Taking A Stand

The skies reflected her mood, dark, sorrowful. Tinted deep grey with dark clouds it seemed almost menacing as she stared out the window. She continued to replay the moment over and over in her mind. The way her older sister had looked at her, the way her little sister had turned up her nose and turned her back on her. It was heartbreaking. She could see them clearly, Bella with her long, cascade of raven curls, her dark eyes narrowed. The hate within her gaze had sent chills up and down Andromeda's spine. Then Cissy, her golden mane in a braided bun, like a halo around her porcelain face, a look of disgust and then she was gone.

Andromeda wanted to believe that she had made the right choice. She knew there was nothing left between herself and her sisters. Cissy was willing to do whatever their parents asked. She would marry whatever man they thought fit for her, even if it wasn't what she wanted. At one point Andormeda had thought there was just a flicker of rebellion in her little sister's eyes and maybe, just maybe . . .

But it did not matter, it had fizzled out. The embers had turned to ash and cooled, leaving a ruined little ice queen.

Then there was Bella. Bellatrix was already lost, she was ready to give her life over to hate. She was willing to die for the cause. Genocide. She was willing to divide her own kind for supremacy.

Andromeda stifled a sob, it broke her heart.

"Are you alright."

She started at the voice, deep and familiar. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Her hazel eyes drifted closed. His touch was just as much a comfort as it was a sin.

"I'll be fine." She managed, quickly wiping at the tears staining her cheeks.

"I hate to see you in pain." His fingers grazed her skin as they slid down her arm, across her wrist, over the back of her hand. As his fingers intertwined with hers he joined her on the window seat in the back of the library. "Is this about break?"

"I told them that I was not going to marry Antonin. I told them that I want nothing to do with this war. I told them everything, Rabastan and you should have seen . . ." Her voice trembled as she turned to face him, "you should have seen the way they looked at me. I've lost them; I've lost my entire family." The tears began to fall once more and when he wrapped a hand around her and pulled her into his chest she did not fight it.

"You did what you had to do Andie. You did what was right. Doing the right thing is rarely easy and always comes with a price. It might seem like you are all alone right now but you aren't. I am here for you, always."

Andromeda buried her face in his chest as she sobbed, shoulders shaking. He stroked her hair, murmuring reassurances as he held her close; he placed a kiss atop her head.

Slowly, the softness of his sweater and the heady scent of his cologne soothed her.

"It is all going to be okay, I promise."

"Thank you Rabastan but, it is never going to be okay. I have lost my family. I am all alone."

He did argue with her, he only squeezed her tightly and sighed.

After a moment he whispered, "You will always have me."

Slowly she smiled, turning her gaze to him. They were truly one in the same, outcasts from their families, blood traitors; miscreants but, they had one another. Being with him meant standing against everything her family wanted but, it was everything she needed, "I love you, Rab."

"I love you too, Angel." He kissed her as the first snowflake began to fall.

word count: 650

Chalelnges

Camp Potter First Aid - Nothing left, Grey, Chills

Investment Banking - Marauders - Andromeda Black

Can You Make it to the End - Write Your OTP - Hogwarts Library

Patronous Quest - Tasmanian Devil: Write about Andromeda Tonks

OTP BOOTCAMP (why wasn't I doing this all along?) - whisper (just because it fit)

disclaimer - I am just a crazy cat lady.