"Lyra! Lyra!" choked screams brought her too but when her eyes opened they watered immediately, her room was filled with thick smoke, she tried to breathe but the air was too thick so Lyra rolled out of her bed onto all fours remembering that smoke rises and to stay as low as possible.
"LYRA!"
"Mum! Mum where are you!" she yelled back crawling to her door, Lyra put the back of her hand to the handle of her room and the metal was cool so she pulled the door open "Mum!"
She crawled into the hallway trying to get to her mothers room but she froze seeing the amber flames in the hallway, that stupid décor table her mother insisted on decorating with pampas grass and delicate lace. It clearly wasn't what started the fire but it was in between the two rooms and the whole thing went up in flames within seconds.
"Mum! Mum answer me damn it!" she yelled coughing trying to breathe into the crook of her arm.
The fire was creeping towards her making her scramble away back to her room, shutting the door she grabbed any clothes she could trying to block off the small gaps in the doorway before she went to her window sobbing when it wouldn't open.
She'd been 'grounded' days prior for sneaking out through her window to go to a party so her mother had locked the windows and taken the keys effectively leaving her daughter no way out.
She tried pounding at the glass but her mother being a highly respected cop had put in bullet proof glass after a few death threats recently not wanting to take any chances on her daughter life but unknowingly she'd stacked the odds against her.
Lyra sobbed as she tried everything to break the glass but it was pointless, she left the glass alone and hurried to her phone remembering it in her panic she dialled 999.
"This is 999 which emergency service do you require?"
"Fire" she choked out "My house is on fire"
"What's your name sweetheart?"
"Lyra, Lyra Whitlock i live at number 7 Dudley road, Surrey"
"Hi sweetheart, my names Emily. I have fire engines on the way now, how old are you Lyra?"
"18, please how long until they're here, it's getting hard to breath and i can't hear my mum anymore" she cried moving from the door to sit under the window.
"Not long now Lyra, what's your mums name?"
"Laura Whitlock, she's a cop"
"Okay sweetheart, now i need you to listen to me closely...Can you get out of the house"
"No i tried, the fires in the hallway and my windows are locked"
"Can you see anything you can use to break it Lyra?"
"No" she sobbed "My mums been receiving death threats and installed bulletproof windows, i've tried...Please Emily i can't breathe!"
"Okay sweetheart, it's all going to be okay! I promise, i need you to cover the doorway alright honey?"
"I've done that already but the smoke was already in my room, how long will they be here?"
"Very soon sweetheart, very soon"
"...."
"Lyra? Lyra sweetheart i need you to talk to me"
"I'm getting sleepy"
"I know sweetheart, i know but they're close Lyra, i need you to talk to me okay, you need to stay awake! Tell me about you, do you go to school?"
"College"
"That's brilliant tell me what you study?"
"Behavioural psychology"
"Good girl, come on Lyra tell me more, you need to stay awake sweetheart okay?...Lyra? Lyra honey do you like to read?"
"Yeah" she whispered trying desperately to stay awake.
"What do you read?...Talk to me Sweetheart"
"I restarted the harry potter series" she choked out.
"Yeah? That's good do you like that then?....Lyra? Come on sweetheart stay with me! Lyra!"
Lyra's body slumped to the side as sleep took her not long after sleep handed her over to Deaths waiting hands having claimed her mother minutes before.
Her body untouched by the fire unlike her mother, firefighters had put the fire out but had claimed everyone inside the house DOA, one to the fire and the youngest one to smoke inhalation.
A terrible tragedy, labelled an unfortunate accident...But it was so much more.
~~~
Lyra's senses were overstimulated the moment she opened her eyes, the lights were brighter then the sun, there were too many noises around her like men cheering, women sobbing, beeping from machines and she was so cold.
She went to ask for the lights to be turned down but it came out as a cry, opening her eyes everything was distorted.
"What a beautiful baby girl" a lady with scrubs on beamed at her.
What the hell was going on? She glanced around the room, it was like she was a tiny insect around giants and she cried out again but it came out as a shrill screech.
"Nice pair of lungs on her, i'd say she's in perfect health but we'll run a few spells on her, would you like to hold her?"
"Please" a soft voice answered before Lyra was moved into the air making her startle and cry out before she was lowered onto the chest of a tired looking woman.
This was so inappropriate but she screeched again seeing her hand...It was a babies hand.
"Shh sweet girl, it's okay" the blonde woman who held her shushed her gently running the backs of her knuckles on her cheek ever so gently and for some reason she settled almost immediately.
"She's beautiful Marls" a red head moved closer beaming down with her own rounded belly.
"Of course she is look at me, she got all my good genes" a stunning man smirked brushing his long wavy hair out of his face "Like father like daughter"
"Give over Padfoot she's so obviously Marlene" a tall man with Sandy blonde hair grinned, his face warped with long scars that raked his face like he'd been slashed by a wild animal with claws.
Padfoot? Marlene? Man with scars? Please for the love of god, no.
"Have you settled on a name Marls?" The red head reached over stroking the top of her head.
"Lyra"
"Lyra McKinnon, what a beautiful name" The red head beamed down at her.
"Lyra Black" The blonde answered and it was like the room froze.
"Marls we've talked about this...She deserves a better name then Black"
"No Sirius, the Black name deserves some good light to it. Besides at times like this she needs all the protection she can get and the Black family name gives her that" The blonde holding her grinned "Light or Dark magic, Blacks are respected and this way maybe the Blacks will be seen as more then what it is"
"Marlene, she should take your last name" The man by the bedside, who she assumed was Sirius argued.
"No, you've seen the threats to the McKinnon family recently she won't be safe. Sirius please, help me protect her" Marlene begged and he paused before nodding "Good now take your daughter"
He reached down gently taking the new born babe from his friend, him and Marlene hadn't been trying for a baby, hell they weren't even together just two friends trying to find comfort in the middle of war but it happened and looking down at the baby in his arms he didn't regret it one bit.
"Hello Princess" he whispered.
"And just like that she has him wrapped around her little finger" his best friend James Potter moved to get a better look at the babe "Good Godric man she's precious...You know Lils is said to pop in three months and we're having a boy"
"So" Sirius looked up at James with a small sneer making Marlene and Lily snicker.
"Well you never know, they'll be Marauder pups, spending a lot of time together...I hear wedding bells already" James beamed.
"You keep your ruddy spawn away from my daughter!"
"Hey that's my child you're talking about" Lily frowned rubbing her swollen belly.
Remus grinned at his friends "Oh god imagine it already, Lyra Black becoming Lyra Potter"
"Har har laugh it up but it's never gonna happen, she will stay a Black and go on without marrying"
"Sirius behave, she was born moments ago you won't have to worry about boyfriends for a long time" Marlene grinned watching the girl in his arms stare at everyone in the room with wide silver eyes, she wasn't even slightly surprised when the babe came out as Sirius' spitting image, she'd known how strong the Black family genes were.
Secretly she'd hoped she'd come out with blonde hair and blue eyes but alas her daughter was a Black through and through with pretty silver eyes and thick black hair that was already showing promises of curls.
Lyra was in shock, she had to be dreaming or maybe her mind was letting her live out a fantasy before she died, she'd read somewhere that the human brain has roughly 7-10 minutes of activity left so this was probably just that because there was no way she'd been placed into the Harry Potter universe, there wasn't even a Lyra Black.
Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon never had a child.
"Where's Pete?" Sirius asked the room.
"His mother called sick mate said to apologise for missing it and to send his congrats" James smiled "Now hand her over i want practise of holding a child before i accidentally drop mine"
"That's not funny!" Sirius turned to block James from grabbing his child.
"Oh come on mate you know i won't actually drop her"
Sirius shook his head "I don't care, you're not holding her"
"Marls tell him to share" James whined and Marlene just chuckled shaking her head watching the two men fight over the baby who was staring at them but the moment she opened her mouth and started crying James froze while Sirius was shooting him death glares.
"Look what you did...Shush princess it's okay, i'll protect you from the bad man" Sirius bounced her before handing her back to Marlene "Probably hungry Marls"
Marlene moved the babe to her breast after James and Remus had excused themselves with red cheeks both Lily and Sirius stayed watching as the baby turned her head every time Marlene went to feed her screaming loudly.
"I don't understand" the blonde frowned and asked Sirius to go get the mediwitch who walked in.
"What's the problem dearie?"
"Every time i try to feed her she turns from me but i think she's hungry" Marlene frowned holding her baby tightly.
"Ahh i see, some babes are just a bit confused it's not just your first time it's also hers, here let me give you a hand" the woman walked closer gently grabbing the babies head and tried to guide her toward the mothers breast but the baby started to freak struggling in the hold, small hands waving while she screamed.
"My oh my, haven't seen this before" the mediwitch took the baby from the mother and looked in the girls mouth "No tongue or lip tie, you are producing milk are you not dearie?"
"I am yes" Marlene nodded and the mediwitch hummed.
"It's okay don't panic we'll just try different positions until she takes to it, if you could lie on your side for me" the mediwitch waited until Marlene was on her side before she tried once more to get the babe to feed from the mother but the girl who'd not long calmed down started screaming again.
"What's wrong?" Marlene demanded.
"Okay how about we express your milk just to get her to drink and then we'll try again i think she's too hungry and she's upsetting herself" the mediwitch explained and handed Marlene a bottle to express in, once the bottle had milk inside the mediwitch handed the baby back "Try her on that dearie"
Marlene gently popped the bottle into Lyra's mouth who whined but seemed to give in and started to take the feed.
"That's great, when she's finished if you just place her on you not to feed but just to get her used to it she may latch but just be warned some babies just don't breastfeed. That's not on you or her it's just what's right for the pair of you"
"Thank you" Marlene sunk into the bed not in disappointment but relief as her baby started to feed properly on the bottle, while not breastfeeding was slightly disappointing as she'd prepared to do it but if Lyra fed better on the bottle she'd make sure her baby was fed and it's not like she wasn't getting her breastmilk she just wasn't taking it straight from the breast.
Lyra tried not to feel too bad for Marlene's face as she fed from the bottle, baby or not she was not feeding from someone's breast it was just too weird, it was bad enough she was consuming the woman's breastmilk but it's not like they'd feed her biscuits and a roast dinner.
~~~
In July three months later, Lyra was taken to the hospital as Harry Potter was born, her father Sirius was holding her as he spoke to James who was similarly holding a tiny child bundled in a blanket.
"Lyra this is Harry, your future husband" James grinned at her and her father immediately moved around him taking Lyra into the room that held Lily.
"Lily control your husband" He demanded as Marlene handed her a cup of tea.
"James enough with the marriage you never know being around each other so much they might see each other as siblings" Lily grinned when her husbands smile dropped.
"But that would practically make her my daughter...What about boyfriends?" James looked sick.
"She's my child James not yours and i already told you she's never going to have a boyfriend" Sirius rolled his eyes "Did you hear Alice went into labour yesterday she popped a day before you"
"They named him Neville" Marlene nodded.
"So how's little miss Lyra?" Lily grinning holding her hands up and Sirius placed his daughter into her hands the girl giggling staring deeply into Lily's green eyes "Look at these curls, you just get more beautiful every time i see you"
"She's been trying to roll Lils" Marlene grinned at her daughter who was cooing and giggling as if trying to talk.
"I caught her saying Dada yesterday" Sirius puffed his chest out.
"No you didn't, she had gas and you ran with it" Marlene glared at him but he shook his head.
"No she said Da Da, i heard it clear as day"
The door to the room opened and in walked Remus followed closely by Peter who was panting "Sorry we're late" Remus smiled walking closer to the bed to the three month old who was trying to throw herself at him as she hummed "Hello my sweet girl"
"I hate that i'm not the god father, it's so unfair you know, that could be me there" James whined.
"Trust me mate if i could i would have all three of you but you know how the laws are besides Marlene had dibs Lily so i had to pull names out of a hat only fair way to do it" Sirius rubbed the back of his neck watching Remus with his daughter who was running her tiny fingers over his face like she was tracing his scars but he knew she was probably just trying to grab at anything to put in her mouth, Marlene said she'd start teething in a month or so.
"Hi Lyra" Peter smiled walking closer to the babe who started wriggling away from him and when he lifted a hand to hers she started to cry "She hates me" he pouted.
"Oh come on Pete she's just a baby, she doesn't know what hate is" Sirius slapped Peters back but it was strange how whenever his friend went near his daughter she freaked.
Harry started crying and Lyra went silent looking around with her small head she saw the small bundle and stared at it.
"See that...Love at first sight" James smirked.
"Get lost Prongs" Sirius glared at his friend who snickered.
~~~
In October she's hit six months, Lyra had decided that if this was her last few minutes before true death she'd embrace it, time always worked differently in dreams anyway so she bonded with the people around her fully, well apart from Peter.
"Come on Princess let's go to see Harry" Sirius picked her up from the ground, she'd started crawling now thank god being immobile was hell, he walked her towards the fireplace and walked inside.
"Potter's residence" he called throwing the floo powder at his feet so they were both embraced by green fire, the girl still flinched as the fire surrounded them but she never felt heat, on the other side her father cleaned her down "Good girl, good job" he soothed her knowing for some reason the girl hated the floo.
"Padfoot! Glad you're here, Harry is non stop" James walked in with the dark haired boy who was screaming, Lyra tilted her head looking at the boy who would soon be known as the boy who lived, she tried desperately to clue her father and mother in about Peter but she can't talk yet.
The moment Harry caught sight of the pair of them he stopped crying and started trying to get to them, Lyra reached out grabbing his hand she giggled at him "No, nope, enough of that, no touching" Sirius placed her on the rug making toys appear next to her but she just sat and watched them closely.
James smirked and laid Harry down beside her watching as Lyra showing Harry the toys around them but Harry was too busy trying to grab her curls "She's getting so big, Lily told me Marlene mentioned teeth?"
"Two, didn't even know she broke them until she smiled, girls tough as nails Prongs i'm telling you" Sirius grinned watching his daughter playing with his godson gently.
"Bloody hell, got it lucky mate. Marlene was telling Lily how she sleeps through the night and rarely cries, you want to switch for a while?" James watched the pair as Lyra crawled away to grab a book and then crawl back to open it for Harry neither of them knew how to talk or read but she still knew the motions.
"Never" Sirius grinned proudly, he really had lucked out on his daughter, she truly was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
"Unfair, Moony and Wormtail should be here soon" James pouted but stopped when he heard the buzzer go off in the kitchen he turned to Lyra "Hey sweet girl, Aunt Lily has made some cookies you want to go see if they're ready?"
Lyra crawled towards him allowing him to pick her up while Sirius sat with Harry playing peek a boo with the three month old, walking into the living room Lily beamed at her "There's my sunshine! How are you baby girl?" she snatched the baby from James rubbing her nose against Lyra's who giggled and grabbed Lily's face with her tiny hands "Did he bring you in for a cookie?"
The red headed woman moved with her on her hip and grabbed a warm cookie, Lily had changed the ingredients to make them extra soft for the newly weaning baby, the girl took the cookie delicately and took a small bite chewing with a smile.
The girl had made it half way through the cookie when her godfather walked in she dropped the cookie instantly and reached for him as she squealed "Oh my! Is that my little Pup?" Remus beamed sneaking forward he grabbed the girl and lifted her into the air "I can't tell, Prongs is this my pup? She wasn't this big last week" He grinned bringing her back down she wrapped her little arms around his neck and rubbed her face against his squealing and giggling.
"I'm her god parent too" Lily pouted picking the cookie up she went to throw it but James snatched it stuffing the whole thing into his mouth making his wife grimace.
"Yes but she's my pup" Remus smirked rocking the child in his arms and Lily scoffed.
"Technically she's not your pup that would mean you helped conceive her"
"I didn't but she's still mine" Remus smoothed the girls curls back as she babbled in his arms fingers smoothing the scars on his face like she always did.
Peter walked in and smiled at her but she stopped babbling and tried hiding in Remus' neck "Hey Lyra" he came closer to the wolf but the girl whimpered turning from him.
"Gee the girl really doesn't like you Wormtail" James chuckled through his mouthful and Peter hummed moving from the girl "How's your mum?"
"She's okay just under the weather, how are you Lily?" he changed the subject quickly glancing to the door when Sirius walked in holding Harry in his arms.
"I'm fine Peter" the red head smiled handing him a cookie as Sirius passed him with the child who didn't cry at the sight of him.
"Hey bud" he smiled at Harry who looked unbothered by his words instead reaching for the cookie in his hand "Well at least one of them doesn't hate me"
~~~
In February she was 10 months old and she was trying to progress as quickly as possible so that meant sofa walking and grabbing anything to help her stand and walk, her father had gone bragging the moment she took her first steps sending floo messages to whoever he could.
Same with her first words she didn't know which to do first so she tried to do both, it went down a treat when her father started crying and her mother had lifted her spinning in circles.
Sirius and Marlene took her to the Potters for a playdate, Neville was there as well the trio spending a lot of time together. Marlene placed Lyra down as they entered the living room and Lyra screeched seeing Remus, walking as steadily as she could to him he knelt and waited patiently with a wide grin.
The moment she reached him he snatched her up tickling her gently "Such a smart girl" he grinned kissing the top her head.
"Moon! Moon!" she screeched clapping her hands together he paused and looked into her eyes.
"That right pup Moony"
"Moon!" she repeated rubbing her face against his as her hands reached up to his scars.
"So unfair, can we change the godparents and get rid of Remus, this is classic favouritism and i want an update, can't you assign Peter as godparent?" Lily begged and Lyra went quite at the mere mention of the man looking around worriedly for him.
"No can do Lils" Sirius shrugged grinning widely as Remus sat in the circle with the kids clearly not ready to let the girl in his lap go as she babbled to him passing him toys, Harry not being one to be left out crawled over slowly until he was sat in Remus' lap as well and they all waited for Lyra to get possessive or angry like any child would but instead she grinned and slipped off his lap to make space for Harry before she went looking for Neville.
Neville was a shy one but Lyra was playing with him doing all the talking while he stared at her and what she was doing intently "Well if it's not my boy how about Longbottom?" James asked with a smug grin.
"Stop trying to marry my daughter off Prongs" Sirius sneered at him shoving him when James threw his arm over his shoulder.
"Look Neville is kissing her now" he taunted and chuckled when Sirius spun about to drag his daughter back home but stopped when he saw they were just reading, his daughter sat side by side with Neville pointing at the book while babbling and Neville sat with wide eyes like he understood everything she said.
"She's a smart one Sirius" Alice grinned watching her son come out of his shell pointing at the book and showing Lyra his beloved Teddy.
"Of course she is, she's my daughter" Sirius grinned he loved being praised about Lyra, he was so proud of her and everything she did that whenever someone mentioned her his chest puffed and his chin tilted up. He never thought he'd have kids, didn't think for one second he'd be a good father he didn't even had an idea where to start having no good role models but the day he held her, it was like he was always meant to be her father and by the gods if he didn't try everyday to excel for her then he'd clearly be dead.
"Alright who wants a cookie?" Lily grinned walking in from where she'd slipped into the kitchen, Lyra stood and walked over but stopped when Neville started to whimper as she walked away, she walked back towards him sitting back down she grabbed his hand and pointed back at the book on the ground open up showcasing a bunch of farm animals.
Sirius watched as she pointed to a cow and moo'd, Lily laughed smirking at Remus "So she wasn't talking about you, she was mooing" she looked delighted at the fact she still had a chance to be the favoured godparent.
Lyra frowned pointing back at the cow "Moo" she then pointed at Remus "Moon"
Remus looked so smug as he snatched a cookie off the plate and handed it to Lyra who took it and tried braking it into half but the soft cookie split crooked, Lyra huffed but handed the biggest half to Neville "What was that Lily?"
"Shut it" the red head glared at him but shook it off, it was all good fun.
~~~
April came and her mother carried her into the garden of the McKinnon house, the garden was packed with people and the marauders, balloons and streamers were everywhere as people gathered for her first birthday.
"Happy birthday Princess" Sirius grinned and everyone started to sing happy birthday to her while James forced a birthday hat on top of her curls being careful not to snap the elastic on her skin.
Marlene blew the candles out for her before cutting the cake, she was given a piece which instead of smashing it in her mouth like many expected her too she ate it slowly trying really hard not to choke in her childlike body.
The sheer amount of toys she'd received had been worrying but everyone needed something good to celebrate after all the bad news, Lyra had met the Weasleys which had been eventful. Mrs Weasley had dragged all her children along to the party including an 11 year old Bill who was waiting to go to Hogwarts in September.
9 year old Charlie had been there reading a book about dragons while his 5 year old brother Percy read over his shoulder.
The twins were 3 and were running round eating cake with their bare hands while a 1 year old Ron sat next to Lyra playing with her new toys that she'd shared with him, Mrs Weasley was heavily pregnant again expecting in August with little Ginny.
Lyra found a dragon in her pile of toys and rushed over to Charlie she patted his leg and pointed at his book holding up the dragon in her hand "Roar"
He beamed at her "Yeah it's a dragon" the 9 year old helped her climb up into his seat letting her squeeze in beside him as he read to her and Percy.
"Maybe she likes red heads" James grinned at Sirius nodding to where Lyra was snuggled up beside Charlie Weasley as he read to her.
"Fuck off Prongs" Sirius whispered so none of the kids could hear him "She's not interested"
"Looks interested to me" James shrugged.
"Yeah in a book, your spawn looks ready to wrap his hands around the youngest Weasleys neck but i didn't mention anything" Sirius nodded towards the two boys who were fighting over one of Lyra's toys and James rushed off when Harry tried taking a bite out of the red head.
"This is a Hungarian Horntail they're native to Hungary and are considered to be one of the most dangerous dragon breeds, if not the most dangerous! But don't worry they mainly eat sheep and goats" Charlie pointed at the Horntail before turning the next page.
"Ooh this is an Antipodean Opaleye, they're native to New Zealand but have been known to migrate to Australia. This breed is not known to be aggressive unless it was searching for food, it mainly eats sheep as well, most people think these are generally the most beautiful because of it's pearly scales" the boy was beaming as he told them everything he knew about dragons.
Lyra couldn't help but grin as she listened to him talk his way through the book he'd clearly read a thousand times but she could see why, if dragons existed in her world she'd be obsessed too.
"The dragon you have now is a Ukranian Ironbelly they're one of my favourites, they're known as the largest breed of dragon ever known" Charlie pointed at her dragon and Lyra grinned placing the dragon on his lap before sliding off the chair she paused when his reached out ready to stabilise her if she fell, she held her hands up as if they were claws.
"ROAR" then she ran away bumping into Moonys legs who'd been watching her, he picked her up settling her against his side.
"Hello pup, you pretending to be a dragon?" He asked and she nodded bring her claw hands back up "Oh my, what a scary dragon you make"
She giggled before dropping her head onto his shoulder as she felt her tiny body crashing from all the sugar "You tired pup?" He whispered soothing her knotted curls back trying gently to untangle them but it would be hopeless without a brush.
She reached up gently carding her finger tips over his scars "Roar?"
"It wasn't a dragon sweet girl" he smiled down at her as her eyes fluttered trying to fight sleep as he rocked her in his arms, she lifted her head and kissed his cheek that held the worst of the scarring.
"Moon" she whispered finally giving in to sleep as she cuddled into him and he just rocked her gently before waving to Marlene who pointed up to the house. Walking the girl inside he took her to the nursery, gently lowering the girl into the cot there he tugged the blanket up to her waist and smoothed her curls back before casting a spell over the cot so they'd be notified when she woke from her nap and walking back outside.
"She gone?" Sirius grinned as his best friend returned with no child.
Remus chuckled "She had a sugar crash"
"Well it's the girls party she can sleep when she wants" Sirius shrugged "Can't believe she's one already...it's going so quickly and I'm scared man, this isn't the world I want her raised in"
"That's why we're working on it Pads, for her, for Harry, for all of us" Remus put his hand on Sirius' shoulder.
"But what if something happens to me and I'm not there anymore to watch her grow...to protect her?"
"Then make sure you are, do whatever it takes to make sure you're there for her"
"It's all I can think about when we get missions, every spell casted my way makes me think if this one hits me I will never see my daughter again" Sirius stared out at the group of people who'd gathered to celebrate his daughter.
"You can't think like that Pads" Remus frowned deeply at his best friend's words.
Sirius stayed silent for a while "I'm going to go check on her" he walked off before Remus could say anything but watch his friend walk into the house.
~~~
It was July, everyone was planning Harry's birthday as well as Neville's, Lyra was at the McKinnon house with her mother while the others were gone.
"This way little miss" Daisy the McKinnon nanny elf held her hand and walked her to the kitchen before using her magic to get her into a high chair "That's a good little miss, now Daisy make fruits like little miss likes but you must be good"
Lyra nodded and Daisy smiled going to the counter to wash and cut the fruits there placing them on the table for her when they were ready.
"Now we bes careful don't we little miss, careful not to choke"
Lyra ate slowly enjoying the fruits while Daisy spoke to her gently about anything "Little miss is such a good miss, so tidy! Not like young mistress" Daisy huffed.
"Strawbree" Lyra held a strawberry out to Daisy.
"Yes little miss it's a strawberry" the elf nodded her big ears flopping at the motion.
"Daisy eat?" Lyra asked hold in the strawberry out again.
"Daisy doesn't like strawberry's little miss, you eat up now like a good..." she was cut off but glass smashing.
A scream rang out followed by laughter "Oh no" Daisy looked ashen as she used magic to unclip Lyra from the seat and rushed her to the nursery.
Marlene ran inside "Daisy take Lyra to Sirius! You need to get her out I'll hold them off as long as possible until the order get here!" She grabbed Lyra "I love you my sweet girl, I love you so much"
Marlene kissed Lyra's head and all but thrusted her daughter into Daisy's arms "You do not leave Lyra until she's safe, do you understand Daisy!"
"Daisy understands young mistress perfectly" the elf nodded and took the girls hand Marlene watched with a bated breath as both disappeared.
Daisy was panicking when she couldn't track down Sirius Black so she went to Dumbledore head of the order "Daisy is to find Mr Sirius Black and stay with little miss until she's safe" she told the old wizard as she had appeared in front of him in the middle of an order meeting.
Lyra was sobbing at this point having forgotten the McKinnons died in July "Ma Ma!" She screeched.
"Pup?" She turned hearing Moony and threw herself at his legs "What happened Daisy?"
"Dark wizards and witches attacked the house, Daisy had orders to get little miss to Mr Sirius Black and stay with her until she was safe but Daisy can't find Mr Sirius Black"
Dumbledore sent people to help the McKinnons while Remus cuddled his god daughter tightly as she sobbed uncontrollably, wailing loudly for the room to hear.
"Where is she!" Remus heard Sirius long before he saw him, the man came bursting through the doors eyes ablaze looking like a crazed man until he's eyes landed on Lyra's tiny body in the werewolf's arms.
He rushed forward taking his daughter he cradled her and sobbed, the fear he'd felt after hearing the McKinnon house had been attacked was like no other. Without waiting for orders he'd apparated to the house but the death eaters were gone only thing left behind was their filthy mark.
Sirius had busted down the doors yelling out for Marlene and Lyra until he found Marlene's body in the nursery but no baby. He'd cried over Marlene for moments before the need to find Lyra took over, he mourned as he tore the house apart.
"Padfoot!" He turned seeing James.
"I can't find her! James I can't find Lyra!" He went to move but James grabbed him but the shoulders.
"Daisy got her out she's with Dumbledore" he explained and seconds after he released Sirius he was gone.
Sobbing into the girls tiny body he held her as close as physically possible, he was moments away from losing her just as he had Marlene and it made him sick. He'd been at the Potters under the filius when a patronus appeared, he'd been choosing balloon colours while his daughter was being attacked...
He couldn't do it, he couldn't lose her.
~~~
Harrys birthday had been a small gathering, a pretty sad one really as the war finally hit home for the group having lost one so close to them.
Lyra sat with Harry holding his hand she was trying so hard to talk to tell them about Peter but the words would not form in her mouth so she took to screaming whenever he showed his face.
Every time he saw her he looked panicked as if waiting for the others to realise, he didn't know how she knew but she did that's why he'd given the McKinnon house whereabouts over hoping to get rid of her.
She felt so guilty about what was going to happen but every time she made any suggestion they cut it down the the grief of losing Marlene, they didn't understand every time she cried around Peter or tried to close the door on him entering that she was telling them something.
And it showed because October came around, she was dreading Halloween but it happened. A Patronus came as her father was getting her ready for bed telling him that the Potters had been attacked so he picked her up and apparated her to the burrow with the Weasleys.
He went to leave but she started screaming running in front of the door she pushed him "No leave! No leave!"
He cried "baby I have too, I'll be right back I promise!"
"No leave! Pa Pa no leave!" She sobbed clutching onto his trousers.
"Baby I need to go, I'll be back I promise, I love you" he kissed her head and Mrs Weasley picked her up.
"No leave! No! NO! Pa Pa! No leave!" She screamed and screamed trying desperately to get out of the older woman's grasp "NO!"
"It's okay sweet girl" Mrs Weasley shushed her with tears in her own eyes at the girls distraught crying, she casted a spell to help the girl relax slipping her a sleeping potion trying to get the girl to sleep.
"No leave, no leave" the girl whimpered as the potion took hold and she fell into a deep sleep.
Mrs Weasley took the girl upstairs placing her in Ron's cot so the pair were together as Ginny was too small to be safely sharing with anyone, she walked back down and waited for news.
Hours later Dumbledore appeared "Dumbledore, what happened"
"Something terrible Molly, you are in possession of young Miss Black are you not?" He answered and she nodded "I'm afraid I am to take her from you and place her with another guardian"
"Guardian? Where's Sirius?" Molly demanded not letting the wizard into her home without answers.
"He's been arrested for the deaths of James and Lily Potter" Dumbledore answered "Young Harry Potter survived but they did not"
Molly gasped "That's not possible, Sirius wouldn't"
"I don't know what happened Molly but I need to take the girl to a guardian"
"Where? Remus?" She asked.
"I'm afraid not, Mr Lupin is still working undercover for me and you know he can not take Lyra, the ministry will simply not allow it, it's against the law"
Molly spluttered as her face turned red "That! This is...Simply barbaric Albus!"
"Molly..." Dumbledore sighed looking weathered.
"I don't mind holding her until he's done, Sirius brought her here because it's safe and Remus is the girls god father, ministry or not" Molly frowned.
"That's very kind of you but i can't allow it, Miss Black will be fine where she's going, now please let me take the girl Molly"
Mrs Weasley opened the door and led the wizard to the girl watched as he lifted her and turned back to the door "Who is it you're taking her too?"
"Family members" Dumbledore answered "Goodnight Molly"
He disappeared heading towards the final destination that night he placed the girl down on the steps along with the note spelling the girl not to wake until the note had been read then he left.
He really did have no choice, at least none that benefitted him as much as this one.