A/N: Here's chapter one, hope it's ok. Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
August 1964
Sirius Black was the cheekiest four year old the Black family had ever seen. His mother only dealt with him when she really had to so she could maintain her sanity, his father didn't have time and the house elves were mostly afraid of him now that he was as big as them.
"SIRIUS! Stop that right now!" cried Walburga Black. She was a fairly young mother, and was at her wits end when it came to her oldest son. She could feel both Druella and her mother-in-law's disapproving looks whenever they were at family events. But they didn't understand how hard it was to raise Sirius. Regulus was so much easier. "Now, your cousins are coming over today, and you will behave! Don't pull their hair, don't hit them, don't throw things at them, just play nicely like the nice young boy you are!"
"But Bella has too much hair! Why can't I pull it? It wouldn't hurt for her to lose some," Sirius reasoned.
"Sirius! Do not pull Narcissa's hair, do not pull Andromeda's hair and do not pull Bellatrix's hair. She has a wand, and she'll use it on you without hesitation. Do not tempt her, because I won't stop her if you deserve it. I've warned you."
Sirius went back to throwing blocks softly at his younger brother, who gurgled happily to have his brother's attention. He tried to think of something his mother hadn't thought to forbid him to do. He wasn't scared of Bella and her wand, Bella liked him. He did know better than to pull her hair, he had only said that to annoy his mother.
Soon enough Regulus and Sirius heard footsteps outside the door of the nursery, before the door opened and three girls were pushed inside by their mother.
"Oh, Reggie you've grown!" cried Andromeda as she bent to pick the two year old up, cooing at him.
"Dromda!" Regulus said throwing his arms around her neck and slobbering all over her in his enthusiasm.
Regulus liked Andromeda best, because she always paid him attention. Sirius found her boring and too sweet, and Narcissa was too much of a princess. He preferred Bella, who was leaning against the wall peering out the window, because she had an eye for trouble just like him.
"Dromeda put the baby down, Mother will scold you for getting that new dress ruined," said Narcissa, sitting down on a chair near the wall and picking at her fingernails.
"Bella will clean it up for me, won't you? She'll never know," Andromeda smiled at her best friend and big sister.
"Nope," said Bella, shocking everyone. Normally she would do anything for Andromeda. "You have your own wand now, you can do it yourself."
"But Bella," Andromeda laughed, incredulous, "I haven't started Hogwarts yet. I only got the wand two days ago, I don't know how to do any spells yet."
"Well you should, you've seen me do it hundreds of times. You should pay more attention from now on, otherwise when you get to school you'll be as hopeless as all the Mudbloods. So you learn your lesson, you'll just have to deal with Mother by yourself. We don't want you getting to Hogwarts and putting us to shame because you're not top of the class. Or worse, a Hufflepuff." Bella's face twisted in disgust at the very thought.
"Of course not Bella, I'll be in Slytherin just like you! And I do remember the spell, it's Scourgify. See, I'll show you," she said, dumping Regulus rather unceremoniously on the floor in her eagerness to prove herself to Bellatrix. She got her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at her shoulder. She took a deep breath, her hand shaking, before saying, "Scoorgify!"
Immediately a long stream of purple bubbles erupted from the wand, staining the white dress rather than removing the wet patch of dribble. Narcissa and Andromeda both screamed, while Bellatrix laughed maniacally.
Someone was hurrying up the stairs; the adults had clearly been alerted by the girls screams. The door flung open, and there stood Druella and Walburga.
"Andromeda Black! What on earth do you think you are doing? Your new dress, and you've ruined it messing around with your wand! I told you to put your wand in your trunk until you got to Hogwarts! What could possibly have possessed you to try and do spells when you haven't been taught how? I expect better from you Andromeda, you're supposed to be Narcissa's role model!"
Narcissa sniffed at this, while Andromeda kept a straight face, showing no outward reaction to her mother's harsh words. She did not betray Bellatrix by even so much as looking at her. She remained stoic as her mother ranted and raved about the disgrace and what her punishment would be.
"Yes, mother. I'm sorry."
oooooooooo
Looking back, Sirius knew that this was the moment his feelings about the three cousins had changed.
In his mind Narcissa had gone from being a spoilt princess to being cold.
Bellatrix had gone from being everything he admired– brave and daring – to disloyal and cruel. To Sirius, sticking with your own was important, unless they had ceased to view you yourself as one of their own. To stand by and watch her sister getting punished when it was Bellatrix's own fault was one of the reasons Sirius didn't want to be a Slytherin anymore. He didn't possess, nor did he want, that trait of ruthless self-preservation.
And Andromeda had gone from being dull and sweet to being strong and brave and loyal. In such a short period of time, she had become the Black sister he most wanted to be like, and he was unable to hide his childish disbelief when he was told that she had been sorted into Slytherin.
Andromeda Black may have been just as brave as her cousin Sirius, but she also had a bit more common sense.
A/N: Please leave a review.
