Defense was a bore. Quirrell gave us a practice test which I finished in just a few minutes. I was contemplating pulling out another book, but I didn't want to get too involved in anything else and have to be interrupted. My nails were still impeccable, and I was enjoying the sparkly black color. I glanced around the room and everyone was still working on their test, except Hermione. She was staring off into the distance, mumbling silently. I'm not sure when I developed the skill, but I've come to the realization that if I focus I can read lips with a high degree of accuracy.

‘Holly Granger, no. Lyra Granger, no. Hermione Potter’ Her brow furled ever so slightly. ‘no. Hermione Black' her brow relaxed and there was the slightest twitch of a forming smile. ‘Lyra and Hermione Black. Mesdames Lyra and Hermione Black'

I was starting to blush, I knew I should look away, but I was transfixed. ‘What would we wear? Definitely both in dresses. What color? Both in white?’ Her brow furled again. ‘Uh-uh. Her in white with violet.’ Her brow unfurled and the smile was back. ‘That would be pretty. It is my favorite color after all. And it would match her eyes. Me in white with pink? Yes.’

She had a full smile now and she started to scan the room, probably to see how everyone else was doing on completing their tests when her eyes locked with mine. I knew I had to be visibly blushing judging from the heat I felt radiating through my entire body, and from the fact that Hermione began blushing as soon as our gazes met.

‘Can you understand me?’ She mumbled.

I thought about ignoring her, or pretending I didn't know what she was saying, but before I knew it I was nodding and her face turned an even deeper shade of red. She folded her arms on her desk and put her head in them. She is awfully cute when she's embarrassed, but now I was once again stuck with nothing to do. Fortunately I didn't have to wait long as Quirrell called for quills down and started reviewing the answers.

“Susan's not gonna be jealous is she?” Pansy teased when I finally made it to the Great Hall for lunch.

“Why would she?” I asked while I loaded my plate.

“I don't know. The way you and Granger rushed out of Dark Arts. Thought you might be having a secret rendezvous.”

“For your information, I had to stop by Charms. I'm not sure where Hermione went, actually. But you know her, it was probably off to the library.” I took a bite from my chicken before continuing. “And what's with using her surname? You haven't done that with her for quite a while.”

Pansy shrugged her shoulders. “I'm just upset at her always being at the top of the class. She just seemed extra smug today when we were reviewing the answers.”

“It wasn't smugness. It was…”

I could feel a blush developing which I tried hiding behind my drink. “Merlin and Morgana! Something happened in class, didn't it! There's something going on with you two!” She loudly whispered and then let out a squeal of excitement while stamping her feet which started drawing attention from everyone nearby. “You have to tell me everything!”

“Okay. Okay! Now settle down. I will. after astronomy class tonight. When we have actual privacy.”

Pansy pouted. “Why not after we eat? We can go back to the dorms.”

“Detention, remember.”

“Fine…” Pansy slumped with her arms folded at her waist.

I stuck my tongue out at her, which she reciprocated but added a scrunched up face.

“Your face will get stuck like that, you know.” Susan said as she joined us, scooching up next to me as close as she could get herself.

“It might be an improvement.” I said.

“Ha ha. Very funny. I'm gonna finish eating and then enjoy my time until class tonight.”

“At least I'll have pleasant company during detention.” I retorted.

Pansy squinted her eyes at me indicating she was done with our verbal duel. Her face relaxed a moment later and she stood up from the table. “Whatever. I guess I'll just have to wait to hear everything tonight in our room. And especially what happened in class today. Toodles.” she said as she sashayed away.

‘Bloody hell, Pansy. Thanks for throwing me under the bus.’ I thought to myself.

“What happened during class?” Susan asked as she started picking some chips off my plate.

I slapped at her hand. “Get your own!”

Susan pouted her lip and gave me her puppy dog eyes. “But yours just taste better.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Go on then.” I said as I scooted my plate a little closer to her.

“Yay!” She picked up another chip. “Soooo? What happened in class?”

I looked around to make sure nobody was in a proximity to overhear. “I just caught Hermione mumbling my name. My…” I was trying to think of how to best refer to it. My intended name? My real name? My birth name? My true name?

“Lyra.” Susan whispered, and hearing it made me smile. “I like it. It is a beautiful name.”

After we ate we had about 45 minutes before we had to report for detention so we took a walk down to the lakeshore, holding hands the entire way.

“So what's up with your eyes?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well for the last two days I've seen them change colors throughout the day.”

“Ocular Colovaria.” I answered. It's kinda tricky to get right when you do it to yourself. And it doesn't seem to last for more than a few hours.”

“Why not just leave them violet? They're pretty.”

“I don't know if that's a good idea. I need a few more answers first.”

“Like why you were raised as Holly instead of Lyra?”

I gave a weak smile. “Yeah. But someone, maybe multiple people are trying to keep the truth from me. And I think that they're here at Hogwarts.”

“Do you have any suspects?”

“Almost every adult here.”

“You’re starting to sound paranoid, Lyra… I mean Holly… uggg this is so frustrating! I just want you to be able to be you.”

“Well, hopefully I won't have to hide for much longer. School is almost over and I'll be spending the summer at the Malfoy’s.”

“Yes. Your aunt and uncle. And your cousin. I didn't actually realize it right away, but Draco is your cousin… and he likes you. Like really likes you, likes you.”

“Yeah… it's kinda weird. Could you imagine if I liked boys like that and we had hooked up?”

“Well I, for one, am happy that you don't like boys that way.”

We stopped walking momentarily for a kiss, which wasn't chaste, but still more on the reserved side.

“It means I don't have to fend off half the drooling boys to keep you with me.”

“I could say the same thing. I've seen you turn several heads yourself. From several girls, too.”

“What? No. Like who?”

“Well, there's one of the Patil sisters.”

“Which one?”

“Padma. Let's see, there's Lavender.”

“Brown? No.”

“Uh huh. And I don't know her name, but she's a second or third year Hufflepuff.”

“Well I think you're seeing things.”

“I'm serious! I'll be the one having to fend people off if I'm not careful.”

“If you say so… We should probably start heading back.”

We arrived at Hagrid’s hut a little earlier than we were supposed to, but Hermione had already arrived and had been assigned the task of weeding the garden, which she was currently doing. Susan and I were tasked with trimming the hedges and bushes around the perimeter of the castle. Fortunately we were allowed to use our wands so Diffindo and Accio made easy work of the task. Susan and I were determined to do exceptional work and we had finished about half of our work when Hagrid came to dismiss us. He said that he had already dismissed Hermione about fifteen minutes prior.

Regardless of how easy detention was, it was still tiring, and it was a warm evening, so Susan and I got dinner to go and were eating outside underneath one of the large trees.

“I hope Hermione is okay. She said she'd talk after class.” Susan said. We had finished eating and Susan had her head in my lap while I sat with my back against the tree.

“I'm sure she's fine. Magic or no, you can't stay clean removing weeds. She probably went to wash up and then relax.”

“Yeah. I don't know how you sustain focus for so long. It feels like my whole body hurts.”

“If you joined me for my runs you wouldn't be as exhausted.”

“You're still doing that? I haven't seen you run for a while.”

“It's been too cold. Now that it's warming up I'll start back up. Well, after my four more weeks of detention are over. So are you going to join me?”

Susan's face said everything, a mix of disgust, I don't want to, and do I have to. We were both tired, and Susan looked like she was about to fall asleep. I was tired too, but not sleepy, so I let her sleep while I pulled out a book I've been wanting to read for a while.

I woke Susan as the sun was setting. “Hey. Sorry I fell asleep.” She said as she sat up.

“It's okay. I had time to catch up on my reading.”

“What are you studying now?”

“It’s a romance novel I borrowed from Aunt Narcissa, actually. It's called ‘The Witching Hour'.”

“Is it any good?”

“So far. Wanna borrow it when I'm done?”

“No thanks. I have too much to read as is.”

“Alright, spill! Hermione was doing her best to avoid you, and definitely not herself.” Pansy said the minute we got back to the dorms. “She was acting weird all night. I don't think I've ever seen her flustered like that.”

“Fine. I did say I would. Although I should be mad at you for throwing me to the Acromantulas with Susan.”

“What? At lunch? That wasn't anything you couldn't handle. Now quit stalling and spill.”

We both started the process of changing out of our uniforms.

“Fine. But I need to fill you in on a few things first.”

After getting her promise to keep things secret I told her everything about my recurring dream, the mirror, finding pictures of Bellatrix Black, the memories I was shown, my given name of Lyra, and then meeting Narcissa and finding out she's Draco's mum. I left out any reference to Tom Riddle and Voldemort. While I can trust her to not spread any gossip, I don't want rumors circling about the return of the Dark Lord. By the time I finished we were both in our pajamas and sitting on her bed.

“Wait, you're telling me you're Draco's cousin!”

“Mm hmm.”

“And why am I just now finding out about this?”

“Well, I only pieced that together over the break and we haven't exactly had that much time to catch up.”

“Okay, fair. But none of that explains what's going on with you and Hermione.”

“Okay, so before class I told all of this to Susan and Hermione. When I finished my test I caught Hermione daydreaming. She was mumbling what she was thinking, and she was putting our names together and picturing what our wedding dresses would look like.”

“Wait, so she was daydreaming about the two of you getting married?”

I nodded. “And I have to say her choices were like totally spot on.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Well, she decided on Mesdames Lyra and Hermione Black, both of us in dresses, white with violet for me and her in white and pink.”

“Ooo. That sounds pretty. She does have good taste.”

“And then when she was happy with everything she glanced at me and I was blushing, so she knew that I knew.”

“Okay, that completely explains her behavior. I would literally die if any boys knew I was daydreaming about them.”

“Like Draco?” I teased.

“Maybe. And you are his cousin. You could totally put in a good word for me.”

“Yeah, but he doesn't know that yet. And fortunately I am in a relationship and I don't have to worry if Susan knows I'm daydreaming about her.”

“As long as it's her you're daydreaming about.”

I didn't have anything to say; my blush said it for me.

“Ooo is it Miss Hermione Granger you're daydreaming about?”

“No!” My over response and deepening blush betrayed me. Pansy just gave me a look that told me she knows better and she'll get the truth out of me one way or another.

“Well I haven'tbeen daydreaming about her…”

“Then?”

“We kinda had a moment the night Draco and I were attacked.”

“And?”

“Well, I kinda pieced together the fact that she likes me. And then I kinda teased her a bit.”

“You little slag.”

“Hey! It's not like we did anything.”

“But you want to.”

I didn't answer, but judging by Pansy's expression she didn't need me to actually say anything to know what I was thinking.

“Admit it.”

“Okay, fine. Yes I've thought about it.”

“Poor Susan. She'll be heartbroken.” Pansy was being playfully sarcastic with a mock sad face. “Think she'll come to the wedding?”

I rolled my eyes. “Susan doesn't need to know any of this.” I pointed my finger at her. “And it's not like I'm gonna dump Susan for Hermione.”

“You could try both at the same time.”

“And risk it all blowing up and losing my best friend? No thanks.”

Pansy pouted. “I thought I was your best friend.”

“Nope! You're just a girl I share a room with who makes me spill all my best secrets.”

Pansy gasped and threw one of her pillows at me. “Meenie!” In a huff she turned away from me and was sitting cross legged with her arms folded at her waist.

I crawled across her bed and gave her a tight hug. “You know I love you. You're more than just a best friend. You're like my sister. A sister that I really, really like.” I was squeezing tighter with every word.

“Okay, okay. I forgive you. And it's getting hard to breathe.”

I gave her one last squeeze before letting go which got a small yelp from her.

Pansy turned back around. “Do you ever wish you had a sibling?”

“Considering my mum's in Azkaban and my Dark Lord father is trying to resurrect himself, no.”

Pansy's jaw dropped. “What!?”