"They told her they'd have the leaves by tonight? Ha!" Lovetta snorted as she walked beside Remus. "Lyra said that it took her brother ages to smuggle her one. I bet it'll take them till third year."
"I've tried telling them that they need to be smarter about it," Remus agreed. "Say, is Mau meeting us for tonight?"
Lovetta found it slightly amusing how Remus and his friends had resorted to discussing Lyra by using the awful nickname she had come up with on the spot. It hadn't been meant as anything that would last, but it turned out to be a convenient way to make plans without any Slytherins - particularly Lucius Malfoy - finding out who they were talking about. In the end, it had turned out as something good, but it was still funny how it came about.
"Yeah, she's going to see if the plan even really works. It'd be a shame if she did all that just for us to not even notice her and continue on as normal..."
"I guess we'll find out," Remus said. "Dumbledore mentioned that we should be extra careful tonight. He said that the enchantments to keep us in our own rooms have worn off for some reason, but there's no time to redo everything."
That was concerning. "But what if we hurt each other?" she wondered worriedly. "Or do you reckon that we'll be alright? I mean, we might be used to one another after spending every full moon the next room over."
Remus looked anxious, but he was doing a better job of controlling it than Lovetta was. "I'm not sure. I guess that just means that we had better hope Mau's plan works."
Out of nowhere, Lovetta was sent tumbling to the ground. Evidently, she'd just run into an older student, and from the look on the boy's face, he didn't care. Neither did any of his friends. Lovetta recognized them; Lyra had pointed out a bunch of blood purist family students. Lattimore was this one's name. Fifth year.
"Mind watching where you're going?" she demanded.
"Vetta..." Remus warned.
Lattimore - a Ravenclaw, Lovetta noticed - sneered. "Watch where you're going, Mudblood!"
"Sectumsempra!"
The very moment the insult had hurled from his mouth, he was thrown backwards across the courtyard. Lovetta and Remus jumped, and Lattimore's friends whirled to look for the attacker. Everything had happened too fast for anyone to hear what spell had been used, but the Ravenclaw boy was lying on his back on the ground, hands covering his face. There was blood dripping down onto the grass.
"Miss Malfoy!" came the sharp voice of McGonagall. Everyone in the courtyard was now focused on the girl, and Lovetta couldn't help but be concerned for her friend as the Head of Gryffindor House marched over to her.
"What in Merlin's name would make you think it permissible to attack another student?" she demanded. "What manner of spell was that?"
"I'm sorry, Professor," Lyra whispered.
Lovetta didn't think she looked very sorry at all.
"Answer me, now. What was that spell? What incantation?"
Lyra's face was unreadable.
"He called Lovetta Mudblood."
McGonagall's expression softened, but she was still as stern as ever. "Was it a Severing Charm, perhaps?" It almost seemed as though that was what she hoped it was.
Anyone who didn't know her well enough would have believed Lyra when she nodded her affirmation, but Lovetta knew better. Something was up.
"Very well," McGonagall sighed. "That will be three weeks' detention, Miss Malfoy, and fifty points from Slytherin, as well."
Lyra nodded silently, and McGonagall strode away.
Lovetta rushed towards her friend, ignoring the snippets and whispers that she heard along the way.
"Did you see--?"
"--nearly took his face off!"
"That was no Severing Charm, mark my words..."
"--dark magic, I reckon--"
"--wonder what set her off?"
"Are you sure she's a second year?"
Before Lovetta could reach her, Lyra was swept away by her older brother.
"Let it go, Vetta..." Remus said, catching her by the arm. "She'll talk to us when she can."
"You two had better get out of here," said Sirius, appearing from behind them. "People are staring."
Though she wasn't very happy about it at all, Lovetta let Sirius and Remus drag her back to Gryffindor Tower. All of the paintings whispered and shot them concerned glances until Lovetta fixed them with a glare. The Fat Lady pestered them for news about what had happened, but the boys only refused to answer and repeated the password until she let them in.
"James wants us to meet him and Peter up in the room," Sirius said.
"I'll just go, then," Lovetta said flatly. Her thoughts were all over the place, yes, but she would have like to have had a chance to talk them out, at least...
"No, no," Sirius said, shaking his head, "He meant you, too, Lovetta."
Now she was confused. "I can't be seen going up to the boys' dormitory!" she hissed. "I'll be sat in detention right beside Lyra faster than you can say Quidditch."
"That's why you won't be seen."
Just then, something was thrown over her head, almost like a fabric, but it was see-through and watery, and it was extremely light.
"What is this?" she asked in wonder.
"It's James' invisibility cloak," Remus replied.
"All you have to do is follow us," Sirius said, turning to go up the stairs. "Oh, and don't make any noise."
Rolling her eyes even though she knew they wouldn't see it, Lovetta walked up the stairs and into the boy's dormitory.
"Is she with you?" James asked.
"I'm right here," Lovetta announced, tossing the cloak at him.
"Perfect! Now, down to business." He rubbed his hands together in a way that just screamed of up to no good.
"Is this about Lyra? I don't know what happened with her in the courtyard, I--"
"Nah," James said, waving dismissively. "Lattimore had it coming. Hell, even if it was dark magic she used, I'd pay her to do it again."
Lovetta knew he was joking, but she still couldn't resist rolling her eyes. "Well, what is it, then?"
"Why, the matter of your nickname of course!" Sirius jumped in.
"It's got to be something good," Peter said. Lovetta thought it was a bit endearing how hard he tried to make himself useful, but it could get annoying sometimes.
"I know Remus is Moony, he told me all about that," she said. "You know mine doesn't have to be moon-related, right?"
"Oh, please, Vetta," Remus said, rolling his eyes, "If I have to have the most obvious moon-related nickname in the world, you have to suffer with me. It's only fair..."
"We could make it something Muggle-related too, if you'd like," suggested Sirius.
"Well... There's the obvious of Luna."
"Nope," said James dismissively. "Got any other more Egyptian words like with Mau?"
"Actually, I just got the idea because that was the name of one of the Egyptian gods who took the form of a cat. Oh, maybe Artemis? She's a Greek goddess associated with the moon."
"Hm... Getting closer, I think."
"Diana?" she tried again. "That's the Roman moon goddess."
"Must you be named after a goddess?" Sirius asked in exasperation.
"Yep. Is that a problem?"
"Best leave it, Sirius," Remus said.
"I like Diana," said James, actively ignoring the rabbit trail that the others had gotten off to, "But it's too long for a nickname. How bout Di?"
"Di..." Lovetta said, testing it out. "Sounds good to me. What do you think, Moony?" she asked, teasingly using Remus' nickname.
"I think we're all agreed," Remus said.
"Alright, then, Di, you and Moony had better head to the Whomping Willow before dark," said James.
"And since we can't count on Mau for your homework tomorrow, Di," Sirius added, "I can cover it for just one day."
"Thanks, Sir!" Lovetta replied, shortening his name automatically, "You're the best. Now, Rem, let's go."
"Here," said James, "You can take the invisibility cloak to get you out there, just don't forget to bring it back with you."
Lovetta nodded, and with a wave goodbye, she and Remus slipped under the cloak and left.
---
"I've told you already, Severus, I don't want to talk about it," Lyra said.
"But Ly, you could at least tell me what that spell was..."
"No. It's dangerous, I created it, and that's all you need to know."
"Lyra," Severus said, moving in front of her to stop her from leaving the Common Room, "Why are you messing with dark magic?" He was extremely solemn now.
Lyra had always felt that Severus was closer to Lily than he was to her or Lovetta, and she attributed that to the fact that they had met each other before Hogwarts. Right now, however, she could see it in his eyes. He really did care about her. Should she tell him?
"Because..." she started, "I figure that if I have to defend myself against dark magic... I need to use similar stuff."
Severus went still, his eyes searching her face as he worked out her meaning. "Lyra..."
"Don't, Severus. Just... don't. Now, please move, or I'll be late for detention."
He didn't look happy about it, but he did as she asked. Lyra left as quickly as possible, trying not to think about what she'd just admitted. Lucius had given her a stern talking-to earlier, and it had only confirmed her feelings about needing those types of spells around her parents. Sure, she had lied her way through it all, but she was still terrified by what she had seen in his eyes. Lucius loved her, but he was too far gone into their parents' ideals to forgive her if she stepped too far out of line.
Lyra was going to have to be much, much more careful, or keeping her Animagus secret would become the least of her worries.