To Change A World
Chapter One
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters I have yet used in this story.
Andromeda fondly watched as her older sister adjust the hem of her dress robes, staring focused into the mirror in front of her. That had always been Bella's way. Anything she did, she did with single-minded focus, devoting all her attention to the matter at hand.
Andromeda leapt to attention as Bella held out one hand in an imperious and unmistakable gesture. She quickly leaned forward to hand her sister the bouquet. Bella had been hesitant even to have a bouquet since the tradition had been adopted by muggles, but their mother had announced firmly that wizards had carried bouquets for centuries and Bella would in no way allow muggles' audacity to impede her fulfillment of tradition. That didn't, however, stop Bella from glancing scornfully at the bouquet Andromeda had just placed in her hands.
"Flowers," she sniffed. "They even smell common."
Andromeda made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat. That bouquet was in no way common. The orchids alone had cost more than all the bridesmaids' dresses combined. But over her seventeen years of life, Andromeda had learned well not to argue with Bella when she had set her mind to something. It was generally better to simply change the subject.
"Bella," Andromeda asked sweetly, "would you give me some advice?"
"Depends on the subject," Bella said curtly. A stranger would think her put out by her sister's question, but Andromeda could see that her eyes were softened. Bella liked to help her younger sisters find their paths through life, and she especially liked when she could make those paths look more like her own.
"How does one choose a husband? Specifically, why did you know you wanted to marry Rodolphus?"
Bella looked surprised by the question. "Why ever not? His family is well-thought of and his blood is pure. Really, 'Medy, there was no reason to reject his suit."
"But was there a reason to accept it?" Andromeda said before she remembered to hold her tongue.
"Weren't you listening?" Bella snapped, her eyebrows snapping together, letting Andromeda know she'd made a fatal misstep. She turned to face her little sister, her focused gaze leveled directly at Andromeda's eyes. "You had better get in line, Andromeda. My wedding will start soon."
Andromeda lowered her eyes and quickly hurried back to her place in line, opposite Antonin Dolohov. By the man's leer and clammy hand placed heavily on her shoulder, she got the impression that his mind was not on his friend's wedding, but rather already focused on planning his own. Andromeda had no doubts that her mother would have the same reasoning Bella had just listed when it came to considering Dolohov's inevitable suit – good pure-blooded brides were hard to come by. Andromeda simply had doubts that she would be as happy to comply with this reasoning as Bella had been.
As the doors swung open and the elegant procession swept through the hall, Dolohov moved his hand from Andromeda's shoulder to her lower back. She kept her composure, but inwardly flinched at the realization that, to anyone watching, Dolohov's intentions were as clear as day. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw her mother's eyes snap straight to the hand, coldly calculating another marriage before the first had been completed. Andromeda, recognizing the signs, set to work resigning herself to this fate. She went so far as to smile demurely at the man as they parted to stand on their respective sides of the wedding party, receiving a lecherous smile in return. Andromeda was glad she'd already made her inevitable misstep today. It'd take a while to accustom herself to Dolohov's…clammy skin? Manner of speaking? Face? She wasn't sure what it was about the man that seemed repulsive to her, but she'd figure out how to have pleasant associations with the man soon enough.
As she reached the front of the assembly – Bella would have nothing less than to hold her wedding in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic so as to inconvenience as many of the people not invited as possible – Andromeda finally got the chance to observe the gathering as a whole. Every pureblood who mattered was in attendance, and for some reason so were the ones who didn't. Andromeda supposed Bella wanted a bigger audience. Or, now that she thought of it, the guest list might have been her mother's contribution.
Andromeda's eyes were drawn straight to the back of the hall as Bella made her entrance. She couldn't help beam, despite knowing her mother would scold her for it later, as she watched her sister float down the aisle as though she owned it. Bella looked like a queen, and her haughty gaze, fixed on her husband-to-be waiting for her at the other end, would have caused the audience to stand respectfully even had they not been required to do so by the all-controlling tradition. Watching Bella at this moment, Andromeda couldn't be prouder of her big sister.
As Bella passed the final row of guests, her gaze darted to Andromeda's, holding her sister in a piercing ray of disapproval. Andromeda instantly schooled her face into a composed mask once again. Her family did not approve of excessive emotion, and to show such in front of such a large audience was considered scandalous. She couldn't help it, though – her sister made such a glorious impression she had no choice but to beam.
Bella nodded imperceptibly as she took in Andromeda's now controlled expression, then dismissed her sister from her attention. Andromeda watched as Bella turned her attention back to her groom, holding back amusement as Rodolphus' imperious expression faltered under Bella's indomitable stare. This was a common reaction to Bella. Even Cissy still couldn't hold up against it. Andromeda could withstand the sheer force of Bella's will when she wanted her way enough. Otherwise even she gave way, for the most part. The only person who could stare Bella down on a regular basis was their mother, from whom Bella had inherited her single-minded nature.
As the man presiding over the wedding spoke at length about the sanctity of marriage and the importance of children to continue the family line and traditions, Andromeda did not envy Bella's children. Their mother would keep them strictly in line. Individuality would not be tolerated, would be something to exterminate at any cost. Their mother would be thrilled with such grandchildren.
Would her mother be pleased with any children she and Dolohov would have? Andromeda struggled to picture the man in a fatherly role. Andromeda would give way to her husband, of course. She was no Bella, to put her husband in the place she should by rights occupy. He would likely be the disciplinary force in their family. That was probably a good thing. Andromeda had a terrible track record of being too soft – with Cissy, with younger Slytherins, and especially with her cousin Sirius, who everyone said she encouraged in his ridiculous ideas.
She wondered vaguely how many children Dolohov would want. She didn't want a huge family – luckily not common among pureblood families anyway – but still, it was, as far as she could tell, primarily up to the husband. She'd be happy so long as she had at least one daughter, at any rate.
Realizing that the ceremony was winding to a close, Andromeda stepped forward in line with the other bridesmaids to sweep elegantly out of the Atrium, meeting up again with Dolohov in the process. She kept her eyes lowered demurely, but not lowered enough to appear by any means humble.
As they left the audience behind and passed into the dining hall that would serve for the reception, Dolohov caught her hand and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. She repressed a shiver and smiled serenely. "My lady," he said, his voice clearly trying to be as smooth as honey but reminding her more of left-over olive oil that refuses to come off the measuring spoon.
"My lord," she murmured in reply before he let her hand go and left to sit at his assigned spot to the right of the groom. Andromeda, relieved, took her own seat next to Cissy. "Beautiful ceremony," she murmured to her younger sister.
"I suppose so," Cissy said, sounding mildly disgruntled.
"Cissy?" Andromeda questioned.
"My wedding will be more beautiful and less severe," Cissy grumbled. Somehow, her serene expression never faltered.
"Narcissa," Andromeda scolded, "this is neither the time nor the place. Plan for your wedding after Bellatrix's has finished, and do not compare them before yours has taken place."
Cissy turned her head slightly and greeted a young pureblood girl passing by. Andromeda acknowledged the insult it was meant to be and signed internally. Perhaps they had all been too lax towards the youngest Black sister. But as she had just said, this was neither the time nor the place to correct this fault. She lifted her salad fork and proceeded to enjoy the wedding dinner, putting all thoughts of husbands and ill-behaved siblings to the back of her mind for the time being.
~.~.~.~.~
Andromeda sat down heavily on a chair to the side of the dance floor. Waltzes were not meant to be so exhausting, but her time had been entirely taken up by Dolohov – not only had the man pursued her even to the refreshments table to ensure that he could ask for all of the dances, but he had made it clear earlier that he saw her as already his, and so no other man would bother asking her anyway. She'd finally managed to escape for a while by claiming tired ankles and the need to rest. He'd looked as though he planned to accompany her even in this rest, but she'd luckily noticed a rather long line to the punch bowl and had asked for some, throwing in an eyelash flutter for good measure. Finally, she had a moment of peace.
A short moment, as it happens.
"Andy," she heard from behind her. She turned and glared.
"What do you want, Sirius?" Andromeda groaned.
"Oh, you know," Sirius said, plopping down in the chair beside her. The boy would be starting his first year at Hogwarts this year. His parents must have decided that meant he was old enough to attend events such as this. "Dolohov, huh? He's ancient."
"He isn't that much older than I am," Andromeda murmured.
"He's been out of school for twelve years at least. How old is he, exactly?"
"I do not know," Andromeda said stiffly. "He is a close friend of Rodolphus. That is enough to recommend him."
"Really?" Sirius shrugged. "I think he looks a bit like a mountain troll with an allergy to the sun."
"Sirius, that is rude," she scolded half-heartedly.
"You don't like him either."
"He is a very good match."
"So would a number of men. Several of them would be a far better match – and less reprehensible."
"Sirius Black, you will not speak that way about a friend of the groom."
"You think it. You're too proper to say it, but you know it's true. Andy, I'm worried."
"You're eleven. You have no right to be worried about such matters."
"You are quite possibly the only cousin I actually like," Sirius said. Andromeda felt touched – but she would not let that give Sirius an advantage in this discussion. "I don't want you to make a huge mistake. If you marry Dolohov, you'll be miserable for the rest of your life."
"Nonsense." Andromeda turned her face away from her cousin. "Dolohov is as good of a match for me as Rodolphus is for Bellatrix."
"You call your sister's husband by his first name, but refer to your own beau by his last. Doesn't that tell you anything?"
Andromeda whipped her head back, startled. "Antonin, then," she said, ignoring how slimy she felt saying the name. "Antonin is a perfectly fine suitor, and unless Mother says otherwise, I will likely be his wife this time next year."
"Your mother can go dig a hole and die in it," Sirius said fiercely. "Druella wouldn't care if you were miserable or not, so long as you married a pureblood. Sometimes there are more important things in life, something your mother refuses to see."
"You border on sounding like a blood-traitor," Andromeda warned him. "Good night, Sirius." She stood and strode across the dance floor, looking to rejoin Dolo – Antonin. The current dance was almost over, and she did not want to sit idle any longer. It gave her far too much time to think.
A/N: I've been meaning to write this story for a while. It promises to be considerably more serious than my previous stories, but I promise, there will be humor involved to some extent. I remain, as always, busier than I'd like, but I hope I'll still be able to update regularly. I won't abandon this, though, don't worry!