Abandoned and Rescued
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Lyra stirred again, flitting in and out of consciousness as someone called her name. Once, twice, thrice... her woozy mind counted, unclear. "Please, wake up." someone begged, and Lyra's brain acted up, recalling yet another memory.
Lyra and Regulus were just heading to the Ravenclaw common room to pick up Pandora for their nightly homework visits, and they headed from one hallway to another, passing by a few other students and the chattering of portraits, their heads held high like the purebloods they were. Lyra wasn't sure how long they had walked at a snail's pace — it seemed like forever and they weren't even close to their destination, and after turning the fifth corner something knocked both of them down flat onto the floor.
Lyra cried out as her back hit the floor hard, and dragged Regulus down trying to keep her balance.
"Merlin's balls! Sorry, dear — Ly? Reggie?" The black mass of hair which had knocked them down looked up, and...
"Sirius." Lyra greeted coldly, and Regulus stood up, offering a hand to Lyra. She took it and stood up, brushing her robes, smoothing the wrinkles. Their brother scrambled to their feet too, and Lyra sneered mildly at his clothes. His shirt wasn't tucked in properly and the tie was loose, so was his collar, showing off the thick, ugly scar over his chest.
Blood squirted from Sirius's chest, pouring down his front. Their brother clutched his wound, staring at his mother in horror, but not shock. No one was shocked by what happened. Horrified by the blood that dripped down his fingers, Sirius turned abruptly and ran, leaving their mother to screech at his fleeing shadow. Lyra and Regulus made a move to follow him, but their mother's sharp nails clamped down on their forearms, and they winced, turning back to their mother as she twisted their arms. She snapped and sneered at them about ungrateful sons and made them promise to stay with her always.
At least they weren't forced to do an unbreakable vow. Lyra's mind added, but she ignored the little voice, pushing the memories back deep in his mind, automatically wiping her mind of emotions. Her cheeks twitched with phantom pain, and so did her brother's.
"What are you doing, Sirius Black?" Regulus asked, annoyed.
"You are not allowed to run in corridors!" Lyra scolded, her tone 100% of a weary sibling.
"None of your bloody business." Sirius sneered.
Lyra opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by someone else slamming into their brother. The familiar grating laughter rang, and Lyra froze.
"Oi, get off me, arse! Bloody hell, you weigh a ton, Prongs," Sirius groaned and shoved the other boy off his back.
"Sorry, Pads," James Merlin Potter snorted, picking himself up then helping his fellow Gryffindor back to his feet. "But did you see his face?"
"Oi! Shut up! We all know you've got terrible eyesight, but you're not blind! Use it sometimes, will you?" Sirius cut off whatever Potter was going to say. "There's a slimy snake here."
Lyra's blood froze, and she stared at her brother. Am I just so insignificant to him? Just another slimy Slytherin? Lyra couldn't care less what they were talking about but cold swept over her for being reduced from a sibling to just a 'snake'. She felt as if she and her brother were invisible, and she regarded the two Gryffindors with the practised pureblood indifference.
"Please tell, why are you two racing around the halls, like hooligans?" Lyra remarked, voice cold and void of any emotion, arching a brow like her father when he talked to someone he disliked.
Sirius whipped around and stared at her, his mouth falling open. He looked startled as if he had just seen Regulus and Lyra there. He squinted at them then the astounded face morphed into one of pure disgust and disdain.
"Don't talk like that, Ly, it doesn't suit you at all," Lyra's brother growled.
Regulus glared at Sirius. "How am I supposed to talk to someone who skips class in broad daylight and causes mischief?"
"Oi—we weren't doing anything." James interrupted.
Seriously, the pair of them.
"And who are you to say that? You're not in class either." Sirius snarled.
"Because we don't," Lyra said, matter-of-factly.
"Stop lying, you tosser. You have arithmancy right now. " He retorted.
How in Salazar's name did he know that? Lyra wondered. The Black twins didn't tell anyone their timetable; only Pandora did. Sirius must have sneaked a look for some ridiculous reason, but Lyra didn't know how or why.
"The teacher let us go earlier," Regulus said plainly. "Because we finished the assignment and the professor gave us the period to work on other things."
"You left because you finished everything already, you swot." Sirius sneered.
"How is being a swot a bad thing?" Lyra snorted, "At least I don't terrorize students when I'm bored."
"We're not hurting anyone, it's just a little bit of fun," James jumped in, stepping up.
Lyra's attention snapped to him. Wide grey eyes stared at him. I cannot believe how easily the boy interrupted our conversation, standing next to our brother, and Sirius actually had the audacity to angle himself like he was protecting James.
The unspoken communication burned, and Lyra felt something like fury and misery rise up in her chest. Lyra and Regulus used to be James, and Sirius protected them. But now Sirius was spitting on everything he used to believe in.
"They're not fun," Regulus snarled, "Your little pranks send a hell of a lot of people to the hospital wing and I can't even count all the Slytherins who've cried because you Gryffindors thought it was correct to harass them because they wear different colours."
"It's you snakes that are the problem here!" Sirius shot back, "Everyone in Slytherin are Death Eaters in the making."
"We're not death eaters!" Lyra protested in horror. Why would Sirius go so low down?
"Oh yeah? Then why did we hear Malfoy talking about it earlier?" James smirked like he knew something and couldn't wait to use it against them.
Regulus and Lyra didn't blink at the mention of Lucius Malfoy. His father was one of Voldemort's followers, so it made perfect sense that he would be joining soon. "It's unfair to condemn a whole house because of rumours." Regulus retorted.
"No, it's not. You can't trust a snake. You don't do anything unless it's for yourself." Sirius sneered angrily.
Lyra blinked away tears. It wasn't the truth — he's got to all wrong! Lyra thought frantically but kept her posture. It wouldn't do good to cry.
"You're one to talk," Lyra snarled, her voice full of venom and rage. "You left us."
"I'm one to talk?" Sirius repeated, "Who're the twins who did nothing when she tried to kill me? You could have helped me! But no, you two stayed in your corner, perfectly safe and sound, for being Mommy's favourite children, while I was beaten! You're just a coward! It was James who was there for me when you two should have been!" Sirius pointed at his friend.
James was looking at the three of them, very confused.
"We tried, Sirius...she stopped us," Lyra whispered, shaken.
"James has been more of a sibling to me than you two had ever been!"
Lyra blinked and stepped back. Once, twice, thrice, and behind Regulus, she sniffed. James was someone Sirius had only known for six years, and he was more of a brother to him and us. Lyra wept silently into her hands, her back facing the others and face to the wall, just in case anyone saw.
Lyra, the one who brought the first aid kit to him after every beating, and cared for him. Regulus, who crawled into bed with him when he had a nightmare. Both weren't his brother anymore.
So. Be. It. Why should we care when he doesn't?
Lyra turned back around, her eyes positively red and still full of tears, but her expression cold and steely. "How dare you! She snarled. "We were your siblings! Have you forgotten who cared for you during your first summer after your first year?"
She saw something like remorse flit across Sirius's face, but it wasn't right. Sirius made it very obvious and clear that Lyra and Regulus didn't matter to him anymore.
"Ly, Reg—"
"Crawl back into your lion's den, mutt." Regulus snarled. "You've upset my sister. Oh, and beware things that slink in the shadows and slither on the ground."
And the pair spun on their heels and left, leaving the two Gryffindors behind.