Sky full of stars {Harry Potter Fanfiction}

7. Nightime Shenanigans

The next week I tried to keep my mind off my father. But that wasn't easy when Zacharias Smith asked very loudly in the middle of Transfiguration if I knew why my father killed all those muggles?

He was just lucky it was only an inkwell that Katherine threw at his eye before McGonagall sent her out of the classroom.

But quickly enough, the 12th September came around and it was a new beginning. My twelfth birthday, another year to grow and evolve, and whatever else overly-positive people loved repeating.

I'd barely opened my eyes when I was assaulted by a party horn to the face, making the pathetic squeak they make. Rubbing sleep out of my eyes I could see a very chipper looking Sasha sat on my bed wearing a party hat and a tesco carrier bag of presents.

"Happy birthday Lyra!" she beamed. "Twelve years of you annoying me already!"

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, Sasha."

"Happy birthday, Lyra." Katherine was still in her flowery pyjamas with a party hat jammed on her head. She gave the tiniest of smiles to me, before looking as indifferent to the world as she usually did.

"Present time!" Sasha exclaimed. "Open Mum's present first."

My chest tightened. After the potions incident, I'd sent mum a very short letter: how could you not tell me about what dad did. She'd sent two sheets of paper in response, which I hadn't read. I'd let Sasha burn it, which delighted her.

Slowly unwrapping the package, I found a brand-new violin case and a care kit for it. A lump formed in my throat. This stuff was expensive—I'd been asking mum for this specific light blue leather case since last Christmas. Now it sat in my arms.

Trying not to cry I took my violin out of its battered, slightly chewed case and put it into its new home. Mum had included two birthday cards as well, one from her, and one from Remus.

"Mine next, mine next!" Sasha was almost bouncing as she handed over a heavy, book-shaped parcel.

"Hmm, I wonder what this is." I tried sarcasm out for a try.

"Stop being a little shit, I know you're going to love it." Sasha smirked knowingly.

Sasha, being Sasha, was absoloutley right. Concealed in the crunchy wrapping paper was a large illustrated version of 'Ruby'. The cover was embossed with the witch heroines—Lacey and Hollie—who raised their wands towards a large dragon who was guarding a ruby the size of human head.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" I said in all of a garble, pulling my sister close for a hug as I admired this beautiful book.

The Ruby series was one that Sasha and I adored. It was a five-book series—so far—about these two sisters who went on amazing adventures to find mystical jewels to create a weapon to destroy their father, who had all the dragons of the land under his rule.

"You don't know how hard it was for me to get my hands on that," Sasha said smugly.

Mum had read the first book to us when I was seven and Sasha nine, and we'd begged for more chapters every night. I loved that the story was about sisters—and now I thought about it, the plot was closer to us than I thought.

Gently placing the illustrated copy on my bed-side table to pour over later, I decided on Cassie's present next. It was a gorgeous charm bracelet hand-woven (Cassie was great at creative stuff) and dangling with expensive silver charms—a violin, a badger, and a small heart that said 'best friend'). Unlike her brother Cassie never bragged about her wealth always investing in thoughtful gifts (blushing if I asked how much things cost).