II. roman holiday | blaise zabini

chapter 1

chapter 1

"but if you need me, I'll be right there"

-Julia Michaels

Lyra barely managed to get out of bed for the first few weeks after her fifth year ended. It was as if what had happened finally settled in her, at Hogwarts she had been able to move and talk and even smile. But now it's like her body was catching up with her heart and decided to shut down.

The only thing her mind could think of was Sirius. Sirius who was dead, her uncle who had spent his childhood in an abusive home and his adulthood in a cell that he didn't deserve. And now he was gone, through a damn veil, and there was nothing left.

Her dad tried getting her up after the second day of summer when she had curled up and wouldn't get out of bed for anything except the bathroom.

("We could take a ride on the horses."

"What about a freakshake with extra chocolate syrup? At Frankie's?"

"Or a run? Want to go for a run with your old man?")

After a week of Lyra barely eating and not showering, Elliot called in the big guns.

Zara and Fay took the Floo to her house the night Elliot had written in desperation. Lyra was staring at a spot under her picture wall, wrapped in her duvet.

"Hey babes. How are you?" Fay said, slowly approaching her bed.

"Hmm."

The two girls looked at each other before turning back to Lyra.

"Lyra, your dad called us. Said you were having trouble getting out of bed."

"Mhmm."

"Lyra... What's wrong? You were doing fine at school."

But she could barely hear them anymore, just the faint murmur of their voices, "... Leave me alone."

"Babes, come on... Talk to us."

"Please... Leave me alone."

She felt a soft pat on her leg and heard a muttered, "OK," before the soft click of her door.

Zara and Fay tried for the third week of summer to get her out of bed. Bringing butterbeer and chocolate and every other think that they could think of that might get her out of bed. They only had one more thing to try.

The next day Blaise Zabini appeared in the Knight fireplace wearing a much too fancy suit for the modest home. But he wore a worried expression and was practically running up the stairs, despite not knowing where Lyra's room was.

Thankfully, Zara stopped him from doing something stupid, awkwardly introducing him to Elliot.

("Who is this?" He had asked when Blaise stepped away from the fireplace.

"Er," Zara said, looking back and forth between the two men, "This is... Blaise Zabini, Lyra's boyfriend."

The look on Elliot's face would have made Lyra laugh for hours.

Fay intervened before Blaise or Elliot could react, "We think he might be able to help get Lyra out of bed."

Elliot didn't say anything for a few while before begrudgingly nodding.)

Fay and Zara were careful to open the door as quietly as possible before gesturing Blaise in. Lyra didn't move from her fetus position within her pile of blankets.