ANDROMEDA'S POINT OF VIEW
written by Verity
Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR.
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Andromeda sat down on the very same couch she used to share with Ted, curling up into a ball as she acknowledged her loneliness. The darkness had overcome her and now she had nothing... nobody. Except Teddy, her grandson Teddy, that is. However, the baby boy was fast asleep in the cot now, only to leave Andromeda to embrace the silence. It was deafening in her ears, she would rather the loud shouting of Dora's teenage voice, whining about how old-fashioned her ol' mum was being or even Ted's annoyingly loud burps. She had hated the ruckus before, always yearning for some peace and quiet. But now... now it simply pained her. Now, Andromeda refused to let the tears fall. She refused to let herself cry. She had shed too much tears already and she knew that it only made Teddy all the more upset. But why? Why was she the one to be punished? Why did fate have to take Ted and Dora and even Remus? Closing her eyes shut, she recalled the end of the battle, waiting outside of Hogwarts, hoping, praying to see her daughter make it out alive. News of Theodore Tonks' death had reached her but days before this tragic fate and Andromeda couldn't bare the thought of losing another. Not another.
As it was inevitable, her daughter did not leave Hogwarts. Nymphadora did not come walking out of the castle, arms wide and ready for a hug as she had prayed. Where was her daughter and her son-in-law? Where were the parents of Ted Lupin? No longer able to contain herself, Andromeda had chosen to enter the castle. The dead bodies knocked her out of breath for a moment, a perturbed expression taking over her face. In her arms, she clutched Teddy, holding him tight to her chest in a bundle. Continuing on down the corridor, searching for their faces... her daughter, her only grown baby. Andromeda needn't go far however and came to a halt immediately as she spotted bright pink hair, resting on the ground; Dora and Remus, side by side. Pain seemed to attack her everywhere, her breath caught on her throat, and for a moment Andromeda could only rush towards her only daughter, tears blurring her sight. A heart wrenching feeling overcame her and for that very moment, the only sound piercing the silence were her sobs, her tears constantly escalating and falling onto Nymphadora's bright, young face. She had looked as if she were simply asleep, peaceful and serene and that only disturbed Andromeda all the more. "Please, please wake up, Dora. Please!" she had begged the muted corpse. Of course, no response left her daughter's lips. Nor Remus'.
The remainder of that night had been spent in warm, never ending tears. The pain wouldn't stop. It couldn't. It wasn't possible. Wherever she had gone, she remembered... recalled and reminisced old memories. Of her childhood, of Nymphadora's, of... her other family. After a long day, spending her last minutes with the face of Nymphadora's departed body permanent in her mind, Andromeda had finally gone home to an empty house, baby Teddy too crying in her arms. It had taken all of her strength to get him to quieten, milk didn't soothe him, and he certainly wasn't having a poopy problem of any sort. Finally, her singing had silenced him and brought him to slumber where the two lay on the bed together. Needless to say, sleep had never once touched Andromeda's eyes. Visions of that very day, seeing her daughter, Remus... even Bellatrix. She didn't feel pity for Bella, more anger. She had family and friends on both sides, how could she have possibly been forced to choose? Considering who she was as a person, Andie typically sided with the Order, but... Narcissa. Narcissa had gotten out of it quite unscathed with her family, no less.
The jealousy burned inside of her like a flame but more so, she was angry at herself. Angry for allowing Nymphadora for joining the auror training. Angry for allowing Ted to leave for her own safety. Anger was all she could feel inside of her. Anger, guilt, and jealous. The very traits drove her absolutely insane. Had she listened to her family, agreed to the terms of being a pureblood woman... would she have had to endure the pain and suffering in seeing her husband, most likely one she could never love, bow down to the Dark Lord and most likely, get killed in the process of doing so? It will take time, Andromeda knew, to finally be able to get over all of this. But eventually, she will do it. If not for herself, then for Teddy. He had lost both parents but was too young to know the truth behind it all. At the least, Andromeda vowed to take care of him for Dora, to raise him well. But for now, she could only bask in her lonesome, her eyes completely void of tears.
A knock on the door shook Andromeda from her thoughts as she slowly averted her eyes to face the door. Who could it be now? Who else could possibly want to rub the death of her family in her face? Who could be so cruel? Stretching her legs out for a moment, Andromeda stood up, now clad in Teddy's coat-- it smelled exactly as he did and Nymphadora's favorite pajama bottoms, with Quidditch prints. Andromeda made her way to the door, slowly opening it wide, not caring any longer to be cautious of who the visitor was.
Narcissa.
But... why was she here? "Narcissa?" she said, her voice cracking as she spoke. Andromeda couldn't remember the last time she had spoken, sobs not counting. "Hello," she began awkward. "I don't even know why I'm here." Andromeda, though silent, motioned for her to continue. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. I see that you're alright." Alright? If in her current state meant being alright, Andromeda couldn't help but to sarcastically wonder what 'not alright' looked like in Narcissa's eyes. But she couldn't be sarcastic. Not now. Andromeda had lost the spark, the twinkle in her eyes that made her a Black. Tears filled Narcissa's eyes, spilling down her cheeks and Andromeda, though they had been estranged as sisters for much too long, couldn't help but to feel the urge to hug her, to tell her that everything was alright. It was the simple maternal feeling inside of her. She had always treated Cissy fairly as children, many years back. "I'm sorry about what happened. And I'm sorry about what I did to you." Andromeda too felt the tears she had successfully held back for so long reach her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
"Cissy, Cissy," she had breathed, her voice barely a whisper. The cold expression once on her face broke, immediately revealing her vulnerability. And then she fell, onto her knees. For once, Andie wasn't the one comforting her sister. It was the other way around. "Where were you when I needed you the most, Cissy? They're gone. They're both gone." She attempted to wipe at her eyes, but the tears only kept pouring. "And I don't know what to do. I don't know if I can handle the pain any longer."
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