Abandoned and Rescued
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"You should go with the Gryffindor Head." A casual, airy voice paused Lyra and Regulus's thoughts and they looked up from their homework. Pandora Moonstone, with her iconic wand stuck in her hair and clad in bronze and blue robes sat down in the chair in front of them.
"Dora, you know why we can't." Regulus grumbled. Lyra nodded in agreement.
"If you don't go with her, you'll drown." Pandora retorted, staring at the Black twins.
Lyra sighed and pushed away her parchment, putting down her favoured phoenix feather quill. Her twin and herself had gone down to the library for finishing their homework before the holiday ended, but obviously it wasn't going to happen — time was running out.
"We know, Pans, but we'll just put the others in danger, especially the black dog." Lyra sighed lowly. The trio avoided saying his brother's name, but saying 'dog' instead of 'Sirius' wasn't a good way to hide what they were talking about either.
"Death has yet to claim you," Pandora informed them, picking up Lyra's discarded parchment and started to mark it over. Goodness knows Lyra needed the help — Arithmancy was not her forte.
Lyra shifted slightly as she remained out of consciousness.
"Regulus, you have no mark. When it gets embedded into you, it may be too late," Pandora circled something on Lyra's parchment. "As for you, Lyra, it's just an arranged marriage, if you leave, nothing that bad will happen."
"Nothing bad?" Lyra shrieked in a low tone just as Regulus snorted.
"Getting the tattoo is just like getting avada-ed, and telling Walburga that you want to break off the arranged marriage will leave you getting crucios a hundred times a day." Regulus commented dryly.
Pandora shook her head, protesting. "There's still a 1-out-of-50 chance that you two would make it. More that McGonagall's given you this offer."
Lyra nodded, taking back her essay, and took another piece of parchment to make adjustments. A comfortable silence took over, and the three sat finishing their homework.
"Regulus?" Pandora tentatively asked, as she put down her finished essay. "Why are you so set on death?"
Lyra looked up too, and saw that her friend's eyes shone with unshed tears, her voice wavering. "Pans, we didn't meant to upset you or worry you," Lyra lifted an arm to put around her best friend's shoulder. "You've known our fate the day you met us, we thought you'd be fine."
Pandora shook her head. "Who would be alright with their best friends dying? You two are the little siblings I never had."
"You're only a few months older than us," Regulus complained, looking up from his parchment.
Pandora giggled slightly at the old argument, but her face sombred quickly. "You two could have left and came with me, or to your brother. You chose the snakes."
"We don't have a choice, they needed to have a Slytherin heir." Regulus reminded gently.
"And they'll most definitely kill me if I run away from this arranged marriage." Lyra looked down, "I'm a coward, you all know that."
"You two aren't cowards. Any other house would have taken you at first; Regulus, you're smart, cunning and brave, and too loyal for your own good. So do you, Lyra, don't underestimate yourselves. It'll kill you." A single tear made its way down Pandora's rosy cheeks, and Regulus looked at a loss at how to comfort girls, so Lyra spoke up.
"We're not brave," Lyra said, shaking her head.
"Yes, you are." Pandora insisted.
"We don't speak up, Regulus doesn't plead for them to stop; I don't refuse anything even when it's the only thing I want. We can't just go against them...we're not—" Lyra broke off.
"But you are," Pandora objected, "Not all bravery looks how you think it does, dears, some are quiet and unnoticed, like you."
"We haven't done that yet." Regulus pointed out.
"Doesn't matter that much; it's in you."
The Black twins nodded and looked down. Lyra wanted to believe what her best friend was trying to tell her; she wanted to reach out, to hold the chance for her and her twin brother, but they were used to following; not forging their own path.
They've known their whole life that they were going to die, and now, just after a few years, they're given a way out?
No, we can't trust it.
Lyra wanted to. She wanted to trust McGonagall, trust Pandora, and mostly, Sirius. They wanted to; but they've learnt that they doesn't get what they want all the time.
"Just think about it, Lyra. Think, Regulus." Pandora whispered.
Lyra nodded, not daring to look up. Regulus did the same. They knew, that if they did, they would gave in to Pandora's wide, doe-like eyes which still swam with tears and go straight to McGonagall. Lyra never thought that someone would actually mourn him.
She heard Pandora sniff, and her robes rustled.
"Come on, Pandora, I'll escort you back to your dorm." Lyra suggested.
"It's getting late anyway." Regulus added, standing up and putting Lyra and his own homework into a pile away.
"Goodnight."