There was more than one reason for Lyra Malfoy not to enjoy being at home these days. She greatly disliked being around her husband most of the time, seeing as he could be a bit of a git. She also couldn't stand watching him talk up his escapades as a Death Eater to their son, who she hoped would stay as far away from all this as possible. 

Also, she was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Lyra would spend so much time with Sirius and Remus, finally getting to know her lovely niece Nymphadora and trying to give some comfort to Harry and his friends, who really seemed to need it. 

She needed all of it, too. To feel like some kind of hero, someone who could try to help save people's lives. She wasn't only the wife of a Death Eater, somebody who had hurt so many people. She could be more. She could be brave. 

She had been on her way to yet another Order meeting, discussing some information that Snape had finally given up. She supposed it was probably all about something that he could have told them ages ago, but he was being dramatic and holding it back. Not that Lyra was the right person to blame someone for dramatics. She was born a Black after all. 

"Lyra, where are you going?" Lucius suddenly asked as she pulled a cloak on. He looked pale, though he always did look pale. But he was whiter than usual, like he hadn't seen the sun in days. 

"I'm going to have dinner with Cissy," Lyra responded, saying the first lie that came to her head. "Maybe we'll go out afterwards, have a few drinks, talk about how much we think we could have done better than our husbands."

The platinum blond man looked at her dryly. She was always quick with her wits, which was something he had once appreciated. It had become a bit more old with the years. "You're hilarious."

"Isn't that why you married me?" Lyra asked teasingly, pulling her hair out from under her cloak, showing that she was still preparing to go out, even if he didn't seem like he wanted her to. "For my humor?"

"No," he answered shortly, no humor in his voice. 

The blonde woman, on the other hand, was in more of a joking mood. She had been for the last month and a half. He hadn't been sure why, but she reminded him more of who she had been when they first got married. "Disappointing. You've got poor taste then."

"Could you reschedule with Narcissa?" Lucius sighed, trying to ask as kindly as possible. He could yell and threaten and throw a hissy fit, but he wasn't in the mood for it. "It'd be nice if you... would stay home tonight."

She didn't want to stay home. She wanted to go to the horrible place known as Twelve Grimmuald Place for once in her life, to spend time with people who's company she actually enjoyed. "We've been planning this for ages, so I wouldn't say it would be possible."

"Then cancel, I don't care. Just don't go out tonight, Lyra," he said sternly, leaving no room for argument. Well, he was trying to leave no room for argument but that never really got him far with Lyra. 

She raised her eyebrows at how he was trying to give her an order. She wasn't going to sit quietly and listen to him, a fire having been reignited in her heart since she had joined the Order. "How about you don't try tell me what to do and I live my own life separate from yours?"

"Our lives will never be separate, Lyra," he reminded her, glancing at the ring on her finger, one who had been there ever since she was only nineteen. "We both made sure of that all these years ago."

"Why tonight?" the woman asked suspiciously, eyeing him strangely. It was the first time she had met any resistance from him, though she was surprised it hadn't come sooner. "I've been going out so much lately and you haven't bat an eye? Why's tonight any different?"

"Because..." he hesitated, as though he wasn't sure how to phrase this to actually keep her home for the night. She was still wondering if he was doing this out of concern for her, or because of some selfish reasons. The answer was usually the latter. "We'll be having guests."

Lyra had lived through a war before, on the same side her husband was. She knew the codes and the little clues as to what they were doing. "A Death Eater meeting? In our home? Is this your way of trying to keep Draco and I out of all this business? Because I don't think it'll work."

Lucius looked at her, annoyed at how she just couldn't listen to him this one time. Because it was probably one of the more important things he had asked of her throughout their marriage. "It's not that simple. It's actually just one guest, seeking refuge."

She frowned for a moment, trying to understand whatever he was saying. In her mind, there was only one possible refugee who would want safety at Malfoy Manor. "You can't be serious. The Dark Lord? So close to Draco? Do you really think that will be safe?"

"What choice do we have?" he asked quietly, showing that he didn't seem to want to do this himself. "I have to make amends for the way that I didn't search for him for all these years. If I am to protect you and our family then I will have to gain the rank that I have lost."

Lyra sighed, running her fingers through her hair. There had to be some way, a way to keep Draco from being in the same house as a man who was basically a murdering cult leader. "Can't I do something? Use the fact that I'm Bellatrix's sister or something to help so we can avoid this?"

"If you want to stay out of this, then I don't think reminding everybody that your sister was, and will probably be again, the Dark Lord's right-hand woman. After myself, of course," he added on the last part after a quick moment, raising his chin proudly. 

She eyed him in annoyance. It was like he would switch between being the most devoted servant of the Dark Lord to being only a man who had become more like a slave. She wasn't always sure what to make of him. "You say that like it's a good thing."

"Isn't it?" Lucius sighed, reaching out to put his hand on her cheek, to calm her down, to show some of the affection they rarely showed one another. He could feel that they needed it. "Things will be good, Lyra. After the Dark Lord saves us from whatever filth is out there in the world. For now, we need to persevere and, to do that, I need to follow his every order and then some."

"How about I take Draco out then?" she suggested. She didn't want to be in the same house as the Dark Lord, but she would be damned if she let him put her son in harm's way without her trying everything to stop it. "So he won't be here?"

He rolled his eyes for a moment, pulling his hand away from her face. "That is the most horrible idea I've ever heard you have. Draco needs to be here, it'll almost be like we're disrespecting him if he's not. The entire House of Malfoy will be here, saying welcome, showing our appreciation for being chosen to hide him."

"Excuse me if I'm not oozing with appreciation," she quipped dryly, crossing her arms across her chest stubbornly. 

"Look, this will only be for a little while," he said, trying to be reassuring. "He can't stay in one place for too long. And after tonight, I'll make Draco go visit friends as much as possible, you can go out to eat dinner with the Flints every day. But just for tonight, I need you to act like my wife."

She seemed to consider this offer for a moment, looking at him intently. She had to think about every possible angle of what he was saying. She could be a cunning Slytherin herself, but she couldn't forget that her husband could be one as well. "You promise?"

"Promise what?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. 

A small smirk came across her face, knowing that she could have her freedom given to herself on a silver platter. "That after this, whatever I do is none of your business. I can go wherever I please and live my life the way I want."

"What? No," he quickly responded, looking at her like she had just asked to leave him and if he would give her permission, though that wasn't what he was doing. He just couldn't be too careful. "You're still my wife, I'll still need you around a lot of the time. Especially because of our shared son who will always need us."

"But more freedom," she empasized, not trying to break up or leave him. She wouldn't do that to her son. "That's what I ask in return for playing your perfect pureblood housewife for the night. I'll be the best Malfoy wife the world has ever seen but I'm not doing it without payment."

Again, he, like his wife, had to consider all angles of the agreement she was trying to make with him. He slowly nodded, though reluctantly. "Alright. More freedom, no questions asked. Do whatever unless I need you here to protect us, to protect Draco."

"Agreed," Lyra smiled brightly, that charming smile she had been so known for back in her youth. James had said it could make a blind man smile. He was also very cheesy. "It's so lovely how we can still make agreements, don't you think?"

"You can be horrible sometimes," Lucius said heavily, though they both knew he didn't mean it. He cared for her, in his own way. They were just quick to give each other small insults, showing their never-ending bitterness towards one another, no matter how much they cared. 

Lyra's grin only became even wider at this, walking closer to him to pull a piece of fluff off of the shoulder of his robes, like a perfect wife would. "I suppose it's the dangers of being married to you for almost seventeen years."

He tried to suppress his own smile, remembering they had something to do. "We have an hour. He won't be eating, so make sure you get something for yourself and for Draco. It'll be rude to have dinner when he's not joining us."

"I'll be ready in forty-five minutes," Lyra promised, patting him on the shoulder teasingly. She had always been surprisingly quick at getting ready, probably because she had become so adept at beauty spells after all these years. 

Lucius couldn't help but notice how quickly her demeanor could change. One moment, she could be filled with fire, the other she could be as cold as ice. He never had any idea of what to expect with her. "You really can be a good wife when you want."

"Sadly, I usually don't want to be one," she teased, shrugging slightly. "Well, at least because... a good wife needs a good husband, don't you think?"

"Forty-five minutes," he reminded her, rolling his eyes at her comment. It seemed that her going back to being her defiant self for a few moments was enough to annoy him into wanting to leave. He just hoped she could hold her tongue around the Dark Lord, which she had always done before. But then again, he still never knew how she would react in different situations. 

"I've got it, don't worry," Lyra rolled her eyes, pushing him away to go do whatever preparations he needed to do. She took a deep breath after this, wishing that she could go to the Order meeting, or give some sort of incling to her fellow members about her she wouldn't come so they wouldn't be worried. But it was too risky that night, she'd have to stay and pretend like nothing was going on. If not, it wasn't only going to be her head on a spike.  

▹▹▹

Lyra was trying to make sure there were no wrinkles on Draco's robes as they awaited Lucius's return to the home, bringing the Dark Lord along with them. Draco was understandably nervous, though he didn't want to show it. Lyra knew him though, she knew what made him tick. 

"It'll be fine. It's only temporary and then we can go back to normal," Lyra tried to reassure her son, who was closing in on being a head taller than her soon, which she didn't like. It was strange how the mind focused on the strangest things when they were nervous. 

"Of course it will be fine. I'll impress him, I'll do well. I'll make the family proud, mother. No matter what," Draco said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He had been taught to show no fear, to act like he was aloof even when things were tough. Those were not lessons he got from his mother. 

"Be quiet, Draco," Lyra scolded playfully, trying to send him a sweet, reassuring smile. It was a parent's job, to not show their own sadness and fear when their children needed them. "I'm always proud of you. No matter what. Just stay as silent as you can, be respectful and try not to cause any problems."

Draco looked away for a moment, not wanting to look at his mother's face, seeing that all the assurance and sweetness on it was faked because she didn't want him to feel bad. "What's he like? The Dark Lord?"

Lyra hesitated at this, not having expected him to ask that particular question. "He's... commanding. You need to show him respect, speak only when spoken to. If not, he can be quite cruel. Keep your head high, darling. Show him that there is still a respect to the Malfoy name. Not only that, but you are strong and brilliant yourself. Don't show him that, though. Just stay quiet."

"Alright then," Draco responded slowly, feeling like she'd contradicted herself. She'd wanted him to be proud but not show it for some reason. She didn't want to admit why, that she was afraid he'd be pulled into the Death Eaters, like she almost was. He didn't have the possibility of marrying out of it, though. That was the worst part of him being a boy and not a girl. 

Lyra sighed for a moment, reaching up to touch his cheek, pulling his head up to look at her. "Look at me. You'll be fine. We'll all be fine. I love you, Draco, and we're going to get through this. I'll make sure of it."

He nodded hesitantly, but had enough faith in his mother to believe her. She smiled, using her thumb to briefly caress his cheek, knowing that some sort of youthful innocence was always stolen from children as they met the Dark Lord for the first time. That's what happened to her and all of her friends once upon a time. 

Lyra hurried to stand next to her son as she heard the door to Malfoy Manor open, no doubt because of her husband and his master, who had been gone from their lives for so long. He had no idea that Lyra was working to bring him down. She was quite happy she was an Occlumens in such moments. 

The two men walked through the door, one familiar and one not. The Dark Lord looked nothing like he once did. He had once looked human, like a handsome man ruined by the Dark Arts. Now he looked like a snake, his eyes red and his skin paler than even the palest Malfoy. Lyra felt sick to her stomach. 

Lucius made eye contact with his wife for a moment, trying to reassure her with a barely noticeable nod. He could see the flash of nervousness in her eyes and he was sure the Dark Lord had seen it as well. "My Lord, I suppose you remember my lovely wife, Lyra."

"Of course. The Occlumence. How could I forget?" the Dark Lord's voice was colder and higher than it had ever been, sending a shiver down her spine as his red eyes met her green ones. "You have quite the gift, Lyra. Wonderful as always."

"Thank you, my Lord," Lyra responded politely, though she felt sick to her stomach at talking about him like that. If Sirius or Remus could see her now they'd try to smack some sense into her, but she was all for self-preservation, not for running into danger headfirst like an idiot. 

"And may I introduce to you our son, Draco," Lucius then spoke up, seeing that Lyra was uncomfortable at the attention of the Dark Lord on her. He then could see that she liked it even less that he had brought his sights on their son. 

"Yes, the young Malfoy," the Dark Lord spoke coldly, looking at the fifteen-year-old who held his head high like there was nothing to fear. "I hope you will not be as disappointing as your father has been. I hope you'll be more loyal and learn from his mistakes. Won't you, Draco?"

Draco hesitantly glanced at his father, who looked embarrassed of the way he had been spoken about in front of his own family. Lucius nodded slightly. "Yes, my Lord. I will not disappoint when the time comes."

Lyra clenched her jaw tightly at this, but knew it would be dumb to say something. Lucius was the only one who could help, to keep Draco out of his ranks. She had no influence and she didn't really want it either (even if Mad-Eye Moody had been trying to convince her to take the Dark Mark, which both Sirius and Remus had refused).

"Very well. I see the Malfoy family is as proud as ever," the Dark Lord spoke, though not seeming like he meant it. He looked at Lucius, the one who had already sworn his allegiance to him. "It has been a long day, Lucius. I wish to retire."

Internally, Lyra cheered at this. Their greeting of the Dark Lord had been short, they could go to bed and she'd have more freedom and they'd send Draco out to flirt with Pansy Parkinson or whatever he did these days. He was a teenager, after all. 

As Lucius was going to take the Dark Lord to the room he would be staying in (the biggest one in the house, which used to be Lyra's for a while when her and Lucius fought), Lyra and Draco lowered their heads in respect. 

Once the two men had left them behind, Lyra reached out to grab Draco's hand reassuringly, listening to him release a deep breath. She knew this would be over one day and they'd be safe, the Order of the Phoenix would prevail and she'd be standing with them. She wanted to watch his demise. 

▹▹▹

A/N: I'm so sorry this took a long time (though I know you guys think it's fine, you've said so but I still want to apologize to tell you I haven't forgotten about you!). I've actually spent this time planning out what I'm planning to write once I'm done with this, though I'm not sure if I'm actually going to write it because it will have over 160 parts, where every chapter will probably be twice as long as these. But I'm really in love with it and the original character (who is EXTREMELY different from Lyra) and would love to write it so I'm going to try and finish this up first, because I can't write two stories at the same time. And it is in the Harry Potter universe, of course. Maybe for Draco... (Definitely for Draco, my favorite planned slowburn of all time).