CHAPTER ONE: THE PRINCESS
A young lady sat on her windowsill, an open book in her lap as she looked out of the window at the rolling hills and plains below, the River Helga cutting through the land and the Tower of the Badger a small point in the distance. Princess Nymphadora Tonks pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them, the worn book ignored in favor of her thoughts. Soon, she would be Queen Nymphadora- how she hated that name!- and the one responsible for all these people, their happiness and safety. Granted Minister Kingsley would be there to help her as well as her parents, who were thankfully not planning on dyeing anytime soon, but the idea of so many lives in her hands scared her more than she cared to admit. How could she, a clumsy, bubbly girl rule over them? Fight, she could and she did that with all she had and she knew deep down that she would be a good Queen but still that tiny seed of self doubt was dancing in her head and honestly she did not need that now. Stretching she got up and smiled. She could do this and there was nothing to worry over, she realized as she made her way out of her room and promptly tripped onto the carpeted floor.
"Honestly Nymphadora! How do you plan to dance in the Yule Ball when you can't even walk properly?" Her mother asked her fondly as the two laughed.
"Don't call me Nymphadora! Why do I even need a suitor? Can't I find one after the ball?"
"That is you given name and I will call you what I wish to Dora and yes, you can find a suitor whenever you want but at least try to find one in the ball, after all every single person, every citizen of the country will be here, every single one of them, so it is likely that the man or woman to steal your heart will be there darling. Now, though, we have to go see Madam McKinnon and give her the design you want for the Yule Dress. We better not be late, you know how that woman can make a dragon seem tame!"
Laughing the two women made their way through the palace and then were driven to the McKinnon Mansion, a beautiful house on the edge of the Palace Hill.
Madam McKinnon's daughter Marlene was waiting on the porch for their arrival and escorted them to where the seamstress sat, with the Potter and Black Princes.
"Dora!" the two chorused in sync before coming over to hug her. She too held on too with a fierce grip, seeing her favourite cousins after six months.
"James! Sirius! How are you? Are you alright? Why are you here?"
"After six months and all she asks is why are we here? I am wounded Nymphadora, my poor heart cannot take this," Sirius said dramatically while James nodded, the picture of sincerity. Although Nymphadora could not stop the frown coming on her face due to the use of her given name, she really was extremely happy to see her two cousins.
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" She said hotly but her eyes were shinning with mirth as she again hugged her brothers before whispering in Sirius's ear, "Call me that again Siri, and I will tell Marlene exactly where your heart lies."
The Black Prince looked at her shocked for a moment before he burst out in a bark like laugh and James gave thumbs up to Dora before Sirius commented,
"WhyAunt Andy you have taught little Nymphie well!"
"Don't call me that!"
Madam McKinnon smiled at the Princess and the two Princes, despite being of royal blood, these kids did not have any ounce of vanity in them and despite the obvious disapproval some families showed, they behaved like equals with all citizens. Though, usually they were not so open everywhere but then her house had been a safe sanctuary to them from time to time.
"Marlene! Help me! I am dying here," Dora said but her best friend used to her theatrics ignored her and finally her cousins stopped hugging her and she was able to greet the lady that was like a second mother to her.
"Hello Dora dear, excited for the ball? Have you a dress in mind?"
"Hello Aunt Evangeline! Well, I don't exactly have a dress in mind but I am sure you have something I can fall in love with," Dora started to say when she tripped over the rug and landed face first on the floor, eliciting another round of laughter as six pairs of hands were held out too her. Grinning mischievously, she grabbed Marlene's hand and pulled her down too. Marlene on her way down managed to get hold of James, who toppled into Sirius and soon the four teenagers were a mass of entangled limbs and Dora was sure that Sirius and Marlene would resemble tomatoes when they got up. At least Mar would.
"Okay, kids, enough fooling around! Princess Dora has some dresses to look at and Mars sweetie you can help her if you want while the two Princes receive their tuxedos and finally they can try them on, now that Princess Dora is here. God knows how adamant they were about not trying them on before they could get her opinion about them," Madam McKinnon said fondly.
"Aunt Andy your opinion also matters so much to us, I would be unable to bear the pain I should feel should I wear something that little Nymphie and you do not like on Nymphie's Yule Ball!" James said dramatically before the two boys took their tuxedos and entered the changing rooms, evil smiles gracing their faces which made Andromeda wonder what was up and she was not wrong. Both of them had identical tuxedos, black with a gold piping and their House crests on the lapel with a red background in James's case and a silver one for Sirius. However, the true horror was on the back of their jackets where they had a majestic stag(for James) and a huge and handsome (dog in Sirius's case) embroidered. They truly looked stunning, Marlene thought but her eyes would not stray from Sirius's face.
"Stop it," she thought sternly and added, "And if you can't then talk to him!"
"Sirius! Aunt Walgura will kill you if she sees you in gold!" Andromeda said.
"Well, Mother dearest can do what she pleases but I for one am not putting up with her anarchy! Gold is the colour of the free people and I will support them all I can," the Black Heir replied calmly.
"Sirius, careful please! You know that the Black Kingdom is gaining more power right?"
"Yes Aunt Andy but they are just one small kingdom of bigots, they won't be able to touch us, you yourself are the living example of that," James replied to diffuse the tension and because he truly believed that. Yes, a distarous war might occur but war cannot be won without allies and man power and much more. All those bigots had was fear and while that was powerful, James believed that the might of the Six Sisters would be able t hold back the Black Kingdom, he was more worried about the Gaunt Lands and the new Dictator Voldemort there. If he allied with the Blacks, the tides of the war might turn against the Six Sisters and thus James was putting all his might in making sure that The Gaunts and The Blacks were watched carefully. After all, he wasn't a prince for nothing.
"James? You remembered Dora's gift did you not?" Sirius asked trying to break the silence that had descended upon the place.
"Finally he learns not to call me Nymphie," Dora added, understanding what Sirius was trying to do.
"Of course, Adorable Dora, I would never forget the gift that Sirius and I have deemed worthy of you," James replied and all was back to normal, though the war still shimmered in the minds of everyone in the room.
"Pray, what gift is that Prince Jammes Charlus Potter?
"Why Dora, the gift is that soon you will be meeting the last two members of our gang, Reme and Pete."
"Really James? Pete?" Dora asked dryly as the four teenagers made their way down the aisle of dresses, the Queen and Madam Evangeline busy taking measures for the Queen's own dress, as the Queen had had a picture in mind.
"Well didn't you always say Dora that you wanted to meet the two other idiots who hung out with Sirius and me, and had so many adventures with us? I distinctly recall your saying that you would want to honour them with laurels because they saved Sirius from being expelled from Hogwarts?"
"Of course but I have seen Prince Pettigrew, it's only this Reme character whose real name also you will mention to me that I am yet to meet. I wish I had also gone to Godric Towers like you but I loved Huffelpuff Homes way too much to actually miss you troublemakers," Dora teased.
"Dora! You cannot say that, you hurt," but whatever Sirius said after wards Dora did not listen to- she knew he was mock offended by her- as she continued looking for dresses.
"What about this?" Marlene asked her, holding up a dress.
Turning, Dora looked at the clothing in her best friend's hands and her breath caught. This had to be it, she thought looking at the dress that felt as if it had come out of her dreams.
A/N- I know I should update my other stories and I solemnly swear I will update them. Thanks for reading!