Style // Sirius Black

Chapter XIII

No one has a perfect fairy-tale story. Not even the Princesses that most are centred around. Beauty was captured and kept imprisoned before she and the Beast fell in love. Sleeping Beauty was damned to an eternity of sleep before she was able to be with her true love. Cinderella was condemned to a life of servitude and had to use magic to escape in order to meet her Prince Charming. The style of the story is always the same when it comes to those who believe themselves incapable or unworthy of the love of a lifetime. But those are all societies twists on the true tragic stories of these women.

In some cases, the protagonist never gets the happily ever after everyone dreams for. Some stories depict the Beast as a man unlovable, or Aurora's prince a tyrant. Not everyone gets a happy ever after, even when they deserve it. Heartbreak is a part of life, despite people's constant fear of it. People spend their whole lives running from the growth it brings and the lessons one can learn. The style in which a heartbreak takes place always depends on the idealist spirit that lives within everyone.

But the burning question is what is a happily ever after? Why do they all occur after tragedy, and why must one endure so much pain that they believe themselves unworthy? Tragedy is a part of life that people become so obsessed with, they forget about what can be done to prevent it. Revenge and tragedy go hand in hand. They are two sisters who work together to make people go through life as cynical pessimists with no real hope.

Is it possible to change a cynics mind though? Of course, if they're shown the possibilities of idealism. When one shuts themselves off from the possibilities that lay in front of them, that doubtful part of themselves becomes stronger and overtakes any chances of allowing happiness and joy in.

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Lyra was the talk of the school through the rest of the day. Even on the train ride home when she was sat far from her 'boyfriend' on the Hogwarts Express, people were whispering. Her brother could hardly look at her and her friends were surrounding her as though protecting the twin from the true anger her brother was experiencing. Lyra wasn't entirely sure why James was so worked up. He had barely shown her he cared over the last few weeks, so having him begin to show so much all at once set Lyra's red flags up. Something was happening behind the scenes with her brother and Lyra could tell. He was always the composed one of the two, never letting his emotions overcome him the same way his sister did.

Perhaps, just like Remus, James could see through Lyra like a window. Maybe her and Regulus's true plans were exposed somehow. But the real backlash she was facing was from the one French transfer student that she had her eye on. Pierre was simply lingering around the group now, not fully engaging with them as the train sped through the fields of Scotland. He had seen the kiss between the Gryffindor and Slytherin "royalty," so Lyra knew he was probably worrying that his entire plan was going to be exposed. Afterall, if Lyra were there for Christmas at the same time as Pierre, it was only a matter of time before Pierre's reign came to an end.

"What're your Christmas plans, Pierre?" Lyra asked, crossing her legs as she tried to get even a sliver of information out of the boy.

"Spending it with some...friends," Pierre replied curtly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as the entire compartment turned their eyes to him, "Peter? What about you?"

Lyra furrowed her eyebrows at the sudden diversion to the other blonde of the group. He had his bright blue eyes trained out the window, forehead resting uncomfortably. Recently, the boy had pulled himself away from the group and spent most time alone. Lyra wasn't sure what was going on with him, but the way Pierre stared at the distant boy had her curious. It seemed she wasn't the only one concerned with Peter, as Remus shook his shoulder to catch his attention.

"Pete?" He questioned, "You with us?"

The Animagus snapped his head up and Lyra jumped slightly at the quick movement. She tilted her head and watched as his panicked eyes jumped from each member of the group frantically. Peter had always been a bit of an oddball but everyone in the Marauders loved that about him. He was funny and charming, and Lyra knew how much he cared. The difference was he was more cowardice than the rest of them and shied away from the fights that meant something. The younger Potter twin had been hesitant over the last few weeks with him because of that exact reason. The war was becoming a more prominent issue throughout the Wizarding World and Lyra feared Peter would deflect to the Dark Lord's side simply because it gave him security.