They had moved to another forest, it was easier to hide under the cover of trees "So, the cup is next right?" Ron frowned watching Hermione and Lyra set up the protective charms around the camp while Harry sent up the tent like a well oiled machine, it felt like the few weeks or so he'd been gone they had perfected how they moved and he was left feeling like a spare piece.
"That's right Ron, we can either do it tonight or in the morning, that should have given the Order enough time to have been getting the children out of Hogwarts or at least getting a plan in place. From there it's getting into Hogwarts to set up ground base" Lyra nodded finishing her half of the shield and watched as Hermione locked the two halves together sealing them inside.
"I think tonight, get it over and done with" Harry stepped back from the tent "He felt it, the locket, i know he did, it was like he could almost trace us from it" that had Lyra's head snapping up.
"What did you just say?"
"It felt like he could trace us" He answered looking just as worried.
Lyra shook her head "That's not possible"
"I don't know, i just know it felt like he almost found us, like he could feel where his soul was destroyed"
"Maybe it's because we had three of them" Hermione also frowned "We have quite a large piece of his soul in one place?"
"That's just great" Ron muttered running his hand roughly through his hair.
"We just have to be more careful then" Lyra sighed looking around "We're coming to the end now, i can feel it"
So the four of them ate, Lyra had caught a lone rabbit and Hermione had been the one to cook it up, both girls were running low on provisions not having been expecting to be on the run this long but they hadn't been starving yet which was a step up from when the Trio had done it in the films. When they had all finished the air around them changed, as if they all knew it was time so Lyra fished the cup from her bag still attached to her wrist and placed it on the ground "Pretty thing isn't it?"
"It's a shame, that he tainted such things" Hermione nodded.
Harry simply stared at the cup "So, who is going to do it?"
"I will" Hermione whispered "You have all destroyed one, we have no idea if the dark magic has a lasting effect so it would be safer if i destroyed this one seeing as i haven't been effected by one yet"
Lyra shuffled closer to her best friend who had grown pale "You don't have to do this Mi, i'm more then willing to take the risk"
"I'm not" Hermione looked upwards locking eyes with Lyra "You've destroyed two so far Lyra and Nagini bit you, who knows how much more your core can take with the exposure" she shook her head "I won't risk it, i will destroy this one"
Harry nodded "Do you want the sword, dagger or a fang?"
Hermione took a deep breath "Dagger, the swords too heavy" Lyra grabbed the dagger from her bag and handed it over to Hermione who after taking it held it tightly in her hand, the other three took a step or so backwards to give her space. Hermione looked unsure but she raised the dagger in her hand and brought it downwards on the cup, similarly to the locket black smoke came rushing out of the gash mark from the dagger but instead of fighting back like the locket did the smoke took the form of Moldy.
Ron sprung forward grabbing onto Hermione, he dragged her backwards and she stumbled after him after from the smoke which roared in anger and pain as it crept towards them. All four of them staggered backwards in horror but it started to fade out as the horcrux was destroyed by the venom.
Ron cradled Hermione in his arms and the pair panted, Hermione was tucked into his chest looking up at him as he stared down at her in his arm "Come Harry" Lyra whispered taking Harrys hand so she could lead him into the tent giving their friends some privacy.
"What the hell was that?" he whispered back when they were inside the tent.
"The cup or Ron and Hermione?"
"Ron and Hermione"
"I think they both decided they don't want to hide their feelings anymore" Lyra shrugged as she took a seat at the table, Harry fell into the seat beside her "About time don't you think?"
"Yeah" he muttered rubbing his face "One more down huh? Now just two to go and then we will be rid of Voldemort"
Lyra had tried to pounce forward, her hand slapped against his mouth just a second too late "No" she whispered as her eyes widened and leaped from her seat "We need to go! We need to go NOW!" she yelled as she ran from the tent, Hermione and Ron ripped apart from the heavy kiss they had found themselves in to look at the terror in Lyra's face "Forget the tent, we need to go" but just as she was reaching for their hands the sound of people apparating around them made them all freeze.
"Evanesco" Lyra snarled pointing her wand at the cup which vanished into thin air, the dagger Hermione had dropped by the firepit was ripped up from the ground and thrown into her bag on her bracelet.
The taboo being tripped meant the protective enchantments did nothing to stop the snatchers from entering, they had been given their exact location after all.
"Hello beautiful" one of the men had Hermione scarf wrapped around his neck, the one she'd left as a marker for Ron when he had left.
"GO!" Lyra yelled and it shocked her friends into moving, all of them sprinting into the forest as if their lives depended on it, because they did. Spells were being sent flying passed them as the snatchers remained on their tails, Lyra heard Hermione yell out as a spell got too close, she looked over her shoulder and raised her wand throwing a silent bombarda out.
The explosion hit a tree shattering it and it sent two snatchers flying into the air, they continued running and Lyra could see Hermione and Harry in front of her, Ron was running somewhere behind her but she heard him grunt as he went down "No" she started to slow.
"GO!" Ron yelled out seeing her slow down, she shot him a horrified look "GO!" she felt like sobbing as she forced her feet to move, Lyra could not believe this was happening, after everything.
Spells were being thrown on both sides now, Lyra had caught up with Hermione and Harry but up ahead were more snatchers and it's not like they could apparate without Ron, Lyra saw the exact moment Hermione decided what needed to be done. Hermione lifted her wand at Harry and her spell hit him in the face, she moved her wand towards Lyra shockingly but before a spell was rattled off Hermione's body was thrown to the side.
Lyra squeezed her eyes shut and felt her eyes sting with the transfiguration she was trying to force onto herself, she dropped to the ground beside Harry as she ripped her bracelet off and locked it around his own wrist. If anything happened to her at least he'd now have the diadem, she growled as she was grabbed roughly by someone who smelt like rotten food and dirt.
Hermione grunted harshly as she too was ripped to her feet and locked into someone's hold "Don't touch her!" Ron came flying down the hill no longer tied but all the same still captured. One of the snatchers punched him in the gut shutting him up quickly.
"Leave him!" Hermione yelled.
"Your boyfriend will get much worse--"
"Get off me!" Hermione tried to fight the grip she was in.
"--If he doesn't learn to behave himself" the snatcher wearing Hermione's scarf finished as he looked at Harry "What happened to you ugly?" both Harry and the werewolf holding him looked at the snatcher "No not you" he pointed to the werewolf before looking back at Harry "What's your name?"
"Dudley, Vernon Dudley" Harry answered and Lyra wanted to hit him, why chose a muggles name!
"Check it" the snatcher ordered one of his lackies who pulled a piece of paper from his pocket as the leader walked towards Hermione "And you, my lovely? What do they call you?"
"Penelope Clearwater, Half-blood" Hermione answered after some while but she stared at the ground not making eye contact, the snatcher leant in closer to her lifting his hand to cup her cheek but pulled back when Lyra struggled against her capture, snarling and spitting as she did so.
The snatcher chuckled "And you sweetheart?"
Lyra sneered at him not looking away from his eyes "Mandy Brocklehurst" Hermione looked at her bestfriend in shock as she saw the brown eyes, Lyra hair had lightened to a dark brown and her eyes were also changed. She hadn't been able to hex Lyra's face so they meant she had changed herself, Lyra always surprised her, she had even named a half blood Ravenclaw who was in their year.
"There's no Vernon Dudley on here but there is a Clearwater and Brocklehurst is a half-blood as well" the one with the paper held it up.
"Did you hear that ugly? The list says your lying" the werewolf huffed into Harrys ear "How come you don't want us to know who you are?"
"The list's wrong, i told you who i am" Harry answered shortly, they all watched as the lead snatcher walked towards Harry and lifted his hair off his forehead, it felt like they had all received the death sentence, it was like the fight left them all as Ron laid on the ground and the two girls stopped fighting against the men holding them.
"Change of plan, we're not taking this lot to the Ministry" the lead snatcher spoke softly.
~~~
They had been taken to the Malfoy Manor, a place that had once been her home and she could not believe the change, it was dark and gloomy. The Manor which was once magnificent now looked grey and dreary, this was nothing like how it used to be.
They were walked to the main gates and were met with Bellatrix, she wasn't going to let them in to begin with until the snatcher moved Harrys hair showing a scar "Get Draco" she whispered to her husband stood behind her who moved as she allowed them entrance.
The four of them were walked into the Manor, Lyra felt bitter sadness nipping at her chest as she looked around, it no longer felt like home, the walls vibrated with dark magic. They were lead to the drawing room, the hold on the two girls and Ron were not loosened but Harry was thrown to the ground as they waited. When Draco entered the room Bellatrix took a handful of Harry's hair and pulled his head back showcasing it to the room clearly.
"Well?" Bellatrix hissed as she nodded to Draco trying to get him to identify the boy.
He shook his head "I can't be sure"
"Draco, look closely" Bellatrix snarled tilting Harry's head further back, she hadn't noticed that Narcissa's gaze was locked onto one of the curly hair brunettes in the room "If i were the one to hand over Potter to the Dark Lord..." her voice shuddered slightly as she shivered with a look of pure delight in her eyes.
"Now we won't be forgetting who actually caught him i hope" the lead snatcher moved forward hearing the Lestrange woman clearly.
Bellatrix simple hissed at the man like a feral cat and painted a sickly sweet smile on her face as she took Draco's hand pulling him closer, it looked wrong on her face, more demented then sweet "Don't be shy. Now, if this isn't who we think it is Draco and we call him, he will kill us all, we need to be absolutely sure"
Draco who had been placed mere inches from Harry's face frowned "What's wrong with his face?"
"Yes, what is wrong with his face?" Bellatrix looked towards the snatchers.
"He came to us like that, something he picked up in the forest i reckon"
Bellatrix hummed "Or ran into a stinging jinx, was it you dearie?" she pointed to the two girls, one's eyes were pinned to the ground as she shook in terror while the other's jaw was clenched and her eyes wild with rage.
A rage that sent a slight tremor down Bellatrix's back, she stood straight and moved towards the girl with a shocking speed, Narcissa took two steps forward but Lucius locked his hand on her wrist stopping her. He didn't understand but a mother did, a mother knew.
Bellatrix stopped when she was almost nose to nose with the girl who didn't flinch backwards, her eyes promised death and Bellatrix recognized it "Give me her wand, we'll see what her last spell was"
Lucius' breath caught when he saw a familiar wand being handed over to his insane sister in law. It was beech wood around 12 inches, he would have recognized it anywhere, the light wooden wand with the intricate carvings down it's length, that wand belonged to his Lyra.
"It was a bombarda" the snatcher answered after he cast the spell on her wand.
"And the other girls?" Bellatrix didn't remove her eyes off the girl in front of her, when the snatcher moved she looked upwards and gasped "What is that?" she whispered "Where did you get that from?"
"It was in her bag when we searched her" the man holding a sword grinned "Reckon it's mine now"
Bellatrix struck with concerning speed, she snatched the sword from the air and turned to quickly deal with the others in the room "Go! Get out!" she screamed at them in a high shrill pitch the remaining two were quick to leave while they could "Cissy..." Bellatrix turned onto the prisoners "Put these three in the cellar" she grabbed onto Ron and Lyra's collars ripping them away from Hermione "I want to have a conversation with this one, girl to girl"
Peter Pettigrew who came up from the cellar took the two boys by the collar but Lyra pulled away from them "She knows nothing, i stole the sword!" she growled and Bellatrix spun glaring at her, her top lip twitching upwards as they began what was the start of the battle of wills.
Hermione was thrown roughly towards the two boys as Bellatrix strutted forward putting herself nose to nose with Lyra who simply glared shoving all the gut wrenching terror behind her wall tightly, she locked all the terror, the limb locking fear away in the furthest part of her security. Lyra knew what was to come, she knew what she had done, what she was going to have to endure but she couldn't find it in herself to regret it.
"What are we going to do, we can't leave Lyra alone with her" Harry gripped the bars of the gate tightly.
Hermione sobbed in Ron's arms "It's my fault, it's all my fault" she muttered again and again as Ron rocked her holding her tightly to his chest.
"Harry?" they all turned and saw Luna move from behind a pillar, she looked dirty, tired but alive "Ron? Hermione?"
"Luna?" Harry frowned.
"Where's Lyra?" the Lovegood girl looked around in confusion and Hermione's cries grew in sound "Oh dear...This is different" Luna whispered looking at Hermione.
~~~
"Do not engage" Lyra's voice had sounded through their shields loudly, she had ordered them not to move while sending nonverbal sticking charms to their feet, all three Malfoys were occlumenting within every inch of their abilities. Lucius was trembling, he was never as good at it as his wife and son, the screams were making them crumble quicker then he could build them but he tried to remain emotionless, they knew Lyra would never order them to do such a thing without it being for a reason and they were unsure if doing something would kill her.
Draco couldn't watch, he stared at the ground, his nails had long since pierced his skin, he hadn't flinched when his skin split apart, it was no where close to what...
Narcissa watched her sister, her shield was locked tight, her emotions were thrown into a locked box and chained tight but her anger? It festered like black mold, it bubbled and twisted into a deep rooted hatred. She had been forced to stand by and watch Bellatrix torture Draco and Lucius, had even had the spell aimed at her, family meant nothing to Bellatrix, this was no longer her sister but a demented pet of Voldemort's.
"That sword was meant to be in my vault in Gringotts" Bellatrix snarled into her ear as Lyra laid on the ground, her body trembled but the pain was being sucked behind her minds shields. Bellatrix was skilled at what she did Lyra would give her that, it made her grandmothers curses feel like a warm hug "How did you get it? What else did you and your friends take from my VAULT!"
"Why, was there something you'd miss?" Lyra panted her head rolling to the side as her strength weakened, she didn't know how long she could keep this up for. Her shields were strained after being hit again and again by Bellatrix who tried to infiltrate her mind to see for herself, her shields were battered and because of that she knew her emotions were trying to break out.
The next thing out of Lyra was a bone chilling scream, the curse locked up her limbs and made her feel like she was receiving thousands of tiny cuts while fire ate away at her organs and bones. It felt like her head would explode as Bellatrix tried to enter forcefully while she was under the curse. She screamed until her throat grew hoarse, this needed to end soon, she couldn't take much more.
"Tell me!" Bellatrix screamed in her face and she reared backwards as the girls hair darkened in colour, tears were streaming out of the girls shut eyes and Bellatrix slid closer pulling her eye lids up to see the shocking molten silver "I knew it!" she hissed, an evil smile pulling at her face.
~~~
The screams had stopped again, Hermione was a mess she had long since curled in on herself, her head tucked into her lap and she still sobbed. Ron and Harry were trying to break out of the cellar "There has to be a way out" Ron punched the wall in frustration.
"No, there is no way out of here" Ollivander shook his head, he was another prisoner in the Manor "We've tried everything, it's enchanted"
Harry gritted his teeth almost tight enough to crack them as Bellatrix's shouts rung through the cell, he paced "There has to be something..." his heart jolted when he heard Lyra's weak scream ring out, they hadn't been in the cellar long, an hour at most but he was already at his wits end, he couldn't take anymore. That's when a certain someone popped into his head "Kreacher" he whispered "Kreacher!" he yelled out praying the elf could hear him but nothing happened, there was no popping, no elf and he knew Kreacher couldn't hear him calling to him, their magic wasn't connected, Harry wasn't someone the elf listened for but there may be another who might "Dobby!"
Almost the second he spoke the name a pop came from beside him "Harry Potter called for Dobby?" the elf smiled but that smiled was wiped from his face when a scream filled the cellar "Is that...?" he went to move towards the gate but Ron stopped him.
"Can you apparate in and out of this room?" he asked the elf "Could you take us with you?"
"Of course, i'm an elf" the elf nodded but he looked distracted.
Harry snarled moving forward "We need to get Lyra"
Ron shook his head and he grabbed Harry "You know as well as i do mate that Lyra would want us to get these lot out first! She did that to protect us! To protect Hermione, if we go in there before getting them save that would have been for nothing!" he shook Harrys shoulders before turning to the elf "Dobby, you need to take Luna, Mr Ollivander, Griphook and Hermione away from here, The Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth" he looked back to Harry who was staring at the gate "Trust me"
"Wherever you're ready sir" Luna smiled softly at the elf.
The elf huffed slightly "Sir? I like her very much"
"I'm not going" Hermione stood, her knees buckled slightly but she forced them to lock up so she remained standing "I'm not leaving without Lyra"
"Mione--" Ron moved to persuade her.
"NO!" she yelled ripping her hand away from him "Dobby go and come back quickly" the elf nodded and took the three passengers "Lyra is my best friend, she did that for me there's no way in hell i'm leaving her without her"
~~~
The change from brown hair to black had been the finishing blow, all their shields came crumbling down quicker then they had ever before, Bellatrix had snarled and had raised her want to curse her niece but her wand was ripped from her fist. Her head snapped upwards but she hadn't expected what she had seen, Narcissa's wand was pointed right at her while Lucius and Draco had already knocked out the Lestrange brothers "What?"
Narcissa's curse struck her sister in the chest sending her flying through the air until she hit the wall and tumbled to the ground in a undignified heap. She stared at her sister's body, she was unsure if Bella was breathing or not and she couldn't quite figure out how she felt about it, there were no tears in sight, no feelings of regret only rage. Draco had been beside Lyra the second Bellatrix had flown backwards "I told you not to engage" Lyra murmured weakly.
"I'm not going to apologize, i should have done something sooner!"
"I told you not too" she croaked as her body trembled.
"And i can not believe you did so" he glared at the ground "I thought you had a plan, the only reason why i didn't do so before but instead your plan was to what? Get yourself killed!"
Narcissa passed Draco as she started running diagnostics over Lyra "There isn't much i can do my love" she sniffled soothing the girls curls backwards "We need to get you out of here"
"None of you can stay" Lyra whispered her eyes fluttering shut for a moment, speaking hurt, breathing hurt, everything hurt "You need to come with us, it's time"
Lucius had nodded and grabbed the bags they had packed and stashed in one of the many cupboards, when he came back to the drawing room he slowed seeing Harry Potter and his merry band of misfits stood there wands raised towards his wife and son. When he walked in the Weasley boys wand moved to point at him.
"Stop" Lyra coughed "They saved me, we need to go"
Ron sneered at Lucius "What!"
"Please" Lyra's begging tone made all of them lower their wands "They're coming with us...If you don't want them at the cottage we can go to Grimmauld place, there's enough of us there we can do the Fidelius charm"
Ron nodded "Not the Cottage, i can't have them--"
"I know" Lyra whispered in understanding.
Hermione dropped to her knees beside her as she sobbed "We need to go, she needs help"
"We're just waiting for--" Harry looked around just as a popping sounded and they all saw Dobby "Dobby. Can you move this many people at once?"
The elf shook his head but it didn't matter because a second popping noise had sounded and they all turned to see Lyra's elf, the look he sent them all chilling their bones, he looked murderous as he stalked towards his mistress. He didn't speak one word, not a single syllable as his magic made Hermione slide a few inches from Lyra so she was no longer touching the girl, he grabbed Lyra's hand and disappeared from the room.
"What?" the panic had erupted.
"Kreacher was very angry" Dobby nodded his head "Dobby had to tell him about Miss Lyra"
"Where has he taken her?" Hermione cried slightly.
"Home" Dobby whispered.
Lucius cleared his throat "We can apparate to Grimmauld"
Dobby shook his head "Miss Lyra has changed the wards, you will need an elf but sir Black has agreed to let Winky help" as the female elfs name was spoken she appeared, large tears were welled in her eyes, her normally red nose was two shade brighter as her small body shook.
"Quickly" she whimpered grabbing onto Harrys hand, he grabbed onto Ron's arm who was holding onto Hermione, the three were whisked away and Dobby took Draco's hand helping the three Malfoys travel to Grimmauld Place.
The second Harrys feet found familiar carpet he was moving before he even knew where he was moving too, he found Lyra's blue room, it was light and airy but the mood was low as Sirius cradled his daughters form. Kreacher stood at the bedside growling in random intervals, Harry heard many people approaching and when he turned he saw Hermione, Ron and the Malfoys. Winky scampered into the room and moved to stand beside Kreacher who said nothing when she joined his side.
"What happened" Sirius growled under his breath not looking up from his daughter who writhed on the bedsheets being moved had set her limbs off, he didn't need to know what she was hit with, that much was obvious but he needed to know who.
"Bellatrix" Ron answered feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when Sirius growled once more sounded more animal then human.
"Why are they here?"
"She said they saved her" Hermione whispered and she crept forward ignoring the warning growl Kreacher sounded, she moved slowly but she wouldn't stop until she had crawled into the bed to rest beside Lyra, she took her hand and held it tightly.
"You finally going to stop pretending to be on their side?" Sirius glanced up at Lucius who nodded once "Good because Bellatrix is going to die for what she's done"
Draco reached back to take his mothers hand but her face was flat, it held no rebuttal and her voice made that clear when she answered "She may already be"
"You didn't check?" Sirius gritted his teeth and when he received no answer he nodded "I hope she isn't so i can kill her myself...You can stay here, it's secure Lyra re-warded it after Dumbledore died"
"Of course she did" Lucius chuckled weakly "I can add to it if you'd like, i used to do the Manors before he told me to stop, it would strengthen what ever there is here"
Sirius sniffled as he nodded "Yeah, yeah she'd like that" he swallowed roughly "Winky can show you to the guest beds, they're not much but it's safe"
"Thank you" Lucius whispered, he walked forward leaning passed the muggle born girl to press a chaste kiss to Lyra forehead, he moved back letting the small elf lead him out to the rooms before he began adding to the wards.
~~~
They had all been at Grimmauld Place for about a week now, the tremors Lyra experienced had become far and few in between but the others didn't want to leave just yet in fear of her core depleting from the dark magic. Lyra walked towards the kitchen where everyone was gathered for dinner, it was strange like a fever dream but a part of her hoped this could become her new normal, all her family in one place, getting along.
Kreacher placed a plate in front of her and a cup of water appeared beside it, the elf was hovering like a mother hen, he didn't think she knew but she noticed he would check in on her throughout the nights. She hadn't said anything choosing to allow him to do so if it made him feel better "Thank you" she whispered as she ate slowly.
Her father cleared his voice and she looked upwards seeing everyone looking at her, she cocked a brow in question "Bellatrix, she was asking about her vault?"
"I told you before, i stole it" Lyra sighed "I had a vision that she held it in her vault, i didn't know what it was when i went for it but i knew it would help us win the war" she took a sip of water her throat still throbbed now and again "I went to Gringotts with Lucius and made out she planned to keep it, that with the description and some coins was enough for the goblins to believe me"
"Well where is it?" Lucius asked, he recalled the trip but didn't remember what they took, he knew he had spots in his memory but he also knew he agreed to it and Narcissa was involved.
Lyra looked towards Hermione "We destroyed it, same with the locket"
"You told me you wouldn't do that without me" Sirius narrowed his eyes at his daughter.
"I did" she nodded "But then war happened and we couldn't risk it, i won't apologize"
"That was very dangerous my love" Narcissa frowned "Who knows what could have happened"
Sirius nodded along with Narcissa "How many are left?"
"Two"
"Two!" Sirius spluttered "I thought there were seven?"
"There was" Lyra sighed "We destroyed the diary back in second year, Dumbledore destroyed the Gaunt ring--"
"Fucking hell! You killed Nagini!" Draco slapped his hand against the table making a few of them jump.
"Language!" Narcissa scolded her son just before his words registered with her and she gasped "No, no tell me that was not you?" Without answering Lyra reached into the bag attached to her wrist which Harry had given back and threw the snake head onto the table "Not on the dining table Lyra!"
"Sorry" she smiled at how normal it was for Narcissa to be scolding her.
"You killed the snake?" Her father frowned staring at the snake head on his kitchen table before Narcissa asked the old elf to remove it.
Lyra nodded "It was a trap, we went to Godricks Hallow and she attacked us, i didn't know she was a horcrux until it was done...Ron destroyed the locket and Hermione the cup. We have another but we're going to use it to lure You-Know-Who to the school so we can get to the last one"
"How did you destroy them?" Lucius questioned as his hands were steepled on the table.
"Basilisk Venom, we don't know how Dumbledore destroyed the ring, the sword of Gryffindor is inpregnated with the venom, as is this" she pulled out the dagger she had.
"Do we have any idea what the last one is?" Draco accepted a tray of sweet treats from Winky who was particularly taken with the wizard.
"We?" Ron snarled "There's no we"
"Enough!" Lyra hissed "That is enough! There is a war going on and we are in the thick of it, the more people on our side means less people You-Know-Who has. They have been helping me before i even went to Hogwarts and you will all take that into consideration, you don't have to like them but you will respect that they are under my protection"
"They watched you--"
"I told them too!" she snarled "It was something i did willingly and i'd do it again, that was my decision no one else's and they will not be held responsible" the others lowered their heads apart from Harry.
"They could have named us" he whispered "Draco could have told them it was me, i know you knew it was" he looked to the blonde.
"I've been in classrooms and on the pitch with you for six years Potter, i know your face" Draco glared slightly "But where you are Lyra isn't too far behind unfortunately besides, she said you're the reason we'd win so you need to stay alive"
"I knew it" Hermione nodded.
"What?"
"I saw Mr Malfoy drop the prophecy at the Ministry, i knew you were helping us" she answered and they all turned to the Malfoy man who looked downwards.
"Have the Order evacuated the school?" Lyra questioned lightly.
"Evacuated? No, hidden? Yes." her father sighed "That friend of yours, Neville? And Ginny had been feeding the kids into the Room of Requirements, when it's time they will lead them through a safe passage we still have to and from the castle"
Harry shook his head seeing a problem "What do we do about Snape?"
"Snape isn't the one we should be worried about, he is on our side" Draco sneered slightly.
"Right" Harry scoffed sarcastically but when he looked at Lyra she was staring at the table "Lyra?"
"It's...He is" she whispered "I saw it the other day, Dumbledore asked Severus to kill him, he was dying already, i don't know if you saw it but he had been hit with a curse put on the Gaunt ring"
"His hand was black"
She nodded "It was killing him, Severus had been slowing it down with potions but there was no fixing it, Dumbledore knew that...It's the Carrow twins who will be the issue"
Draco shifted "About that..."
"Draco?" Lucius turned to his son questioningly.
"They won't be an issue when the time comes" he winced slightly "Theo has been keeping me in the need know, they have been cursing the first years as practice so Slytherins have been pretending to curse them using legitimacy to get the first years to fake it...They will be ready to see to the twins when i give them word"
"Unbelievable" Ron shook his head "After all this time?"
Draco glared "All this time? You had decided day one we were the bad guys, we all heard you Weasley 'Not one Witch or Wizard who went bad wasn't in Slytherin' we were your enemy at eleven we just played the part"
"Well it's true" Ron shrugged but had the decency to look ashamed.
"Peter Pettigrew was Gryffindor" Lyra shrugged.
Harry nodded slightly "Lockhart was Ravenclaw"
"Professor Quirrell was Ravenclaw too" Hermione muttered with a wince when Ron snapped his head round to look at her.
"Yeah, yeah i get it!" Ron snapped flushing red.
"So we get word to Theo, Slytherins take care of the twins while we get the children out and then from there..." Lyra paused slightly "We fight"
~~~
Draco found Lyra in the library and took a seat beside her "Healing spells?"
"Yeah, i'm not very good at them, it's like no matter how hard i try i can't get it"
He hummed "It's probably because of your core, mother used to tell me the reason she was better at healing then Bellatrix was because bellatrix's core was too dark...Not that i'm saying your core is dark! I didn't mean--"
"I know Draco" she chuckled closing the book in her hand "I came to that conclusion myself a while a go, Blacks are know for darker cores"
"Doesn't mean your evil" he shifted closer.
"I know" she smiled before she became more serious "I need to tell you something"
"Anything"
Her eyes squeezed shut as she gathered the courage "I...I told Harry about...Hermione mentioned--"
"Why don't you just say what you mean Lyra" he grinned taking her in "I don't think i've ever seen you so flustered"
Lyra groaned looking up at the ceiling "I told Hermione about my amortentia, that day in Slughorns potion room i smelt, Treacle Tarts, Dark Cherry and Apple Pie"
Draco felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest, he knew what she was talking about, that day he had smelt it rife in the air so strong it had almost choked him, Dark Cherries, Coffee and something floral. It screamed Lyra, she was obsessed with anything cherry scented or flavored, he knew who it was the second the pot had been opened.
But he also knew himself, Lyra had commented thousands of times that he always smelt like apples, mainly apply pie fresh from the oven because he was always begging the elves to make him it. But Treacle Tarts? He didn't eat them.
"She-She told me...I explained triads to Harry" she spat out and all of a sudden it made sense, Draco never ate treacle tarts but Pothead devoured them as though he was a starving man.
He swallowed thickly "Triads?"
"I explained it too him...I'm not trying to force anything but" Lyra sighed throwing her head back against the back of the sofa sending her curls swaying and the scent of dark cherries wafting up towards him "I love you Draco" she whispered and it felt like he was under water.
He turned towards her completely "What?"
"I love you" she repeated just as softly as she had the first time.
His chest burned with hope that maybe, just maybe Lyra could be his "But you also love him right?"
She nodded "I do"
Draco wasn't an idiot he knew she did, he'd known for years that Lyra loved Potter. He always thought he never had a chance until last year, that was when he had decided he wasn't going to give her up, he couldn't. He had once thought that he would have died if Lyra chose Potter but here she was telling him that she'd choose him, choose the both of them.
Triads were common in the wizarding world, magic called to magic that was obvious, no one could dispute it. Triads were a blessing, to have that much compatible magic was never something anyone turned their noses up at. However, Potter wasn't brought up in the wizarding world, he didn't know how he felt about it all, not that he'd necessarily complain if Harry said no, it would mean he had Lyra to himself.
But if that's what magic called for and as long as him and Pothead didn't have to touch then Draco would settle for it, he knew as long as he had Lyra he wouldn't care. He'd become best fucking friends with the speckled git, they'd be best mates if he had too, if it meant having Lyra he'd do just about anything.
He reached forward cupping her cheeks "As long as i have you i couldn't care" he leant forward kissing her softly "I love you Lyra, always have"
"After the war we're going to sit down and maybe we can all speak about what it would mean for us" Lyra whispered when the sweet kiss came to an end.
Draco nodded "We just have to survive through this and then it will all go back to normal"
~~~
"Getting into Hogsmeade isn't going to be easy, they have the appartion points under alarm, they will know the moment we touch the ground" Sirius warned the group.
"Then we will be ready to go" Harry took a deep breath looking at his friends.
Lyra nodded turning to the Malfoys "The Order have been told about your switch over, both my father and I have vouched for you but just make sure to stay close to one of us, when this is over with we'll make sure everyone knows"
"You don't need to worry about us sweet girl" Narcissa swept her hand over Lyra's hair "Focus on keeping yourself safe"
"Couldn't we go by elves?" Ron asked out loud and when they all turned to look at him making him shrug "They have apparition being watched but i doubt they thought about elves much like the Malfoy cellars"
"That's brilliant Ron" Hermione smiled.
He rolled his eyes playfully "Always the tone of surprise"
"I absolute hate to agree with Weasel but it could work" Draco grimaced when Ron looked pleased with himself, ever since the chat with Lyra he'd been trying to be more friendly towards the three idiots she kept herself around.
"They could take us right to Aberforth" Lyra nodded.
"You know?" Sirius turned towards her before shaking his head "Of course you do, i don't know why i'm always so surprised"
"That never goes away" Lucius smirked.
"No, i guess it won't" Sirius side eyed the man slightly "Right, you all ready?"
"As ready as we'd get" Harry nodded and they separated into fours with Lyra standing with the Malfoys, Winky would be taking Sirius' group while Kreacher had Lyra's group.
"Ready when you are Kreacher" Lyra smiled and her elf frowned but took her hand and they two groups popped away from Grimmauld place.