Sky full of stars {Harry Potter Fanfiction}

1. What a normal (ish) day

"You're my little stardust, aren't you Lyra," his warm voice chuckled as he pressed his cheek to hers. His stubble was rough but his arms around her were as secure as an anchor to a boat. "Daddy loves you very much baby, I'm not going to leave."

"Please don't..." I whispered.

"Who are you talking to, weirdo?" Sasha scoffed from across the room, and opening my eyes I realised I was unfortunately, awake. She was painting her nails, the awful stench creeping into my eyes and nose.

I swung my legs out of my bed, and began brushing my hair, the dream still clinging to my skin with a warm glow. "I dreamt about Dad again," I told my older sister, and she rolled her eyes.

"For Christ's sake Lyra, not this crap again—"

"It was a memory, I swear," I tried to keep my tone even, controlled. "He promised that he wouldn't leave, that he loved us."

Sasha pushed our curtains open so violently that the left curtain almost slid off the pole. "How would you remember that? You were only two when he left—I don't even remember it!"

I kept silent, judging from the anger that surrounded Sasha with her shaking hands and pursed lips that she certainly remembered. I knew I was poking a hornet's nest, but I couldn't help needling. Sasha rarely showed any emotions other than indifference and sarcasm.

"Taken away, you mean." I said softly, continuing to gently brush my hair. "We'll see him again one day."

Our Father, a muggle, had been taken away from us before we could truly remember, for a crime he didn't commit. Mum never said what crime, but she always teared up if I mentioned him. To make matters worse, the prison he resided in was entirely magic-proofed: you couldn't enter without your powers being damaged.

"You're full of shit," Sasha laughed. "He's never coming back—"

"You're such a liar!" I shouted, and my temper snapped like an elastic band.

I leapt from my bed and charged at my sister, grabbing a chunk of her curls in my hand, and pulling hard. She shrieked and tackled me to the ground, nails digging into skin and hair tearing from scalps, the nail polish bottle forgotten.

"Girls!" a sharp voice came from the doorway, and with a flash of light Sasha and I were forced apart by the magic that shot from Mum's wand.

She had sent us each to our own beds, and I rubbed at my scratched cheek, feeling a tiny bead of blood catch on my fingertip. Sasha was scowling at me with a look darker than thunder, her hair scraggly and eyes furious.

"What is going on in here?" Mum demanded.

Neither of us spoke.

"Well?"

"Sasha was horrible—she said Dad was never coming back!" I felt stupid baby tears come to my eyes. "Is that true?"

I thought mum would explode onto the both of us but instead she let out a deep sigh and rubbed at her tired, red-rimmed eyes.

You wouldn't have believed my mum was in her early thirties if you didn't know her, grey streaks already flickering across her brown hair. Recently, she'd been looking more exhausted than usual.

"Just give it a rest would you both?" she sighed. "There's enough going on at the moment, without me having to pay Lucius more for this room—"

She waved her wand, and the black nail varnish stain on the carpet mostly disappeared—though a tiny black smudge remained.

"I can help mum, I've got Christmas money that Molly gave me—"Sasha said proudly, playing the older, responsible sister card.

"No." Mum said sharply. "It's your money, Sasha. Both of you get dressed—Lyra, we're going to the zoo with Cassie, remember?"