Halloween came around too quickly for Andromeda's liking. Ever since she had reluctantly agreed to go on a trip to the village wiht Bott, she had been praying that Oliver would come down with an illness so that their 'date', as he had been calling it, would be cancelled. But alas, Nott was in perfect health or as perfect as he usually was. So she had no choice but to go on this stupid day out with the boy she found the most revolting in her year or even the entire school. She didn't bother to dress in anything fancy, picking out the dress that Bella and Rod had gifted her the previous Christmas; a black knee length dress with netting around the cuffs, neck and hemline. Andromeda tied her hair into a messy bun with loose strands framing her face, feeling that Oliver wasn't worth the effot and that he would find her lack of good appearance would put him off.

She left the common room, wishing that she could have gone with Narcissa instead but Nott was already waiting for her in the entrance hall. He had dressed in his fanciest dress robes, a murky green colour that she suspected had to do with his pride of being in Slytherin. His eyes wondered from her face and down to her feet before meeting her eyes again. Andromeda wished that he would say how much he hated the way she looked, threaten that he wasn't going to take her to the village but he did nothing of the sort. Instead, he smiled widely and wrapped an arm around her before placing a kiss to her cheek; his breath smelling of the French onion soup that had been served as an early lunch option.

"You look great." he whispered into her ear.

Andromeda swallowed the large, repulsive lump in her throat as he signed the two of them out. They left the castle, linking arms as they walked down the driveway. He nattered on about the new shops that had opened up, a new tea shop named Madam Puddifoot's and a new jewellers that he wanted to take her to in order to buy her an engagement ring to make it official.

"Oliver, is it really necessary to make our engagement official with a ring? It's already official, the pre-contract signed by our parents. The wedding is going to happen so in my eyes there is no point in wasting money on an engagement ring." she said, perhaps a little too loudly.

Oliver frowned, looking slightly upset that she didn't want an engagement ring.

"Most girls want a ring, something to show off to those who have one not quite so flashy." he muttered.

"I'm not most girls." Andromeda replied harshly.

No more was said on the subject as they continued to walk around the village, stopping for a coffee in the new tea shop and stopping in Scrivenshaft's quill shop so that Oliver could buy a new quill, having had his destroyed when he had spilt a potion on it during Potions class. It wasn't until she insisted on looking in Honeydukes that she had a chance to escape. The sweet shop was the most popular shop among the students of Hogwarts, every corner was crammed and you had to physically squeeze past anyone just to get in. Due to the crowds, Andromeda had managed to free herself from Nott's hold and went to the far corner where the fizzing whizzbees were usually stacked. She felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned to see her sister grinning at her.

"Cissy what-"

But Narcissa didn't let her speak, she shoved a ginger wig into Andromeda's hands and continued to grin.

"I do not usually agree with avoidance of a suitor but I thought that just this once, you would like an escape and I should help you." Narcissa whispered.

"Thank you!" Andromeda squealed and hugged her sister briefly before pulling the wig on and rushing through the crowds.

"Ah Narcissa, have you seen Andromeda? I seem to have lost her." she heard Oliver say.

She didn't turn back but held a laugh when she heard her sister tell Nott that he seemed to lose everything, quills, house points, his wand and now Andromeda and perhaps he should consider some extra help with his NEWT examinations in case he were to lose marks and end up with fail marks across the board. Andromeda's heart skipped a beat in joy at the gratefulness she felt for her little sister's help. Narcissa was rather old fashioned, like their mother, when it came to the time of having to be courted and betrothed to someone. For the past few weeks she had been dreading the trip to Hogsmeade and had spoken with Narcissa about ways in which she could get out of it; only to receive a reply of tough love and the lecture about having a duty to their father. The last thing she had expected about today was help from her little sister.

Andromeda managed to get to the door, pulling it open with the October breeze hitting her face as she hurried up the high street. She hid her face with her cloak to prevent her fellow Slytherins from recognising her and telling Nott the direction she had headed in. Dashing past people, she decided that her best chance of not being found by Oliver was to go to the Hog's Head; the village's less popular pub. She knew that Nott believed that she liked to be surrounded by people and not be on her own but that was never the case. She had her friends, her sister but sometimes she felt that it was best to be on her own sometimes; it allowed her to think and breathe.

She walked down the country lane that led her to the Hog's head, looking back to make sure that there was nobody around to see her. The next thing she knew she had bumped into something and fell to the ground, the wig falling off her head and resting beside her. She looked up, her anger fading when she saw it was Ted standing before her.

"I'm sorry Andromeda, I wasn't looking where I was going." Ted apologised.

"It's okay, I wasn't either." Andromeda smiled.

Ted held out his hand to help her to her feet, Andromeda took it; surprised at how soft his skin was compared to Oliver's. Once she was on her feet and the wig in her hand, they chatted for several minutes mindlessly about her 'date' with Nott and her story of how she had escaped him from Honeydukes.

"You're lucky that your sister helped you otherwise you wouldn't be telling me this amusing story." Ted laughed.

"We wouldn't be going for a drink." Andromeda corrected, heading towards the pub.

"Okay I get it, I'm a rebound date." Ted joked as he followed her.

She shook her head seriously, knowing that if her day out with Nott had been a real date, she would prefer to go on one with Ted ten times over.

"You'd never be a rebound date." Andromeda said honestly.

"So I'd be a good date?" Ted asked with a cheesy smile.

Andromeda laughed slightly and smiled as the two went up to the bar to order their drinks. Ted looked at her expectantly, wanting an answer to his question that she had yet to give. She paid for their butterbeers before the two of them headed to a table in the far corner from the door, sitting down with her back to it and placing the wig back on her head securely.

"Who said this was a date?" Andromeda questioned.

"You never said it wasn't." Ted pointed out teasingly.

"Well how about a 'friend date', would you settle for that?"

Ted pursed his lips together as he considered her compromise. Andromeda watched him and smiled as he took a swig of butterbeer before returning her smile.

"Okay I'll settle for that. Besides if it were an actual date, I don't think my girlfriend would like it if we were on an actual date." Ted laughed.

Andromeda felt stunned to learn that Ted had a girlfriend, he was rarely seen with other girls when she smiled or waved at him between classes and most free periods they sat together in the library.

"You have a girlfriend?" Andromeda asked.

"Yeah her name's Delia. She's a sixth year like us but in Ravenclaw." Ted answered..

Andromeda took a swig of her butterbeer before placing it on the table in front of her.

"Then she's a lucky girl." Andromeda complimented.

"You aren't the typical Slytherin are you Andromeda Black?" Ted asked

"Does that surprise you? That I'm not scheming or manipulative." Andromeda joked.

Ted nodded, "It's one of the things I like about you." he replied honestly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes longer, draining the rest of their butterbeers. Andromeda had only known Ted for a few weeks but the past few weeks had made her happier just by knowing him and gaining a good friendship with the Hufflepuff boy. Once she placed the empty bottle next to his, she met his curious gaze.

"Ted, do you consider us friends?" she asked quietly.

He nodded, to her surprise, "Of course." he replied.

"Can you call me Dromeda if you do? It's what all my friends and family call me and I've begun to belive that we have gained a strong friendship." she admitted.

They rose from the table as she checked her watch, not surprised by how much time had passed since she had escaped Nott. They left the less popular pub and walked back up the country lane that connected to the high street.

"Dromeda it is." he stated with pride.