Lal was dressed in a simple shift, her familiar Joan on her shoulder. Considering how close she was to her owl, and the fact that the Sisterhood was mainly made of up of Veela who often had avian attributes when pissed off, it was deemed acceptable for her to be there.

Joan was the closest she had ever come to a flame-bonded familiar, and was likely why she was the only one of the Arcobaleno who had never actually gotten one.

She saw the eternal flame burning in the center and gently stroked Joan's breast feathers.

Seeing the discreet nod from Fleur, Lal entered the ritual circle...and began to dance.

It took her a few moments to register as more veela began to dance with her, and the odd human member thrown into the mix. The fire began to blaze even higher, until it became a veritable bonfire.

That was when the humming began, only to switch into full on singing. There were no words, and the melody wasn't exactly harmonious as everyone sang a different note.

Lal remembered what she had been told, that she had to fixate on a song that she felt suited her best.

For some reason, she immediately thought of the song "I'm a Survivor" by the American country singer Reba.

She found herself pulled into a small cluster of veela she didn't recognize, humming into harmony with her. Apparently she wasn't the only one to have that song in mind during this ritual.

The full moon shined merrily down upon them as the fire spread across the room. So you could imagine her shock when Joan suddenly flew into the center, becoming part of the flame. However Lal knew better than to interrupt the ritual, so she kept dancing.

That was when she felt it. The slight familiar bond she had with Joan suddenly became a full blown one. She wondered if this was what Colonello and the others felt with their flame-bonded animals.

Joan let out a strange cry that sounded almost exactly like a phoenix.

The singing reached a crescendo and Lal felt something settle into her core. It felt like coming home and knowing she would always have someone there to have her back.

Her legs felt like jelly, but her spirit was higher that she had ever felt.

Joan settled onto her shoulder, and to her shock her familiar had changed drastically.

Where there had once been a magnificent and highly intelligent snow owl was a phoenix. One she recognized vaguely from listening to Fon debate about various mythologies with Skull once or twice.

Lal snorted.

"Figures you were a Ho-Ou. I guess I had to find myself before you were willing to reveal your true nature, huh Joan?"

Joan nipped her ear affectionately, her silvery feathers streaked with deep blue, indigo and thick streaks of violet. However her eyes were a bright amber orange and filled with more intelligence than some of the people she had met.

She felt someone stride across the circle and pick her up in a princess carry.

It was Colonello. He affectionately kissed her on the cheek.

"Food's ready!" he called out to the others.

Hearing the tired cheer from the other women, Lal grinned.

A few days later...

"So when's the wedding?" asked Sirius.

Lal glared at him from past her coffee.

"Preferably after we're both out of school," said Colonello. "I mean mom could care less if we bonded before that since the betrothal contract was written up and filed, but I would rather have a chance to escape the wedding madness than have to hear my relatives coo over what a cute couple we are."

Lal sputtered.

"Say what now?!"

Colonello gave her a sympathetic look.

"Veela, remember? Our ideas of courtship are slightly different from the norm. Since you're part of the Sisterhood, the whole wedding is mostly a formality and to keep things legal among the humans. You have no idea how many 'domestic partners' are in the Sisterhood, since quite a few places don't allow same-gender marriages."

"Considering the average wizard is a complete idiot..." said Lal.

"Actually it's a bigger issue with the mundanes. There are potions to help same-gender couples in the magical world concieve," commented Sirius. "And really, no one will care if you two start going at it like bunnies so long as you're married before the baby bump shows."

Colonello wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Wait until my birthday, lover boy. Fourteen is a bit young for me to consider it," she shot back.

"I can wait!" said Colonello with cheer.

(Sirius gave Colonello a thumbs up at the fact Lal was too tired to walk after her rather massive birthday party. She certainly had no complaints about his stamina.)

Viper took one look at Lilac Potter and the idiot who introduced himself as Cole, and snorted.

"Well at least this time I don't have to suffer his moping about not being able to properly woo the tsundere," they said flatly.

Lal stared at Viper in absolute shock.

There was no way Viper actually remembered, right?

"That's rich, coming from you," said Lal with snark.

Viper's eyes narrowed under their hood.

"...Lal Mirch?"

"Mammon," said Lal smirking.

Viper swore rather creatively in three different languages.

"How long have you had your memories?"

"Since I woke up at five and realized I had a chance to do things right...or at least not have to suffer the idiots twice. Was not expecting to run into Colonello this early," said Lal flatly.

Viper smirked at them.

"How did you know I had my memories as well?"

"I didn't, but only a fool would dismiss getting on the good side of the world's top information broker before they were well known," replied Lal. "Besides... I needed someone to act as my go-between with the goblins. I have several profitable ventures I'm sure you would find very interesting."

"How interesting?"

"As in it allows us to earn gold without having to lift a finger beyond signing some paperwork making me a partner in new businesses that get a decent amount of gold as a 'start-up loan' and pisses off the inept morons that run the magical ministry."

"You had me at gold and pissing off the pure bloods," said Viper flatly.

Lal looked at them with sympathy.

"Squib?" she asked.

"Misogynist father. Won't he be surprised when my dear younger brother finds out that he can't wear the ring because I had the sense to leave rather than stick around and be molded into a proper pure blood," said Viper in disgust. "Mother reluctantly helped and claimed that I had suffered an 'accident'."

Lal blinked.

"Which family? I might be able to help really piss them off."

Viper paused, then for the first time in living memory took off their hood.

"Oh...my...god... You're related to Draco?!" said Lal, looking very much like she wanted to howl.

Aside from the silver-blond hair, Viper looked near identical to her mother Narcissa, formerly of the Black family. It was clear that Viper dyed their hair to avoid anyone recognizing them, but no sane person bothered with their eyebrows.

"You know my idiot brother?"

"He used to walk around like a carbon copy of Lucius before I started taking him to task. I'm the unofficial 'big sister' for everyone under sixteen year," said Lal.

Lal wasn't sure if she would get the prefect position because of her age, or the Head Girl because of her maturity. She knew the prefect was in the bag because she was honestly the most responsible of the lot in Ravenclaw.

"...Would it be too much to ask for your assistance once my dear 'father' learns I am very much alive and have claimed the ring belonging to the heir of the family? I know he was most displeased when it went 'missing' shortly after grandfather died and I had my 'accident'."

"I would be delighted cousin. Who knows, maybe we can really piss him off by setting you up with Fon long before he learns you're alive."

"Cousin?" repeated Viper.

Remus had only said that "Lal Mirch" wanted to get in touch with Viper for general rumors and a basic info packet on the most recent happenings of the mafia.

Lal grinned wickedly.

"You mean you didn't know? My birth name is Lilac Potter-Black, soon to be head of the Potter family and once this idiot gets me knocked up, the Blacks as well. Your mother Narcissa used to be a Black before she married into the Malfoy family."

Viper stared at her in absolute shock.

"YOU'RE POTTER?!" she nearly shrieked. "You mean to tell me this entire time I had been working alongside my cousin?!"

"One with vaults full of gold from several different sources that have been languishing until I decided to take control and say screw the rules."

Viper grabbed her by the shirt.

"You will make me your financial adviser or I will hex you silly."

"Do I look like I enjoy balancing my accounts?" said Lal with a shudder. "I'll leave the math to you so long as I remain flush with cash and only have to smile and look pretty while pissing off the hide bound assholes."

Viper calmed down at that, and put their hood back on.

"Good."

"That being said, I might need some solidarity against the Sisterhood. They're dead set on making the wedding as fancy as humanly possible because I'm marrying into the Sisterhood through Colonello."

Viper eyed the blond oddly.

"You're a member of the Sisterhood?"

"He's one of the rare males in the Italian branch," deadpanned Lal.

"...Why do I keep imagining you with a black frog on your head with red eyes and constantly complaining about money?" asked Colonello finally.

Both women whipped their heads to look at him. Viper didn't have a frog with her at all, so why did Colonello give a basic description of Fantasma.

"A frog?"

"Yeah, one I see turning into a weird snake that allows you to hover. It's really messing with me."

"Colonello...what image comes to mind when you first saw me at that summer camp?"

Colonello blinked at the odd question, before he answered her. The odd expression only grew worse.

"You don't think..."

"It's possible his connection to you might have dragged some of his memories with him. Only one way to find out," said Viper.

Colonello stared at the odd white falcon with intense eyes that promptly flew to his shoulder. He knew that falcon.

"How do you two know about Falco?" he asked confused. He hadn't even found his true familiar yet, but he was one of the rare few his Grandmother had assured would find that one creature that spoke to his soul completely.

Lal face-palmed.

"This explains way too much. Long story short, both of us have memories from a future that hasn't happened yet, and might not happen if we do things right. From the sound of it, you have fragments of your own memories of that time but it's not as complete as ours," said Lal.

"Really?" said Colonello in shock. That definitely explained his beloved's ease when it came to theory and why she was so good with practical...she already had the experience and her younger body was catching up!

Lal smiled at him.

"Just so you know, I was fully intending to seek you out once I realized what happened. I just never thought we would run into each other so fast or that we would fall for each other a second time. Last time I was hindered because you were my student and I could never get over that."

Colonello's grin when he heard that was wide. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead with fondness.

"By the way...how would your father react if he knew you were taken into the Sisterhood and was the acting financial adviser for the Potter-Black fortunes?" asked Lal deviously.

"It would piss him off immensely because he would need approval from the Sisterhood to marry me off, and it meant that I would be able to usurp any control over my life because grandfather favored me over father," said Viper immediately. "I just have to pass my NEWTs, or get married and be expecting to be named the full head of the family, since very few are aware that Lucius had been passed over in favor of his daughter."

"...We really need to find Fon, if only so he can join in on the fun of setting off the pure bloods," said Lal.

"Agreed," said Viper. "Now what exactly did you do to start earning gold without having to do much of anything?"

"Easy. I let the werewolves and muggleborns use my family name to start their business with the agreement that they would pay back the 'loan' by making me equal partner in the business. Officially I own it, which means the laws about werewolves don't come into effect, and if asked the muggleborns can claim they are merely managers which keeps the pure bloods from harassing them. Naturally the muggleborns, squibs and other 'undesireables' will happily buy from their own because our prices will be more reasonable and the items will have vastly more appeal than the current stock since I allow them to put things up at their own discreetion. Which means I get a percentage of the gold without having to do most of the work since I'm just the poster girl."

"Devious and befitting a Black," said Viper with open approval. "Mother would approve once she figures out what's going on."