epiphany, james potter

10.

tw: ptsd to lylas real daddy tim #3

Lyla's summer started off uneventful, it was the same as it always was. Just her and her brothers.

When the three of them were kids it was different, they were always together, they were always playing and laughing until their ribs hurt.

Something changed after the three went to Hogwarts, Sirius and Regulus had a wedge between them, and Lyla was just sort of there.

Walburga and Orion Black. The two were in an arranged marriage, causing there to be zero love in the Black household. They had twins, Lyla and Sirius, and then the baby, Regulus.

They were never that nice to any of them, even though they obviously liked Regulus the best.

They were the hardest on Lyla, considering she was the only girl and had a reputation to uphold.

Lyla had this last summer until she had to meet with future suitors.

Walburga had shaped Lyla since she was a young girl, telling her to never be overly nice to a man. But Lyla never listened.

"I don't believe you Lyla!" Orion screams at the already crying girl, "You can't act like that around boys, they'll get the wrong impression."

Apparently a Slytherin from school had told her parents she was "whoring" around with James Potter. Which anyone who knew the truth could attest against.

"Dad I swear, I hate James!" She knew it was a lie, but she couldn't have him thinking otherwise.

Orion grew angry at her lying, he slapped her directly on her cheek. She clenched her mouth, not letting any more tears fall.

"You can't act like a filthy whore if you want to stay apart of our family." Orion yells at Lyla even though tears were falling down her face.

"Orion." Walburga enters the room not even looking at her daughter, "I don't think she knows how serious we are about this." She talks quietly to him.

He nods, "Lyla. I'm doing this for you." Orion walks closer and pulls out his wand, "Crucio!"

Lyla let's out a scream of agony and collapses to the ground, "Please." She whimpers while curling into a ball.

She's never felt a pain like that before, it was unlike anything she could have imagined. It was almost as if a million bolts shocked through her.

Her parents left the room and didn't even look at Lyla as she throbbed on the ground. "Please mom." She reaches for Walburga's hand as she passes but gets nothing as she passes.

Lyla drags herself to her room, practically crawling half the way, she lets out a loud sob when she closes her door.

Lyla curls up into a ball and lets herself have a moment to just let it all out.

A knock surrounds Lyla's door, "Lyla let me in." Regulus voice is heard from the other end.

Lyla shook her head even though he couldn't see her, "Just leave me alone Reg."

He doesn't respond but just opens the door, crouching down next to her. He moves her hair away from her face to see the damage.

"Lyla." Regulus sighs, "What happened?"

Lyla just shakes her head, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Regulus sighs again, "Sirius is down there right now."

Lyla glances at him with worry in her eyes, "What?"

"We can't go down there Lyla." Regulus's voice trembles and he examines the damage, "Especially not you."

They sit in silence until they hear screaming and things thumping around downstairs.

Lyla grips Regulus's arm for the entire time this goes on, until suddenly silence.

The silence was almost scarier then the fighting, Lyla felt a tear drip down as she heard nothing.

A loud slam scared them out of the silence, followed by screaming and then once again, silence.

Hours passed before Lyla or Regulus moved a muscle, Regulus got up without a word and left.

Lyla got into her bed and didn't blink once, just laying with small tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

She knew Sirius was gone, she just could tell. He had promised he would never leave them, but he did.

Her cheek ached and her body was still sore from the crucio she had gotten earlier, every little movement she made made her body ache in soreness.

A loud crack came at her window, she jumped up in fear, her fear didn't end till she saw a familiar head of brown fluffy hair.

She squinted her eyes to see in the dark, "James?" She whispers quietly.

"Lyla, we need to go now." James tries to grab her hand, but Lyla flinches as he touches her.

"I can't leave James." She says with a firm look on her face, "Regulus is here and I'm not leaving without him."

James looked at her concerned, "Lyla you're leaving. I'm not leaving you in this house where you have bruises all over your body and your face is quivering." His jaw clenched as he scanned her body.

He tries to grab her arm gently, "Look Lyla, Sirius is at my house. You can stay there, my mom and dad don't mind."

Lyla rips her arm out of his grip, "No." She declines, "I'm staying."

James looks at her with a sad look, "I'm not leaving you here."

Lyla thinks for a minute, she knew Regulus wouldn't go with her. They never did anything to Regulus. She felt selfish for even thinking it, but she couldn't stay.

Lyla's lip quivers and James immediately pulls her into a hug, despite them not being very close, he sure gave her a good hug.

She debated staying for a minute, but if life at James house felt even as remotely good as his hugs, she couldn't resist.

"Fine." Lyla whispers quietly by his ear, "I'll go."

James looks at her shocked, "Okay." He smiles and grabs her hand despite her shaking, "Let's go."

Lyla looks back at a picture of her and Regulus on her nightstand, she lets another tear fall from her eye. "I'm so sorry Regulus."

And so James and her went, into the dark quiet night, together.