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In this chapter, New Years Eve is upon us. Rose, Lily and Azzura have been spending a lot of time together since Christmas. James wants to have Azzura's undivided attention for ringing in the New Year. A random stranger brings a strange message. Lily freaks out.

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Ravenclaw_Illusions


The Potter's house: Breakfast time

"Can someone pass the butter?" Albus muttered; his eyes barely open. I've learned during my stays at the Potter's house, that Albus and I are equally enthusiastic about the early hours of the day.

Lily grabbed her half-asleep brother's hands and placed the butter dish in it, and a knife in the other.

I smiled - restraining a laugh.

"So I heard Teddy and Victoire are throwing quite the bash tonight." Mr. Potter announced, conversationally, to the table.

"Yeah, they invited us," James replied. "Teddy is getting his old band back together for the occasion."

"Sounds like a great party," Mrs. Potter eyed each of us. Something about the way she stared, said she suspected mischief… or maybe even encouraged some trouble, and merriment.

"I'm excited," Lysander exclaimed. "I loved listening to The Lychan Excursion when they were still at Hogwarts."

"I never heard them play," Lily stated, looking down at her plate.

"That's because by the time you were a first year, they had already graduated." James explained.

"I remember," Albus yawned. "All the other first years were fascinated that I knew Teddy. I didn't understand why that was a big deal… it's Teddy." He shrugged, "Little did I know, my oldest brother, Teddy Lupin, was Hogwarts' own rock star."

"He's that good?" I asked – excited to hear for myself, later.

The boys all nodded and replied in agreement.

"Yup, he's a natural performer."

"…The best."

"I think it's his personality, and the whole 'metamophmagus thing', that amplified how well received his music was."

"My Godson: kind, intelligent, talented, respectful, and a rocker," Mr. Potter stated: a hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth.


After breakfast, Lily and I packed a bag.

"What do you think?" Lily asked as she held up a purple dress, in front of her body.

I laughed at her. She was standing in front of her open closet, slowly – but surely, emptying it of all its contents. "I told you it's not that kind of party," I finally replied.

Her face dropped; she forcefully hung the dress back up, her eyes never leaving me.

Shaking my head, I smirked.

"It's not my fault," She pouted. "I'm only clueless, because I've never been to a party like this."

I turned to look into my already opened trunk, "Calm down. I think I have just the thing."

I thought of how the Weasley cousins all reacted to my story, about crashing the Iron Howler's concert in New York. Teddy's party seemed to be a lot like my New York scene. So I dug into my trunk looking for some clothes that I haven't been able to wear in a while.

"Aha!" I pulled out a top that had been a favorite of mine. It was black and worn, with little studs lining the spaghetti straps, and the seam of the flow-y handkerchief hem. "Try this on," I tossed the top at her.

She held it out in her outstretched arms. "This is yours?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

I nodded, "New York," was all the explanation I needed.

"Oh, right. James told me." She grinned, "I heard you were quite the 'wild child' in America."

"I wasn't that bad." I chuckled, "The clothes and the attitude are just different there."

"Is it true you have a nose piercing?" She eagerly asked, leaning her head in my direction.

I removed my glamour charm. "Oh yeah," I tapped my forehead. "Technically, I'm not at school, so I don't have to keep my glamour charm up."

Suddenly, there were hands holding my head still, and I was nose to nose with the little red head.

"Merlin," She stated, as she examined my face.

"Are yah good?"I said - backing away.

She withdrew her hands from my head, and backed up.

"Put on the shirt."

She threw off her t-shirt, and pulled the black top over her head. Once it was on, she looked down to see the fit, and then back up at me. "It's a little big," her eyes went wide, and her mouth slumped into a gentle frown.

I tapped my wand in my hand, "It just needs some magical alterations."


We packed a bag filled with my old New Yorker clothes, and a few of Lily's statement clothing pieces i.e. black skinny jeans, a skirt, and two pairs of shoes. This was so we had options to pick from when we got ready at Rose's house, and so Rose could pick something out if she wanted to wear something of mine.

I followed Lily down the stairs but was caught by the waist at the bottom landing.

"And where are you two running off to?" James questioned, playfully. He pulled me tight to his chest.

I smiled, inhaling his scent. "We're going to spend some time with Rose."

He frowned. "You've been spending a lot of time over there."

I flicked a rogue tuft of his hair, away from his glasses. "Is that jealousy I hear, Potter?"

His face softened, but he remained pouty.

"Awe, do you need attention?" I crinkled my nose.

He nodded, enthusiastically. "We're staying in the same house, and I barely see you." He kissed my face and neck frantically.

I giggled.

He nipped at my neck, and slowly kissed his way up my right cheekbone. Sometimes I forgot how much he could act like a certain Black pup.

"Tonight," I promised. "At the party, I'm all yours. I swear."

He smashed his lips into mine, initiating a short but passionate kiss. "I'm holding you to that promise, Di Napoli."

I kissed his cheek, lingering over his stubble for just a moment: enjoying the prickly feeling on my skin. "You better," I smirked.

As I walked away, he grabbed my wrist. "By the way," He turned me around. "I like that the glamour charm's on vacation."

I kissed the center of his palm and walked away. My heart felt as though it was spinning, as I spoke over my shoulder. "See you later."


"Azzura," Rose stared at the clothes we brought. Lily scattered them across her cousin's bed for us to look at. "These are perfect," She smiled.

"Thanks, I thought my clothes from back home would fit in at a party that Teddy's hosting."

Lily clutched the black top she tried on earlier to her chest.

"I take it that you like that top, Lils," I laughed.

She grinned widely. "Now what do I pair it with?"

Rose picked up the slate grey skirt Lily brought over. "Let's see how this goes," She handed Lily the skirt.

Lily took the grey material, and then turned to look at me.

"Try it on," I suggested. "If it looks good, then we'll worry about accessories."

She nodded, and walked over to the corner of the room, to change.

"Is Scorpius coming to the party?" I asked Rose.

She smiled at the mentioning of his name. "Yes, he is." Rose pulled her curls into a large messy bun at the top her head. "I'm looking forward to spending some time with him, tonight."

"James was just telling me the same thing." I picked a top out of the pile on the bed. "I guess Lily is hogging us, just as Albus has been hogging Scorpius."

"Which means," Rose began to speak in a hushed tone. "That someone is going to have to talk to another someone."

I smirked, knowing exactly whom she was speaking of. I shook my head thinking of how they've been acting at the Potter's house. They barely speak to one another, and when they do, everything comes out either overly polite and awkward, or they end up bickering like children.

"How do I look," Lily called our attention over to her. The 'magically altered' top flowed nicely to about an inch or two above her hips, and the grey pencil skirt hugged her curves giving balance to the loose-fitted shirt.

"You look great," I replied.

"Lysander's eyes are going to pop out of his head."

Lily's face scrunched. "Can we not speak of Scamander?" She narrowed her eyes at her cousin.

I laughed, enjoying Rose's blatant and antagonizing comment, and the reaction it earned.

Rose borrowed a top, which I also magically shrunk. She paired it with a tight pair of black pants and a pair of wedges she bought with us before Christmas.

I brought an old dress out of retirement: black, with some gold hardware. Once it was accessorized with a white and gold patterned scarf, black combat boots, and my leather jacket, I felt like "Azz" again.


The party took place at an old estate building that one of Teddy's friends had inherited. Whoever this friend was, he obviously didn't start cleaning up the dusty, dark, cobweb infested manor. It reminded me of a movie set, for something gothic, like Dracula, or a long abandoned Wayne Manor. We had already spotted several ghosts. James was sure that the drapes with teeming with doxies. I didn't argue with his assumption.

"Your locket looks nice with your New York clothes." James squeezed my hand.

I looked down at the antique locket, engraved with stars. "It looks good with everything." I glanced up at him. "It's also something that I would've picked out, myself. I feel connected to it."

"I'm glad," He messed his hair. "When I saw it, I knew it was for you."

"Jimmy!" Fred, and Roxie, pushed through the crowd, towards us.

"Azzura!" Roxie ran over to me, with her arms outstretched.

I hugged the exotic looking Weasley cousin. "It's good to see you, Roxie."

She eyed my outfit, "Iron Howler's gate crashing, are we?" She teased.

"It was bought around that time," I laughed.

"Hello," James interrupted. "Are you going to say hi to your cousin?"

She shook her head, and threw him into a choke hold. Messing his hair with her fist, her other arms looped around his neck: "Is this hello enough, for yah Jimmy?"

He shook her off, and straightened his glasses. "Yeah, that's enough."

"Hey there, gypsy-woman," Fred lightly punched my shoulder.

"Hey Freddy," I smiled at him.

He nodded his head.

I thought it was funny, and yet, appreciated the fact that Freddy wasn't sure about me yet. He was friendly and welcoming, but I could tell he had walls up, whereas most of James' other relatives were extremely open with me. I had always known that he and James were close friends (otherwise cousins) and I found it sweet that he was being protective over his best-mate-cousin-thing-person.

"Uh-oh, the Jinx is here," I heard a familiar voice say.

Teddy was already in front of us, greeting James, by the time I noticed his dark green hair.

"Azzura," He turned to look at me. "You look like you're in your natural habitat."

The man that I wished was my big brother had a way of always making me feel accepted. "Thanks, I can't wait to hear your band play. James and Lysander were talking about your music over breakfast this morning."

"It's been way too long," He shrugged. "It's nice to have a reunion." His hair faded to a light sky blue – as it often did when I spoke with him. "You know there are a few seers here, tonight. I'll have to introduce you later."

"…Really? Thank you, that would be awesome," I replied.

It's been a really long time since I've been around other seers.


11:55pm

James led me into the room where the stage was set up. The music had temporarily stopped for the count-down. He swept me across the room as if we were dancing at a much more formal event. When we reached the far side of the room I realized where he was taking me. A large set of French doors were at the back of the room. He opened them, revealing a balcony.

"Ladies first," He smirked. The way he looked at me made me feel light, and warm. When he stared at me – I knew…

I walked out onto the balcony. The sky was the richest and darkest shade of blue. A sickle moon hung over the horizon and the stars glittered down at us – like a million oversized snowflakes frozen in time.

James shut the doors, and looked around the balcony.

I started to giggle when he checked beneath an overgrown, and long dead, plant, in its flower pot. "Did you lose something?"

"No," He placed the plant down. "I was just checking," He shrugged.

"Checking for what?"

"Photographers," He smiled. "Last time I kissed you on a balcony we made the papers, remember?"

I stepped closer to him. "It's okay," I placed a hand to his chest. "We'll just have to ask your aunt to throw the reporter in Azkhaban like she did with the last one."

He laughed, "On the record, Skeeter did break a promise she had kept with my aunt since my aunt was a Hogwarts student."

"Yeah, yeah – unregistered animagus, several accounts of slander, and endangering a refugee…blah blah blah... She got what was coming to her."

"Did you just say, 'blah blah blah'?" I knew this was leading to him making fun of me.

I brought my hands to the back of his neck. My finger tips played at ends of his hair. "Oh shut up, and kiss me."

He brushed his nose against mine, and pressed his lips on my mouth. I parted my lips, inviting him in, beginning the dance of dominance we always played. I would go back and forth with him. Pushing and pulling, biting, and submersing until finally, I'd give in to him. We were mid-make-out when I heard the counting down in the background.

"Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…Six…Five… Four… Three… Two …. One!"

We broke apart, smiling, and fighting to catch our breath.

"Happy New Year, love," He pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Happy New Year," I smiled.

...


The music started up again, once the New Year had begun. Teddy, and The Lychan Excursion, were, actually, pretty good.

We re-joined the party, to listen to the band play, and dance. James and I were hand in hand as we walked over to the dance floor. That's when I felt a strange hand placing something in my palm; closing my hand into a fist, as though trying to prevent me from dropping whatever it was.

When we stopped in front of the stage, I looked at my mysterious delivery. It was a note.

The stars had shined for millennia,

Only to grow dim for generations.

A dark, and baron era

For kin of royal exoneration.

Announced never to shine bright

'Til the darkness fades in the gift of sight.

A.P.S

"What's that?" James asked loudly into my ear – shouting over the music.

My heart plummeted to my feet. "I think it's another prophecy, either that or a riddle."

But who in this fresh hell would anonymously hand me riddles?

"Where did you get that?" James stared hard at the piece of ripped parchment in my hand.

"Someone put it in my hand while we were weaving through the room."

James draped an arm around me, and looked out into the crowd. "I don't like this."

"I mean, Teddy did tell me that there are other seers here. Maybe one of them had a vision." I tried, and struggled, to make sense of the situation.

"Oh thank Merlin, I found you!" Lily emerged from the large clump of dancing witches and wizards. She pulled at the sleeve of my jacket, "I need to talk to you."