Style // Sirius Black

Chapter XIX

Betrayal is something that many fail to understand. Afterall, it was a broad term. Betrayal can be small such as not telling someone you had begun a new relationship, or it could be as grand as stabbing your friend in the back and selling them down the river for your own selfish gain. It was entirely depicted by those involved.

But it can also be something that develops over time and is seen as an act of self-defence by those committing the act. Anything can be coined self-preservation, especially within the walls of a war-torn magical world that was on the brink of collapse. Everyone was worried about their own wellbeing, but those with the bravest souls were more focused on those of the weaker and the ones they love.

The betrayal of a friend cuts deeper than most, however. It's something that is usually unpredictable and comes out of left field. But it can be seen if the most intelligent pay attention to the small signs appearing around them. It can be things as subtle as the lack of conversation. Or it can be something as covert as completely cutting off any connection with the previous friend group or singular friend.

But when one has woven themselves so deep into a friend group with a poisonous mind, it's near impossible to hoe out the weed. Especially when they are a vital member that all care and love. But sometimes even the brave become cowards, and it takes those with a broken heart to pull the pin on the horrid bomb that was set to explode.

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Dodging Regulus Black was about as easy as keeping a dragon as a house pet. He was everywhere that she was, waiting and watching from the shadows. He could tell she was slipping from his hands, falling into the worn and calloused ones of his brother. Lyra knew that ignoring the problem wouldn't make it go away, especially when he had managed to intwine himself into her life the amount he had.

Sirius was even harder to hide from though. Especially since the two shared a living area within the Gryffindor house. After their shared moments at Potter Manor over the holidays, Lyra had wished upon every star that it was simply a fluke and that nothing would come of it. Afterall, she was too frightened of the consequences if she became truly interconnected with the boy. She had been successful at avoiding the long-haired Black son, never allowing herself a moment alone with him or even properly speaking with him. She had even halted the bickering, not wanting to risk anything slipping out in a moment of anger.

It seemed though; she wasn't the only one experiencing issues with the boy.

Scarlett was at every turn, lurking just behind the boy that Lyra had said she loved. Her eyes were constantly trailed on the blonde, watching, waiting, wondering. Outside of both however, sat the man with ice blue eyes. Pierre had managed to once again gain good standing with the Marauders, earning each of their trusts and baiting Lyra to step in and tell them where it was she truly spent her Christmas break. It seemed a variety of people were following Lyra with a wry sense of curiosity.

Peter had found himself distancing himself from Lyra and it didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. She wondered if perhaps he knew something that she didn't, perhaps he even knew about what had transpired over the winter holiday. What that was exactly, she couldn't say. He may know about the new turn that her and Sirius's relationship had taken, or that she had found herself at the side of Voldemort acting as though that was where she belonged.

The first Monday of February following the start of the Second Term at Hogwarts, Lyra found herself staring at Peter with a confused and frustrated mind. He had a similar stature to that of one of the masked Death Eaters she had seen at the Black household and her worst nightmares seemed to be all adding together. Peter had been distant from the group ever since Christmas break, slowly isolating himself. Lyra had caught him whispering to himself in the corner of the library on countless nights, causing her to worry.