A winter chill passed through London, sweeping down the streets and through the trees, creating a rustling sound that was quite pleasant to the ear. Andromeda shivered and pulled her cloak closer about herself as the icy wind blew right through her.
A forbidding house began to appear in front of Andromeda's eyes. Had she been unused to the spectacle, she may have shown some surprise. As it was, she watched with detached disinterest, and followed her sisters up the steps, now slippery with melting ice, to the house.
At the door, Andromeda was greeted by a woman who looked for all the world like a model from Witch Weekly. Dark hair fell in curls around her shoulders, softening her face and drawing attention to her elaborate robes. Only her cold, glaring eyes gave any sign that she was not quite as gentle as she seemed.
"Merry Christmas," the three teenagers said with simpering smiles, although Andromeda less enthusiastically than her sisters.
"Merry Christmas, girls. I assume your parents will be joining us shortly?"
"Yes, Mother was just taking her time in dressing," Bellatrix explained, stepping over the threshold.
Andromeda followed the three bobbing heads through a dimly-lit hallway, and into a grand ballroom. Dozens of people in immaculate robes milled around, waiting patiently for the festivities to begin. In one corner, sat a large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree. At the foot of the tree, Andromeda thought she could see a pair of feet. Deciding to seek out the mischief maker before he could cause serious damage, as Andromeda knew the elder Black brother was prone to do, Andromeda strode towards the tree purposefully.
However, before she could get very far, the bottom of her robes were tugged. Glancing down, Andromeda recognised one of the family house elves. "Miss Black," the creature squeaked. "Might I take your cloak?"
Andromeda glanced in the direction of the feet regretfully. Already, they had disappeared. She looked back at the elf, and did her best to smile gratefully. "Yes, thank you."
Once she had disposed of the cloak, she started in the direction of the tree again.
"Andromeda, my dear!" A jovial man, wearing a full beard and ruddy cheeks, stopped Andromeda. She whirled around on the spot, and her face split into a grin.
"Uncle Alphard!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck immediately.
He laughed appreciatively, and held her at arms' length. "You seem to be growing even taller, if it's at all possible."
"I'm fairly sure I'm meant to have stopped growing at 19 years old," she said with a cheerful grin.
During Andromeda's interactions, musicians had been setting up next to the Christmas tree. They had been tuning and chatting, laughing amongst themselves as they unpacked their instruments. Now, they were poised and ready to play. Alphard noticed this, and bowed deeply.
"Would you do me the honour of joining me for a dance?"
Andromeda replied with a curtsy. "Why, of course," she replied, smirking.
Alphard Black was easily Andromeda's favourite uncle, and once her closest friend. He had a sharp tongue and a cynical sense of humour, but the criticisms were usually directed at his two sisters, and Andromeda enjoyed it. During the often painfully long and dreary family gatherings, Alphard was Andromeda's escape, and when she was a young girl, before she went to Hogwarts, she would visit Alphard at least once a month.
Many an afternoon had been spent in his parlour, as Andromeda tried to look sophisticated and mature while sipping at her tea. Alphard introduced Andromeda to the fascinating topic that was the Great Goblin Wars from a very young age, and Andromeda quickly developed an interest. He would heave a heavy tome from his wonky shelves, and they would spend hours poring over it, arguing and debating and eating cakes at regular intervals. Those were some of the happiest afternoons of Andromeda's life.
She followed him gladly onto the floor, swishing her colourful robes behind her. Alphard clasped her hand, and the pair of them started to waltz.
"Tell me, have you seen Sirius yet?"
"Not yet, no. I thought I saw him hiding in the tree, but I was waylaid before I had a chance to investigate."
Alphard chuckled.
"Have you heard from him recently?" she asked uncertainly, trying to keep her tone light. The smile fell from her uncle's face, and he nodded solemnly.
"I believe he's rather torn over his placement in Gryffindor," he said carefully.
"And – and what do you think about it?" Andromeda looked down, and pretended to be concentrating on her footwork. It was clear that it was a rouse; Andromeda could dance as soon as she could toddle.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Alphard replied, "I think that it is admirable, certainly. But my only interest is in Sirius' happiness. If being in Slytherin would have secured that, well…"
"That's what you think is important, do you? Happiness?" Andromeda asked urgently, looking up from the floor. Alphard looked taken aback, and considered his answer.
"Yes. Yes, I care for you and your cousin's happiness greatly, of course." When Andromeda made no reply, he continued. "My sister, of course, has not been happy. What Orion is thinking is a mystery at the best of times, so I don't know how he's reacting to the situation. I do worry about him in this house, you know. I almost wish he had stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas."
Again, Andromeda stayed quiet. Alphard allowed her to wallow in contemplative silence, and continued to turn about the room. "Uncle?"
He looked down at her from his great height and smiled, doing his best to put her at ease. "Yes, my dear?"
"What would you think if I were to tell you that I was in love?"
"Why," he said with a broad grin. "I'd congratulate you heartily, and ask to meet them at the earliest convenience."
"What if I were to tell you…" Andromeda trailed off, and cleared her throat. Alphard wondered what she was finding so difficult. "That he was a Muggleborn?"
She didn't look up to see his reaction, but felt him falter in his dance. "Then," he said gravely, once he had recovered from his shock. "I would advise you most heavily against it. It is one thing to be put in the wrong house, Andromeda. It's quite another to betray the family in this manner."
"Right," she said, her grip loosening on Alphard's hand. They finished their dance in a heavy silence, the tension thick in the air between them and when they had finished, Andromeda hurried away without so much as a curtsy. As Alphard watched her walk away with long strides, her robes flying behind her dramatically, he wondered if he had made a most terrible mistake.
Almost exactly four years later, the mistake was a gaping hole in Alphard's life. Andromeda had been far more than a niece to Alphard; she had been a friend, and the old man no longer had many of those. Even after she left for Hogwarts, they would correspond regularly, and he would enjoy the occasional visit from her during the holidays.
His friendship with Sirius was not the same as that with Andromeda. Sirius had no interest at all in the Goblin Wars, no matter how hard Alphard tried to tempt him. But once he had come to terms with the fact that Sirius was not Andromeda, but in fact his own person, he found very quickly that he liked Sirius. He found respite in him during the family gatherings, now that Andromeda had left. Sirius had a carefree attitude about him, the sort that told Alphard that his sister would have trouble with him as he grew older. He was right, of course. At fifteen, it seemed he was a rebellious young man. His friends at school were rapidly replacing his family, and therefore, Alphard. Although he appreciated that it was good for Sirius, and that the Black family's rotting tentacles would not have a chance to poison him any further, he couldn't help but wish fervently that Sirius wouldn't leave.
This year, on the 23rd of December, Alphard had insisted that Sirius join him for afternoon tea. He was staying at his friend's house for Christmas, but it was not a long journey to Alphard's humble cottage, and he had written and written until Sirius agreed.
They both now were sat opposite each other, sipping daintily at cups of tea in uncomfortable silence. Sirius gave a dramatic sigh, and set his tea cup down with a clatter. "Uncle Alphard," he said looking over at him. "I have a question for you."
Alphard copied his movements, setting his cup down at making eye contact with his nephew. "Yes?"
"How would you feel if I told you I was in love?"
Alphard answered with a sharp intake of breath. Sirius raised a single, aristocratic eyebrow. The question was too uncannily identical to Andromeda's haunting one. Sirius must have known of the ties cut between Andromeda and Alphard, but whether he knew the details of their disagreement was another thing entirely.
"I would congratulate you, of course," he said cautiously. "Sirius, what is this –"
"How would you feel," Sirius interrupted. "If I told you that he was a boy?" His stormy eyes, courtesy of the Black genes, bore into Alphard, turning almost silver in his concentration.
"I would…" Alphard started, but paused. He knew he had to get this right; to lose the last friend he cared about did not bear thinking. "I would congratulate you, my dear boy, and wish you the world of luck."
Sirius's expression did not soften as he gave a curt nod. "Good."