The Ravenclaw and The Grim

odd strangers

The streets of London where bustling. A symphony of people, machinery, and noise. The girl in the midnight blue cloak virtually went unnoticed. Though her dress was odd, passerbys eyes seemed to glaze over her as she wasn't even there.

She walked briskly, her eyes shifting over the environment around her anxiously and all at once she froze. Her eyes widened in shock and she turned bolting. Shoving her way to the nearest alley before disappearing down it, a blur of a person right on her heels.

The smaller girl turned several beams of light flashing out towards the darkness of the alley behind her. They crashed into the narrow walls shattering into smaller sparkles of light barely breaking the shadows. She quickened her pace turning back ahead.

It was no use though a flash of light came from the darkness quicker then she could block and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Her body rolling several times on the gravel before coming to a stop.

From the shadows emerged a tall girl with mousy brown hair. She gave the younger girl a smile. "You're getting better! It took me much longer to find you that time."

The girl let out a frustrated growl. "It's no use though if I can't learn to shake you off."

Tonks bent down and with her wand undoing the binding on the girls legs. "Your to hard on yourself Lyra."

"She's right though." Came another voice from the darkness and soon Alister emerged into the light. "Stone you need to stop holding back. I thought you said you were over holding back?"

"I know I know... I'm sorry." Lyra grumbled sitting up and surveying her scrapes and raged clothes.

Tonks smirked reached a hand out "you know I am an Auror I can take it."

Lyra shook her head. "Doesn't matter." She sighed.

"Well." Alister said clapping her on the back and almost knocking her over. "At least we know when it counts you're not going to hesitate."

Her mind flickered to her most recent nightmare. Trapped in a dark dank box, a pack of dogs lead by Bellatrix surrounding her, and she shuddered. "Right."

Alister watched her closely his magic eyes swirling over her shuddering, scraped up body. "Alright that's enough for today. Get back to the shop."

Lyra looked at the still light sky and straightened. "But I can keep going. I'm okay really-" shielding her tiredness.

He shook his head no pulled a small scroll out of his pocket. "I need the potions on this list brewed."

Lyra took it unrolling the scroll and scanning the potions. The bottom of the list there was something else written. She scrunched her eyebrows and met his gaze. His Stoney expression told her everything she needed to know about asking questions. "Right. I have some polyjuice on hand but it will take time to mix the rest."

"And the verita do you think you could make it?"

She went a bit pink. "I'm assuming this is all off the record?"

Tonks snorted "anything order related usually is isn't it?"

"Well... Then I have a small bottle you can take. Just don't tell the twins."

Tonks laughed, and a rare genuine smile crossed her lips. "Deal. Com'n I'll go back to the shop with ya."

They said their goodbyes to Alister and started towards the busy London streets once more.

As they walked Lyra watched Tonks from the corner of her eye. Trying to slowly prod around the emotions that swirled around her.

She thought she was being subtle but it became clear she wasn't when tonks met her gaze almost exasperatedly. "Something on my face?"