I realise I am supposed to be writing more for 'The Unmarried Weasley' but these two just keep giving me more and more inspiration. Enjoy! x
September 1st came and Andromeda had been apparated onto Platform 9 ¾ by her father who gave each of his girls a peck on the cheek before disapparating. Their mother gave them each a hug, a kiss and a word of advice, "Be good." She admonished before she followed suit and disappeared from the platform. The girls all breathed a sigh of relief at finally being free with the entire year ahead.
"Have a good train journey girls." Bellatrix said with a wink at them before heading off down the station in search of her cronies.
"Andy!" Came a shout and Andromeda looked to find Rose and Charlotte waving from a carriage window some way down the train. Andromeda waved back and looked at her younger sister. "You'll be ok yeah?" She asked.
"Of course Andy…why wouldn't I be?" She said scathingly. She was still annoyed about being abandoned on her own at the summer ball. It seemed Bellatrix had also pulled a similar move and gone missing that night too, thankfully Narcissa had kept her mouth shut in front of their parents though, who had obviously had too many drinks to realise that two of their daughters were missing out of the three.
"Cissy don't be like that. Please! I'll owe you ok?" Andromeda begged; she hated starting the year on the wrong foot.
"You owe me big." Narcissa told her before taking Andromeda's outstretched hand, shaking it tersely and taking off to where her friends were calling and waving from a carriage in the opposite direction.
Andromeda took a deep breath and the whistle sounded across the platform, with which she hurriedly made her way to the carriage she'd seen Rose and Charlotte leaning from and climbed aboard.
"Andy what took so long?" Rose cried before hugging her so tightly that Andromeda lost her grip on her bag as her arms were squashed against her body.
"Oof, Rose you know…you only saw me the other day right?" Andromeda choked out from Rose's chokehold.
"We weren't sure you'd actually make it back alive though." Charlotte commented from the cabin they were to occupy. "You know we have met your father and if he caught you sneaking in at whatever time it was you left well…We started saying our prayers!"
"Well…here I am." Andromeda said, holding her arms out at her sides widely, only to have a pair of hands begin tickling her sides from behind her.
She giggled manically and turned attempting to escape the attacker only to fall backwards over her abandoned case.
On the floor, ungracefully so, Andromeda found her culprit, red haired and stocky, flanked by Charles Iwan and Ted Tonks.
"Gideon you prat!" She scolded attempting to rise from her ungainly position.
"Sorry darling, couldn't help myself." He told her with a wink and reached down to help her up.
Andromeda took his hand, and was hauled to her feet only to find herself inches from Ted Tonks.
"Hi." She said breathlessly, attempting to flatten the skirt she was wearing.
"Hey." Ted replied before moving past her to grab her trunk from the floor. "Want me to put this up in the rack?" He asked politely.
"Please." She said, before turning back to Gideon. "See, there's a gentleman." She told him turning back to see Ted's top lift slightly as he pushed her trunk onto the racks above their seats. The skin that came onto show was tanned and muscled and Andromeda found her cheeks heating slightly at the sight.
"Gentleman my arse!" Gideon roared.
"Boys if you don't mind we'll be discussing all the summer gossip now, in the privacy of our compartment." Rose said snobbishly, running her hands through her black, cropped hair while walking past the boys and back into the compartment where Charlotte was sat, her feet up on the seat opposite.
"What if we don't have a compartment of our own though?" Charlie asked leaning into the compartment making flirtatious eyes at Rose.
"Tough." Charlotte said and gave Ted a shooing motion out from the compartment while Andromeda made her way in, they crossed one another in the doorway and Andromeda looked up into his eyes as he looked down to her with a soft smile on his lips.
"Bye."
"Bye."
Slam! The compartment door went cutting off any further discussion between boys and girls on either side of the glass.
"So…" Andromeda began before either of the girls could start up. "When did you and Charles start this weird thing you've got going on?" Andromeda asked taking her seat and getting comfortable, knowing that the train journey was going to consist of salacious gossip, too many chocolate frogs and a lot of discussing the boys of the summer.
"Well we sat together in Ancient Runes last year and we flirted a little on and off you know, just teasing really." Rose was gushing, it was easy to tell that she liked the boy. "And of course he's gorgeous too." She sighed and Charlotte laughed.
"You're hopeless you know." Charlotte commented with a roll of her eyes.
"Well at least I don't hide the fact that I like someone." Rose replied crossing her arms and glaring in her direction.
"Ladies." Andromeda interrupted before they could really get going at one another. "Come on now. So how is Rosier these days?" Andromeda asked the blonde.
"Well he's perfectly fine. We wrote over the summer –"
"As you have already told us." Rose noted. Charlotte glared. "Well you did."
With a small cough Charlotte continued, "Yes and that's all that happened seeing as how his family…like every other wealthy pure blood family, was in France for the summer." She sounded annoyed and then suddenly looked up and met Andromeda's gaze. "Sorry, you know I don't mean anything against you."
"I know." She said with a grin but hated the idea that for the most part, the rest of the school did think that way about her that she was part of the muggle hating group; pure blood supremacy. Absolute nonsense if you asked her.
"So that's as far as I got this summer." She said folding her legs up onto the seat neatly and crossing her arms with a sigh.
"Whereas Andy here got to spend the summer in said delightful country and from what we last heard, spent a lot of time with a young French gent." Rose was giddy and almost bouncing in her seat at the talk. She pulled out a pack of Bertie Botts every flavour beans and sat waiting for Andromeda's story.
"Well, he really was quite lovely. Quiet, pure blood, obviously." She said with a roll of her eyes, she couldn't have seen a boy if he weren't when so surrounded by her pure blood family and friend. The entire aristocracy of the British Wizarding world had a summerhouse in the South of France, where they could enjoy the French summer weather. "He was everything mother could ask for. We went on dates, supervised of course, though we did sneak away one night into the gardens…" Andromeda felt her blush creeping up her neck.
"What happened in the gardens?" Rose asked eagerly, muncing quietly on the Bertie Botts beans and not offering one to either of the others.
"Yeah?" Charlotte enquired also looking inquisitive.
"Well, kissing…and touching…and-" Andromeda shuddered at the thought of discussing it biting her lip.
"No!" Charlotte crowed, her mouth agape a hand to her heart.
"Merlin's beard! No way!" Rose squealed.
"Oh it's not that big a deal!" Andromeda said loudly.
"Oh yes it is. Lovely, sweet Andromeda Black finally lost her virginity!" Rose shouted.
"Shut up!" Andromeda shouted clamping a hand over her friend's mouth. "You know that this can't go anywhere!" She said seriously
"Oh we know!" Charlotte said on behalf of her now silenced counterpart and held her hand up to show her promise. Andromeda looked them both dead in the eye and only when Rose nodded, her eyes wide and excited did Andromeda resume her seat. There was a silence while the two girls stared in shock at Andromeda. She understood their shock, it was well known that as a pureblooded witch in the aristocracy she was to be kept virtuous until marriage, and although perhaps Andromeda hadn't agreed with everything that was told, this had somehow stuck with her. Until now.
"How did he get you to shag him?" Charlotte asked breaking the silence, curiosity clear in her eyes.
"Well…I'd been drinking. Drinking with lunch and dinner. Drinking more with him in the gardens. It was…romantic I guess. I didn't know what I was doing and I was drunk and…please don't laugh!" She cried at the amusement on both girl's faces.
"Can't help it!" Charlotte said letting a giggle out. "Andromeda Black giving her virtue away to some French prat who got her drunk."
"When you say it like that you make me feel awful!" Andromeda said covering her face with her hands.
There was the sound of the door sliding open and Gideon's voice rang clear through the compartment, "Who made Andy cry?" He asked.
"No one!" Andromeda said quickly, glaring both Charlotte and Rose in the eyes. "And why are you here anyway?" She asked looking to find Gideon flanked by Ted and Charlie once more.
"As a matter of fact there were no compartments left. And you three have a whole one to yourself. Not quite fair if you ask me." He told them and barged in to take the seat in between Rose and Andromeda. Charlie moved to sit opposite Rose where he captured her attention quite quickly leaving Ted to sit opposite Andromeda and next to Charlotte.
Ted looked sheepish, a hint of flush in his cheeks as Andromeda met his stare.
"So what were you girls talking about when we interrupted? It looked very interesting." Charlie asked looking around the cabin.
"Yeah? What were we talking about Andy?" Rose asked, giggling softly.
"Had to be something embarrassing to have a Slytherin blushing like that." Gideon said loftily placing his feet on the seat opposite beside Charlotte's legs.
"Nothing." Andromeda replied tersely leaning back in the seat looking at the ceiling though she could feel the eyes of the entire compartment on her.
"Alrighty." Gideon said laughing. "I'll find out at some point you know." He said.
"Oh no you won't." Charlotte replied quickly.
"I'll charm it out of you darling." He was leaning forward his elbows on his knees staring up at Charlotte.
"Don't darling me." Charlotte said icily glaring down at him.
Gideon sat up quickly at her voice, "Alright. No need to get testy." He said holding his palms up and falling back into the seat with a huff.
Andromeda saw Charlotte smile to herself. She'd always hated being patronised especially by boys. She'd gotten herself quite the reputation for making the boys around school give her a wide berth. Andromeda had been around for many of the compromising situations she had gotten herself into. She'd often resort to a kick to the groin with boys that really bothered her. They wouldn't really be expecting it, maybe a hex or something but not something so physical from a pure blooded Slytherin. Though she wasn't part of the aristocracy like Andromeda, people looked at the colour of her uniform and wouldn't expect her to be the way she is. Andromeda liked that about her.
"So Rose, how was your summer?" Charlie asked breaking the silence in the room. Charlotte pulled a book out of her bag and began reading it while Rose chittered animatedly with Charlie and Gideon who was now trapped at the other end of the compartment with a moody witch and a flirtatious couple.
Andromeda looked up and met Ted's gaze he was grinning. "I think I like Charlotte, though I've never spoken to her before." Ted noted leaning in, his elbows on his knees as Gideon had been sat before.
"She's brilliant isn't she?" She said glancing toward her, her nose buried in her muggle book.
"So you made it home ok the other night then?" Ted asked smiling softly. He seemed shyer than when she'd last spoken to him.
"Yep, landed with a bit of stumble though…blame it on the alcohol though." Andromeda said with a wave of her hand.
"Well I did see Sirius drinking pretty heavily…maybe I should have stopped him?" He sounded thoughtful.
"Would have landed a little straighter if you had." Andromeda commented with a laugh.
"Also…you don't happen to have…my jacket do you?" He stuttered and stumbled over his sentence, nervousness pouring from him. Andromeda couldn't help but feel flattered. She blushed at his question, her face flooding with colour for what felt like the hundredth time since she'd boarded the Hogwarts Express.
"I do. It's in my trunk actually. Sorry about that." She said not meeting his gaze, her cheeks getting hotter and hotter.
"No, just wanted to make sure it was still living." He said. "It was my Dad's before mine. It's very old." He said.
"Sorry, I can get it for you now if you want?" She made to stand up but a hand on her knee stopped her. She felt the blush flare once more at his touch.
"No it's fine. Keep it safe for me ok?" He told her softly before taking his hand away and reaching into the rucksack on the seat beside him.
"Do you play cards?" He asked as he held a deck out for her to see.
"What kind of cards are they?" She asked taking them from his outstretched hand, she looked the cards over, they were nothing like the deck of cards they had at home.
"Muggle cards." He told her with a laugh. "I forget that you lot have different cards." He told her.
"Yeah he forgets about a lot of stuff like that." Gideon said across the other two before clambering over Charlie to sit beside Andromeda. "I'll play." He said leaning forward.
"What do you mean?" Andromeda asked watching as Ted began flipping and mixing the cards up between his hands as though he'd been doing it for years.
"Well Ted's one of the biggest Muggleborns ever. He always forgets that we don't know everything about his world because he knows about both of them see." Gideon explained to Andromeda.
"So what are we playing?" She asked taking the cards that Ted handed to her, while he chucked the cards for Gideon to catch.
"Bullshit!" Charlie crowed breaking conversation with Rose at hearing about a game.
"Excuse me?" Andromeda asked shocked.
"It's a game!" He said rolling his eyes. "Prude."
"Hey!" Andromeda complained.
"It's about lying." Ted told her while he flicked and shuffled the cards around without looking at them. "You've got to get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible, ace of spades starts and you can only go above, below, or the same as that card. So you can lie and put down more cards than you have of a set…" He shuffled more cards out so that everyone was playing. "You'll get it as we go along." He told them all.
The game began and the girls struggled as the boys quickly got back into the swing of the game that they had obviously played together before. Andromeda found it hard lying without smiling…she may be a Slytherin and good at lying but this was different. A game, with people she liked. Very different to her usual lies.
"Bullshit!" Was screamed multiple times throughout the train journey as they played one game after another. They caused quite the commotion as the trolley witch was walking past and a bunch of nervous first years went up to the cart as Rose cried out "Bullshit!" on the hand Andromeda had just put down.
"Sorry!" Gideon cried towards the door as Andromeda swiped her cards back up into her pack. She hadn't laughed like this all summer. The French summer was made up of afternoon teas with respectable people and countless books and walks about the gardens. Here she was free to laugh as loudly as she wanted with no one to tell her no. Not really.
The train journey passed quickly and soon the landscape beyond the window was darkened, hilly and green, not a building in sight. That was about the time Charlie announced that it was time to change into robes.
They went two at a time, boy and girl pairs to the separate toilets at the end of the carriage. First Charlotte and a reluctant Gideon, then Charlie and Rose and lastly Ted and Andromeda. Robes in their hands they walked down the corridor to find a small queue at the bathrooms.
"That's quite the muggle game." Andromeda commented.
"It is a good one." Ted said, "Though I think Gideon is really too good for his own benefit." Ted said leaning against the wall of the corridor.
"True, he really did seem to get away with a lot of bullshit." Andromeda said.
"That he did. Fucking Gryffindors isn't it. He'll do anything to put his toe on the line. Loves the thrill." Ted said, moving along the wall as the queue dwindled down.
"Mmm, though you didn't do too bad yourself." Andromeda noted. He'd always been quick to come in second place.
"No one suspects a Hufflepuff." He told her with a wink that had him blushing afterwards.
"I'll remember that." She told him.
The toilet door opened to the men's and Ted made his way into the cubicle juggling his clothes and awkwardly smiling at Andromeda.
Andromeda felt a smile lift the corners of her lips. She didn't know what it was about Ted that made her feel like this, giddy and girly.
It was then her turn to go into the cubicle to change and came back out in her school skirt, shirt, green tie and knee high socks, her robes and old clothes hanging over her arm.
She found Ted waiting, leaning once more against the wall of the carriage, staring out the window at the passing scenery. She gave a cough and he looked over and grinned.
"You look good in that green." He said quickly and then blushed so red Andromeda thought he was having a heart attack.
"Thanks," She replied with a grin and they began walking back up to their compartment.
"It's odd seeing you in the yellow…you know I'm not used to seeing you in it." She told him reaching over and tugging his yellow tie that was loosely tied and lopsided on his neck.
"Well now you'll have to keep an eye out for me." He said and opened the compartment door just as the train began to slow.
Out on the platform in Hogsmeade a wind had picked up, chilled but not too cold though there was a lot of hair being blown this way and that. The giant Hagrid was calling for first years while the rest of the school headed towards the carriages that would take them up to Hogwarts, which was lit brightly against the darkened sky.
"Eee, it's good to be back." Rose said, linking her arms through Charlotte and Andromeda and squeezing them tightly. "I feel like this year is going to be a good one." She told them in a quiet whisper.
"Me too." Andromeda replied.
"Me too." Charlotte conceded.