Before the beginning
6TH SEPTEMBER 2010
It had been like another normal day, well as normal as it could be when you are living in The French Quarter surrounded by the supernatural.
Andromeda had left at about 7:30 am to go to her Law Practice the eldest Wixen had set up in 2001 for the people who couldn't afford actual lawyers, since it didn't really matter about the fees as the money the House of Black had could set up the next 4 generations without such as a single worry of debt, but not before warning Astrid not to provoke the usual day walkers who have an ego to rival the Lady of the House herself.
Astrid held a face of outrage but was soon chastised by Narcissa who glided out of her room in 5-inch heels with just a look. Lady Malfoy-Black just had to lift her sculpted chestnut eyebrow and Astrid all but flushed with embarrassment, but before the forever 17-year-old could open her mouth a peck at the window startled the occupants of the magical expanded flat.
Teddy had been away at Hogwarts for the past year now and had just gone into his second year only 5 days prior, which caused a few arguments in the new Ancestral Home of House Black.
Astrid didn't want the last Lupin to go to the place that was once her home due to all the nightmares the place now carried, but one look into the warm molten honey and sliver eyes and kicked puppy look on his little face and the mention of wanting to follow in the footsteps of The Marauders like his father and Astrid, so she begrudgingly caved to his wish.
If it was up to the Mistress of Death then she nor anyone of her family would step a toe back in Britain, except Draco since he was now the most powerful Wix in the Wizengamot with a stunning 64 seats in all three of the sectors.
After his and Cissa's trials where Andy exceptionally destroyed every piece of evidence against her family and all the power the now once again revered House of Black owned, anyone against them were just plain fools. That and along with the 6 other houses Draco was Proxy too.
But back to now, where Teddy had sent a whole stack of mundane pictures, which the untriggered wolf had found the love of photography after going to a gallery exhibition a few years ago.
Giving the letter to Cissa, which she happily read out loud, laughing at parts which showed he was raised by Astrid. To no one's surprise, the last Lupin had once again landed himself in detention, much to the annoyance of the Lady of the House as Astrid thought she taught Teddy better than that. The curly-haired Wixen afflicted with the Potter's hair had sent Teddy to Hogwarts with everything a Marauder needed.
The Cloak, the Map, a whole compartment filled with supplies and prototypes from Weasley's Wizards Wheezes, along with her own notes on her mishaps and success and even some things she never got to finish.
All in all, everything one would need to have McGonagall Curse her very name till the end of time.
After Andy left with a kiss on the immortal's cheek, Astrid too left to head across the cobbled street to her own café hand in hand with the youngest daughter of the House of Black.
7-year-old Columba Griffith-Black. Narcissa's second child and Vincent's half-sister, who came to be after a one-night stand with Yusuf Griffith.
Long story short, Lucius Malfoy was found alive and now is rotting away in the cell his sister-in-law once occupied.
But now
Le breuvage des sorcières
It was the pride and joy of Astrid Sirius Potter-Black
Hearing the bell ding to her arrival into the open and warm café with the chattering of mostly nightwalkers upstairs and a few humans and Witches from the Tremé coven, Astrid went to the photos that lined the walls and changed them to the most recent ones that didn't have anything too outlandish.
It was the worst-kept secret of the French Quarter that she was a Wixen.
After she arrived in New Orleans itself, and when Marcel finally got the Wixen with midnight black ringlets down to the small of her back to tell him about some of her magical past, Astrid made it known to anyone who needed help to come to her. And in return would be asked for a favour most of the time, but normally it would be free since the people who did come to her were extremely desperate and had nowhere else to go or turn to.
But when she spotted her darling café being broken and destroyed by some of Marcel's nightwalkers, as before it was her café it was a bar of a man who was now scattered in pieces in the Mississippi, Astrid turned the place around into what you see today.
The cream walls were filled with culture and history along with double-pained windows that made the sunlight harmless to nightwalkers as the café was made a place for all the supernatural.
Yes, there were fights and arguments, but no one dared to even dared to attack Le breuvage des sorcières on purpose as it wasn't just Marcel you would be pissing off but also the whole of House Black.
Just as she made herself a strawberry hot chocolate as the new syrup had been delivered the night before and yet had to try some, a familiar aura of death and welcomed casually "Morning Diego" Getting a nod of recognition, the emerald-eyed Wixen enquired "Usual?"
"Please, to go" The inner circle member mused with a fond smile as the Vampire went back to his phone which was being bombarded with texts from Marcel
Just as Astrid warmed the double shot of O Negative blood for his flat white, when a bright greeting flew through the door "Bonjour, Tante Bambi"
"Matin, Mon cœur" Lady black smiled widely at the small brunette with her eyes shining at Davina Claire who she practically raised "Why don't I get you a nice cup of tea and some toast, Little D. I was making some for Dove"
"Okay" The 15-year-old bobbed her head as the young fire witch had managed to leave her house under the disguise of seeing Monique Deveraux she would eventually do so today but first was the only place she felt safe in the French Quarter and away from the coven's control.
Before she moved, the Claire witch shifted her weight from foot to foot and meekly asked "Can I practice with you later?"
"Of course, when have I ever denied the opportunity to piss off your mother and Dove has taken to blooming every flower she sees" Which made a cute giggle escape the baby-faced witch before walking to her usual table at the back of the café away from most, just in case anyone from the coven saw her and was also next to the warm smile of Columba who was already snuggled into the squishy chair with a huge tomb on her dainty lap.
The rest of the 9 covens loved having help from a pure magic user, but the French Quarter coven was different as the ancestors had been souring the idea of the woman who had helped them for the past decade
"Have another stray to teach, Astrid" Diego mussed as he leaned on the dark mahogany wooden counter
"Be nice, Deigo" Astrid warned with a chilling smile that was once a second ago held nothing but warmth. Tilting her head making the curls that were framing her face get a darker shade of black almost absorbing the light, making the Vampire gulp slightly. All the while she smoothly threatened "And your heartburn will be under control"
"I'm dead, I don't get heartburn" The dark-skinned vampire idiotically retorted as he was handed his coffee.
Taking a gulp, he spluttered as the few petals of vervain she dusted over made his throat burn
"Not yet"
•:°**.:*.:.••:°**.:.•*•:°**.**.:.••°**:°*.:.•.::•*•..:°*.*°•°.:.°**
A few hours later, the café was slow. Astrid was sitting crossed-legged behind the coffee bar as immortal updated and reapplies the runes on the pipework as well as the coffee machines, so they don't explode since the strong pure magic in her core and her aunts who frequently visit the place make the electrics go haywire. This is why she had to redraw them about twice a week. This also caused the Lady of House Black to get her NEWT's, more importantly, her Outstanding in Runes along with Defence.
Astrid didn't do this immediately though, since making sure The French Quarter was safe enough for her family, then her precious Café which coincided with her massive hero complex in helping everyone around her before she even considered her schooling.
Just as she finished the largest coffee machine and the one the Café uses the most, the Mistress of Death felt the familiar magic thrum through the air as the little bell on the door sounded. Getting up off the floor and dusting off the grey cotton flared trousers the silver-flecked Wixen greeted with a dopey smile "Hello, Auntie" Not even bothering to ask her order, the last Potter started on Andy's Irish cream latte as she mused with a confused pout "Not that I don't love you, but why are you here"
Andromeda scowled deeply, before deadpanning her niece "The Mayor"
"Say no more" Astrid snorted before handing the scolding coffee to her auntie who held on to it like a lifeline instead of marching to the Mayor's office and most likely killing the man. She wouldn't tell her dearest niece though, because the immortal Wixen's genes would practically drag Andromeda home and dress the elder Wixen into something intimidating and help bury what's left of him no questions asked.
But before plans of murder and death, which is something the daughters of House Black do often even the 7-year-old with a mane of deep chestnut kinky curls added in very inventive ways, Marcel Gérard walked into Le breuvage des sorcières liked he owned the place. "Kitten. I'm upset"
"Could never tell with the 10 texts and 16 missed calls" Astrid deadpanned the King of the Quarter with her head tilted and perfectly shaped eyebrow raised
Stopping in front of the counter with a scowl, but was showing humour in his chocolate eyes as Marcel mused with an air of superiority "I heard about Deigo's poisoned coffee"
"Don't blame her it's literally her name" Andy dryly snarked before taking a bite of the large slice of red velvet cake, Astrid gave her
"I did no such thing" The emerald-eyed Potter-Black gasped in outrage, with her hand over her heart, before sticking her chin up in the air and haughtily spoke "All I did was warn him about heartburn"
Marcel scoffed out a laugh at the familiar antics of the forever teenager, before telling her with a seductive smirk that he knew would get him nowhere "Well make it up to me" Seeing the perfectly raised eyebrow telling the 200-year-old vampire he was seconds away from having the blood in his veins boiled as it would be easier to play off as the after-effects of a work out compared to explaining why there was a dead body in the middle of the floor.
Leaning forward on the counter with a roughish grin Marcel told the death-shrouded immortal "Champagne, dancing, and judging people for hours on end"
"—Is the reason why I'm not back in Britain" The midnight black-haired Wixen snarked with a sarcastic smile, which Andy couldn't help but snort and lucky for Marcel she didn't have any coffee in her mouth as it would have stained the dark grey cotton top that showed of the muscles the King of the Quarter had
Marcel knew this would be hard, knowing how much Astrid complained for hours when she was requested to attend quarterly meetings in the Wizengamot and then burning said requests with a twitch of her finger. Changing tactics, the Gérard vampire softened his eyes and pouted "Kitten"
"Fine" Astrid relented at seeing the kicked puppy look on the elder's complexion, one of which she has seen on Teddy's face on many occasions and was the reason he could get away with so much. But a wicked smirk then was seen growing on her scared ivory skin, making her aunt sigh deeply and Marcel shiver as it was eerily similar to the one his adoptive family had when one of their enemies' demises were being planned "If the mayor is—"
However, the young mother's little threat was never finished as a loud gasp left her rosy lips and her rough hands griped the matte wood so much that her fingers were turning white with the amount of pressure
Marcel didn't even think before flashing behind the only magic user he really trusted and holding on to her small waist just in case her legs buckled. His heart was hurting as the pained whine left the Last Potters bleeding lips from her teeth being before in them
"Astrid" The dark-skinned king screamed in horror as the air started to cut his lungs every time he breathed, but that was only second to the electricity he felt in the pads of his calloused fingers even through the clothing Astrid wore
Andromeda could only look on in sympathy clouding her vision along with the stinging tears, knowing no one could help her darling niece.
After an age of death seeping in from even the smallest of the shadows, the toxic green that haunted the forever teenager's dreams since she was a meet babe, dimmed to the calming emeralds with the splashes of silver her family were known for.
The Tonks Wixen soothed her staticky mane of curls, lovingly whispering to the child's shoulder in the arms of the dictator of a vampire "Donna, dear" Seeing the dopey smile James Potter would only give to Lily Evans weakly stretch across the weary-looking teenager, the lawyer asked softly "What happened?"
"Someone is messing with death"