UDM: Free Falling II - Seconds Away (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Dresses and More

"My little sister's going to go to Hogwarts," Regulus hummed to himself through breakfast, not looking up at his father or Lyra. "And we get to take her shopping for school supplies and dresses. It should be different from Sirius, who always managed to take off, though I am unsure what shopping for dresses entails. Other than Father, who is quite excited about it, it must be important."

Kreacher cleared away the dishes, while Orion held his arm out for Lyra. "Or you can take Regulus', although he's not super keen on unfamiliar touch."

"I, um?" Regulus tilted his head. "I can do hugs, I think?"

"That's not quite the same," Orion said.

"No. It's alright. You're autistic, likely, so it makes sense," Lyra said.

"Autistic. There's that word again," Orion mused. "Except a different form of it. We'll collect the school supplies first, Lyra, and then we can spend as much time shopping for your new dresses."

"Uh, yeah," Lyra said, looking at the ground, worrying the ground with her foot.

"Something the matter?" Regulus asked, feeling quite cheerful.

"Just, I suspect I don't deserve..."

"Nonsense," Orion said, shaking his head and frowning. "So I've another child whose self-esteem is low, but I'll have to see what I can do about that. It shan't be easy, though."

"Hmm," Regulus said. "I'll Apparate there now, and you and Lyra will follow?"

"Yes," Orion said. "But we're taking Floo. You first, then Lyra, and then myself, but..."

"Speak clearly!" Lyra said. "If I say diagonally instead of Diagon Alley, I'll end up in Knockturn Alley instead!"

"Really?" Regulus said, quite amused. "Fascinating."

"It's not," Orion said. "Don't, Regulus, think about going and experimenting with the Floo network for the fun of it."

"But..."

"Regulus, please?" Orion sighed. "At least not today? You can write an entire paper on what you learned later."

"Wait," Lyra said. "A paper! I hate writing papers. They're hard."

"I'll teach you," Regulus said. "I find them..."

"Regulus," Orion sighed, waving his hand. "Go ahead and Floo out, my boy."

"Yes, sir," Regulus responded before heading to the fire. He headed to the fireplace, not purposefully messing up what he said, and waited for Lyra.

"Who is that girl?" one of the patrons at The Leaky Cauldron asked. "Why is she with..."

"Don't. Don't look at the Black family," another muttered as Orion arrived, taking Lyra's arm.

"Yes, but poor girl. What could the Black family possibly want with her?"

"She's my sister," Regulus blurted out, grinning only for the patrons to look away. His eyes blinked, and he looked back at his father, who—

"Regulus?" Orion looked at him wide-eyed.

"Yes, sir?"

"I think you may have given them the wrong idea, but your mother is going to throw a fit when word gets back to her, and I'll be forced to explain how the misunderstanding came to be."

"Misunderstanding?" Regulus asked.

"Huh?"

"You should have," Orion cleared his throat, "Made clear we've adopted Lyra, lest they get the wrong idea."