𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐘 | James Potter

08 | "not with a pretty face like yours"

"OH WAKEY, WAKEY! MY DEAR LYRA!"

Lyra sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Stretching her neck, Lyra looked up at Evelyn who had walked into her room with a smug grin on her face.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Lyra asked suspiciously, rubbing her eyes again.

Evelyn's smile just widened. "No reason, other than it is fifteen minutes till first and you slept in!"

Lyra scrambled out of bed hastily, "I did what?!"

"Oh yeah, you better go get changed quickly," Evelyn chuckled.

Lyra never slept in (on weekdays at least.) She dashed into her bathroom quickly, chucking her clothes on. As she zipped up her skirt, Lyra attempted to multi-task by putting light makeup on at the same time. Surprisingly this worked, so she shoved her toothbrush in her mouth and sat on her bed to put her shoes on.

Once she was done and her bag was packed, Lyra realised she had left something.

"Shit," Lyra muttered.

"What?" Evelyn asked, glancing at her best friend.

Lyra didn't answer, she just dashed back into the bathroom, stopped a moment and came back out with her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.

"Woah, it's been forever since I've seen you in those," Evelyn said as Lyra emerged from her bathroom.

Lyra pushed her glasses up her nose. "Well I didn't really have time for contacts."

"I dunno why you wear those muggle things, your glasses look nice on you," Evelyn opinionated.

Lyra just shrugged. "They're horrid."

"No, they're not. Anyway, I was going to bring you something to eat but Evan didn't seem to grasp that concept and ate the muffin I bought for you," Evelyn told Lyra with a laugh.

"I'll just steal his food at lunch, so we'll be even," she shrugged.

The two girls finally made it to the Potions Classroom with five minutes to spare. Lyra was amazed at how quickly she had managed to change. Evan had wandered over to his friends, smiling warmly at them. He then pulled his arm up and took a bite into the doughnut he was eating - a delicious, chocolate-covered one.

"Evan," Lyra started, her eyes fixated on his doughnut, "you know, that you're like such a great friend and I love you so very much, right?"

Evan looked down at his doughnut then back up at the curly-haired girl, "Would you like my doughnut, Lyra?"

"It would be nice, yeah, please."

Lyra moved her gaze up to the blonde boy, who held out the chocolate doughnut to her. She took it from him and instantly took a big bite out of it.

"Nice?" Evan asked with a chuckle.

"Mhm," Lyra replied, her mouth full.

Evan's smile faded to a frown as he looked over Lyra's shoulder, Evelyn's expression just went blank. Lyra turned, sort of concerned about what her two friends were so disturbed by.

Her heart sank when she did. Sirius was walking directly towards them, bearing a broad grin. She forced a smile at him and he waved back, "Morning Lyra-Loo!"

"Hi Sirius," she smiled back.

Sirius pushed Lyra's glasses up her nose as they had slipped down a bit. "I haven't seen you in your glasses in ages. They look so good."

"I slept in," Lyra replied simply, "and they don't, they look horrid."

"That's not like you. You okay?" he asked, "and your classes look great."

Lyra nodded. "I'm fine, Sirius. Honestly. I just stayed up late studying last night.

"Okay, go to bed earlier then, silly," Sirius answered, "right i'm going to see Pron- I mean, James, now."

"Tell Potter he looks fit from me," Lyra smirked, looking at him. He looked back at her, and she winked. He rolled his eyes before turning back to Remus.

"Yuck, Lyra, I won't do that."

"I was only joking," Lyra laughed as he started walking away. Right?

Lyra turned back to her friends and watched as Evan glared at the back of Sirius' head while Evelyn's attention was 'elsewhere', a scowl on his face.

"He's my brother, Evan," Lyra spoke up.

"I know but he was disowned!" Evan cried, lowering his voice slightly, not wanting to cause a scene.

"I know he was, Evan. But he's still my brother. It's not just something I can give up on. You don't have to like me still talking to him but can you please try and tolerate it," Lyra asked pleadingly.

"I didn't say anything, did I?" Evan replied snarkily, stalking into the classroom, Evelyn following close behind him, offering nothing but a small smile to Lyra.

Lyra sighed, ran her hand through her hair before wandering into the classroom.

—

"Oh for Merlin's sakes! Will you stop tapping?"

"Sorry, Potter."

She stopped but within minutes she started to tap again.

"Hey, Black?"

She didn't reply.

"Black?"

"Lyra?"

"Hey, don't ignore me. You might forget what I look like." James nudged her arm playfully.

She came out of her daze, smirking already, James looked as if he regretted what he said, "How could I ever forget you, Potter? I couldn't, not with a pretty face like yours."

"Doesn't compare to your pretty face, darling," he replied, looking smug.

"I like this new-found arrogance with me, Potter."

"Thought you might," he smirked.

Lyra smiled back.

"So, Black, any plans for the weekend?" James asked, disrupting the moment (which Lyra had to remind herself meant nothing.)

"Not really," Lyra shrugged, "unless you plan on asking me out."

She winked at him.

"Sorry, Black, no can do. Sirius has already claimed me for the day. He wants to practice his Keeper skills for the next game," he chuckled, "do you not have anything planned with your friends?"

"Um, no, they're doing something 'just them' or something," she shrugged.

"Well, I'll tell you what, I'll just make sure your shitty friends don't think you're being a loner, you should come watch me and Sirius play. Maybe you can try riding on my broomstick," he winked at her.

She laughed, a proper laugh.

"No, but actually, I'll teach you how to fly," he replied genuinely, "and after maybe I can get Marls and Dorcas and all of the girls and we can have a get together or something."

"I'm awful at flying, Potter. I think my brothers took all the Quidditch genes," Lyra laughed, "maybe I'll have to see what I can do."

"I'll see you at the quidditch pitch, ten am sharp."

She laughed again. This was the most she had laughed in a long time.