▎AMOUR ▎
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE ━━ valentines day
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THE MASS BREAKOUT IN AZKABAN SCARED A LOT OF STUDENTS. Three of the ones who were freed did Lyra know more of. Rebastian Lestrange, his brother Rodolphus and his wife Bellatrix. Lyra's aunt on her mother's side.
They knew how closely related they actually were, the Lestrange brothers their mother was Alexandra Soots meaning that Lyra and Natalie were related through marriage. Mr Soots and the Lestrange brothers were first cousins which many didn't know since Alexandra had been dead for years.
Lyra had written to Sirius about how less her parents sent letters to her and Draco after the mass breakout. He suspected that Bellatrix somehow was to blame for it and advised her to try writing them more.
That was a month ago, and her parents still acted strange. Lyra had other things to think of, the Hogsmeade trip that was planned on valentines day. Sadly, Ginny had Quidditch practice but that meant that she couldn't go to some romantic date with Michael Corner which she would admit, was happy about.
Natalie didn't go because she didn't feel well, so it were only Zayna and Lyra. The two of them decided to get some Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Once they ordered their drinks, Lyra immediately started talking about Eddie Clarke.
"So, about the letter Natalie sent me. . ."
Zayna groaned loudly before Lyra even could finish. "Don't tell me she asked him if we snogged," she whined.
"Yes she did and he said you didn't but we don't believe you."
"If we both say that we didn't snog than we didn't do it," Zayna told her, it seemed as though she was getting annoyed by the subject.
"Just tell me why you were so dazed after you came back with Mrs Soots."
Zayna hesitated for a while until replying. "Okay, but don't tell anyone. It's embarrassing." She began explaining everything. "Okay so, after you left we were in the room together and Eddie was flirting with me the entire time. Then he like- grabbed me and started kissing me."
"What?"
"Yeah, I know it's crazy. We snogged for a while and it was good. Then, out of nowhere he pulled away and blurted out that he had a girlfriend and that he only liked me a bit and would rather be with Nat."
What a prick, Lyra thought.
"I know, he's a prick. I've only recently realised how embarrassing it is so I just don't want to ruin their relationship, so I don't talk about it," she finished.
"Is that it?" asked Lyra, not really understanding why she was so secretive about it.
"Yes it is, just don't tell the others. Especially Natalie, she'll lecture me on how wrong it is to kiss someone with a girlfriend and bla bla bla."
"You didn't know," Lyra reasoned.
"Yes but still, you know Natalie. . .About her, she's definitely not sick."
"Pfft, you thought I believed that? She's definitely snogging Theo somewhere right now. Did you see them at Kings Cross before we headed home for Christmas?"
"Of course I did," Zayna vouched. "He wasn't slick with it either, how he tucked her hair behind her ear." Lyra agreed. She was waiting for her family when she saw it unfold. Both talking, Natalie putting her hand on his arm, and of course him tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Lyra never expected it to go so fast, even Zayna didn't.
"Never in my life did I expect Natalie Soots to like a boy so quickly," spoke Lyra.
"Me neither, and I've seen the one time she liked a boy. It took her two years to realise and by then he had moved to Switzerland."
They talked for a while until they saw Hermione, Luna and Rita Skeeter walk in. Lyra had to check again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating but there she was, looking as though she didn't want to be there. When they finished exchanging greetings, Lyra asked, "Luna what are you guys doing here?"
"We're actually here for Harry, but we aren't expecting him until maybe an hour. Would you come sit with us? There will be plenty of room left even with Harry." The two girls sat down with the trio.
Once they got their drinks, Rita, who hadn't been talking until then asked, "Why did I have to come here?" Just before Hermione could respond, they noticed Harry. He was talking with a very gloomy looking Hagrid at the other side of the room, not having seen the girls.
"Harry! Harry, over here!" called Hermione, having with her hands. "You're early!" she began, making room for him to sit down. "I thought you were with Cho, I wasn't expecting you for another hour at least!"
"Cho?" Rita spoke at one, staring at Harry. "A girl?" She grabbed her handbag and fumbled within it.
"It's none of your business if Harry's been with a hundred girls," Hermione told Rita coolly. "So you can put that away right now." She did so, with not much enthusiasm.
"What's the plan with you three?" Zayna suddenly asked.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, sitting down. "What are you up to?" He stared from Rita to Luna and Hermione.
"Little Miss Perfect was just about to tell me when you arrived," Rita explained, taking a large slurp of her drink. "I suppose I'm allowed to talk to him, am I?"
"Yes, I suppose you are," Hermione replied coldly.
Rita took another gulp of her drink and said in a hushed voice, "Pretty girl, is she, Harry?"
Hermione looked very irritated and replied before he could say something. "One more word about Harry's love life and the deal's off and that's a promise."
It took some time before the finished the interview and Lyra listened as Harry listed names she was all too familiar with. Her grandfather Abraxas told her that he didn't believe his son still was a Death Eater. After hearing of his old friend's death under the hands of The Dark Lord, he forbid his son from contacting him again. Luckily, the day after, he got defeated.
Lyra hoped her grandfather was right although she started believing it less and less. When the interview ended, all of them went back to Hogwarts. Just before Zayna and Lyra were about to leave to check on Natalie, Harry pulled her aside.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah. . .why wouldn't I?" Lyra inquired.
"It's just, I mentioned your family being death eaters and thought —"
"No Harry, don't worry. It seriously doesn't matter. If you say they are, then you have to mention it. Death Eaters are criminals, just because my father's one doesn't mean I have sympathy for them."
"Okay, good to know that I didn't upset you. See you, Lyra," Then Harry left, and Lyra walked her way back to the common room.
She was just at the staircase when she saw two people standing at the portrait, seemingly out of place. "I demand to be let in!" called the student defiantly. "My father can pay to get you removed if you don't." Lyra realised it were her brother Draco and Severus.
"No password, no entrance."
"Draco, listen to me —" Severus spoke slowly.
"She needs to know! We can't just not tell her, she'll be devastated when she finds out." Are they talking about me?
"He has specifically ordered me to not tell your sister, telling her won't make her any happier. "
"What's not going to make me happy when you tell me?" asked Lyra. Both spun around, she noticed Draco's eyes were red and puffy, almost like he had been crying.
"Nothing," Severus replied quickly.
She looked at her brother for guidance but he shook his head. "No nothing, just a misconception."
"It didn't sound like one when you were talking earlier," Lyra pointed out, watching them skeptically. "Who's the he you were talking about?" Her question was now directed at Severus.
"No one Lyra, and you know I don't like eavesdroppers."
"I know that, but you mentioned me — oh don't tell me I'm lying. Besides if you tried, there's no explanation as to why you're standing in front of the Gryffindor common room. So, I'm going to ask again. What's not going to make me happy when you tell me?"
Neither of them replied though Draco was fighting the urge to say something. Another year where her family kept secrets from her, it was funny how Lyra wasn't used to it. "Well?"
Just then, the portrait hole opened and Zayna stepped out. "Oh Lyra there you are," She then glanced at the two Slytherins and gave her friend a quizzical look. "Professor Snape."
"Fistell," Severus acknowledged her politely. Then he grabbed Draco's sleeve and the two left the stairs, presumably on their way to the dungeons.
"What were those two doing here?" asked Zayna immediately.
"I honestly don't know. How's Natalie doing?"
"Turns out we were wrong, Pomfrey says she's got a Stomach flu," Zayna told her. "But it'll get better in a day or two, Natalie's always been the one who refuses to miss a day of school."
"Password?" the fat lady asked.
"Godric," Zayna replied. The portrait opened and the two girls got in and headed straight to their dorm.
"Hey Nat."
"Hey Lyra, turns out it wasn't just a stomachache," Natalie spoke. "How was Hogsmeade?" she asked.
"Oh we talked, the usual. Hermione, Harry and Luna were there too. And you?"
"Went to Pomfrey a few hours ago and did some homework until Zayna came," Natalie explained.
"Has Ginny still not arrived from Quidditch practice?" Lyra inquired.
"No, last time I saw her was when the three of you left." Lyra was surprised at how long they must've been practicing. Even with Wood didn't they practice so long.
The three talked for a while, the two other girls were telling Natalie about Draco and Snape when Ginny came in totally exhausted. Her ponytail was messy and her Quidditch uniform was dirty. Lyra mentally slapped herself for staring at her friend that long, it was something about Ginny in uniform that she found very appealing.
"How was Quidditch practice," Lyra asked once she could finally open her mouth.
"You're lucky that you aren't on the team," Ginny puffed, laying on Lyra's lap.
"Ew, you're sweaty," she groused.
"Suck it princess," said Ginny smiling and Lyra's heart fluttered at the new nickname. "But it was a nightmare, Slopper and Kirke are nothing compared to Fred and George."
"Is Johnson letting you practice until this late?"
"We finished a bit earlier today so I went to Michael, he's a bit moody that we couldn't go to Puddyfoots for Valentines." Lyra didn't want to sound selfish, but she wasn't fazed by it.
"There's always next year," She didn't know why she said that, probably to increase the amount of jealousy she had for Corner.
"Maybe, yeah," Ginny muttered.
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ok i haven't updated in 5 days because of christmas.
but anyway, thank you for almost 3k reads. love you and i'll hopefully update my most important chapter before 2021.