Eternally Yours

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter or marvel. All recognisable characters, content or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter One:

It had been a difficult year. Between Voldemort, the Ministry of Magic, and the general misery that was Hogwarts, Lila would be the first to acknowledge the fact. Therefore, when Sirius, Remus, and Tonks' solution to the problem was a vacation to the United States, the teenaged witch had jumped at the opportunity. She'd never been out of Britain, and moreover, the chance to stay away from Privet Drive? Lila wasn't about to complain.

Thus, her summer had been the best of her life, and as the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip shown through her window, she smiled to herself.

The adventure wasn't over yet, after all.

"Are you ready?" Tonks queried.

Lila nodded, tugged self-consciously at the hem of her dress, and retrieved her clutch from her bedside table. Tonks had already done the younger girl's hair and makeup, and Lila had begrudgingly squeezed her feet into the silver heels they'd purchased for the occasion, and the newly minted 16 year old had never felt so adult in her life.

"You look amazing," Tonks complimented, "Seriously, if I'd known last summer that you were rocking that body…"

Lila scoffed and rolled her eyes, but she couldn't suppress the smile, or the tinge of pink that graced her cheeks. As often as she received them, she didn't think she'd ever get used to compliments.

"You look great, too," she answered.

In a red dress and black wedges, Tonks struck a pose, blew Lila a kiss, and offered her an exaggerated wink.

Lila envied her confidence. Tonks was bold and brazen, secure in her skin in a way Lila had never been. She wondered if it was simply something that came with age, or if it was all just Tonks.

"Why thank you, sweetness. Shall we go?"

Lila grinned, slipped her arm through Tonks', and walked with her cousin to the door of their suite. "We shall."

Tonks guided the way to the lobby of the Bellagio. Sirius had organised a luxury suite for Lila and Tonks' use there, and although Lila was perplexed at Sirius' blatant encouragement for his goddaughter to run wild, she wasn't about to complain. She'd not been a child for a long time, and Lila actually appreciated the fact that Sirius wasn't treating her like one.

"We're going to hit the casino first," Tonks said, "Afterwards, we're going to get shit faced at the hotel bar. Any questions?"

"What happens if we get separated?"

"Pray you find your way back to the hotel room?" Tonks suggested.

Lila offered her cousin an unimpressed stare, though she didn't pursue the matter. Instead, she made her way towards the casino, offered the security her fake ID, and entered without fuss. The ID itself was magical, and the shape-shifting ability she'd received from Tonks worked like a charm, and before Lila knew it, she'd won 250 thousand dollars, and a night in one of the Bellagio's penthouse suites.

"How'd you manage all of that?" Tonks queried, gaze on the roulette wheel.

"It's all maths," Lila answered, though she didn't extrapolate further. It was somewhat awkward to explain that she'd finished secondary school before she'd been accepted into Hogwarts, and moreover, no one outside of her relatives knew the extent of her intelligence. It was unfortunate that she'd sacrificed a full ride scholarship to Oxford University to attend her parents' alma mater, but in the long run, it was perhaps for the best. Lila got the opportunity to interact with her age group, her relatives got her out of their hair for ten months out of the year, and everyone was a winner.

Once all the paperwork was sorted, Lila meandered her way towards the bar, ordered herself a glass of wine, and studied the patrons. Beside her, a blonde man sipped at a tumbler of whisky, offered her a lopsided smile, and turned back to the Blackberry he held in his opposite hand. As he did, Lila covertly studied his features, sipped her wine, and longed for Tonks' confidence.

Maybe if she had even an ounce of it, she'd not hesitate to start up a conversation with the handsome stranger. As it was, he seemed rather preoccupied, and Lila wasn't known for her social skills.

Then again, she supposed, she was a 16 year old in a bar full of 21's and up, and perhaps it would be better if she avoided such complications.

"Hey," Tonks greeted, ordered herself a rum and coke, and queried, "Not looking to have fun?"

"The night is young, isn't it?" Lila parried, swirled a sip of her wine on her tongue, and offered her friend a smile, "I'm thinking there will be a couple of nightclubs in our future, don't you?"

"I think that sounds like a brilliant idea," Tonks acknowledged, "Perhaps you should ask blondie if he wants to join us."

Lila turned red, studiously avoided the eyes of the man in question, and was therefore surprised when a hand reached into her line of sight. She shook it mutely, offered him a sheepish smile, and made no move to introduce herself.

"I'm Warren," he said, "And you're beautiful."

"Lila," she answered, "And thank you."

Blessedly, Warren led the conversation, and over drinks and pleasant company, Lila steadily relaxed in the man's presence. She found that Warren was quite the intellectual, with a solid grounding in International Relations, Economics, and Business. he was unafraid to disagree with Lila's opinions, and over a debate regarding 'Catcher in the Rye' - of all things - Lila found herself smitten.

"Are you here with anyone?" Lila queried.

"No," he replied, "I was here as a favour for my father, but my services are no longer needed. I was just killing time until he demanded me home."

"In that case, you won't mind joining us at the Black Cat." Tonks appeared out of nowhere, and Lila idly wondered how long she'd been eavesdropping. Warren looked at her though, uncertain, and Lila offered him a tentative smile.

"I'd like that," Warren acquiesced.

Tonks grinned, ordered a round of shots for the three of them, and downed hers without a moment's hesitation. Warren followed suit, and Lila warily did the same.

She hoped she wouldn't regret it.

Author's Note: Not fond of this one. It all seems rather forced, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head.