Disclaimer: I wrote this but I don't own the characters.
The Disowning of Andromeda Black
When I arrived back on Platform 9¾ father told me he wished to speak to me after dinner. This was no surprise to me: he had said the same to Bella after she returned from her final year at Hogwarts. Without waiting for a reply he walked off the platform, Cissy and I following close behind.
After dinner father retreated to his office, as usual, and I went into my room across the hall. Some minutes later he called me and I stood patiently in the doorway until he told me to enter. I entered cautiously, knowing that the events that were about to unfold would not be good. I sat in the chair opposite father, who was seated behind his desk.
Mother was seated in the corner to oversee the proceedings. She nodded to me as I sat down and I was sure I saw a faint hint of a smile before quickly assuring myself it was a trick of the light.
"I presume you know why you are here Andromeda," Father stated. He didn't wait for my reply but instead continued with his speech. "Now that you are out of Hogwarts it is time to find you a suitable partner."
I sighed. Father's idea of suitable was a pureblood man from a well-respected family, which meant marrying one of the children of his friends, who he deemed appropriate. Bella had married Rodolphus Lestrange only three months after leaving Hogwarts and that is what was expected of me.
"Now, I have a couple of suitable candidates to discuss with you," I scoffed (albeit in my head) at father's statement. The final decision of who to marry me to would be his, not mine. He passed me a piece of parchment with a list of about four men whose names were vaguely familiar. "One of those is the man that you shall marry."
"No!" I stood up and looked down at father. I don't know what had possessed me to say it at this moment in time but I didn't want to discuss any of the options my father had offered as my heart already belonged to someone else.
"I beg your pardon?" Father's voice was firm but he did not shout. Father rarely shouted; he was respected enough that no one dared anger him enough to cause such a thing.
"I said no. I will not be marrying any of those sorry excuses for men because I am already engaged." For the first time in my life, father was speechless and mother let out a soft gasp. Ted had asked me to marry him during the last week of term as I had told him father would be trying to marry me off. When father finally regained the power of speech he questioned what I had said.
"And who would you be engaged to Andromeda?" His tone was deadly and implied that he wasn't to be messed with. Many people wouldn't understand why father was angry at this moment. I hadn't revealed my fiancé and for all father knew he may have been a pureblood wizard. The problem was that it was not someone father had thought of and therefore would not be worthy of marrying one of his daughters. Taking a deep breath, I replied.
"His name is Ted Tonks. He was in my year at Hogwarts, he was in Hufflepuff and is muggle-born" I said the last part quickly, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. Father was red in the face (never a good sign) and mother had joined him. I braced myself, ready for the blow. This was not going to end well.
"I will not have my daughter marrying some mudblood idiot," he exclaimed, his voice rising.
"I do not care what you think father, I love him and I will be marrying him." That wasn't entirely true, I did care what my father thought, but Ted was just as important to me now, if not more, and I was not about to give him up because of some stupid pureblood prejudice. I knew my voice was shaking (as were my hands) but I stood my ground, staring straight into father's eyes.
"No I will not have it. Tell me this is not true Andromeda," mother said looking at me almost pleadingly (but not quite; pleading was not becoming of a lady of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black).
"It is mother; we have been together since fifth year." Mother gasped and sat down in a chair while father grew angrier. I sensed that I had crossed the line and father was about to shout for the first time in many years.
"Then get out. Get out of this house and do not dare come back. I will not have you besmirching our family name." I knew that was it, nothing I could do would change father's decision now. I had of course been prepared for the possibility of him throwing me out but it still shook me. I would no longer be welcomed in the home of any member of the Black family and I would be disowned. Aunt Walburga would no doubt me blasting my name off the family tree once father sent his owl.
I turned and crossed the hall, back to my room. I could hear mother's sobs, she did not cry often (it was not the done thing) but I knew I had broken her heart. She had always had high hopes for the three of us, hopes that we would all marry respectable men. Bella had already done this in her marriage to Rodolphus and Cissy looked like she would also bring honour to the family in her marriage to Lucius Malfoy, something that was sure to happen once they left school.
Preparing for something like this, I had packed my trunk with all my belongings (well, all the ones I wished to keep) upon returning home that afternoon. I picked it up, put my wand into the pocket of my robes and headed down the stairs towards the door. Before departing on the train Ted and I had discussed this possibility and he had promised that I would be welcomed at his house, so that was where I planned to head once I left.
Just as I was reaching the door I felt a hand on my arm. Turning round I saw Narcissa. I faltered. My sisters meant the world to me and I knew that our relationship had been damaged irreparably. Bellatrix was the height of pureblood supremacy, even more so than my father. I knew she would never forgive me for marrying a muggle-born. I was not so sure about Narcissa – she shared my father's beliefs but did not take them to the extent that Bella did. However, Narcissa had always been closer to Bellatrix so was likely to never forgive me either.
"I heard everything," she stated looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes, having not had time to ensure she looked impeccable.
"I'm sorry Cissy." I didn't know what else to say so I turned back to the door and reached out for the handle but yet again I was stopped by a soft hand on my arm.
"You're an idiot Andy, but I love you," she hugged me tight and kissed my cheek before standing back and watching me walk out the door. Once the door was shut I let the tears roll freely down my face.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Feel free to review, I'd like to know what people thought.