"It's like we've made a thing out of coming home tired," Lyra said as her parents and uncle staggered into the Lestrange library just before dinner.
"How long have you been home," Bellatrix asked as she sank down onto the sofa with an exhausted sigh.
"Not very long," Lyra said, carefully marking the spot in the book she held before closing it and setting it on the small table beside her chair.
"How did it go at the Ministry, then," Rodolphus asked, settling down beside Bellatrix and slipping an arm around her shoulders.
"I suppose I discovered that I can teach, " Lyra said with a chuckle. "I don't think I'd like doing it all the time, but I can clearly convey a concept when necessary."
Bellatrix nodded, smiling at her daughter. "You should be pleased to discover new talents and abilities. It's part of developing your arsenal and expanding your options and opportunities."
Lyra nodded. "Very true."
"Who were you instructing, and did any of them learn to see these Auras," Rabastan asked curiously.
"To my surprise, I was let in to see the Minister herself when I said I was sent by you all," Lyra said, straightening in her chair to tell her story. "As could be expected, she had never heard of Auras either. When I told her of the various ways in which one can work with them, she was interested in trying to learn as well as speaking to Grindelwald about learning. So as it happened, I taught the Minister, Grindelwald, and his man Zabini, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's right," Rodolphus nodded. "We're so proud of you! You taught something to the Minister herself and to Grindelwald! That's something to brag on right there," he told her, and she gave a proud grin, pleased by her father's praise.
"I worked with the three of them for nearly four hours today, before Grindelwald and his man had to go work in the Department of Mysteries for the afternoon."
"What's happening with the Department of Mysteries," Bellatrix asked.
Lyra shrugged. "Grindelwald and Zabini are studying the objects there in hopes that some of them can be used as weapons against Delphini."
"That's a very good idea, actually," Rabastan said.
"Those two make enchanted objects, so if anyone can figure out more about the direct uses of the artifacts in the Department of Mysteries, it's them," Bellatrix told her daughter.
"What do they make," Lyra asked, intrigued.
"Many different things… they have their own shop where they sell what they make as well as other items of interest they either find or consign," Bellatrix said. "The shop is called Enchanted Odds. We can take you there when we have a moment if you'd like to look around."
Lyra nodded. "That would be interesting. I'd like to have something made by the actual Grindelwald." Then as if suddenly recalling some offense her parents and uncle had committed, she gave them all a piercing glare. "And why didn't you tell me he is the real Grindelwald? It isn't his son, and you know it!"
Bellatrix shrugged. "He's telling people that he is his own son in order to avoid a ton of legal entanglements from several countries. His secret was not ours to tell, and we knew he would let you know who he truly was if he felt like it or found it necessary."
Lyra sighed, nodding grudgingly. "The less most know the better," she agreed. "If any of those other countries try to take him in and imprison him once again we won't have him to help fight against Delphini."
Rabastan nodded. "Yeah... I don't believe they could actually capture him, but if he had to suddenly haul ass that wouldn't help us against Delphini one bit."
"They should've left Grindelwald alone back in the bloody forties," Rodolphus said. "He could've made the world a far better place, and the Dark Lord probably would never have risen to power. We could've worked in the Grindelwald regime."
"Ah, the glory," Rabastan agreed wistfully.
"And his followers just wore pendants of his symbol rather than being branded like bloody cattle with Dark Marks," Bellatrix said. As if of its own accord, her right hand went to touch her left forearm where the Dark Lord's mark still rested.
"So did you see that he was the real Grindelwald in his Aura or what," Rabastan asked and Lyra shook her head.
"He was concerned that I could, though, because if I could, so could others," she replied. "So he asked me to look, and then he told me why later because he wanted to make sure no one could see that truth in his Aura."
"Could anyone else, even if you could not?" Bellatrix wondered, and Lyra shook her head.
"I don't think so. A really good psychic may know, but that wouldn't have anything to do with the Aura. He looks the age that the youthening potion made him, even in his Aura, so there is no trace of his true identity there."
Bellatrix nodded, feeling relieved that this Aura thing didn't show and tell too much about a person. That wouldn't be good at all. It wasn't that she had any particular secrets, but the idea of one's own energy field broadcasting their personal business was disconcerting.
"If you only taught Grindelwald and the Minister for four hours, what did you do for the rest of the day," Rabastan asked Lyra.
"Well, I had lunch at the Ministry, then I spent the afternoon teaching the Head Auror and the Minister's Senior Undersecretary. The Senior Undersecretary, Goriandor, is a goblin, which was particularly interesting," she enthused. "I wondered if goblins would be better at seeing Auras than us, and perhaps they are. Goriandor learned very fast. Romeo is decent, but the goblin was the best all day, with Grindelwald a close second, probably due to his psychic abilities."
"That's interesting," Rabastan said thoughtfully. Harold entered then, announcing dinner.
"I'd like to include you in the lesson on Auras when I teach my parents," Lyra told the elf. "It would be interesting to see if elves have the same abilities as goblins with Auras, and if not, how they differ."
"If the abilities of humans differ, would it not be the same with elves and goblins," Rabastan asked as they all rose to head to dinner.
"Oh sure, but the more I can teach, and in turn study, the better informed we shall be on the matter," Lyra said.
Harold's expression did not show under the plague doctor mask, but he made no objection so Bellatrix assumed he was not uninterested. Of course, he was being paid to do what they wanted, so he likely would not object regardless.
"When are we doing this, anyway," Rabastan asked his niece as they entered the dining room.
"As soon as we all have a few uninterrupted hours together where we aren't completely exhausted from working all day," Lyra said. "You will need focus and being tired won't make that likely."
"Well, tomorrow is Saturday," Rabastan said. "Thus far they haven't made us come into the Ministry on Saturdays… Not this new version, at least. Our Shadow Ops work could be twenty-four-seven back when we were doing that, or it could be completely dead if no shit was going down. It was more chaotic, less routine." He sighed. "I miss it."
"They said we shall still be doing Shadow Ops as well, when it is needed," Bellatrix reminded him.
"Yeah, on top of fucking everything else," Rabastan complained. "They've turned us into work mules!"
"It is a pleasant change to have our skills in demand and appreciated, though," Rodolphus said as they settled around the dining table. "And we won't be nearly as busy once SHE is dead."
"So shall we work on doing whatever with Auras in the morning and go shopping with your aunt after lunch tomorrow," Bellatrix asked Lyra and the girl nodded.
"Sounds good," she said.
As they had for several nights now, they headed upstairs directly after dinner, each retiring to their own rooms for a hot bath and straight to bed. Lying in Rodolphus's strong arms, Bellatrix slept like a stone. To her regret, she had no sweet dreams of the day's torture sessions at Azkaban, but neither did she have nightmares of the Dark Lord.
The next morning everyone, including Harold, gathered in the library for a lesson on Auras.
"Umm… Would you mind taking off that plague mask for this," Lyra asked Harold. "I fear those goggles could block your Auric sight."
Rabastan snickered. "Sorry, that just sounds so weird," he said when Lyra shot him a frown.
"If Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange do not mind, Harold shall, of course, do as Miss Lyra wishes."
Bellatrix shrugged, waving a hand negligently. "That is fine."
When Harold tugged off his mask, Lyra smiled. "Well! It's nice to see your face."
Harold looked mildly flustered. "Thank you."
For Bellatrix, it was odd seeing his expression as she was so accustomed to the mask ensuring he never had one.
"I want to give you all Aura cleansings first, if that's alright," Lyra said. "I'm sure it's about the Voldemort trauma... It makes your Auras look dirty. And probably all the torturing of people doesn't help," she added with a frown.
"Doubtful," Rod said dismissively. "We like that bit a lot."
"I'd like to cleanse yours as well, Harold," Lyra said. "Perhaps it looks dull due to whatever you went through with your former owner, but I'd like to see it looking cleaner. All of you will find the Auric work easier if your own Aura isn't all gunked up. A polluted Aura makes it harder to see and sense other things. When your Aura is clogged and unbalanced, it can affect so many things, from your energy level to your perception and even your physical health."
Lyra had everyone sit down and make themselves comfortable before moving to each in turn. "I'm beginning with the worst and concluding with the least befouled Aura," Lyra said, stopping in front of Bellatrix. "Sorry, Mum, yours is the worst."
"What are you going to do," Bellatrix asked, frowning.
"It won't hurt," Lyra assured and Rodolphus smirked. "Well, that's no fun," he complained.
Lyra ignored her father's comment, focusing on Bellatrix. "I shall work a cleansing spell from my mind to your Aura, and it lifts all the gunk out. It may be a slow process or it may happen quickly, depending on how hard your psyche wants to hold onto the issues. Just lean back and relax."
Bellatrix sighed and did as Lyra requested, trying not to feel pensive about whatever weird thing was about to be done to her...Aura. She saw no magic being performed as Lyra stood calmly in front of her, an expression of intense concentration on her face.
"I don't see you performing any magic," Rabastan complained.
"I said it was from my mind," Lyra replied. "That means it is more subtle to detect... Now let's play the quiet game while I work, Uncle. I am the only one who gets to talk, and I only do that if I see something in the Aura that I feel needs commenting upon."
"Like what," Rabastan wanted to know and Lyra frowned.
"You'll see. Now be good and sit quietly," she said firmly.
Rodolphus snickered as his daughter schooled his baby bro on manners.