II. roman holiday | blaise zabini

chapter 27

chapter 27

"this means no fear, cavalier, renegade, and steering clear"

-R.E.M.

Lyra Knight wasn't his girlfriend anymore. Blaise knew this, he's known it since Christmas when his life rights had been signed over to the Dark Lord.

She wasn't his girlfriend anymore but now... now it seemed like she wasn't even Lyra Knight.

Everyone joked about the status of those in Gryffindor house. Harry was the prince, Weasley was the king--as the Slytherins had a major role in creating--Granger was practically queen. Longbottom had always been the jester. And Lyra, true to her name, was a Knight.

It seemed that many of the other Gryffindors had taken her lead in that. Ginny Weasley could no longer be considered some pawn, Longbottom was no longer a jester. Dean Thomas was... gone.

The first player on the chessboard to fall.

Blaise didn't usually see fear in Lyra's face. He could probably count the times he had on one hand. But when the words left Pansy's mouth and Lyra turned to look at the group of Slytherins clustered just outside the Dark Arts room, it was like she was a completely different person.

First, a wave of fear, eyes wide in shock and lined with silver that disappeared moments after when her features were schooled into a neutral expression, cut off.

It was a look Blaise was seeing a lot of this year, and he didn't like it.

The expression stayed even when she muttered for Longbottom, Finnegus, and Thomas to run. It stayed when Fay opened her mouth and then squeaked when Lyra pulled her away. It stayed the next morning when she walked down the steps from Gryffindor tower and everyone in the Great Hall froze.

There was a bruise on her forehead, it had been there for a few days now. She was definitely favoring one leg and there was red-stained gauze around the knuckles of her right hand. She looked like she was about to drop dead.

She didn't yawn and her eyes didn't droop, but the dark bags under her eyes were prominent on pale, clammy skin.

Blaise wanted nothing more than to wrap her in a blanket and hold her to his chest.

But he couldn't, all he could do was watch as she stood at the foot of the steps, surrounded by the rest of Hogwarts' new Knights as the rest of the Great Hall came to the same realization at once.

Led by Ginny, Neville, and Lyra, this group of Seamus, Luna, Zara, and Fay, would be their salvation. Their front lines.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind who was responsible for the words painted on the walls, and the swamp just barely removed, and the at-risk students that were now missing.

And for a second, Blaise saw the relief in everyone else. Because this group of seven would die before any harm came to anyone else.

And Blaise would admit that in the last two years a lot of things made him shudder, but the idea that the fate of Hogwarts rested on the shoulders of these seven, that felt like a bucket of ice over his head. 

The Carrows knew. If Alecto Carrows' glances aimed for Lyra, Neville, and Seamus were any indication, the Carrows knew perfectly well how the missing muggleborns escaped.

"She's a fucking idiot," Draco muttered from his seat, eyes trained on Lyra.

"Watch it," Theo growled, ever since the day before when Pansy had outed Dean to the Carrows, he had been quiet. He didn't say much other than a few grunts and snarls when spoken to.