Author's Note:
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In this chapter, New Years Eve is upon us. Azzura was handed a strange note at the New Years Eve party. She thinks it's another prophecy. James is concerned. Lily interrupts them with her own problems. James and Azzura run into an odd ghost…Let the investigation begin!
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Ravenclaw_Illusions
…
RECAP:
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."
…
"What's going on?" I pleaded with Lily, as she dragged me through the packed room.
"I need help," She replied. "I need to speak with you about something."
I grinded my teeth, knowing that I wouldn't receive any further explanation, until we arrived to wherever she was taking me…
It was only once we reached a smaller room, vacant of any party goers, did she let go of me.
I opened and closed my hand a few times. For such a tiny thing, she sure had quite the death grip.
"Now can you tell me what the hell is going on?"
Lily fidgeted where she stood.
"Hello…" I waved my hands in front of her face. "Azzura to Lily, come in Lily…"I joked.
She blushed, and played with the ends of her hair. A slight smile was on her face, but her eyes were focused on the floor.
I threw my hands up over my head. "I swear to Merlin, Lily. If this is about you and Scamander – I will have to kill you."
Her eyes briefly peeped up from the floor to look at me. "Please, don't."
I closed my eyes trying to hone in on the air filling my lungs. I let the air out slowly through my mouth, as I pulled at the roots of my hair. "Do you realize that there are strange things – possibly dangerous things, happening at this party?"
Lily's face dropped – she tilted her head to one side before she spoke. "What are you talking about?"
I pulled out the piece of parchment that was placed in my hand moments earlier. "Someone put this in my hand while James and I were making our way through the crammed ballroom, right before you showed up with your 'emergency'."
Lily took the paper from my hand.
"What is this? … Some kind of legend, or puzzle," She stared at the words scrawled out onto the scrap material.
"To be honest, I'm not sure. I think it might be a prophecy."
Her eyes widened, "What would make you think that?" There was a sense of panic in her voice.
I placed a hand on her shoulder, "Not all prophecy mean trouble."
"A prophecy handed to you, by a stranger in a crowded party … sounds like trouble to me." I could feel her body trembling under my light grasp of her shoulder.
"Lily, we need to remain calm," I hushed her. "We don't know all the information yet," I explained. "Teddy said that there are other seers at this party, and if it's one thing I remember about other seers, is that they are not always the most socially acclimated individuals."
She shook her head, "Last time a prophecy was given to you, I was kidnapped… I …. I was… I can't….."
I froze, recognizing the look on her face. This had happened to me before, when I was first placed in New York, after what happened in Rome.
"I'm sorry," I pulled her close to me. "I know. It's terrifying just to think of anything that might remind you of that time." I wrapped my arms tightly around her. "I promise you, this isn't the same. No one will ever take you away from us, Lily. I promise."
I conjured some chairs for us, and sat with her. I ran my hand in circles on her back, as she tried to breathe the anxiety away.
"So, what did you want to speak to me about?" I asked her, trying to change the subject.
"Lysander," She stated.
"Do I have to jinx him, or not?" I draped her loose waves over her shoulder.
She smirked. "You see, I kind of already did," She chewed at her bottom lip.
"What do you mean, you already did?"
She sat up, and put her full attention on me. "We were talking. It was actually a nice conversation. He made me laugh, and for a second, I had no clue why everything between us had to be so complicated." Her emerald eyes caste down at the floor, dim with what looked to be disappointment.
"What happened?"I prompted her to continue.
"I didn't realize that it was so close to midnight," She shook her head. "I didn't hear the counting down over my laughing."
"Lily, what happened?"
"I didn't realize," She winced. "He took me by surprise."
"What did he…" I figured it out half way through my question. "He didn't, did he?"
She nodded, a blushed rising to her freckled face.
"Oh, Lily," I replied softly. "And you jinxed him?"
She sighed. "For a moment, I didn't really understand what was happening. I just sort of, let it happen. Then I opened my eyes, and it hit me. Lysander Scamander …." She ruffled her metaphoric feathers. "That it was his mouth on mine, and I …"
"You freaked out, and you jinxed him." I patted her back, lightly.
"Exactly," She dramatically gestured across the room. "And now he's knocked out in that closet over there, and I don't know how to counter-curse it."
I laughed, immediately covering my mouth, trying to restrain myself. "He's in that closet?" I let out a few giggles. "He kissed you at midnight, and you knocked him out, and shoved him in a closet."
"It's not funny," She pushed at my arm. "I really don't know how to undo it," She loudly repeated. "Otherwise, if I want to undo it," She added on in a whisper.
I walked over to the closet on the far side of the room. "Alright, Lils, let's get a look at the damage, here." I opened the door to see my blonde friend's lanky body folded in the corner of the narrow closet. His head lolled to one side, he looked completely lifeless. "What hex did you use?"
"I don't know," She replied. "It just happened. It wasn't the kind of jinx you use with a wave of your wand and stating an incantation."
"You used wand-less magic?" I checked his neck for a pulse.
"I guess so," She scurried across the room. "Something like that hasn't happened to me since I was little." She hovered over my shoulder.
"Well, the good news is – he's alive," I smirked. "So congrats - you didn't kill him."
"Again, this is so not funny, Azzura."She defensively snapped at me.
I restrained another chuckle. "Oh, yes. This is hilarious." I pulled him out of the closet and started to search my mind for a counter curse. "Maybe it's like the fairy tales, and only true loves kiss can wake him," I teased.
She rolled her eyes at me.
I tried a simple, stupefy counter curse…. Nothing…
Several attempts later, and a revival spell – usually used to treat drowning victims, did just the trick.
His eyes sprung open, and Lysander came coughing and wheezing back to life.
"Thank you," Lily stated. She was holding her hand to her heart, when she glanced down at the young man sitting on the floor.
"What in bloody hell happened," Lysander managed to rasp out the words.
"You kissed her, and she jinxed you, then she shoved you in that closet, and got me to help figure out the counter curse."
"Azzura!" Lily shouted my name – mortified.
"He has a right to know," I shot Lily a look of authority. "Besides, chances are that his memory of the event would slowly return to him."
She narrowed her eyes, as she walked over to where Lysander was sitting.
…
I left the two of them to talk things out.
James was right outside of the room… waiting.
"Just some love bird trouble," I shrugged off his worry.
His face fell into a grimace. "Do I want to know?"
"Not really," I smiled.
He shook his head, "It's just so strange."
"They're handling it," I replied.
He interlocked our fingers. "And how are you handling your note?"
"My first order of business is to ask Teddy for the names, and any information he has, on the other seers that are at this party." I explained, as we walked down the corridor.
"That's a good first order of business," He smiled at me.
We turned a corner, and wandered into a wide hallway. Three ghosts were in a deep debate as we approached.
"Excuse me," I interrupted them. "Have any of you seen a young man with green, or blue, hair?"
The ghosts all stared for a silent and awkward moment. One of them floated closer. He squinted, scrutinizing my face.
"Alright, Azzura, how did you replicate Flammel's anti-aging tonic?"
I jerked my head back, confused.
"How do you know her name?" James squeezed my hand.
"Know her name," The ghost scoffed. "I know her. Meanwhile, she hasn't aged a day, and I'm dead."
"I'm sorry; Sir, but I do not know you."
"Lina, I'm crushed." The ghostly gentleman feigned offense. "We were friends, we grew up together."
I flashed a glance between James and the ghost. "Lina? You just called me Azzura, a minute ago."
"Yes, that is your surname," He replied. "You might not have physically aged, Lina, but your mind sure has."
"What are you talking about?" James demanded.
"Years ago, I knew her as Lina, it was a nickname of sorts. There were many other Azzura's …. It was a family name."
…
