SISTERS.
The baby had been crying bitterly for what seemed like hours, he lay asleep in his cot now, exhausted with a solitary tear still lying on his cheek. His Grandmother caught the tear lightly with her thumb and bent to kiss the little blond head before she pulled the cover over him.
Andromeda Tonks closed the bedroom door softly behind her and rested against it for a moment, Merlin knows she could cry herself. It was almost three months now since the deaths of her Beloved Husband and Daughter and her Son in law and Andromeda reckoned she had cried enough tears to fill the Black Lake, besides, she had Teddy and she had to be strong for him, he was all she had left.
The knock at the door startled her, it was late evening and she wasn't expecting callers. She walked silently downstairs. Collecting her wand from the drawer in the hall table she concealed it up the sleeve of her dress before she answered the door the look of curiosity on her face changing to one of blind rage as she opened the door to the black cloaked woman who stood on her doorstep.
Andromeda took a step back, extracted her wand and pointed it at her sister.
"What makes you think I couldn't just kill you now Narcissa?"
"Don't you want to invite me in before you murder me Dromeda? The neighbors may be watching."
Andromeda opened the door a little wider and gestured for her sister to come in, she did not lower her wand. "How dare you come here Narcissa? After what you have done to me."
Narcissa Malfoy dropped the hood of her cloak her long blond hair fell forward and she pulled it back as she looked directly at Andromeda. "I had nothing to do with Ted's death and I certainly did not kill Dora or her... thing"
"Don't you dare!" Andromeda raised her voice angrily. "Remus Lupin was a good man." She pointed her wand in Narcissa's face. "Who are you to judge anyone? Mother of a son manipulated by evil and a Death Eater for a Husband. You lost Narcissa, our world does not belong to you and your kind. Goodness will always prevail. You never got it did you? You and her! Murderer of her own flesh and blood."
"It wasn't entirely Bella's fault Dromeda, The Dark Lord controlled her."
"Still defending the Mad Bitch and you still can't say Voldemort can you Narcissa?."
Narcissa shuddered slightly at the voicing of the name of her former master and Andromeda looked at her with undisguised disgust. "The world is a safer place with the demise of both of them, we have a lot to thank Harry Potter for."
Narcissa sniffed briefly and there was silence between them again.
Andromeda spoke first. "Why did you come here Narcissa?"
"You are my sister Dromeda, remember when we were children? We loved each other so much I would have done anything for you and I know that you would have done the same for me. What changed?"
Andromeda laughed bitterly. "I fell in love with a man of my choice and my so called family turned their back on me remember?"
"You broke Mother's heart!" Narcissa retorted.
"Mother never had a heart Cissy, pure blood mania and a desire to put muggles in their place was all she cared about. I know they both wanted me dead when I chose a muggle over Lucius. I pity you Narcissa, at least I married a man who was capable of love."
"Lucius does love me Andromeda and you haven't seen him since The D... Voldemort was vanquished, he has changed."
"Ha! Lucius Malfoy. I very much doubt that Narcissa. If it is true what has brought about this miraculous transformation?" Andromeda walked into her cosy sitting room and Narcissa followed her, sitting down on an armchair next to a small table on which there was placed a photograph of her sister, Ted Tonks and Nymphadora. Narcissa looked at it for a moment and picked it up handing it over to Andromeda who had taken a chair opposite.
"Family Dromeda." She said. "When Voldemort threatened the life of our son, Lucius realised what mattered most to him. More then following Voldemort's commands, more then caring about living in a world dominated by Muggles. I'm not saying that Lucius has turned into a paragon of virtue, he is a Pure Blood and proud of it, but he didn't stop me coming here this evening to a house where Harry Potter's Godson lives." Narcissa hesitated for a moment. "Where is the child anyway?"
"He is asleep, he doesn't sleep very well, he misses the presence of his mother and I find it difficult to comfort him."
Narcissa studied her lap for a moment and raised her eyes to look at Andromeda with a slightly guilty glance. "I know a potion." She said, looking down again.
"Narcissa! You are crazier then Bella if you think I would give my grandson who just happens to be Harry Potter's Godson any potion that came from you."
"Dromeda! What kind of monster do you think I am? I would never hurt a defenseless child, I am a mother, I have a child of my own." . Narcissa looked at Andromeda, she was taken aback to see tears shining in her sisters eyes, Narcissa was rarely given to visible displays of emotion. Suddenly! A flashback to when they were children entered Andromeda's mind. One day Narcissa had found a forlorn starved cat with an injured leg, their parents had deemed that the best they could do for the unfortunate animal was the killing curse but Narcissa had begged for the cat's life and carefully nursed it back to health. Afterwards it had remained her faithful companion throughout her years at Hogwarts.
Narcissa interrupted her reminiscence jolting her back to the present. "Draco was very difficult to settle when he was a baby, I used the potion with him."
"That's your recommendation?" Andromeda replied sarcastically.
"Draco is his fathers son" Narcissa sighed. "But he is my son too Dromeda and I love him."
The sister's looked at each other in uncomfortable silence for a moment until Andromeda spoke in a slightly softer tone. "Would you like to see him?"
Narcissa nodded and followed Andromeda up the stairs.
Inside the room, illuminated by the light of the full moon, Narcissa looked at the little boy. "He reminds me a little of Draco, although, you understand I won't be mentioning the fact to either Lucius or Draco."
Andromeda shook her head in exasperation at her sisters obvious snobbery. Narcissa swept some stray blond hair from the baby's face and looked out the window at the moon. "He isn't then?" She asked.
"No Cissy, there is no sign of The Werewolf so far but it doesn't mean to say it will never happen. The only thing I know for sure is that he is My Grandson and I will love and care for him whatever lies in the future."
Narcissa turned and followed Andromeda from the room. When they reached the downstairs hall the sisters stood face to face. "I should go." Narcissa said. Andromeda nodded. "Can you forgive the past Dromeda? I want nothing more then to call you Sister again."
Andromeda looked into the pleading blue eyes and felt a pang of sympathy for her sister, she pulled her into an embrace for a moment and smiled at her. "Let's try, shall we?"
Narcissa returned her smile and raised her hand in a wave as she dis-apperated back to Malfoy Manor.
Later on, having fed Teddy and settled him back into his cot again, Andromeda lay in her bed, she turned to the empty space beside her and gently stroked the pillow. "I miss you Ted." She whispered to the darkness. Then came the feeling she often got that Ted was still there which always comforted her somewhat and before she fell asleep she thought of Narcissa and Draco she hadn't seen Her Nephew for so long it would be good to see him again, she resolved she would try to re-build her relationship with her sister. Maybe she would try that potion after all.