CHAPTER 29

STORY

You have a shit ton of explaining to do.

-Your damn daughter

That note, along with Lyra's two pictures of her mother is what she attached to Sunflower's leg before releasing her.

After the owl had finally disappeared from view, Lyra walked out of the tower and down to sit next to the lake, taking large, deep breaths in hopes of cleaning the headache that had formulated between her eyebrows.

Hogwarts seemed to go on like normal for the next few days. Lyra didn't know why, but she had expected the world to freeze. She expected people to turn in the halls and look at her, or discuss the breakout. She expected them realize that suddenly she was the daughter of Cassiopeia Avery, something that she could now think without having an anxiety attack, and that eleven death eaters were free as of this week and possibly joining Lord Voldemort once again.

While the students seemed to go on their daily lives, Lyra felt like hers was slowly falling apart. She began avoiding anyone who wasn't Zara, Fay, Ginny, and Blaise. And had more than once walked in the opposite direction when seeing Neville, it hurt to avoid someone you really cared about, but what could she do?

Say, hey Neville, you know those two evil witches that tortured your parents into insanity? Yeah, one of those is my mother. And now they're both free again. But anyway, how's Herbology going?

Even to her head that sounded like the dumbest thing in the world. So she avoided him and Harry and Ron and basically everyone else. To make matters worse, her father had deemed not to answer the angry letter. She assumed he was still deciding how to tell her, or sending her a 10-foot long letter about the truth, but after a week of waiting she doubted he would respond at all until she forced it out of him after the end of the school year.

Lyra's only method of comfort these days was working twice as hard in DA, imagining her mother, Umbridge, and even her father at times as her targets. As well a Quidditch, where she was flying faster, throwing the ball harder, nearly knocking Ron off his broom every time she tried to score. And hidden snogs with Blaise, because screw Umbridge's 6-feet apart rule.

Finally, in the first week of February, his father deemed it appropriate to finally respond to her.

Dumbledore is allowing you to come to Grimmauld Place over the weekend. Be at his office, 7 o' clock on Friday afternoon.

-Dad

"That's all he said?" Zara asked as she looked at the note over Lyra's shoulder. They were in Fay and Lyra's dorm.

"Looks like it." Lyra responded, rubbing at her temples, Fay rubbed softly at her back.

"Well, maybe he'll give you a good explanation about it and it won't be as bad as you think." Fay said with a slight huff.

Lyra chuckled but continued rubbing at her head.

"How about after you meet with him we plan a Hogsmeade trip? It's on Valentine's day."

Lyra winced, "Sorry, I already have plans."

Fay rolled her eyes, a slightly angry expression replacing the comforting one. "Of course you do."

Lyra turned to look at her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Fay just rolled her eyes again, "It means ever since we found out about it you act like Blaise is some holy grail. Now you're ditching us on Hogsmeade trips to go with him?"

"Woah! I'm not ditching you, I had already planned on going with him. How is this my fault?"

"Because of course you had to pick him. There are a bunch of guys who would kill to go out with you and you pick the one that might actually kill you."

"Ok, what does that even mean. If this is about the rumors on his mom-"

"Sure that, but also he's a Slytherin. Their entire existence is based on making us Gryffindors miserable."

"Not all Slytherins are bad, Fay. You're overreacting over a date."

"And your being gullible. Besides, literally every Slytherin we know is evil. Just look at your mother."

The silence that followed was the most deafening thing to Lyra. Fay began opening and closing her mouth, immediately regretting what she had said. Zara was looking back and forth between the two Gryffindors, biting her lip. And Lyra stared at Fay in betrayal.

"Are you seriously bringing that up right now."

The guilty look on Fay's face disappeared, replaced with a sigh of exasperation. "Look, she's evil. It happened and you know about it now. Can't you just let it go?"

"Let it go? Everything I have ever known has turned out to be a lie when it comes to my mother and you want me to let it go?"

"I'm just saying you aren't the only one with parent issues. The least you could do is be grateful that you have one parent who cares instead of none."

At this point both girls' voices had raised to yells, back and forth.

"Are you seriously comparing our situations right now?! That's bullshit, Fay. You can't blame me for the fact that your parents are shitty. At least you have two who are around and didn't leave you to become murdering blood purists."

"At least you have one that gives a shit about what you do, and where you go, and who you are. Who cares that your mom is evil, you have a dad who is there all the time."

"Yeah, I also have a dad who lied to me my whole life about my mom."

"I would kill to have a dad like yours Lyra. He was trying to protect you."

"He lied to me! My whole life! If that's something you want, fine. But I don't need someone telling me what is good for me or not, I can figure it out by my own damn self."

"Ok, guys." Zara finally cut in, pushing herself in between her two friends. "I think we all are a bit upset and everything, so maybe let's just have this conversation later."

Lyra glared at Fay for a while, standing tall with her chest puffed and ready to lift her fists at any second. But eventually she huffed and turned to the bathroom, taking a pair of joggers and sneakers.

She quickly changed before leaving the dorm and walking out to the quidditch field, not bothering to look at Fay or Zara who were sitting on Fay's bed now.

The pent up anger and stress was finally released as Lyra ran for thirty minutes before realizing that her eyes had watered and tears were spilling down her cheeks.

Lyra didn't speak to Fay for the rest of the week both keeping their distance from one another. Great, just another person for me to avoid. Lyra thought after returning from her run the day of their fight. Zara would jump back and forth between girls, trying to hang out enough time with both of them to seem impartial. Lyra would normally have felt sorry for her best friend but she found herself feeling numb for the rest of the week, until Friday finally arrived.

Before classes had ended she had packed a bag, said goodbye to Zara, and told Blaise she was leaving for a weekend, he gave her a long kiss after that had Lyra forgetting why she was even leaving.

And late that afternoon, she left the common room to walk to Dumbledore's office. He was waiting outside, which Lyra was grateful for because she didn't know his password, then he led her to the fire escape.

"You know the directions, I'm sure, Ms. Knight," to which Lyra nodded, "Wonderful, have a nice visit, then."

Lyra found that to be highly unlikely but still mustered a small 'thanks,' before taking the Floo powder and walking towards the fire escape.

"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London." She called, after throwing the powder into the fireplace. Lyra gulped as the flames turned green, half contemplating running from the Headmasters office and not looking back.

Still, she fought the urge and instead slowly stepped into the wall of emerald fire. Pulling her arms and legs in, one arm will sore from the scrap when she had collapsed on her nightstand. She tried to not breathe, avoiding the ash in her mouth and nose until she finally slowed, landing in Sirius's house. She stepped out of the fireplace and into the living room where her dad, Sirius, Remus, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all stood, sitting in the sofas and chairs.

Mrs. Weasley quickly walked up to her and wrapped her in a hug as Lyra brushed the ashes off her clothes, "Hello, dear. How are you?"

"I've been better." Lyra replied honestly.

Mrs. Weasley took her face, delicately into her hands. "Yes, you look tired. Remind me to get you some tea before bed."

Lyra nodded smiling softly before Mrs. Weasley retreated, allowing Lyra to stare at her father, her expression almost cold. "I was beginning to think you hadn't gotten my letter, took you quite a while to respond."

She could see her father tense up but couldn't find it in herself to take pity on him. "I'm sorry it took so long. I figured it would be best to tell you in person and I needed to wait for Dumbledore to allow a visit so early after the break."

Lyra hummed before taking a seat across from him, Sirius looked uncomfortably between the two Knights before deciding to turn into his animagus, resting at Lyra's feet, Remus gave an exasperated sigh but took Sirius's seat.

"Well," Lyra said, after a few minutes of silence. "I believe you have a story to tell me."

Elliot hesitated, "It's a lot more complicated than it seems, Lyra."

"Oh. Is it complicated that you've lied to me my entire life about who my mother was? Is it complicated that my mother happens to be a death eater? Is it complicated that she happens to be the person who tortured my friend's parents? A friend that I can no longer look in the eye." Lyra felt herself and her voice begin to rise and suddenly Mrs. Black's portrait began screaming.

Elliot began to shrink in his chair, Sirius whimpered in his dog form a bit, Remus turned in false interest to a nearby wall, and Mrs. Weasley stated she would go work on the tea now, Mr. Weasley went to stop Mrs. Black from her screaming fit, unsurprisingly he didn't return when her screams had fallen silent.

Elliot sighed, removing his large rimmed glasses and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Lyra, I understand you are upset. But this is truly harder to explain than it seems. Just give me a chance to tell the story, no interruptions or questions or angry yelling until I'm done."

Lyra flopped back down on the couch, petting at Sirius's hair and raising an eyebrow expectantly at her father.

Elliot took a deep breath. Remus turned away from the wall, paying attention to the man. Sirius laid on Lyra's lap as she continued petting his fur, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley returned, handing Lyra a large mug of steaming, Valerian tea. Lyra took a sip before placing it on the arm chair and turned to her father again.

He looked more worn out than she had ever seen him.

"It started 25 years ago, on my first day of Hogwarts."

*****

awww poor lyra is having some trouble. next chapter will be elliots and cassis story, im really excited about it!  that's why this chapter is a bit shorter because i wanted to give Elliot's story in one whole chapter so I had to set it up.