Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Thanks to Anna for editing this chapter and all of my other chapters.

Timeline: 1970s, Black House

"Good Morning, Bellatrix. Good Morning, Andromeda. Good Morning, Narcissa," Mother said when we arrived for breakfast. She was sitting down at the dining room table with her own breakfast in front of her.

"Good Morning, Mother," I replied taking my appropriate place.

"Good Morning, Mother," Bella responded taking her seat.

"Good Morning, Mother," Cissy answered.

"Eat your breakfast girls," Mother said. A cup of tea was brought to Mother by Tibby, the house elf. Mother took a sip and immediately scowled. "Tibby, how many times have I told you to put two lumps of sugar, not one?" she asked Tibby with a challenging look on her face and handed the cup back.

"Tibby is sorry, Mistress. Tibby will add more sugar to the tea," Tibby squeaked and hurried out the room. I felt sorry for poor Tibby.

"Make sure you do," Mother said coldly. She turned to us. "Andromeda, what on earth are you wearing?" Mother asked me with a scandalous look on her face.

"A blouse, Mother," I responded with a cringe. Mother always found some sort of fault with me every day.

"That is the most unappealing blouse I have seen Andromeda. Go to your room and remove it immediately."

"Yes Mother." I stood up and trudged upstairs. I changed quickly, knowing that if I didn't hurry, Mother would send Tibby to clear my plate even though I hadn't even started to eat. I hurried down the stairs and smoothed my blouse down. I didn't want to risk another critique from Mother. "Is this better?" I asked once downstairs.

Mother looked me over again, "Much."

I sat down again and started to eat. Bella was smirking as usual. She loved to see me scolded.

"Bellatrix, do remember that Rodolphus is coming over this afternoon for tea. Make sure you dress nicely and do mind your manners," Mother said. She nodded curtly to us and stood up. "Finish breakfast. I have some matters to attend to."

We hurried to finish breakfast, knowing we had some time before Mother would begin to bother us.

"All done, Mistress Andromeda and Narcissa and Bellatrix?" Tibby asked us once done.

"Yes, Tibby, we're done, thank you," I replied kindly. Tibby quickly removed the plates and began to take them to the kitchen.

"Mind that china!" Bella yelled as a plate almost fell to the ground.

"Yes, miss!" Tibby shouted.

Giving looks to each other, we ran up the stairs. Breathless, I collapsed on my bed.

"Mother wasn't too hard on us today," I said, relieved.

Bella laughed. "Well, she certainly wasn't mad at us, but you Andromeda, well, that's another story."

I rolled my eyes. Bella was impossible.

"What is Rodolphus doing here today, Bella? Do you know?" Cissy changed the subject. I flashed a grateful smile in her direction.

"Well, I certainly hope he has something very important to ask," Bella smiled. "It does seem the appropriate time. Both Father and Mother will be here today. If he doesn't ask me soon, I think I will die!"

I sighed. Rodolphus and Bella had been 'dating', in her words, but they almost never went to dinner; they never seemed to talk a lot; and I had never seen them even touch each other. Rodolphus was extremely in love with Bella, but she didn't love him at all. She just wanted to marry the flawless pureblood person. Bella had been waiting for months for him to ask Mother and Father for her hand in marriage, but that hadn't happened. Until tonight, or so Bella thought.

"Why do you sigh, Andromeda?" Bella asked. Always the curious.

"For no reason, Bella," I replied, hoping she'd accept my lie.

"You wish, Andromeda." Bella narrowed her eyes and stood up. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

I laughed. "Jealous of you Bella? Of course not! Why would I be?

"Because I am going to be married soon, and you won't."

"Bella," I said. "I am not jealous of you. In fact, I am absolutely horrified," I flinched knowing that I had hit a wrong note.

"Are you going to start again, Andromeda?" Bellatrix asked with a bored look on her face. "Are you going to start with the mudbloods-are-just-good-as-purebloods-and-I-will-never-support-this-cause?"

"Yes, Bella. That's exactly what I'm going to say. Rodolphus is madly in love with you, you know that, but you don't love him! You're just using him!" I exclaimed rising up from the bed so I was face-to-face with Bella.

"If I were you, Andromeda, I would just stick to my own business," Bellatrix said coldly as she looked at me right in the eyes. I stared back at her. "And I would stick to it more now. I overheard Mother and Father talking about a match for you. Who was it?" Bella thought for a moment and her face brightened when she remembered. "Oh yes, Lucius Malfoy it was!" she left the room laughing cruelly to herself.

Always late with the news as well. I had known about the Lucius Malfoy news for quite a while. I hated Lucius. Always cold. Always with a menacing look on his face.

Narcissa looked at me. She had just heard us the whole time we were bickering, not saying a word. Although she had the views that Mother, Father, and Bella had, we were still close. I was the only different one in this family. The one who cared about Muggleborns. The one who liked and defended Tibby and Dilly and Wally and Leeny the house-elves. The one who liked Sirius, the other 'black sheep' in the Black family.

I heard something tapping on the window. I went to open the window. A familiar owl was there. Smiling, I retrieved the letter and thanked the owl. Watching it fly away, I closed the window.
"It's from the Tonks boy, isn't it?"

"Yes," I replied uncertainly. She knew about Ted, but didn't exactly approve. She, like Bella and Mother, wanted to marry the perfect pureblood.

"I'll leave you to read your letter."

"You don't have to. He doesn't really write long letters."

"I'll go. Don't worry, I won't tell Mother. Remember to burn the letters." Narcissa gave me a weak smile. "I'll distract Bella." She then left the room.

I went to sit down on my bed and read the letter. It was mostly of things he had done during the last eight hours and thirty-six minutes since we had last owled and how much he missed me. I smiled at one of the last words, Love. I finished reading the letter and sighed to myself. I couldn't take this family any more.

Every damn day was the same.

I wanted my own freedom from Mother.

I didn't want to suffer under Bella's crude smile everyday.

I didn't want to marry bloody Lucius Malfoy.

I wanted to be free.

I wanted to have my own mind.

I wanted to live somewhere where blood status didn't matter.

I wanted to love Ted freely.

But that wasn't possible here.

I had no other options.

I had to leave this miserable excuse of a family.

And now. With this decision, it was my first step to freedom.

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