Disclaimer: I do not own any aspects of Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form. Do you think Sirius Black would have died if I did?!

Written for Round 3 of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition as Chaser 3 of the Chudley Cannons.

CHASER 3: Write about something related to your team name (Chudley Cannons). With a word count limit. (2252-2500)

Prompts:

3.(dialogue) "Sometimes I really dislike you."

8.(colour) lilac

15.(word) cosmos

The rest of the Challenges and Competitions are written at the bottom.

Word Count: 2318

Andromeda slumped against her chair as she placed the silverware in her hand down onto the plate, making sure to lighten her touch so that the noise wouldn't disturb everyone else.

With her dinner done but no formal permission given to be excused, Andromeda was left with a choice to either: stare into the distance and block out the rest of the world, make small talk with her cousins and be forced to endure their prejudice, or ask for permission to leave. All three had a high possibility to end badly.

Andromeda sighed, then tensed. Her eyes darted towards her mother instinctively. Sighing was 'not proper of a daughter of the Noble and Most Honorable House of Black', according to Druella Black.

Druella, luckily for Andromeda, was quietly conversing with Walburga and had paid no notice to Andromeda's small lapse of manners.

Her mother took a bite of her pumpkin pudding. It was obvious from the way her face remained impassive, and from the curve of a frown that was starting to form on her pale face, that eating the pudding was only to stop the conversation without seeming impolite.

Druella turned to Andromeda. She realized too late how she must look, slumped onto the chair staring absently at everything. "Mother—"

Druella's eyes flickered from Andromeda to the fork and knife on the gleaming plate lying on the table. Druella remained impassive as she took the cutlery from the plate, placing it on the napkin beside the plate with a stiff coldness. "Mind your manners, Andromeda. Do not shame us in front of your aunt and uncle."

Andromeda lowered her gaze. "Yes, Mother."

"And sit straight. Bad posture does not fit a daughter of the Noble and Most Honorable House of Black. Do you see Narcissa sitting like that? Or Regulus? Remember your place, Andromeda. Set a good example for the younger ones, even if they don't need it as much as you do."

"Yes, Mother." The room slipped into silence as everyone picked at their food and avoided Andromeda's gaze.

Her father, sensing the heavy atmosphere, swallowed his mouthful and casually started another topic. "Walburga, I'm sure you have heard from your sons about the Mckinnon's disgrace, correct?"

"Actually, I have not," Walburga answered as she shot a pointed glare towards her youngest son. Sirius hadn't bothered to show up, and nobody seemed to care about it except for Andromeda, who longed for someone to talk to that didn't have the same proper Pureblood standards as everyone else.

"The eldest of the McKinnon, Mar-something or another—"

"I think you're talking about Margaret, Father." Cygnus gave Bellatrix an approving nod which made her smile. She turned to Andromeda, onyx eyes glinting with a dark satisfaction.

"Yes, thank you, Bella. As I as saying, Margaret left her family for a mudblood, and she took half of the McKinnon fortune with her."

Walburga shook her head, a sneer twisting her lips. "How pitiful. I told Maria to keep an eye on her daughters, it serves her right for not listening. Maybe the younger one, Marlene, will take the rest of the McKinnon fortune and leave with another filthy mudblood too."

"Did someone mention Marly?" an unmistakable voice asked loudly. Sirius made his way in and sat down on the closest chair, which happened to be the one beside Andromeda's.

Walburga's lips curled. "You're late," she snapped, all satisfaction from hearing the McKinnon's misfortune gone the moment her eyes caught sight of her messy-haired son.

"James wanted me to help him with his charms homework," Sirius said through a mouthful of pastry as he proceeded to stuff his mouth with whatever he could reach. He ignored his mother's furious glower and his father's scrutinizing gaze. "Anyway, what were you—" Sirius swallowed his mouthful. "—saying about Marlene?"

Bellatrix seized her chance and smiled the renowned Black smile, the one that spoke of insanity that had been formed after generations of inbreeding. "We were just speaking of how 'Marly' will end up like her blood traitor sister, who destroyed both the McKinnon's standing and their fortune."

Andromeda could see Sirius' hands clench into fists as he forced himself to calm down.

"Enough about the McKinnons," Andromeda's father, Cygnus, said, changing the subject to diffuse the situation he could see arising. "Narcissa, I heard you and that Malfoy boy have been getting along, tell us."

Andromeda's eyebrows furrowed as she froze in her seat. As the conversation continued, it spun towards a much more malicious, dark edge. She squirmed in her seat, avoiding everyone's eyes, as to not catch any attention.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "I'd like to be excused."

Andromeda sped through the winding corridors of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, the dreaded mansion that she wished she'd never stepped foot in.

"I know. It's awful," Sirius said from behind Andromeda, making her jump.

She sighed. "This place or our family?"

Sirius gave her a crooked grin. He leaned against the portrait of their great, great, grandfather on the wall, crossing his arms so that his elbows covered the portrait's pudgy, overbearing face, effectively muting it. "Both, obviously."

Andromeda chuckled grimly. "We Blacks are all born into a cage. A gilded cage, but still a cage no matter how fiercely everyone else tells us it isn't."

"Cage?" Sirius repeated. He quirked his eyebrows, teasingly copying her humorless laugh. "Andy, please. This isn't a cage—it's a metal vice. Even if we can escape it, our . . ." Sirius' face contorted in disgust. "—mothers still stand around us like hawks ready to strike."

Andromeda snorted. "Hawks with knives for talons and arrows for beaks maybe."

Sirius seemed to pause, contemplating her words quietly. "Weapons. We're all just weapons. I — "

"Sirius Orion Black! You filthy waste of a Black! You disgrace our most Noble and Ancient House!"

Andromeda frowned, internally forcing her hands to not spring up to plug her ears. Walburga Black's voice had risen to such a high pitch that Andromeda could no longer understand her. The shrill screech ripped at her ears. It was worse than the time Bellatrix had cast a Caterwauling Charm on Andromeda's room.

"That would be my darling mother. I'd better go, Andy. See you around."

Andromeda stared at her cousin as he sauntered down the corridor, towards the shrill screeches of what was sure to be a furious Walburga Black. "See you around, Sirius."

Sirius disappeared behind a towering vase sitting on a marble pedestal at the end of the hall. A few seconds later, a vibrant orange hex flew into the vase, shattering it into millions of porcelain pieces.

"And good luck," she whispered quietly.

The ancient Roman warriors believed themselves to be the best in the entire cosmos, and, at that time, they weren't wrong. The Roman Empire had the strongest army known to man, and even more powerful leaders, such as Julius Caesar. Many wars were waged during the time of the Romans. Some weapons used by the Romans included: swords, spears, crossbows, nets, tridents, and knives.

"Andy, what are you reading?" Narcissa asked, leaning over and gently pulling the book out of Andromeda's grasp. She did nothing to resist, and Narcissa easily took the book.

"Ancient Rome, Religion and Military?" Narcissa tilted her head, a questioning look starting to form on her pale features. "Isn't this a muggle book?"

"Yes," Andromeda said slowly as she reached out a hand for her book. Narcissa complied, dropping it into her hand. "Why would you want to read about muggles?"

"It's interesting, Cissy. Nothing like what Mother and Father taught us; you'll learn in Muggle Studies." Andromeda opened the book again, flipping through the pages until she reached where she'd left off.

"Bellatrix says Muggles are below us. She says learning about them is a waste of time."

Andromeda sighed. "You'll understand one day, Cissy." She lowered her head and continued reading. She could hear someone call for Narcissa, and a moment later, she left.

Narcissa was like a sword being forged—anyone can tamper her and change her forever. Hopefully, she is sharp enough to defend herself.

Andromeda read through her charms work, checking for mistakes before she handed the assignment in. The Slytherin common room was chaotic; booming with high-pitched voices and loud cheers. From what she remembered Sirius saying, the Slytherin common room now rivaled the noise made in the Gryffindor common room.

Then again, the Slytherin Quidditch team had just beaten Ravenclaw during the Quidditch match. Andromeda couldn't blame everyone for being so happy.

At the center of all the attention, was Bellatrix, a pleased gleam in her eyes and the trademark Black family smirk on her lips. Everyone had deemed Slytherin's win as the eldest Blacks sister's doing since she had scored over half of the goals.

The other members of the Slytherin quidditch team stood outside of the circle of adoring fans, almost completely forgotten. Most stared at Bellatrix with a mixture of resentment and rage.

Andromeda could tell Bellatrix noticed her teammates' piercing glares boring into her back, for the black-haired Pureblood's smirk twisted into something much darker and more malicious.

Andromeda shook her head softly, knowing full well what was in store for those unsuspecting of it.

If Narcissa is like an unforged sword, Bellatrix is a lashing whip, powerful and brutal, forcing everyone into submission no matter how hard they try to resist.

Andromeda envied her cousin's good fortune. Somehow, despite all the trouble he had to bear at home with his mother and father, Sirius still managed to trade witty quips and playful jokes with whoever happened to be around — in this case, it was the very topic of discussion at the last Black family reunion, Marlene McKinnon.

"Quidditch this! Quidditch that! Is that all you can think about?"

"Of course not. There are all those pretty girls just begging for my attention."

"Pfft. Sometimes I really dislike you."

"Is 'dislike' your new way of saying you love me? If so, I dislike you too."

"All those bludgers have really gotten to your head, Black."

"Or maybe it's just because you're so beautiful, I got mesmerized in your eyes."

"Try that line on someone else, Black."

"Sirius."

"Black."

"Lovely, you know my name."

A sword, fresh and whole and untouched, whose future is dependant on its owner, a whip that lashes without thought and thrives from the pain it inflicts, and now . . . a quiver of arrows, guided by its bow, ready to strike at a moments notice.

"How can they all do this so easily?" Andromeda threw her hands up in the air, stepping away from the potted plant in front of her as she plant seemed to hiss in satisfaction, snapping the air with its fangs. The large petals surrounding the fangs of the plant were a vivid shade of lilac, almost violet at a certain angle.

A few feet away, one of the Hufflepuffs grinned and stood up. He made his way over and Andromeda squinted her eyes at him. He seemed familiar, she just didn't know where from.

"Its really simple, just act like you're playing with a puppy," said the Hufflepuff, moving towards the snarling plant and gently stroking its head. The plant shook softly, almost like it was purring happily. It's dark-hued petals grew smaller as it closed up. Finally, the plant shook one last time and retreated back under the soil.

Andromeda blinked. She chose to ignore the plant, instead focusing on the Hufflepuff. "And you are?"

The Hufflepuff grinned, his eyes lighting up as he straightened to his full height, which just so happened to tower over her. "I—" he paused and took out his wand from his robe. Shaking it a few times, every few seconds casting a glance back at her, he finally appeared satisfied.

"I—" The Hufflepuff lifted his wand into the air, and with each of his words, a small series of sparks exploded from the tip of his wand, fizzing brightly in the air for a few seconds before fading. "—am Ted. Ted Tonks."

"It's . . ." Andromeda paused in search for the right word. " . . . a pleasure to meet you, Ted."

Ted stared at her expectantly, an amused gleam in his eyes as he tilted his head ever so slightly. Andromeda frowned, a hand flying to her face. "Is there something on my face?

Ted laughed, a booming, wild sound that drew all eyes onto them. "Silly," he admonished with a teasing grin, wagging a finger in her face as he winked. "I meant your name."

Andromeda could feel her face flush as realization dawned on her. "Oh."

"Nice to meet you too, Oh."

"What, no! I- I'm Andromeda. Andromeda Black."

"Ah. Andromeda Andromeda Black. Such a lengthy name for such a beautiful girl."

Andromeda stared blankly at Ted, unsure what to do or say. Before she could decide whether she should snap at him or politely excuse herself, the Herbology professor returned.

"Ahem. Mr. Tonks, please return to your seat and let Ms. Black continue with her work."

I'm sick of weapons that are controlled. Swords are too easily swayed, whips will twist your actions to their advantage, arrows fly only one way, refusing to look another direction. I need something wild. Fiery. Something not controlled by anyone or anything, except for themselves. I need a cannon. One that is powerful. I need a cannon, one that is loud and doesn't care about consequences.

As she tried once more to coax her plant into submission — since the plant had resumed its fierce rebellious nature the moment Ted left — Andromeda could distantly hear the loud cheers from the Hufflepuffs as Ted leaped into the air, his wand flying as he made a mad dash for the potted plant that had been thrown.

Over the cheers, she could just make out the professor screaming. "Detention! Ted Tonks, detention! Pots are not for throwing!"

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