A/N: YaY! First chapter time! Exciting, huh? Now, reread the prelude in the first story… OK, done that? Now you may begin. :)

Expanding Blackness

The sweet summer air engulfed my senses as I walked down the front steps of Hogwarts. School was out and the surrounding green grounds were bare except for the few butterflies. The Whomping Willow was swaying and would hit the ground every couple of seconds. It felt good. Taking my sunglasses out of my pocket, I put them on and started down the pathway.

I was supposed to be apparating to my rehearsal dinner but I decided to make a quick stop at Honeydukes. The candy store was empty and the clerk appeared to be surprised there was a customer.

"Oh, hello, welcome to Honeydukes, Miss Black," the man said. I nodded and grinned. I traveled through the small store touching everything with my fingers as I passed. I settled on some hard candies.

Once I got my candy, I went into the street and looked into the distance to a small cottage. There were two figures moving about it inside and I laughed inwardly.

"Looks like I won't be the only one late…" I told myself. Pop!

Chapter 1: New Introductions

In my room, I was swallowed up by blackness; shielded, so the mask I wear isn't easily detectable and I can be myself. Being myself doesn't do anything though because there is still no one to see the real Emily Black.

Remus Lupin, my godfather, was off on another one of Dumbedore's crazy errands and I was left alone in our two bedroom flat. A shaggy black dog sometimes sat at the end of my bed, curled in a ball and snoring slightly. He never really tried to talk to me, not even when I sat staring at the ceiling. In the dark, he blended in so I couldn't see him, but I could feel the heat radiating from him.

"Are you awake, dad?" I questioned in a quiet voice. I felt the dog move a little and licked my feet. I found his head and pat it gently and wondered where Remus was this time… "I want to go see Nephiro, can I?"

"No," my dad replied. He had changed back into a man, and his blue eyes were one of the only things I could see in the dark. "Remus said you are grounded, Emi. I'm not suppose to let you go anywhere until the Quidditch cup."

"You're my parent, not him, can't you override his decision?" I asked anxiously.

"No, legally he is your guardian, since I'm suppose to be in prison. You shouldn't have tried to sneak out." I stayed quiet. "Your mum used to do that, and like you, got caught. Now go to sleep." His weight left my bed and I heard my door open and close. I wrapped my comforter around my body and tried to count how many days I had left of my house arrest. How many more days am I going to be babysat by a canine?

I didn't even know the date, let alone the month. I stopped following the calendar. I had no sense of time and didn't care.

Nephiro's dad scored box seats for the Quidditch World Cup for being a "good boy" at his job. Xanu Miketsu works for the Egyptian Ministry of Magic, in the oh-so-secret Department of Mysteries. I was a little excited. Quidditch didn't interest me like it does for Nephiro or Draco. I was just happy to get out of the boring Hell I've been living in the past couple of months.

Don't get me wrong; living here is much better than living at Aunt Mildred's. At least here I'm free to walk around, eat, and talk. My dad and Remus listen when I speak, and I've regained a healthy appetite… finally. It's just I feel alone a lot. Remus will leave and not say anything as of where he is going or how long he'll be back. For all I know, he's never returning. It's rare that my dad is here, he managed to find a wand… well, Remus bought one for him, and he apparates to the flat every couple of days just to say hi. Usually he leaves straight afterwards to get back to Buckbeak.

Draco wrote me once a week; his letters bore me. I didn't need to know every little detail of his day. I swear he'll start telling me how many times he went to the loo soon. My replies were probably even less interesting seeing how nothing exciting has really happened. It's not like I can tell him about my father…I get letters from Nephiro every once in awhile and a few from Rilee. Riddle reminds me in hers, that I need to practice my moves over vacation and "try" and teach myself new ones. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at them. Lily apparently is in Hawaii with her boy toy from home and I haven't heard from since her the train ride.

I rolled onto my side and looked toward the window. Voices came from the street; everyone here spoke Czech, and I didn't know a word of it. It made me feel inferior. Lupin knows how to speak the language well and found humor in my futile attempts to learn. I closed my eyes, and drifted away…

o.O

My mum's laugh is infectious. As soon as she starts, everyone around does the same, no matter if it was funny or not. I watched her twirl in circles in a patch of green grass. I sat, sprawled out in my back, smiling. She was so pretty…

"I hope I look like you when I get older, mum," I told her. She stopped spinning and gave me a wink.

"You will dear, you will." She began laughing again. "Let's go inside, it's going to rain," she said, looking up at the sky. The clouds overhead were dark gray, and the smell of rain was in the air.

"OK." We walked inside and mum started making lemonade. The loud burst, and rain began to pour down from the heavens. It wasn't normal though…it appeared to have an acid affect on the lawn. The earth seemed to have died, and all that was left over was the brown mud…

o.O

In the morning, I awoke to a pecking feeling on my shoulder. The golden eyes of Nephiro's elf owl, they glimmered with a trace of normal yellow. It had tan feathers and white spots, and was much prettier than my own. I took the letter of its leg and pat it's head and pointed to Kuai's cage in the corner.

"Emi, we'll be there in a few days to pick you up for the Quidditch Match. Be ready. –Nephiro"

I went to my desk and scribbled a reply and sent the owl back to Nephiro. I looked up at the sky and watched it fly away, wishing I could do the same. The dog poked it's head into my room and barked. I glanced in his direction. "Yes?" He turned and I could hear his paws going to the hall toward the kitchen. I sighed and left my room as well.

Remus was setting a couple of folders on the counter when I walked in. He smiled at me and gave dad a pat on the head.

"I'm surprised to see you here," he said. "I figured that you'd be at Nephiro's by now."

"Why's that?" I questioned, and he ignored me and poured some coffee into a cup. My eyes traveled to the folders and my blood started to boil. "Where'd you go this time? Paris? Miami? Little Whinging? Hell?"

"Emi!" he exclaimed, shutting me up.

"What? You just leave, without saying anything to me, not even a note, and you expect me to be cool with it?" I cried, kind of upset. My dad transformed back and casually placed himself between Remus and I.

"I wasn't aware I needed to check with you. Last time I knew I was the adult!"

"Yeah, well, it's be nice to know where my guardian goes for days at a time! What if I needed guarding!? What if we're robbed!? Or if I'm kidnapped!? I could BURN down the building!"

"You haven't been alone Emi! That's why Sirius has been here!"

"What if he gets hit by a car? Or hooks-up with the whore dog down the street? Or jumps out the window after his tennis ball? Or –"

"Stop!" my dad said. "Please! No more "what if" statements!" He took a breath. "Remus, it's wrong not to tell Emi. She's right." I felt like cheering. "But –Emi your reaction was unreasonable and out of line."

"Aw, look who's being a parent!" I heard Nephiro say from the door.

"Oh my god! It's Naomi!" he screamed and looked a bit nervous.

"Relax, dad, its just Nephiro," I corrected. "Who's Naomi?"

"My mother," Nephiro muttered testily.

"You look just like her … oh man … bad memories … I'm going to go on a walk …" he responded looking rather faint before changing back into his dog form and running away.

"Are you ready?" she asked me.

"No, I just got your letter today. I'll go do that now." I turned and returned to my tiny room and Nephiro followed. "How many days should I pack for?"

"Three should be sufficient," she answered, looking around. "Your room is bare."

"You must forgive me for I haven't had enough time to decorate," I lied.

"It's OK. My room is the same and I've been living in it my whole life," she replied. I found that rather strange. I couldn't picture Nephiro in a room that wasn't filled with elaborate things.

"Really? I'll have to see it at some point," I said.

"I'm sure you will. Who knows, if my mother decides she likes you, you might be invited over, Remus too, of course," she said. "Oh by the way, you remember the two people who met me at the train station?"

Images flashed in my head. The two hot people. 'Of course I remember! How I could forget?' "Yeah, I have a vague recollection."

"Well, they're coming too." 'Yay!'

"Really? That's cool." I closed my bag and grabbed my pillow. "Ready."

"All right. My dad should be here by now," she said and she exited my bedroom. I followed and put my stuff down in the kitchen floor. Xanu Miketsu and Remus were sitting at the table when we walked in. Their voices were in a low whisper and they were hunched over something. They didn't even look up at us.

"What are they doing?" I asked Nep. She shrugged.

"Who knows." I offered her a drink and we stood in the kitchen talking about our summer so far. Eventually Nephiro's dad got up and announced to us that we should be leaving.

"Don't get into trouble Emi," Remus said, looking at the ceiling. The people above us were arguing.

"OK then. Emi, grab your stuff and hold on to Phiro's hand." I did what he said, feeling mildly uncomfortable. Nep didn't look too thrilled herself. That warm feeling of wind hit me and I closed my eyes.

A/N: Yes. I know it's a little short, but it is the beginning chapter.