Remedy For Guilt

Chapter Eight - Christmas With The Black Sisters

Lyra ended up going home for the holidays as there weren't many students who had stayed back at Hogwarts, there were about 15 students all up so most of the teachers went home except for the Heads of Houses who remained at Hogwarts to supervise. Lyra was greeted warmly by her Aunt and cousin who were waiting for her arrival. She saw them point as she walked up the driveway and the blonde haired boy bounced towards her. She picked him up and spun him around which was no easy feat but she held him close.

"I've missed you," he whispered.

"I've missed you too," she said with a peck on the cheek. The cousins walked hand and hand to the grand Manor that stood before them. A house elf appeared and apparated her belongings to her room so that she could walk freely.

"Lyra, dear," her Aunt said, taking her into an embrace. "Welcome home."

Things fell back into place so easily, it was almost as though she never left. Narcissa and Lyra caught up over tea and biscuits for a while, Draco listened in and pinched a few sweets before he got bored and begged Lyra to play with him. After he showed her some of his new toys they were chasing one another around the property. They flew for hours, though two felt as if it had been much less than that. Soon enough Narcissa was beckoning them back inside for dinner. The two of them were instructed to bathe and change into more appropriate attire as their clothing was soaked with the snow that had been falling.

Lyra took her place in her usual seat, greeting Lucius who had joined them. She recounted the stories she had already spoken to her Aunt and Lucius spoke of what was happening within the ministry which she could honestly care less about. Instead Lyra was thinking of the best way to approach the topic of Christmas Day with the Tonks' family. She knew her Aunt and Uncle would kick her to the curb if she mentioned visiting their blood traitor sister but she knew that she had to have an excuse to get her away from the house from most of the day. When there was a lull in conversation Lyra decided to launch her plan into action.

"I'm thinking about visiting my mother and father on Christmas day," Lyra said.

You could hear the clatter of metal against china as her Aunt and Uncle dropped their utensils. "What?" Narcissa asked.

"I haven't seen them in a while," she explained, "I thought it'd be fitting, give them something to live for, you know?"

Narcissa shot a glance at Lucius. "I can go with you," he offered.

Lyra shook her head, "It's something I'd like to do alone."

"Very well," Lucius said, resuming his meal. "I'll put you down on the list to visit."

The family ate in silence for the remainder of the meal. The tension between the family seemed to be gone by the time the next day rolled around. Lyra spent each day keeping Draco out of his parents hair and loved the undivided attention his older cousin was giving him. Occasionally she'd stay up late after Draco had gone to bed and drink with her Uncle, listening to him ramble about his conspiracies regarding the Dark Lord and how he thought that Harry Potter would be a greater, darker wizard. Lyra merely rolled her eyes, amused at the gossip spread between the pure-blood wizards.

Christmas came around and Lyra woke up early in order to make her way to Azkaban. It wasn't just a rouse, she did fully intend to see her mother and father before she would head to the Tonks' family Christmas lunch. She felt inspired to reconnect with her family, realising that it had been at least two years since she had last seen them. Lyra had two bars of chocolate tucked away in her robes, hoping to give it to her parents as a way to make up for her lack of presence.

The last time she had gone to Azkaban was at the conclusion of her schooling. Lyra had announced that she was going to become a healer, whilst her father was proud her mother on the other hand was not. She begged Lyra to seek the Dark Lord and bring him back to power. Lyra refused causing her mother to yell and scream at her, cursing Lucius for corrupting her daughter as he pulled Lyra away from the cell.