The Tale of the Black Knight: The Mark

1932

Everything she had ever been told was never far from the truth. Other than being clues here and there, truth would always win out. Now with his experiences with her parents added to this, it helped her to accept what others thought about the couple during their years at the castle, and that their early deaths were never in vain. They never were, if it brought friends closer together, rescued, from this death plot that has been torturing the world for decades, it seemed. Lyra was at peace to know her parents were honest people, for the most part, and how Prince remained close enough... If it were not for James, Prince would have been killed or infected. Whoever this Peter was or that Black, she could only be grateful that things were the way they were now. Imagining Prince in that kind of trap petrified her to a point that it refused to leave her mind from that night, onward.

Upon returning to Hogwarts, Prince gave her leave to enjoy herself before the evening would end. As Ron had hoped, they got to go for a carriage ride just an hour before the curfew would finally keep up with them. Of course, after the breezy ride, coming back inside the castle was greatly invited. Nothing suited better than a mug of hot cocoa before a warm fire. As soon as she finished her mug, Lyra had given the biggest yawn as she stared into the fire as she was snug well into the couch in the purely quiet private Quarters of Professor Prince. Ronald was warmly invited since the common room was eerily empty. It would not have been fair for the lad to go a cold night on his own.

"Thank you, Professor Prince, f-for letting me stay..." Ron fought a deep yawn turning towards the one behind them, finishing up by closing the book he was reading.

"Nothing of trifle, Master Weasley," that baritone uttered from the other end of the chambers. "This castle is endless, particularly at night. Stay comfortable."

Becoming all warmed from their quilts and the fire, the two were coming close to dozing off. That was when Prince decided to call it off for the night. By helping the children to bed, he chose to go and read by the fire for a little while, in hopes that he would sleep well too in due time. It was usual that his own heart would join his mind before it would lulled into indifference, to travel more naturally to calmer thoughts. Setting eyes on the sleeping ones nearby, it was a comfort for him. As he stared though, a familiar wisp sort of light made itself known to him. A soft light that danced close towards the dozy candles, as two soft wings soon appeared... in the form of a tiny woodwhite that found safety near the dreaming Gryffindors. Prince recognized this and only admired it from afar... Someone was kind enough to watch them. This began since the night he first took Lyra home. These little sprites made of light often evaded him, however this one was choosing to stay. In due time, the father stood up from the chair, while setting the book aside... Just before he would go on to his own bed, Prince to the Gryffindors, helped them be more snug in the covers, and landed a sweet kiss upon Lyra's cheek... all before the tiny witness.

Christmas day, in of itself, began with one yell from down the Common Room stairs. One that began with Lyra waking upon a sudden at no other than Ron's hollering this early in the morning~

"Lyra! Wake up! Y'gotta come and see!" she heard such a brightly sort of voice that she nearly jumped.

It appeared that the spirit of joy was with them all on this bright snowy Christmas morning. Only a second later, Lyra snapped back to the present and set her eyes directly onto the snow kissed window toward Felix's confused ruffling upon his stand. Excitedly, she swung her crimson covers right off of herself and began to run out only to find Ron standing in front of the fireplace, looking up at her with a bright smile. He wore something new, that being one thick woolen sweater with a enlarged first letter of his name knitted on the front.

"Happy Christmas, Lyra!"

"Happy Christmas, Ron~ What are you wearing?" Lyra giggled, prompting Ron to look back down at his sweater.