The Tale of Azure - Book I: Shades of Green and Blue

Chapter Nineteen: An Imperfect World

Disclaimer: I do not own "Harry Potter", "TVD" and "The Originals". I do own my original characters.

Despite being born almost in the summer, that season was not her favourite; summers meant putting up with Holly's behaviour, except when stayed three weeks of July with their cousins at the farm owned by Aunt Siobhan. Holly's acting was good, but not good enough for Aunt Siobhan. She always knew when someone was being sincere or not.

Aunt Siobhan had jokingly explained this was because she was a child of winter; Grandma Saoirse – who Myrtle had never met because she had died of leukaemia after Mom's third birthday – used to say that children born during the winter would grow up to be much more perceptive than others.

And then, when Myrtle finished her first year, Aunt Siobhan explained that Grandma Saoirse had been a witch. Sorted in Gryffindor, Grandma Saoirse was "exceptionally good" with Charms and she had metal-related wandless magic; she could change an object's metal, which had made her a potential candidate for Charms Mastery. After receiving it, she had worked for Gringotts', travelling to distant locations such as Egypt, Norway, Italy and Austria. It was during one of those journeys that she would meet a dashing Irish spy called "MJ"...and the rest is history.

Azure's flabbergasted expression after Myrtle told her this had made Myrtle laugh. She had not done that since Grandpa told her and Keane about an awkward meeting with Grandma Saoirse in a mission that took place in Athens.

However, when the topic was the Slytherin's own family, she would change the subject, exchanging likes and dislikes.

Until now, she knew some things: Azure's great-aunt had been killed in Vienna by the infamous criminal Altair Black, her late great-uncle had achieved some fame as an explorer and writer, and her parents had a "dangerous job" that allowed them to fight Grindelwald's followers, which in turn had made their daughter have a lonely childhood.

After spending a considerable amount of time without knowing, she decided to try again. Stubbornness ran in the Finnegan family.

The "Come-and-Go Room" was this week's chosen spot for the duo to meet up; it was too cold for them to be out in the open and Myrtle loved to watch the room changing according to their wishes. The current room where they were was a Victorian-styled lounge room, which made Azure think of home. Myrtle found it to be very comforting and incredibly similar to the Ashlane Manor she had stayed over for a week.

Myrtle was reading The Hobbit while eating a yellow-coloured macaroon that tasted like lemon. The sweets had been an offer from Azure's godparents, the Flamels, an immortal couple who travelled around the world and spoiled their goddaughter "too much", as Azure had once put it before eating non-stop a dozen of bonbons.

Chuckling fondly at the memory, she defoliated another page before touching her cheek briefly, admiring how smooth it was now, and no stupid puberty signs whatsoever.

Previous to meeting Azure, she had never been interested in how she looked, but Myrtle had become a new person, much more confident, happier and prettier, all thanks to the strange sleeping girl she had first laid eyes on a tree branch.

"Why are you so adamant in knowing about them anyway?" Azure asked patiently, the lead pencil being brought up and down, left and right, on her floating sketchbook. She was emulating a childish look; her messy hair had been caught up in two pigtails, contrasting with Myrtle's braid.

"Relationships are based on trust. Since I told you everything about my family, including Grandpa's past as a spy, why shouldn't you reciprocate?"

"You have a point." Azure stopped drawing and, leaning against a fluffy pale blue armchair the Room had conjured for them, tucked the pencil behind her ear. "Should I start with my mother's family or my father's?"