B.Q. Book Two: Black Princess Ascendant

Chapter 1: Summer Emergencies

Let's see... BAMF antihero/villain protagonist, check.

Sane and deadly Dark Lord, check.

Familial angst aplenty, check.

Muse bouncing around like a squirrel on cocaine, check and double check.

Looks like we're ready to roll.

Disclaimer: Did James and Lily trust their security to someone outside their cottage, even though Bill later proved that having the Secret Keeper living under the Fidelius Charm he protects is entirely possible?

If so, I don't own the Harry Potter franchise; it belongs to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press, Warner Bros., and whoever else she sold the rights to.

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"Sirius, I've been looking all over for... What are you doing?"

The grey-eyed wizard held out a hand to request her silence while he hung the mirrored ball from the ceiling and charmed it so that all its reflections would be blue and yellow. Lowering his wand, he motioned towards the other decorations. "What do you think?"

His guest quirked one eyebrow and glanced at the palm fronds, the pitchers full of red and green drinks, the golden streamers stretched along the walls, and the phonographs blaring catchy tunes before she ran her hand through her brown locks – just a few shades lighter than the black hair her sisters and he himself bore – and sighed heavily. "Three things, Sirius. First, disco is dead. Thankfully. Second, why are you redecorating the kitchen?"

"It's the summer solstice, Andi!" The woman sighed again and waved her hand in a 'get on with it' motion. "Since Narcissa was so insistent on following the Old Ways this past December, I figured, 'Sirius, you old dog, why don't you do the same?' But, and here's the kicker, since the winter solstice is all about the Dark, that means that the longest day of the year would be for the Light. It's perfect!"

Andromeda Tonks nee Black, affectionately known to her family as 'Andi', closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "There are so many things wrong with that line of thought that I'm not sure where to start. You do realize that Cissy will probably take offense at this, right? And that Jen's almost sure to side with her over you?"

"Nah, she'd know it was a joke," Sirius replied with a broad smile. Over the past year, he had gotten to know his cousin much better than he ever expected he would, and eventually he discovered that she actually had a slight fondness for elaborate pranks, though she would rather cut out her own tongue than ever admit that fact. The cheerful expression melted off his face as he answered the second question. "And I think Jen could use a couple of laughs right about now, even if it's just from them chasing me around the house and hexing me."

The other member of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black looked down at his statement. Jennifer, his goddaughter and heiress, had won the Triwizard Tournament hosted at Hogwarts this past year despite being the second youngest competitor, and the reward for her display of skill had been to witness the resurrection of Lord Voldemort, the most violent Dark Lord to wage war upon Magical Britain since Edward Cromwell in the late seventeenth century. She had been tortured and nearly murdered in an unknown graveyard, and it had been only her quick thinking – along with casting the horrendously illegal and dark Imperius Curse – that let her escape.

Only four days had passed since that terrible event, and already he was becoming distraught at her increasing silence and depression. Just the previous afternoon, she had retired to her bedroom before the sun had even set! She needed something to cheer her up, even if just for a few minutes.