Veiled Alliances

Chapter 27

Ignoring his protests, Lyra ran off again, and when Marvolo found her, she was unsteadily trying to gulp down more firewhiskey. Marvolo, having now successfully confiscated the bottle, but not without a pout from Lyra. "No more, Lyra. You've had enough," he insisted, his patience wearing thin.

Defiantly, she folded her arms across her chest. "You're no fun," she mumbled, clearly displeased with the sudden end to her revelry.

"I'm not here to be 'fun,' I'm here to make sure you don't end up turning the manor into a magical disaster zone," Marvolo retorted, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Lyra pouted, but her expression soon shifted to one of mischievous determination. In a swift move, she managed to slip out of Marvolo's grasp, darting toward the kitchen once more. Marvolo, groaning inwardly, followed her.

This time, he found her attempting to scale the pantry shelves, giggling as she reached for a hidden stash of sweets. "Lyra, what are you doing now?" Marvolo asked, trying to maintain a semblance of authority.

"Getting more snacks," she replied, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I need fuel for the rest of the night."

Marvolo sighed, realizing that reasoning with a drunken Lyra might be a futile endeavor. "Fine, but no more firewhiskey. And no more cakes."

Lyra pouted again but agreed, stuffing her face with an assortment of sweets instead. Marvolo watched in bemusement, wondering how someone could shift from wreaking havoc to indulging in snacks with such ease.

As she chewed on a particularly large handful of candy, Lyra's eyes widened with a sudden realization. "Marvolo, do you know what would make this night even better?"

He raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to expect. "What?"

"More fireworks!" she declared, her enthusiasm undeterred.

Before Marvolo could protest, Lyra waved her wand, conjuring a burst of colorful explosions that danced around the room. Marvolo couldn't deny the beauty of the display, but he winced as he anticipated the aftermath.

Predictably, one of the fireworks veered off course, crashing into a delicate crystal chandelier and sending it swinging precariously. Marvolo, quick on his feet, cast a spell to steady the chandelier before it could plummet to the ground.

"Lyra, you need to stop this," he urged, concerned about the potential collateral damage.

But Lyra, seemingly impervious to consequences, continued her magical spectacle, this time aiming for a collection of floating candles. Marvolo, resigned to the chaos, decided it was time to intervene.

With a swift Accio, he summoned her into his arms, holding her close to prevent any more magical mayhem. "Enough, Lyra. We're done with the fireworks."

She pouted again, but a mischievous glint lingered in her eyes. "You're no fun, Marvolo."

He chuckled, his exasperation giving way to genuine amusement. "I'm plenty fun when the situation calls for it. But now, it's time to get you to bed."

But before she could respond, Lyra found herself leaning over a porcelain basin, her face a shade paler than usual. Marvolo, not one to shy away from duty, held her hair back as she retched, a look of mild despair on his face.

Finally, when Lyra's stomach had seemingly emptied its contents, Marvolo transfigured a bucket for her, cleaned her up with a wave of his wand, and led her to her room.

Lyra slumped against Marvolo as he guided her through the labyrinthine halls of Slytherin Manor. Her giggles echoed in the corridor, a testament to the lingering effects of the copious amount of firewhiskey she had imbibed. Despite her inebriation, there was a certain whimsical charm in her demeanor that Marvolo couldn't help but find endearing.