The glass was frosting over. She had gone straight to the two-way mirror on her nightstand after returning from Godric's Hollow in the hope of reassuring Ted that all was well, but she couldn't see or hear anything past the desolate haze. Holding back a river of tears she calmly pressed her ear against the cold glass and heard a subtle, tortured voice echo the words I love you. Ted's voice, whether pleased or pained, filled her with hope at the knowledge of him still being alive.

"Is he okay?" squeaked Nymphadora from the bedroom doorway; Andromeda hadn't seen her standing there; her brown hair even mousier than ever. When she told her daughter that Ted was still fine the girl's hair flared golden-blonde for a fraction of a second.

"How's the boy?" Andromeda asked, referring to the mysterious adopted child of Mr and Mrs White who was staying with them.

"He's with Sirius" the girl answered, "he scares me"

"Why?"

"I hear him shouting in his sleep. Something about missing his family; he wants to see someone from his family but he's not allowed to".

"And how is that any scarier than what we're going though? Be nice to him, that boy's gone through too much torment already; even more than us". Nymphadora left her mother to her worries and closed the door behind her. Andromeda couldn't help reflecting on the tragedies which had dictated her life more than it should have done. First Nelly she thought contemptuously, then Kendra, Jacob and Lydia, the tears were now rolling down her cheeks, and now Ted's in danger, the Potters, the Longbottoms-

"Look on the bright side, dearest" beamed an operatic voice from the stairs just outside Andromeda's door, "you're rich and safe; I'd say you're doing well". Andromeda threw the door open and marched straight over to the painting of Hepzibah Smith with a furious countenance:

"How dare you?!" she raged, "innocent people are dying at the hands of these masked murderers and I have to sit back and watch everyone point the finger because it was my sister who helped make it happen! It's bad enough that I have to watch my friends being kidnapped, tortured, and murdered! But then I have to stand in a room with the survivors and see how much they mistrust me!"

"And how does that make you feel?" interjected another painting beside Hepzibah's. Andromeda had broken down at the funeral of Jacob and Lydia White; they had left her Nelly's portrait in the joint Will knowing that she would cherish it more than anyone.

"It makes me feel like I'm back at school" she told her best friend, "when everyone stayed away from the Slytherin student because 'she hated Muggles' and 'she wanted to join the Death Eaters' and all those other rumours that I had to suffer with because she was my sister!"

"Exactly" was all Nelly said.

"What?"

"At Hogwarts you didn't give in and accept the image that had been given to you; you took Muggle Studies, befriended Hufflepuffs and fought you're own evil sister even though you were pressured into being exactly like her. Now you've got to prove yourself again, you need to stop Bellatrix and save Ted if you want people to realise the error of their ways like I did". The two witches smiled at each other and, like she always felt after talking to Nelly, Andromeda desperately wanted to hug her but knew she never could.

"Thanks Nymphadora" said Andromeda.

"You know I don't like that name" the young girl in the painting smiled despite herself, "and Hepzibah, my best friend here told me that Muggles have a device known as a 'wood-chipper' that your tacky frame could easily fit into". The plump woman from Nelly's neighbouring painting looked disgusted and walked out of her picture like she always did when Nymphadora Jr. called her fat.

Andromeda went back to her bedroom to see if the mirror was still frosted over, but to her confusion it was no longer on the nightstand. She sat on the edge of the bed for a moment before noticing that it had fallen on the floor. As she bent down to pick up the mirror her whole body froze; she heard the door click behind her and a shadow cross the room and the distinct outline of a wand in its raised hand.

"Lumos" she whispered, trying not to sound as terrified as she felt, "show yourself". The dark shadow ambled across the room in front of her as if it was too dismayed to hide itself but still wished to convey a sense of mystery and fear, success, then Andromeda thought darkly.

"I have a question" whispered a deep voice from the darkest corner.

"Who are you?" she asked

"A traitor"

"Why are you here?"

"I have a question. Two questions, in fact. A question from Mrs Lestrange and a question from me".

"Why won't you tell me who you are?"

"I'm a traitor"

"Fine" she was worried that she sounded too confident and that the sinister stranger would take it as a challenge and kill her on the spot. "What are you questions?"

"Mrs Lestrange would like to know; how much blood will the blood traitor allow to be spilt before she gives herself in for love and for death?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she knew how sinisterly dramatic her sister could be in times of danger and violence.

"Mr Tonks could return to his daughter tonight if you offered to take his place; the Dark Lord has given Bellatrix one more month before he kills the Mudblood himself with or without your sacrifice". Andromeda had a hundred more questions to ask the Death Eater but she knew he hadn't yet finished.

"And what if your question?" she inquired bitterly.

"Help".

"I'm sorry?"

"Help me save her". Her head was spinning; a dark wizard was asking her to help him after threatening her with the death of her husband.

"Who do you want to save? Why?"

"It's all my fault"

"What is?"

"I heard the prophecy and I told him; he won't stop until her son is dead but I know she is too loving to not stand in the way and sacrifice herself first!" To Andromeda's surprise and horror the man fell to the floor in tears and she didn't know what to do but lower her wand and approach him.

"Snivellus" she whispered in realisation.

"What?"

"That's what they called you; the boys who picked on you when you where at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I heard some of them talking about you in my Muggle Studies class was I taught at the school, you were in Slytherin House and you were friends with Lil-"

"Please don't say her name; just thinking of it fills me with guilt knowing that it's my fault she's in danger".

"What makes you think she's in danger?"

"The Potters; have they or have they not cast the Fidelius Charm on their house in Godric's Hollow?"

"They have, yes".

"And has Dumbledore told you why they've done that?"

"He said it was precautionary"

"So why do none of the other members of the Order of the Phoenix have similar protective spells on their houses?" Andromeda thought about this for a very long time and couldn't think of an answer to the intruder's question.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Warn Dumbledore, he won't listen to me".

"But doesn't he already-"

"Yes but he doesn't realise that the Dark Lord is planning to attack the Potters very soon; the Fidelius Charm won't work".

"Why not?"

"I said I was a traitor; traitors tend to spot others when they see they signs".

"Why should I believe you?"

"You shouldn't. But if you help me save her I'll help you save him". Andromeda stopped breathing for a moment; she knew exactly who he was. Could she actually work with a Death Eater if it meant saving her husband?

"I'll talk to Dumbledore" she said, but the figure had disappeared from the room as if he already knew what she was prepared to risk in order to see Ted again.