Andromeda

"Andy?"

I've always hated that nickname. It dates back to my infancy when Bella was calling herself Trixie and decided to dub me something equally ridiculous. I respond to it but I think it's annoying and much too boyish… but, for some reason, I don't really mind when it's Roddy calling me that.

I look up from the Potions essay he's been helping me with and nod encouragingly, inviting him to continue.

"So, I was wondering…" Rodolphus begins and trails off nervously. He bites his lower lip for a moment before starting again, "There's, um… there's going to be a party at the Lestrange Estate on Saturday night. I was wondering if-"

"Of course, I'll be there," I interrupt to reassure him. I remember Bella's excitement at the invitation and her recent attempts to force me to wear one of her dresses for it. This particular party, she told me, was going to be something really special. But she neglected to inform me of the exact reason for the occasion.

Not that our families ever need a real reason to celebrate. The best example of that is our Midsummer Party. It's like, "Hey, everybody, it's the middle of the summer, let's get drunk and socialize!" I resent parties a lot less now than I did just a few weeks ago though. Somehow, Rodolphus makes them fun. We even danced at a few of them. Recently, any excuse to see him seems like a good one.

"Actually," he continues with more shyness than usual. "I was asking if you'd go with me…. Like, as a-"

"Oh…" I finally get it.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he assures me quickly and nervously, mistaking my slow comprehension for uncertainty.

"No, I want to" I display a huge smile for his benefit. "I'd love to."

"Oh. Great." He nods and, after a few more seconds, he finally relaxes. He starts to ask how my essay is going but I cut him off, impulsively and somewhat senselessly thinking through my sister's relationship advice.

"We should coordinate outfits, wear the same color or something." I suggest. It sounds like a fun idea but I quickly try to retract it. "We don't have to, I was just thinking…" Suddenly, I'm the nervous one.

We're both like that: we're used to someone else leading. Sharing control in this fragile early stage of our relationship is sweet but also a little nerve-wracking.

He shrugs, in an encouraging, not a dismissing way. "I picked out some dress robes like this…." He flicks his wand, whispering something and playfully showering me with some midnight blue confetti that immediately vanishes when it hits my hair. "But I could find something else if-"

"Actually," I grin. "That's perfect." It must be fate that the dress Bella tried to force me into matches almost exactly.

"Blue it is, then," he agrees, returning my smile.

"Yes, blue…" I realize something. "Did you choose a Ravenclaw color on purpose?"

"Don't tell anyone, but yes. It's some very subtle rebellion." He seems rather pleased with himself. I smirk with my shared approval and mentally resolve to follow his example and buy something yellow and Huffelpuff-y for another occasion.

Bella smears black powder along my eyelids, rouge on my cheeks, and a thick layer of some expensive red gloss on my lips. Superficially, we do look alike, but, personality-wise, these colors are much better suited for her than for me. She's too preoccupied attempting to transform me into a clone of herself to care about that issue though.

I'm more than capable of styling my own hair and makeup, but, when I tried to inform Bellatrix of that fact, she threw her empty wine glass at me and said I was a horrible sister. She was just trying to be nice in her own drunken (again), crazy-Bella kind of way and I felt sorry for her in my own stupid, irrational-Andy kind of way, so I ended up sitting at her vanity with my back turned to the mirror, being her human doll for the evening.

Speaking of dolls, there's a collection of dozens of them of all shapes, colors, and sizes in three glass cases along the wall I'm facing. Looking at that display, it's rational to assume that Bella's very childish, but, if you knew her like I do, you'd know that none of those dolls was ever played with. Even as a little girl, she was always obsessed with perfection.

She would brush their hair and dress them but she immediately put them back on the shelf afterward. Cissy and I ruined several toys, dragging them along to play outside in the gardens with us, but Bella always spent that time catching and dismembering insects: she was a little sadistic but also strong and organized.

Right now though, I don't have an explanation for her recent alcohol abuse, laziness, and promiscuity. But it's only been over the past few weeks anyway, so I'm not letting myself worry too much.

"Done," Bella whispers sweetly. She spins my chair and finally allows me to face the mirror. She's already made-up and dressed. As soon as I change clothes, we'll be ready to go.

"I…" I stare at my reflection, my appearance is as overdramatic as I feared it would be, but I don't want to hurt her feelings. "I look…"

"Perfect," Bella supplies at the same time I mouth "ridiculous."

I lick my lips softly, failing to remove any of the gloss, but discovering that it tastes exactly like it looks: like some combination of blood and strawberries. "What do you call this color?" I ask Bella curiously.

She picks up the case and reads off it with a smile: "Rose Passion."

I shrug. 'Whore Red' might have been more appropriate.

"You really like Lestrange, don't you?" Bella asks randomly. It always annoys and confuses me that she calls both Rodolphus and Rabastan by their surname.

"I don't know," I begin uncertainly, hoping she'll just forget about it. Just because sisters are supposed to be able to talk to each other about this kind of thing doesn't mean I want to share my thoughts on the sort-of relationship I have with Roddy, or that I want Bella meddling with it. If I really wanted someone to talk to, I'd go to Narcissa, which is sad because, a year ago, it would have been Bella, but we've grown apart recently.

"Well," she persists. "If you really do, tonight would be a good time to prove it."

I frown. "What do you mean 'prove it'?"

She sends me the smile usually reserved for the guests she has to be polite with. At first glance, it's just a friendly, encouraging little grin. But there's a very subtle condescending 'you're so stupid' message there too. "What do people usually do when they're in love?" She challenges.

"Who said anything about love?" I object a moment before I realize the other implication. "Are you honestly telling me to sleep with him?"

She ignores my protests and conjures a shot glass of fire whiskey for herself. "Well, it is a special occasion, Andy."

"Yeah," I growl. "You told me that but you haven't said what the occasion is yet."

She giggles, "It's a surprise."

"Would it really benefit me to not be prepared for it?" I ask sarcastically. Under my breath, I add, "Even if it would amuse you."

She rolls her eyes like she's disgusted with me. "Go put your dress on."

I stand and resentfully cross to her closet. I turn around just long enough to see her take the chair I just vacated and drain her glass.

I sigh and exchange my current casual black dress for her formal blue one. I remember it being a little too short and low-cut for my liking, but, pulling on its zipper now, I notice some obvious changes. It was knee-length before but now it barely covers halfway down my thighs and the cleavage is definitely deeper.

"Bella," I turn back to her and scowl. "Did you make some… alterations to this?" She shrugs innocently then spins me around to finish the zipper.

"Bella?" I repeat grudgingly.

In two impossibly fast movements, she wraps her cloak around her shoulders then grabs her wand in one hand and my arm in the other and disapparates without warning or giving me a chance to grab my own cloak.

When I regain my footing and manage to catch my breath, we're standing on the front porch of the Lestrange Estate.

"Bella!" I shriek. She ignores me again and steps forward to rap on the door. "Did you hear me?" I try again. "There's no way in hell I'm wearing this! Take me home now!"

At that moment, the door opens and a house elf squeaks some barely audible greeting to us. Bella exhales in her usual 'I'm better than you' way and drops her cloak over the elf's head, like he's nothing more than a coat rack, and pushes past him to enter.

I send a futile glare at her retreating back then gently pull her cloak off the elf's head.

"Jolly can take that for Miss Black," he protests.

I shake my head, "No, thank you." I wrap it around my shoulders, covering my back at least. My mission now is finding Rodolphus.

I search, suppressing the urge to panic until I finally locate him. He's at the top of the main staircase with his parents. He looks great as always, but he also seems like he wants to disappear. His mother and father both have a hand on his shoulders.

"Everyone," Mr. Lestrange speaks suddenly, using some kind of voice-amplifying spell to capture the attention of all the party guests. "This is Rodolphus, our second son. He's seventeen today, so let's celebrate and- "

"Father, please!" Rodolphus interrupts, so quietly that it's a wonder I hear him. "You said you wouldn't make this a big deal."

"Have a nice time," Mrs. Lestrange finishes for them. "That's all." She smiles brightly as the attention of the guests fades and Rodolphus and his father share an almost silent argument.

Finally, Roddy is released and he makes his way down the stairs in the usual proud fashion of purebloods but with a clear resentfulness in his eyes. I'm by his side in a matter of seconds. He hugs me briefly and kisses my forehead.

"Why didn't you tell me this was a birthday party?" I ask. It does explain Bella's 'special occasion' and why Roddy wanted me here but I don't really know why neither of them told me.

"Because it isn't," he answers. "It's just another reason for them to party. If it was truly a celebration in my honor, then we'd just have dinner with the family… and, maybe, you too, if you'd want to go to that sort of thing."

I nod sympathetically and switch to a happier, teasing tone. "You still should have said something, given me a chance to get you a present."

"You don't have to get me anything."

"Actually," I begin without thinking. A ridiculous and inexplicable impulse strikes me suddenly. "I do have something."

"Oh, really?"

I smile and take his hand. "Walk with me." He squeezes my hand affectionately and nods in response. "Please ignore this dress," I tell him as we walk. "It's Bella's attempt at being a good sister, guiding me down the path of sluttiness."

"Hm," he frowns. "I think the color's fine. I see what you mean though: it is a little short. She shouldn't have made you wear it if you're uncomfortable. Hold on." We pause and he traces his wand a few inches in front of me and whispers a spell I haven't learned yet. New material appears and the dress repairs itself back to its original length.

"Thank you," I whisper in almost-disbelief.

"Better?"

"Yeah," I smile. "Come on."

He follows me outside to a beautiful and isolated section of one of the gardens.

"It's pretty out here." I whisper nervously. We're surrounded by roses and it's just after twilight, it's just romance-novel-perfect. He nods again and takes my other hand, taking step toward me.

"Would you kiss me?"

"I-I…" He stutters and trails off.

"Please," I insist.

He pauses for a few more seconds but finally steps even closer to me and, after another momentary hesitation, lowers his mouth to meet mine. At first, I think it's just going to be the usual sort of brief peck we leave on each other's cheeks but it continues. We're connected without movement for a few seconds, but the sensation is exhilarating. And then, his lips move slowly but confidently to caress mine affectionately.

When he finally pulls away, I'm breathless.

"That was…" I manage to speak through my pleasant surprise. "That was my first kiss."

"Oh," his eyes widen. "Andy, you should have told me. I wouldn't want to take that from you. I'm so-"

"You didn't take anything," I correct. "I gave it. I wanted you to have it."

He's still holding both of my hands and he squeezes them now in a protective sort of way that is sweet but unnecessary and he says, "I'm honored."

I elect to ruin our sentimental moment with a sort of out-of-character flirtatious comment. "Would you like to have my second kiss as well?"

"Yes," he plays along. "And your third."

I giggle and his nervous returns. "If that's not too presumptuous of me," he adds hastily.

"It isn't," I smile. "Happy birthday."

He drops my hands and wraps his arms around my waist instead. "You're extraordinary," he whispers against my ear. "Do you know that?"

I think I might actually shed some tears of joy. No one who knows both Bella and me has ever used that term to describe me. There are so many things I want to say, but all I manage is, "Thank you."

(A/N: Ha ha! Eat your heart out, Ted Tonks! You guys have no idea how tempted I am to make this an AU and just let Roddy and Andy be happy. But I can't do that… A conversation with Xx starlight-moon xX gave me the "doll" idea. Sorry it's taken so long to update but this chapter was almost 1000 words longer than the last one… Reviews for me? Please? Oh, and the first person to tell me which other story I used Jolly the house elf in gets a short one-shot with the pairing of their choice. Love. –Lia.)