AN: So this chapter is dedicated to Anime Watcher And Book Reader, whom I forgot to acknowledge last chapter for her review.

Kiwisaurus: That is adorable! Hm. Food for thought. Sorry I couldn't get you your third chapter. I had terrible writer's block that has been rectified by my editing of the timeline. But here it is!

Enjoy and R&R!

-MW

Easy As Lying

Chapter 7: Brooms and Bottles

Harry Potter is really confused, not to mention frustrated. He stares at the two letters in his hands with a grimace on his face: one from Dumbledore and one from Gringotts. The one from Gringotts is asking for his presence at his godfather's will reading on June 6th. That's in...seventeen days. The Dursley's will be on vacation at that time. The one from Dumbledore is the one that's infuriating. Dumbledore explains how the will reading is a trap and forbids (forbids!) him to go.

Harry scoffs at the audacity. He prohibits his friends from writing him all the summer before to protect their secrets and now goes and sends him a letter that states plainly not only that Voldemort is back, but that the Order of the Phoenix (referred to by name, mind you) looked into his godfather's will and found that it was sealed and couldn't be opened...ever. A load of codswallop if you ask him. He would have asked to look himself at the beginning of summer but he was too swallowed up in his grief for his godfather to ask or even think rationally. He was more inclined to believe the letter from Gringotts because of the blood test the weird goblin projection had conducted. The Chosen One did wonder why it had addressed him as Lord Potter. Though with the prophecy being kept from him, he suspected he had some sort of inheritance that Dumbledore (who else) kept from him (of course). He did take it as a note of caution though.

The Boy-Who-Lived sighed and decided to go hidden under his last gift from his godfather. On Harry's fifteenth birthday, Sirius had gifted him a silver cloak embroidered with designs that swirled across to the other side in intricate vine designs. It looked masculine as well as elegant and it was Harry's prized possession. He valued it even more than his invisibility cloak. Sure, it had been his father's, but he'd never known James. Sirius was more of a father than James ever had a chance to be. It was woven with every protection charm imaginable. It even had a newly invented one that nullified harmful potions or spells already on or in the wearer's body. It worked with poison, too. If he wore it to the will reading, he would be protected from most spells and he would be hidden from curiously seeking eyes. Plus, he always feels sharper in wit while he's under it and the feeling always lasts until his next meal at Hogwarts. Suspicious much? He knows something's going on. It wasn't just him either. He let Ginny wear it the night he got back to Hogwarts for his fifth year and she'd lost the creepy hero worship she'd had for him for years. It was extremely refreshing and their relationship was a lot better now.

Decision made, Harry Potter peeled of his shirt to reveal a lithe but muscular torso and lay down to sleep. He never even noticed the thick lines of black, gray, and iridescent bluish green curling their way around his biceps in an intricate pattern. However, the morning would be another matter.

"Ewwww! Get it off me!" I sigh.

"For the last time, Astoria. It's a she and her name is Ivette. She's just trying to figure out why you smell funny." Astoria looks extremely offended at that and I give her a tight smile. She narrows her eyes and purses her lips. However, she is soon distracted by Ludovic licking a line up her exposed calf. She shrieks indignantly. The face he makes as he tastes her skin is enough to make me want to laugh. However, the sense of disgust coming from both of them is strong enough to make me want to puke. So I decide not to open my mouth. I just keep going around the kitchen making lunch for myself, Vic, and Ive.

"I don't care what you call it! Get it off me." I roll my eyes at her but whistle at my puppies to come and eat their food. Ludovic, the poor baby, goes straight to the water with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. The disgust lessens as they taste and smell something other than Astoria's disgusting pumpkin juice perfume. It was too bad that with my newly heightened sense of smell it was as strong as if I was standing right next to her. The perfume smells as if someone mixed a rotting pumpkin with cinnamon scented chemicals. In other words, I still feel like puking. I've had my babies for three days and they still haven't stopped looking adorable to me and evil to Astoria. Everyone else just ignores them.

I'm feeling so much better and clear-minded after Gringotts. Two nights after the shopping trip I had the dream Bloodtooth told me about.

I was standing on a balcony overlooking the most beautiful garden I'd ever seen. Ivy crawled up the aged stone walls as Foxglove sprang from the ground in small but frequent patches. Small but bright bluebells spotted the ground beside a path that looked as if it was made of melted diamond. It shimmered and glittered in the light of the sun that was setting on a large body of water that sparkled like orange tinted sapphire. I watched as a kitsune jumped into a tree as it watched a sphinx propose a riddle to some tree nymphs as their homes covered most of the garden with shade. Fruit trees were scattered across the awe-inspiring garden in copious amounts.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Asked a voice from behind me. I turned away from the garden to face the woman who had spoken. I smiled at her.

"Yes. Yes it is." I felt a pang of sadness and disappointment in my chest as I realized nothing this beautiful could exist in real life. "This is a dream isn't it." It wasn't a question. There was no way it could be real.

"Yes, child. It is. How did you know?" The woman's long blonde locks twist around her head as if they are submerged in gentle waters. Her eyes change color gradually but steadily. First brown, then green, then yellow, then purple, then bright aqua. Her face was timeless, ageless. I tore my eyes away so I could focus enough to answer coherently.

"It's too beautiful."

"Oh. Perhaps that's a good thing. Well, onto business. I chose you to be Lady Grey and that makes you one of three of my spokespeople in the wizarding world. You are the only one to speak my will right now. The other two will come into their inheritances at the end of summer. There was a fourth, but he has gone, how do kids put it these days, oh yeah, off the deep end. You three will need all the help you can get to take him down." She looked out to the garden where the Sphinx was now challenging the kitsune. "Good luck, my only daughter." I blinked slowly and woke up staring at my ceiling.

I broke out of my thoughts to the smell of something burning. I look towards the magical stove where I am cooking my tamale.

"Crap!" I gasp and jump to my feet. The tamale has turned black and is sadly unsalvageable. Frowning at the pile of black crumbs, I sigh and put another one on. This time I'm determined to get it to my mouth.

"I don't know why you don't just have a house elf do it. That's what they're for." Astoria comments from behind me.

"Because I would starve if I ever didn't have any to help me live. Plus, I like cooking."

"How can anyone like doing such a menial task?"

"It's only menial if you are bad at it. Some people have made fortunes as chefs."

"What's a chef?"

"Someone who makes the food you eat when you go to a restaurant. House elves don't make all food, you know." The timer for my tamale dings as Astoria thinks up a response to that. I smile and put my cooked tamale on a plate, slathering it with a special green salsa* that I order special from the Muggle world. The Greengrasses know that if they touch it, they die. After I'm done eating I'm going to go to Diagon Alley to get the stuff I forgot to get three days ago…and to pick up my new wardrobe. Astoria draws in a breath and I know she's about to start talking.

"That's stupid. Who would want to spend time making food when they could be shopping?" Her mouth curves downward into a pout. I roll my eyes at her for what feels like the fifth time in ten minutes.

"Your sister, for one." I smirk. Astoria's eyes get really wide and she stands to go find Daphne. I take a bite of my tamale and almost groan. Utter perfection.

I look at the queue for picking up clothes at Madam Malkin's and really do groan. It's huge. Then a smile spreads across my face.

"Tippy." I call. There's a small pop before Tippy appears in front of me in her clean pillow case with the Wilde crest embroidered in the corner.

"What can Tippy do for Mistress Tempest?"

"Tippy, will you pick up my wardrobe and take it back to my room in the manor." Tippy nods and pops away. I turn across the street to Quality Quidditch Supplies. I walk in and grab a bunch of practice snitches to practice with so I can try out for Seeker position on my house Quidditch team at Hogwarts. I had gotten a thorough talking to from Lady Greengrass about the uncouthness of Quidditch and dragon handling and how no respectable lady would engage in such activities. I just scoffed and made a comment about how my parents were fine with it as I walked from the room.

I'm walking toward the Firebolt 2 stand when another broom catches my eye. I walk toward the other stand and admire the broom. The handle is polished mahogany and the footholds are electrum. The tail is a reddish orange color with not a twig out of place. I look at the price tag. LightFury, imported from Italy, 2999 Galleons. I grin to myself. A little much, but worth it. Italy makes the highest quality brooms in the world.

I giggle and jump up and down, giggling like a little kid. I bounce up to the cash register, getting some weird looks along the way. The cashier eyes me warily. Still, it is his job and he tries to force a smile.

It doesn't work. Good for him that I'm on too much of a giddy high to notice or care.

"I'll take the LightFury." The cash manages to keep his incredulity to a mere raising of his eyebrows.

"Your key, ma'am?" He asks.

"Oh yes, of course." I dig in my pocket for the key to my Gringotts vault. I find it and hand it to the worker. He smiles tightly and put it in the magical version of a card reader.

"Just a moment. I will be back with your purchase." The middle-aged man goes through a curtain that leads, probably, to a storage room and emerges a little over a minute later with a long box. I grin as he hands it to me. I can't wait to get home and try it out. As I skip out of the store to go to the next, Tippy pops in front of me.

"I is done Mistress. Is Tippy being needed for anything else today?"

"Actually, yes. Please take this back to my room as well. You don't need to check in with me afterwards. If there's a problem I will inform you after I get back.'" I inform the adorable little elf with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am." She pops away.

I sigh frustratedly after she leaves. Yay…shopping. -_-

AN: So this is mostly a filler chapter and character development. The only thing that's super important about this chapter is the part with Harry. Good night.

*Taco Bell's green salsa

-MW