A New Friend (Lyra)

[Ethan Drake]

"That makes one of us. Check."

He wasn't playing his best, but he was still paying more attention to the board than she was. He probably should have had her in a check mate by now, but he didn't mind. He didn't think she'd want to play another, and he was enjoying her conversation.

It was still curious to him, though, and he wondered how close she and Julian really were.

[Lyra Newbury]

She fell silent, thoughtful. She was happy to be going with Ethan to the Ball. Now. Now that everything in her life had uprooted itself and twisted into something strange, it was almost comforting to know that someone still fancied her, even just a little. If that were the truth of it at all. He had never shown an interest in her before, and she certainly had not shown any in him. She had been too distracted by the boys her own age, or the ones who could give her something she needed. Ethan was neither. She frowned at the board between them.

But it was only fair, in the grand cosmic scheme of things, that she be punished for the mess she made. She had fallen in love with the one person you do not fall in love with. And she permitted this lie with Julian to happen, something she was realizing now could be worse than any of it, should the truth get out. Everyone, including her sister, would have a field day with all that had happened to Lyra this year. And the year had only just started.

"I don't see it-" she said softly, looking for the way to save her King. She had barely even glanced at the board, though her eyes had been fixed on it for much longer than she really needed. Lyra looked up at Ethan and smiled, her eyes beginning to water no matter how hard she pleaded with them no to.

[Ethan Drake]

Ethan watched her, his own mind wondering why she had said yes relatively easy. She had never really paid him too much attention, and, admittedly, he had never paid her much either, though he did think she was beautiful.

He leaned forward and reached for her bishop, his eyes meeting and staying on hers as he urged it three spaces diagonal, where it shattered his offending rook.

[Lyra Newbury]

She met his eyes and they stayed there as he moved her piece. She didn't even look down when she heard the cracking of his stone rook. Perhaps his eyes would be able to tell her something she felt she needed. The truth of why he had asked her, and not Sam or Aubri or Ophelia or anyone else.

It was a strange feeling having her mood shift so quickly, as if her sudden depressive relapse was a tidal wave that buried her instantly. She had thought she was doing better. She was in the common room, talking to someone other than Sam after all. That must mean she was feeling better. And she had been asked to the Yule Ball, who got depressed over that?

Lyra knew she was acting like a mad woman. If only there were someone other than herself to blame it on. She finally tore her eyes away from his, not without first thinking that they were quite captivating and she should stop all her ridiculousness. Looking at the board she noted that her bishop had taken his rook, thanks to Ethan. "I should have seen that, shouldn't I?"

[Ethan Drake]

"There are a lot of really obvious things we don't see until it's too late," Ethan said quietly, his eyes remaining on her as she looked away. He felt the very dramatic shift in moods, and he wondered what he had done to cause this in the last few minutes.

"You're not happy," he observed, sitting back in his seat. "It's okay, you know. To not be happy. There's no shame in it."

[Lyra Newbury]

Her head snapped up so quickly that if it weren't secured to her neck it would have been across the room in an instant. In all this mess she had obviously lost the ability to disguise her emotions. They were out there for the world to see and she did not like it. Not a single bit of it. "I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be happy? I have nothing to be ashamed of." Despite her words her eyes once again threatened to water. But she would not cry. She might be losing her mind but she still had control of her tears dammit.

[Ethan Drake]

Ethan sighed. "I'm not going to judge you, Lyra," he said softly, wondering why the shift in moods still. Honestly, Ethan and Sam and Julian were probably the only ones in the school that weren't judging her. He knew she barely knew him, but he saw something tragic in her that sort of ate at him, and he wanted her to have someone she could ope up to. If that was Sam, then great. If it was Julian, wonderful. But if she needed him, he inexplicably wanted to be there for her.

[Lyra Newbury]

She clearly was not ready for this. She should have just stayed in her bed with the curtains shut up around her. She had been vaguely aware of others in the room while they talked but she had been able to block them all out. She turned to look behind her, hoping no one was watching them. She swore the room got quieter as she turned.

"I'm sorry Ethan. I know you must think I've lost my bloody marbles."

[Ethan Drake]

Ethan shook his head. "I think no such thing," he promised her, and he turned to look at the rest of the room as well, then back at her. Either he was overanalyzing everything, or she was about to find the room very overwhelming.

"You know what, I think I probably won the game anyway. Why don't we go for a walk? I'm kind of hungry, and I wouldn't mind your company, if you wouldn't mind mine."

[Lyra Newbury]

That was an easier request to answer than the Yule Ball one. She nodded and began picking up her remaining pieces. Her King was furious that they had called it without him actually having been defeated, but she stuffed him away in Ethan's case, muffling his complaints. Once the last of the whole pieces had been cleared from the board, the mangled pieces left on the table fixed themselves and Lyra helped in putting them away as well. All the while her thoughts were on the others in the room, she was positive they were listening, waiting for a chance to mock her.

[Ethan Drake]

Even if they were, Ethan wouldn't have let them. He truly believed that Rystain would eventually do the same thing to Lani that he had done to Lyra. He would never wish that on Lani, but he knew it was likely to happen. And when it did, she would be the one that everyone focused on.

When they had put all the pieces away, he stowed the case under the table. "Ryan will get it for me," he said, so that she wouldn't worry about it, and he put his hand on her back, leading her out of the common room.

[Lyra Newbury]

When the day came that Rystain tossed Lani away like a piece of old fruit, Lyra would be ecstatic. All of Lyra's wishing counteracted Ethan's, he was a neutral player in their dramatic story and wouldn't want either of them hurt. Unfortunately, Lyra already was. She could only pray Lani got hers sooner rather than later. But at this moment she felt that day would never come.

She had forgotten that Ethan was here waiting for Ryan. But Lyra had been with Ethan for quite some time now and Ryan had not showed. She wouldn't waste this opportunity by sulking like a baby. There would only be so many times that his friends stayed away. Only so many chances to really be herself, be open. And perhaps a little vulnerable if he could handle that. "I forgot you were waiting for him," she said quietly as they walked. "His lose I suppose." She glanced back into the room as the stepped through the door and into the dungeon corridor. No one was looking in their direction.

[Ethan Drake]

"Yeah, his loss, my gain," Ethan replied. He was actually pretty sure that nstead of Ryan not showing, that Ryan had seen him with Lyra and backed off. Males, well, male friends, were usually pretty good about that kind of thing.

Once they were out of the common room, he took a deep breath. "That's better. It's a little easier to breathe out here, isn't it?" He wanted her to feel more relaxed, and getting away from all those students seemed like a great first step.

[Lyra Newbury]

That whole backing-off thing had never occurred to Lyra. She had spent most of her time with the sort of guy friends who made it a point to interrupt their friends when they were with a girl, or really doing anything that should have their full attention. It never once crossed her mind that Ryan had intentionally left Ethan alone since he was busy. If it had, it might have made her rethink the sort of friends she was keeping.

She too breathed deep when they had made it out of the common room and were surrounded by the dim firelight of the dungeon torches. The darkness made it seem more personal and she was able to let go of those self conscious feelings. "Much," she answered with a brighter smile. "You know, I'm beginning to think you're the one that's mad, for hanging out with me," she said teasingly, but half serious.

[Ethan Drake]

"And how, actually, does that make me the crazy one? I think I disagree with you."

He lead her through the dungeon towards the staircase. Slytherins were the only ones who had to go up a fight of stairs to get to the kitchens. "Hot cocoa sounds fantastic right now," he said, giving her the option of not answering his question if she wanted to take it.

[Lyra Newbury]

Talking about how crazy she was acting was actually therapeutic it seemed. She felt better being able to joke about it with him and especially with him denying that she was a loon. Its always good to hear you're not in need of being locked up just yet...

"You know, its not wise to beat me at Wizard's Chess and disagree with me all in the same night. You're lucky that cocoa sounds good to me too or else...well...." She shook her head back and forth as if the "or else" was too horrible to say.

[Ethan Drake]

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Ethan said, turning slightly, his hands still in his pockets. He flashed her a cheeky grin. "Why do you think I mentioned the cocoa? I know how to save my hide, and how to appeal to a girl." He shrugged. "Little sister. I knew she'd be good for something some day," he teased. Of course he didn't mean it about Lyla. He adored the girl.

"Come on," a few minutes later, he opened the door to the kitchens, gesturing that she should go in first.

[Lyra Newbury]

She smirked but said nothing. Lyra wasn't a fan of his little sister, but it had nothing to do with the girl herself. She just felt very strongly in-line with the old House rivalries and Slytherin and Gryffindor did not mix. Unless of course it was for purely carnal reasons. This was not the case with Lilac, clearly.

Lyra nodded her thanks as she stepped into the large, elf-ridden kitchen.

[Ethan Drake]

Lyla was his little sister though. Rivalry just never played into it. He didn't realize how different things were for Lyra and her sister, but he saw himself as older, and as family. It didn't matter what Lyla did... he was there for her. The one time he had yelled at her, when he was about 13, he still felt guilty over.

He smiled at her. "Have a seat somewhere. I'll get us the hot cocoa," he said, asking a house elf that didn't look so busy if he could make it for them.

[Lyra Newbury]

She listened and grabbed one of the few normal sized chairs in the room, dragging it over to another normal sized chair. Most everything here was built with the house elves' size in mind. It was nice if you cared about that sort of thing, but annoying if you were a student popping in for a snack. While Ethan was gone Lyra played with her hair, running her fingers through it and moving it all behind her shoulders. She wasn't alone for long, but in her brief moment of solitude she thought over what to say to Julian the next time she saw him.