Into Emerald Flames

Chapter Twenty One: Dance With Me

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome

I'll try to start updating every week, and then maybe more during Spring Break (next week for me!) and maybe more on weekends depending on how much homework I have.

-l-Lily-l-

" Dance with me, beautiful?"

I spun around on my heels in surprise. I was at this party, which was rather fanciful, for protection reasons. Remus had forced me into a long, light green dress with fake jewels and too much glitter. He said it was part of being a noble, especially in society's eyes. My hair, now dyed a plain brown looked odd, tied up in a bun. Again, Remus insisted that it was only proper. I could see he was right, every noble woman had her hair tied up, wore a sparkling gown and a fake smile.

Alice had put my hair up. I had my memory back of her, and I didn't realize how much I actually missed having real friends. In the Death Eaters' group, I hadn't really had friends. Severus...well...he was different. He stole me away and maybe I never truly loved him but rather who he once was. Alice was overjoyed that I was safe, seeing as there were so many disappearances. I didn't have the heart to tell her, after I found out she was now Alice Longbottom, that I was in the Death Eaters that had attacked her.

Luckily she didn't know more than my capture. My past was unknown to her, for now at least.

The man had hazel eyes, and was slightly recognizable.

" I think not," I replied, turning away. I was specifically instructed to find my partner. I was given no hint as to who he actually was, only that he knew what I looked like and would find me.

" You're not just going to walk away, are you?" came the voice from below. I stood on the stairs, a few from the bottom, gazing at the gleaming floor, which was decorated with colorful tiles. Sparkling chandeliers hung from gold colored chains, hanging from the ceiling. There were hundreds, joined together for one night, in honor of the Minister. He had held the party, even in the times of evil, when it looked like evil might strike at any moment. Lights shone brightly, and people laughed and talked. It was a happy sound, one that I hadn't heard in ages.

He stepped forward, too fast for me to notice, and then his arms wrapped around me, and he turned around, setting my feet on the dance floor. He stepped close, staring into my eyes for a moment before he whispered, " You're her, right?"

" Who...who are you?" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes at him in suspicion. My past few years of lies and trickery had taught me plenty well. I recognized him now, without the glasses he was almost unrecognizable. But if I placed that face, like I did, I could see James Potter, the boy I loved three years ago. No doubt he had probably fallen in love with some other girl, even when I did vanish for all those years.

" James," he replied rather shortly. He rubbed his nose where I could see the bridge of his glasses had once dug into his skin, leaving red marks on both sides of his nose.

" I'm Lily," I introduced, ignoring the name Ressa, which fell on the tip of my tongue. I had to bite back my instinctive response and instead forced out my real name.

" You're my new Order partner?"

I nodded. " I just joined a few days ago."

For a moment, he looked as though he might roll his eyes at me. Instead he gave me a light smile. " I'm James Potter, and an Unspeakable, so I'm well trained."

" Don't doubt my talents," I replied smoothly, " I know plenty well how to fight. And...what's an Unspeakable?" I knew of them, that they were similar to Aurors. As a Death Eater I'd been taught to fear them even more than an Auror. They were highly experienced, and were nearly as good of forces as our own had been.

" We're an elite, small group of very advanced Aurors. Sirius and I included, we are higher fighters than Aurors. We don't attack openly, we are more about stealth and trickery."

" I've seen you before, in battle," I murmured, more to myself than to him.

He had no reply, and swiftly changed the subject. " So, will you dance with me?" he asked, holding his hand out.

I reluctantly took it. " So, where's the Minister's daughter?" I asked, turning in place and scanning the crowd. This was our entire mission. We were here to protect the Minister's daughter, Tessa. She had reddish blonde hair, olive colored green eyes, and her cover name would be Olivia. She was nowhere in sight. I caught no glimpses of red, in fact, it was hard to see through the thick mass of moving people. Nearly impossible to pick any one person out.

Their spinning made my head whirl, and with all the flashing glitter, and lights, my head hurt after only a few glances, which happened as I turned. Then James pointed, motioning in a general direction. He was motioning to a large crowd of girls, all slow dancing with their husbands or dates. After multiple turns and a few pauses, I spotted her amongst the crowd. She had her hair, unlike other nobles let down freely. I guessed it was to try to not stand out, but it actually made her stand out even more. She was rather pretty, I admitted, and she had a kind smile and she played her part well.

Higher up, I could see the Minister, wearing a black cloak with a silvery sheen on the inside of the hood. He was watching the dance, and chatting with the people on his left and right. On his right, I could see Kingsley Shacklebolt, who picked at the roast on his plate. The other seemed to be just as high ranking, though he seemed not to talk as much. Behind the Minister, I could see two guards in black, twirling their wands and watching, unmoving.

Dark Times, and it was hard to find any joy around. Most people were solemn and silent, trekking down the streets, looking over their shoulders, which were often hunched with worry. Most stayed at home, not daring to venture out very often. The few parties and banquets that were held were either huge, like this one, or small and privately held. These were our few times of rare joy.

With the Dark Lord only gaining power, many were being murdered. You never knew who would die. Who would vanish. Every week you would read the paper, hearing about more deaths, and more vanishes. More and more, there were people beginning to shut away their lives, not letting anyone in. So many others joined him, while the others fought him with strength and power that most did not have anymore. A lot had given up. Given up on the hope of winning. They lost sight of what they were fighting for. Almost everyone lived in the constant fear for their children, and for themselves.

One of the few who didn't was the Minister. To kill his daughter, that would cause more confusion and fear to be added to this nasty rage. Like putting salt on a wound, or else letting it fester. He didn't fear for his life, and his daughter had no protection against dark forces.

She was drinking a glass of white whiskey, a clear, rather strong whiskey I wasn't fond of at all. I approached through the crowd, and James took a white whiskey for himself before he started to choke on it. She turned her head, and her piercing eyes and stance held one of being superior, and more important.

" Hello Miss...Olivia," I paused, unable to recall her last name.

She twirled around to look at me. With the white gown she wore, she almost looked like a muggle's idea of a fairytale princess. It was a long, flowing white gown with several shimmering, diamonds on the dress, alone with plenty of pearls. She simply enchanted the boys with her money-made looks. Her eyes were lined with silver glitter, she had pink lips, and eyes rimmed by thick, black lines and heavily mascara covered lashes.

" Something to eat, ma'am?"

I turned, reluctantly accepting a pastry, with a small smile. James took a mulled mead from another passing waiter, nearly falling in the process. She declined all with a scowl, claiming her body didn't need the fat. I glared. Like she had any fat on her at all, she was probably skin and bones. I restrained from rolling my eyes.

" So, have you ever gotten drunk before?" I asked, eyeing her glass as she emptied it. She also looked a bit faint.

She shook her head. " I never get drunk."

" Wait," I hissed. The waiter carried colored drinks, and Olivia turned, taking the only one of purple. I knocked it out of her hands, and as it fell, so did she. I could smell it, as the glass shattered, spraying the liquid everywhere. Living Death, a silver, deadly poison, colored purple to hide the silver sheen.

Another scream answered Olivia's. I whipped around, in time to see a girl wearing blue crumple to the ground, her eyes wide and glassy, staring into nothing. I turned away, knowing she was already dead. I examined Olivia, finding her only passed out from the whiskey. Living Death moved fast through the body, and killed within a few seconds.

" James!" I shook Oliva's shoulders, but she didn't move. " James, it was poison, protect the Minister!"

I turned to see him standing, wide eyed at Olivia.

" Tessa!" I began to shout. Other screams echoed around me. I plunged my hand into my robes, fumbling for the tiny bottle, and finally my fingers found the neck of the flask and I uncorked it, pouring it down the throat of the girl in front of me. " Tessa, get up!"

I threw the flask aside, hearing it shatter and another scream. She sat up, eyes wide.

" What's happening?" she asked, looking at terrified as I felt.

I met her eyes, and despite my first impression of her, as a preppy, rich girl...I found I couldn't answer. Because I didn't know the answer. " I don't know."