Lyra sat staring out into space. Her scroll, for the most part, lay untouched. She hadn't noticed the Twins stop their hushed conversation about the joke shop. Nor had she noticed that they started to clean up their scrolls of product drafts and notes.
Fred cleared his throat as he finished packing the last of his things. She looked towards him, coming back to reality.
"Time for Dinner Stone, wouldn't want to be late to the feast."
Her expression did not change but she felt her stomach shift uncomfortably. In all truth, she did not want to go to the end of the year feast. But she knew no excuse would get her out of it.
"Especially since you skipped lunch," George said as if he could read her thoughts.
She sighed but began to pack. They waited patiently, both uncharacteristically grim. Once she was packed they started towards the door. As they entered the hall someone cleared their throat behind them. They all turned, surprised.
Moody, the real Moody, skinny, disheveled, and skittish, stood there.
"Could I have a word?"
George reflexively put himself between Lyra and Moody, glaring harshly. "We're on our way to the feast actually. Lyra hasn't eaten today and we'd hate to be late."
Moody looked past George, not even acknowledging that he was there. He started Lyra dead in the eye, and she started back.
"It's alright George. Moody can walk me to dinner. I'll meet you two their."
"No offense Lyra" Fred started "but we'd have to be crazy to ever let you go off on your own with-"
Her fierce gaze cut him off. He looked at her, then at Moody with a sigh. Before George could react he grabbed him by the collar and began to drag him down the hall.
"what? Fred, no! Let me go!"
Fred just trudged on until they were out of sight and around the corner. Lyra turned back to Moody, she could feel him analyzing her. She turned away from him and began to walk, but slowly enough that he was soon by her side with ease.
"I wanted to check on you, see how you were doing."
"Im not the one who was locked in a trunk for months." it came out harsher than she meant it. But Moody didn't seem offended.
"Still, it was quite an experience you and Potter had."
"have you checked up on him too?"
"Potters got enough people checking up on him."
Even though Lyra could not feel Moody's emotions with her magic. She felt a strong connection to the man and wondered if he felt it too. As if that dark cold place had bound them in a way that duties and the fight against evil could not.
It was true that she had only a glimpse of his suffering. That she did not go months on end in the dark and cold. But when Lyra awoke in the darkness, there was no way of knowing her future or fate. Moody knew this. At the time she was scared and in pain but she had remained calm, sensed his danger, and helped. That's why he was bound to her, thats why he was here checking to see if she was okay.
Lyra let out a sigh, snapping him back from his thoughts. "I don't know how I am." She said honestly "Alive. Physically unharmed. But shaken, the whole worlds different now, and that's terrifying."
Moody let out a bark of a laugh, but it was filled with pain instead of amusement. "Being locked in a trunk by the scum of the earth will do that too you. You've witnessed what cruelty wizards are really capable of. How easily bringing harm to others is for them. Not only that but the fact that you really can't trust anyone. Anyone could be a death eater, anyone could be an imposter. It's one hell of a wake-up call."
Lyra did not answer. She looked like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure if she should.
"What is it, girl?" Moody asked.
She struggled, trying to find the right words to express her emotions, trying to hold strong against their sheer force.
"It's just... Well, I used to believe that things happen for a reason. That every bad thing in itself was a lesson. That it would work out if you just kept faith in the fact good would come from it." Tears of anger and pain welled in her eyes, "but now, everything that's happened, him coming back, his minion trying to take me. What on earth is the lesson in that?" Her voice broke "How can I ever have faith we'll be okay ever again?"
Moody sighed and shook his head. "There will always be dark wizards. Those who want power no matter the cost. It doesn't matter if it was him that came back, or another who would eventually come along just as bad if not worse. They seek power Lyra, and you are powerful. Not just in your abilities but in your will. That's the reason they came after you. That's the reason they will always come after you. They will try and corrupt you, and if they can't they will try to destroy you and those you love. That's the lesson. Grow stronger, be ready, because it's only going to get harder from here."
They were at the doors now. Moody looked over at her. She was silent and her tears were gone. But her fists were still clenched at her sides. He thought about comforting her. About telling her how for every dark wizard that fought for power, there were people like him that lived for stopping them.
But he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. There were plenty of other people to give her a false sense of security. That wasn't what she needed. That wasn't going to give her the drive to survive.
Lyra met his eye, her gaze hardened. "Be seeing you, Mr. Moody."
"Alastor to you Lyra Stone."
She nodded and then pushed through the great hall doors.
YOU ARE READING
The Weasley's and The Ravenclaw (George Weasley Love Story)
Fanfiction"The world was too loud. It had always been this way and was the first thought Lyra could ever remember having." Lyra Stone was a quiet girl, one who most people overlooked. She liked it that way and never before had trouble keeping away from the sp...
