The Half-Blood Black

Chapter Nineteen✨

I wait until everyone has left the common room and gone upstairs before I burrow myself in a giant chair in the corner. Once Sirius left I felt like I was missing a part of me, I never thought that I would feel this connected to a person before, but now I hate to be without him.

I sigh and open the book Severus gave me. Page 394. Very specific, oddly specific. Taped to the pages of the potions book are two envelopes. One simply says Lyra, while the 2nd says Lyra Luvvy.

I open the first one with the plain writing on the front and begin to read;

Dear Lyra,

I hope this letter finds you well and that nobody has intercepted it since I sent it. I don't want to write too much so here is what I want to say in short terms...

Do not let anyone make you feel less than you are. Whatever house you are sorted into, whatever friends you make, you are going to do exceptionally well in all of them.

Padfoot is very proud of you, and he misses you terribly. Unfortunately he cannot send you letters for fear of being tracked down but he talks about you constantly.

Please be very careful, I do not wish that you get hurt. Watch your back and pick your friends wisely, the Tri Wizard Tournament is a very big deal and there is much going on, so please be mindful of everything you do...

With the best of luck and intentions,
Moony

I tear open the second one to brightly colored stationary that changes colors as I open it. I glance at the bottom to see its from Tonks and smile.

Dearest Lyra,

I already miss you so much and I hope that you can say the same, although I will sound utterly foolish. I was debating breaking you out of Hogwarts and just teaching you everything myself, but Remus told me that that was not a good idea.

What a buzzkill.

But I hope that everything is going well for you up there, I know I loved my time at Hogwarts. I had so much fun in my house and all of my friends did too. We were always doing crazy things, McGonagall was always running after me, despite her not being head of my house.

I've also heard that the Yule Ball is coming up and I personally would like to add that although I may look all tough, I do love a good chance to get all dressed up for a ball-- well I have never been to one but anyway.

Please tell me you will go! I don't care who you go with or if you go by yourself, but please say you will! Also, it gives me an excuse to see you again and we can go shopping together. Pleeeaaaassseeee, Lyra!

Please write back for I have an emotional attachment to you and cannot go any longer without seeing you...

Sincerely and full of love,
Tonks

I hold in a laugh at the picture she enclosed of her turning her face from normal to that of Remus and then into a duck, then into multiple other creatures. The second one is of Sirius and I, from the night I showed him my wand.

I run my hands over the picture and stare at it a bit longer. There is a sudden flash and then the picture moves so that Sirius and I look at the camera. Under the pictures Tonks has written,

P. S. These pictures have a special spell on them that act like a video. I hope you enjoy them, I miss you so much...please write back soon. Again. 

I smile again and tuck the pictures as well as the Tonks' letter into the book. I slide the book back into my bag and head up the stairs to my bedroom.

"Do you think that there is something between them?" One girl says.

I stop in the doorway and listen, not wanting to disturb them but not wanting to be left out. I'm nosey, what can I say? 

"They did duel pretty hard," another girl says. "Maybe they were letting out some sexual frustration."

"Ha," a third girl with a long, brown braid barks. "Like that would ever happen. That Black chic probably cursed him or something to pay attention to her. Just because every other slimy Slytherin student likes her because of her family history doesn't mean the Slytherin King would. Besides, her father is so messed up."

"It must be bloody embarrassing for him." The first girl who spoke adds. "I bet she did curse him and now he does everything she wants. I mean, why would he, Draco Malfoy, want to go to the Yule Ball with her? I mean really, absolutely ridiculous.."

I bite my lip and shake my head, trying to will away any feelings I have for Draco. Besides, any feelings I may have for him are purely political. It's just a placebo affect from spending so much time trying to get information out of him. But talking so badly about me? I've never done my roommates any wrong. I blink my eyes a few times to get the tears threatening to spill to go away.

"Could you girls keep your bloody gossip and conspiracy theories to yourself?" Hermione says whipping open one of her bed curtains. "She hasn't done anything wrong and maybe the reason you guys can only talk about her is because you are bloody jealous. You are jealous because she is smarter than you, she is more skilled as we saw in the courtyard, and she has only been here for a few months."

The girls roll their eyes and the one with the long braid says, "How would you feel, Hermione, if she takes your spot at head of the class? I don't think you would like it very much at all."

"I think that you are still obsessing over her because you have a crush on Draco, Lavender. Or, Chiara, maybe you're so protective because Cho likes Cedric so you feel the need to talk non stop about her, seeing as they are very good friends."

Chiara, the sister who looks so much like the Cho Chang who despises me, stands suddenly and stomps off to her bed, jumping in and pulling the curtains shut. Lavender follows suit into her own bed and the third girl gets into hers silently.

Once all of the curtains are closed I slowly creep into the room, trying not to make any noise.

Lavender suddenly whips open her curtains and says, "I bet she did curse him, good point, Chi."

She suddenly sees me and her mouth forms an O before she smirks. Chiara opens her curtains and chuckles when she sees us staring at each other.

"Sleep tight," Chiara says getting out of bed and opening Hermione and the other girls curtains. "While you can."

"Is that a threat?" I say, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"Pff, you're enough of a threat to yourself. Have you seen the way everyone looks at you? You have a target on your back, and it's never coming off."