Sirius Black's Twin

Order Meeting

"Are you sure Mundungus can be trusted for this?" Mrs. Weasley said across from Lyra. Her lips were purse and she looked very apprehensive when Dumbledore had chosen Mundungus to watch over Harry for the day. But she made sure he already left before she voiced her opinion. "This is a very important job, and we all know Mundungus is easily distracted."

"Even Mundungus should know not to keep his eyes off Harry at a time like this," Dumbledore said.

Mrs. Weasley still didn't look convinced but let the matter settle, not wanting to contradict Dumbledore. This Order meeting was very much a bore to Lyra, who felt as though she were going to dose off any minute, but even she knew how important is was.

Ever since Voldemorts return there had been many articles printed in the Daily Prohpet (that she still didn't read) about how Harry was an attention seeking boy who demanded to be worshipped and that Dumbledore has gone senile.

Lyra had to admire the fact that Dumbledore wasn't all that troubled with most of the wizarding World thinking he had gone mad, she very much would have sneered at anyone who flinched when they seen her. Though people still did make her pull up her robe sleeves before she went into a shop - they still thought that SIrius was a Death Eater.

"Remus, I need you to gaurd the Department of Mysteries tonight," Dumbledore said, taking out a parchment from his robes. "I've already made the map."

The Order members instantly perked up at this. It was difficult to find your way through the ministry, but even more difficult to find your way through the Department of Mysteries.

It was just a section of the building with doors on every turn. You could easily get lost.

Lyra looked in interest at the department of myseteies, which had differant shaped rooms that each had names in differant langueges that Lyra didn't know of. The first room was circular, with doors just inches from eachother.

"That's where I normally get stuck," Lyra said, pointing to that room. "The doors always move."

"There's a trick to that," DUmbledore said with a smile. "One of my Unspeakables told me about it. All you have to do is speak where you want to go and the door you are facing next will lead you to it. For example, if you want to find a way out, just say 'show me the way out' and you will be led back into the corridor."

"Impressive," Remus Lupin said, though he was frowning. "Though it does seem a bit obvious, don't you think?"

"The Ministry doesn't believe that someone could break through their forces," Sirius said with a bark like laugh. "They don't try very hard to stop one someone from breaking into a room inside the Ministry, they just try hard to stop someone trying to actually break into the Ministry."

"That's stupid," Mad-Eye Moody said. "You have to keep all important artifacts under high secruity."

"Yeah," Nymphadora Tonks nodded. "Like I still lock my bedroom, but I also have a lock on my diary. Better safe then sorry, is what the muggles say."

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE," Mad-Eye said and everyone but Dumbledore jumped a foot in the air.

Tonks rubbed her ear, having been standing right next to Mad-Eye when he felt like shouting. "You know that is scary, right Mad-EYe?"

Mad-Eye didn't say anything, but his magical blue eye swiveled to stare at Tonks, who didn't seem bothered.

"You can use Alastor's Invisability Cloak, Remus," Dumbledore said and Mad-Eye pulled out a silvery cloak that resembled the one James had had. "Gaurd outside the door."

Remus reached out and grabbed the cloak right when Sirius seemed to perk up. "I can go with you, Remus-"

"You must not leave the house, Sirius," Dumbledore interupted him, looking vaguely annoyed. "Under no circumstances. It'll be best if you stay here."

Sirius scowled harshly and leaned back in his chair, arms folded. He looked very much like a child who had been denied sweets and everyone rolled their eyes at his behavior except Lyra, who sympathized for him.

She, being a Black at heart, knew that being caged like an animal was tough. Blacks didn't like to be put on a leash, they liked to do as they pleased and be the one giving orders. Though both SIrius and Lyra had been disowned, and were very differant from their parents, they had some genes from their family. ANd the need to be free was one of them.

"Sirius should have at least some time to be outside, Dumbledore," Lyra said. "He can't just stay in the house doing nothing."

"But surely he isn't doing nothing," Severes Snape sneered. "I thought you were trying to make this place look better. I thought your job was to clean."

SIrius shot up in his chair, his face contorted with fury. But even though he looked angry, Lyra could see in his grey eyes that he was hoping for a fight. Hoping for something to do other then sitting there listening in on things he could never participate in.

"Aren't you too busy being a traitor then to attend these meetings?" Sirius snapped. "I thought these meetings were for people who wanted to fight against Voldemort, not serve him."

"What are you doing here, then?" Severes said snidely. "Seeing as you can't do neither?"

The words were so similar to the ones Sirius had said on the first day they ever met, in the small compartment that was occupied by not only SIrius, Severes, and Lyra, but with James and Lily too.

The recodnision of that line sparked up a deep loathing inside Sirius and he got to his feet, looking ready to break SNape's overlagre nose.

"Enough," Dumbledore said, obviously not pleased with the behavior of his Order members. "If I remember correctly, you two have made a truce."

Lyra snorted under her breath. There was no truce in that handshake they made only months before, that was a promise. A promise that neither of them forgave eachother for the others' mistakes. That was a promise that if they were in battle, they wouldn't fling themselves in front of a curse to save the other. That was a promise that even thought they were on the same side, they both hated eachother; and that hate would never go away, no matter how much Dumbledore wished it would.

Both Sirius and Snape sneered and turned away, both looked disgruntled at the reminder that they had touched the others hand, even for just a second.

"Remus, if you would," Dumbledore gestured towards the door that led out of the kitchen and down to the Hallway.

Remus nodded stiffly, still feeling the tensin hanging in the air between his ex-coworker and his best mate. Remus glanced at Tonks, who blushed when she noticed him looked, before leaving the kitchen to go gaurd the door of the Department of Mysteries all night.

"Meeting dismissed," Dumbledore said, before following Remus out the door with the other Order members, including Snape.

As Lyra left, she saw Sirius looking sulkily out the window, watching as everyone drew up their hoods to their cloak and apparated away to their friends and family. She saw SIrius sigh and slump into his seat. SHe knew he would move for hours, and she knew that no one would be able to get him to move.

What she didn't know was that Sirius was slowly slipping into desperation. Not only to leave the house, but to leave the world. Sirius wanted to see his old friend again, and wondered if it would be so bad to die in a battle.

Surely it was a very nice way to die, fighting for what you believed in? SIrius sighed as flashes of people's smiling faces entered his mind. Lynx and Will, Lyra and Harry. He loved those four more then anything, and he would never purposely end his life.

Sirius might be desperate, but he wasn't selfish.