"I hate Christmas!", hissed Bellatrix Lestrange, as she stormed along the footpath toward 12 Grimmauld Place, trying in vain to shield her face from the icy chill in the air, "And it doesn't help that bloody Walburga insists on all these ridiculous protective charms, I mean we can't even floo in!"
"Stop being so melodramatic Bella! It's not that bad", replied Andromeda Black as she adjusted the weight of the heavy Christmas parcels in her arms, "remember we're doing this for mother, it's what she would have wanted, so do try to at least to pretend like you're having fun."
Bellatrix huffed in response, "Yes, yes fine", whilst her words were intended to be reassuring, Andromeda could tell otherwise and she eyed her elder sister for a moment more before deciding that it was useless to press the topic further. Whilst Bellatrix had always been stubborn, of late she had been more moody that ever and Andromeda did not feel at all up to dealing with the wrath that would come from another of Bella's dramatic mood swings, so the sister's walked in silence for a further few minutes until rounding the corner into Grimmauld Place.
"Should be round here somewhere", muttered Andromeda as she paused to scan the house fronts.
"There", replied Bellatrix, pointing to a house in the distance that looked strangely out of place, amongst the other neat muggle terraces that lined the street.
Andromeda sighted the house almost immediately, its scratchy paintwork and dark gothic awnings starkly contrasted the prim and simple brick structures which surrounded it. Gathering her bags and parcels, Andromeda walked briskly after Bella who was already half way down the street lugging her bags carelessly behind her. Andromeda sighed, whilst she was definitely no despiser of the holiday season like Bella claimed to be, she certainly couldn't find any excitement in the idea of spending a week with her Black Family relatives. Though she loved her family very much, she knew that she would have much preferred to spend Christmas with her boyfriend, Ted Tonks in Holland as he had offered, rather than being cooped up listening to Aunt Waburga's latest rant on pureblood supremacy. But the very notion of the Black Family allowing one of there own to fraternise with a mudblood, let alone spend Christmas with them was unheard of. Luckily for Andromeda thus far her relationship with Ted had remained unknown to her family, though Andromeda was growing increasingly uneasy about the reaction she would receive when her secret was finally revealed.
Raindrops began to fall, and Andromeda felt a shiver run down her spine as the bitter wind and rain braised her cheek. 'I'm doing it for mother', she told herself, as she soldiered on through the frosty air, memories of her mother's last request to promise to keep the family together after her passing, came flooding to Andromeda's thoughts, and Andromeda pushed them back determined not to think about it, knowing that the images of her sick mother would only make her cry. Reaching the front steps of 12 Grimmauld Place, Andromeda carefully checked the street for any muggles before steeping onto the magically concealed stairs, trying hopelessly to haul her luggage behind her.
Bellatrix made no attempt to help her struggling sister, instead she rapped ferociously on the door, "Bloody woman has gone and magically locked the doors! It's bloody freezing out here, did she not realise we were coming!?"
Andromeda rolled her eyes, she had been with Bella for a mere two hours and she was already beginning to drive her nuts.
The creaks and clangs of keys and locks could be heard behind the heavy wooden door, and Bella stood back waiting patiently, for the door to fly open. As if on queue, the last lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing the long and dingy hallway of 12 Grimmauld Place. A small boy of no more than ten greeted them, a large smile was etched upon his pale features and he stood back to let Bella pass.
"Hi Bella", smiled Regulus, as Bellatrix shuffled past him muttering some meagre attempt at a Merry Christmas.
Regulus seemed undeterred by Bellatrix's lack of enthusiasm, instead rounding on his other cousin.
"Afternoon Dromeda! Here, do you want help with them?"
"Yes thanks Regulus", replied Andromeda gratefully, as she passed Regulus some of the Christmas parcels,
"Oh which ones for me!" shrieked Regulus excitedly as he scanned the tags on the parcels looking eagerly for his name.
Andromeda ignored her young cousin, instead heaving her luggage up the front steps. Regulus closed the door behind Andromeda, and led her down the long hallway to the lounge room where a large fig tree was the centre piece of the oak décor.
Regulus chatted excitedly as he arranged Andromeda's Christmas parcels under the tree, checking subtly for his name as he did so. "Oh this one is for Sirus, look how small it is, I hope mines bigger!"
Andromeda chuckled to herself, remembering back to when she was young and she, Bella and Cissy would spend hours gazing at the Christmas tree, longing for the day to come. Now of course they were older, and they were each to busy with their own separate lives to spend time fantasising over silly childish dreams.
The door slammed behind them, and Andromeda swung round immediately to see her Aunt Walburga standing pointedly in the door way, her once long luscious hair was now littered with stray greys and her eyes were glaring vividly at her young son, "Regulus I thought I told you to stay away from the tree! I swear if I see you here again I will magic all your gifts into coal!"
"I'm just helping Andromeda!" insisted the boy as he stood back from the tree, staring pleadingly at his cousin.
"Yes he was just helping me bring my parcels in", replied Andromeda, and though her voice was quite steady Andromeda felt slightly intimidated by her aunt's heated manner.
"Yes well the parcels are now inside, and Andromeda doesn't need your help arranging them, she can use her wand for that", replied Walburga as she ushered her young son out of the room, insisting that he return to cleaning his bedroom.
Walburga clicked her tounge at her son once more before turning her attention back to Andromeda, "Afternoon Andromeda, I trust you did not have too much trouble taking the knightbus?"
"No, all was fine aunty. Though the driver could not find the house obviously, so he dropped us round the corner",
"Concealment charms are doing there job then", smiled Aunt Walburga as she turned on her heel to face the door way once again, "Is Bellatrix with you?"
"Yes, I think she took her luggage upstairs", replied Andromeda, as she searched through her bag for her wand,
Walburga nodded, "Very well, well dinner is at six, I'll see you in the dining room then, do make sure you tell Bellatrix", and with that the older woman walked from the room shrieking insults at a portriat singing Christmas carols as she went.
Andromeda stared after her aunt, and drew her wand from the front pocket of her bag, feeling somewhat ashamed of not thinking of using it earlier. The past week she had spent with Ted and his parents at there family home had left her feeling slightly foreign about the concept of magic, as she had only used it when she really needed to out of respect for Ted's muggle parents, who still felt uneasy toward magic.
After magically placing the gifts below the tree, Andromeda retreated to the stairs in the middle of the hallway where she collected her suitcase, and charmed it to fly to the room she and Cissy always occupied each time they came. Andromeda climbed the staircase slowly noting that once again her aunt had gone to the trouble of decorating the heads of the past houselves, so that they now adorned little Santa hats.
Andromeda followed her suitcase into the bedroom at the top of the stairs. It was currently empty, but the open bag and school trunk at the foot of the closest bed told her that Uncle Orion had already picked up Cissy and Sirius from the station.
Andromeda shuffled her luggage to the other side of the room, and left to search for Cissy and Bella. It did not take her long to locate Cissy, the shrieks of delight from the sitting room at the other end of the hallway alerted Cissy's presence immediately and Andromeda walked briskly toward the door.
"Andromeda!"
Andromeda had barely put one foot inside the door before Cissy had lunged at her, squeezing her tightly and profusely exclaiming how much she had missed her.
Sirius sat on the other side of the room, grinning form ear to ear, whilst Bella sat alone in the corner pretending to be intently interested in the latest edition of Witch Weekly.
"When did you two arrive?" inquired Andromeda as she took a seat next to Sirius,
"Dad picked us up about three hours ago", replied Sirius
"Yes we have been ever so bored", piped Narcissa as she spread herself over the love seat by the fireplace, "There is nothing to do. Aunt Walburga won't even let us play exploding snap because she says we'll wake Uncle Alphard."
Andromeda couldn't help but grin at Narcissa's dramatic manner, it had three months since she had last seen her sister, and yet the girl hadn't changed in the slightest.
"So then what have you been doing?", smiled Andromeda
"Oh! Well Sirius was just telling me about some awful trick he and his Gryffindor mates played on the snivelling little Severus Snape, remember him Dromeda? He's that one I told you about last year that never speaks to anyone except that little mudblood girl from Gryffindor. He's a strange kid, Lucius has tried to talk to him and help him make friends with the other Slytherin's his age but he refuses to open up. Personally I have no idea why the little git is in Slytherin; in my opinion he should have been a Hufflepuffer."
"No he's a worthy Slytherin", chimed Sirius, "evil as hell he is."
Narcissa opened her mouth to rebut but Andromeda raised her eye warily, "Perhaps we should talk about something else."
Narcissa glared intently at Sirius before changing the subject to her new necklace that her boyfriend Lucius Malfoy had bought her as an early Christmas gift.
"It's a real ruby, Dromeda! Gosh Lucius really is sweet, he wanted me to spend Christmas with him and his family at Malfoy Manor, but I told him I couldn't you know since this is the first Christmas without mother", Narcissa's voice choked slightly at the mention of her mother but she continued on, "His family own a villa in Tuscany, would you believe it!? I wish our family owned a home in some exotic location. Imagine if we owned a mansion in France, we could spend Christmas there instead of being cooped up here in this hell hole."
"Yeah I would have rather spent Christmas at Hogwarts with Remus than be stuck here with you lot", teased Sirius, and Narcissa gave her younger cousin a wary look before deciding that there was no point arguing with him about his terrible choice in friends.
"When is Rodolphus arriving?" asked Andromeda, trying desperately to detract the topic of conversation away from Hogwarts. Though Sirius was now in his second year, the issue of his Gryffindor placement was still a very sensitive topic, and whilst most of the family seemed somewhat ashamed of Sirius's failure to achieve Slytherin status, Sirius instead relished in the idea of being different from his family, often even promoting his Gryffindor position through purposely wearing red and gold clothing, or mentioning the Gryffindor values of courage, nerve and chivalry, whenever possible.
"Tomorrow morning", replied Bella, barely taking her eyes off her magazine,
"Oh great don't tell me that Lestrange twit is coming for Christmas as well", growned Sirius, and Andromeda couldn't help but giggle at the memory of last Christmas night when Sirius had attempted to sneak off with Bella's new broom, and Rodolphus had almost singed the boys hair, thinking he was an intruder.
"Yes that Lestrange twit is coming", replied Bella rather disdainfully, as she turned the page of her magazine, "And perhaps it'll do you well to remember that he is my husband who is far more advanced at magic than you and therefore deserves your utmost respect."
Sirius rolled his eyes at his eldest cousin, and Andromeda ruffled his hair playfully, "Bella is right Sirius", whispered Andromeda affectionately, "Rodolphus could curse you into oblivion if you gave him the chance."
"Wish he would", mocked Narcissa as she sat upright on the loveseat, moving toward the fireplace to warm her hands,
"Come on Cissy", replied Andromeda, "Lets not fight this year, just for once."
"I'll try but I'm not making any promises", insisted Narcissa, "If he starts bad mouthing Lucius again I really will ask Rodolphus to curse him."
"I'm sure he would happily oblige", laughed Bella as she threw her magazine on the ground, ignoring the look Andromeda was giving her, "Oh don't worry Dromeda I'm only teasing. But honestly Sirius if you try anything stupid I will personally make sure you suffer the consequence."
Sirius eyed his eldest cousin warily before sinking slightly back in his chair.
"When's father arriving?" asked Narcissa as she rotated her fingers by the flames in the fireplace, seemingly unaware of Sirius's discomfort at Bella's threat,
"Don't know haven't spoken to him for at least a week", replied Bella as she readjusted her gaze from her younger cousin and toward her sister, "Dromeda do you know?"
"He said something about tomorrow at lunch time, but I'm not quite sure", answered Andromeda, "he's been distant lately",
"He's always been distant", insisted Bella, "I don't know how you stand to live in that house with just him!"
"He needs company, Bella, and since you are to busy with Rodolphus and your work, and Cissy is still at school, I'm the only one there is."
Bellatrix considered this for a moment before adding, "Yes but still, don't you ever get lonely being cooped up there with only father for company? I mean really Andromeda it's about time you moved out and got a place of your own, half the pureblood girls your age are already married or at least engaged and you're still living at home with your senile father. If its company he needs we'll get him a housekeeper, there are always the house elves there to look out for him anyway."
"Don't call father senile! And house elves for company, really Bella!", Andromeda glared at her elder sister for a moment before continuing, "and besides it's not like I don't have a life of my own, I spent the past week in Rushmoor with a friend and his family".
"A boy!? You spent a week in Rushmoor with a boy!?" Narcissa jumped up from her place on the ground by the fire and stared at her older sister with excitement, "Who is he?"
"None of your business", replied Andromeda, thoroughly regretting ever mentioning it,
"Well let's see, who do we know that lives in Rushmoor?" considered Narcissa aloud for a moment, as she playfully pranced around the fireplace,
"No one", cut in Bellatrix as she eyed her younger sister suspiciously, "we know nobody that lives in Rushmoor."
"I do", smiled Sirius, "a Ravenclaw muggle born in my year called Gregory Kraus lives in Rushmoor, he reckons he's the only wizard in the area."
Narcissa stopped in her tracks and looked at Andromeda in disgust, "Don't tell me you've been shacking up with some muggle and his family, Dromeda!"
"Hold your tongue, Cissy", hissed Bellatrix as she pushed herself up in her seat, "I'm sure Andromeda has a perfectly good explanation for this", she raised her eye at Andromeda menacingly as if daring her to answer,
Andromeda bit her tongue, trying helplessly to think of some excuse but all she managed was a meagre sigh.
Bellatrix stared at Andromeda for a moment more before insisting that Cissy and Sirius go wash up for dinner.
"But, why? It's only five thirty", complained Sirius as he rose unwillingly in his seat,
"Because I said so", persisted Bellatrix as she made a threatening move for her wand,
"Really Bella, Sirius is right; Kreacher won't serve dinner for another half hour", insisted Cissy as she flopped gracefully back on the floor beside the fire,
"I don't care Narcissa, I told you to leave, so leave!"
"What's gotten into you!? Why are you so bossy all of a sudden? Besides, you can't tell me what to do! I can do magic outside of school now as well, you know!"
"Cissy move it, I'm not kidding, and you to Sirius, or I really will curse the two of you!"
"It's my house not yours", replied Sirius defiantly as he too settled himself back in his chair,
"Here's my final warning, go now or I'll curse the two of you so bad that you'll wish Rodolphus had cursed you instead."
Narcissa, recognising the seriousness of her elder sister's tone, groaned dramatically before rising from the floor once again and tempting Sirius from the room with a chocolate frog. Before closing the door however, she paused and eyed her two sisters warily; giving Bella a look which clearly suggested that she was not all pleased with her abrupt change in manner.
"Bella you shouldn't use curses as a threat, remember what mother used to say?", replied Andromeda as she to made an attempt to leave the room, she knew Bellatrix had told the others to leave so that she could enquire further as to her trip to Rushmoor, and Andromeda shivered slightly at the thought of Bella's reaction if she were to find out about Ted Tonks.
"Yeah well mother isn't here anymore is she?" hissed Bella as she to made a move to stand, cutting Andromeda's path to the door, "Sit Dromeda, we need to talk."
"I'd prefer not, Bella", insisted Andromeda as she tried in vain to pass her elder sister, but Bellatrix blocked the door with a bookcase, with just one flick of her wand, and pointed forcefully toward the chairs in the corner, "Take a seat, Andromeda".
Andromeda glared at her elder sister, before walking to the corner and placing herself in one of the antique armchairs. Bella followed in her sister's wake and waited till they had both settled in their chairs before she spoke;
"You need to end it Dromeda; it has gone on long enough."
"What?" asked Andromeda, trying desperately not to seem suprised by her sister's correct assumption,
"Rushmoor, it doesn't take a genius to work it out Andromeda! Tonks, that mudblood boy you went with in seventh year, he was from there I remember you saying."
Andromeda bit her lip and stared hesitantly at Bellatrix, was there really any point in denying it?
"End it Dromeda; you've had your fun."
Andromeda stared, her mouth awide, unsure exactly of what to say, "I...umm...I. It's not that easy Bella."
Bellatrix raised her eyebrow and scanned her younger sister forebodingly, "And why not, Dromeda?"
"Because... I ... Bella... I", Andromeda paused, realising that no excuse would ever suffice for her sister.
Bellatrix glared for a moment before sighing loudly and nestling back in her seat, her gaze now drifting to the crackling fireplace, "Love isn't a reason, Dromeda. No one is going to accept that. Black's are pureblood's, we marry only purebloods and that is how it works. Don't try and protest it, it will only end in disaster."
Andromeda stared at her sister, slightly astonished at her thoughtful reaction.
"End it Andromeda; do I have your word on that? If not for me, then do it for Mother and Cissy. Mother requested that the two of us keep this family together, and you running off with some mudblood isn't exactly honouring that request now, is it?" Bellatrix raised her eyebrows once more as if daring her sister to refute this, but Andromeda only nodded weakly,
"You're right Bella, I know but it's not as ..."
"End it Andromeda", interrupted Bella, as she rose from her seat, "I will keep your secret for now, but no more excuses", and with that Bellatrix walked briskly from the room, shifting the bookcase with her wand and slamming the door behind her