AN: My first real attempt at psychological horror. Oh God.

X.

Hands trembling, she grabs the knife. "This is what you want, isn't it?"

No answer. For so long, she's longed for silence, but now the voice's absence leaves her cold.

With a deep breath, she lifts the dagger and plunges it towards her body.

IX.

Andromeda wakes, heart pounding, fingers driven so firmly into the bed that several nails have snapped, and traces of blood stain the sheets. For a moment, she cannot breathe. Something is wrong, so wrong.

"I will never leave you," a voice whispers, too close for comfort.

Andromeda bites back a scream.

VIII.

"You look ill, Andromeda," Molly Weasley frets, looking at the other woman with worried eyes.

"I'm fine," Andromeda says, but her cracked tone betrays her.

She feels the hand brush over her cheek, ice to flesh. But Molly has not moved, and they are alone in the too warm kitchen. Eyes wide and fearful, Andromeda turns, expecting to see her.

Nothing there. There's never anything behind her.

"I'm fine," she repeats.

VII.

"Ashes, ashes."

Andromeda covers her ears, eyes closing tightly. "Not there. Not there," she insists.

"All fall down."

"Not real."

But the singing does not stop; the words twist into something new and directly behind Andromeda.

"Come with me, Andi
The choice is really easy
Poison, daggers,
A noose, or drown."

Andromeda slides onto the floor, whimpering, but the singing grows louder.

VI.

"Do you ever see her?" Andromeda asks. "Or...hear her?"

Narcissa raises a brow, shaking her head. "Of course not."

The older woman stares at her sister, searching for some sign that she might be lying. Andromeda can't possibly be alone with this. But Narcissa betrays nothing.

"I will never leave you, Andi," the voice laughs, but Narcissa doesn't seem to hear it.

V.

"Gran!" Teddy cries.

Andromeda snaps out of it, her gaze focusing again. She's drifted too close to the edge of the cliff. A few more steps, and she would have fallen onto the jagged rocks below.

"Gran?" the four year old says again, lower lip quivering.

Andromeda blinks back her confusion and offers her grandson a strained smile. "Gran is just being silly."

The roar of the sea and the whistle of the wind are almost deafening, but Andromeda can still hear the faint whisper against the noise.

"Come to me, my darling. Come to me, little Andi."

IV.

"Andi."

"Go away."

"I told you so, Andi."

"Not real."

"I love you, Andi."

"Not there."

"Join me, Andi."

III.

Footsteps. Soft, soft footsteps. Yawning, Andromeda rolls over in her bed, expecting to see Teddy there. The poor dear hasn't been sleeping well.

But there is only darkness, no faint silhouette in shadow.

She rolls over again, closing her eyes. "Must be hearing things," she murmurs.

II.

"She died in the battle," Kingsley tells her, though his tone lacks the respect it had held when he'd told her about Nymphadora. "I thought you should know."

Andromeda lets out a relived sigh.

I.

Twelve year old Andromeda climbs into her sister's bed. She doesn't care that she's too old for such things. Thunderstorms still frighten her.

"Love you, Bella," she murmurs. "Til death."

Bellatrix chuckles and kisses her sister's cheek before tossing the blanket over her. "I'll love you after death."

Andromeda shakes her head. Bellatrix might be older, but she says the silliest things. "That's impossible."

"Just wait and see, Andi."