The Half-Blood Black

Chapter Eighteen✨

As we yell spells and the circle of people cheer (my favorite spell being Avis because Draco freaks out about the birds) I feel like there is electricity running through me. I occasionally look over to see Moody nodding along and Cedric begging me to stop after I nearly missed a Stupefy spell from Draco. Fred whistles and cheers me on. We seem to go on forever until I lift Draco off the ground with my infamous Wingardium Leviosa.

"Give up yet, Malfoy?" I yell up to him.

"Not even close, Black." He says back. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

I suddenly feel myself lift off the ground as well until Draco and I are in the air together. There are some hoots from below us as I realize, I am wearing a skirt. Fred covers Cedrics eyes laughing, giving me a thumbs up. My face burns red and I see red.

"Low blow, perv." I saw, swinging Malfoy away by my wand.

"Got to keep my boys happy." He says with a smirk.

We jerk each other around with our wands until we get tired and just keep each other in the air, neither one of us forfeiting.

"WHAT," a shrill voice says. "Is this?!"Professor McGonagall enters the circle that Draco and I are above. "Professor Moody I would think you would break this up, whatever are you doing?"

"I'm a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, this is what I teach and encourage. We would have random duels in the halls at any time if I was Headmaster." He says firmly.

"Then it would be a good thing that you are not our Headmaster, if I must say so." She turns to look back up at us and shrieks once more. "Miss Black! Your skirt! Get down from there."

"Excuse me Professor but that would mean forfeiting and that would also imply that Draco wins..." I call down to her.

Professor McGonagall scuffs and looks at Moody for help. He shrugs and turns to Cedric, muttering something. I watch as Cedric disappears and there is an eerie silence in the courtyard. I see some students slip away quietly and wish that I could be them.

"Oh, thank the stars!" Professor McGonagall says as Snape walks into the circle, looking up. Cedric walks in after him and doesn't look up at me. 

Coward. 

"Whatever is the matter here?" Severus asks taking out his wand. He looks up and sees me, raising an eyebrow. "Miss Black. You never fail to always be at the focal point of trouble. Like ... someone me and Professor McGonagall used to know."

"Hey, Professor." I say.

He raises his wand in return and mutters something and both my and Draco's wand flies into his hands. We look at each other before crumpling to the ground. Draco lands first with me falling on top of him, hitting our heads together. I gasp as the breath leaves me body, he coughs violently and I roll off of him, clutching my nose as pain shoots through it. Everything aches, and my vision is swimming as I try to open my eyes. 

"Ughh," he groans. "My father will be hearing about this, Black."

I turn to my side, still clutching my nose. Two hands come up under my armpits and lifts me up onto my feet before swinging me into their arms. My eyelids flutter delicately to see Fred Weasley holding me, George behind him as he shoots a dirty look to Draco. 

Draco tries to stand, stumbling as he does and clutching his ribs. He spits out blood at their feet and wipes his mouth as Pansy and Crabbe come up behind him. I don't miss the way that Pansy places her hand on his arm, or the way he doesn't tell her to get off him. 

Raising his chin at Fred, he gets the last word in. "Flirt much?"

-

"This is a disaster, Dumbledore." Sirius says, clutching the back of the chair I'm sitting in. "With all due respect I cannot have my daughter being followed around by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's son. This isn't a good idea. Dumbledore you must understand."

I shrink into my chair, biting my lip and avoiding eye contact. Dumbledore has that gleam in his eye, like he is about to spill my secrets. I can't have my father knowing that through all his hate, Draco is my one true friend here. The one who will walk me to the library, who will put in the extra work to help me pass my classes. I would never be almost finished with my first year if he wasn't helping me. 

Why he helps me, I still don't know. But somewhere between admiration and spying, I've come to appreciate him. 

"Sirius," Severus says bored. "I think that you and I both know that Lyra can indeed handle herself. As you've pointed out more than once, she is your daughter." He comes alongside my chair and plants his hand on the arm rest. Sirius shifts behind me, and I shrink down even further. Their rivalry is always at the forefront of my mind whenever I come to realize that for all he may be, Snape always has my back. 

"Since you are here, Sirius, I think we should discuss getting her inducted into the Order of the Phoenix." he adds. 

"Absolutely not! If word gets out that she is part of it an even bigger target gets put on her back." My father yells. His hands leave the back of my chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"Has your daughter not involved you in what she has already been doing here at Hogwarts? Her attachment to your cousins son has grown over the weeks. She has a little notebook where she keeps notes on him. Who he talks to, where he goes, his class schedule. If I didn't know any better--"

"-- Severus! --" I exclaim, pushing myself off my chair, my embarrassment evident in my voice. 

"Dueling in the courtyard with him, I believe she has even managed to befriend some of his confidants. A miss Pansy Parkinson, whose family we are already monitoring ourselves within the Order. You doubt her abilities, and I find it almost insulting."

"You find everything insulting, you greasy bastard. You always have, and you hate getting your way. Tell me, what is your obsession with my daughter? You couldn't have Lilly so now--"

"STOP!" I yell. My head pounds from my fall the day earlier, and I let out a groan. "The two of you need to stop this, now. I won't be having you two fight about what is best for me and what is not. None of you have been through what I have, none of you know me the way I know me. Can we please just allow me to make my own decisions?"

Dumbledore shifts in his seat, leaning back with his fingers making a triangle, the same mischievous expression on his face. 

"Sirius, please." I whisper, grabbing his hand and squeezing. 

He looks down at me and smiles lightly. "You're too much like me."

"For that I am grateful."

"Your call, Sirius." Dumbledore says, finally speaking up. I raise my brows as I turn my neck to him. "And Lyra, of course. But unfortunately I cannot support you without the support of a guardian." 

My father sighs and says, "Let me get everyone together. We can use the Room of Requirement, with your blessing. My home is much too risky having everyone come and go."

I can feel Sirius' body react with surprise when I throw my arms around his neck in a bear hug. His arms hang limply at his sides until they come up around me, one stroking my hair as he rests his chin on my head. Dumbledore and Snape let us have our moment, but I step back and hold Sirius in front of me, lifting my chin in a confident nod. 

"Thank you, Sirius." I say. "I won't let you down. I won't let anyone down."

"I hate to interrupt this very touching moment, but we did call you here to talk about your punishment before Lucius shows up." Dumbledore says. "Dueling is forbidden, as you very well know, Sirius, seeing as you and James constantly did it. Minerva reminds me all the time when she sees Lyra. So, we have talked it through and she and Draco will have to do night duty, patrolling the halls."

Sirius smiles down at me and says, "Yes, definitely my daughter."