bright lights of the new year ringing in true

Mother and Father didn't usually have parties. They had guests over and they had dinners but never anything of this magnitude before. Father looked dour in the nice suit Mother had insisted he wear, slinking about the party never without a drink in his hand. Lyra couldn't help but feel like Father disliked the party as much as she did; but she watched him watching her Mother and by the look in his eye knew that he'd endure it. Her mother was, after all, the shining jewel at the centre of the party.

Frankly, Lyra would be okay with them never having a party again if it meant her mother didn't force her into a little, childlike version of her mother's own dress. Her mother had beamed as they'd made their entrance, holding her hand and pulling her alongside her as if she were her mother's little doll, reminding her to be perfectly sweet and delightful. She'd scowled at Pantalaimon when he'd changed into a version of her mother's Golden Monkey.

Her mother had introduced her to all of her important friends, her hand tightening against her back or shoulder only occasionally. That was when she knew her mother was talking to someone she didn't particularly like. In those moments, she took to focusing on her mother's conversations with her 'friends', watching the other person and their daemon with curiosity but being careful not to show it. It probably wouldn't do to seem too involved in the adults conversations.

As the party wore on, she could see that her mother was in her element and it fascinated Lyra to see her mother like that. She found herself mimicking her mother's smile and the tilt of her head. She wanted to stay up all night to watch her mother. Unfortunately, the clock was past nine and her mother was ushering her towards the stairs and up to bed.

"But I'm not tired Mother," Lyra argued back, Pan still clinging to her in the form of a Monkey.

Her mother's eyes were hard and her mouth formed into a displeased grimace. "It is not polite to talk back in front of company, Lyra. Don't ruin the night by causing a scene. Now, off to bed. You are still a little girl, you need your sleep," Mother told her firmly but sweetly and Lyra simply huffed.

Lyra turned, stomping a little stroppily up the stairs, glad when Pan turned back into his familiar ermine form. They entered her bedroom, slamming the door shut though she doubted it could even be heard over the noise of the music from downstairs. It was a shame really. She knew a stomping child and slamming doors would cause whispers amongst her mother's friends; the kind of whispers her mother would have detested .

She sighed, flinging off her shoes as Pan reminded her that they were tired and that maybe going to bed early wasn't a bad idea. She flung herself onto her bed, still in her party dress, arms strewn out about her body and gazed out of her window. The sky was dark and bright and absolutely perfect; the fireworks would look spectacular, she thought as Pan curled up around her neck.

Lyra jolted awake, sitting up as Pan scrambled onto the bed, flitting into a hissing wildcat for a moment. She rubbed at her eyes, suddenly worried that the noise she'd heard were fireworks and that she was going to miss them. Pan changed back into an ermine as she scrabbled across her bed and bolted to the window, trying to look out into the sky to see if she could see any of the lights.

The sky was still dark and colourless. She turned to the clock on her bedside table, relieved to see the midnight hour hadn't passed yet. It was only quarter to 12. She opened her window, leaning out as far as she could go and realised that she wouldn't get a good angle to see the fireworks and slumped against the windowsill. A tired pout adorned her lips until an idea struck her.

"Lyra, we shouldn't. We're supposed to be in bed," Pan warned, his ermine form looking at her sternly.

Lyra simply smiled back at him slyly, gathering him in her hands. "No one will be in Father's office Pan," she whispered as she snuck out of her room, Pan changing into a big brown moth to follow her silently. "And his balcony is so big, we'll have a great view of the fireworks. They'll never know Pan," Lyra insisted, sneaking down the stairs to the second floor and heading straight for her father's office.

It was no surprise to her that the room was empty, father never let anyone other then Mother and Thorold in his office. Occasionally Lyra would bring him cups of tea or biscuits but he never paid her much mind. She was careful not to touch any of his work, she didn't want to rise her father's temper in any way, as she snuck through the room and out towards his balcony.

The night was cool but she didn't mind as she stepped out into the brisk air. Pan landed on the stone balustrade, changing back into a white ermine. Lyra grinned, leaning against the stone and snuggling into Pan, her eyes turned skywards. She could hear the chatter from the party downstairs and knew it must be getting close to midnight, all the adults were sounding infinitely more loud and joyful.

She leant further against the balcony, eyes cast downward for a moment, wondering if she could spy anyone wandering in the garden below her. Her focus was broken however when she heard a noise come from behind her, the door of her father's study opening and her mother's voice. Lyra froze, glancing towards Pan in fright.

"Asriel, it's rude for a hostess to leave her own party," she could hear her mother say, though her words sounded a little off.

Lyra turned, rushing to press herself against the wall, behind the balcony door. She didn't want to be seen, she knew both her parents would not be happy that she was out of bed and in her father's office.

She heard her father scoff. "You've ignored me all night Marisa. Surely a husband can steal his wife away for a moment together," she heard her Father say, his voice deep and Lyra frowned, it sounded like they'd bumped into something?

"I haven't been ignoring you. You've been sulking all evening," she heard her mother say and...was that a giggle? Her mother did not giggle.

Lyra was so confused and curious that she forgot she was meant to be hiding and had come out from her place behind the door to gaze into the study. Mother and Father were kissing . "Ew," Lyra groaned, glancing down at Pan. Unfortunately, she hadn't been as quiet as she'd thought she was because when she looked up, both her parents gazes were directed at her.

Her mother pushed away from father, moving towards the open doors with a slight frown. Though, it wasn't as stern as Lyra had thought it would be. Instead, her mother moved forward looking worried.

"Lyra, darling. What are you doing out of bed? Are you okay?" Mother asked, a hand coming up to graze over her hair and cup her cheek softly.

Lyra started to nod, to reply that she couldn't sleep when her father interrupted her. "Why are you in my office?" He asked brusquely and Lyra grimaced again, she'd almost forgotten that her father was there.

"I wanted to watch the fireworks on the balcony," she told them.

Her mother's smiled softened then and Lyra was surprised when she was pulled close into her mother. An arm wrapped around her shoulder then and Lyra slipped an arm around her mother's waist. "The balcony is the best place for watching fireworks, you're right," her mother whispered, far more spirited then Lyra was expecting.

She glanced behind at her father, not surprised to see he was watching mother, a smirk on his lips. She was surprised however, when the first fireworks started to go off, that he moved to follow them. She cuddled into her mother's side, Pan and her mother's Monkey were on the balustrade, the Monkey stroking Pan softly and holding him close. Stelmaria wrapped around her parents legs, father coming to stand beside them and Lyra saw mother reach for father's hand out of the corner of her eye.

"Happy New Year, darling," Mother told her excitedly, giving her a squeeze.

"Happy New Year!" Lyra replied, excited, hugging her back before turning her eyes back to the bright fireworks lighting up the dark sky.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother and father lean in to kiss, whispering Happy New Year to each other. Lyra couldn't think of a better way to start a new year.