Sirius Black's Twin

Visiting

"They're going to Hogwarts tomorrow, Nick," Lyra said to her husband, who was in the hospital bed. "They want to come in and say goodbye."

Nick didn't move. If it wasn't for the occasional blinking and his hin chest moving up and down then Lyra would have doubted that he was even alive. He looked so differant from when they were younger that Lyra felt an ache in her chest every time she seen his thin grey hair that used to be thick and brown, when she seen his silver eyes that used to be so dark and pretty, when she seen his sunken in cheecks and waxy features was when she started to fight tears that came to her eyes.

The day Lyra had demanded to see her brother in Azkaban she had told Nick to go to a friends house so any Death Eaters who were looking for imformation wouldn't go near him. While Lyra had been yelling at Mr. Crouch who had sent Sirius in Azkaban without a trial, Nick had been traveling to the Longbottoms - who he was always closest to in the Order.

The Longbottoms had let him come in and had asked so many questions. That was when the Death Eaters barged in. There were so many, not even Frank - who was a brilliatn Auror - could fight them off. The Death Eaters wanted information on where Voldemort went and no one knew. They tortured Frank into insanity, then they went to his wife, Alice. WHen she didn't say anything, they went to poor Nick; who was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Fustrated that the Longbottoms didn't give any imformation, the Death Eaters had taken all their anger out on Nick, who didn't only become insane - but lost his memories. It was as though a Dementor had given him a Kiss, he had no feelings or reactions.

When Lyra had gotten home the Ministry had went there. She had thought that they changed their mind, that they were going to let her see Sirius, but no. . . they told her what happened to her husband, and that was when all the stress she tried to hard to cover up exploded inside of her. She burst into tears the second they had left and she stood curled up in a ball.

Will and Lynx had been at Remus'.

Now as Lyra spoke kindly to her husband who didn't remember her, who didn't even love her, she felt the corners of her eyes sting. This was the only place she cried for her loss.

"Will, Lynx," Lyra said quietly, knowing that they were listening at the door.

Will and Lynx walked in, their faces stoney. They didn't remember their father, but that didn't mean they didn't love him and wish he would get better.

Will sat beside his father, who looked so much like him yet they couldn't look anymore differant. Will was a oerfect picture of youth and beauty, Nick was a picture of the living dead, a corpse. Lynx sat beside her brother and took Nick's frail hand in her's.

Lynx wasn't one to cry, that's why she never did; but if anything could make her cry - it was seeing her mother looking so small and vulnerable.

The door opened behind them and a boy with a round face and black hair came in. He smiled at the family - it wasn't a pitying smile like all of the nurses gave them, it was an understanding smile.

That was Neville Longbottom. The son of Frank and Alice Longbottom. His parents were in the bed, the mother eating gum absentmindedly. Behind Neville was his Grandmother, whose face was blank.

"Hi, Neville," Will said.

"Hello, Will," Neville greeted.

They were close friends at Hogwarts, but they weren't the best of friends. WIll doubted whether Neville had a best friend at all.

Lynx didn't even glance at Neville, but stared at her father.

"We're going back to Hogwarts," Lynx said when Neville left to his parents. "So we won't see you in a while."

Nick didn't reply.

"I'll cause alot of trouble, Dad," Lynx said. "And I'll blame it on Will. Mum said you would think it's funny."

Silence.

"And I'll get an O on all my exams, just like you did," Lynx went on. "All the Professors said I had your brains - they said Mum got all O's too, but she never raised her hand to answer a question like you and I do."

Lyra looked sadly at her daughter, who had a brilliant fake smile on her face that almost looked real. Lyra knew Lynx would have been sulking quietly if she was alone, but her daughter put on a brave face just for her. Lyra felt a familiar swell of pride every time she looked at Lynx.

"Will, would you like to say goodbye before we leave?" Lyra asked kindly, getting to her feet with Lynx.

"Bye, Dad," Will said quietly.

Will felt more loss from what happened to his father then Lynx did. He remembered glimpses of his father from when he was little, and he missed the happy one. The one he looked at now was unfamiliar and scary. Will didn't say this out loud, but he was scared of his father. Those silver eyes that looked so endless and blank made him shiver.

Lyra put her arms around her son and daughter and led them both out of the room, leaving Nick to his endless rest.