Style // Sirius Black

Chapter X

"Is this the only spot left?" A French accent drawled from across the table, causing Lyra to snap her head up in realization, "I suppose it is. Why else would Black be next to you, darling."

"I suppose it is," Lyra answered sweetly, trying her best to give off an innocent smile, "Please, sit. I wouldn't want you to be down with the first years."

"How considerate of you," Pierre replied, his tone short and dry, "Sirius, how are you?"

"Fantastic," he beamed, glancing between the blonde on his right and the new student in front of him, "This is great. Finally, some bonding time between us three."

"Talk like that again, and I will hex you until your grandchildren feel it," Lyra scathed, eyes focusing on her food, "Got it?"

"Aw," Sirius mocked, "That's cute. Why don't you tell Pierre here what you told me about daring to call you darling, hm? Or is that hostility reserved for me only."

Lyra shot up from her seat before he could make another comment. The table went silent as James met her eyes and noticed that Lyra was about to be set off. The difference is, this time, it would be against someone from her own house, not a sly Slytherin wanting to get her going. He followed suit, catching up to her as she stormed towards the exit, not bothering to explain a confused and worried Remus and Marlene.

"Ly," James called, tugging at her wrist so that she whirled around to look at him, blonde hair falling over her shoulders, "What's wrong?"

"Keep Sirius the hell away from me before I kill him," she sneered, eyes brimming with tears as she stared at her twin, "And I mean that."

"Lyra, he doesn't mean any harm," James reasoned, earning a scoff from his sister as she tugged her arm away from him, "He's...he's going through a lot right now."

"Oh, is he?" Lyra mocked, "I get that part. I understand that his life's gone to shit. But that gives him no right to make mine a living hell. And for you to defend him each and every time he does these things hurts, James."

James went to open his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed together as though he was going to give a proper explanation for everything. Not just for him defending the boy, but a reason as to why Sirius insisted on making Lyra miserable every day of her life. She watched his lips purse together, and his eyes fall to his feet. Whatever it was, James knew, this was the time to let it out. Whatever it was that could ease Lyra's anger, and frustration was more critical than whatever secret he wanted to keep.

"Well?" Lyra began, throwing her arms up in anticipation, "What?"

James fell silent again, and Lyra's heart sank to her stomach. She knew that Sirius and James had a very brotherly relationship and that she could never give that to her twin. But she expected that he would at least stand up for her after she constantly threw herself in the line of fire to protect him. But the moment it jeopardized anything with Sirius or made anything even slightly complicated, James folded. It only ever seemed to happen when it came to Lyra, and she wouldn't deny the hurt she felt each time.

"Typical," Lyra muttered, taking a few steps back from James, "Merlin forbids anyone goes against the King of Hogwarts, right? Alert the Aurors if anyone with the balls to do it ever did something without being controlled by Mr. Sirius Black."

"Lyra-"

"Well, guess what, James," Lyra scathed, shaking her head, "Some of us might just have the guts to do it."

Lyra lifted her eyes from her brother's face to see Sirius standing not too far back from the two. He had a hurt look on his face, and the blonde couldn't help but scoff. She didn't care if he had heard the venomous names she had spat out or how it hurt her that James always chose him over her. At this point, she could insult him even worse to his face and not feel a single ounce of remorse about it. She had lost every care she ever had to get rid of her reputation within the halls of Hogwarts.