LANDSLIDE, james potter [2]

Chapter Twenty-Three

There was more than one reason for Lyra Malfoy not to enjoy being at home these days. She greatly disliked being around her husband most of the time, seeing as he could be a bit of a git. She also couldn't stand watching him talk up his escapades as a Death Eater to their son, who she hoped would stay as far away from all this as possible. 

Also, she was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Lyra would spend so much time with Sirius and Remus, finally getting to know her lovely niece Nymphadora and trying to give some comfort to Harry and his friends, who really seemed to need it. 

She needed all of it, too. To feel like some kind of hero, someone who could try to help save people's lives. She wasn't only the wife of a Death Eater, somebody who had hurt so many people. She could be more. She could be brave. 

She had been on her way to yet another Order meeting, discussing some information that Snape had finally given up. She supposed it was probably all about something that he could have told them ages ago, but he was being dramatic and holding it back. Not that Lyra was the right person to blame someone for dramatics. She was born a Black after all. 

"Lyra, where are you going?" Lucius suddenly asked as she pulled a cloak on. He looked pale, though he always did look pale. But he was whiter than usual, like he hadn't seen the sun in days. 

"I'm going to have dinner with Cissy," Lyra responded, saying the first lie that came to her head. "Maybe we'll go out afterwards, have a few drinks, talk about how much we think we could have done better than our husbands."

The platinum blond man looked at her dryly. She was always quick with her wits, which was something he had once appreciated. It had become a bit more old with the years. "You're hilarious."

"Isn't that why you married me?" Lyra asked teasingly, pulling her hair out from under her cloak, showing that she was still preparing to go out, even if he didn't seem like he wanted her to. "For my humor?"

"No," he answered shortly, no humor in his voice. 

The blonde woman, on the other hand, was in more of a joking mood. She had been for the last month and a half. He hadn't been sure why, but she reminded him more of who she had been when they first got married. "Disappointing. You've got poor taste then."

"Could you reschedule with Narcissa?" Lucius sighed, trying to ask as kindly as possible. He could yell and threaten and throw a hissy fit, but he wasn't in the mood for it. "It'd be nice if you... would stay home tonight."

She didn't want to stay home. She wanted to go to the horrible place known as Twelve Grimmuald Place for once in her life, to spend time with people who's company she actually enjoyed. "We've been planning this for ages, so I wouldn't say it would be possible."

"Then cancel, I don't care. Just don't go out tonight, Lyra," he said sternly, leaving no room for argument. Well, he was trying to leave no room for argument but that never really got him far with Lyra. 

She raised her eyebrows at how he was trying to give her an order. She wasn't going to sit quietly and listen to him, a fire having been reignited in her heart since she had joined the Order. "How about you don't try tell me what to do and I live my own life separate from yours?"

"Our lives will never be separate, Lyra," he reminded her, glancing at the ring on her finger, one who had been there ever since she was only nineteen. "We both made sure of that all these years ago."

"Why tonight?" the woman asked suspiciously, eyeing him strangely. It was the first time she had met any resistance from him, though she was surprised it hadn't come sooner. "I've been going out so much lately and you haven't bat an eye? Why's tonight any different?"