Twelve Grimmauld Place was exactly as it sounded. A grim, old place. Every time Lyra had to visit her family there she would be incredibly thankful her family had their own manor and hadn't inherited the secret house in muggle London, like Sirius and Regulus's father, Orion had.

On the walls were the mounted heads of House Elves who hadn't completed their duties in a satisfactory way, forcing Walburga Black to chop them off.  They were a terrifying reminder of the prejudice her family possessed and the pain they were willing to inflict. 

It was also the home of the great Black family tapestry, holding the name of every member of the House of Black for centuries, Lyra included. She had been to Twelve Grimmauld Place every year for Christmas, but she had attempted to avoid the tapestry, where she would see her disowned sister's face burned off. 

Lyra didn't want to cause drama, though. There had already been enough up-turned noses at the idea of Sirius not going home for Christmas, everyone speaking of his disrespect for the family and its time-honored traditions. 

She couldn't deny he was disrespectful, but he had been treated awfully since his sorting into Gryffindor, so she believed he deserved to be a bit disrespectful. 

Therefore, she sat silently as the conversation continued around her. Narcissa brought her husband of nearly six months, Hector Flint. They seemed to be getting along swimmingly, whispering in each other's ears like they had a well-hidden secret. 

Bellatrix brought her husband, as well. But they weren't quite as cozy, sitting next to each other but only speaking to one another if it was in a greater conversation between the whole family. The only new thing was how seeing as Rodolphus's parents were out of town, he had brought his younger brother to the Black family dinner.

Rabastan Lestrange was a handsome boy, there was no doubt about that. With his chiseled jawline, sharp cheekbones and chestnut hair, there wasn't a girl at Hogwarts who didn't want him, and no boys who didn't want to be his friend to share in his popularity. 

The only issue was that Rabastan didn't really have friends. He kept to himself a lot, as if he was better than the whole lot of them. But he got along with most of Slytherin, making almost-friends with a few pureblood Slytherin boys. 

Lyra wouldn't consider him her friend either. They were acquaintances who got along when they needed to, he could make her laugh and if they had to, they could even speak casually alone. But they had never been friends, there hadn't ever been a reason for them to be friends. 

She was wondering if that was about to change. He had tried to engage in conversation with her during dinner, sensing how silent she was and how she wanted to keep away from the conversation at all costs. She appreciated it, as he didn't do it in a creepy way. But she still wanted to keep to herself. 

The clinking of a glass brought Lyra out of her thoughts, seeing her blonde older sister grinning brightly, standing up. Hector followed her, looking excited. "We have an announcement to make."

The family raised eyebrow, none looking too excited. Of course, joy and excitement wasn't treasured or fostered underneath the roof of Twelve Grimmauld Place. Narcissa couldn't wait, her grin wide. "I'm pregnant."

Every member of the family started smiling, a rare sight. They congratulated the young couple, although she could see the wheels turning in their heads, trying to imagine what the offspring of someone as beautiful as Narcissa and someone as not-conventionally attractive as Hector would look like. 

"That's amazing!" Lyra exclaimed, speaking from the heart. Those were the first words she had spoken that weren't yes, alright, agreed, of course or no. 

"A good pureblood match creating good, pureblooded children," Bellatrix praised, her grin even crazier than it had been the last time Lyra saw her. "Perhaps this is a good opportunity to think about when you will join the Dark Lord's cause? You do wish to make the world better for your child, am I right?"

Hector shuffled in his seat, uncomfortable. He exchanged a look with his wife, who gave him a sympathetic smile.  "I mean, yes. But I think I should focus on building our family first."

"That is a lovely thought, Hector," said Druella kindly, but her eyes quickly becoming stern when she looked upon her eldest daughter and her husband. "And what about you, Bellatrix? You have been married for years now, and yet you aren't pregnant. We all have a responsibility to bring pure children into this world to carry on our legacy."

The dark-haired witch clenched her jaw, obviously not very pleased with the question. "Both Rodolphus and I are far too busy for children. The Wizarding World needs to improve before I could ever consider bringing a child into it."

Cygnus wasn't too happy. "Then you should improve it by making sure there is still purity in the world. More and more Mudbloods start Hogwarts every year, which leads to half-bloods as they seduce and corrupt those who are from good families such as ourselves." 

Bellatrix always wanted to be the favorite, and wasn't used to being grilled in such a way. She frowned and pursed her lips, wanting the attention to go away. "Well, at least I've got a pureblood husband. Lyra was the one who rejected Evan Rosier!"

All eyes went to the newly sixteen-year-old witch, who looked a bit freaked. Her plan to stay silent throughout the dinner was foiled, and she looked nervously between Regulus and Rabastan, hoping for either one of them to speak up about how creepy Evan could be.

Druella looked personally offended at her daughter's choice. "Lyra, is this true?"

Reluctant, Lyra nodded nervously. "Yes, mum. It is."

"What were you thinking?" asked Cygnus, frowning deeply. His expression went from the usual stern to the now furious. "Lyra, there are very few truly acceptable families left, and the Rosiers are a good one."

Of course he would think that, Lyra thought. Her mother was a Rosier, and Evan was her second cousin. She didn't dare mentioning it when her Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga sat at the table, them being second cousins who got married. 

"Incredibly disrespectful," muttered Walburga, turning her nose up at her young niece. "The Rosiers are a fine family, and you may be a Black, but you still cannot afford to throw away those who show interest."

"A good marriage should be arranged by the parents, as I've always said. I probably would never have thought of Walburga as a possible wife," stated Orion coldly, as always. Sirius greatly resembled his father, but she couldn't help but think about how different their personalities made them always seem, even if Orion could have been mistaken for his son's twin in his youth.

Rodolphus smirked and decided to join the conversation. "I'm sure you will find a good match for Lyra yet. The Black girls have always been sought after. Rabastan says there are many good pureblooded boys attending Hogwarts at the moment."

"Yes, that's very true. Avery, Wilkes, Longbottom, Prewett, Fawley, Potter," Rabastan stopped for a moment and glanced at Lyra smugly. "Gudgeon. Some are blood traitors, of course. But they have the potential for change, as they have pure blood."

Lyra had tried to keep herself from blushing after he had mentioned Davey Gudgeon. Thankfully, nobody noticed, except for Regulus who had to cough to hide his laugh. Narcissa had only raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. 

Rabastan cleared his throat, and continued in hope of allowing Lyra some peace. "And Lyra is a proud Slytherin prefect, and someone I believe you should all be proud of having in your family, as someone in her house and year."

"Hear, hear!" Bellatrix cheered, raising her glass with a mad grin. "Far from a blood traitor at least. Better than some family members. I keep hearing about Sirius mingling with mudbloods and talking about muggle rights. Disgusting."

Narcissa laughed coldly, looking nothing like the once happy, cheerful girl she had been during her school girl days. "When will you finally burn him off the family tapestry, Aunt Walburga?"

"At the rate he's going, it won't be long," Sirius's mother spat, pursing her lips tightly. "He can't embarrass us forever, and I only have so much patience. I have hoped for too long he will turn himself around but I'm starting to think it will never happen."

A knot tied itself in Lyra's stomach, making her sick. She couldn't help but imagine Sirius in the situation Andromeda had been in years before. Tortured, belittled, disowned and forgotten by their own family. She didn't want to imagine never seeing him again, not having him a part of her life. It hurt enough to lose one member of her family. 

Lyra wanted to speak up, to defend him. She wanted nothing more. But she wasn't brave, she didn't defy what she was meant to. There was a reason she hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor with her cousin. 

She swallowed the lump in her throat, ignoring the pain. She allowed them to keep speaking freely, as horrible images crossed her mind, each one making her want to cry. No tears were allowed to fall. 

▹▹▹

Feeling sentimental, Lyra finally allowed herself to look at the great Black family tapestry. It was gigantic, showing the names and faces of all those who shared her bloodline. Many which were familiar, and some famous. 

Lyra found her own name and face, but couldn't help but look at the burn mark closeby. Andromeda Black (or Tonks now, she supposed) had been burned off, no longer a part of the family. Again, Lyra wanted to cry. 

"It's a shame about Andromeda," said a voice from behind her. Lyra turned around forced herself not to look sad as she made eye contact with Rabastan. "I remember coming to Hogwarts and feeling quite welcome because of her. Think I had a bit of a crush on her in first year."

"Don't say that to anyone out there," the blonde gestured to the parlor where the rest of the dinner party were speaking and laughing loudly. "They'd have your head for even mentioning her name."

"Ah, let them try," he grinned handsomely, walking closer to the girl, standing right next to her. "I've got moves even the House of Black aren't ready for. I'll say what I want, unless it makes you uncomfortable."

Lyra smiled up at him, noticing how tall he was for the first time. "It's nice, actually. Hearing someone say her name. I never do anymore, it's almost like she never even existed."

"You can't think like that," he frowned, bumping her shoulder with his own. "You've got to remember the good parts sometimes, even if it makes the bad parts hurt even more."

"I never knew you were so wise," said Lyra, looking away. She couldn't help but blush at standing so closely to a handsome boy her age, even if there were no feelings for Rabastan in her body. 

"I keep it a well-hidden secret," Rabastan winked at her. 

She tried to ignore the fact that he winked at her, but her cheeks only grew redder. "Thank you, by the way. For before. I don't know what you really think about the whole Rosier situation, but you stood up for me nonetheless."

"Evan Rosier's a creep," he rolled his eyes at the thought. "If you had accepted I would have stopped it anyway, because you deserve better than that. The few girls that accepted his dates said he stared more than he spoke and only gave suggestive comments when he did."

The blonde giggled to herself, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm not surprised. He's done that without even going out with me."

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Rabastan suddenly said, looking hesitant about what he was about to say. "But it's a bloody great shame that Rod and Bellatrix got married, for the two of us, I mean."

Confused, she furrowed her brows. "How so?"

The fifth year boy shrugged. "They barely get along, only agreeing on being in love with the Dark Arts. And you didn't hear this from me, but I've heard rumors about your sister maybe being in love with the Dark Lord."

"Really?" Lyra gaped, her eyes wide in surprise. "I could have never imagined. I've never met the Dark Lord, so maybe he is her type."

"Perhaps," Rabastan laughed. "But it's also because you and me have always gotten along fine. And if I have to make an appropriate pureblooded match, it might as well have been with someone I like and get along with, like you. Rather than some of the girls in our year."

The blonde faked a laugh, trying to keep the attention away from her face, which was growing hotter and hotter by the minute. Mostly because she wouldn't have minded, either. He was quite handsome "Yeah, I agree. You wouldn't have been the worst match in the world."

"Such a shame," Rabastan muttered, his eyes travelling to where Bellatrix and Rodolphus were linked on the tapestry. "But that means we're family then, Lyra. And I really do care about family. I don't really see why we never became friends."

Taking a deep breath, she tried to compose herself. "Well, you've always kept to yourself. I sort of believed you thought you were better than me, or something, so you didn't bother."

"That's not true," he denied, putting his hands in his pockets. "I don't know, I've never felt the need to socialize in the way most of the people around us do. I want to be focused, but I don't know. Maybe I should put myself more out there."

Lyra bit her lip to keep from smiling, trying to remind herself that this was her sister's brother-in-law. "I'll help you if you want. Not to brag, but I wouldn't say I have few friends. We could start hanging out more."

"That'd be nice, not everybody seems to like me. They think I'm..." Rabastan searched for the proper word, one that would describe the truth but not yet scare her away. "Not the nicest man in the world."

"Well, you have to prove them wrong," the blonde encouraged. She had heard the talk about Rabastan, saying he was interested in the dark arts, like Evan Rosier and his friends. But he was handsome, charming and kind. Lyra couldn't believe he was like them. 

Charmingly, Rabastan straightened up proudly, with a posture reminding Lyra of every pureblooded man she had ever seen. "With you by my side, I don't think that will be an issue."

Lyra looked away, not able to keep her smile away anymore. He seemed to notice the effect he had on her, but he didn't comment on it, which she appreciated. She glanced out the door to the parlor, as the rest of the family approached them. 

Rodolphus raised an eyebrow at the pair of fifth years, as if he wasn't sure what to thinnk about their closeness. "Rabastan, it's time to leave."

Cygnus narrowed his eyes coldly at them, making Lyra try to straighten up and pretend like nothing, like she hadn't blushed more in the past five minutes than she had her whole life before. "Us too, Lyra. Let's go."

Obediently, Lyra followed her father out to the fireplace, without even glancing back at Rabastan, who still had a smirk on his face. 

▹▹▹

Once Cygnus, Druella and Lyra returned to the Black family manor alone, the parents started whispering to themselves, leaving their youngest daughter out of the conversation entirely. She tried to listen in, but her parents made sure she couldn't hear. 

Tired of being out of the loop, Lyra finally spoke up, her arms crossed over her chest. "What's going on?" 

Druella and Cygnus turned to look at her, as if they were surprised she would dare speak up against them. Cygnus turned his nose up, looking down at his daughter. "We were discussing the matter of Evan Rosier. Is there no chance of fixing the situation?"

The blonde knew she only had to show a sliver of interest and she would have Evan in her arms, but it was the last thing she would ever want. So she did a thing she rarely did to her parents. She lied. "No."

"That's a shame." Druella looked nervous. "And while we appreciate you trying to make amends through befriending Rabastan Lestrange, you must know he is no match for you. We already have a Lestrange daughter, there is no need for another one."

Lyra couldn't help but be a bit disheartened at the news, having hoped they would try to set her up with Rabastan. She couldn't believe that the first time they started to care about incest was when they weren't even related. 

But she didn't say anything. She would never speak against her parents. "No, I know. But Rabastan knows many people. I'm sure he has connections I would greatly benefit from in the future."

Uncharacteristically, Cygnus grinned at his youngest daughter. He put his hand on her shoulder, proudly. "That's my girl. You know what you want and you're not afraid to take it, whatever means necessary."

Though still a bit uncomfortable, Lyra only smiled at her parents and bid them goodnight. The Christmas day celebrations had then finally passed and she could count down the days until she was returning to Hogwarts.

▹▹▹

The moment Lyra entered her spacious room, she had been prepared to fall face-first into bed and fall asleep without following her nightly routine, not even bothering to wash off her make-up, even if she knew her mother would kill her if she found out. 

Still, she found herself curious when she saw an owl waiting with a letter in its mouth outside her closed window. It was basically glaring at her, as if angry she had taken so long to come home and see it was there. 

She opened the window and grabbed an owl treat from her dresser, feeding the unfamiliar owl as she took the letter from its beak. Suddenly, it seemed to like Lyra a lot more before flying back to its owner.

She rolled her eyes but smiled before plopping down on her incredibly soft childhood bed. She turned it around to see who owned the unfamiliar owl, and who had decided to send her a letter on Christmas Day. 

To Lyra
From Sirius, Remus, James and Peter

 Lyra couldn't keep from smiling. She really couldn't wait to go back to Hogwarts.