Authors note: I very sincerely apologise to everyone waiting for this. Last year... it sucked. I had a lot of health problems, some got better and some like my RA are going to stick with me for life. Which sucks because I'm only 24, but hey, what are you going to do? I haven't been sitting around doing nothing with my time, though, I've very slowly been editing and re-writing most of the chapters so they're ready by the time that I finally finish this story. I started this almost three years ago now and hopefully my writing has improved and my story telling too. I tried to shove a lot of ideas into this, but something I've learned with this is that sometimes less is more. So there's that. Um, I'm rambling a bit, sorry it's 3 am here, I hope you enjoy and yes I know it ends on a cliff hanger, but you WILL have the next chapter this month I promise, you are welcome to bombard me with messages if it is not.

Portia groaned internally. After leaving Hermione and Lily to their dates, she went on a mission. Circling the ball, she had hunted down each and every person of slight importance that had given any of them a dirty look during their House entrance. Shaking hands and staring down each of them, she'd made her presence known, almost daring one of them to refuse her.

Now she was stuck in a conversation with Abraxas Malfoy, of all the deceitful, dirty-

"If you'll excuse me I think I see my son and his new wife waving me over," Abraxas muttered shortly and shuffled off toward a pair of blondes.

Portia observed the couple before she made eye contact with Narcissa, who had been eying her back with interest.

How peculiar.

"Portia!" A gruff, feminine voice demanded.

Tearing her eyes from the blonde she turned to the voice, only to come face to face with Augusta Longbottom, no wonder Abraxas had fled so suddenly, the coward.

"Augusta, it's been a long time." Portia smiled cheekily.

"Not long enough, in my opinion," Augusta grumbled at her.

"Come now, no need for that." Portia smiled.

"You ruined my roses." Augusta sniffed.

"You threw a vase at me." She deadpanned back.

Portia rolled her eyes when the woman hmph-ed at her.

"My son and his wife are here. I'd like you to meet them." Augusta stated.

Portia eyed the proud woman in front of her. "I'll do my best."

"FRANK! Frank, my boy!" Augusta shouted over the crowd. A tall man worked his way through the crowd at the refreshments, making it out he smiled at them and brought the petite woman he was shielding into view.

Both had smiling rounded faces and kind eyes, not exactly the image one conveys when they think 'well-respected Aurors'. But, Portia supposed, maybe that was the point.

"Frank, Alice, this is Portia Harmen. Portia, this is my son Frank and his new wife Alice. I've made all the introductions of value, I'm going to bid farewell to Dorea and then I'm going home." Augusta sniffed.

"Mother, you only made one introduction." Frank pointed out only to receive a raised bow and pinched lips as a response.

"Right, have a nice night mother." Frank nodded.

"I don't think Augusta has made an unnecessary introduction or pleasantry in her life." Portia smiled.

"Isn't that the truth!" Alice snorted.

"What's the truth?" Peter spoke up from behind her.

"Augusta Longbottom is terrifying," Alice smirked winking at Portia.

"M-Mrs Longbottom? Where?" Peter squeaked looking a little ill.

"She's long gone by now mate." Frank laughed clapping the younger man on the shoulder.

Portia fell into easy conversation with Alice, finding her a fantastic mix of cheeky and intelligent.

"I'm not going to lie, Auror training has put me to bed aching in places I didn't know could ache, more times than I can count but it's so worth it." Alice's eyes lit with the thrill of a challenge.

"Sorry to break up the party ladies, but Alice and I have a shift in a half hour." Franks deep voice broke through their conversation.

"Oh is it time already?" Alice pouted. "It was brilliant to meet you, Portia, I'll send you an owl when I have the time I swear."

"Don't fret I'm sure we'll catch up sooner or later Alice, It was lovely to meet you too." Portia smiled genuinely.

Peter loved dancing, he wasn't even sure as to why to be honest, no one ever wanted to dance with him. Well, he'd danced with Portia before they'd sat down but that hardly counted as dancing. Not like James and lily were, or Remus and Hermione, or even Sirius and, well anyone he happened to be dancing with really. Not like if he was dancing with…

"Would you go ask already?"

Peter turned to face his friend.

"And what exactly am I supposed to say? Hello, I'm a complete plonker who has no idea what to actually say to you but maybe you'd like to dance with me?"

Portia snickered. "That's not half bad actually."

Peter stared blankly at her.

"Ugh fine, I'll introduce you. It's not as if I'm doing anything interesting anyway." Portia threw her napkin on the table finished her wine, stood up and threaded her arm through his.

"Uh, no, I think not, I wasn't actually suggesting..." Peter spluttered desperately as his friend all but frog-marched him to the other girl.

"Hello," she said, "this is Peter, He's lacking social skills but he's a surprisingly good dancer, so perhaps you'd like to have a gamble and take him for a spin?" Portia smiled.

The girl giggled and Peter exhaled a breath.

"I'd love too."

Peter felt dizzy at her smile.

"Brilliant! I'll leave him in your wonderful care." Portia withdrew her arm and hugged Peter whispering in his ear, "She has three days head start if she hurts you."

"Funny," Peter whispered back and with just a smile he was left with his dance partner.

"Ha, um." Peter scratched his neck. "I don't actually know your name…"

Moving through the crowd Portia spotted Sirius and a very annoyed Dorea heading towards the flirtatious marauder.

Ever the saviour.

Portia threaded her arm through Sirius' and smiled at the giggling girls.

"Sorry ladies this lazy sod promised me a dance." Portia winked before dragging him onto the dancefloor. "You're deplorable." Portia shook her head with a grin as she dragged Sirius away from the girls he was attempting to chat up.

"You're the deplorable one!" Sirius scoffed, "I was a shoe-in and you had to drag me away."

"I saved your butt." Portia pointed over his head and Sirius spun them around, completely out of time to the rest of the dancers on the floor.

"Oh, Mum does look annoyed doesn't she?" Sirius grinned.

"As annoying as you are, I much prefer this Sirius compared to the one we've had lately."

Sirius grinned and candlelight reflected in his eyes. "I still can't believe he got me that bike."

"Neither can I," Portia scoffed, "with all respect, he's lucky he's dead because Dorea would have killed him." She still might when he comes out of hiding. She thought slightly amused.

"Peter's talking to a girl." Sirius baulked.

"So?"

"He's failing terribly by the look of it." Sirius winced.

What Portia had thought was a promising introduction, seemed to be trailing into a rather awkward encounter.

"Come on Petey, one last chance, you can do it" Portia muttered.

Snapping her fingers the girl fell right into Peters' arms. Peter laughed awkwardly and gestured toward the dance floor as he scratched his head. The girl nodded.

Looking back toward her dance partner Sirius smiled wide, his teeth were pointy and white and for a moment Portia was caught in the feral grin.

"Oh shut up." Portia rolled her eyes, feeling like she'd been caught red-handed, thankfully a house elf nudged her leg.

"Missus is for you." The elf handed her a velvet bag and disappeared once more.

"What's that?" Sirius asked, escorting her to their seats.

"I haven't the foggiest." Taking a seat she tipped the bag onto a plate and a single flower fell from it.

"Weird," muttered Sirius.

"Yes," she agreed.

"Its aconite, which is supposed to mean that danger is near but an adult flower shouldn't be this small, and certainly it shouldn't be black."

Portia raised a brow at him.

"What? I pay attention in Herbology."

"No, you most certainly do not, and Hogwarts hasn't taught floriography in years."

"My mother." Sirius stately simply, and Portia decided to leave it at that.

Fairies and decorations swirled around Hermione's head, as Remus twirled her around the floor. The night had been brilliant. Portia had escorted herself and Lily down the grand staircase and stared down the few in the crowd who dared glare at them.

She had thought it was rather amusing to watch herself, Portia must have taken note who had done so, because when they reached the bottom she had passed them off to the boys and circled the room, making sure to shake hands with each of them. Glaring them down like they had done to them on the stairs, imposing on their conversations and demanding respect and acknowledgement. For a moment Hermione had thought Abraxas Malfoy might refuse, but Portia had said something that made the group laugh, and he had given in with a hard set jaw. Remus had snatched her up after that and they'd spent the night dancing, laughing and pinching drinks off the trays that circled the ballroom.

"Come on love, Peter's waving us over."

Sure enough, Peter was waving frantically at the pair.

"Whatever is the matter, Peter?" Hermione laughed.

"Nothing! James is about to ask Lily to move in with him after we finish school." Peter was almost bouncing out of his seat scrounging through Portia's purse.

"Holy Helga," Portia exclaimed snatching the purse back, shoving her arm in elbow deep and producing his camera, "there."

"Thanks!" Peter squeaked fiddling with knobs and switches.

"Really?" Hermione looked to Remus, "They haven't been dating that long."

Remus chuckled. "James has been dating the idea of Lily since our first year, we had to convince him not to propose tonight."

She had to admit, once James had worked out how to be both romance and subtle, he and Lily had gone so smoothly that she could have sworn they had been dating years, not mere months.

Remus reached across to tuck a loose strand behind her ear and a flash went off.

"Sorry." Peter muttered, "you looked… pretty together."

Hermione blushed.

"SHE SAID YES!" James came screeching to a stop just before hitting the table, thankfully, interrupting the slightly awkward moment.

"Good on you mate!" Sirius clapped him on the shoulder and they gripped each other in what seemed to be a contest of 'who can give the most intense hug' as the other two boys congregated around them asking questions and congratulating him.

Lily sat between Portia and her with a grin and rosy, pink cheeks.

"So, moving in with Potter, huh?" Portia asked throwing a cocktail onion into the air and catching it with her mouth.

Lily nodded.

"That's a big step," Hermione thought aloud.

"You know," Lily frowned, "it doesn't feel like it is. It feels…"

"Natural?" Portia offered mindlessly. "Good, that's how it's supposed to feel." Looking up Portia noticed them staring at her and backtracked a bit. "At least that's what I've heard."

"You and James are going to be brilliant together," Hermione offered.

Lily straightened up, "we are, aren't we?"

It wasn't a question.

"Congratulations Blue You know if he ever gets too much, just say the word, you can come over and I'll lock him out of the wards." Portia winked.

"In that case, I'd like to book a room for April first and each of the Marauders Birthdays." Lily grinned.

"Done." Portia nodded solemnly as Hermione and Lily laughed.

The night was finally drawing to a close. Portia couldn't have been happier, the entire thing had been rather exhausting, she was far too tired and the flower was playing on her mind.

"She goes to Hogwarts!" Peter chirped excitedly beside her. "I can't believe I've never seen her before."

"I can," Portia laughed, "for one, you boys get into so much mischief I'm surprised James even saw Lily, and two, she's a rather quite Hufflepuff, they're usually very small blips on the social radar."

"Could you just let me have this?" Peter pouted.

"Sorry Pete, continue."

"Nope," Peter slid down his seat, "you've ruined it. It's gone."

Dorea Potter moved to the grand staircase and began her conclusion speech. Thanking everyone for their company and hoping they have a safe trip home and a wonderful new year.

She knew it was slightly disrespectful, but her mind would not leave the flower.

What's dangerous, small and black?

Small and Black. Little Black. That's what she'd called Regulus. If it was from Regulus then floriography would make sense since Sirius knew it. But then was it a call for help or a warning?

Suddenly people were standing and coat racks were floating around the room, twirling their cloaks back to their owners.

Peter reached for her coat and far too late she noticed the blonde shaking her head at her from across the room.

Portia leapt, grabbing onto Peter just as the Portkey activated and with that, they were gone.