disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Hey! So I should be studying right now, but I just wanted to send this before January is over. I have another story I want to put up for Valentine's Day... ;-)
In this story, Andromeda and Ted will finally become closer friends. And more chracters will be mentioned here as well... :-)
Anyways, enjoy!
The first month of school had come and gone, and everyone had gotten comfortable with their schedule. Andromeda and Ted have gone on patrols only four times, and only one of those times, they had been put together. Other two times have been with the one from their own house, and the third time Andromeda went with a Ravenclaw, and Ted went with a Gryffindor.
This night, Andromeda was going to patrol with Linda Gilsey, the fifth year Hufflepuff. She truly believes that she had never spoken to her before, but already knows that Linda has a thing for their mutual friend/acquaintance, Ted Tonks. (Andromeda didn't want to call anyone new a friend until she is absolutely sure.) She put her hair up, made sure that her breath does not smell, and went up to meet her new patrol buddy.
Linda was standing in one of the hallways they were told to start. She fiddled with her brown hair between her fingers, for some reason looking nervous. Andromeda did not want to scare her, so she tried not to sneak up on her. It seemed that it did not work though, and Linda jumped when she saw Andromeda coming to her direction.
"Hi!" Said Andromeda politely. "You ready."
"Mhm." Linda anwsered. They started to walk, side by side.
They walked in silence for about 10 minutes. Andromeda knew that they were going to be there for a while if they don't keep themselves busy with anything.
"So... what do you think of the O.W.L.s?" She asked her.
Linda seemed to have a hard time to anwser the question.
"It's, um- I don't- I don't know..."
Andromeda wanted to agree; thinking how complicated this month has already been, comparing to the last four years.
But it hit her when she looked at the poor Hufflepuff girl next to her, who seemed to be too scared to wanting to have eye contact with her.
She wasn't anwsering out of the confusion or frustration of school. She was too scared to answer Andromeda's question.
Why? Because she thought that Andromeda would make fun of her. Bully her.
She got quite upset about that, but did not want to take it out on Linda, who seemed already be too shaken up to be patrolling with her.
They were quiet until they were done.
Ted was sitting by the fire pit, which was in the Hufflepuff common room. Two of other girls were sitting pretty close by, talking about something out of the lesson that day.
Linda arrived, sat down between him and the girls. She sighed very heavily, getting the other three's attention. "Hi."
"Wotcher, Linda!" Ted smiled, putting down his book. "How was the patrolling?"
"It was... alright."
The other two girls gasped and leaned over to her. "Was it with a Slytherin?"
"Oh honey, they didn't torture you, did they?"
"No." She quickly anwsered, but still looked little sick.
Ted remembered little bit off the patrolling schedule. "Was it with Andromeda Black?"
One of the girls put her arms around Linda. "Oh no! Linda, what did Black do to you?"
Ted had to fight the urge to not roll his eyes; even if Hufflepuffs were known to be loyal and humble, they could sometimes still have the habit to see only one side of people. Especially people like from Andromeda's family.
"She didn't do anything." Linda said, surprising herself. "But... but I couldn't help to not put my guard down..."
"But if she would have been as rude as you would have expected, then she would have made fun of you either way." Said Ted, defending Andromeda.
The other girls looked at him as if he had just had said that he adopted himself a blast ended-skrewt and sleeps with it at night.
One of the girls, named Eliza (a half-blood) said: "Do you even know about the Black family? Trust me, they are not nice people. And them being in Slytherin just proves it."
Ted scoffed, feeling relaxed by knowing she could not be any further from the truth about Andromeda.
"From more than four years I had been made fun of by people from the Slytherin house. Been called a mudblood" he said that with disgust and saw the girls cringe. "but I have never seen Andromeda say anything bad about us muggleborns. Not once! In fact, I saw her two or three years ago have a fight with Bellatrix for making fun of some first years - and we all know now about Bellatrix."
The three girls definitely know about Bellatrix. When the whole school learned about her, it was because of her rudeness. Because of her way to think like the witches centuries ago. Because of her just...well... being evil.
"All I am saying is that if Andromeda is anything like her sister, then she would be the same popular as her sister. And she isn't. Because she is (probably) quite the opposite.
"Well..." Eliza muttered. "...You might have some correct point in that."
"But she is still a Slytherin!" The other girl exclaimed.
Everyone but Ted agreed.
"And just because...just because she isn't as loud as Bellatrix, doesn't mean that she is the nicest person now..." Linda stammered. She then saw that Ted looked at her and said: "Not that she IS pure evil but..."
"Just give her a chance next time, Linda." Ted said, patiently tried for them to trust his words.
He ended up saying goodnight and headed to his room. Unfortunately he heard how the girls started to talk about Andromeda Black again and trying to figure out what she could be hiding.
Now now, Ted. He thought to himself. You don't know her that well either.
And the voice of his head was right. He did not know her well enough. I mean, this year he was sure that she had finally acknowledged him and knows that he is alive and exist. Now that they shared Charms and Potions together...
But we're they really friends?
He had finished brushing his teeth and got ready for bed. He always knew that he got little emotional or protective of people when others told lies or rumors about them.
Maybe him and Andromeda are not real friends yet.
But he certainly knows that she is not evil.
He also started to wonder if maybe her family was not as bad either, and they only got the reputation because of being a pureblood family (Just like how he is a mudblood and because of that he does not belong here. ) Or maybe they also (And obviously did) go to Slytherin house as well, and now had to grow up with other people looking at them in a stereotypical way...?
If Andromeda's other family members are like Bellatrix, then there is no way she could be so...so... sane.
He decided not to think about that any longer, and fell asleep.
The next day, the second year students were chatting to each other as professor from DADA was done for the day for their lesson. There were five minutes left until the bell would ring, and many of the girls had huddled up to do something grown up.
A.k.a Gossiping.
"I heard that there was a Slytherin girl who forced a Squib to drink this potion that made her look like the Slytherin girl! And then she is now forced to go to classes for her and everything, while the other girl is taking vacation in France."
"No way!" Narcissa Black and her friends were gossiping their own things until a Ravenclaw brought it up behind their ears. Many students were now listening to their conversation.
"Who?" Asked Narcissa.
"How would I know?" Said the Ravenclaw, whipping her hair out of the way. "I don't know any squibs."
"Stop it..." another Ravenclaw mumbled, embarrassed that her friends was making up stupid rumors just to annoy the Slytherins.
"She meant the student." Narcissa's friend spat.
"Don't know." The Ravenclaw mumbled. But then she smiled mischievously. "But don't you think that one of the Black sisters are behaving...too nice?"
Many students started to get into heated discussions: Was Andromeda Black really Andromeda Black?
Narcissa felt her face heat up, and got upset.
"Is it true?" Narcissa sobbed out, pointing her wand at Andromeda. Andromeda had come to her room, wanted to ask wether or not she wanted to have one of her old dresses.
Andromeda had already heard students whispering things behind her back, and all of them were terrible whisperers. Some Slytherins did not know what to think of the rumor; either to order around the squib, or admire Andromeda to come up with something so amazing, and letting a poor squib drink a horrible drink more than once a day (of course, they all knew it was not true, and the choices above were all done out of mockery.)
Sadly, Narcissa did not know what to believe. She (somewhat) looked up at her sister; one of the only relatives in her family that have not laid a finger on her. She also admires Andromeda for being strong.
But if this was not Andromeda, where was the real one? She had yelled all of this at Andromeda and sobbed.
Andromeda sighed. The last thing she wanted Narcissa to do in Hogwarts was being scared. She did that enough at home.
"No, Cissy. The rumor is not true." She slowly stepped over to Narcissa. "Now, lower your wand please."
"But-but-" Naricssa gasped. "Prove it. Do magic!"
"Alright..." She lifted her wand.
"Aha!" Narcissa's blond, normally straight-combed hair was really frazzled. "Dromeda would never hurt me!"
"...For Merlin sake, Cissy!" Andromeda rolled her eyes, really annoyed by her little sister. "I have not even done anything! Why would me do magic mean that I would hurt you!? Also if I am a squib, I wouldn't be able to do-this!"
She said the Accio charm, making Narcissa's wand fly over to her.
Narcissa looked furious, but then decided by not taking it any longer...
"...DROMEDA!" She practically flew into Andromeda's arms. She sobbed on and on as her older sister was patting her on the back.
Andromeda had already seen this behavior before and knew where Narcissa got it from- it was something that Bellatrix did when they were younger, to get their parents attention and making something look more of a big of a deal than it actually was. Andromeda had tried it out few times, and it worked less than few times. And even though she dearly loved Narcissa the most... She had to admit that she could be a cry-baby and a prat.
The days went on, and she had threatened two Slytherins so far, who told Andromeda to give them some special treatment (since she actually was a disgusting squib.) Instead of getting in trouble, she took points out from her own house. That would finally make the rest of her house shut up about her.
Unfortunately, the other houses were not nice to her either.
Bellatrix had heard the rumor too. She knew that it obviously wasn't true, but chose to let Andromeda go through the torture. If she would not learn now about her place, then she will never learn, Bellatrix thought, smirking as she saw her dear sister eat a bowl of porridge alone in the Great Hall.
About a week or so, Ted and Andromeda were scheduled to patrol together again. It was an early evening, and there still was not any curfew (which meant more students could be planning a prank and could be getting away with it.)
Ted met her at outside of the Great Hall. When she noticed him, she started to blush. What if he believed the rumors?
But he just smiled at her and sighed from a having a long day. "Ready to go?"
She nodded and they started walking.
And yes, Ted had obviously heard the rumor. And he truly believed that it started from some certain Hufflepuffs...
"Did you notice Professor Flitchwick's face when Carrow changed his book into knickers?" Ted did not want to amuse on it too much if Andromeda was close to Carrow.
Fortunately, that did not seem to be the case. Andromeda could not help but to smile.
"That prat deserved it!" Ted snorted and that made Andromeda give out a small chuckle. Ted noticed that he had never really seen her laugh.
"I think this is the first time I have seen your teeth for many weeks." Ted said. Andromeda blushed. "You should smile more often."
Andromeda blushed again for the compliment. She rarely got compliments, let alone from boys of her age.
"Maybe because there isn't that much to smile about." She joked, but from Ted's reaction, she knew that there was some honesty from her remark.
"I guess you have not heard...?" She started.
"Oh no, I have heard." Ted anwsered. "I honestly believe it even started from my house."
Ted then realised that he shouldn't have said that, from the hurt of Andromeda's brown eyes.
She put her head down, ashamed and embarrassed. "Made fun of the Hufflepuffs...great..."
"It is a stupid rumor." He defended her. "I mean, if you would at the moment not be the real Andromeda, and a squib, then how are you still so good with magic?"
"I think people know that it is a rumor." Andromeda said while glaring at a Gryffindor boy, who seemed little suspicious. "But they still use it against me, because I am not being a good witch."
"Because you are not as evil as Bellatrix?"
"Exactly."
"That is stupid." But he could not help but laugh. "It is as if many of the Slytherins act as if they are ordered and forced to think the way they think."
Andromeda did not day anything. If only he knew what many Slytherin students (and even some students from other houses) have to live through...
"...Why can't they be more like you?" Ted sighed. "I mean, thinking by themselves? At least for once?"
Andromeda looked at him. She saw that he was serious.
She smiled again. With her teeth. "Thanks."
"Of course!" Ted smiled back. "What are friends for?"
Andromeda seemed deeply taken aback with the word friends. Ted noticed and his smile faltered.
"Unless...?"
"No no! I..." Andromeda seemed to have to have a short moment to think what she was about to say. "Of course we are."
They kept patrolling until they bumped into the other patrol pair - Sylvia and Henry. Both from Ravenclaw.
"Hey Tonks..." Henry mumbled. "...Black."
Ted and Andromeda both nodded at them.
Then out of nowhere, Sylvia started to talk with Andromeda. (and not in a mocking tone!)
"Hey Black." Sylvia looked at Andromeda. "You are good with Astronomy, right?"
The rest of the group was speechless. For a few seconds, Sylvia started to realize who she was speaking to. But otherwise, she seemed still very determined with her question.
"I- wha- uh-" Andromeda stuttered. "I mean, good and good..."
"Don't lie." It felt like Sylvia was looking straight at Andromeda's soul. "I have that class with you. You always seem to know what you are doing."
"I guess."
Sylvia seemed quite frustrated with Andromeda's self-consciousness.
"Could you tutor me?"
"Sylvia!" Henry exclaimed. Everyone knows that just because Ravenclaws are known being smart, does not mean that they are smartest in all of their classes. And even though Slytherins and Ravenclaw can sometimes get along...
Admitting for a Slytherin that she could be smarter than a Ravenclaw... it's like admitting defeat to someone who loves to brag.
At first, Andromeda thought that it was a joke. She was waiting for the punch line. A laugh. Anything.
But nothing came after.
"Okay." She breathed out. Ted smiled proudly.
Sylvia seemed to understand more than ever in Astronomy then ever before. They had both decided to meet that Thursday in the back of the library. Andromeda had first tried to figure out what (and why) Sylvia does not understand, and went from there. She showed her techniques of how she remembered the stars and moons.
After two more tutoring days, Sylvia was so excited that she finally understood, so she gave Andromeda a big hug. Sylvia was clever enough to figure out that Andromeda is not as bad as everyone made it seem.
"Thank you so much!" Sylvia exclaimed. "You are not as bad as my little sister thinks." She giggled.
"You have a little sister...?" Andromeda asked.
"Yes, Susie." Sylvia answered. "I think that she was one of the people that started the rumor. The second years will believe in everything." Sylvia glanced at her, who looked deep in thought. "I'm sorry..."
Andromeda looked up and back at her. "Hey, not your fault."
Sylvia agreed and stood up. "Is it alright if we meet maybe once a week? I could help you with anything that you would like."
Andromeda was about to refuse until Sylvia said: "I am good with Charms, Herbology, History..."
"...Herbology?" Andromeda asked. "You are good in Herbology?"
"Yes!" Sylvia cheered, happy to be better at something than her (without telling it, of course). "Do you need help in that?"
"Yes...!" Andromeda smiled now. Not only there was a benefit from help others to make friends, but also get help in the classes that she is also struggling in!
And after that, there was a tutoring time every Thursday, in the back of the library.
Andromeda would help with the weekly chapters of Astronomy for Sylvia, as Sylvia helped her give thoughtful instruction for what to do in the coming Herbology class.
At least it was not used for snogging, Madam Pince thought.
It even happened so that every other week, Sylvia would even bring Susie with her, and both her and Andromeda would help her with History of Magic.
Susie, at that moment, started to look up at Andromeda, and told her friends that Narcissa's other sister was not so bad (and couldn't possibly (maybe) be squib).
Professor Slughorn had noticed how Mr. Edward Tonks was struggling with her potion, and had asked Miss Andromeda Black to help him. He knew that she was clever enough to help out both of them, and luckily, she was not a complainer.
"You are making friends!" Ted said, looking shocked in a mocking manner.
"Shut up." She said, but smiling. "Hey, at least start the fire under your cauldron.
Ted blushed, seeing he had not even started on the biggest basic step of making a potion. He pointed his wand and started a tiny fire.
"Let me guess, your homework for today was done last minute?" Andromeda asked.
"Well, it feels like I am wasting time if I do it earlier - I could work on it for hours and it will still be done the same."
He picked up a red looking root, and Andromeda took it out of his hands and handed him the green one instead. Ted glared at the instructions to follow (for once) and broke the root to peices and threw it into the cauldron.
"How about we tutor together?" Andromeda asked. "We could be doing study groups in the library."
Ted looked up at her. Then he smiled as if he was amused.
"What?" Andromeda asked.
"I just have not seen you like this before."
"Like what?"
"Just...happy." Ted said. "As if..." he did not want it to sound offensive. "...As if you are happier than usual."
Andromeda could not help but to agree. She changed the subject (back to the school subject, that is) and made sure to help out at the spot the best way she could. Although she could not help but to think what he said.
Happier than usual.
Well, when did she ever look happy? She knew that Ted made it sure to sound as if he did not think that she was never happy...
She shook her head, and looked down at the instructions.
"Ted!" She glared at him, who was reading her potions book.
"Why do you have another book for potions?" He asked. "This one is not even for our year."
Andromeda grabbed the book back, and opened his own book for him. "Focus!"
Andromeda was on a roll with helping people. There was this thought in the back of her head that the only reason she has now friends was because she was helping them with their schoolwork and homework, but that doubt disappeared when they helped her the same much with her own homework, and even had conversations with them that had not have to do with school in general.
She and Sylvia and Susie would talk about girly stuff (what style of clothing they like, funny stories about social gatherings, and all the beasts and magical creatures they thought were cute.)
With her and Ted, they would talk about that and more. Andromeda learned that Ted actually likes Quidditch (which she was told that mudbloods don't know how to fly a broom) and talked about other things that they like to do in their free time. Ted learned how much Andromeda likes magical creatures and wants to one day have a job to take care of them.
"…You like magical creatures but you are not good in Herbology?" Asked Amos Diggory. Sylvia and Susie were not going to make it that day, and Ted had decided to ask his two friends to study with Andromeda. They were working on their Astronomy, as Andromeda worked in History (which she had no problem in).
Madam Pince walked by, to see that she did not have to shush them (and she had to do that a lot to this study group.)
"Of course not!" Andromeda anwsered, whispering quietly. "You see, Herbology is-"
She didn't finish, for she felt someone's eyes staring at her, other than Madam Pince, who had left. They all looked over and saw Molly Prewett standing there, flustered.
"I...I heard that you are good a Divination." She said, still staring at Andromeda.
"Yes?" She was unsure what to anwser.
Molly went over to the table, and sat across from her. Ted and the others just stared in confusion.
"Could you please help me with just this one thing...?"
"Are you not two years higher than me?" Andromeda asked.
Molly looked at her, with a smile on her lips, and a dangerous look in her eyes. "Don't deny, Andromeda. I know you have read ahead for over some years. And since you are better than I was in my fifth year-" Molly opened her book and took out her wand. "- I figured that you can probably help me out...Please?"
"Doesn't Arthur normally help you?" Ted asked, getting Molly's attention. "Where is he at?"
Molly sighed. Obviously there was a bump that the Hogwarts sweethearts were dealing with.
"...He is right now really busy with Quidditch. He says that he is bound to kick the Slytherins' butt... No offence." She apologetically looked at Andromeda.
"None taken." She said casually. She has heard worse.
"Your Team had just gotten a new Beater. Malfoy." Said Molly while trying to find the right chapter in the book. "Nasty little prat. Obviously doesn't know anything than to wave around a stick and poke people with it."
It could not be helped, but you could see the corner of Andromeda's lips curl upward. Malfoys were known to be one of the biggest stuck-ups of pureblood families.
About an hour later, Molly had learned the technique that was too complicated for her. Andromeda was standing and walking back and forth, giving Molly a quiz about the order of the instructions.
Ted's friends had already left, but Ted himself could not help but to stay and watch how Andromeda flawlessly taught Molly a seventh-level technique. He smiled at how her expression looked serious of speaking, and how Molly's expression turned into a full glee of finally understanding. Andromeda did know how to make friends - she just needed a small push.
And Ted was happy that he was the one that gave her that push... and also Sylvia for asking for help, but whatever. Ted wanted the credit.
Andromeda had to patrol with Linda again. And it was in the same day as the Gryffindors had beat the Slytherins in Quidditch. Prewett was right to call Lucius Malfoy a prat; the thirteen year old, blonde snob had every single tempt to annoy the crap out of Weasley. As the Gryffindor Seeker caught the Snitch, whole Hogwarts (except Slytherins) were celebrating.
That was the reason why she had no problem to leave her common room. Everyone were depressed anyway.
She made sure to make it earlier than Linda this time, she did not want to scare her again.
Linda noticed her. She put her head down and slowly walked over to her.
When Andromeda saw Linda (and how she had her head down) she started to think how it was impossible to become her friend. Probably from that point on, they would silently patrol together, and Linda would later on then run back to her room, away from her, and start judging her for every single creepy thing she would do...
But, to her surprise, Linda slowly looked up at her, and gave her a tiny smile.
"Hi." She said.
"Hi. Ready to patrol?"
They started to walk together. None of them said anything for about five minutes.
Then Linda started talking. "I...I am sorry for being scared of you..." She whispered, biting her lower lip.
Andromeda could not help but to listen to her words. "You mean... you are still scared of me?"
"...No?" She lied.
Andromeda was about to roll her eyes, but she could not help but to admire Linda's bravery to even talk to her. She told her just that, and Linda could not help but blush out of flattery.
She did not have to ask her why she was scared. It made absolute sense. People like Andromeda normally beat down people like Linda.
People like Andromeda normally beat down people like Andromeda.
"But I will try to get better!" Linda exclaimed. "Just like Ted told me to do."
Andromeda got curious. "Ted told you to become my friend?" Something about it sounds unflattering.
"Not really." She understood how Andromeda could take it wrong. "More like, I should give you a chance."
Andromeda could imagine Ted talking to Linda about Andromeda, and about how he thinks how nice she is... the thought could not help her but blush.
"Well, go right ahead!" She encouraged Linda. "Talk away!"
It went maybe more than one conversation, but Linda finally stopped being shy around Andromeda. Linda was more on the girly side than any of the other girlfriends her had made, but it wasn't anything Andromeda would have complained about anyway.
Friends. Andromeda finally had friends. And not just her roommates (who she did not always consider friends) but friends from different houses. The others have slowly started to trust her more and more and see that she is not as bad as her older sister. Julie, the prefect from Gryffindor, was still rude with her, but she did not have to matter since Julie was scared of Molly Prewett - who now she counts as a friend. Even Arthur Weasley and her have a fun time talking every once in a while (Arthur showed Andromeda some spells that he sometimes uses as pranks).
And Ted. The kind, sweet, dorky, wonderful Ted. Ted, who became her friend, no questions asked.
Andromeda had (secretly) all her new friends dear in her heart. And Ted definitely was one of the special ones.
Hope you liked it!
I really am trying to keep OCs as minimum as possible. Linda gilsey, Sylvia and Susie and also Eliza are made up characters. But it is so hard! I tried to researsch as much as possible about HP characters that already exist in this world, but at the same time, those characters has to be about the right age, and I just can't put EVERYONE on the same timeline! It is going to make the HP world not sound so big...
But I really liked how I made some characters in this story. I feel like Molly reminds me a little of Hermione (wink wink). And I feel like Draco definately got his cry-baby mode from Narcissa!
And as for Malfoy and Weasley's relationship; it is crazy, when I reasearched to find all of the character's age difference, I expected that either Lucius and Arthur have a very small one, or so big of a age differece that they did not go to Hogwarts together! So I feel like this story just makes it parfect of how much Lucius annoyed Arthur as a child. Hey, no wonder Arthur attacked Lucius in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. A man can only hold himself away for so long!
Anyways, the next one is going to be a Christmas/Valentines fanfic. I honestly hate Valetnines Day in real life, but I do like reading fanicfictions about Valentie's Day. And hopefully more will read about it ;-)
Please review!