A/N Written for the Birthday Fic Exchange, for the honorary Screaming Faeries. Hope you enjoy!
Andromeda Druella Black. Such an honor to have such an elegant name. Such an honor to be a member of one of the Sacred 28; one of the chosen ones to have her blood be as pure as snow. Her hair spiraled in thick, wild ringlets constantly tamed by potions, lighter brown than her sister Bellatrix but darker than Narcissa. She was the middle between her two sisters; her eyes were the middle colour between Bellatrix's and Narcissa's, her skin the same. But she held herself with the same elegance as all of the Blacks did. Elegance and poise flowed from every movement and feature that she possessed.
Andromeda knew that her father was simultaneously happy and disappointed when she was born to Cygnus and Druella Black nee Rosier. Cygnus was disappointed that Andromeda was not a male; he wanted a son that would grow to develop the same ideals that he had, and carry on his family's name. After all, he could not count on his brother to instill the same amount of respect that he would instill in his own. Instead, he was graced with another daughter, who would not carry on the family name, but instead be married to another pureblood family to carry on her untainted blood. It was not an awful arrangement, but Cygnus was disappointed. Women were more difficult to raise, after all. He never knew what they wanted, so he gave Andromeda immediately to Druella to raise alone.
Druella taught Andromeda everything that she needed to exist in pureblood society. She learned very quickly to not cry, since crying was an expression of her feelings, and she could not do that unless she had someone expressly tell her that she could do so. By the time that Narcissa was born when she was two, Andromeda was irritated by her cries quickly. Why could this child not understand that she was not supposed to do that, and instead to do as she was told?
"Andromeda, your sister does not understand. Take her," Druella handed the child off to her, and went to talk to their father. He was still angry: instead of being disappointed, he was angry that Druella could not produce for him a son. All he wished was to carry on his legacy, and Druella could not even do that for him. Even more, Cygnus had made marriage arrangements for both Bellatrix and Andromeda; what was he to do about Narcissa?
"Shut up," Andromeda hissed at her sister. She was only two. Bellatrix walked up to her, four and thinking that she knew everything.
"Andromeda, we're not supposed to be mean to her," Bellatrix told her, her hands on her hips and a bossy tone in her voice. Andromeda scowled, and was more than happy to give her back to her mother when she came back into the room, looking exhausted. The purple bags under her eyes were growing by the day.
Despite despising Narcissa as a child, the older that the sisters grew, the closer that they grew together. When they went to pureblood functions, they were the perfect children; they were poised, stood up straight, they smiled at the right times, laughed at the right times, talked to those they were supposed to talk to, and turned up their noses at those who their parents turned up their noses at. Narcissa quickly caught onto the face of having something reek under her nose whenever someone of lesser blood was around them. It was almost obvious when a halfblood or a mudblood was in the same room as the purebloods. It became a game that she played with her siblings: Spot the Mudblood. They played that game until they were told off for laughing too loud, and then Bellatrix stopped wanting to play. She always wished to please, always wished to be the best.
When Bellatrix left for school, it was devastating for Andromeda. All she had was Narcissa, and without Bellatrix to unite them, the two sisters grew apart. Andromeda was always closer to Bellatrix than Narcissa, since Bellatrix was constantly teaching her how to be a better pureblood and Andromeda was always the one teaching Narcissa how to be a better pureblood. Bellatrix was trying to make Andromeda better, and now she was on her own.
The day that Cygnus was the proudest of Andromeda was the day that he was sorted. Andromeda sat with whom she was supposed to; other purebloods, some going into their first year also, and some not. There was not the same hierarchy that there was in other houses; Slytherins sat with their own. Purebloods stuck together, and the only hierarchy was the one of their bloodline. Since Andromeda was of the house of Black, extended Rosier, she was regarded highly. This made her smirk (taught to her by Bellatrix and perfected over two years), and feel like she belonged in the pureblood society. In her eleven year old mind, this is where she belonged. When she lined up with the rest of the first years, she felt anxious, but not as anxious as those around her were feeling. She knew where she belonged. The sorting hat sat on her head for mere seconds before it placed her in Slytherin, sensing her strong self-preservation instinct. Bellatrix clapped along with the rest of them, and allowed her sister to take a seat next to her and Rodolphus Lestrange, the eldest of a family that hers was close with; they'd spent a significant amount of time there, and she suspected that Rodolphus and Bella were betrothed. There was another vacancy in the area that they had made, one that was quickly filled with Rabastan Lestrange. Rabastan was grinning with his brother in the same way that Bella was grinning with her sister. Andromeda quickly received an owl, written in her mother's neat script, telling her that she expected nothing less than Slytherin. To her, that was the best compliment that she could have received.
When Narcissa entered school, it became quickly known that Narcissa wasn't the typical Black. Bella was rude until people gave her a reason not to be - and, even then, they were lucky if she was actually nice -, Andromeda was indifferent until one gave her a reason to sway the either way, and Narcissa was nice until someone gave her a reason not to be. Bella and Andromeda's attitudes were expected of the Blacks, but Narcissa's was not. Andromeda pulled Narcissa to the side after dinner one day.
"Narcissa, you cannot be nice. People are looking at us strangely, questioning our family and the way that our parents raised us. You are embarrassing Bella and I."
"Why, Andromeda? Is it a crime to be nice to people?" Narcissa crossed her arms, trying to look more intimidating than she was. With bright blonde hair and clear blue eyes, it was nearly impossible; she looked like an angel.
"Yes, Cissy, it is," Bellatrix sauntered up to them, Rodolphus Lestrange trailing behind him, and Rabastan trailing behind his brother. Rabastan gave Andromeda a smile, and she returned it with one of their own. The two had become nearly inseparable since they had begun Hogwarts, and it wasn't uncommon for them to be seen as a group with their respective older siblings, who were now betrothed.
"Why, Bella?"
"You are a pureblood, Narcissa. Act like one," Bellatrix hissed at her sister, and Narcissa looked taken aback. She had never been treated this way by her sister before, either of them - well, to the best of her knowledge. Neither had told her about Andromeda's hatred of her as a child.
"I am acting like a pureblood. You don't see me making friends with mudbloods!"
"No, but you are polite to them. That is more than they deserve," Andromeda moved to stand next to Bellatrix as she was speaking, so it was obvious that they were a united front against Narcissa. "They don't deserve your kindness, or your time of day. You are above them, Narcissa. Act like it." Bellatrix turned to walk away and Andromeda followed her, Rabastan falling in step with Andromeda. They didn't wait to see Narcissa's response, because they knew that their message was clear.
You're either with us, or against us. There is no in between, no other option. Narcissa was either their sister, or she wasn't. And she needed to understand that.
Despite knowing this, Andromeda couldn't help but being hit with a feeling of guilt, her smirk turning into something of a grimace. Rabastan was staring at her, noticing when her expression changed. His hand slipped into hers and he squeezed it.
"You did the right thing," he said quietly. "Narcissa needs to know that she is either on our side or she is not. Sometimes it takes tough love for them to know it." after pondering over Rabastan's words for a moment, Andromeda smiled at him.
"I know. Thank you." Neither of them noticed Bellatrix's smirk in front of them, her lacing her fingers around Rodolphus'.
Rabastan was always there for Andromeda. There wasn't a moment that she was in distress, and Rabastan wasn't there. They took the same electives in third year, and when the Arithmancy Professor began insulting her intelligence, Rabastan was there for her, shooting a reply back to the Professor and then scribbling different scenarios of horrid things happening to her on a spare bit of parchment, and enchanting them to move. Andromeda's favorite was the one where her head was bit off by a dragon, who then breathed fire on her and disintegrated her.
Rabastan was there when the mudblood 6th years from Gryffindor cornered her. She still remembered it as one of the worst things that had ever happened to her. She was a fourth year, and was walking to the common room by herself when three of them stepped in front of her.
"Ooo, what do we have here?" he was tall and pudgy, his skin white and red tinted, giving him the appearance that he was always blushing. "It looks like we have a stray little Death Eater." Andromeda wanted to snort; this unattractive mudblood dared to speak to her? And call her a Death Eater? She'd only ever heard her parents speaking of it in hushed tones with Bella, and still wasn't entirely positive as to what they actually were, but if Bella was one, then he wasn't doing a great job of insulting her. She wasn't going to give him the time of day, and went to step around them.
"Nuh-uh," another one of them spoke, and put his arm out to stop her. She recoiled immediately and they laughed; they thought that she was afraid of them, but in reality, she didn't want his dirty arm to come into contact with her. If he was a pureblood, he would've been attractive. Tall and lean yet muscular, Andromeda recognized him as one of the Gryffindor Quidditch players. Which also meant that Andromeda had no hope of outrunning him. The third was shorter and looked more apprehensive, and Andromeda had the inkling that he wasn't a mudblood, but if he was associating with two of them, he was as dirty as the rest of them.
"D'ya know why we're here?" the Quidditch one asked. Andromeda stood up straight and crossed her arms, putting her right hand in her left sleeve to feel her wand and grasp it. The pudgier one noticed where her arm went and shot a curse at her, throwing her into the wall behind her.
"I believe he asked if you knew why we were here," the shorter one stepped forward, finally gaining some courage.
"Because you have nothing better to do with your day besides cursing a fourth year?" Andromeda stood up and rolled her shoulders, attempting to ignore the pain that shot through her shoulder that hit the bricks. Andromeda knew that she could've done better, but the pain was making it hard to focus.
"No, it's because of your filthy Death Eater sister. She decided to curse my brother, and, you see, we don't take well to that. So instead of cursing her, we decided to go after you, instead. Let her know what it's like for someone to hurt who she loves," the attractive one spoke, gradually getting more angry. Andromeda forced a yawn.
"Are you going to finish any time soon? Cause I have loads of Transfiguration to do, Bellatrix is going to help me, Lestrange, Mulciber and Rosier." Andromeda lied to them by mentioning the entire group that her sister generally hung around with, and the short one looked frantically around, but the attractive one wouldn't take his eyes off of Andromeda. He called her bluff, obviously being the leader of the group.
"I don't believe so. In fact, I know that they're out on the grounds currently, and won't be in until we're done with you." at the end of that sentence, another curse was shot at Andromeda, who held in a gasp of pain as a cut appeared on her arm. Smirking, the leader cast the nonverbal curse once more, and another one appeared on her leg. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she bit down on her lip to prevent anything from being released. With another curse, she fell to her knees, the fresh cuts stinging. Within moments, Andromeda couldn't tell where the pain was coming from, it was coming from everywhere - her arms, legs, front, back, and the pain in her shoulder from before was drowned by the white hot effects from the curse in her blood. She didn't know when it happened, but the leader was alone.
"Not so tough without your family, are you?" he taunted, twirling his wand. Andromeda felt nothing but pure loathing for the man in front of her. She wanted to make him pay. Before she could even move, he was pulling her up by her robes, and pushed her against the wall once more. She let out a small cry of pain as her shoulder was jolted and the cuts were irritated, but it was ignored.
"Physical pain isn't enough, you see? I have to make her feel the same pain I feel every day, being called dirty by her and the rest of them because of my blood. Well, her sister would also be dirty after fucking a mudblood, wouldn't she?" Andromeda failed to not let her emotions show on her face, and he laughed cruelly in her face. "Don't look so shocked. See, I know that you want me. Why wouldn't you? I'm doing you a favor, really." Through the pain, she could feel his hand on her hip, then on her stomach, going up her shirt. She couldn't say anything, feeling in shock from the pain and the horror. His grip on her was suddenly loosened as he was blasted away from her. Andromeda sunk to the ground in pain with him no longer holding her up, and he was lying 15 feet away from her, the curse powerful enough to knock him back.
"How dare you think yourself worthy to touch her?" a voice spoke low and murderous. Her savior - she instantly recognized Rabastan's voice, but she'd never heard it so brutally angry - was taking slow and deliberate steps toward the man on the floor. "You filthy mudblood. You are lucky we even let you have one of those wands, and this is how you repay us? Attacking one of us and almost defiling her?" Andromeda heard the sound of the Gryffindor attempted to say something, and then the sound of something hitting him. By the crunching, it was directly into his face, and broke his nose. He groaned in pain, and she heard the same noise two more times. After that, Rabastan began walking towards her, her mind fuzzing and her vision leaving her from her blood loss.
"I am 'doing you a favor' by not killing you," Rabastan told the Gryffindor, and then Andromeda felt arms around her, and he was lifting her up. "That's her job."
Andromeda woke up to one of the seventh years in Slytherin leaning over her, and felt the stiffness throughout her entire body. The seventh year looked pleased that she had woken up, and resumed casting spells over her. There were potions lining the trunk next to the seventh year, and she was waving her wand over Andromeda, and she felt her skin stitching together. It was an odd feeling, and she could even see it in certain places. Her skin fused together and shone bright red. Andromeda was stuck with the sudden fear that the wounds would never leave.
"I'm done, but you need to drink these potions. You've lost too much blood." someone helped her sit up as the seventh year uncapped the potions and poured them down her throat, tasting awful, but she knew that she needed it. "Does anything else hurt?"
Andromeda was exhausted, and just wanted to sleep, but she rotated her joints and moved her extremities, and her shoulder cried out in pain and she grimaced.
"Right shoulder," Andromeda spoke quietly, and the girl put her wand next to her shoulder.
"Episkey," she muttered, and a sick crack was heard as the shoulder moved back into place and her bones fused back together, and Andromeda flinched. "That's it?" Andromeda nodded, and the seventh year stood up.
"I'm done," she told the person to Andromeda's left, and she lazily turned her head, noticing that it was Rabastan that was sitting next to her. He was sitting straight up, his entire body stiff, and Andromeda recognized the glint in his eye. It didn't happen often, but she knew that Rabastan was angry. His hands were in his lap, and he was staring directly above Andromeda's head.
"Rabastan?" Andromeda asked, her voice quiet since she couldn't find the strength to talk louder. Shame rushed through Andromeda's body - the only thing she could think about was that Rabastan saw her in the weakest moment of her life. She was bloody, bruised, about to be raped - and out of anyone, it was Rabastan that found her. Andromeda wasn't completely sure why she was ashamed and angry that it was Rabastan that saw her, but she simultaneously found herself being happy that it was him. Her emotions were confusing her, and she found that she didn't have the energy to sort it out.
"Rab?" she used the nickname that she hadn't used since second year, and his eyes flashed to hers. She saw the same emotions in his - shame, anger, guilt.
"I wasn't there," he spoke, barely audible. "I wasn't there, and you got hurt, Andy."
"It wasn't your fault," she told him, and the anger replaced the guilt.
"It was! I let you leave early, didn't even think twice about it. Do you know what would've happened if I hadn't been there, Andy?" he stood up, gesturing wildly with his hands.
"I would've been raped." she said it so plainly that Rabastan flinched slightly. "I realize that, and it's not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have left early, it was foolish, with the attacks against Slytherins lately."
"You would not have even been in that situation if it wasn't for my initial failure," he sat back down and Andromeda put her hand over his, and squeezed.
"But you came. You saved me, Rab, and I'll never forget that." Rabastan didn't respond with anything, and let her fall asleep, him sitting next to his own bed, not sleeping for the rest of the night, only making sure that no harm came to her while she slept.
Rabastan was there again in the summer before fifth year when Bellatrix began to grow distant from her sisters, disappearing suddenly in the night and not coming home for weeks on end. Although they could hardly see each other over the breaks, they sent owls to each other in private, since her parents would yell about how she was disgracing them by sneaking around with a boy, while she was fated to be wed to a man already. They would not tell her who, but she knew that they would tell her on her sixteenth birthday, just as they did Bellatrix; she would wed Rodolphus in the summer after her seventh year.
Dear Sir Rabastan Lestrange,
Bellatrix has been acting odd lately. I'm not sure why, and even Cissy has noticed it, surprisingly. She typically hardly notices anything besides her hair and the boy in the year below us that she is enamored with - Lucius Malfoy. In the very least, it is him instead of a mudblood or a halfblood. He is pure, and that is all my parents can ask for. I overheard them telling her that they were fated to be wed, and nothing would make them happier than her being in love with her husband- apparently it makes everything easier. I do not know why they told her so early on, since they still will not tell me. I only have a few more months to wait, thankfully.
Back on track, Bellatrix has been coming home at all hours of the night. Her eyes have become rimmed with purple, and although she does her best to cover them up when we go to outings, she cannot cover them up when she is at home. She is always tired, and does not even have enough energy to berate Narcissa for not being rude enough to be a proper pureblood.
I am not sure what to do any more, or what to say to Bella. I am not sure if I should even ask her anything about it.
Sincerely.
Andromeda Black
Rabastan had the lovely talent of responding to her letters as soon as he received them, something that Andromeda always admired about him.
Dear Miss Andromeda Black,
I am not sure when we began being so formal to each other, but I suppose I will go along with your charade of politeness. We all are aware of your secret desire to uncross your legs at the table and use your dinner fork instead of your salad fork.
Rodolphus has been doing the same, but I decided to not worry. Mother and father do not worry, and I know that Rodolphus is capable of taking care of himself. If my brother can look after himself, there is no doubt in my mind that Bellatrix can - we have always known that she is the heartier of those two, the real muscle and brains behind the operation. Nothing can stop Bellatrix once she has put her mind to something.
About Narcissa, I agree that she has chosen a suitable mate. My parents have been asking me ceaselessly if there is anyone that I am interested in, although I am unsure what the point is about it, since I know that they have picked a wife for me already. It has likely been arranged since before I was born, so I tend not to worry about those things. I will know in a few months as well. I am just hoping that it is someone whose looks can stand up to my beauty.
Remember, Andy, to not worry about anything that you cannot change. Your sister can handle herself, and I am sure that your parents have picked a suitably nasty husband for you.
Ensure that you do not get yourself into trouble while your bodyguard is not there to guide you.
Sincerely,
Rabastan Lestrange
Andromeda smiled at his response; of course Rabastan would be the one that eased her worries. He hadn't left her side ever since the incident, and Andromeda hadn't mattered much. He never pushed her to exact revenge on the Gryffindor, only helping her find the name of him. Since their schedules matched, he walked with her to every one, and stared down every person who even looked as though they may be giving Andromeda side eye. The only time that he left her side was to go to Quidditch practice, and when he did that, he left her in the common room with strict instructions not to leave. The story had passed around quickly that Rabastan had assaulted a muggleborn Gryffindor, but of course not that he had originally assaulted Andromeda. Either way, every person now knew that an angry Rabastan isn't one that they wanted to mess with, and by extension, Andromeda.
"Andromeda!" Rabastan exclaimed as Andromeda walked into the room. It was Evan Rosier's 17th birthday party, and the beginning of the night was filled with the pretentious sort of parties that Andromeda excelled at. Rabastan immediately got a shooting look from his parents, and had the decency to look a bit ashamed, before quickly recovering and waited for his chance to come up to her. The Blacks walked in a group, Druella and Cygnus leading it, followed by Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa. They were steered towards the Rosiers; since Evan was going into his seventh year, the party was thrown by his parts, who were looking proud of their son, a gold watch shining brightly on his wrist.
"Lovely house you have, Mister Rosier," Cygnus complimented the house, as per tradition, as Evan's mother remained silent and Druella did also. Cygnus shook hands with Evan, and Evan then took turns kissing each of the Black woman's hands. That was tradition, also.
"You may socialize, but remember, we are Blacks, and we behave with dignity," Cygnus told his daughters, and they all nodded at him before dispersing. Bellatrix and Andromeda walked together towards the Lestranges, and Narcissa likely left to find the Malfoys.
"You made it!" Rabastan exclaimed, almost hugging her, but, remembering where they are, kissed her hand instead. Rodolphus did the same to Bellatrix, but he wrapped his arm around her afterwards.
"Andromeda," Rodolphus nodded at her, and she did the same to him. They talked in a group about trivial things, such as how their summer had gone, and Andromeda noticed the change in Rodolphus much as the change in her sister. Rabastan was correct about his undereyes getting darker, and he sounded more exhausted than usual, but, like Bella, there was a certain excitement in his expression. Like they were doing something that they enjoyed, but didn't mind how exhausted that it made them.
"Would you like to dance, Miss Black?" people had started dancing, and Evan had come up to her to ask her hand. Nodding, Andromeda put her hand in his, and let him lead her onto the dance floor. She knew that her parents would have been disgraced if she refused; he was a pureblood, and it would be an embarrassment if their daughter refused a dance with the host.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Miss Black?" Evan was being pleasant, something unsurprising to Andromeda. He was in his element in his home; at school, he was surrounded by those of lesser blood, which made him tense. It was nice to see him relaxed.
"Of course I am." he spun her. "Nothing is better than being surrounded by those of equal status to me."
"But of course, none can be above the Blacks." Andromeda laughed in the way that she was always taught to - not too loud, not too rambunctious, but just right to convey her amusement.
"Of course." they continued dancing, and as the song ended, he bowed to her and she curtsied to him.
"You and Rabastan are invited to my afterparty. Make sure Narcissa goes back with your parents," Evan kissed her hand while speaking, and winked to her. She smiled pleasantly, and walked back to where the group remained.
"Dance with me," Rabastan whisked her away, not waiting for her response before dancing with her.
"What did Rosier say?" Rabastan asked curiously, waltzing across the floor with her. Andromeda noticed how his dancing technique was almost perfect, not stiff, but relaxed with her. She enjoyed dancing with him.
"We're invited to the afterparty." Rabastan grinned at this; he'd always wanted to stay for the afterparties of the older ones. There was always firewhiskey, which was Rabastan's main attraction to it. They danced in silence before Rabastan kissed her hand in the same fashion as Evan, causing Andromeda to smile.
Andromeda was passed from person to person, required to dance with everyone who offered, since the Rosiers only invited purebloods. She found herself dancing with Rabastan the most, and missing every time she wasn't. Before long, it was the end of the party, and her feet were aching from dancing in the impossible heels that her mother made her and her siblings wear to these gatherings to make them appear taller and more regal. Her parents left with the typical lecture not to do anything disgracing the family, and dragged Narcissa off, complaining about her older siblings being able to do everything that she couldn't.
"Shall we?" Rabastan offered his arm and she took it.
"We shall." he lead her up the stairs, following the rest of them to another large room with cushy carpets, perfect for Andromeda's aching feet. Ensuring that the rest of the women were doing so, she took off her shoes, sighing in relief when the carpet eased the pain of her toes and calves. The men were taking off their jackets and ties, but Rabastan left his tie on. Andromeda suspected that it was because she had complimented it earlier, since he went to take it off, but left it on and smiled at her when they locked eyes. They all sat in various armchairs, relaxing until the Rosier house elves broke out the firewhiskey. Rabastan was quick to grab one for himself and Andromeda, taking the top off and handing it to her. She grimaced when the burn hit her throat, but took another swig anyways.
"Alright!" Evan stood on the top of his chair. "Everyone get up, we're going to play truth or dare." Some groaned, but were excited at the same time. Some just looked petrified. When they stood up, the chairs arranged themselves in a circular formation. Andromeda took her seat next to Rabastan, flanked by her sister on the other side. Bellatrix's eyes glinted, and she knew that her sister was already thinking of things to make people do. She hoped she wouldn't be on the receiving end of one of her dares.
"For you young people who don't know," Evan started, "I'll start, ask someone a truth or dare, they'll answer, I'll give it to them. Once it's completed, they'll ask someone else. And that bottle in the middle of the circle? Veritaserum. You'll take a drop whenever you say truth, and we'll know you're not lying." he grinned, and Andromeda knew that it was typical for this to happen.
"What do you think you're going to say?" Rabastan asked her quietly, as Evan was busy with one of the Parkinsons.
"I don't know yet," Andromeda shrugged as she answered, busy trying to arrange her expensive dress to not fit her uncomfortably. "Depends on who's asking."
"I'll probably go with dare," Rabastan's eyes glinted with excitement, and she knew that he couldn't wait for his turn, and it quickly happened via Mulciber.
"Truth or dare, Rabastan?" the porky looking man asked. Rabastan rose his eyebrows; he didn't expect Mulciber to be the one to ask him.
"Dare, of course," Rabastan ran his hand through his hair, a habit that he had when he was nervous, but Andromeda was almost positive that she was the only one who noticed that.
"Snog Andromeda." when he said this, it wasn't nearly as much of a scandal as Andromeda thought it would be. Looking to her sister, Bellatrix shrugged. Seeing Rodolphus in the back doing the same, Andromeda took another large drink of her firewhiskey before moving to sit on the arm of Rabastan's chair. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down so she was half sitting on his lap, and kissed her. It was the first time that they had kissed, and the first time that Andromeda had kissed anyone in general; and to the best of her knowledge, the first time that Rabastan had done so also. She found herself wanting to kiss him more, so she pressed against him more - he did say snog, didn't he? - and Rabastan did the same, capturing her mouth with his. One of his hands moved to her cheek, gently guiding the kiss for a moment and then moving his hand to her hair.
"Er, I think that's sufficient," they heard Mulciber say, and the two drew away from each other. Andromeda got off of his lap and moving to sit back in her chair, grabbing her bottle of firewhiskey once more and drinking out of it. She noticed Rabastan messing with his hair again, and didn't notice her sister grinning at her, nor Rodolphus doing the same. Rabastan passed his turn along, and it eventually came to Andromeda through Avery, one of those known for pranking people horribly. She almost didn't notice her name being called the first time, catching herself looking at Rabastan, who incidentally was looking at her also.
"Alright, Andromeda, truth or dare?"
"Truth," she answered, already moving towards the veritaserum. She dropped one drop onto her tongue, and felt her inhibitions lower. Avery moved to put his elbows on his knees, locking eyes with Andromeda once she sat back down. She felt nervous with him staring at her in that fashion.
"What happened that day with the mudblood?" it was something that everyone had wondered about, and Rabastan and the seventh year who healed her managed to keep the details quiet, but the fact that she had slept in Rabastan's bed and returned blood soaked didn't go unnoticed. She found herself talking before thinking.
"I left the Great Hall early because Burke was annoying me. Three sixth years stopped me, started talking about that they had caught a stray little Death Eater and said that they were going to make me pay for Bella hurting the mudblood leader's little brother, since they didn't want to hurt Bella directly, but make her feel what they felt by hurting her sibling. They didn't take well to being taunted, and the mudblood blasted me into the wall and broke my shoulder.
"After that, he began using the severing charm on me. I'm unsure how many times exactly he used it, but he used it in every place he could, until I couldn't feel anything but pure pain. Then he pulled me up and pushed me against the wall, saying that physical pain wasn't enough, and instead he was going to taint me the same way that we said that he was tainted, and that "fucking" a mudblood ought to do it. Said that he was doing me a favor. He stuck his hand up my shirt, but before he could get anywhere. Rabastan showed up. Cursed him, broke his nose I believe, and told him he wasn't going to kill him, because that was my job. I fainted from the pain, and when I came to, there was a seventh-year over me. Sealed my wounds, healed my shoulder. I likely would have died from blood loss if Rabastan hadn't come along." at some point while she was talking, Rabastan's hand had found hers, and he squeezed it tightly. She heard her sister muttering underneath her breath about filthy mudbloods, and everybody in the circle looked more on edge than ever before. Knowing that one of their own had been physically harmed by a mudblood made each person more angry and vengeful than they were before. Andromeda felt her inhibitions raise, relieved that no one had asked her anything else before they had risen once more.
The game continued, and while someone else was talking about her crush while blushing madly since he was also in the circle, Andromeda leaned over to Rabastan.
"I never told you how terrifying you are when you're angry," she told him quietly, and she expected his face to light up with the typical smile that she was used to getting. Instead, he looked at her with sadness.
"Andy, I was terrified," he admitted, running his thumb along her knuckles. He took a swig of firewhiskey with his other hand, and Andromeda waited for him to continue. "I was terrified that you were already dead, that the mudblood had finished you off and when I blasted him away, you were gone. I was so relieved when you woke up, Andy."
"So was I," she confessed, draining the rest of her firewhiskey. "I'm glad that you came when you did."
Rabastan being her bodyguard continued into their fifth year, and Rabastan even put up with Andromeda's studying. She wasn't sure of what she wanted to do after Hogwarts, but knew that if she didn't get Os, her parents would throw fits. They were frequently found studying in the common room. Well, Andromeda was, Rabastan was typically throwing something in the air, and complaining about being bored, but not leaving Andromeda. When they weren't studying and Rabastan wasn't at Quidditch, they were on patrols, both of them being made Prefects.
"Do you ever think about what you'll do when you leave Hogwarts?" Andromeda asked after sending two fourth years back to bed, finding the Gryffindors walking around loudly late at night. It was a February night, and the castle was cold.
"I expect my parents will want me to join the cause," Rabastan said casually, and Andromeda rose her eyebrows at him. "They've been talking to Rodolphus about it, why wouldn't they expect me to? Uphold the family honor and all that."
"I suppose that makes sense."
"What about you?"
"Getting married, settling down, having a few children and being a housewife," Andromeda recited the same thing that she had been told many times throughout her life. With it becoming knowledgeable that Bellatrix was going to join the cause instead of settling down and letting Rodolphus do it for her, Andromeda was left to be the focus of their mother's instructions on how to raise proper pureblood children.
"Do you know who with, yet?" Andromeda shook her head.
"They still won't tell me, say that they are waiting for him to tell me himself. Apparently he requested that he be the one to do it, instead of our parents," she explained, still annoyed that her parents refused to tell her in December, when her birthday was.
"Untraditional." she nodded in agreement. "Who do you want it to be?" he asked the question tentatively.
"Dunno yet. I have a couple of ideas who it may be," Andromeda skirted around the question, but she knew that Rabastan noticed it. There wasn't much that he didn't notice, like how she wouldn't go to their matches against Gryffindor, and walked a bit closer to him whenever any older Gryffindors walked past them. He didn't say anything about that, either; he didn't pry.
"I reckon it's Crabbe, or Goyle," Rabastan grinned at her, and Andromeda feigned gagging.
"Their parents will be lucky if they are married at all. Have to find someone as unfortunate looking as them. Blacks are beautiful, my family line wouldn't be tainted with the likes of them." Andromeda realized how stuck up she sounded, but she knew that it was true. She was beautiful, and she deserved someone who was equally, or more, good looking as she. It was just a simple fact; she needed beautiful children.
"Of course, you need someone who will live up to your impossible standards, I forgot," Rabastan grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes. They walked along in a comfortable silence for the rest of their patrol, until they got back to the common room.
"Andy?" Rabastan asked before they parted ways.
"Yes?" she yawned as she asked. She rose her eyebrows in surprise as he sunk onto one knee before her, taking her left hand in both of his.
"Andromeda Druella Black…" he paused for a long dramatic effect, locking eyes with her. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" Rabastan burst out laughing at the look of shock on her face that quickly changed to annoyance, but then to one of relief.
"It's you, isn't it?"
"It's me," he agreed, and she pulled him in to kiss him as he stood up, and he responded with the same amount of zeal. Although it wasn't her first time kissing Rabastan, it was more special than the one shared drunkenly. At least if she was to be married to someone, it was to be her best friend.
And, on top of that, he was quite good looking.
After that night, it was known around the school that not only were Andromeda and Rabastan dangerous, loyal to each other beyond all account, but were betrothed. The ring came in the mail two days after he told her, a beautiful silver ring with an emerald stone surrounded by diamonds. It immediately adjusted to fit her finger once Rabastan put it on; he insisted on doing it himself. He kissed her hand afterwards, and entangled her fingers with his. She kissed him, and then rested her forehead against his. He was taller than her, which was quite a feat, considering she'd inherited the Black genes to be tall. Not many were.
It seemed like it was just meant to be with them, like they fit together, and even those who hated them could not contest with that. Even the Dark Lord could see so, and he used that to his advantage when Rabastan was marked.
It was a hot summer night in July, before their seventh year at Hogwarts, almost a year exactly before they were supposed to be wed. Both of them knew that something was going to happen that night, but neither were sure what exactly. None of those who were marked could speak about what happened, and those who weren't didn't live to tell the tale. That is why when Andromeda noticed Rabastan's anxiety via him messing his hair, she chose not to say anything about it. It was something that he needed to do by himself. When it was time to receive the mark, it was the only time that Rabastan spoke of his anxiety. He grabbed her and kissed her hard with a sense of desperation.
"What if I don't make it?" he muttered to her, and she shook her head.
"Do everything you can, anything you have to do." she kissed him again, and placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you, Rab. Nothing you do today is going to change it."
"I love you, Andy." he nodded at her and took a deep breath, flipping up his hood and doing the same for her. She was perfectly capable of doing it herself, but she knew that it made Rabastan feel better by having some control over the situation, even if it was exercising a bit of control over her. They walked down the stairs of his manor with Andromeda's hand on his arm; they could see Bellatrix grinning at the two of them, happy that her sister was embracing the arrangement. They were the perfect pureblood couple, and although Bellatrix wasn't planning on having children until they won the war, she knew that the other Black-Lestrange children would be beautiful and carry on the legacy.
In the backyard, the Death Eaters were arranged in a large circle, and they parted for the Lestranges (and Andromeda). They settled into the inner circle, places reserved for them. There was a crack of apparation, and a figure was standing in the middle. The Dark Lord. He took his hood down, and Andromeda was surprised. He had dark hair, nearly black, and he was tall - that was where his relation to a human ended. He had red eyes, and barely a nose. His lips were almost nonexistent. As if hearing her thoughts, his eyes snapped to her, and she dropped her eyes quickly. She could see him smirking out of the corner of her eye.
The Dark Lord called Rabastan forward, and he let go of Andromeda's hand, which she didn't even know that she was holding. As soon as he stepped forward and the Dark Lord was talking to him, Andromeda was seized by two Death Eaters and yanked back into the throng of them, while Bellatrix and Rodolphus shoved another person forward, who was transfigured to look exactly like her - Bellatrix must've done it, since Transfiguration was her best subject. Those who were new to the ceremony were taken aback - would the Dark Lord really make him torture his pureblood fiancee? - and those who had, were smirking at him. Bellatrix and Rodolphus had the decency to look mildly terrified as they shoved the - presumably - muggle forward, like they couldn't believe that it was happening to Andromeda. Rabastan visibly swallowed as he looked at the woman who was presumably his love, and was madly looking for any sort of sign that it wasn't her. He knew what becoming a Death Eater entailed, he just wasn't sure that he could do it to his fiancee.
"Prove your loyalty, that you are willing to go to any length for our cause," the Dark Lord spoke quietly, but his voice spread to every corner of the field. Bellatrix and Rodolphus let go of the Muggle, who stood in front of Rabastan, not saying a word. As Andromeda was typically the quiet type, it wasn't out of the ordinary. She assumed that they'd placed a silencing charm on her. Bellatrix walked to where she knew that Andromeda was and stood next to her, nodding. That was the most comfort that she could get from Bellatrix, but just by that and the fake concern on Bellatrix's face, Andromeda knew that it was typical. It seemed like they took whomever the person cared about the most, transfigured a muggle to look like them, and forced the person to torture them.
Rabastan steeled himself and wiped his anxious expression on his face. "Crucio," he spoke in a calm voice, betraying his feelings. The muggle dropped to her knees and screamed in a voice that sounded exactly like Andromeda's - even Bellatrix flinched away, and Rabastan's concentration was broken immediately. Less sure of his presumption that it was not Andromeda, he spoke the curse once more, but managed to maintain it. Andromeda tried to make him believe that it wasn't her, that he needed to do this for her. For them. After her screaming for what seemed like hours, the Dark Lord signalled to Rabastan that it was enough, and he was relieved as the muggle blacked out from the pain. Rabastan's fingers were white with the tight grip of his wand, the color of his skin contrasting greatly with the dark color of his wand.
"Now the severing charm," the Dark Lord told Rabastan, and Rabastan's eyes snapped to the Dark Lord. No doubt, he was running through his memories of seeing Andromeda that day after she'd been tortured by the mudblood. He was staring once more at the muggle, and Andromeda knew that he must have seen something that she hadn't, because he slashed his wand in the air, and began chanting the charm. The muggle was awoken once more, and started crying and pleading - a sign that it wasn't Andromeda. Andromeda would never lower herself to pleading. Once the Dark Lord gave the signal, there was a bright flash of green light, and it was over. The muggle began filling out and shortening, her skin lightening up along with her hair, and her facial features filling out from the sharp cheekbones of the Blacks. She saw Rabastan's stick-straight posture that he'd maintained relax, and want to look around for his betrothed, but resisted. He turned and stepped towards the Dark Lord, and stretching out his arm when he motioned for it.
The pain of getting marked was obvious, as Rabastan bit the inside of his cheek when the Dark Lord finished speaking in Parseltongue, removing his wand. A skull slowly appeared on Rabastan's arm, followed by the snake that slithered out of its mouth and settled in the uniform formation as on the rest of the inner circle's arm. Andromeda noticed that his legs were weak, and he could hardly walk back towards the spot that he was originally in. His sleeve dropped, covering up the new Dark Mark. The Dark Lord ended the meeting and there were cracks as the Death Eaters disapparated after shaking Rabastan's hand and congratulating him, and it was only the Lestranges left. Once it was only them, Andromeda flicked down her hood and walked towards Rabastan, who was relieved to see her. He grabbed her and kissed her urgently, both of them barely noticing when the rest of them disapparated. He drew back with a smile, obviously happy with how the night had turned out.
"Rab?" Andromeda asked him, and he responded with a questioning noise. "How did you know that it wasn't me?"
"I knew that you would never plead. It's below you," he grinned cheekily at her. "And they forgot to give you a ring. And your sister would never let that happen to you once more, especially after what the mudblood did to you last year."
"Hmm." he kissed her again, and lead her up to his room, stripping her of her Death Eater robe.
That night was further proof that they did, indeed, fit together perfectly.