Lyra nodded up at him, for once accepting his word - his authority - without question. He was still her older brother after all. Her respect and presumption of his worldliness was nowhere near as absolute as it was with their parents, and she belied it by often arguing with him the way that siblings were seemingly required to. But it did exist.

Particularly when he was putting it forward that he would be the one to take the blame, should they get in trouble.

Mother would ask why Lyra wasn't hungry, and the girl would pipe up, "Draco said it would be all right".

And who said eleven-year-olds couldn't be manipulative.

As they both tucked in for the moment there was relative quiet, Lyra enjoying the tea and sandwiches too much to try and carry on straight away.