The next day, Lyra met Cedric at the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Hello love" he smiled brightly, his eyes meeting hers. A glint of joy in them,

"Hey" she replied, he tapped the rhythm to 'Helga Hufflepuff' and they were granted access to the common room and the door swung open, offering her his hand, they stepped inside.

The Hufflepuff common room was cozy and a large. It had a selection of comfortable seating including sofas and armchairs dotted around. There was a large fireplace that looked like it was made from some ornate stone against one of the walls. The room was coloured in the yellow and black theme of the house and Lyra could see the Hufflepuff's trademark badger in several places. There were also hanging plants from the ceiling as well as cactuses, flowers and other such plants positioned in pots around the room. The entire room radiated comfort and warmth.

Her eyes glanced around in amazement,

"What, is the Slytherin common room not this nice?" Cedric teased and Lyra laughed ever so slightly, her eyes looked into his.

"It's not as warm or cozy..." she answered, his arm wrapped her and he pressed his lips against the side of her head, they walked through the common room and up a staircase to his dorm. He had his own dorm.

It had a large bookshelf, an armchair and a large bed. There were drapes adjourning a badger. Everything in the room was coloured in the yellow and black colour scheme, there was a large closet in the corner and a bathroom too. There was a desk with two seats, the wooden desk itself was coated in snacks.

Cedric walked to the seat and motioned for her to sit next to him. She sat down next to him and he handed her a pumpkin pasty.

"Thanks" he smiled at her once more before they both opened their books, Lyra was making sure she knew all her Herbology content whilst Cedric was revising for his History of Magic exam.

An hour passed of them sitting in silence revising, his hand entwined with hers. Then Cedric spoke up,

"Love...." She looked up from her book, eyes locking onto his. His expression was unreadable, he seemed both nervous and confused and happy.

"Yeah?" His grip on her had tightened,

"Can you tell me what Luna says to you..." Lyra looked away from him and his free hand went to her chin, redirecting her gaze to meet his. "Please love...."

"It's nothing..." She tried to brush it off but Cedric sighed in response,

"Please love.... I promise you can tell me and I won't think any different of you" his thumb ran over her lower jaw, sending heat flushes through her body and leaving a tingling behind.

"She calls me a slut" Cedric's face fell and he immediately came over to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. Her head fell into his chest, his hands ran over her back. His grip on her was tight, but it made her feel safe and comfortable and...

"I'm so sorry, I'm so so so so sorry she said that...." He held onto him almost as tight as he held onto her, "I'll talk to her.... That's just wrong, she can't do that..."

"Don't..." she whispered, Cedric shifted slightly, she could tell her was confused.

"You don't want me to talk to her?" She nodded slightly, "why, love?" His tone was confused but still soft and comforting.

"I think it would only make it worse" a slightly sigh escaped his lips as he continued to hold her close,

"Alright.... I won't. But I can't stand the thought of you being hurt..." he kissed the top of her head, his hands continued to run up and down her back, trying to comfort her. "I just want you to be happy and safe and I want to protect you from harm..." she felt her cheeks flushing red as he continued to hold onto her, "I really like you Lyra..." her face moved from his chest to meet his eyes.

"I like you too..." she whispered, he leant down, as if he was going to kiss her but she lowered her head so his lips met her forehead instead. A slight look of disappointment formed on his face, but he continued to hold her close.

Lyra didn't know how long they stayed like that, crouched in the floor with Cedric holding her close, she didn't mind it. In fact, she rather liked it. But before long, she noticed the darkness beginning to fall outside, and she knew it had to end.

Cedric walked her back to her common room, and kissed her cheek goodnight.

As exams approached, Lyra spent a lot of time studying with Cedric. She also noticed that Luna's attitude toward her had gotten a lot worse, she told Cedric and he tried to comfort her. Although, he revealed that Luna claimed to have had no idea they were dating. This made her recent attitude even worse.

After a lot of persuading, Hermione allowed Lyra to use the time turner once to get some extra studying in, although it stressed the former out so much that Lyra had to get her a calming potion.

Lyra found that she never wanted to be apart from Cedric, Pansy thought this was a serious problem but Hermione said she was just falling for him. Nix claimed that she really needed to kiss him and that's why she always wanted to be around him. Although, Lyra wasn't sure she was ready for that.

Every moment she had free was spent with Cedric, whenever he could be, he was by her side. He walked her to her lessons, he would sit with her at dinner. It seemed that Luna backed off when she was with Cedric too, which made her feel safer again with him.

Lyra also helped Hermione with the defence for BuckBeak, his appeal was fast approaching and they were trying to save him. This time also caused Lyra to be working with Harry and Ron, they grew to tolerate each other.

As the exam season persisted, Lyra spent a lot of evenings in the Hufflepuff common room with Cedric, he would wrap his arms around her and hold her close as they sat on the sofa together.

"You're beautiful... you know that?" Cedric whispered in her ear as she sat curled up to him, his arms wrapped tightly around her. "The most beautiful girl I've ever seen..." he kissed her cheek and she giggled slightly,

"Thanks Ced..." she kept her head on the crook of his neck, his smile only grew and he ran his hand over her arm in a soothing manner.

"It's the truth love" he pressed his lips to her forehead once more, "you're all I need..."

**

Lyra didn't like her boggart one bit. She didn't even really know what it was, as quickly as it appeared she vanished it. She saw a flash of a menacing face. Terrified, she cast the counter charm and left the exam, Hermione instantly putting her arm around her.

Harry and Ron walked with them as they made their way to the castle, but Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic,  blocked their entrance to the school.

"Ah Harry! And Miss Black" Fudge smiled, looking at the group before him, "you two just had an exam I bet!"

"Yeah" Harry answered for the both of them, Fudge then told them he was there for BuckBeaks execution,

"Has the appeal already happened?" Ron questioned, stepping forward, all their eyes widened and they stared shocked.

"No..." Fudge sighed slightly,

"Then there might not be an execution!" Ron expressed, excitedly, Fudge stared at him slightly concerned,

A man she recognised approached them, wielding an axe. She stared at him, his eyes locked onto her. He clearly recognised her, he bowed his head slightly.

He'd worked for her father.

Hermione then  pulled them all away.

The other three had an exam that afternoon, but Lyra was thankfully done, so she went to the Hufflepuff common room and curled up with Cedric. His arms wrapped tightly around her as she rested her head on his chest. He spoke to her in soft tones, telling her about his day and asking about her own. His lips brushing against her ear as he spoke, sending a rush of heat through her body,

A frantic knocking at the door tore them apart, Hermione walked in as the door was opened.

"BuckBeak's going to be executed" Lyra's eyes widened in horror and Cedric released her as she rushed off with Hermione, Harry and Ron.

Covered by the invisibility cloak, which Harry apparently owned, they walked down to Hagrid's.

"You shouldn've have come!" Hagrid called as they all stepped inside, they shrugged the cloak off and they could see how helpless Hagrid looked. He offered them tea.

After a short conversation, he was ushering them out to avoid the executioner and Fudge. Then they heard the axe swing.

Ron's rat then ran away, and he bolted after him. The entire group started chasing him as Hermione's cat also chased him.

As Ron finally grabbed onto his rat, a huge black dog grabbed onto Ron's arm and started dragging him off. Lyra stared at the dog for a second, her eyes wide.

"Is that..."

"Yep!" Nix shouted, flying after the dog, that wasn't actually a dog.

"Shit!" Lyra ran after the dog, Harry and Hermione hurriedly followed her.

They dove into the whomping willow and made it into a long passage, Harry and Hermione were watching confused as Lyra spoke to Nix,

"Which way?" She asked him, Nix disappeared for a second before reappearing,

"This way" he led them up a creaking set of stairs,

"We're in the shrieking shack" Hermione told them, although she didn't sound sure of her own words.

"Correct curls" Nix smiled at her, floating around,

"Who is that?" Harry questioned, staring at Nix,

"Nix Black at your service, son of the very hot James Potter" Nix bowed comically, and Harry stared confused,

"Uncle Nix.... Don't tell him that" Nix shrugged and flew off ahead of them,

They eventually entered a room and found Ron slumped in the corner, cradling his rat, pointing scared at the corner.

"It's not a dog!" Ron cried, the group all turned to see the disheveled Sirius Black standing before them.

"You look like hell" Nix smirked, floating next to Sirius, the latter stared at him, confused and terrified,

"What the actual...." Sirius murmured, before turning his attention to the group before him, he stared at them, almost menacingly.

"None of that! That's my favourite niece! and she should be your favourite niece too!"

"Can you make him shut up?" Harry questioned, Lyra sighed.

"Uncle Nix... now's not the time...." Nix groaned and began floating around in his back, Sirius then disarmed them and applauded Harry for not running for a teacher. Sirius said how Harry's dad would've done the same for him,

"James was just perfection" Nix commented, no one listened to him,

Harry was about to run at Sirius but Hermione and Lyra grabbed him to stop him,

"HE KILLED MY PARENTS!" Harry shouted, Lyra shook her head slightly, but Harry didn't see.

A fight was on the verge of breaking out, and Nix seemed to be encouraging it. Sirius kept babbling on about the whole story, Lyra knew some of it. But she knew there were many parts that she was missing. Then Lupin came in, wand drawn.

"Where is he?" Lupin asked, Sirius pointed at the rat in Ron's hand. Lyra watched confused, Nix flew up to her,

"You figured it out yet?" She looked at him, eyebrows raised,  Nix was smirking,

The conversation continued, everyone was screaming at Lupin and Sirius, Lyra just watched them, a glare on her face. 

Eventually, the whole truth came out.

Lupin was a werewolf. Which Lyra knew.

The rat became a man, Peter Pettigrew.

"He killed my Hufflebuddy!" Nix flew toward Pettigrew as if to stack him, but he flew straight through him, "oh yeah.... I'm dead...."

The whole truth came out.

Peter Pettigrew betrayed Harry's parents, during this reveal Snape had appeared and Harry had stunned him.

Sirius told them all everything, about how Peter Pettigrew had become the secret keeper and how he turned Harry's parents over to Voldemort. Sirius's eyes moved over to her,

Then Pettigrew began begging for forgiveness, he clung onto all of their robes trying to get them to give him mercy, his pleas went unheard until Harry said they should hand him over to the dementors.

The group all began to leave the shack, Sirius looked at both her and Harry. Harry went back to help Ron and Sirius looked at her, sympathy.

"I'm guessing Narcissa raised you?" She nodded at his words, a chuckle escaped his lips, "always so high and mighty..."

"Yeah, she hasn't changed" Lyra commented, folding her arms slightly,

"Look kid, I know I've only just met you, but if you don't want to stay with that death eater lot.... You can stay with me" she looked up at him, her eyes widening,

"Really?"

"If you wanted to, yes. I'm sure you've got a room all set out at the house already..."

"Attic room with skylight for stargazing" Sirius laughed  slightly,

"Oh that'd be great! We should definitely move in" Nix expressed, flying alongside Sirius. The latter stared at the former, still in shock,

"This is going to take some getting used to" Sirius chuckled, looking at Nix and smiling slightly,

"Mhm"

Then they saw it.

The full moon shining above them.