𝕝𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕔𝕪 ⟡ ᴊᴀᴍᴇs ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ¹

twenty four: the christmas eve ball

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

LYRA SAT WITH her knees tucked underneath her chin as she stared out her bedroom window. Well, it wasn't a real window. It's a spell she put up a couple of years ago so that it appeared as if there was an actual window on her wall, and she can control whatever it is she wants to see 'outside'. Right now it's raining. Actually, it's always raining.

Rain can mean a lot of things. Sadness, loneliness... but to her it symbolized renewal. Beginnings. Just like the famous saying says, no rain, no flowers. So she embraced the rain. She admired the water droplets as they splattered against the glass, and the way it felt as it hit her skin and ran down her body. She liked to think that with rain something good would finally happen.

Lyra gently placed her hand up against the supposed window, sighing as she realized maybe she wasn't meant to escape the rain. Maybe there was nothing on the other side for her. She was just meant to sit and watch as it streamed down the glass and rolled down the street. She would forever be trapped within this life with no where to go. Stuck.

She had just sent off two letters to Hogwarts, one to her Slytherin friends and another to the Marauders. However, there was a specific section only meant for James to read. She had spelled it so that the words would only appear to him.

She wanted to make sure everyone knew that her and Regulus were alright. That their parents had just wanted to speak with them on some matters and it wasn't anything serious.

She had heard Mason trying to contact them. She heard it every morning and every night, but both of the twins decided it would be better to ignore him for now. He would be suspicious of why they wouldn't want to show him their faces.

The bruises across their bodies were still evident but slowly fading as the days passed. The tiny scars that could be found along their skin practically burned every time she looked down at them. It made Lyra feel queasy.

Both her and Regulus used the same masking spells when they were at school. It made their skin look flawless. Although the sleeves of their robes were long, Lyra often wore short skirts. She didn't need anyone to question the lines and marks that were littered all across her legs. When they were at home though, they both never bothered to put them up. It was almost fitting that they had them out in the open while at 12 Grimmauld. Like it matched the energy that reverberated off of the gloomy walls.

Lyra released a shaky breath, running her fingers across the largest scar on her body. It wasn't too big. Only about three inches. It was right above her left knee and she could practically feel the stinging sensation that washed over her when she had gotten it the first time. She winced at the memory.

Looking back up through the blurry window, a wave of emotions hit her at once. And she realized for the first time in her life that the skies were dark for a reason.

There would be no sunshine.

The clouds wouldn't clear.

And the flowers would never grow because she was the rain.

✰ ✰ ✰

Ella latched onto Mason's arm, smiling as they entered the room. The great hall looked beautiful. There was snow pouring from mid air and crystal chandeliers placed all across the ceiling. There was a large Christmas tree located in the corner of the room, stacks of presents placed underneath it. A live orchestra was sitting towards the back, and the entire middle was cleared out to create a makeshift dance floor.

"Wow" she breathed. "Lyra would have loved this" Mason tensed at her name. His anxiety levels have been shooting through the roof since she has yet to answer him through the mirror. Sure, he read the letter that came the other day, but he could tell the words on the paper just didn't quite hold any true feelings.