swimming home {{ Lyra&Liam }}

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

"Way down, I've been way down. Underneath this skin, waiting to hear my name again. I'm sorry, nothing can hold me. I adore you still, but I hear them calling. And nothing can hold me..."

Lyra heard the Hogwarts clock tower strike out the time; one solitary strike, for 1am. She sat up in bed, trying her best to stay quiet. She couldn't sleep, and this close to the full moon that was the norm. The moon would be full in three nights time, and on that night Lyra would undergo the immensely painful transformation into a Werewolf. She shuddered slightly at the thought, dreading it as always. This close to the full moon Lyra felt restless, as though she were itching under her skin. She had already decided that day that if she couldn't sleep she wasn't just going to stay in bed.

Lyra loved to be outdoors, and loved the feel of fresh air on her skin. And perhaps the wolf in her did too, because the closer it got to the full moon the more demanding that love became. Lyra stood, and dressed very quietly, in a pair of mid-wash skinny jeans, an oversized black jumper, and black boots. It would be cool out, but she didn't want to wrap up too warmly; she wanted to be able to feel the cool breeze. She tied her hair into a low, loose ponytail, which came over one shoulder, allowing strands of her brown hair to fall around her shoulders.

Quietly, Lyra left the dormitories, and then the Gryffindor common room. She walked silently though the dark, deserted halls, sparing a thought for her twin brother Eadric, and what he would say if he knew she was wandering the halls alone at night. Lyra wouldn't tell him, because he would only fret and fuss, and they might even fall out over it, and she didn't want that. Eadric knew better than anyone that telling her not to do something was the surest way of making her do it, but sometimes that didn't stop him from speaking anyway.

And besides, Lyra wasn't going to go to the forest. During the middle of the night it would be teaming with creatures, not all of them friendly- some of them down right dangerous. And although during the full moon Lyra joined the ranks of some of the most dangerous magical creatures in existence, every other night she was a small, wide eyed girl of sixteen.

Lyra didn't go to the front doors. She knew they would be locked. Security had lessened since the end of the war, but not quiet that much. Instead she went to a ground floor corridor, with black framed glass windows, overlooking the Hogwarts courtyard. She started testing each one in turn, and smiled with satisfaction as she found one of them to be open. She pushed it wide, and climbed onto the windowsill, climbing out of the castle and into the night, with wolf-like agility.

Once outside, Lyra breathed in the scent of the night air. Her senses were slightly heightened this close to the full moon, and she could smell so much more than she usually could. Begrudgingly, she acknowledged to herself that sometimes there were some small parts of being a Werewolf that were possibly not so terrible.

She took a couple of steps, her feet crunching slightly on the gravel, then froze. She sensed, rather than saw or heard, the presence of someone else near by. But who else would be out at this time? It was always possible, of course, that Eadric had woken and followed her, though that would be an odd coincidence. And besides, Eadric would have said something before now, before Lyra ventured outside of the castle walls. "Who's there?" she asked, commandingly, although silently hoping it wasn't a teacher, who would most likely give her detention for being out of bed and be angry at her petulant tone.

~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

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[LIAM JOSEPH WARD]

Sometimes sleep just isn’t in the cards, and for Liam Ward it seemed that those nights were hardly ever his fault. Before his return to school he promised both his mother and himself that he’d take care of Sophia, Aeryn, and Brandon the best he could, and it turned out that that was surprisingly harder than his mother had made it seem for all the years she’d had them. The four siblings dealt with the death of their father in very different ways. Liam was plagued by nightmares which contorted his father’s death into a gruesome, terrible thing. Liam knew it was likely swift, and he hoped there was no pain, but in his dreams… nightmares the process turned into something ugly and foul. Still, he pushed the nightmares aside, not allowing it to affect his day to day. He would sort through his grief on his own time, or perhaps that’s what the nightmares were doing for him, even though he couldn’t quite place it. Brandon and Sophia were relatively quiet about how they dealt with their father’s death, even while they were at home. They were in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff respectively, so it was a bit harder to check up on them, but Liam still made sure he did. Whenever he saw them in the halls he’d flash them a smile, or if one of them looked a little out-of-place or emotional he’d pull them aside to make sure that they were alright. And then there was Aeryn. She was so unlike Liam in so many ways, and yet in some ways she was exactly like him.

She dealt with their father’s death by crying, screaming – the usual ways people dealt with death, really. But when she was feeling particularly sad or upset, which was often in the past four months, she liked to go outside, explore. She said being outside made her feel closer to their father, wherever he was. Liam didn’t question what made her feel that way, he just took her outside whenever he could – when she couldn’t take herself, that is. On this particular night he made a deal with her that they’d go out rather late, since Aeryn didn’t want to go outside when there would be other people. They’d ventured outside at about midnight, sneaking out of a window on the ground floor that Brandon had once told them about. Aeryn ventured around for a while before she headed inside, him giving her a boost up. He wasn’t afraid of getting caught, really. I mean, yes, he’d be in ridiculous trouble, but it’d be worth it, so long as Aeryn didn’t get caught. If he’d gotten them both in trouble he’d really not be happy with himself. But, by now Aeryn was safe back in the Gryffindor Common Room, while he remained outside, basking in the cool, crisp night air.

He’d always been fond of nature, and being outside, especially when the night was as quiet as this one. There was a slight breeze, but the stars were somewhat clear and the night was filled with a deafening silence that Liam quite enjoyed. If he were sleeping he’d likely just have the same nightmare about his father, and he figured this was a much more enjoyable way to spend his time, even if he should be sleeping. He inhaled deeply, holding it in for a few seconds as his eyes drifted toward the stars. He exhaled, wondering if his father was up there. If he was, would he be proud of what he saw? Would he be proud of what Liam was doing? He was so lost in thought that he hadn’t even realized anyone was joining him outside until they landed just a few feet in front of him. It was… surprisingly graceful for jumping out a window, and Liam watched as she took a few steps into the night, her shoes crunching slightly against the ground. Then she asked who was there, and his brows knitted in confusion. He’d barely moved… how could she? She seemed slightly annoyed, or perhaps she was caught off-guard and momentarily frightened. In either case there was no point in hiding anymore. He took a few steps away from where he’d been leaning against the castle.

”Liam. Liam Ward,” he said loudly enough to announce his presence, but still relatively quiet. He took a few strides toward her and easily found himself by her side. He didn’t like to speak to people’s backs, so he made it habit to at least be facing the same direction as the people he spoke with. He held out a hand for her to shake, a bit unsure of whether or not she’d take it. ”I hadn’t meant to frighten you, if I did.” He wanted to ask her name, but at this point there was no real way to go about it tactfully, and since the girl already seemed annoyed or frightened he didn't want make it any worse by being rude on top of it, even though he hadn't really done anything wrong to begin with, really.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra was tense, waiting for a reply, sure that someone was there. She hadn't heard anything, but her senses had never let her down before, this close to the full moon. It was unnerving, but at least she wasn't in danger of being ambushed by someone hiding in the shadows.

She thought of Eadric, and how he would feel about this situation, and the potential danger of it. Lyra was sure it was nothing, but Eadric wouldn't be sure until he made sure. Despite herself, Lyra was enjoying the freedom of being able to take some small risks. Some people might think that being a Werewolf and changing every full moon was enough danger for anyone to be doing with, but that was completely outside of her control. Sneaking out of bed and out of the castle in the middle of the night was something she decided to do herself.

Lyra heard a voice to her left, and turned to see a boy walking towards her ('Liam, Liam Ward', as he had said his name was). Once he stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight, Lyra could see that he was tall, almost as tall as Eadric, with broad shoulders and reddish brown hair. Lyra didn't recognise him, but that was normal for her. She didn't have the most active social life, for obvious reasons. But his height and the stubble on his chin made her think that he was older, a sixth or seventh year. She knew he wasn't a Ravenclaw. Lyra could see almost perfectly in the moonlight, but she wondered if he could. She wondered if he would recognise her as the 'Werewolf girl'.

"I wasn't frightened." she said, slightly indignant. She wasn't some scared little girl, hiding in the shadows. Lyra took Liam's outstretched hand, thinking that he was oddly polite. "I'm Lyra. Lyra Avery," she said, not being able to resist teasing him ever so slightly for his formal introduction. She wanted to ask him what he was doing out of the castle at this hour, but considering she was out herself she didn't really feel like she had the right. She didn't have the monopoly of late night wanderings. And besides, if she did ask then he would be perfectly within his rights to ask her why she was up. And what would she say to that? 'I'm a Werewolf, and I can't sleep this close to the full moon'?.

She reached a hand up to her ponytail and played with it absent-mindedly for a moment, before catching herself doing it, and stopping. Lyra had a habit of playing with her hair, but she knew it could make her look childish. She was slightly worried that Liam would recognise her as the Werewolf, and whether or not he believed the rumours, he might not want to speak to her any more. She didn't care if he left for any other reason- she didn't even know him- but she hated when people treated her differently because of her 'condition' (or at least what they suspected was her condition). Sometimes she thought it would be easier just to say yes, she was a Werewolf, and then at least she wouldn't have to pretend, and stop playing all their stupid games. Everyone already believed the rumours anyway.

[LIAM JOSEPH WARD]

The girl before him said she wasn't frightened, and the tone of her voice told him that she was indignant about the fact that he'd assumed such things. He let it go with a simple breath before she turned to face him and placed her hand in his. He shook her hand once, allowing his eyes to fall upon her face. She was... well frankly she was adorable. The moonlight shone down on her face, and he could only partially make out her features, but from what he saw - she was certainly attractive. There was something familiar looking about her but he couldn't quite place it. He shook her hand once before releasing it and letting his hands fall to his side, turning to face the courtyard once more. She introduced herself as Lyra, a pretty name to match a pretty face, but the mocking tone in her voice couldn't be missed, and Liam found himself smirking.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Lyra Avery," he said with a smile on his face and a quirk to his voice. He knew what she was playing at. He'd been a little too formal, but he figured it was better to observe courtesies than to simply be rude. Clearly this girl wasn't in the mood for courtesies or politeness, so he'd no longer bother with them. He watched as she began playing with her ponytail, but only allowed it to go on for no more than a second before she stopped. Nervous habit, perhaps? His eyes drifted from her face back to the expanse of the courtyard in front of them. The smell of the cool, crisp air was one that he'd missed. Sometimes the summer heat became unbearable. He was very much a winter person.

He glanced back toward the girl who was next to him with a smile. "So.. what brings you out of the castle so late at night?" He brought a hand up to his hair and and twirled one of his curls in his hair before tilting his head to the side and grinning down at her. If she could tease people she'd just met than so could he. The answer to his question wasn't wasn't really any of his business, but she'd called him out on being there and it would be a bit odd for him to just introduce himself and then walk away. Well, he could, but he didn't want to, really. This girl intrigued him. She was quiet and pretty. She seemed... well she seemed different from the rest of the girls he'd encountered at Hogwarts. Well, in Gryffindor, at least, which led him to believe that she wasn't a Gryffindor. In fact, he was almost sure of it. His eyes focused on her face once more as he tried to place what house she was in. She looked so... familiar, but he was sure he'd never met her before.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra almost held her breath as he shook her hand, and looked into her face. She knew that most people who knew of the rumours knew the name to go along with it, but not everyone. Sometimes they're friends just pointed and whispered to them, 'that's the Werewolf', or otherwise she was talked about as the 'Werewolf girl'. Like she had lost her person-hood to the rumours.

But Liam didn't drop her hand in disgust when he heard her name or looked into her face, and he didn't say anything. He didn't leave, either, so Lyra thought that either he hadn't heard the rumours, or he didn't care. But maybe that was just wishful thinking. It was much more likely that he hadn't made the connection yet.

He seemed to size her up, and so she did the same. His eyes were kind, and a bright blue colour, similar to Lyra's own. His hair was curly, and Lyra watched slightly amused as he played with a curl, and then let it drop. She didn't see boys do that often, although her brother often ran his hand through his hair when he was frustrated, or angry (which often went hand in hand). But the way Liam did it was much more relaxed, and it mirrored her own habit of playing with her ponytail.

And then Liam asked what she was doing out of the castle so late, and Lyra frowned ever so slightly. It's not that she really minded him asking all that much, but she wasn't quite sure what to say. After all, she hadn't asked him what he was doing out specifically so she could avoid this question. But she supposed it was inevitable that he would ask.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said, without checking her tone. 'Merlin, Lyra,' she thought 'maybe you don't have any friends because you're rude, not because you're a blood Werewolf'. She tried to relax, and spoke again in a slightly less petulant tone; "I couldn't sleep." She wished she could give a more interesting and less generic answer, and she did have one to give, but if Liam didn't know she was a Werewolf she didn't want to tell him. Not that she was ashamed of who she was, but it was nice to have a normal conversation with someone who wasn't either her brother or her cousin.

"What about you? What are you doing out?" she asked, thinking that she may as well, since she'd already had to answer the same question anyway. Lyra didn't like just standing still like this, the two of them talking and not sure where to look, or where to put their hands. "I was actually going to go for a walk..." she said, taking a couple of steps backwards away from Liam, still looking at him as she spoke, hoping that he would hear the invitation in her voice. She wouldn't mind so terribly if he joined her.

[LIAM JOSEPH WARD]

Liam smirked as she said that she could ask him the same thing, and he glanced toward her, his brows raised as if to say 'then why hadn't you?' But Lyra's attitude quickly softened as she explained that she couldn't sleep. At her answer he felt slightly bad though he wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was because it was out there of his own accord. He was happy to be out there, in fact. Usually when someone couldn't sleep it was because something was weighing on their mind, but he knew asking her much more about that would probably be pushing it too far, especially with her reaction to the question in the first place. Still, he kept the question in the back of his mind. Perhaps he'd get a chance to ask her later.

And then it was her turn to ask him what he was doing out of bed. It was a much more...unique answer than simply the fact that he couldn't sleep, even though he knew if he tried he'd likely just be plagued by nightmares. He looked at her, a grin automatically forming on his face at the thought of Aeryn and her headstrong need to sneak out at night, to get away from the castle. She was always complaining about how she felt cooped up. Whether she meant physically or cooped up in her grief Liam was unsure, but the answer didn't matter. He knew he would bring her out there every single time without complain.

"Well, actually... One of my sisters, Aeryn. I brought her out here so she could go explore a little. She's been upset since the war and she says that getting outside helps calm her down," he said with a small smile. Sometimes Aeryn was more like him than he liked to admit, and of his siblings he was probably closest to her, if for no other reason than the fact that they were in the same house, and shared many of the same traits. Still, he loved each of his siblings the same. Aeryn was just more... accessible than Sophia and Brandon. Lyra moved away from him then, and he was slightly confused. Perhaps she'd grown tired of his company, or restless in general. At her mention that she was going on a walk, he nodded. There was a small hint of invitation in her voice and for a moment he wondered whether or not she actually wanted company or if she was just being… polite. He smirked at the thought. She didn’t seem very polite thus far, not that Liam minded. He found it amusing, really.

He took a few steps and easily fell into step alongside her. He didn’t think she’d mind if he joined her, and if she did. Well, he’d leave her alone if that’s what she wanted. He looked down toward her, his eyes looking at her face again. ”So where are we walking to?” he asked as he looked ahead of them once more, unsure of their destination. He didn’t mind just walking for walking’s sake, he was just wondering if she had a particular destination in mind. The way she handled herself outdoors… she seemed to know where she was going, like she went for walks a lot. Perhaps she had a pattern she followed? Perhaps not. Perhaps he was reading things completely wrong, too.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra simply nodded as Liam told her about his sister, how she'd been upset since the war, and how he had taken her out. The way he talked made her assume that it was a little sister, and she understood perfectly. She didn't ask why his sister had been upset. She knew that a lot of people were shaken up because of the war. A lot of people had dead or severely injured family members. A lot of people had fought in the war, and although they came out unscathed they bore a different kind of scar. Lyra hadn't been there for the fighting, and neither had Eadric. She hadn't wanted to go, but Eadric had made her. She could tell that he wanted to stay too, but his main priority was making Lyra safe, and if he stayed there would be no one to do that. And besides, they were both extremely confused about where their loyalties lay. Because how could they chose between their school, their classmates and teachers, essentially their home, and their father? How could they objectively make the decision about what was right and what was wrong, when their father had clearly picked a side. Deep down they had both known that the Death Eaters were wrong, evil, needed to be wiped out, but when your own dad was one of them it became much more complicated then that.

Not to mention the fact that Fenir Greyback, the Werewolf who had bitten Lyra, was in the midst of the battle. So Lyra didn't ask any further questions about Liam's sister's reaction to the battle. But she understood the brotherly way he took care of her, because she experienced that every day. "I have a brother," she said, thinking that if Liam didn't know about her being a Werewolf then he wouldn't know anything about her. "Not an older brother, a twin. Eadric." She wondered for a moment if mentioning Eadric's name would trigger a memory for him, some time when he'd heard of someone beaten to a pulp by Eadric Avery for going after his Werewolf sister. But she realised too late, and she couldn't take back mentioning Eadric's name. Although if seeing her face and hearing her own name didn't trigger a memory of the rumours, then the memory may not be there at all. And besides, Lyra wouldn't disown Eadric for anything.

Liam fell into step next to her, and as he did so Lyra turned around, so she was walking forwards with Liam on her left. He asked where they were walking to, and she shrugged. "No where in particular," she said, thinking of wandering down across the lawns, maybe by the lake. They would steer clear of the forest, that was for sure. "Either way, its probably a good idea not to stand within sight of the castle windows." If any teachers were on patrol then they could easily be spotted, especially standing in the moonlight.

Lyra looked up at the moon. It was partially covered in cloud, but still Lyra could see that it was almost full, and her heart sank. Three more nights, then she'd undergo the change. The two of them walked out of the shadow of the castle walls, and Lyra looked to see the Whomping Willow in the distance.

She put a hand to her ponytail again, and touched it absent-mindedly. "What house are you in?" she asked Liam, by means of a distraction, and also because she wanted to know. "I know you're not a Ravenclaw." Neither of them were in school robes, so their houses weren't made obvious, and you could tell a lot about someone by their house. She looked up at him; something about his eyes made her think he wouldn't be in Slytherin.

Lyra was no longer looking up at the moon, but she still felt it as the clouds shifted, leaving the moon completely bare. It shone down on her with full force, giant and white and with God-like influence over her life, and she shivered as she felt her skin prickle, as though itching to grow a pelt. She hoped Liam didn't notice, because even without knowing she was a Werewolf he could still think her a freak.

She glanced at him, and then away again, not wanting to look like anything out of the ordinary had happened. Lyra spared a thought for how odd it was that the two of them should meet in the middle of the night, both out of bed, both out of the castle. It seemed like something she wouldn't be quite sure of in the morning.

[LIAM JOSEPH WARD]

Lyra mentioned having a brother, a twin brother at that. Eadric. Twins. That was interesting. At the mention of his name, though, a memory sparked in his head. Aeryn talked about Eadric all the time. Aeryn was undoubtedly the gossiper in their family.

‘That Eadric boy beat up another boy today for saying his sister is a werewolf,’ his younger sister said. At the time he had laughed it off. He didn’t think fighting people would do much help to quell rumors. Sure you could try and intimidate people into not talking, but they still would. But Liam’s thoughts weren’t so much focused on how her brother reacted so much as they were on the fact that Lyra may or may not be a Werewolf. Well, that was certainly interesting. A smile played across his face at the realization, Aeryn still in his thoughts. He could just imagine all of her questions, none of which would be appropriate or very nice.

‘Was she nice? Did she drool? Did she act like a wolf? Did you ask her all about it?’ Aeryn certainly was definitely the boldest child of the family. Most of the time she lacked manners and grace completely, the polar opposite of Sophia, who was born a lady to the very end. She hated dirt and mud and almost everything that wasn’t pretty and frilly. Aeryn loved to get dirty, but her lack of manners definitely needed work. That was one reason he was glad she was in the same house as him. At least there he could keep her mildly under control. He glanced back over to the girl next to him, a genuine smile across his face. So he was in the presence of a Werewolf. How… dangerous? Exciting? Almost thrilling? He felt his heart beat the slightest faster at the idea, but ignored. Instead he nodded toward her, to show that he had been listening about Eadric.

”I’ve got two little sisters, Aeryn and Sophia. And a little brother, Brandon,” he said quietly as they began to walk away from the castle. Lyra mentioned that there was no destination in mind, and Liam was fine with that. She said that in either case they should step away from the castle, and Liam smiled. Clever girl. He likel would have just stayed there, gotten caught, but she was right. There was less of a chance of getting caught the further they were from the castle. They walked in silence for a little while before Lyra asked what house he was in, saying he knew she wasn’t in Ravenclaw. He smirked at the question. So she was a Ravenclaw, then. It was doubtful she’d ever met Bran, so he didn’t bother asking if she did. Instead he focused on the question she’d asked.

”What gave it away?” he asked with a smirk, watching as she played with her ponytail before looking at him and then turning away. A soft look of concern laced his eyes, but her eyes continued to focus on the ground, and so his own eyes focused ahead of them where they were walking, wherever that was. ”No, I’m a Gryffindor. Sixth year. What year are you?” he said with a smile as his eyes focused on her again. He was raised to look at someone when you’re speaking to them, and even though they were walking it was a habit he had a hard time breaking. He allowed the silence to linger for a moment before his thoughts wandered back to Eadric the bully. Well, that wasn’t fair. He was defending his sister, and he knew if anyone made fun of Sophia or Aeryn he would defend them, too. Perhaps just not in the same way. ”Is your bother a Ravenclaw, too?” He was pretty sure the twins were in the same house, but Avery… that was a Slytherin name… a Death Eater name. A sour taste filled his mouth but he swallowed it whole. Children were not their parents, they did not make their parents mistakes. The fact that Lyra was a Ravenclaw seemed to be proof of that very fact. He would forget the baggage her last name carried, if or no other reason than the fact that Lyra didn’t deserve to be bunched in with them – The Death Eaters. She seemed too… sweet, innocent… nonjudgmental.

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[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Liam seemed to go quiet for a moment or two, and Lyra wondered what he was thinking about. If he had figured out that she was a Werewolf, he made no indication of it. She almost wished she could just say it, get it out there so he could either leave in disgust or get on with it. He seemed like a good person, but Lyra knew from experience that even supposedly good people could be influenced by social prejudice. And there was a lot of extreme prejudice surrounding Werewolves. If you're told that something is bad and dangerous all your life, and to stay away, and then your government brings in laws that lower that 'something' to less than a second class citizen, well, its not hard to be lead into that way of thinking. The Werewolf laws were being appealed, but not soon enough for Lyra's taste.

And besides, just getting rid of the hateful laws wouldn't get rid of the prejudice.

Then Liam carried on speaking, about his sisters and his brother. He had quite a big family, then. It was just Lyra, Eadric and their mother now. When they were younger Theo used to come around all the time, but since the incident with his mother's death he hadn't been to their house. And when their father had been killed in the battle the house had felt even emptier still. Lyra felt sorry for her mother, alone in that house now that she and Eadric had gone away to Hogwarts.

Lyra nodded as Liam said he was in Gryffindor. "I thought you might be," she said. She had ruled out Ravenclaw, because she'd have seen him in the common room, and he was definitely not a Slytherin. That only left Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, and one had definitely seemed more likely than the other. And he was a sixth year; she had been right there, too. "Yes," Lyra said, smiling as Liam asked if her brother was in Ravenclaw too. She had always been glad that she and Eadric had been put in the same house. "We're the first in our family..." She had been about to mention that her family had a Slytherin tradition, but then she stopped herself. Slytherin was synonymous with Death Eater these days, and it was true her father had been a Death Eater, along with some other relations. Most Gryffindors hated Slytherins and Death Eaters on principle. If Liam found out that she was a Werewolf and came from a line of Voldemort affiliated Slytherins, he might just run for the hills.

"I'm sorry," she said, stopping suddenly. They had been walking for a little while now, and had made it to the lake. The moonlight bounced off its reflective surface, as though it was following her, as though reminding her that she wasn't human, that she had this burden, this secret. The more she thought about whether or not Liam knew she was a Werewolf, and how he would react when he found out, was building up a terrible tension inside of her. And the idea that he might dislike her for her family only added to that. She couldn't handle the suspense any more, and she'd rather just get it over with now than have it drag on, especially if there was a bad outcome. She fiddled with her ponytail, looking at him.

Lyra had thought that she would very much enjoy being able to speak with someone without them knowing she was a Werewolf, and without them knowing the rumours. But she realised now that what she had really wanted was to just be normal, to not be a Werewolf at all. And that was never going to happen. This pretend, this make-believe, it made her feel like she wasn't herself. "I can't do this... its just... you haven't asked."

She didn't know if he would know what she meant, but she suspected that he would. She had been deluding herself that he might not have heard the rumours. And if he really hadn't, then she'd tell him herself. The games, the pretending and the wondering, were just killing her.

[LIAM JOSEPH WARD]

They continued their walk at a relatively slow, relaxed pace, continuing their talk of family and houses. It was nice. Liam hadn't really gotten to know anyone in awhile because he rarely spoke up very much. He wasn't a social butterfly. Rather, he would wait for someone to approach him. He'd always speak if spoken to, but he rarely started a conversation. Perhaps if he'd been a more social person he would have approached Lyra first. But he wasn't a social person ad he was okay with that. He was thankful that she called him out back there by the castle, though. He rather enjoyed walking, talking like this. It was simple, stress-free. Well, relatively speaking. There was the fact that she might be a werewolf, but that didn't matter much to Liam. She was a nice girl, an adorable girl - that was what mattered to Liam.

Lyra said she thought he might by in Gryffindor and he let out a soft chuckle before grinning. He wouldn't have pegged her for a Ravenclaw right away. She wasn't a Gryffindor and definitely not a Slytherin which meant she was either a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw. He would have figured it out eventually, but he wasn't so certain. She seemed certain that he was a Gryffindor before she even said it. Not that he minded, he was more than happy that he exuded the qualities of his house. He was proud of the man he was, so the fact that she knew he was a Gryffindor was nothing but a compliment. Lyra seemed happy that he'd asked about her brother, which in turn had him softly smile in her direction. So they were twins in th same house. He supposed that made sense. It seemed like twins were either incredibly similar and would end up in the same house or... well, incredibly different. She mentioned that they were the first in the family, and he nodded in understanding.

"I thought so," he said. He knew that Avery was a Death Eater name. His father, when he was alive, talked about Death Eaters all the time. Avery, Nott, Malfoys. The names were ingrained in his head, and he knew he'd never forget them. They were the people who took his father's life. How could you ever forget their names? Still, he would not judge Lyra for his parents mistakes. Judging from the fact that she was in Ravenclaw told him that perhaps they'd raised their children to be different despite their prior decisions. It was true that people could learn from their mistakes. Perhaps the Averys were proof of that. Even if they weren't, Liam still refused to judge her by her parents. She was a good person, even if her parents weren't.

And then she stopped walking suddenly, apologizing. His brows knitted together lightly in concern as he stopped next to her, turning to face her. She said she couldn't do this and he was immediately perplexed. She'd seemed quite fine a second ago... and then the words left her lips and he understood. He hadn't asked her about her about her condition, about being a werewolf. He smiled gently at her, shaking his head as he placed a comforting hand gently on her shoulder, hoping she wouldn't jerk away.

"You've nothing to apologize for, Lyra," he began, his blue eyes meeting her own which almost matched his in both color and vibrancy. "It doesn't matter to me whether you're a werewolf for not." The words came out carefully, but they still sounded a little blunt for his liking, so he tried his best to make up for his mistake, his eyes remaining focused on hers. He paused for a second, a bit unsure of what to say next. He'd never spoken to a Werewolf before, and the fact that she said he hadn't asked probably meant that she was a Werewolf. The idea brought a small smile to his face. It fascinated him, though he knew the transformation was a terribly painful one. And he knew taht in order for her to be a Werewolf she'd have to have been bitten. That couldn't have been pleasant. " What I mean is...Your condition, whether it's real or not, doesn't affect my opinion of you." There, that was a much better way of phrasing things. He was much more satisfied with that answer. For a moment he considered that her playing with her ponytail had actually been a nervous habit. Had she been nervous about what he'd been thinking? Surely, that must have been it. It couldn't have been easy... Aeryn talked all the time about how the Werewolf girl had no friends. Merlin, Aeryn had absolutely no tact, did she? He made a mental note to talk to her about that sometime, but his eyes continued to search Lyra's face for any kind of reaction to his words. He knew it was the opposite of the way that most people reacted, and he knew that Werewolves were dangerous... but Lyra, in her current state, wasn't a Werewolf. She was a human, and Liam wouldn't treat her as anything less because of something that probably happened to her by some kind of freak accident. That would be like getting angry with his brother Brandon whenever he fell out of a tree.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra had a defiant look on her face as she confronted Liam about his not asking her about being a Werewolf. She expected him to leave, or insult her, or be disgusted, or even pity her. Whatever his reaction, she wanted to be ready. She had heard it all, and he could give her his worst, but no matter what he said she wasn't going to be ashamed. She hated being a Werewolf, but she didn't believe the propaganda about her 'kind'. She knew she wasn't bad, or evil. And if she had to face a painful transformation each month, and the disdain of her peers and the law, then she would at least do it with her head held high.

But Liam surprised her to no end. He came over to her, and put his hand on her shoulder. Lyra looked at his hand in surprise, but didn't pull away. No one outside of her family ever touched her, or hugged her, or anything. No one wanted to get near the Werewolf. She looked back into his eyes as he spoke again, telling her that it didn't matter to him whether or not she was a Werewolf.

"I wasn't apologising for being... being a Werewolf." She had never said the word to anyone outside of her family. But she wanted to set the record straight. She wouldn't have him thinking that she thought he was better than her, that she thought she needed to apologise for who she was to be around him. "I was apologising for not being able to pretend we didn't both know the truth. I knew you must have heard the rumours."

She frowned ever so slightly as he said it didn't matter, whether it was real or not. "You think its make-believe?" she said, slightly irritated as he seemed to display a similar attitude as Theo; her cousin had a habit of taking very serious things too lightly. It mattered a great deal to Lyra whether it was 'real' or not. And it was real, completely. Sometimes it felt like the realest thing in her life.

But then Lyra realised that this was the first person she had admitted to being a Werewolf to, outside of her family, and this was the first person who didn't run away in horror, or treat her like she wasn't human. And if anything all she was doing was pushing him away. She looked down, unable to continue meeting his gaze, intense as it was. "I'm glad you don't care," she said, quietly, not really needing to speak loudly as he was standing right in front of her.

[LIAM JOSEPH WARD]

Lyra said she wasn't apologizing for being a Werewolf, and Liam nodded his head only once, slowly. He wasn't sure what she'd been apologizing for, he just wanted to let her know that no apology was needed at all, but he supposed his following sentence had rather set it up to insinuate that that's what he meant. She restated what she was actually apologizing for, and he nodded again, even though it wasn't necessary because, as he'd stated, it didn't matter. She seemed to be relieved by the fact that it was all out in the open, though, and he was thankful for that. He never put much stock in rumors anyway. Of course he’d heard them, but he wouldn’t believe them. People started new rumors every day. Look at The Underground. He read it, sure, and it interested him mildly, but he refused to believe anything written in it unless he heard it for himself. And in this case, he had heard it for himself. So, Lyra Avery was a Werewolf.

Liam was thankful Lyra didn't pull away from him, despite how much her next words seemed like she might have wanted to. He knitted his brows together as she asked if he thought it was make believe. Of course he didn’t think it was make-believe! He immediately began shaking his head.

"No... no," he said, at first his voice was the slightest bit louder than it needed to be because he wanted to get the point across. "I didn't know whether the rumors were true or not, is what I meant..." he said, allowing his words to hang in the air. He’d meant no offense, and he’d never treat a condition as serious as hers as anything other than what it is. He was a very face-value person, and Lyra Avery was a Werewolf, but until that very moment, he’d had no idea. He inhaled once and held it in for a few seconds as her eyes fell to the ground. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking, and he only hoped that it wasn’t anything bad. He’d hoped he hadn’t hurt or offended her. She was a nice girl, the last thing he’d want is for her to group him among the rest of the students who treated her unfairly. But then she muttered something quietly, and the words brought the smile back onto his face.

”Anyone who does care isn’t worth your time, Lyra,” he said almost barely above a whisper, but he meant it. The students who treated her differently because of what had happened… they didn’t deserve the time of someone who seemed so kind. He moved his hand from his shoulder and allowed it to play lightly with her ponytail, like he’d seen her do so many times tonight. ”Thank you for telling me… I'm glad you you trust me enough to tell me…” he’d only met Lyra not but an hou ago at the most, but he was so comfortable around her, it was almost like they knew each other for a long time. Perhaps she felt that way too, and that’s why she told him the truth. Or perhaps she just knew he wouldn’t tell anyone. He could tell Aeryn that he’d hung out with the supposed Werewolf. She would ask all kinds of questions, but he would avoid every one with skill.

”And I promise I won’t tell anyone,” it was almost like the words didn’t need to be said, but he said them anyway, to assure her. He let his hand rest back on her shoulder, and he smiled softly down at her. He knew that talking about her condition probably wasn’t something she often did, let alone with someone she’d just met. He wanted her to know that her secret was safe… that she was safe with him. Even if it was only for this short little while, he wanted her to know that she didn’t have to hide who she was. She could be free, and he would keep her secrets safe.

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[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra looked back up at Liam as his hand moved from resting on her shoulder to playing with her ponytail, just like she had been doing throughout the night. It was a very intimate gesture, and it seemed strange that they had only just met, but it felt nice. Lyra listened carefully to his words, looking for any hint of sarcasm or insincerity.

He said that anyone who cared about her being a Werewolf wasn't worth her time, and she smiled slightly. "That's what my brother says." Eadric always said that, that those people just weren't worth it. But then he went and got in fights with them, which didn't seem to Lyra like they 'weren't worth it'.

Liam said that he could trust her, and that he wouldn't tell anyone. She was glad, although time would tell. But she had trusted him with the secret, after all. She would hate it if someone she had told about being a Werewolf went and confirmed all of the rumours. Then she wouldn't just be the 'Werewolf', she would be the Werewolf who'd been stabbed in the back by someone she trusted. Because who would want to be friends with a Werewolf? That, in Lyra's mind, would just confirm what everyone thought about Werewolves; that nobody wanted to be around them.

Liam put his hand back on her shoulder, and looked down at her, smiling softly. Lyra was aware of how close he was. No one ever got this close to her, especially not a boy. Of course, he was just a friend (were they even friends?) but she still found herself feeling nervous. "Thanks," she said, her voice quiet, and she smiled up at him nervously. Eadric would often put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, or her arm, or even mess with her hair, and he was taller than her, like Liam was, so he looked down at her as Liam was doing now. But this was very different. She didn't know if she should step away, and continue their walk. Maybe that was what he was waiting for?

[LIAM JOSEPH WARD]

Liam was glad when his words brought a smile back to the younger girl's face. She'd seemed so upset only a few seconds ago, and he was thankful he averted a disaster. She brought up her brother again and Liam smiled himself. So that was something he and Eadric could agree on. He knew nothing about what her brother was like, but if he was anything liek her Liam thought they'd get along well. They shared the same view on Lyra's condition which, from the way that Eadric battled a lot of boys a few years ago, was probably the steepest hurdle to overcome. But... who said he would ever meet her brother, again? He pushed the thoughts aside as Lyra smiled up at him, thanking him.

”You don’t have to thank me,” he said with a smile before he finally lifted his hand from her shoulder and let it drop back to his side. ”But you’re welcome.” Really, she had no reason to be thanking him. Maybe if more people were half-decent and looked beyond fear, beyond stereotypes, and just… got to know everyone, no matter their history or current status than Lyra wouldn’t have to thank someone for treating her like a human being, like she deserved to be treated. Maybe if more people just got to know her they’d see what a wonderful person she seemed to be. Okay, perhaps wonderful was strong… but she certainly wasn’t a bad person like everyone believed her to be.

He turned to face forward again, and had been about His eyes wandered to the lake that was reflecting the surface of the moon. It was… it was almost full. He stared at the bright, pale object shimmering in the water for a few seconds lost in thought. It was so close to the full moon… was that why she couldn’t sleep? He’d never ask the question aloud, he already knew the answer. He glanced back to her, a small smile on his face.

“Wanna keep walking?” he asked with a small smile, gesturing in front of them.

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[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra felt happier than she had in a long time. It was such a good feeling, to be able to talk to someone about being a Werewolf without having to worry about them running for the hills, or treating her like rubbish. It made her feel more connected to the world, having one person who didn't think she was a freak, and would talk to her (outside of her family, that is). She couldn't help the slight smile on her face.

And then Liam looked up at the moon, and she started to worry again. Was he thinking about how in a few days she would transform into a wolf? Or did he think that she would be dangerous this close to the full moon? Lyra knew that Werewolves could be dangerous even when it wasn't the full moon; Fenir Greyback, the wolf that had bitten her, had garnered a reputation for attacking and biting people even when it wasn't the full moon. Lyra hadn't heard of anyone who had changed into a Werewolf from one of these bites, but then again they would probably want to keep that quiet. But she did know that many of them underwent personality changes, and gained some wolfish tendencies. Lyra didn't know if her bite got more dangerous the closer it got to the full moon, but she suspected that might be the case. Her other Werewolf qualities were certainly amplified nearer the full moon. The heightened senses, the craving for rare meat, not to mention the feel of the impending change.

But Liam only looked at up at the moon for a moment, before he turned back to her and asked if she wanted to continue walking. "Sure," she said, smiling, and started to walk as they had been
before. She felt much better this time around, now that everything was out in the open. As exasperated as she sometimes got with Eadric protecting her, she had to admit sometimes that he protected herself, too; she hadn't wanted to spend time with Liam, only to have him find out later that she was a Werewolf, and want nothing to do with her.

"What about you?" She asked him, after a moment of walking, "Do you have any deep, dark secrets?" She had shared something with him, after all. She had trusted him, so he should trust her too.