pretty tired from travelling. It is three in the morning in Peru and I'm feeling sleepy. I'll take a nap and be back for lunch?"

Without waiting for a response, Lyra walked away to the room designated to her at the Planetarium. She managed to keep her composure until she shut the door behind her and laid on the bed.

Lucius lingered behind for a moment. "I'm not sure if it is my place to comment but..." He pressed his lips together as he gazed sternly at the senior couple. "I hold great respect for both of you, Lord and Lady Black, but Lyra... Lyra's been through a lot— under a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations, a lot of pain, a lot of everything. She feels more than she lets on and gets hurt easier than you believe she does. I hope you all are empathic."

Lucius proceeded to march in the path that Lyra had navigated on, not sticking around to see Arcturus' and Melania's reactions to his statement. When he opened the door to her room, letting himself in, and closing the archway behind him, he found her awake and her pillow wet. If only tears had colours, then Lyra's pillow would have been a canvas of her emotions; but Lucius understood what she was feeling nevertheless.