Style // Sirius Black

Chapter XXIX

Every action has a consequence, and no good deed goes unpunished. Even if the steps you take are exclusively for the benefit of a large population or even for the betterment of yourself, consequences and repercussions are bound to come attached. Even with your matters in check and protected, there is no telling how others around will react. One must continuously monitor and take small steps to introduce something new into people's lives, gauging the general reaction before allowing the world to know.

Although secrets generally lead to further issues down the line, depending on the situation, it may be beneficial. It doesn't make it any less painful to hide away things you wish to scream from the rooftops and let the entire world know. Sometimes the most challenging choices, however, require the most significant sacrifices.

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They both agreed it was best to keep it between them for the first bit. In fact, it was Lyra's idea. She had to remind herself that on the eve of the final day of the semester, watching him laugh across the table. She would find herself slipping into his mind and find him staring at her just the same sometimes, alongside a few more...inappropriate things. She would always give him a warning, whether it be a gentle nudge with her foot or a nod of her head. She would do the same thing when letting him and Regulus know that she was delving into both Pierre and Scarlett's heads.

Over the last two months, no matter how many times Lyra would allow her mind to wander into theirs, nothing could be found. She would ruffle through their memories and wander down the corridors of their past. She found memories of Pierre and Sirius from when they were children, their families being connected via the Death Eaters. But similar to Sirius's mind, there was a looming black shadow that Lyra would never be able to cross. Whenever she tried to step into it, a physical reaction would send her flying backwards and out of their head.

She herself had developed one, hiding the things that Sirius would say to her at night and the plans she, Regulus, and her lover would come up with. No doubt there was more to her own shadow than she knew, and she didn't mind. It was something Regulus helped her tap into when training her mind to block out Voldemort. She'd done well so far. Lyra had only woken up about a dozen times since the end of March with violent ideations and thoughts he implanted into her. On nights like those, she'd wander to the boy's dormitories and send a, what Sirius called fusée éclairante or a mind flare. It always made her weak in the knees when he spoke french to her.

With Summer break impending in a mere 72 hours, Lyra prayed to whatever god there was that Pierre or Scarlett would just let their mental guard down for five minutes and allow that hidden doorway to show itself. She needed to know what it was they were planning and how her brother was involved in it. If she didn't, Lyra would be left in the dark for two months, watching and waiting for something to appear in the depths of night.

"What's on your mind, Ly?" James questioned as he shovelled a forkful of eggs into his mouth, "You look like you're upset."

Lyra tugged herself away from the allure of delving into her secret boyfriend's mind, turning her attention to her older counterpart, "Oh, no, nothing. Just excited to go home."

"That's not a face of excitement," James chuckled, dropping his fork and turning his full attention to his sister, "Did he say something?" He whispered, nodding at Sirius across the table.

Lyra felt a pang of guilt spread across her chest as her brother stared at her with concern in his eyes. She had denied Sirius the notion of telling James, worrying that might put him in an awkward position or even one that would further put him at risk. After all, if it got out the two were together, Pierre promised to deliver Lyra to the Dark Lord. She'd have to fight for her life, thus leaving James more vulnerable than ever with Scarlett at large. She wanted to tell him, gush to her brother about how happy the last two months had been for her. But she knew it was safer.