Style // Sirius Black

Chapter XX

"Nothing, dear."

Regulus stared at Lyra with his eyebrows furrowed. Despite confessing their apparent love to one another in Grimmauld Place, neither Regulus nor Lyra took the initiative to make the fake relationship something of substance. The latter knew her reasoning, and she had a gut feeling that the former was aware of it and decided to protect his own heart. Perhaps it was the longing and sorrowful look in Lyra's eyes whenever she watched Scarlett and Sirius that set the younger brother on the path of realization, but the blonde wasn't going to bring that conversation to fruition. Not now. It most likely didn't help that Lyra would return to the arms of her public lover with new markings scattered across her skin that both knew were created by someone with a much gentler touch.

"Why don't you go for a walk?" Regulus offered, "It's the first day of Spring, and it's lovely out. My flower can spend her day amongst her own."

Lyra knew why it was he was prompting her to leave. Barty and him were no doubt going to disclose information about the Death Eaters that Lyra 'shouldn't know,' but would end up learning about hours later just before the sun set. After all, when the stars lit up the night sky, she returned to him in her true form as one of the shining sparkles in the sky.

"Alright."

Lyra hardly hesitated to push herself up from the library table, brushing past Regulus without a second thought. Even as he went to press a kiss to her forehead, she managed to duck away from his grasp and claiming nature. Her steps were quick, like a deer on the run from the approaching hunter, bow and arrow loaded and ready to aim.

The Regulus Black that Lyra had originally became friends with was far from the man she knew now. Before, he was the same as her, broken prey simple finding his way through the forest filled with monsters and beasts prepping their attacks. The man that she knew now had healed and been fostered by the top of the food chain, a mighty man with the face of a devil. As though him completing his 'task' that was Lyra gave him a higher standing in the eyes of the very same man he was working to destroy. That is, if that was the goal still. Lyra and Regulus had hardly spoken about the true nature behind their plans ever since the initial proposal. He had seemed to have been offered comfort and luxury not even the strongest of minds could resist, and planned to drag Lyra along with him through the dirt and mud of the wildlife, covering her in a musk that protected her scent from the predators around her.

It seemed he had forgotten who it was that had the true power over the entire deal. If Lyra wished to change her mind, she was the one able to pull out with all the secrets she needed to take down both Pierre and the Black family.

"Lyra!" A voice whispered from the shadows, a familiar calloused hand gripping her upper arm and tugging her to the corner, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"There's a better way to get my attention, Marlene," Lyra hissed, pushing her friend's shoulder, and shaking her head at the other blonde's aggressive attempt, "Like...simply calling my name?"

"Shut your mouth," Marlene hissed and turned Lyra, so her shoulders were facing the window across the hall, "Look at them."

Lyra sighed and focused her attention on a congregation of beating hearts in the corner beside the window. Two large figures hovered over a quivering one, setting alarms off inside of Lyra's mind. When it registered who it was, she realized why even Marlene had been hiding in the corner. The younger Potter twin slapped her hands over her mouth and watched the two intimidate the shorter blonde boy, who had become sicklier looking than she had ever seen him. Peter was always a skinny boy, but now he looked as though he were moments away from fading away into dust.

"Is that..."

"Yes, our two favourite French people now shut the hell up," Marlene hissed, tugging Lyra further back into the shadows, "Standing over Peter, of all people."