Happy Friday!

Chapter 86

The weeks after visiting Blaise and Yunuen were filled with hours of hiking, exploration and photography. Petunia was being a good sport about the entire situation. Jasmine doubted this is exactly what she signed up for when she agreed to take pictures during Jasmine's internship. Honestly, Jasmine isn't quite sure she signed up for this much physical activity in the fine print for her internship. A five-day hike through a jungle to reach different apparition and portkey points was just the tip of the iceberg. The amount of physical activity was even shocking to Jasmine, who was in exceptional shape to begin with and had expected some longer hikes and maybe a bit of camping, but nothing this extreme. She was waiting for the Runemasters to physically make them scale a mountain.

Though, today would be their last afternoon hiking through mountains in Chile since they were making their way towards a portkey to take them back to the United Kingdom for the holidays. Petunia slapped a bug on her arm with a growl as the approached an old umbrella leaning against a tree.

"Is that really it?" She asked, moving a strand of blond hair that had stuck to her face from the humidity.

Celeste let out a small laugh as she slowly moved towards the portkey, her grey eyes closed. The runemaster was mostly using sensory runes to figure out where things were these days. Her eyes were beginning to truly fail her on most days even with the tonic she gets from her healer. "Well, you need magic to activate it, but yes, this is it. I doubt many muggles would want to touch a seemingly moldy umbrella on the side of a mountain trail."

Petunia wrinkled her nose. "I suppose that's true. Though, I thought that international portkeys tended to be in official locations for government supervision."

Runemaster Simon let out a laugh as he held onto his wife's forearm, "Well, this is why rune and ward masters tend to make their own portkeys for private use. This one will lead us all directly to our home, where you will connect our floo network with your own. This is by no means government sanctioned, but once your break is over, we will resume right where we left off."

"Simon, we're traveling to Asia after the holidays. As much as I know you love South America, I think that it is time to move to a different region of the world. I would like to see Japan and India again before my eyes fail me."

"As you wish, my dear. I will make sure that you get to see your favorite historical rune sites after the holidays. But, we have three sets of grandchildren to see before we can head off back into the world."

Jasmine smiled at the pair. They had been married for nearly seventy years at this point. It was nice to see that they still cared about each other. Celeste had come from an old Spanish pureblood line. Her parents had drafted a marriage contract with Simon's family when they were children. They had been lucky that it worked out for them.

It was going to be difficult to fill both of their shoes after they step down, but Jasmine was going to try her best. They weren't going to leave her alone, but they were going to be focusing on their health far more than they had been previously. Celeste suggested that Jasmine look for an apprentice after a few years as lead Runemaster. She had mentioned that it would be best to look for someone a bit younger and try to build up the department. Celeste had tried her best, but between the different wizarding wars and people going into hiding over the past couple decades, she had lost track of time. She hadn't realized that her eyes would fail her as fast as they did.

Simon, bless his heart, was great with runes, but he wasn't the best warder out there. Celeste was the master between them. She was also the one that had organization skills. Jasmine had been unfortunate enough to see how Simon kept his personal tent during their adventures in the jungles. Everyone with magic in their veins needed their own tent during travels. The aftereffects of ambient runes could cause latent chain reactions in large groups of powerful wizards and witches. Petunia always opted to stay with Jasmine, but she had the choice to bunk with Celeste as well. Calling Simon's tent a fire hazard would be generous. The mountains of books and papers he had lying around were no doubt only standing with multiple charms cast on them, not to mention the various sheets of formulas strewn about the room in random piles.

Celeste kept her tent spotless, but she was also losing her vision, so leaving things lying around where she could misplace or trip on them wasn't an option for her anymore. Though there were quite a few mornings when Jasmine was nearly positive there was tend sharing going on. The runemasters were brilliant, but they weren't sneaky.

Simon hummed as he pulled out a pocket watch from his outer robe pocket. He tsked when he noticed the time.

"Alright, our portkey is active. Grip it on three!"

The group landed gracefully back at Celeste and Simon's private home. Petunia had finally gotten the hang of magical travel, in all forms. The fact she wasn't a witch was such a waste. Jasmine had lived nine other lives and was still trying to not land face first every time she used the floo. She had gotten better over the years to the point she didn't trip out of the fireplace, but she still wouldn't say it was graceful.

Looking around, Jasmine wouldn't call this home a manor, it was a quaint little living space, it seemed like it was an average cottage. Though, she could feel the powerful wards emanating throughout the area. They hummed through the house and it made it feel inherently safe. Her magic agreed with it. She itched to see their warding room.

"Jasmine you take your friend home and then spend the holidays with your loved ones. We will see you bright and early on the sixth of January," Celeste told her with a gentle smile on her face as she nudged Jasmine with her wand.

Right, she could apparate them. It was so strange to remember that she made to seventeen and could use magic whenever she wanted.

It was also nice being back in the UK and not needing to worry about international apparition travel rules and bans. It all varied country to country.

The time change was going to be awful, especially since Jasmine knew she was going to be going across the world again in nearly two weeks. It was also much colder than she was currently used to. Countries by the equator were spoiled having warm temperatures year-round.

Dropping Petunia off had been bittersweet. She wouldn't be seeing her friend for nearly two weeks. Petunia looked a bit glassy eyed as they got ready to part ways.

"Have a happy Christmas. I hope that you and Lily have a great holiday with your parents," Jasmine whispered as she hugged her friend goodbye.

"I will. Don't get into too much trouble. Celeste and Simon would hate to have to replace you on such short notice," she replied with a smirk as she pushed Jasmine away and rang the doorbell.

Jasmine rolled her eyes and vanished before she could see the Evans family embrace their daughter. She had the Potter family to surprise.

Then again, she could always go to her ancestral home, she considered it for a moment before dismissing it. She had been attempting to make her ancestral manor feel like more of a home and less like a mausoleum, it was slow going. Jasmine figured it would be finished in the next year or so as long as she had some time to visit and make personal touches as the house elves in charge of cleaning were doing their jobs properly. Most of them had been serving the Peverell line for generations and would do nothing but their absolute best to make sure the manor went back to its former glory. She also didn't want to spend the holidays alone in an old manor. She had a family that would actually be happy to see her.

She apparated to the designated room in Potter Manor, quietly took off her backpack and peeled her muddy shoes off. She was going to carry them up to her room and then take a long soak in her tub.

Through, she didn't make it far before she heard footsteps thunder down the stairs toward her. She sighed and waited as James rounded the corner. He had gotten taller since the last time that Jasmine had seen him, his jaw was more pronounced and he'd finally finished growing into his limbs. He wasn't quite as lanky as she remembered, he had bulked up a bit since the summer. His teenage phase was starting to wane away as he grew into his more adult physique.

"Jazz? I thought you were going to be coming in the morning?" It was well after midnight in the United Kingdom, what was he going up this late?

"We got to our destination a bit earlier than expected. Time differences can make our afternoon look like your late night," she replied tiredly. "It's nice to see you, James."

Her cousin gave her a lopsided grin before coming up to her sweeping her into a tight embrace. "Merlin, it has been far too long. Hogwarts isn't the same without you. I hadn't realized how often I had gone to ask you for advice over the past two years. It's awful not being able to talk to you whenever I want to," he muttered into her hair.

She let out a small wet laugh. She could feel some tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I missed you too. Our conversations were a highlight of my time at Hogwarts. I missed my pseudo sibling. Petunia is a great friend, but she doesn't understand my sense of humor quite like you do, James."

It was novel, having someone she considered a brother. Theo and Blaise were family to her, sure, but she they weren't blood related, this was a new aspect to family that she wasn't quite used to yet. It was just strange to have someone blood related to her, that cared about her enough to call her their sister.

"Why don't I help you with your bags and we can get you set back up in your room. You can tell me all about your trip tomorrow and I will tell you about Hogwarts. Mum, Dad and I have all been invited to the Black Family Gala tomorrow night, though Dad can't go, so it will be Me, Mum and Lily attending. Sirius said that you would be coming as well," he commented as they made their way up to her room. He had flicked his wand out and was floating her bags behind them as he chatted with her.

"Speaking of Lily, how have you two been?"

James went dreamy eyed and Jasmine regretted asking. She had been gone for far too long if she forgot one of the most important lessons she had learned during her time at Hogwarts. Never mention Lily Evans to James Potter unless you want hours' worth of long tangents of her perfection coming out of his mouth.

"We're great. We're Head Boy and Girl this year, as you've been told from the various letters we've all exchanged with you over the past few months. Studying for NEWTs is the worst. I don't even want to think about the entrance tests for the Auror Department. Mum has told me about it a few times and I'm dreading it."

And here Jasmine thought that James would have picked a different career path. It seemed that Monty's business was destined to begin and end with him. He didn't have a successor.

They finally reached her room. Jasmine was sorely tempted to flop down on her bed without a shower and just sleep, but James was still here, so she couldn't do that quite yet, even if she desperately wanted to.

"Are Monty and Euphemia pleased with your career choice?"

He laughed as he set her bags down in front of her bed.

"Dad is frustrated with me, since he was hoping that I would take over his business once he was ready to retire. Mum was hoping the same thing. She has spent her entire career dealing with crime and doesn't really want me to be a part of it either, but I've always hated sitting on the sidelines. I just feel like I need to help and do my part."

Ugh, Gryffindors.

"I suppose so, but I'm learning to ward and search out ancient runes throughout the world. What would I know about duty to my country?"

With that sobering thought, Jasmine shooed James out of her room, showered and passed out on her bed without much thought. Her body knew when it had gotten seven hours of sleep and out of habit woke her up. She groaned as her eye forced themselves open, but it was nearly nine in the morning and getting ready for this part was going to take hours.

It wasn't ideal that she arrived Christmas Eve morning, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. Bella and Cissy had asked for her opinions on dress colors all throughout the month of October. Cissy had apparently picked the style out for Jasmine and just wanted her input on what color the robes should be. Bella thought the entire situation was hilarious, or at least that is what the letters made it seem like. She hadn't physically spoken to either woman since the summer.

In the end, it had been decided that Jasmine was going to wear ruby red dress robes, which had been delivered the Potter home sometime last week. Since she was no longer a Gryffindor it wouldn't be a declaration of house pride and more a compliment on her pale skin and dark hair.

She would rather be wearing grey. It was associated with her family and their magical alignment, but sometimes she needed to be more flexible with the way she dressed for formal occasions like this. Cissy knew what she was doing and the robes did look fantastic and that's really what mattered. She could always dress in a lovely grey robe when she needed to make a political statement.

This was more about her status as a Lady of the House of Peverell than it was anything else. It would be her first gala as the official Lady of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Peverell that Ministry would be forced to recognize.

Her family ring glinted on her right hand. Its ancient magic was strong and pulsing just beneath the surface.

It was going to be an interesting night, that was for sure.

Monty and Euphemia embraced her when she came downstairs for breakfast that morning. Euphemia's hair had almost completely gone grey, though she seemed to be embracing the color change with grace. Monty had a few pale streaks as well, but his hair was as wild as it had always been, though he seemed to be a bit thinner than she remembered. Jasmine hoped that he was taking care of himself while Euphemia and James were out of the house.

"I'm glad that you're attending the party tonight. I want all the details and gossip you all can find and report back to me. Merlin know that it gets dull just sitting in this house with nothing but my potions and reports."

Euphemia rolled her eyes, a teasing smile curling at the corners of her lips. "You love those potions and reports. Sometimes you love them more than you love me. I've seen the way you gaze at them when I'm talking about my day, don't deny it."

He put a hand over his chest. "I would never."

"Ugh, get a room, honestly," James grumbled as his parents continued to flirt shamelessly in front of him.

"Like you and Lily are any better," Jasmine pointed out as she finished her breakfast. Her spoon pointed in James' direction.

Her cousin shrugged, a blush creeped down his neck at the mere thought of Lily. "I suppose that you're right about that."

Potter men…what was the world supposed to do with them?

The gala started in the early evening, so it took the entire day to prepare. Jasmine was ready only twenty minutes before the start time. Her robes were perfectly fitted to her body, not a stitch out of place. The silk clung to her curves perfectly without making it risqué. The sheer lace sleeves covered her arms and only left the smallest bit of her neckline exposed. Her hair was braided and coiled into an elegant knot at the base of her skull. There were multiple pins with rubies and diamonds from her personal vault carefully placed through her hair. She had matching teardrop earrings with rubies in the center that Jasmine had put on for the occasion. She refused to wear high heels and instead had a pair of elegant velvet flats on, which made for easy movement.

Lily arrived in a beautiful pink dress robe that actually complimented her hair. This seemed like something Cissy would pick out as well. The woman had an eye for beauty… The frills weren't excessive and her hair was pinned up in only a way that Petunia could manage to create without magic. Though, Jasmine did cast a minor statis charm on it, just in case. It was too beautiful not to want to preserve.

"I'm surprised that Petunia was awake enough to even attempt your hair."

Lily let out a small chuckle as the redhead carefully hugged her friend. "She was half asleep, but she managed. Mum and dad were so happy to see her. I'm glad that you two made it home for Christmas."

Euphemia and James nearly made them late as they both stumbled into the drawing room at ten to four. Jasmine was tapping her foot, waiting for them by the fireplace. Lily was standing next to her, her arms crossed. James looked a bit contrite, but Euphemia didn't even bother to attempt to look apologetic. Knowing her, she had taken some extra time to say goodbye to Monty.

"Well, we don't want to keep the Black Family waiting any longer than they need to. I know that Cassiopeia has been looking forward to speaking to you again, Jasmine," Euphemia mentioned as the fireplace roared to life. She looked a little green even mentioning Sirius' aunt, but then again, that could just be the floo powder she threw into the fireplace.

It took them a moment to enter the Ministry atrium and see the trees and furniture decorated in Christmas and solstice ornaments and conjured fairy fire to illuminate the venue in an unnatural pale green hue. There were party guests milling about, varying in age and gender. Most congregated to liked aged individuals, others were obviously stuck to their parent's sides. Serving staff was floating around with trays of alcoholic beverages and small snacks.

Jasmine's eye caught a loan figure by a fountain. She wasn't dressed the same way that everyone else was. She was adorned in a traditional Japanese silk kimono. It looked to be made of multiple pieces of fabric and had to weigh at least twenty kilos, but she carried it with grace. This had to be the woman that Remus had started courting over the last few months and she seemed to be on her own.

"Care to introduce me," Jasmine said to her cousin with jerk of her chin towards the Japanese exchange student.

James rolled his eyes and nodded.

We are finally going to meet the Japanese representative that has stolen our dear Mooney's heart. I spent way longer than I should have looking up information about ceremonial kimonos. We're also getting another surprise guest interaction next chapter as well! We haven't seen this character in a quite a few chapters! The story just isn't complete without this character sticking their nose into everyone's business.

On a related note, some of you were close with your guesses for Jasmine's animagus form. Two reviewers guessed ones that I had seriously considered as I was writing the earlier chapters. You're going to get a huge hint about her form in another four chapters! =D At least, that's the plan as of right now. I will give you two hints here: 1. The form has to do with death, lowercase d, not necessarily Death the Deity running her life. 2. Her family magics from present or past lives have no play in what her form takes, but her experiences from those lives caused this to be the form she takes.

So, since many people are confused with my updated schedule. I am going to start leaving the next update date at the end of my Author's notes!

Next update with be on: September 4th.

Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! You all are awesome! Stay safe and healthy!

See you soon,
~Animerocker