She Wolf ;; Lyra Eadric && Theo

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins. I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed. I can't go on like this, I loathe all I've become...

Lyra was crouching on the leaf and twig strewn floor of the Forbidden Forest. One knee was bent up, and she was resting her chin on it. It was early in the morning, before lessons. The sun had almost completely risen, but there was still a chill to the air. September was coming in cold, and Lyra was wearing a dark blue jumper, with a black scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun.

A mist hung over the Hogwarts grounds, and everything was covered in sparkling dew. Lyra loved the peaceful feel of this time of the day. She allowed herself to be very still, so much so it was almost animalistic. Her large blue eyes were trained on a beautiful sight, a few metres in front of her; a silver unicorn. He was young, having turned from gold to silver, but not yet turned pure white and grown a horn. Lyra put him at about two years old. She just watched, not trying to get any closer, although she knew she may be able to. Younger Unicorns were much more trusting, and all Unicorns preferred girls to boys. But it was getting close to the full moon, and Lyra didn't want to risk it.

Being a Werewolf didn't just affect Lyra at the full moon, when she would have to undergo a painful and traumatising transformation. She had to drink the terrible tasting Wolfsbane potion throughout the month, the frequency of the doses increasing the closer it got to the full moon (and even then, if Lyra forgot to take her potion on the night of the full moon, she would become a full fledged Werewolf, with non of her human mind remaining). The closer it got to the full moon, the more her wolfish traits started to show. At the new moon she was almost normal, but by the time the moon started to wax gibbous her craving for rare meat was at its peak, her senses became keener, and anyone who looked closely enough could see the shadow of a wolf in her eyes.

Most animals weren't perceptive enough to pick up on it, and loved Lyra just the same as they did during the rest of the month. But Unicorns were different; they were highly intelligent, and picked up on things other animals didn't. Lyra thought it would break her heart if she tried to approach the beautiful creature, and scared it away. So she just watched.

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

Theo hadn't been sleeping well since he found out about Daphne and Vivian fighting. He'd yet to see Daphne, which was odd considering how often they themselves together. Perhaps she was avoiding him? That thought brought him little comfort about the entire thing, so he buried the thought in the back of his mind as he made his way outside the castle. Something about being inside had him feeling like he was cooped up, trapped, and he wanted nothing more than to get outside and fly. Alas, the moment he stepped outside the fog was enough of a message to tell him that he wouldn't be flying. Well, he could, he definitely could, but something about the fog made him think that perhaps the forest was a better idea. It was early enough that nobody was really up for lessons yet, and if he got caught the detention he'd got would be served without complaint. He didn't care about getting detentions, really, and th threat wouldn't deter him from venturing further into the woods.

He wandered into the forest a ways before looking up a tree. He grinned to himself and began his climb with ease. They'd not be able to find him if they couldn't see him. Once he reached a branch that he considered high enough he settled himself against the tree trunk, watching the ground below. He saw several animals scurry by before in silence with almost no sounds other than that of his own thoughts within his head. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, trying to actually get some sleep, despite the slight worry of falling out of the tree, but the second his eyes closed he heard a small crunch from beneath him. He looked down in search of the noise, and smirked slightly as he noticed his cousin Lyra. Of the twins, Lyra was the one he got along better with. They’d visited each other during their childhood a bunch, but after his mother passed the visits were less frequent. He watched his cousin, briefly thinking of the rumors that had circulated about her… condition. Even Theo didn’t know if they were true or not, but some part of him assumed that they were.

He watched his cousin, who seemed to be completely intent on watching the baby unicorn before the pair of them. He moved as quietly as he could from the branch he had settled on and began to climb down the tree. He leapt down from the tree, landing behind Lyra with a small thud, a grin on his face. He’d tried to be as quiet as he could, knowing his cousin would probably want to kill him if he scared the unicorn away. Alas, he watched the unicorn’s head pop up. It surveyed the pair of them for only seconds before charging off into the woods.

”You’re up early,” Theo muttered, staring at the spot where the Unicorn had been, moving forward to stand next to Lyra. ”Any particular reason why?” he asked, finally turning to face his younger cousin.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra sensed Theo in the tree as soon as he started to move, and climb down. She stayed still, not wanting to add more to the noise and movement that might scare the Unicorn away. But unfortunately Unicorns were much less trusting of boys, and as Theo landed on the ground with a thud the silver Unicorn turned and fled.

Lyra sighed, but she knew it wasn't Theo's fault. He couldn't help his gender. And besides, he was obviously up in that tree before she got there. Was he supposed to just stay hidden away up there? When the Unicorn left Lyra stood up slowly, and turned to look at her cousin. Hers and Theo's family had spent a lot of time together when they were younger, but after Theo's mother had been killed she had seen less of him. Until she arrived at Hogwarts, that was. But Theo was two years ahead of her, so to him she was practically a kid. She got the impression that he didn't like her brother so much, but as long as the two of them got along okay that wasn't a problem for Lyra. Her brother could take care of himself, but if the two started going for each others throats there were no doubt of who she'd side with.

She shrugged as Theo asked her why she was up so early. "I couldn't sleep," she said. Sometimes when it got close to the full moon Lyra would start to get sickly, as though an illness was taking hold. Sometimes it just made her restless, her skin sometimes prickling as though reminding her the frightful change was just around the corner. This was one of those times, and she'd been unable to sleep. "What about you?" She knew Theo liked the outdoors as much as the next person, but he was really more into flying than animals, or a quiet walk. But that was exactly what Lyra had planned for the morning, and she wasn't about to change that now. She started to walk leisurely, hoping Theo would take the hint and fall into step beside her.

"Girl problems?" she asked. Most of Theo's problems seemed to be girl problems. Well, no, that wasn't fair. Theo had had a tough life, with his mother being murdered and everything. Lyra herself knew a thing or two about tough lives. But it was true that Theo did seem to attract trouble when it came to the opposite sex. Lyra hadn't heard anything of the rumours about the supposed Theo/Vivian/Daphne love triangle. Since the rumours about her had started two years ago, no one really told her anything. Lyra had become a Werewolf three years ago, when she was thirteen, and had managed to keep the rumours at bay for a whole year. Now after two years of rumours and regular disappearances on her part (all timed with the full moon), the rumours were all but fact. The student body just seemed to be waiting for proof.

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

The cool morning air surrounded the pair of family members as Lyra mentioned she couldn't sleep. Theo nodded in understanding. Inwardly he wondered why the girl couldn't sleep, but he figured it was something to do with the rumors. Whether they were true or not didn't really matter. Have enough people talk about you and it'll get you to the point where you can't sleep. He shrugged as she asked if he couldn't sleep. He wasn't sure what he could say, really. No, he couldn't sleep, that much was obvious. If he could sleep he wouldn't be wandering around the woods this early, would he? So, he didn't bother speaking.

As Lyra began walking Theo fell into step with her. He wasn't really sure where exactly she planned to go, but he didn't have anything better to do on such a foggy morning. Daphne wouldn't likely be up yet, and he told himself he wouldn't sit around like a lost puppy waiting and hoping to run into her. Sure, he'd found himself inwardly hoping they'd cross paths, and if he sat in the common room long enough he knew he'd run into her, but he wasn't going to stop his life for anyone, and while 'stopping his life' was a little overdramatic for his liking, he wouldn't let himself stop doing the things he enjoyed.

They'd only gotten a few feet before Lyra asked if he was having girl problems, and he let out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with a grin.

"What else is new, Ly?" he asked through a laugh before nodding. "The entire lot of your gender is insane." He let out a sigh before looking ahead to where they were walking. The dark forest was surprisingly soothing this morning. For how many rumors there were forbidding students from entering it didn't seem scary in the slightest. Sure, there were dangerous things, but Theo had no doubts in his ability to defend himself, and Lyra couldn't undoubtedly handle herself. She wouldn't be wandering around the forest if she couldn't.

"What about you? What's keeping you up all night?" he asked before he looked ahead of them once more and slowed in his steps. There was an adult unicorn ahead of them chewing on some leaves on the ground. He figured Lyra could keep walking towards it if she wanted to. She was probably a bit more animal friendly, even with her rumored condition. Theo was never really a person who enjoyed animals very much except for dogs. He'd always had a soft spot for dogs, and dog-like animals. Maybe that was another reason he slightly preferred Lyra ro Eadric. He smirked at the thought before his eyes found the Unicorn again

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[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra laughed slightly as Theo admitted that it was girl problems that had been keeping him up. Lyra was very shrewd, and rarely missed something so obvious. "That's what I thought," she said, smiling up at her cousin. She had seen many girls who had fancied Theo over the years, but he'd never been interested in any of them enough to have them stick around. Lyra wondered what girl it was that was so involved in his life, he was loosing sleep. She grimaced slightly as he said that her gender were all insane. Lyra could be considered insane by some (at certain times of the month, anyway) but she was definitely excluded by her fellow females in most respects.

Lyra could see Theo looking around, checking out the forest for anything that might be dangerous. She smiled slightly. There were plenty of tales of dark and dangerous creatures roaming these woods, but as long as you knew where to go, and what not to do, you would be safe. And Lyra knew the forest like the back of her hand. She was the only dangerous creature in the immediate vicinity.

Even if it wasn't the full moon, Lyra could still be dangerous. If she bit someone and broke the skin, they would be infected with a mild form of Lycanthropy (mostly just a craving for raw meat, and other wolfish tendencies). Lyra was a small, fragile appearing girl, with wide blue eyes, and, very deep down, an innocent nature. The concept of being a danger to others jarred with her sense of self. Lyra hadn't heard of anyone who had been changed by a Werewolf when it wasn't the full moon, but she didn't want to risk it, and the Ministry had very strict rules regarding Werewolf conduct. In fact, the Ministry had very unfair rules regarding Werewolves, especially in the last year, all spearheaded by Dolores Umbridge. But now, with Kingsley Shacklebot at the reigns, those laws were steadily being abolished.

Theo asked what was keeping Lyra up all night, and Lyra frowned slightly. Was he just being polite, or did he really not know? She had assumed that Theo, as a member of the family, knew about Lyra's... condition. But maybe her father had never talked about it, or maybe Theo's father had just never asked. Lyra knew that Theo would never have asked himself.

But before she could answer, she spotted the Unicorn in front of them. This one was fully grown. It was pure white, almost blinding, and had an impressive pointed horn on its head. Lyra stopped, and flung out a hand to stop Theo, pressing against his chest. Full grown Unicorns were even less trusting of boys than the foals, and she didn't know how they would react to a young Werewolf. This might be the mother of the foal she had seen earlier, and she would want to protect her young.

Lyra stood still, and, still looking at the Unicorn, came to a decision. "Its getting close to the full moon."

She knew that even if Theo hadn't heard it from her mother and father, he had heard the rumours. It was a huge relief, to be able to talk about it with someone other than Eadric. She didn't know if Theo would tell anyone else, but she didn't really care. Most of the school believed the rumours, anyway.

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

There was something that was so smug about the way Lyra said that's what she thought. He knew she was just being her, so he smirked in her direction before shaking his head.

"I cant help that I'm so irresistible." he said with a laugh. Truth be told, aside from losing his mother and having his father hit him every time he tried to contact his father he didn't have a very hard life. As far as Hogwarts was concerned he lived a relatively easy life. He knew people that had gone through much worse things than he did. In his opinion, Lyra and Vivian both had it worse than he did. Everyone had their well-kept secrets. There were only three people who knew about his past. Lyra and Eadric because they were the family. Avery never forgave Nott after he found out the news, which is why Theo rarely saw either of them until they came to Hogwarts. And Daphne Greengrass. But even she didn't know the whole story.

They walked along in silence and while Theo had slowed in his steps when the Unicorn came into view he stopped completely when Lyra placed a hand up to his chest. He glanced at her with a quirked brow, wondering if she planned on approaching the thing. It was massive, and if was the mother of the foal they'd seen a few minutes prior it probably wasn't happy about its territory being encroached on. Still, he stood in silence, staring at the Unicorn. Lyra mentioned that the full moon was approaching, and he nodded, smirking. So she was a werewolf. Nott never talked about his mother or his mother's family after he murdered her, so when the rumors started he had no way to confirm whether or not they were true, and he wasn't about to ask. He turned his head to look at her.

"That's what I thought" he said with a smirk in the same tone that she'd used earlier. He brought up to ruffle her hair slightly. "You'll be alright." He wasn't sure why he said it, really. Maybe to show her that he understood, or cared about her? He could never really understand or grasp what turning into a werewolf is like, but not getting sleep was something he did understand. And of course she'd be okay, she'd been okay every other full moon. But he said it anyway and he wouldn't take it back.

Theo let out a soft chuckle, and at the noise the Unicorn lifted its head gently to stare at them for a brief moment before making a sound that Theo assumed wasn't a good thing, and he stepped backward a few steps before tugging Lyra backwards. He knew she could take care of herself, surely, but Theo knew Eadric was all protective of her ever since the accident, not that he blamed her at all, and if anything were to happen to her and Eadric found out that Theo had allowed it to happen... Well thinsg would just go really far downhill and Theo didn't really need that kind of drama. And still, he let out a small laugh before shaking his head.

"Look at me, big bad Theo Nott. Not afraid of any wizard out there, but animals make me wary..." he chuckled at his stupidity before shaking his head and looking toward Lyra. "I'm going to blame it on my want to protect you, as if you need protecting..."he grinned at her and when he looked back to the Unicorn it had gone back to eating for only a second, but Theo knew the Unicorn was still well aware of their presence.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Lyra was relieved when Theo took what she had said in his stride. She hadn't wanted a scene, or for him to make a big deal out of it. So he had known, then. At least, to some extent, he had known. If this was entirely new information then he would have at least asked questions.

She knew she shouldn't have been surprised that Theo hadn't had the story confirmed. After Theo's father had killed his mother (Lyra's father's sister) her father hadn't spoken to him, or forgiven him. So that made their communications with Theo outside of Hogwarts somewhat limited.

Theo said that she would be okay, and ruffled her hair. Lyra rolled her eyes. She wasn't a child. Honestly, Lyra didn't know if she would be okay. Here at Hogwarts she had the Wolfsbane potion made for her by Professor Slughorn, and she was taken away from her fellow students to make her transformation. Socially speaking, the worst she had to deal with was a lack of friends. But when she was out in the world, Lyra knew that she would have an even harder time of it.

Anti Werewolf legislation had been put in place by Dolores Umbridge in 1993, which made it impossible for those inflicted with Lycanthropy to find work. But Kingsley Shacklebolt was working on getting rid of that legislation now; it was expected to be gone within the next few months. Still, that just went to show the sort of prejudice against Werewolves. Most people wouldn't speak to them, or be around them.

Lyra laughed as Theo pulled her back, away from the Unicorn. "Don't worry so much, Theo," she said. The Unicorn wouldn't hurt them, as long as they didn't try to hurt it. But he was probably thinking about what Eadric would say if he heard Theo had let Lyra run foul of an angry Unicorn.

Theo was right; Lyra didn't need protecting. "I'm the only scary thing around here, right now," she said, waggling her eyebrows jokingly. "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" Lyra said it lightly, but she couldn't help feeling the familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She looked back to the beautiful white Unicorn, which had gone back to ignoring them. At the full moon, without her Wolfsbane potion, she would probably have savaged it.

[EADRIC JAMES AVERY]

Eadric had woken up, and looked at the calendar, like he did most mornings. Although, he didn't need to. He knew it back to front. His calendar (like most wizarding ones) marked the lunar cycle. The full moon was less than a week away. He sighed slightly. The full moon was always a tough time for him. Even more so for his twin sister.

Ever since Lyra had been bitten, Eadric had done his best to try and make things easier for her. That included keeping track of the moon cycle, so he could know when she would be feeling bad. He was always protective of Lyra, but even more so near the full moon. Part of this was guilt; Greyback had been sent to bite one of Avery's children, not Lyra specifically. If Eadric had been there, like he should have been, maybe it would have been him who had been bitten. He wished it had been. He would have much preferred to take the burden upon himself, than to watch Lyra struggle with it. To him, she just seemed so fragile. He didn't know how she handled it.

He could tell by the light coming in through the window that it was early, but he got up anyway. He knew Lyra would be up, and he'd like to spend some time with her before class. He pulled on his jeans, a warm jumper, and a pair of boots. If Lyra wasn't in the common room, she would probably be out in the grounds. Eadric went downstairs, and took in the empty common room at a glance. The fire was burning, no doubt started by a House Elf. Lyra was sure to be outside then, and Eadric had a good idea where.

Eadric didn't buy into the idea of a psychic connection between twins. He couldn't read Lyra's mind, he didn't bleed when she was cut. But he always knew when she was in the room, and he knew her well enough to know where she'd be at almost any given time. Not that Lyra was predictable, he thought with a smile. No one else would have been able to find her so early in the morning.

He strolled out of the castle, taking his time. He knew Lyra knew the forest well, and she wouldn't be in any trouble. He headed out into the misty grounds, enjoying the peace of the early morning. Eadric entered the forest, and paused slightly, wondering which way to go. He was sure she would have entered at the point nearest to the castle, which he had also done. He walked in a little deeper, and then saw some tracks on the ground; he smiled. Unicorn tracks. He knew Lyra would have seen the Unicorn, and headed in that direction.

"Lyra?" he called, softly, not wanting to disturb anything he shouldn't be. And after walking for another minute, he found her.

Eadric frowned slightly as he saw that Lyra wasn't alone. Their cousin, Theodore Nott, was with her. Eadric got the impression that Theo didn't like him very much, but he seemed to like Lyra, so it was okay. "I thought I'd find you here," he said to Lyra, smiling slightly. He looked at Theo and nodded. Around anyone but Lyra, Eadric was a man of few words.

Lyra and Eadric weren't identical twins, of course, but they did look very similar in some ways. They had the same eyes, although Lyra's were slightly wider, and Eadric's were a much darker blue. Their face shapes were similar, and they shared a nose. Eadric's hair was a darker brown, where as Lyra's was a mid brown colour.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He knew Lyra would know what he meant, but he didn't want to be too blunt in front of Theo.

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

Theo let out a gentle laugh as Lyra told him not to worry so much, and it turned into a full laugh as she said she was the only dangerous thing in the forest. He grinned at her, shaking his head slightly before she asked who was afraid of the big bad wolf. He inhaled gently before shrugging.

"Not me," he replied simply, and for a brief moment in the silence he wondered what it was like to be a werewolf, what it was like to be bitten. Did it hurt when she was bit? Did it hurt when she transformed? Surely it had to, the very nearing of the full moon kept her up at night. Or perhaps she wasn't in pain and she was just restless, wanting to roam free like the wild beast she now was. Most people were terrified of werewolves and actively avoided them. In fact, there were laws in place to make sure werewolves couldn't be employed, and they were stripped of many other rights as well. Theo, however, admired his cousin. He knew it had to take major guts and courage in order to come back to Hogwarts and face all of the rumors when they first started. And now she had to stand them a second time. So he admired her, and yet, part of him still pitied her. He couldn't help but feel bad about what had happened to her.

He heard the footsteps approaching behind him but he didn't bother to turn around. Lyra had said she was the only scary thing in the forest... right now, and he believed her. The voice that sounded behind him told him immediately that it was Eadric, and he smirked slightly as he turned around.

"Morning Eadric," he said with a grin. Sometimes Theo became slightly bothered with the fact that Eadric wasn't more sociable. He never had been, but ever since his sister had gotten bit it seemed even less so. For example, all he did in greeting to Theo was give him a nod. It was just the way he was, so Theo tried not to get too hard on him, but sometimes it just got on his nerves a bit. It was nice to have a bit more company, and the twins being together was nice. It seemed like forever since the three had them been together like this, so Theo turned back to the Unicorn with a smile on his face, enjoying the moment.

"You couldn't sleep either? Must run in the family," he commented with a smirk. He was glad that he was related to him by his mother and not his father, mostly because they were still his family. If they'd been related through the Nott side... when everything came out about his mother (at least within the family) things would have just been awkward.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Theo took what Lyra had said in the spirit in which it had been meant, for which Lyra was glad. Eadric (the only other person she talked about it with) didn't like it when she made light of her 'condition'. She wished he didn't take everything to heart quite so much. He was so serious about the whole thing, making sure she took her potion at the right time, and becoming more and more protective the closer it got to the full moon. Of course, Lyra was grateful for him, and she went along with his molly-coddling of her; she knew it would upset him if she seemed to be taking risks with her safety. The full moon could be a dangerous time for Lyra, not just those around her. If she didn't take her potion, who knows what she might do. And then she could be killed, either by a wizard protecting themselves, or by an animal she ran foul of in the forest.

But even though Theo's tone was light, Lyra could see the look of pity in his eyes. She hated that look, but she couldn't begrudge Theo for his feelings; he was family, after all. Theo was all right for a Slytherin. Lyra and her brother had avoided the family tradition of being in Slytherin, and it wasn't that all Slytherins were terrible people (Lyra's mother had been a Slytherin, and she was a nice woman) but they didn't have the best track record. Their family was proof of that. Lyra's father had been a Death Eater, and Theo's father was... well, he was a nasty piece of work. Lyra felt the familiar wave of grief as she thought of her father, although they were getting smaller and smaller. He had died only four months ago, in the battle at Hogwarts, and even though he had been a Death Eater, even though he had been fighting against Lyra's teachers and school mates, and along side the Werewolf that had bitten her, and even though it was his fault she had been bitten in the first place, he had still been her dad. Maybe if he had been stronger, their lives would have turned out differently. But things were what they were, and there wasn't any point in wishing otherwise. Lyra had given up on that a long time ago.

Then Lyra was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps crunching through the leaves, and she looked up to see her brother striding towards them, his eyes on her. He looked tired, and Lyra noticed a very slight shadow under his eyes. She knew he had gotten up to come be with her. Lyra smiled at her brother as he said he thought he'd find her in the forest. He always knew where to find her. But she could tell he hadn't expected her to have company. Eadric looked at Theo and nodded, which was pretty typical of him. He liked Theo just as much as he liked anyone, possibly more, because Theo was family, and Eadric put stock in family (apart from their father; Eadric had never forgiven him for getting Lyra bitten, and Lyra knew he hadn't been too cut up when he'd been killed in the battle).

"I'm fine," Lyra said in reply to Eadric, smiling. Honestly, she wasn't feeling too great; her slightly heightened senses were off-putting reminders of what was to come at the full moon, and she hadn't been sleeping. But Eadric would be unhappy if he thought Lyra wasn't okay. "It's not too bad this month." Lyra wanted to let Eadric know that they didn't have to be cryptic around Theo. She saw her brother raise an eyebrow slightly, but he didn't comment. It was Lyra's decision who she told. Eadric wanted to protect her, but he never wanted to control her life.

Lyra smiled as Theo voiced a reminder that they were all related. "Although I'm pretty sure we all have entirely different reasons," she said, a slight grin on her face. "I mean really, there's no point pretending we all have the same problem... its not like Eadric to have girl troubles." she looked at him slightly cheekily. She knew Eadric didn't like talking about his romantic life (or lack there of), but he wouldn't begrudge Lyra teasing him slightly.

Lyra looked back at the pure white Unicorn, which was still standing where it had been before, grazing. She wished she could go over to it, but even if she wasn't worried about it running away in fear, it could be risky. Unicorns had a XXXX classification from the Ministry of Magic (incidentally, Werewolves were classified XXXXX, though only when changed). Lyra thought Eadric might stop her if she tried to approach.

[EADRIC JAMES AVERY]

Eadric raised an eyebrow as Lyra said that it wasn't a bad month for her. She knew about the rumours that were all over the school, she couldn't hope to say something like that in front of their cousin without him knowing what it meant. She must mean that Theo knew. Whether he had guessed, or Lyra had told him, he didn't know. He assumed that he hadn't found out from his father, because ever since Theo's father had killed Eadric and Lyra's aunt, their late father hadn't spoken to him. Understandable really. Still, the elder Nott could have had it confirmed through the family grape vine, and told his son.

Either way, Theo apparently knew. That was fine with Eadric, as long as it was fine with Lyra. But if he breathed a word of it to anyone, if someone Lyra didn't want to know received confirmation of the rumours, he would make Theodore regret it. Eadric was two years younger than the seventh year boy, but he was more than his match. Eadric cleared six foot, so he had a few inches on Theo, and although Theo, being a beater, might have slightly more upper body strength, Eadric was hardly weak. He was muscular himself, and he liked to fight; despite himself he had developed a taste for it in the years after the rumours about Lyra started. He defended his sister whenever he needed to. Eadric didn't go looking for trouble, but he didn't walk away, either.

Theo said that not sleeping must run in the family, and Eadric resisted the urge to snort, knowing it would have been rude. He was pretty sure what had woken Lyra up (and consequentially roused him from his bed) was not something that ran in the family. But Theo mentioning the fact that they were all family did warm Eadric to him slightly. It was easy to forget that, since they hadn't spent much time together outside of Hogwarts in so many years. But they had all played together as children, and they shared blood.

Eadric watched Lyra as she spoke, thinking for a moment that she was about to say what he had been thinking; that Lycanthropy didn't run in any family (as far as he knew). But then she changed tack, and cheekily mentioned that Eadric didn't have girl trouble. He smiled balefully. That wasn't exactly true, although there were no particular girls in question. Absolutely not.

The truth was, Eadric didn't date. He was handsome, and strong, and attracted a lot of attention, but it was unwanted. Attention jarred with his solitary personality. Unfortunately many girls thought he was the 'brooding' type, and saw him as a challenge. For the most part he managed to give off enough 'hints' that he was left alone. Most of the girls in the school who seemed to fancy him were just too stupid for words. But Eadric had a deeper problem than that.

His sister Lyra was his top priority. She would always come first. He would never, could never, abandon her for some girl. She had more than enough to deal with, and if he had protected her when they were thirteen years old, like he should have done, she would never have become a Werewolf. He could have fought Greyback off, or been bitten instead. But Lyra had been bitten, and Eadric owed it to her to be there for her. More than that, he wanted to be there.

And the Hogwarts girls were threatened by that; by Eadric's relationship with Lyra. They were, after all, teenage girls, and they wanted to come first with him. They couldn't stand the fact that they came second to another girl, even if it was his sister. And Eadric couldn't stand that quality. He thought it was pathetic. So there was that, and also the rumours about Lyra being a Werewolf had cut Eadric off from his fellow students too, although not nearly as much as it had Lyra. He didn't complain; he didn't want much company, and it wasn't a problem for him. But most of the girls who wanted to date him wanted only him, and nothing to do with Lyra, the dangerous Werewolf. At the first hint of this attitude, Eadric despised the girl in question.

Eadric didn't say any of this, though. Lyra knew to some extent the effect being his sister had on other people, especially girls. She wasn't stupid; she was very shrewd, and often saw things plainly. But Eadric never complained to her, or said how annoying those girls were, so she didn't know the whole of it.

He watched Lyra as she looked at the Unicorn, knowing what she was thinking; that it might be dangerous to approach it, and that, this close to the full moon, she might just scare it away. He could see that she would have loved to get closer to the Unicorn, and he always wanted Lyra to have what she wanted. Lyra loved animals, and her favourite subject was Care of Magical Creatures. Seeing a Unicorn like this was rare, but it was more common at this time of day, when all was peaceful.

Eadric put a hand on Lyra's shoulder. "Go on," he said, smiling slightly. He knew it was risky, because Lyra would be upset if she scared the beast away. But Lyra was sweet, and kind, and had a good heart, and would never hurt the unicorn, not while she still had control of her mind. He had to believe the Unicorn would see she was no threat. "I'll be right here." He knew he had to stay back, because Unicorns didn't like boys, especially the fully grown ones.

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

Lyra had told Eadric she was fine, and while Theo had wanted to interject and tell her that clearly if she wasn't sleeping she wasn't 'fine,' but then she followed it up with the fact that things weren't too bad that month, and Theo abandoned all thoughts of interrupting. He supposed that, compared to other times the moon had been approaching, maybe she was fine. Then again, women threw the word fine around and he never really knew when they meant it. They were always lying about if they were fine or not, and Theo had learned enough by now that odds are, when a woman says she's fine she's probably hiding something. She's either sad or absolutely fuming, and you better hope to Merlin it's the former and not the latter because at least sadness you can do something about. A woman scorned was something you could try and do something about, but it would never work unless they wanted to.

Women were exhausting. No wonder Theo hadn't been sleeping at night, really! He'd almost let out an exasperated sigh at the thought of all of that but stopped himself when he remembered he was in the company of other people. Even though they were family he didn't want to seem like he wasn't paying attention. He was! Well, he was trying to anyway. Daphne Greengrass seemed to never really leave the back of his mind as of late, and sometimes the predicament he found himself in took precedent over whatever he was doing at the time, unless of course whatever he was doing was of utmost importance.

He was brought out of his trance as he heard Lyra mention that Eadric wouldn't have girl problems and he let out a laugh, smirking at the boy beside him. Eadric said nothing to the comment, which surprised Theo. Well, not really, of the twins Lyra certainly seemed the more.. humorous. At least Theo got a good laugh out of Lyra's comment, surely that's what it was meant to do. He grinned toward Lyra before he saw her staring longingly at the white Unicorn that was still grazing. Lyra had always loved animals, that was one thing that Theo always remembered about her, perhaps it was because he was so completely opposite. It wasn’t that he didn’t like animals… well, okay, he just really wasn’t overly fond of them. Except dogs. Put a dog in front of Theo and he’d likely take an immediate liking to the thing. Perhaps that was because he knew that dogs were loyal and vicious, a little bit like him. Well, okay, he wasn’t really that vicious, but he was loyal, so long as you knew him well enough. His eyes flitted between Lyra and Eadric. He could tell Lyra wanted to go see the Unicorn, but would it let her? Even if she was a girl, and even if her love for animals clearly exuded out of her pores like sweat did most people, she was a werewolf, would the Unicorn let her get anywhere near it?

And, perhaps the more important question, would Eadric let it happen? Eadric was always… a little too protective of Lyra, in Theo’s opinion. It was a good to be protective of family, he was fiercely protective of those he cared about. After losing his mother… it just kind of happened. He never wanted to lose anyone like that again, so he tries his best to protect them, but in his own way. Still, he’d rarely find himself up during the early morning to go find whoever it was he wanted to protect. Perhaps the reason that Theo disliked Eadric’s protectiveness was because he somehow admired it, and wished he could be more protective of those that he cared about.

And then he realized that it wasn’t that. It wasn’t that at all. It was more the fact that if Theo was in Lyra’s shoes he would find Eadric’s constant, overbearing protection suffocating, and so part of him felt like he was suffocating Lyra, even if she herself didn’t feel that way. He’d never voice that aloud, of course, but that didn’t make it any less true. Theo was torn from his thoughts again at the sound of a voice, and this time it was Eadric’s… giving his permission for Lyra to approach the beast. The idea didn’t settle too well with Theo, so he could only imagine what kind of panic attack Eadric was having inwardly, but he said nothing as he grinned toward his cousin, taking a large step backward. Unicorns didn’t like boys. Eadric reassured her that he was right there, and Theo waved his hand to urge her forward. He had no need to tell her he was there, he clearly was, and if she needed to be protected, if Eadric should fail (which Theo highly doubted he would ever allow himself to do) than he would protect her. And he would protect Eadric if he should have to, too. Eadric had gained quite the reputation over the years. He was infamous for fighting people who made light of or brought up Lyra’s condition. Clearly neither of them wanted word getting out, and Theo would take note of that. He also knew that if he were to ever slip to the wrong person it would likely end up in The Underground and then Theo would find himself on the other end of one of Eadric’s fits.

Eadric was taller, and you could tell just by looking at him that he had some strength about him, but Theo was never one for physical fighting. Perhaps it had to do with the how his father broke his nose when he was younger. He was almost sure that had something to do with it, but he knew if it came down to it, if someone tried to fight him, they wouldn’t get close enough to throw the first punch.

”You’ll be fine,” Theo eventually mumbled, shuffling back a few more steps to be sure the Unicorn knew that only Lyra would be approaching. It was the best advice he could muster, as if she really needed advice. If the Unicorn lashed out Lyra likely had the instinctive reflexes to get out of there, especially with it being so close to the full moon.

[LYRA ALVAH AVERY]

Eadric didn't respond to Lyra making jokes about his love life, but she hadn't expected him to. She knew he didn't like to talk about it, and so she would never press the matter. Lyra knew that to some extent, Eadric's lack of a girlfriend was down to her. He always put her first. But, she thought, if he really wanted a girlfriend, he could have one. She didn't think she was getting in the way of Eadric being happy, and she never wanted that to be the case. She'd hate to think she was holding Eadric back in some way.

Lyra wondered how Eadric would react if she had a love life. Although, that didn't really seem likely. Who would want to date a Werewolf? She was dangerous, and a social outcast. A freak. But still, if there was someone, Lyra didn't think Eadric would be very accepting. He'd be sure to dislike any boy who got close to Lyra in that way. And she didn't think he'd want to risk her getting hurt. He wouldn't trust anyone not to hurt her. Lyra knew that Eadric thought she had more than enough to deal with, being a Werewolf, and so it was his duty to deal with everything else for her. She didn't know how she would explain to Eadric that everyone had to get their heart broken, at least once. Bumps and bruises were part of life. A heart that came through life completely unscathed hadn't lived at all. Like it had been kept in a glass box.

Lyra knew that her heart was far from unscathed. She had endured pain and suffering that had aged her beyond her years. But that was all down to being bitten. Romantic heart ache was something entirely different. Lyra wasn't looking to get hurt, but she knew it was part of life. Somehow, she didn't think Eadric would accept that, no matter how much sense it made. He wouldn't accept that his sister had to hurt. Lyra thought that even if she wasn't a Werewolf, her brother would scare the boys away anyway.

Theo seemed to be thinking very deeply about something, and was almost as silent as Eadric. Lyra had been looking at the Unicorn as she thought all of this, not wanting to look at Eadric. She owed him a lot, and she didn't want to be ungrateful. She didn't want to tell Eadric that he was too protective, because that would hurt him. Eadric thought that he was the one protecting her, but Lyra sometimes only went along with it to make Eadric happy, and let him feel like he was doing good for her.

Then Eadric said that she should approach the Unicorn, and Lyra was astonished. Even knowing him as well as she did, sometimes he could still surprise her. She had thought he would be afraid for her safety, and she knew that he knew her fears of scaring the Unicorn away. Theo mumbled, that she would be fine, the only words he had spoken in a while, and Lyra thought he must be very deep in thought to say so little for so long.

"Are you sure?" Lyra asked, but Eadric was already nodding. He would never have said anything if he hadn't been sure. Well, maybe he wasn't sure, but he wouldn't have spoken only to change his mind. Being a man of few words, Eadric meant what he said.

Lyra was nervous, and if Eadric hadn't encouraged her she never would have gone near the Unicorn. But his words made her braver, because she knew he was suggesting she go nearer the unicorn to make her happy, and she didn't want to let him down.

Theo backed away, and Eadric followed, his hand leaving her shoulder. Lyra was glad, because Unicorns were nervous of boys, and she didn't want to take any risks of scaring it away. There was enough of a risk with her approaching it. Slowly, treading lightly across the forest floor, Lyra began walking towards the great white Unicorn.

It looked up at her as she walked closer, watching her carefully but not running. When Lyra was within a few feet of it, she stopped. She wanted to take it slow, and not rush into it. Lyra knew how to handle herself around a Unicorn. They had learnt about them in Care of Magical Creatures, and she had done her own reading.

When the Unicorn still didn't move, Lyra decided that it had decided that she wasn't a threat. Lyra took a breath, and walked right up to the Unicorn. She was sure she could feel Eadric holding his breath behind her. Slowly, she reached out a small hand, and placed it on the Unicorns neck. It stared back at her, and she felt elated. She stroked it gently, and it tossed its head slightly. She let her hand drop, not wanting to push her luck, and happy with what she had managed, when she felt arms around her waist, and she was pulled back. Eadric had wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her away. He turned her around, so that he was between her and the Unicorn. Lyra heard the Unicorn turn and run away, although the sound was so quiet you wouldn't notice if you weren't looking for it.

Eadric held tight to her for a moment, and then let go. Lyra didn't mind that he had pulled her away, and she was smiling. She hadn't thought she'd get that far, and she didn't know what would have happened if Eadric hadn't pulled her away. In a way, she was glad he had interfered when he had, so she wouldn't have to find out. She took a step away from Eadric so she could look up at him, and laughed.

[EADRIC JAMES AVERY]

Eadric nodded as Lyra asked him if he was sure. He wasn't sure, not at all, but he wouldn't have said it if he hadn't intended to follow through, and let it happen. Not that he really had that much control over Lyra. Honestly, he didn't want to control her. He just wanted to protect her, and didn't accept that sometimes there was nothing he could do in that respect. But Lyra was stubborn, and free, and didn't listen to what she was told to do. She had always been that way, ever since they were children. It was that spirit that had kept her out in the forest so late, when she should have come in already, and left her in Greyback's path. The best Eadric could do was try to be there to stop anything terrible happening to her again. And there was no point anyone telling him that it was unlikely something bad would happen, because the unlikely had already happened.

He knew that Lyra really did want to go up to the Unicorn, and what was holding her back wasn't a fear for her safety, or that Eadric didn't want her to, but that the Unicorn might run at the scent of a Werewolf. Eadric knew that she would need a little push to take the steps towards the creature, like she so wanted to.

Theo muttered something about Lyra being fine, and Eadric frowned slightly. Wasn't he supposed to be the quiet one? And he didn't appreciate the half-hearted tone with which Theo had spoken. Theo backed away, and Eadric, reluctantly taking his hand off of Lyra's shoulder, followed suit. He was starting to regret his decision now, but there was nothing to be done. He'd given Lyra that little push, and he'd just have to be there if something went wrong.

Eadric was tense as Lyra approached the Unicorn. He clenched his fists, and stood as though ready to leap towards her at any moment. He glanced at Theo, and saw that he looked ready to step in too. That was good, not that he'd get there before Eadric. He turned his gaze back to Lyra, who had gotten close and then stopped. "Careful..." he said, but very quietly, so Lyra wouldn't hear. He held his breath as Lyra took the final steps towards the Unicorn, hoping it wouldn't run, but hoping even more that it wouldn't hurt her; that horn was very sharp.

Lyra stroked the Unicorn, and Eadric breathed a sigh of relief (she hadn't scared it off, so she wouldn't be upset), but almost instantly leapt forward and grabbed Lyra around the waist, tugging her back, as the Unicorn tossed his head. His sudden movement caused the Unicorn to bolt, as Eadric turned so his back was to the Unicorn, and its horn. He held Lyra tightly around the waist, her back to him. Even though her thick jumper, he could feel how small she was. That Unicorn could have torn straight through her.

After a moment he let go, albeit slightly reluctantly. He realised his heart was pounding, but he made sure to look normal.

Even though he had been scared Lyra would be injured by the Unicorn, he had also wanted to get her away from it because he thought it might run away from her. It had looked like it was going to do something. Eadric would much rather interfere, and have the Unicorn running blamed on him, than see Lyra upset that she had scared away such a beautiful and innocent creature.

"Well," he said, slightly roughly, his hands on his hips, "that's quite enough of that for one day." Lyra looked around at him and laughed, and his face softened into a smile. She looked happy, so that had been worth it. Eadric looked back up at his cousin, to see how he had reacted to the whole thing. "You seem deep in thought, Theo." he said. Eadric's slight nerves left over from Lyra's encounter with the Unicorn were making him positively chatty, because that was practically a monologue for him.

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

Lyra questioned whether or not Eadric was sure, and Eadric nodded without hesitation. Theo remained standing where he was in quiet contemplation. He wondered what would happen, and as Lyra approached the Unicorn he glanced toward Eadric. He looked calm enough, but Theo was sure inwardly he was probably a wreck. Eadric was already nervous enough when it came to his sister doing things, especially near the full moon, especially around animals that were smarter than your average… forbidden-forest-dweller. Still, Theo only glanced for a split second before his eyes were on Lyra and the Unicorn again. He heard Eadric mutter something and Theo smirked, turning his head fully in his direction before grinning. He lifted his hands and motioned them in a way that told Eadric to relax There was no way that Unicorn would ever get anywhere near Lyra with the two of them there. And Lyra wasn’t stupid. She was incredibly keen when it came to animals and how to handle them. And when he turned his head back he watched as she paused, probably weighing her options and taking it slow. See, she’d be fine. No worry necessary. Then again, maybe that was just the Slytherin in him coming out. Worry about the risks later. Lyra’s hand touched the Unicorn and Theo smiled for his younger cousin. She seemed to take pleasures in the little things, and this was probably a huge thing for her, so he was proud of her, in an odd kind of way, for having the gall to do what she wanted.

Still, the joy was momentary before the Unicorn made an angry kind of noise. Theo’s eyes widened and he reached for his wand while Eadric took it upon himself to rush toward Lyra, yanking her away. Theo likely would have let her stay at least a few seconds longer. It had only made a noise, after all, it’s not like it bucked up toward her anything. Then again, maybe that was just the Slytherin in him, too. He didn’t worry about much when it came to safety, or anything really. Well, except women. They always seemed to cause him worry. Well, that wasn’t true either. He’d never given a damn about a girl before until Daphne Greengrass decided to… well, she was just being herself. Perhaps he’d liked her for years and just refused to admit it to himself. He smirked slightly at the thought before his eyes found his cousins once more. Eadric seemed to have a bit of a hard time letting go of Lyra, but Lyra seemed practically ecstatic, despite being yanked away, and the Uniconr was still there, grazing like it had been before.

“Nice job, Ly,” Theo muttered before he took a few steps closer to them. It wasn’t like there was much distance, but Theo still didn’t feel like speaking up too loudly. There was a Unicorn in the direct vicinity, after all. He grinned at Lyra, and at Eadric, proud of Eadric for letting her get that far before going and scooping her up. It was an odd kind of protectiveness he held over her, but it was none of Theo’s business, really, so he tried not to think too much on. Eadric said that that was enough of that for one day and Theo let out a laugh.

"Nah, let’s let her try it a second time,” he smirked, laughing again before Eadric mentioned he seemed like he’d been deep in thought. Truth be told Theo found himself deep in thought far too often since that entire thing with Daphne and Vivian. He’d just wanted to be able to find her and explain before the rumors got too out of control (which they already were, really, so there was no point in worrying about it now), but Daphne had been able to elude him all week since it happened, and he was really getting quite tired of it. He shrugged in the direction of his cousins before smirking.

”Women are gonna drive me crazy. That’s all,” he said, summing up his situation the best he could. ”Pretty much my best friend, who I have no feelings for whatsoever, kissed me because she just… does whatever she wants. And the girl I like, who likes me very much too, found out about it, they fought and got pretty messed up, and now I’m stuck looking like an ass when I didn’t even do anything.” Man, his situation sounded so… trivial, nonsensical almost when compared to what Lyra was dealing with. His girl troubles seemed so insignificant when compared to hers he almost regretted bringing it up. He knew that Eadric probably wouldn’t give very advice, and he wasn’t even sure what Lyra would even say, but his reason for being up way too early was out there now, and now they knew just exactly what his girl problems were.