People claimed Andromeda was lucky. Sure her husband, daughter, and son-in-law were killed, but she'd survived.
Some people claimed Bellatrix LET her live so she would suffer after the deaths of her loved ones.
But Andromeda knew better.
Ted was gone because he was a muggle born, not because he was hers.
Nymphadora was gone because she was an Auror and an Order member, not because she was hers.
Remus was gone because he was an Order member and a traitor to Fenrir Greyback, not because he was hers.
Bellatrix loved her baby sister, not that she'd ever admit it, and would never hurt her on purpose like that.
Andromeda didn't live because she was lucky or because Bellatrix wanted her to suffer, no, she lived because she was a Black. And whether you like it or not, once a Black, always a Black.
The Black sisters had a special relationship that nobody, not even themselves, understood.
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For example, when Lucius was in Azkaban and Draco returned to Hogwarts for his 6th year, Narcissa was scared, upset, and lonely.
She needed her sister. Bellatrix couldn't/wouldn't understand. She was obsessed with the Dark Lord. But Andromeda would understand, Andromeda, with all her calm cool wit, would help. She tried to remember why she couldn't call Andy. Then it came to her, Andromeda had left and betrayed the family. Well, Narcissa was past caring.
She sent Andromeda an owl. She went days without a reply but that didn't worry her. She knew her sister would come, because they were sisters.
And come she did, Andromeda entered Malfoy Manor and found her sister in the sitting room, drinking tea.
"Andromeda," Narcissa greeted her stiffly.
"Narcissa," she replied in the same tone. She sat down on the edge of the seat, not wanting to get too comfortable. "Ted didn't want me to come."
Narcissa thought about asking 'why not?' but that was stupid. She knew why Ted didn't like Narcissa or Bellatrix after what they and their parents did to Andromeda before she left.
She also played with the idea of asking why she'd bothered to come, but that would've been even stupider. Andromeda wouldn't be able to put it into words. She would've come no matter what.
Because they were Blacks and they were sisters.
There was another minute of awkward silence before Andromeda spoke, "So how have you been?"
"It's very quiet around here," Narcissa motioned to the empty house. "The house elves are silent and there's nothing to do."
"You used to enjoy the silence," Andromeda reminded her, not taunting, just a remembrance of the past.
"I learned to while you and Bella were at Hogwarts and it came in handy when alone in the Slytherin Common Room. But now it's eerie, I miss Draco."
Andromeda nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean, every year when Dora went to Hogwarts and Ted was at work it was so hard to get used to the house without her endless chatter."
Narcissa looked affronted, "Draco didn't chatter endlessly. He was often silent, but still, I knew he was there."
Andromeda rolled her eyes, "I'd forgotten that pureblood children don't speak. But this prepares you for when he's 17 and moves out."
"If he lives that long," Narcissa muttered.
Andromeda looked at her, as though she could read her mind. But when she spoke it was in a normal voice, "A mission, for the Dark Lord perhaps?"
Narcissa nodded sadly, "How do you deal with Nymphadora putting herself in danger every day?"
"I didn't want her to become an Auror in the first place actually, in fact I forbade her from doing it. She just laughed, packed her bag and headed to Auror training."
Andromeda smiled at the memory, but Narcissa gasped, "How could she disobey her mother like that?"
Andromeda laughed again. "It was her dream. Besides, she wasn't raised in a traditional pureblood house like we were. She loved to argue with me and her dad." She pulled herself away from her fond memories and turned to her sister, "I can tell you one thing though, you'll never stop worrying about Draco as long as he works with you-know-who."
"Maybe he should stop and go into hiding," Narcissa said so quietly that Andromeda barely heard her.
"You know he won't."
Tears sprang to Narcissa's eyes, "I don't want him to get hurt, and with Lucius in trouble…" she trailed off as she started sobbing. "I miss them."
Andromeda sat next to her baby sister and put an arm around her, "Hush Cissy, it'll be okay. Lucius will be out soon and Christmas break will come quickly and you'll see Draco."
"Wow, dear little Andy decided to come out of hiding," Andromeda heard the voice from behind her and immediately recognized it.
"I wasn't in hiding Bellatrix. I've lived in the same house since Ted and I got married. You know where it is." Andromeda turned to face her older sister.
Bellatrix hadn't changed much. She still looked evil, but Andromeda knew there was a heart hiding behind a black hole.
"What are you doing here?" Bellatrix glared.
Andromeda sighed, "Cissy was lonely. Is it a crime to visit my sister?"
"Yes," Bellatrix answered seriously.
"Then you shouldn't have a problem with it, you seem to enjoy breaking laws." Andromeda shot back.
The next thing Narcissa saw, they had each stood up and had their wands out and then… they were hugging?
They were sisters, and they might hate what each other stands for, but when you got down to it, they loved each other.
Andromeda was in the same room as two people, whom she should hate, but they were her sisters and she couldn't. Narcissa needed her help, so she gave it, because Narcissa was her baby sister.
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"He's dead my Lord," Narcissa assured Voldemort.
But Bellatrix had seen the slight rising of his chest, she'd seen her sister whisper something, and she's seen the Potter boy's lips move as he replied.
He was alive!
That meant her sister had just lied to the Dark Lord. And given Bellatrix immense power. She could gain a ton of favor if she turned in Narcissa. She'd be praised above all his other followers, eternal glory would be hers.
But she couldn't do it. Narcissa would be killed.
'Damn' she swore silently, 'Why'd it have to be Cissy?'
So she walked into Hogwarts and laughed as Molly Weasley decided to fight her.
Halfway through, her ears, heightened by years in Azkaban, sensed somebody behind her. There was no one there, at least, no one she could see.
And then it dawned on her, it was Potter.
And she knew what would happen. The Dark Lord had lost, he'd be killed by a mere boy and it was all her fault.
She had tortured children and laughed at their pained screams, but she'd been too soft to turn in her sister. Damn her kind heart!
But when she spun around to avoid a well-placed hex, she spotted Narcissa. Lucius' arm was wrapped around her shoulder as she ran her fingers through Draco's hair. She looked so happy, so blissfully happy.
And Bella knew that the sacrifice of her master was worth it, and she'd never regret it.
She realized what had taken her far too long to figure out, that love was incredibly powerful.
Love had allowed Potter to live so long.
Her love for Narcissa had allowed him to stay alive.
And love, she realized as she saw the fury in Molly Weasley's eyes, would be her downfall.
As she fell back, laughing of course, she had one final thought…
I wish I'd had children. Then I'd know why Lily Evans died for a mere baby, why Narcissa saved Potter's life, and where Molly Weasley's inner strength came from…
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A 13-year-old Sirius snickered as he placed the finishing touches on his prank. He'd devised an ingenious spell which, if performed correctly, would change the hair color of the first 3 people to enter a room.
Andromeda stood in the shadows, Bellatrix and Narcissa discussing dress robes behind her, and watched. Several times she whispered a correction and he obediently made them.
"What are you doing?" Bellatrix came over to watch. "That trouble maker, Auntie will be so angry when she finds out; I'd better go warn her."
Andromeda grabbed her older sister's arm as she left and pulled her back in. "You can't. I helped him a little, it'll be amusing."
Bellatrix glared, but complied. She dragged Andromeda away before she could help more, and they got ready for tea.
About an hour later, the shrieks of Sirius' mother filled the house. The heads of Mrs. Black, Mrs. Black, and Regulus were all bright pink, and they weren't happy about it.
Sirius' smirk gave him away immediately and his mother hollered at him. She almost drowned out her sister, but not quite.
"Did you three know about this?" the girl's mother asked in a dangerously quiet voice.
"No mother," Narcissa said sweetly, hoping Bella would follow her lead.
Bellatrix looked into Andromeda's pleading eyes and answered, "No mother."
"No mother," Andromeda breathed a sigh of relief.
Afterwards, Bella hissed, "You owe me."
Andromeda smirked.
They all knew that Andromeda didn't owe Bellatrix anything, because they were sisters. And they all knew that Bella would have never told on her, because they were sisters.
Don't worry, I haven't abandoned Ridiculous, but this came to me.
Right now it's just a one shot, but if I think of more I'll add to it.
Thanks for reading! Please review and check out my other stuff and my favorite stories!!