Magic, witches, wizards and spells helped Lyra pass through her first year at Hogwarts quickly. Before she knew it, her friends were hugging her goodbye, swearing they would keep in touch throughout the summer. And Lyra had to face reality, and her family. 

She knew there were things underneath the surface just waiting to be brought up and ruin the illusion of their perfect family. But she didn't have it within her to shatter the picture of the world she had been brought up with and had been taught to have. 

She had secretly looked the other way as Andromeda snuck out to snog her muggleborn boyfriend, she had attempted to avoid Sirius and his friends all year so she didn't have to realize she would accept him no matter what, because she wasn't sure if she wanted to. But she knew that ignoring the issue forever would be the same as making her choice. 

But there were more important things going on during the summer of 1972. Bellatrix Black, Lyra's oldest sister, was marrying Rodolphus Lestrange, another well-known pureblood supremacist. A part of her was excited for the wedding, but at the same time, it meant hours of pretending to care about her great-aunt drunken rambling about how her obviously dead husband must have faked his death. 

But still, there was something interesting about having your sister get married. She may have only been twelve, but Lyra felt like it was a sign she was growing older. Bellatrix was getting married, Andromeda had graduated and was head-over-heels for her secret boyfriend, Narcissa was constantly found in broom cupboards with another boy. Lyra barely talked to boys. They freaked her out a bit. 

Lyra watched her eldest sister try on her wedding dress for the last time before the wedding, which would be taking place the next day. Lyra couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. "Oh, Bella, that dress looks amazing on you!"

"It really does," Narcissa sighed. She seemed slightly jealous of the fact that she wasn't the one getting married, wearing the white dress. She had always adored being the center of attention, but she was hoping her bridesmaid dress would be enough to attract the eligible bachelors attending the ceremony. 

Bellatrix grinned widely at her two youngest sisters. She then noticed Andromeda sitting silently, as if deep in thought. "What do you think, Andy? It's not too much, right?"

Andromeda snapped out of her trance and forced a smile. "Yeah, it's fine. Don't worry, Bella. And the dress isn't as important as the man you're marrying. As long as you love him, nothing else matters."

The eldest sister's smile faded at these words. She sighed and turned to them, looking more vulnerable than Lyra had ever seen her, it was a bit freaky. "If I tell you guys something, do you promise not to tell anyone else?"

As she got reassurances from her three younger sisters, Bellatrix sat down on Andromeda's bed with them. "I don't love Rodolphus, not at all. I don't really like him, honestly. The reason I'm marrying him-"

"Is because of our parents," Andromeda finished. The brunette rolled her eyes, as if it was no great surprise. "We already knew that, Bella. And frankly, it's quite stupid. I mean, we're in the 1970s, it's the modern age. Our parents shouldn't dictate who you marry."

"Shut up, Andromeda!" Bellatrix hissed, her normally hostile facial expression returning. She took a deep breath, as if to calm herself. "It's not just because of mum and dad. Have you heard what's been going on? With muggles and mudbloods?"

Andromeda shuffled around uncomfortably at the slur, but nodded. "They're being hunted, and killed. It's some rogue gang of prejudiced extremists."

"The Death Eaters," Bellatrix corrected, nervously twitching, as if it was dangerous even talking about it. "Their leader is called the Dark Lord. He came to see us."

"Really?" Lyra gasped, her eyes wide and innocent. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Of course not, darling," Bellatrix giggled at her innocence. "The Dark Lord would never hurt those of pure blood, especially not us who value it. He blessed the idea of Rodolphus and I getting married. He liked the idea of a strong pureblooded match. He wants us to join his cause. Together."

 Andromeda raised a skeptical eyebrow. "But you said no, right?" 

"Of course not!" Bellatrix exclaimed, eyeing her younger sister suspiciously. She crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head as if she was thinking about something. "You're sounding an awful lot like a blood traitor, Andy. Wouldn't want anyone to think you cared about mudbloods or muggles."

"I thought we weren't supposed to say that word," Lyra pointed out quietly. All of her older sisters quickly turned to look at her, Narcissa and Bellatrix confused and Andromeda silently begging her to shut up. "I mean, isn't it a bad word? It's a bit mean, right?"

"It's not mean if it's true," Narcissa stated, turning her nose up. "Mudbloods and muggles are filth, they're terrifying. They hurt their children and turn them into monsters that would like nothing more than to burn every witch or wizard they get their hands on."

Shaking her head, Andromeda's eyes widened. "That's not true."

"How would you know?" Bellatrix asked sharply. She was silently daring her sister to challenge her, but believing she would never dare speak against her. Because Andromeda had always been docile and compliant, that's what made her their parents' favorite. 

Lyra shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. The movement caught Bellatrix's attention, and her sharp stare turned to her younger sister. "Do you have anything to say Lyra? Any reason why you think mudblood is supposed to be such a bad word?"

"No, I don't-" Lyra looked away from her sisters, obviously uncomfortable lying to them. "I don't know, I must have overheard something at school about it."

Walking closer to her, Bellatrix transformed from a beautiful bride to a terrifying older sister, ready to do whatever necessary to get the truth. "Lyra, I know you're lying. Unless you want me to force it out of you, you better tell me what's going on."

The youngest Black sister attempted to stutter out a lie, but nothing came to her. She just sat, terrified, trying not to break the promise she had made to Andromeda about keeping quiet about her relationship with Ted Tonks. "I- I, I don't... I don't... Bella, I-"

"Leave her alone, Bella," Andromeda cut her off. Seeing Lyra so uncomfortable and scared because she wanted to protect her sister was heartbreaking for her. "I'm the one you should be interrogating, not Lyra. But none of us have done anything wrong."

"Andy, don't." Lyra shook her head, not wanting her to tell them about Ted. She knew it would only lead to somebody getting angry and everybody fighting, leaving a bad atmosphere for the wedding tomorrow. 

"Lyra, be quiet," Narcissa hushed the young blonde. She could see a storm brewing behind the oldest Black sister's eyes. She wasn't sure if she could protect Andromeda from it, but she sure as hell would protect Lyra. 

"What are you talking about, Andromeda?" Bellatrix purposefully didn't use her usual nickname. "Why should I be interrogating you? What affiliation do you have with filthy mudbloods?"

Angrily, Andromeda stood up so she was now eye-level with her older sister. "Stop using that word. They're witches and wizards just like us. The only filth here is you, who can't look past your own ass so you push our little sisters into believing they are better off dead than contributing to society. You sicken me."

Seeing Bellatrix's rage, Narcissa decided to speak up. "Andy, where is all this coming from? When did you start feeling like this?"

Taking a deep breath, Andromeda prepared herself to finally tell the truth. The secret had been clawing at her for three years, ever since she first got to know Ted Tonks. "Since I fell in love."

Lyra was about to speak up, but Narcissa gave her a stern look, begging her to not get involved. "In love? With who? Who could have spread this poison to you?"

Andromeda was unwilling to share his name, tears building up in her eyes, knowing there was no going back now. This was the day she would have to accept that she couldn't have both love and family. It was either her love or her sisters, and she had made her choice years ago. 

"Ted Tonks," Lyra whispered, but they could all hear her clear as day. "His name is Ted Tonks and he's muggleborn."

Lyra regretted her words the moment they had been spoken. Bellatrix went from frustrated to furious. None of the sisters had ever seen their eldest filled with such pure, unadulterated fury. "A mudblood? Are you an idiot, Andromeda? You're not in love with a mudblood!"

"You're right, I'm not." Andromeda swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing her tears back. "I'm in love with a wizard who loves me. A wizard who I'm going to marry as soon as possible, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Bellatrix calmed down significantly, no longer with a crazed look on her face. It was dangerously cool, as if she was looking at a stranger, not her sister. She reached for her wand and quickly pointed it at Andromeda. "Crucio." 

Lyra couldn't even react before Andromeda fell to the floor, screaming and flailing about. Blood seemed to appear from nowhere, mixing with the tears cried. Lyra thought she had heard screaming before, but nothing like this. 

The screams cut through walls, both louder and higher than she ever could have imagined. She had never seen anybody be tortured, much less her own sister. She hadn't even realized she was screaming and crying herself before Narcissa grabbed her and started hushing, but she was obviously sobbing herself.

Both of the younger sisters wished they had the power to stop Bellatrix, to disarm her. But Lyra was twelve and Narcissa was sixteen, both too young to legally use magic outside of school. Suddenly, Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hands, but Andromeda didn't stop screaming and sobbing. The once white carpet underneath her was stained red. 

Cygnus and Druella Black stood by the door. The girls' father was holding Bellatrix's wand, looking angry. Druella was shocked and ran to care for Andromeda, neither of them knowing what had led to the use of the dreaded Cruciatus curse. 

"What's going on here? Bellatrix!" Cygnus's voice boomed, watching his two youngest daughters cry in each other's arms as the eldest was torturing the second. 

Bellatrix wasn't fazed by his anger, still gazing coolly at her younger sister. "Andromeda is a blood traitor, unworthy of being a part of the House of Black. She believes herself in love with a mudblood and is prepared to marry him, even if it is against your wishes."

Druella stroked Andromeda's blood soaked hair, her voice soft. "Is this true, Andromeda?"

Andromeda cried harder than before, her words barely audible through her sobs and hiccups, her voice hoarse from screaming. "I love him, mum."

Cygnus grabbed his wife, pulling her away from their newly tortured daughter. "Andromeda, stop. A mudblood? You are a Black! Pull yourself together. I want you to end this relationship now, and we will discuss your punishment tomorrow after the wedding. Do you understand?"

"Dad..." Andromeda sobbed, desperately hoping he would understand.

Angrier now, Cygnus started yelling. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whispered, barely able to get the word out. She whimpered as she looked at her family, most of whom looked at her in disgust. 

Cygnus turned to look at Bellatrix, Narcissa, Lyra and Druella. He waved them towards him, gesturing for them to leave the room with him. "Come on, girls. Let's leave her to think about what she's done."

Lyra hesitated, wanting to stay with Andromeda, to help her. She wasn't sure how she felt about the situation, because everyone were angrier than she ever thought possible. She lingered by the door frame until Narcissa tugged her away and closed the door. Andromeda was left crying on the floor. 

▹▹▹

That night, Lyra couldn't sleep. She had tried, and she managed it for a couple of minutes until she woke up crying, hearing Andromeda's screams echo throughout her dreams. She wasn't sure if she would ever get the image of the blood, destruction and tears out of her head. She had never seen anything like it. 

Thirsty, she got up from her bed to get some water in the middle of the night. Then she saw an unlikely sight. Right by the door, Andromeda stood, now clean from blood, but there were still tears in her eyes. She held a suitcase, and almost dropped it when she made eye contact with her youngest sister. 

A tear finally fell from Andromeda's eye. I'm sorry, she mouthed before turning around to never return to the House of Black. 

▹▹▹

The next morning, Lyra awoke to yelling. For a moment, she had forgotten what had happened the previous night. When she remembered, her eyes started filling up with tears. Andromeda was gone, and as far as she knew, she wasn't coming back. 

Lyra quietly found her way to where Cygnus, Druella, Bellatrix and Narcissa were discussing the girl's departure, far from calmly. But when they turned and saw the young girl with tears in her eyes, they all quieted down. 

"What's going on?" Lyra asked, but she already knew they answer to that question. She just didn't want to admit it. 

Cygnus didn't soften at his daughter's sadness. Sternly, he informed her of the situation. "Andromeda is gone. She is no longer a part of this family. I don't want to hear her name mentioned in this house ever again."

Lyra finally allowed the tears to fall, but Bellatrix put her hand on her shoulder, digging her nails into her shoulder. "Stop crying. She is no longer out sister and is not worthy of your tears."

Druella wiped the corner of her eyes. She hadn't wanted Andromeda to leave, but she had never anticipated that she would fall for someone they considered filth. "Well, we better start getting ready. We have a wedding to prepare for. Bellatrix, you better find your dress."

And with that, it was as if Andromeda had never even existed. 

▹▹▹

The wedding had been grand, with guests coming in from all over Europe to attend the ceremony forever linking the Black family with the Lestranges. Two of the only pureblood families left in Britain, and everyone showed great pride and joy for Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Everyone but a few people, that is. 

As people were dancing, drinking and snacking, Lyra noticed Sirius sitting quietly in a corner, probably just not in the mood to deal with their stuck-up relatives and family friends. She couldn't even blame him, they were too much for her most of the time, and Sirius was hated for being a Gryffindor. 

In the end, after much deliberation, Lyra decided to approach her cousin carefully. They had barely spoken the past year, but after losing Andromeda she needed him to be a part of her life, she needed him to be the best friend he once was. 

"Hey," she greeted quietly, still not sure of how he would react. They had usually both pretended like they didn't exist. Sirius and his gang of friends had built up a reputation as pranksters throughout their first year at school, yet Lyra was never a target. Maybe that meant there was still hope for them. 

He gave her a curt nod. "Hey."

Lyra awkwardly sat down next to him, afraid that if she asked he would have said no. Unsure, she glanced at him a few times. It was strange, the two had always been able to talk for hours on end without needing to catch a breath. It was especially sad that it was her fault everything was ruined. 

Sirius finally spoke up to hear the answer to the question he had silently asked himself all day. "Where's Andromeda? I haven't seen her anywhere. I thought she was the maid of honor. I was surprised to see Narcissa instead."

Lyra looked away and Sirius saw he had struck a nerve, before he could speak up again, she gave him the answer he had been waiting for. "She's gone, and she's not coming back. Ever. You better not mention her around my parents, Bella or Cissy."

"What happened?"

Lyra forced the tears back, feeling like she had cried too much the past two days. "She fell in love. My parents didn't approve. He was muggleborn, you see. They told her to end it, she said she would and then she left in the middle of the night."

For once, he seemed to care about the girl that hurt him. Because he still cared about her, and he could see how much Andromeda's leaving had hurt her. "Wow. I'm really sorry, Lyra. I had no idea."

"You don't have to say you're sorry, I'm the one who should be apologizing." She could see how confused he was, so she gave him a small, apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry for how I treated you last year. I wish I could take it all back, but I can't. All I can do is ask for you to forgive me, because I really need you, Sirius."

"Don't even think about that. It's all in the past now. Don't worry." Hesitantly, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it in comfort. She looked at him and saw him smile slightly. "How are you doing? How do you feel about Andromeda leaving? For a muggleborn, that is."

"I'm confused, mostly," Lyra answered honestly, shrugging but thankful he cared. "Ted, the muggleborn, he seemed so nice and capable. And yet everybody thinks that just because his parents were muggles he's some kind of monster. But there must be some reason why they feel like this."

Sirius sighed. "I'll tell you a secret. There isn't a reason. They hate what they can't understand, and so they hate muggleborns. There are many smart and capable muggleborns, and they're treated like crap for no reason at all. Andromeda understood this, and she didn't want to stand for it."

Confused, Lyra furrowed her brows and look at the dance floor, remembering all the times people had told her muggles and those affiliated with them were nothing more than filth. "But nobody has ever taught us this. How do we know it's true?"

He shrugged. "It's just something you have to learn on your own. I did. It seems like you're learning it right now. Some never do, that's how you get families like ours."

Lyra nodded, still taking in his words. In the end, she decided that now wasn't the time to think about the deeper questions in life. Now was the time to enjoy herself while she was still a kid, and to forget all her sorrows.

"Come on, Sirius. Let's dance." Lyra tightened her grip on his hand, laughing loudly. Some Celestina Warbeck song was on. With all the attacks, tensions, anger and heartbreak waiting, Lyra decided that she was going to have one night to enjoy herself with her favorite cousin so she could act like everything was going to be alright.