Pushing out another chapter. I really want to finish The Gray Lady by Christmas! I love the dynamics between Amber and the other Marauders. The poor girl is the hen among the roosters. As always I welcome your feedback. Your reviews keep me and the story going :) Enjoy!

After the boys and I returned to the castle, I had set off to the Ravenclaw Tower to finish the stack of homework I had leftover from my brief stint in the infirmary. Lily had sent me an owl reminding me to meet her later for the Slug Club and to 'dress nicely'. I wasn't sure what that meant, so I had grabbed the first thing I had seen in my chest: Muggle clothes from home.

Lily met me at the ugly statue of the humped witch at precisely eight fifteen that evening. She was wearing a pretty pale green dress and had pinned her hair in an elegant up-do. Lily never missed the chance to be 'girly'.

Her face fell when she saw what I had chosen to wear: my jeans with tears in the knees and the thighs, my scuffed-up brown boots that I normally wore on the farm back home, and an oversized dark green flannel top that had once belonged to my cousin Harry. It was one of the many hand-me-downs I owned. Not to mention, I hadn't bothered to use a lick of make-up.

"What are you wearing?" Lily exclaimed as I reached her side. "You look like a homeless bum! How did you get in the castle? Did you climb in through the sewers?"

"Very funny, Lily." I said dryly. "This is comfortable. I don't want to be all frilly and fruity. Just let me be me, alright?"

Lily looked outraged. "At least let me fix your hair." She pleaded.

I rolled my eyes. "If you must."

Quickly, she tied my long hair back into a loose fishtail. She muttered curses under her breath as she worked. I definitely heard 'hopeless' and 'why even bother' as we walked toward Professor Slughorn's office.

"I don't understand you." Lily remarked as we descended the stairs into the cool dungeons of the castle. "You're so pretty, but it's like you want to hide your beauty underneath all of this frumpiness. Honestly, Amber. I wish you'd at least let me fix your hair. I want to cut it and give it some layers. It would be so pretty!"

"Why? You don't like it wild and natural?" I teased as we reached the door to his office.

Lily sighed. "It's just so… crazy. Like a lion's mane. Please let me give you a full make-over at some point. Tonight would have been the perfect night, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "Lily, please. I'm not like you. You're gorgeous. I'm just… Amber."

"Someday you're going to admit that I was right and you were wrong." She said airily as she knocked. She was wearing ballet flats to match her dress, and sparkly, dangly earrings hung from her lobes. Lily was naturally beautiful, but she also knew how to enhance that beauty. I had no idea. I preferred to roll out of bed, put on my uniform or whatever clothes I could wear, and go about my day. Life was too complicated without adding fussiness of appearance to it.

And yet, there was something alluring about Lily and her beauty. Part of me wanted to feel pretty, like a woman. But I wasn't quite ready to embrace that level of maturity. Not yet.

The door opened. It was a sheepish-looking house elf, who bowed to us. "Welcome, ladies! Please come inside."

"Oh, my." Lily breathed as we entered. Halloween wasn't far away, only a few more weeks, and the office had been decorated for the holiday. Professor Slughorn's office looked more like a high-ceiled apartment. Perhaps it had been magicked to appear bigger than it really was, but it looked like the inside of a Victorian house rather than a teacher's study. Countless pumpkins filled with candles lined the walls and floors. Real spiderwebs, complete with live tarantulas, hung in every window and in the chandelier. Live bats chattered overhead in a swarm, while candelabras flickered, giving off ample but incandescent light. It was filled with twenty-something students and a handful of adults, including Mara Smith and her cousin, Sean Locke. They stood near Professor Slughorn, who was happily occupying most of the buffet table. Everyone had a gobletful of something to drink.

"I guess we're fashionably late." Lily remarked as we made our way over to the buffet table. I could feel Sean staring at me, but I was determined not to look at him. I couldn't, not when I felt like my heart was going to beat its way out of my ribcage. I hadn't forgotten what happened the Three Broomsticks.

"He's staring right at you." Lily muttered as we filled our plates. We had deliberated skipped dinner in order to eat here, and Slughorn hadn't spared any expense. There were chilled monkey brains, roasted beetles, eyeball soup…

"You know what?" I said weakly, unable to stop looking into the cauldron of soup. "I don't think I'm actually hungry."

Lily gave me a sardonic look. "You know those aren't actually real eyes, Amber."

"I don't care. They're staring at me."

"Try the chocolate cupcakes." Remus suggested, appearing at our side. "They're delicious."

"You look nice, Remus!" Lily said happily, and I knew she was chiding me again. I was only too aware of the nice, Sunday-best clothes many of the others had chosen to wear. I alone looked out of place, like I had arrived fresh off the farm.

"You look comfortable, Amber," Remus said, smiling at me. The candles reflected like stars in his eyes, and I had to swallow hard against my racing heart, which was beating in double time. "I like your braid." He added.

"Thanks," I said. "Lily did it."

"I had to do something." Lily said. "She looked like an electrocution victim."

Remus laughed as he sipped his butterbeer. "I saw Sean. He's over there with Mara."

"I know." I said, still unwilling to look over. "Hey, is that Bathilda Bagshot? Over there with… Harry?"

Lily perked up like a shark smelling blood in the water. "Harry? Harry Harkstone?"

She took one look at his golden hair and vanished. I noticed that there were ghosts mingling with the living guests at the party, looking merry and content.

"Well, now we've lost her." Remus said sadly. "I hope I wasn't like that with Angelina. Ditching my mates for my girlfriend."

My heart skipped a beat as my blood chilled to ice water. I looked at Remus, unable to speak. How could I tell him the truth?

He frowned. "You've got that look again. What's wrong?"

I swallowed hard. "What look?"

"The look that means you're hiding something. What is it? Did you hex James before you came here or something?"

I bit my lip. I didn't want to spoil the party, especially so soon after arriving. But I couldn't keep this hidden forever. Maybe it would be like ripping off a bandage. The sooner I did it, the faster it would heal. One thing was for certain: I did not want to carry this secret around like I had carried Virginia's death. I had to tell him. Now.

"Can we talk somewhere private?" I asked.

Remus' eyes flickered. "Sure. Come on, I'm sure there's a broom closet or something outside in the hall."

We began to make our way towards the office door, my heart pounding harder with each step, when Sean intervened. He blocked the door, arms folded across his chest. He was smiling, but it wasn't a genuine smile. His gray eyes were like chips of flint.

"Going so soon?" He asked. "You just got here, Amber. I was hoping you'd at least say hello to me."

Sean was as handsome as ever, but jealousy didn't suit him. I narrowed my eyes. "I need to talk with Remus. Is that a problem?"

"Not as long as talking is all that you'll be doing." Sean said lightly, his gaze fixed like a sniper's gun on Remus. "How are you, Lupin?"

"Doing just fine, thank you." Remus responded coolly. "Mind moving aside?"

Sean gave us both a long, searching look. "You may want to wait on your little exit. Professor Slughorn's about to announce the main event."

I frowned, confused. "The main event?"

Just then, there was a loud tinkling of glassware. All eyes turned to stare at Professor Slughorn, who stood in the center of the room, Mara at his side. The portly, short professor looked flushed, as if he'd already had too much butterbeer, as he said, "Welcome, welcome! Happy Halloween, if I do say so myself! Welcome!"

There was a smattering of applause. Professor Slughorn took another drink from his cup, which was filled with amber liquid.

"I would like to introduce to you my guest of honor!" Professor Slughorn said in a booming voice that made Remus wince. "She has graciously consented to come tonight to our little get-together, despite her very busy schedule. Please warmly welcome the one and only Madam Goldie Cheek!"

There was a loud round of whooping applause. Sean clapped, but his face was stony. Remus looked amazed.

"Who?" I asked, frowning. "Who is Goldie Cheek?"

"She's the most famous Seer of this century." Remus explained as a short, plump black witch in purple and gold veils waddled forward, embracing Professor Slughorn tightly and bowing slightly. She had a contagious, genuine smile, and I found myself drawn to her. I wanted to talk to her, to speak to her, to see if maybe she knew anything about my own problem with visions.

"People say that she's Cassandra Trelawney's successor." Remus added as the crowd of students and teachers quickly swamped her, hiding her from view. Several ghosts also tried to make their way to the Seer. "She's very gifted. No wonder Slughorn brought her here tonight."

"I've met her." Sean said. "She's the real deal. She told me that one day I would meet…" he trailed off, going slightly pink.

"Meet who?" I asked.

A muscle jerked in his cheek. "Nothing. Forget it." I noticed that there were purple shadows underneath Sean's eyes. He looked tired, pale. Not at all like he was outside practicing Quidditch day in and day out. Something was off. And very wrong.

Maybe Remus wasn't the one I needed to speak to at the moment.

"Sean, are you alright?" I asked quietly, so that Remus couldn't hear me.

A shadow flickered across Sean's face. He looked away, jaw clenched. "I'm fine."

I stared at him. Surely he wasn't going to lie to me. "Can we talk?"

Sean rolled his eyes. "Don't you want to finish chatting with Lupin first?" His tone dripped with venomous sarcasm, and I found myself taking a step back, repelled.

Sean's face softened. He let out a long, gusty sigh, and I saw my old Sean again. "I'm sorry, Amber. That was uncalled for." He dragged a hand through his sandy brown hair, making it stand on end. "I haven't been myself lately."

I watched him carefully. "No, you haven't." What was the matter with him?

Sean gave a small smile as Lily and Harry returned. They were holding hands. Lily was glowing, her eyes strangely bright. She smiled so wide that her teeth were showing.

"Having a good time?" I asked.

Lily nodded. "I am now." She gave Harry a melting expression that made me want to cringe. If I ever look at Remus or Sean like that, I hope someone pushes me off the Astronomy Tower. I thought in disgust.

"Amber, how… rural." Harry said, grinning. "You look like you just got done mucking the horse stalls."

"Thank you, I realize that I'm a country bumpkin." I said tartly, tugging irritably on the end of my braid. It looked like Madam Cheek would be occupied for a long time, along with Professor Slughorn. Mara was deep in conversation with two girls I had never seen before, but who both looked oddly familiar.

My mouth dropped open. "Excuse me," I told the four of my friends, "I'll be right back."

"Grab me some punch!" Lily called after me. I wove my way through the throng toward my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the two girls, who looked to be my age. Both of them had long, dark hair. One wore glasses and had clever hazel eyes. The other had gray ones. Both looked extremely smug and sneaky.

"Oh, hello, Amber," Mara said. "I was wondering if you would be well enough to attend. You look peachy enough."

"Thank you." I said sourly. I had never felt less 'peachy' before in my life. "Can I have a word with these two?"

"Oh, yes." Mara said. "I was just telling them what nice costumes they have." She winked at the two girls, who giggled madly. "I'll be over here with Professor Slughorn. He was asking about tickets to the next game I'm playing."

Mara departed. I focused my full attention on the two girls, shaking my head in complete disbelief. "You two are impossible."

The girl wearing glasses giggled. "You're just jealous that I'm prettier than you. I'm Grace Potter."

"And I'm Eris Black." The other girl said, grinning wolfishly. Both were wearing skirts and far too much make-up.

"You two look ridiculous." I snapped. "It looks like your faces were gang-banged by Crayola. And what is that god-awful stench?"

"It's our perfume!" James-Grace said shrilly, batting her huge false lashes. "Don't you like it?"

"We picked it out at Dervish and Bangs." Sirius-Eris said proudly. "It was the pinkest bottle we could find, so we bought it. Just two Galleons!"

I covered my nose with my sleeve, repulsed. "You two smell like baby prostitutes. How did you end up this way?"

"Professor Smith, er, Mara gave us a special potion." James-Grace explained. "It changes us into our counterparts for three whole hours."

"I'm so glad we finally get to be in touch with our feminine sides." Sirius-Eris gushed. "But I never knew that girls had so many issues. Like shaving, and having to be careful when you run without a bra, since-"

"Okay!" I held up a hand for silence, the other covering my nose. "I get it. You're both crazy. And I can't believe Mara would give you something like that."

"She's fun." James-Grace said devilishly. "She's got an awesome sense of humor. Practical joker. Oh no, Sean Locke's staring at me." She and Sirius-Eris giggled loudly, fanning at their faces. Sean was staring at them with a perplexed expression on his face.

I marched over to Sean and Remus. Lily and Harry were dancing to the background music playing from Slughorn's gramophone in the center of the room. I shook my head.

"Who are they?" Sean asked mildly. "Transfer students?"

"No, just two idiots." I informed him. "This feels like the time Minnie got drunk and took her wig off at my birthday party and started dancing on the dessert table."

Remus laughed. "I remember that. Is that who I think it is?"

I grimaced. "Unfortunately, yes. Just ignore them. I don't know why they did this."

"To sneak in, of course." Remus said, grinning. "That's brilliant. I'd never do it, but I commend them for their daring. Wow."

"Wow?" I echoed. "More like 'ugh'. Come on, I don't want to catch their stupid."

Sean had disappeared. He had moved toward his cousin, and now they were talking in subdued tones over by Professor Slughorn. The latter was helping himself to another glass of oak-matured mead, his face red and shiny.

"You said you wanted to speak to me?" Remus reminded me. "Now that we're alone…"

I flushed. "Um, yeah. I guess now is a good time. Can we go outside?"

But before we could go outside, Madam Cheek intercepted us. Her shining brown eyes caught mine just as her fat little hand gripped my arm. "Excuse me! But do you have a little sister named Virginia?"

I froze, then went cold at her question. "I did. She's dead."

Madam Cheek didn't seem deterred. "I know, I heard. I'm so sorry. She would have been a third year this year, yes?"

I didn't like the direction of this conversation. I jerked my arm away, the anger rising. "Yes." I said crisply. "Come on, Remus."

"Miss! Amber, is it? Amber, wait a moment! Please!"

I gritted my teeth, just wanting to leave. It was bad enough that Lily had already ditched me for my cousin. Now Sean was going through a midlife crisis at eighteen, Mara had given James and Sirius gender-switching potions, I was poorly dressed for the occasion, and I had to tell Remus that I had killed his ex-girlfriend. To top it off, this fat little woman wanted to talk to me about my dead sister, which was an off-limits subject at all times.

"Let's just go." I told Remus. "Now."

"Wait!" Madam Cheek said. "Just a moment. Please. I need to speak to you. Professor Slughorn said you'd be here at this party. I've waited all day to talk to you."

Summoning the last vestiges of my patience, I slowly revolved on the spot to face her. She was a few inches shorter than me, and I had glare down at her. "What." I asked flatly.

Madam Cheek looked perplexed. "Wait a moment… didn't she tell you? Before she died?"

My hands were shaking at my sides. My wand was within reach, just a second away in my pocket. It took all my willpower not to grab it and use a Silencing Charm on her. "Tell me what."

Remus looked nervous at my side. I could tell he was a moment away from escorting me from the room to prevent me from attacking this toad-like woman.

Madam Cheek's eyes bugged. "She didn't tell you… But why?"

"Alright. Good-bye, Mrs. Butt-cheek, or whatever your name is." I turned, ready to storm out the door and break it off its hinges.

"Amber," Remus said quietly, right at my side.

"Your sister Virginia was very special!" Madam Cheek cried, waddling to keep pace. She followed me to the door, Remus carefully between us so that I couldn't hex her. Striving for patience, I closed my eyes and focused on happy things. Chocolate. Horseback riding. Swimming in the lake. Kissing Remus.

I blushed hotly at the last memory, temporarily forgetting my anger.

"She didn't tell you." Madam Cheek said breathlessly. "Oh, Merlin's beard. I can't believe it."

"Tell her what?" Remus asked, before I could open my mouth and curse the blabbering toad.

Madam Cheek looked utterly nonplussed. "That she was a Seer. Your sister Virginia was a Seer."

Remus and Madam Cheek had led me to a quiet corner of Professor Slughorn's cavernous study. He poured me a cup of strong black tea, looking grim. His eyes kept darting to my face and to Madam Cheek, who was trying to explain to me my sister's secret.

"I'm sorry, what?" I said finally, interrupting her flow of words. I was barely listening, none of her words registering in my brain. All I could think of was growing up and Virginia somehow knowing things that she couldn't have possibly been aware of. She had predicted the birth of my cousins Ruby and Opal, even though their mother was told she could never have children. Virginia had foretold the death of Minnie's husband, Great-Grandpa Liam, to the exact day. She had warned me about Lord Voldemort before he ever rose to power, like he was doing now. There were a handful of other examples, but it was all starting to make sense. We had always thought she was just lucky, or somehow communicating with some kind of spirit.

But now, this… It explained everything.

Had she known she was going to die? I wondered, a sick feeling in my stomach. Is that why she gave me her necklace? Is that why she told me to live my life to the fullest?

I could still picture her pale, waifish face the very last time we had spoken. She had given me a ride on Thunder to the train station after the Christmas holiday. Her sky-blue eyes had been so intense, so full of warning.

"Listen to me. Things are going to change. I know it. Be careful. Don't go looking for trouble. Please. Naomi needs you. Promise me. I love you Amber. Please, please be careful.

"I'll see you this summer."

The last thing she had ever said to me.

My hands clenched so tightly around the cup of tea that I was afraid it was going to break. I tried my best not to think of my dead sister. It had gotten easier, once I had learned that I wasn't guilty of her death, to move on. Slowly, day by day, I had thought of her less and less, until she was a memory that would cross my mind once every few days. But I hadn't thought of her like this since her death, and the pain cut through the healed scars like an axe. I bit my lip, trying to process the flood of emotions coursing through me.

A Seer. Virginia had been a Seer. How could she not have told me?

"Your father knew what she was." Madam Cheek told me. "He works in the Department of Mysteries with me. I assumed you knew. If you don't know, then I'm sure your mother and your littlest sister don't know."

I gritted my teeth. I didn't like the way Madam Cheek referred to my family, as if she knew everything about us. "I guess."

"Do you want me to leave?" Remus asked. He wanted to see if we wanted privacy.

"No." I said firmly, resting a hand on his arm. "Stay."

Remus nodded once. Madam Cheek cleared her throat, looking awed and embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry for upsetting you." She said in her fluttery voice. "I just thought you of all people knew about her gift. You see, every Seer is documented in the Department of Mysteries. Your sister was the most recent Seer to be born this century."

"Anyone else I know on that list?" I asked curtly. Like me?

Madam Cheek shook her head. "Sorry, dear, but no. And I couldn't tell you if I knew."

I rolled my eyes. Already, this woman was irritating me. Again. She was a walking contradiction. I sipped my tea loudly, wanting to get up and leave.

"I wondered if you had any Seer ability in you," Madam Cheek went on. "But you aren't on the list of named Seers, so I suppose not."

I bit back a retort. Wasn't this woman just saying how she couldn't reveal the identities of the Seers?

"Of course, Seers are extremely rare." Madam Cheek said. "I wouldn't expect you to be one yourself, dear."

"Madam Cheek," I said in a cold voice, trying to be polite, "can you please explain to me a bit further… what exactly a Seer is?"

Madam Cheek nodded enthusiastically, her huge gold hoop earrings swinging wildly. "Of course, dear. You see, Seers are witches or wizards who have the ability to See into the future with their Inner Eye. Seeing into the future is incredibly difficult, however, since every single action has an action, reaction, and consequence. Nothing is truly set in stone in the future."

I studied her earnest, shining face. "So Seers can't see into the past?"

Madam Cheek frowned. "Not usually. Almost every Seer has the exclusive ability to see the future. And Seers are extremely rare. You only see one or two every lifetime. However, there was one recorded case of a Seer who had the ability to look forward and backward in time."

"Who?" I asked. My heart began to pound, as if I already knew the answer she was going to speak.

"Her name was Sapphira Peverell." Madam Cheek said, nodding once. "Of course, she lived a very, very long time ago. Almost a thousand years ago. In fact, I believe she was one of the first students to attend Hogwarts."

I stared at her, the blood draining from my face. Remus was frozen as well. He, Lily, Dumbledore, and Professor Smith knew about my vision. But nothing could have prepared us for this.

"What happened to her?" I asked, dropping my voice so low that she had to bend forward to hear me. Remus leaned in closer, so that his scent wreathed around me. I had to fight off the distraction and focus on gathering my answers.

"Well, she was murdered." Madam Cheek said quietly. "She died in a battle between her village and another one. She was only twenty-four years old."

"She went to Hogwarts?" I pressed.

"Yes. Gryffindor, I believe. It's been awhile since I read through the Codex."

"Codex?" I echoed.

Madam Cheek nodded. "Oh, yes. There's a roster of every Seer written in the Department of Mysteries. The Azra Codex."

"And Salvatore Slytherin? Anything about him?"

Madam Cheek frowned. "Salazar Slytherin's grandson? No. Why?"

I remembered the vision, the clear playfulness and even flirtatious manner of the young man. "Nothing." I said. "No reason."

"Like I said, I am surprised that you didn't know about Virginia's ability as a Seer." Madam Cheek said ruefully. "She was going to be my apprentice once she graduated Hogwarts. I had known about her since she was born and her name was put down on the list of the Codex."

Remus put his hand on mine, startling me. His green eyes were electric, alive with energy. "May I have a quick word?"

I nodded. "Excuse us."

Madam Cheek nodded, pulling out her purse and dabbing at her nose with a powder puff. Remus pulled me into a corner away from ears, his face set tight.

"Amber, be careful." He said very quietly. "I'm sure Dumbledore warned you not to talk about your visions."

I returned his gaze squarely. "I haven't."

"I know, but doesn't this seem a little… odd, to you?" He asked. "I know she seems like a goldmine of information, but this all seems a little too convenient. A day after your vision, and suddenly this witch just appears with all of the answers? You need to be careful."

"Why does everyone tell me that?" I muttered, thinking of Virginia, Dumbledore, Lily, and now Remus.

"Because," Remus said gently, "you tend to overlook dangers and not realize them until it's too late. You're a brilliant witch, Amber. The brightest I've ever met. But you're not perfect, and I'm trying to warn you that this doesn't feel right."

I chewed my lip. "I don't think she's lying. Or using me."

"I know." Remus said. "But something's not right. Maybe she was given some kind of potion that will keep her talking. Or maybe she's been Imperiused."

I stared at him. "You could be right."

Remus nodded. "Maybe we should tell Dumbledore."

I looked back at Madam Cheek, who was now nibbling on a chocolate frosted doughnut. "You go get Dumbledore," I said softly. "I'll stay here with her and make sure she doesn't leave."

"Should I tell Mara?" He asked.

"No. Just get the Headmaster as fast as possible. Go on. I'll be here with her." I almost leaned forward and pecked his cheek and had to remind myself that we weren't a couple. Blushing, I stepped away from him and sat back down in my chair. I forced a small smile as Remus left.

"Where's your boyfriend going?" Madam Cheek asked, watching him retreat in the crowd.

"He had to use the bathroom. And he's not my boyfriend."

Madam Goldie Cheek grinned mischievously. "Would you like to know who you'll marry?"

I went hot from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. "You can tell that?" I asked before I could stop myself.

She nodded. "Oh, yes. I can tell very much without needing to go into a trance. It's part of the art of Divination. There's more to it than crystal balls, tea leaves, and palm lines, you know." Before I could say another word, she dumped a small purple pouch of animal bones onto the tablecloth and poked them with her stubby jewel-studded fingers. She swept them into a brass bowl and looked at me. "Set the bones on fire."

I hesitated. "Are you sure?"

She waved a hand flippantly. "Darling, I do this for a living. You know the spell, I hope?"

I bristled indignantly. "Of course I do." I drew my wand, pointing it at the bowl of bones. "Incendio."

The flames immediately ignited the animal bones like they were dry kindling. Cracks split the bones, snapping the air.

"Oh my," Madam Cheek crooned. "Oh my."

I searched her face while the bones crackled away in the bowl. "What? What do you see? Who is it? Who do I marry?"

"This is… this isn't possible." Madam Cheek said dramatically. "My dear… the bones are telling me that you are already married. But no, wait… no, this cannot be. You can't be married to a vampire. No, it's something else… oh, I see now. It's a-"

"Amber! Amber, m'dear! I was just hoping to have a word with you!" Professor Slughorn slurred, his face cherry red. His portly stomach bumped into the small table, knocking everything off of it. The teapot, the tea cups, the bowl of bones, all went crashing to the floor. I leapt to my feet, letting out a shout of despair.

"No!" I cried, as Professor Slughorn chortled merrily with an, "Oops! Ought to lay off the crystallized pineapple, I suppose."

"Who was it?" I wailed, distraught. "Madam Cheek? Which boy was it?"

But Madam Cheek was shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, dear. I was about to make out the crack in the bone but unfortunately, I couldn't finish reading it in time." She cast a dark look at Professor Slughorn. "Had enough to drink, Horace?"

Professor Slughorn laughed merrily. "Not quite enough, Goldie." He looked imploringly at me, his beady little eyes bloodshot. "Sean Locke was just telling me what a promising Quidditch player you are! You must be, since he trained you himself and he's a professional!"

"Semi-professional," I corrected, wondering if he was the husband Madam Cheek had been reading. Or if it had been Remus.

Or maybe somebody else entirely.

"Ah, very well, very well," Professor Slughorn said carelessly, "I also hear you're quite the Charms master! And Miss Evans tells me you've got her and Mr. Lupin riding for top of the class! Three valedictorians… now wouldn't that be something…" He withdrew a thick cigar from his vest, placing it on his lips.

"Now, Horace," Goldie chided, "smoking is banned inside the castle."

Professor Slughorn cleared his throat loudly, eyeing the room full of people before stowing his cigar back into his smoking jacket. "Quite right you are, Goldie! Quite right!" His booming voice carried to every corner of the room. "Now, how about a little bit of fun? I have bobbing for apples, magic mirrors, pumpkin bowling, blind food tasting, and my personal favorite, a little gambling with spider poker!" He lumbered off to join the poker table where James-Grace, Sirius-Eris, and Sean sat. Mara approached me now, smiling politely at Madam Cheek.

"Hello, my dear," Madam Cheek said dramatically, as I pulled out my wand and pointed it at the mess on the floor and said, "Tergeo." The fallen items replaced themselves on the righted table, but the bones were blackened and useless now. There were no cracks, just scorch marks and ash.

"Having some fun?" Mara asked casually.

Madam Cheek nodded. "Unfortunately, I think dear old Horace has had a little too much to drink. I was just about to tell this young lady who her future husband is."

"Ah, I see." Mara's dark green eyes twinkled merrily. "My vote's in for my cousin, but I think he's got some competition with your little friend Lupin."

I smacked a head to my forehead. "There is no competition. I'm just a normal girl, who likes reading and sarcasm. That's pretty much all there is to it. No guys are involved. Alright?"

Mara chuckled. "Whatever you say, Amber." She looked squarely at Madam Cheek now. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you talking about over here? Other than marriage and boring stuff like that."

"Well," Madam Cheek giggled, "I could tell you who your father is."

Mara's face went pink. She recovered quickly and tossed her long dark brown hair over one shoulder. "That won't be necessary. My mother will tell me his identity when she's ready."

"Ah, but my dear!" Madam Cheek said dramatically. "You are already twenty-two years old! A girl should know who her father from the beginning."

Mara's eyes darkened. I could tell this was a forbidden subject, and she changed the subject by asking, "Did you see anyone before you came to the party tonight, Madam Cheek? Anyone of interest?"

Madam Cheek plucked a flute of sparkling mead from a passing house elf's tray. She drank deeply, her face serene. "As a matter of fact, there was a very handsome gentleman at the Three Broomsticks, where I'm staying tonight. He bought me dinner there, as a matter of fact."

A warning prickle ran up my spine. Mara exchanged a meaningful look with me. "What did he look like?" She asked.

Madam Cheek batted her eyelashes. "Tall, pale, handsome. And young. Why, I'm sixty-three years old, and he couldn't have been more than twenty-five or twenty-six. Blonde, and the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. Like glaciers."

"Anything else?" Mara pressed. "Was he wearing a cape or a red cloak?"

"As a matter of fact," Madam Cheek said after draining the flute, "he was wearing a burgundy cape with a hood. Long ponytail. He was very polite and very courteous." She flushed. "He asked me to come back for dessert after the party, in fact."

I felt a deep chill in my bones. I knew someone who fit that description to a t. And Mara shared the same look of shock and disbelief.

"Madam Cheek, did you accept anything from him, other than dinner?" Mara asked in a very serious tone. "Anything at all? Flowers, a drink, perfume, jewelry?"

Madam Cheek blushed. "Well, that's a little private, don't you think?"

"I think that you should be more careful who you talk to." I said coldly.

Madam Cheek looked at me in surprised. "Now, really. That's no way to talk to your elders, young lady."

"Madam Cheek, I think you should come with me." Mara said. "We need to see the Headmaster."

"I am here." Professor Dumbledore appeared from the crowd, the light glinting off of his half-moon spectacles. Professor Slughorn chortled happily.

"Albus! Oh, I'm so glad you could join us! Here, have a brandy."

Professor Dumbledore smiled gently at the Potions master. "Another time, Horace. Mara, Madam Cheek." He kissed the Seer's hand. "May I have a word?"

Madam Cheek frowned. "I suppose so." She waved at Professor Slughorn. "I shall return shortly, Horace! Place a bet for me, will you?"

But the Potions professor didn't seem to hear him. He was now talking loudly to Severus Snape, who was hardly paying the old man any attention. His black eyes were fixed on the dancing pair of Lily and Harry, who were clearly enjoying themselves very much on the floor.

Remus appeared at my side as Madam Cheek, Professor Dumbledore, and Mara disappeared. He pursed his lips. "I hope she's going to be alright."

I bit my lip. "I don't know. I think she met Folsom in Hogsmeade."

Remus inhaled sharply. "What?"

"Yeah. She said he treated her to dinner. I don't know what he did to her, but something definitely isn't right with Madam Cheek." I hesitated. "Do you think she just made all of that stuff up? About Sapphira and my sister being a Seer?"

Remus' jaw flexed. "Only one way to find out. You need to send an owl to your father. It's time to ask him some questions."

Sighing, I nodded. "You're right. Do you think he'll actually tell me the truth? He didn't even tell me he used to be a Quidditch hero."

"Sometimes people hide things to protect others from the truth." Remus said wisely. "Trust me. I know."

I didn't push him. As much as I wanted to wrangle Lily away from my cousin and bring her with us, I couldn't bear to interrupt her evening. She looked so happy, so full of joy. Severus Snape was watching her with a mixture of anguish and jealousy.

"Do you still want to talk to Sean?" Remus asked. "He's looking at us."

I blanched. Sean wore the same miserable expression that Severus had. His eyes connected with mine as he lifted a gobletful of mead to his lips and drank deeply. The intensity of his feelings were clear.

But hadn't I already told him how I felt? That day in Hogsmeade, I had made it clear that I wasn't ready for anything serious. I didn't believe my age was to blame. Rather, I felt more lost in the tide of schoolwork, friends, and trying to figure out who I was. I certainly wasn't ready to plunge into a relationship when I didn't know myself completely. And now, the visions. The necklace. Folsom. Lord Voldemort.

I cringed at the thought of the name. "He'll understand. Come on. I'm sure Soren is in the Owlery."

"Should we tell the others?" Remus asked. "Lily and Harry?"

"I don't think they'd notice if a meteor crashed to Earth." I said dryly as I watched them dance. "They're in their own little world."

Remus smiled. "And James and Sirius?"

"Definitely not. Where's Peter?"

Remus frowned, crossing his arms. "I don't know. He said he wasn't feeling well after the lake. Maybe he's resting."

I waved a hand impatiently. "We don't have time to find out. We need to get that letter to my dad. Come on."

I squeezed through the crowd of bodies and escaped into the hallway with Remus at my heels. Even though I was perfectly capable of going to the owlery myself, I didn't want to be alone right now. Especially with the possibility of Folsom being only a few miles away in Hogsmeade village. The thought chilled me like a winter wind.

"Do you think Filch is skulking around?" Remus whispered as we walked quietly down the deserted stone corridors. The sky was pitch-black outside, the moon and stars concealed by the thick clouds that had persisted since the afternoon. I could smell more snow coming. I shivered as I pulled my arms around myself.

"I hope not." I said in a hushed voice. "I don't know what this world is coming to. You think you've got it figured out, and then…"

Remus grimaced. "I know. It's not what we expected, is it?"

The way he said 'we' made my face heat up. I changed the subject. "I think I'm less than a year away from becoming an Animagus."

Remus grinned. "Really? That's awesome, Amber. You think you'll be a griffin?"

I nodded. "That's my Patronus. I guess that it would make sense for…" I trailed off. We had barely passed by the Founder's portraits. My eyes were drawn to Helga Hufflepuff first, the ancestor of Sean, Mara, and Professor Smith. I barely registered the faces of Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw as I sought out the portrait of Salazar Slytherin, the grandfather of the man who haunted my dreams, along with Sapphira Peverell.

What did it all mean? How was it possible for me to see them? What did the necklace have to do with it? Dumbledore hadn't been able to give me the answers that I needed. Maybe he was right, and the library would hold more clues. Or perhaps Madam Cheek had spoken the truth. The 'Azra Codex' in the Department of Mysteries could have been where I'd learn more about her.

I shook my head, sighing. "None of this makes any sense." Folsom, Voldemort, Sapphira Peverell, Salvatore Slytherin, the necklace, Sean Locke, Remus Lupin. I didn't understand anything, except that I was hopelessly outnumbered by the number of mysteries in my life. How could I have possibly ever thought myself smart or competent, when I couldn't even figure out how to become an Animagus? Sirius had already done it, a whole year ago, just like Peter had said.

Why me? I wanted to wail, but I closed my mouth before I could whine aloud.

"We'll figure it out." Remus promised. "Come on. We need to get to the Owlery, and it's a long climb upstairs."

I sighed. "I guess you're right." We left behind the portraits of the Hogwarts Headmasters, Headmistresses, and Founders. The Owlery was located at the very top of the West Tower, which was more flights of stairs than I wanted to count. Remus and I walked in almost total silence, the tension mounting between us. I could feel the ghost of Angelina rising up within me, and I knew that if I didn't come clean now, it was only going to make it worse when I finally told him the truth.

"Remus," I said in a shaky voice as we reached the halfway point to the Owlery. "I need to tell you something."

Remus' eyes flickered warily. "I think I know what it is."

My mouth went dry. "You do?"

Remus nodded. "You still have feelings for me."

I blushed furiously. That had been the last thing I expected him to say. I wanted to cover my face with my hands. "Remus, that's not… no, that's not what I need to tell you. It's far more serious."

Remus glanced at me as we climbed higher, passing snoozing portraits. "What is it, then?"

The shaking worsened until I had to use the bannisters for support. Tell him. Just do it. Rip off the bandage. Just get it over with. It's like vomiting. The worst part is actually doing it. Once it's out, you'll feel loads better.

I hope.

"Remus," I said, trying my best not to cry. I kept the tears at bay by speaking in a low tone. "You know how Angelina died, right?"

At once, Remus' face changed. It went from curious to guarded within a split second. He exhaled loudly. Angelina was a forbidden subject with him just like Virginia was off-limits with me. "No." He said curtly. "They never released the information publicly. Why? Do you know?" His eyes flashed. "Was it quick and painless? Did she… did she suffer?"

His voice was so uncertain, so soft, that my heart broke for him. Even though he and Angelina had broken up before her death, it was clear he still cared about her. "It was quick and painless." I confirmed robotically. I was trying so hard not to think about how our friendship was about to change forever. Again.

"How… how do you know?" Remus rasped. "Who told you? Why didn't you tell me?"

I stopped walking now. We were on one of the last landings, near the highest floors of the castle. I felt sick, like I was about to vomit. I swallowed hard, summoning my willpower. Tell him. You have to tell him.

"Oh, God." I whispered, scrubbing my face with my hands. "This is so hard." How could I tell him? How?

"Amber?" Remus approached me, his hands on my wrists. "Amber. Look at me. Tell me what's wrong."

He sounded so concerned. I wanted to kill myself. I forced myself to look at him in the face. By now, my eyes were swimming with tears again, but I couldn't stop them.

"Remus, I… In that meeting that I had with Dumbledore and Professor Smith? They unlocked my memory. I had been Imperiused by Mulciber. You know him. One of the Slytherin gang. Well, he's one of You-Know-Who's followers now." Oh, God. I had to tell him.

Remus didn't say anything. He merely looked at me, waiting.

I took a shaky breath. "While I was under the Imperius Curse, I went out into the Forbidden Forest. I met Angelina there." Here it comes.

"The curse made me do it. I did it, Remus. Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry. I… I was the one who killed Angelina. I used the Killing Curse on her."

I watched the flickers of emotions crossing Remus' face. Shock. Disbelief. Anger. Horror. Denial.

"You… you can't… you couldn't… you wouldn't have." Remus stammered. He backed away, his face in his hands. "You killed her?" He whispered.

I wanted to scream. My heart was twisting inside of me like a snake. "I didn't do it on purpose, Remus! Mulciber made me do it! I never would have killed her! She didn't deserve it. Remus, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Please, you have to believe me. It wasn't my fault!"

Remus looked haunted. He swallowed hard, staring at me like he had never seen me before. I felt sicker than ever, but oddly, I felt strangely free. Like a huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders. It was the same sense I had had after confessing about Virginia's death to Professor Smith last spring.

"You… killed her." Remus repeated.

Tears spilled down my cheeks. Distraught, I wept. I had lost him. He was going to leave me, just like I knew he would. Oh, God. Oh, God! How am I going to get through without him? I love him! I love him more than anything. Please, God. I never want to hurt him. God!
I sobbed in the silence, the aftermath of my words hanging in the air like smoke after a bomb. And then I felt it: a warm weight enveloping me. My eyes popped open in shock. Remus was holding me. He was trembling from head to foot, but he was holding me.

Oh, God… does he forgive me? Does he still care about me?

"I'm so sorry, Remus." I whispered brokenly into his chest. He was a full head taller than me now. When we had first met, I had been an inch higher than him. Now he was becoming a man, growing, growing up, leaving me behind.

"It wasn't your fault." Remus said tightly, his arms around me. "It wasn't your fault."

I couldn't quite wrap my mind around the fact that he was still here, that he hadn't left me in the wake of what I had just told him. He held for another minute, releasing me only when I was able to stand steady. His green eyes were so bright, like emeralds, his face pinched with grief.

"Thank you for telling me." He said hoarsely.

I wanted to weep at the intensity of his pain that I saw, barely concealed. "I'm sorry, Remus."

"Come on," he said quietly, taking my hand, but not interlacing our fingers. "Let's write that letter to your dad. Then we can talk some more."

I swallowed hard. "You want to talk?"

Remus paused. "I don't know. I need time to process this… but I don't want to be alone right now. I need my best friend. I need you."

I didn't know what to say to this. Silent, I let him lead us up into the high, drafty Owlery. It was filled with straw, droppings, and owl pellets. Soren fluttered down from his nest like a ghost, landing lightly on my arm. He clicked his pink beak affectionately, his liquid black eyes glittering in the light of Remus' lit wand tip.

"Hey, buddy," I said, smoothing his feathers with my other hand, pulling it free from Remus. "I need you to deliver a message to Dad, okay?"

Soren flapped his wings. I hastily scrawled a note to my father on a napkin I had taken from the party, using a forgotten quill lying in the ground to write. It had enough ink left in it for a quick note.

Dear Dad,

I need to talk to you about the Department of Mysteries. Please write back ASAP.

Love, Amber

I folded the napkin up carefully, wishing I had an envelope to put it in. "Don't lose this." I told the barn owl. "Take it to Dad."

Soren clenched the napkin in his talons. There was pressure as he pushed off from my arm and took flight out of one of the many glassless windows. He was out of sight within a second. Then, Remus and I were alone, with the knowledge of what I'd done to Angelina sitting between us like a hippogriff.

What now? I thought as a cold wind blew in through the tower. What happens now?