LANDSLIDE, james potter [2]

Chapter Nineteen

Lyra hadn't walked through the doors of Twelve Grimmauld Place since she was a teenager. She wasn't sure why anybody would want to either. She had always felt bad for Sirius and Regulus for growing up in that house when she lived in the open, yet cold, Black Manor on the countryside. 

She hesitantly opened the door as Remus held up a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. It was dark, as it was still quite late. She knew she couldn't stay for long, as her husband would be wondering where she was, and she didn't want Draco to be alone in their house for too long. 

The floor creaked as her heels made contact. She wasn't sure if anybody had been in that house since her Aunt Walburga died. Well, other than Kreacher the house-elf who hadn't wanted to leave the house, tied to it. But it looked quite clean, probably because he adored the house so  much. 

"Lyra? Remus?" a voice asked, though quietly as if someone were asleep and he didn't want to wake them. Sirius looked like he couldn't quite believe his eyes as he was illuminated by the light still coming from the dining room.

"Sirius." Lyra grinned at him. It didn't take him more than a few seconds before he opened his arms, allowing her to run into him and his embrace. She chuckled as he shook her a bit in his arms. 

Remus smiled fondly as he watched them. This was the first time he'd seen them together in years without Sirius looking like death and Lyra being stressed beyond belief. If only James had been there, then everything would have been perfect. He supposed, that in some way he was always with them, watching over them. At least, he hoped so. 

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, finally pulling away to look at her, though his smile was as wide as it had been in over a decade. He looked to Remus and shook his head happily. "Don't tell me you actually managed it. You convinced her?"

"She's not as difficult as she wants us to believe," Remus responded teasingly, making Lyra roll her eyes dramatically. "She's with us now. For good, I hope."

"As long as I've got you two dumbasses then I'm here to make sure you don't do anything stupid," Lyra retorted, glancing between them happily. They may have been older now, but they were still the same people deep down, despite everything. 

Sirius scoffed, looking at her incredulously, wondering how she could think they were the stupid ones. "Coming from the biggest dumbass I know. I think it's more we who have to protect you from doing something stupid."

Lyra was about to tell him to shut up or something snarky like it, but then a slightly familiar house-elf started walking past, muttering softly, like he was up to something. "If my poor mistress could see Kreacher now. Serving her brat of a blood-traitor son and his filthy companions."

The blonde woman watched him strangely. If that was who she thought it was, then he had gotten even worse than when she had last seen him. "Is that-"

"Mistress Lyra is here!" Kreacher suddenly straightened up, his eyes filled with tears as he looked at her, until he saw how close she was to Sirius and started muttering darkly once again. "What is sweet and pure Mistress Lyra doing with that blood-traitor and the filthy half-breed. Perhaps she's come to take Kreacher away to serve the pure and respectable Malfoys."

"Hello, Kreacher. It's been a while," Lyra answered slowly, glancing at Sirius, confused at why he was muttering the way he was, as if they couldn't hear him at all. "Now, if anybody asks, I've never been here. I'm not a part of the Order of the Phoenix, I have no contact with any of its members. Understood?"

"Smart," Remus muttered to himself, looking at her in approval.

"Yes, Mistress Lyra," Kreacher said, as if he was heartbroken to hear these words. It meant that she, one of the only members of the House of Black he had had any respect for, was a part of the Order. "Has Mistress Lyra become a blood-traitor? Oh, if my Mistress could see her. Oh, my poor Mistress. She'd get her to see sense."