Credit to J.K. Rowling for creating the Black sisters and the magical world that they inhabited
It was a Thursday morning when Andromeda Black packed up her things. It was July of 1971 and she'd graduated from Hogwarts merely weeks beforehand. She'd be leaving that night, but she hadn't told her family yet, if she told them she'd be forcibly removed, and Andromeda wanted to leave on her own terms.
Narcissa knew though, Narcissa could ruin it all. Word got around fast at Hogwarts, if Bellatrix had been there the last two years Andromeda would've been long gone. Black's don't consort with Mudbloods, much less marry them. Andromeda was a blood traitor, soon enough her whole family would know.
Andromeda fell in love with Edward Tonks in sixth year. Bella was no longer around to dictate who she spoke with, so she found herself conversing with a Hufflepuff. He was wonderful, Ted that is, being around him everything just seemed so much better. He didn't care that she was a Slytherin, much less a Black.
Growing up it had always been Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa. They had few friends, they didn't need any because they had each other. Then Bellatrix married Rodolphus, and days after the war broke out. Bella became a Death Eater, Andromeda knew that, but she never could bring herself to say it.
Anyway, by that time she was in her seventh year, she had her own problems. What she wouldn't give to be back there now though, at Hogwarts. She couldn't have that though, so instead she packed 18 years of her life into a single trunk.
"Andie what are you–" Andromeda looked up to see her younger sister standing in the doorway.
Narcissa Black was beautiful, she was barely sixteen, but her golden locks and lively eyes aged her. Andromeda looked down at her own brown curls, she and Bellatrix looked so similar, so unlike Narcissa, that many didn't even believe they were related.
"Narcissa what are you doing up here?"
Her sister ignored the question. "You're leaving aren't you? To be with him, the mudblood over your own family." Narcissa didn't say "mudblood" with as much venom as most, but she still spoke with a bit of spite.
Andromeda ran a hand through her hair, this was not how she wanted to leave things with her sister. "I'm not choosing, Narcissa, Mum will do that for me."
Narcissa bit her lip. "You are though, you know they'll blast you off the tapestry, you know the consequences. Doesn't family mean anything to you?"
"I love him Narcissa, I love him with all my heart. I won't leave him."
A tear rolled down Narcissa's cheek. "But you'll leave me?"
"No," Andromeda said forcefully. "I won't leave you, but the choice is yours. The House of Black, or me. Wed for position like Bellatrix, or follow your heart."
"I can't," Narcissa said, more tears present on her face. "I'm not like you Andie, I'm just not. Besides," she took a shaky breath, "someone's got to stay for Sirius and Regulus." Andromeda hadn't even thought of her cousins, instantly she was plagued with guilt.
"Then do that Cissa," suddenly Andromeda wanted nothing more than for Narcissa to stay for their cousins. Yet she knew that at the end of the day Cissy wouldn't be able to do anything for them. "But don't let them destroy you." She went on. "Please don't let them destroy you." Both girls had begun to cry.
Narcissa wiped her eyes, trying to force cheer into her voice. "He's worth it, this Edward bloke?"
Andromeda nodded instantly. "I know he's a Hufflepuff, I know he's a Mudblood, I know Cissy, but none of that matters."
Narcissa looked troubled. "That's all we've ever known Andie, how can you say that? How can you disregard everything we were raised on?"
She looked her sister dead in the eyes. "Because it doesn't matter. I swear to you Narcissa. The war has messed everything up, but it'll end, and when it does things will become clearer."
"There will still be right and wrong."
Andromeda nodded. "There'll always be right and wrong, but Mudbloods, they aren't wrong Cissy. They were born magical just like us."
"But to Muggle parents."
"Why does that matter so much to you?" Andromeda found herself raising her voice, tears were no longer visible on her face.
"Because it is wrong Andie, they're an abomination." Narcissa seemed to realize her mistake the moment the word left her mouth. "Andie–"
"So I'm marrying an abomination, thanks for the well wishes Cissa." Andromeda said cutting her sister off.
"Andie I didn't mean it like that." Narcissa seemed like for once she actually regretted her words, and that almost made Andromeda believe her, almost.
"The sad part Narcissa," she said turning away from the girl and continuing her packing, "is that you did mean it. What you didn't mean was for it to hurt me. You just wanted to hurt Ted. Yet he's not here. He'll never be here, and for that matter neither will I ever again." Shutting the lid on her trunk Andromeda turned back to face her little sister. "This is it Cissa, whatever you want to say, say it now."
Narcissa spoke in a near whisper. "Bella's downstairs." With that the youngest Black sister left devoid of another word. It wasn't a heartfelt goodbye, but it meant something, it was a warning.
Andromeda had two minutes, she reckoned, until Bellatrix would come up to see her. Two minutes to hide all the evidence that she was leaving. Andromeda didn't though, she didn't hide, she was leaving, and she was doing it on her own terms.
"Dromeda," sang Bella's voice the predicted two minutes later. "It's not like you to shy away from company, especially when it's your favourite sister." They both new it was a lie, Bellatrix and Andromeda had clashed quite a bit during their later Hogwarts years, and yet Bella still said it.
"Bellatrix, what brings you over?" Andromeda asked in the happiest voice she could manage.
"Oh you know," she said inviting herself into the room. "I like to check up on the family." Bellatrix picked up the postcard Ted had sent Andromeda when he'd toured Italy the summer before. Andromeda didn't even attempt to stop her. After reading the reverse side Bella continued. "Make sure you're not doing anything I wouldn't do."
Andromeda laughed. "Oh Bella, where would the fun be in that?"
Her attempt at humor did not go unnoticed by Bellatrix, who let out a superficial laugh. "I do get around though, and now that you're done at Hogwarts so can you."
"You know I don't want that Bellatrix." Andromeda's tone had immediately turned serious.
Her comment however barely phased the eldest Black daughter. "To be a Death Eater? Do you really hate me so much that you would miss out on being on the right side?"
"I don't hate you," she said simply.
"Really?" Bellatrix sounded surprised. "You could've fooled me. Is it Mum and Dad then? I know it's not Cissy, for some reason you've never held anything against her."
"She didn't seek it out like you did," Andromeda nearly yelled. "It was forced on her, every crazy belief, you made us feel like we had no other choice, it wasn't just Mum and Dad for us."
Bellatrix laughed. "You have no other choice Dromeda, you're a Black, it's in your blood."
"It always comes back to that doesn't it?" Andromeda held back tears. "Blood. It's always about the blood."
"Toujours pur."
Andromeda shook her head. "Ne plus maintenant."
It was then that she realized Bellatrix still held the postcard. "Ted is it? He must be pretty good if he can make you act this ridiculous." Bella ripped the postcard in two. "Best to forget about him Dromeda. You can still choose right, it's never too late."
"Except after you've torched my face off the tapestry, I'm afraid it's a little too late after that dear Bella."
Bellatrix nodded. "You're right, but I don't think it'll get to that. You weren't in Gryffindor Meda, you were never that brave."
"No, you were never that brave. You forget that I was a near Hatstall." It was Andromeda's chance to finally come clean with a secret she had hidden from everyone for nearly 7 years. "4 minutes and 42 seconds, the time it took the hat to decide between Slytherin and Gryffindor." She looked directly at Bellatrix. "I told you it was Ravenclaw because I knew you'd tell Mum, but it wasn't Bella, it really wasn't."
"Then why did you choose Slytherin?" Her sister sounded slightly interested.
Finally a tear escaped Andromeda's eye. "It wasn't a choice back then Bella, or at least not like this. Don't you remember before the war? I asked to be in Slytherin because you were in Slytherin. We were sisters before all this, now I really don't know what we are."
"Opposing forces Dear," Bellatrix said adjusting her hair in Andromeda's mirror. "Choose the bloke, it really doesn't matter all that much to me, but know that this is it. Your children won't be safe, your husband won't be safe, and you Andromeda Darling, you will always be in danger."
"From you?"
Bella laughed tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't be naïve Sweetie, I can't be everywhere at once." She paused facing her sister. "Remember though, my side always wins."
"Winning streaks never last forever, I'll be patient."
Bellatrix patted Andromeda pityingly on the shoulder. "Oh Hon, you're going to be waiting a long time for that. Is it really worth it?"
"When you're alone, cold in the ground," she emphasized the last four words, "It will be. Every last second will be worth it."
Bella scrunched up her nose in disgust, removing her hand from Andromeda's shoulder. "See, you really make it hard to believe you."
Andromeda didn't need Bellatrix to clarify her meaning. "I don't hate you Bella, not yet. You're making it free game in the future though."
"Lovely, now I know where you stand, and I do believe you know where I stand." Bellatrix made her way to the door. "It's a shame really, you and I, together we could've been magnificent."
Andromeda nodded. "You would think it's a shame. I mean the fact that even something as imperative as blood couldn't keep us together."
Bellatrix stopped directly under the doorframe. "It does always comes back to blood."
"Think about how much will be spilled, and all because a war was started to sanctify it."
"I didn't start it Meda, you can't put that on me."
Yet she did. Bellatrix was the first person Andromeda knew to be a Death Eater, and that meant something to her. "You didn't have to fight Bella, you didn't have to come here today and threaten me."
"I couldn't choose the other side Dromeda, maybe you think you can, but I couldn't."
"You didn't have to choose," once again Andromeda raised her voice to a near yell as she turned to face her sister's back. "Narcissa isn't going to choose. She's only 16 and I can tell you that. Maybe she's not as brave as me, but she's also not as egotistical as you."
Bellatrix turned around. "Then she's a coward, but at least she's not a blood traitor."
"I'd rather be a blood traitor than what you have become," Andromeda spat.
"What would that be sister? You've been too frightened to say it thus far."
Andromeda closed her eyes. "You're a Death Eater Bella," she paused garnering up more courage, "and do you know what? That's worse than being a Mudblood. At least they were born that way, you chose to be what you are."
"Accept it then Andromeda. I chose it, and even now, knowing what you want to become, I'd choose it again." Bellatrix tilted her head, smirking a little bit. "I won't ever taint myself for you Andromeda Black, not now, not ever."
"Nor will I for you."
"Goodbye Andromeda," Bellatrix kissed her sister on the cheek. "I'd say send Ted my best, but we both know I wouldn't mean it."
"It's okay, I wouldn't expect it of you." Andromeda brushed off Bellatrix's shoulder. "Better collect yourself Bella, wouldn't want that stone-faced husband of yours seeing you in a state like this."
Bellatrix nodded but didn't falter. "You wouldn't want Mum knowing your plans either, now would you?" Andromeda didn't respond. "Consider it my wedding present. Just this once I'll let you go Love, after all, I am rather interested to see how far you make it."
Andromeda laughed, "you always were one for a good show Bellatrix."
Her older sister shrugged. "Can you blame me? I don't recall you ever being the one to enjoy staring at a blank wall."
"I guess that's one way we're alike."
"Don't forget about the hair," both girls instinctively touched their tresses as Bellatrix continued, "the gorgeous hair. It's rather a shame Narcissa missed out on it."
It was time and Andromeda knew it. Yet she didn't want it to be, her sisters would always mean something to her. Still she forced herself through the words, "goodbye Bella." As painful as the realization was, as Bellatrix Lestrange walked out the door one final time, Andromeda knew her feelings were so strong for one reason. The bond she and her sisters shared, it was blood.
The simple thing that united every human, Muggles and wizards alike. It caused wars and tore families apart, and it would always and forever be the cause of the fall of the Blacks.
A/N
Another one-shot… I don't know what's gotten into me! Well actually I do, I was watching YouTube videos about the Black sisters and I was really inspired. I'd love to learn more about them from Rowling, I mean think about it, three sisters who all ended up in such different places. One became a Death Eater, another became a blood traitor, and the last, well when you think about it, she was almost neutral. Narcissa covered for Harry, if that doesn't speak to her loyalties then I don't know what does. Anyway, I am completely fascinated by them at the moment so I'm a bit distracted from everything else I need to be doing. On another note, I tweaked the beginning of my Next Gen story this morning, so there's a chance that it might still become a thing… we'll see, I really want to get my Selection story finished. Also at some point I'm going to upload all my Selection one-shots from Tumblr, so keep an eye out for them, that is if you're interested in The Selection.
Have a day as magnificent as Bellatrix and Andromeda could've been together as Death Eaters
Shaelynn