Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this! Please leave a review :)
Andromeda, Narcissa, and Bellatrix Black were all gathered in the latter's room.
Narcissa would be starting her second year at Hogwarts the next day, and like the previous year, she was far more nervous than her sisters and it took them some time to console her.
"Hey, it's okay, Cissy," Andromeda put an arm around her younger sister. "I know you always have bad nerves before the term starts, but there's nothing to worry about."
"Yeah," Bellatrix piped in, "if anything it's me and Andy who should be worried, Any has her OWLs this year and I have my NEWTs next year. And besides, you're by far Mum and Dad's favorite. You could practically fail school and they wouldn't really mind.
"I know," the youngest of the Black sisters shook her white blond head, chuckling slightly. "I know that Bella - no offense. It's just that, I like being with you guys during the year. I love our family and I love how close we are over the holidays. And I feel like during school . . . we don't have that special bond with each other. I feel like we're more focused on friends and school than family when we're at Hogwarts."
Andromeda sighed. "I'm sorry, Cissy. You know we tried to spend time together as much as we could - but it's hard with us all being in different years. We can't even hang out together at Hogsmeade because you're too young to go yet. How about this though: the first night when we return home for the Christmas holidays, we'll all gather together like we're doing now, and we'll tell each other all about how each of our terms went. Sound good?"
Both of her sisters nodded before the younger too each parted from their eldest sister to return to their respective rooms to go to bed.
Andromeda hugged Narcissa goodnight and whispered in her ear, "you'll do great, Cissy. The hardest part is the Sorting and you've already got that done. You had so much fun last year, and I know you will again."
Narcissa gave Andromeda a small smile. "Thanks."
The next day, the three Black sisters boarded the train to begin their next adventure at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Andromeda was hoping that even if she would not be able to see Narcissa so much, she would at least be able to spend some time with Bellatrix: perhaps in Hogsmeade.
But she found that during the entire first term, she barely managed to get two words in to Bellatrix. It was almost as if the wild haired girl was avoiding her. That was odd.
But like promised, the night she returned home from her first term as a fifth year at Hogwarts, she followed Narcissa into Bellatrix's room where they waited for Bellatrix to join them.
Finally, the door banged open to reveal a wild eyed, raging Bellatrix standing with her hands on her hips; a sight that made both of her sisters cower slightly. She was staring straight at Andromeda and glowering intensely.
"H-how was your term, Bella?" Narcissa asked tentatively. Bellatrix ignored her. Her gaze did not falter from Andromeda.
"Bella?" asked Andromeda.
Bellatrix did not speak for a while. Finally, she opened her mouth and hissed at Andromeda, "I've seen you with Ted Tonks, that filthy Hufflepuff mudblood a lot this term, Andromeda. You've been making googly eyes at him, probably just waiting till you have a chance to wipe your lips all over his grimy, worthless face."
Andromeda felt a stab at her heart. How dare Bellatrix speak that way about Ted?!
"I-I . . ." Andromeda stammered, searching for words.
"You what," Bellatrix spat, disgusted. "What do you have to say for yourself, Andromeda?" Bellatrix tapped her foot impatiently. "Because it seems pretty clear to me: Either you're," Bellatrix shuddered, "dating that mudblood, Tonks. Or, at the very least, your friends with him. Both of which are inexcusable."
"I-I'm not . . ."
"Not what?" Bellatrix snapped. "Because," she put on an overdone imitation of Ted's deep, mellow voice. "'Nice to see you again, Dromeda, I really enjoyed Hogsmeade with you last weekend,'" Bellatrix switched back to her normal voice, "certainly sounds like at least a friendship to me."
Andromeda was speechless. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes.
Narcissa's blue eyes were bouncing back and forth between her two sisters. An expression of confusion and worry plastered onto her pale little face.
Bellatrix turned on her heel, pulling the door shut behind her, but before it closed entirely she spoke seven more words to her sister. Her expression was hard and her voice was ice, but still, they were words that expressed her withstanding love for her sister. "I won't tell Mum and Dad. Yet."
And with that, she whipped around and left her two little sisters in her own room, slamming the door behind her.
"I'm so sorry Bellatrix," Andromeda whispered. Her voice was so faint that even Narcissa, sitting right beside her, could barely hear her. "I'm so so sorry. I love you. I really do. And you'll be my sister forever. But I think I'm in love with Ted. And I can't just ignore that."
Narcissa did not speak but put a consoling arm on Andromeda's shoulder.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this! Please don't forget to leave a review :)