Andromeda sat on the window seat in her bedroom, looking out on the sun shining over their gardens and she couldn't feel more alone. On her return from Hogwarts for the summer holidays, her father had told her that she would be spending more time with Oliver discussing wedding plans and each time she had been alone with him so far, he had dropped hints on what their wedding night would be like; even going as far as to have his sister Jemima pick out sexy lingerie for her which made her feel uncomfortable. But what could she say? She was trapped in this engagement and there was no way out, the only person who made her feel better was Ted and she wouldn't be able to see her best friend again until September.

She didn't notice the light knock on her bedroom door and nor did she notice that her sister had entered the room until Narcissa cleared her throat. She looked up at Narcissa, wondering what she wanted.

"What is it Cissy?"

Narcissa looked around the room, the letter she had yet to reply to Ted was sat on her desk to which her sister rolled her eyes and gave her usual disgusted look that she could be friends with a muggleborn.

"Your precious mudblood? Has he professed his love for you yet?" Narcissa mocked.

"It isn't like that Narcissa." Andromeda hissed.

"It's obvious to everyone but you and he and of course the dense boy you are supposed to be marrying next summer." Narcissa laughed.

"Why are you so cruel about Ted? He's a lovely boy." she stated.

"He is a mudblood, they are dirty little cretins. Did you not listen to mother when we were children? Their kind should not even be at Hogwarts." Narcissa cried.

"What do you want?"

Andromeda stared at her sister, determined to let the conversation of her friendship with Ted drop, she didn't care what her sister thought about her best friend; he was the one who made her feel better in her misery.

"Mother is picking up the dresses for the Goyle's wedding anniversary party, she wants to know if you want to come." Narcissa said.

Andromeda shook her head, "I'm not in the mood." she mumbled.

"Suit yourself." Narcissa shrugged and left the room.

Andromeda heard the front door to the manor slam shut and finally she felt some relieve at being left home alone, her father was having lunch with some people from the Ministry. She left the window seat to sit at her desk to reply to Ted's letter, her only source of comfort in this world.

Dear Ted,

Thanks for your letter, it's the only thing that I look forward to these days. I could quite literally throw up the entire contents of my stomach, it's the Goyle's 17th wedding anniversary party tomorrow nigth and as usual my family are attending, with my father insisting that Nott chaperone me the entire event. It's bad enough that I've already been forced to spend three days this week with him planning this stupid wedding and having to listen to his plans for the 'wedding night' that I don't want to happen but it seems to be that my nightmares are coming true.

My father refuses to allow me to have a day to myself because 'It isn't proper for a young lady to go out alone.' I didn't realise that we still lived in the 1920's. He says that keeping me in the house is helping me to learn how to run a household for when I get married and produce Nott's children, just the thought of his plans for us makes my skin crawl. The thought of Oliver becoming my husband and him claiming his conjugal rights makes me skip my meals because I know I'll only be throwing them up later. I wish I hadn't agreed to this but I suppose it's too late now. Why can't I have someone like you? Someone who gets me, understands me and more importantly sees me for who I am and not what they want me to be.

The only thing that is allowing me to be myself this summer is writing these letters in secret to you. Fahter believes that I'm writing to Nott and seems pleased by it but as usual, Narcissa expresses her loathing of it. Not that I care. You've been a true friend to me and hope that you will continue to be for hte rest of my life because I've never met anyone like you before. You're the bestest friend that I could have ever asked for and I love you for that. I'm sorry that you've had to listen to my troubles and my pathetic letters of complaint about Oliver but I can't ever thank you enough for always being there for me.

But enough about me, how is everything for you? Has Delia mentioned anything about getting back together?

I hope you're having a good holiday, I can't wait to see you on 1st September.

I miss you.

Love,

Dromeda.

She sealed the parchment with the Black family crest and sent it off with Rolfe, the owl that Bellatrix had given her for her seventeenth birthday. The summer holidays were only halfway through but they had been terrible so far. She had asked for some time alone outside the family manor but Cygnus had refused, she just wanted some air to breathe out in society alone, to be a normal teenager without having to worry about her upcoming marriage next year and how she only had a year left to try and find a way out of it.

But only the thoughts of her best friend kept her sane and although she was impatient to get back to Hogwarts, she knew that each day that she counted and that had passed, it was only a day less that she had to wait to board the train again. Andromeda had never had a best friend like Ted, someone who she could confide in and trust with her life, who wouldn't betray her thoughts or feelings like her pureblood friends had done so in the past.

Recently she had been there for Ted, feeling slightly guilty that due to the closer that they got it had meant the end of his relationship with Delia before they returned home for the summer holidays. She had asked what had been the cause of the breakup, had even suspected that it was down to her being friends with him but Ted didn't want to talk about the split and she guessed that it was because he needed to get used to the fact that he asnd Delia weren't together anymore.

Andromeda hadn't realised how much time had passed when Rolfe returned with Ted's reply, dropping the letter on the desk before returning to his perch in the corner. She tore the letter open, smiling as her eyes landed on the familiar handwriting.

Dear Dromeda,

You don't need to apologise or thank me for being your friend, I enjoy listening to your problems and feel honoured that you could confide in me so easily; it shows that you really trust me and in regards to your sister's prejudices, I feel glad that I know you are different from Narcissa. I'm sorry to hear that you are still hurting and I wish that I was there to comfort you in person. But if I did, your family would curse me. Just remember that I am always here for you, Andromeda, no matter if it's in person or through letters. Like I said above, I don't mind listening because it flatters me that you have so much trust in me, the same trust that I have in you.

I don't like Oliver either, he's a horrible bully and needs to take some lessons in personal grooming. Did you know he actually warned me off you once? It humoured me that he was telling me who you were and it made me realise that he had no clue about you, I guess I should be flattered that he's jealous of our friendship, that he feels threatened by how close we are and that I could steal you away from him if you wanted me to. He said that I couldn't offer you anything as an attempt to warn me away from you but the only way I would stop being in your life is if you told me so.

I'm currently in Cornwall for a holidays with my parents and sister visiting my Nan. It's her birthday next week and we tend to visit her for a week to celebrate. Fortunately, I don't have to pretend that I'm a muggle because my whole family know my secret and they embrace my magic. I'm afraid that there is no hope in me and Delia getting back together because there's someone else and to be honest I'm glad that Delia and I have ended it because there would be no more arguments.

Be strong, we'll see each other again in a few weeks. I know that i may seem a long way away now but it will soon be the start of our last year at school together and I promise you, that I will make your seventh year one to remember. Just remember that people think that they know you by having high expectations of you, your father for instance thinks that he knows you because you're the obedient daughter who didn't kick up a stink about an arranged marriage to someone you really detest but try to like because you want to make him happy. Nott thinks that because you're spending more time with him, you'll be the obedient and loving wife and provide him with sons but that isn't you. I'm sorry if this offends you but the pureblood society is resistant to change and they make these arranged marriages in hope of alliances should they need it in future. These people, they've never stopped and looked at you, not properly because if they had, they would see the girl that I saw the first time we met. These people, they don't know you like I do.

Andromeda, I just want you to try your best to be happy because nothing would make me happier than to see you try.

I miss you too.

Love,

Ted.

She found herself re-reading the letter from Ted several times, with it bringing tears to her eyes because she felt better the more she read it. But when she read the part about there being someone else, what did he mean? Was there someone else for Delia and that's why the relationship had ended? Or had he moved on and liked someone else? Why did it bother her so much, what was it to her if her friend liked someone else and ended it with Delia?

That's when it hit her. She missed Ted, much more than she missed her other friends. His letters were a comfort to her, more than they should have been if they were just from a friend. Ted knew her better than anyone else, she confiding her deepest secrets to him that she wouldn't even share with her sister, why would she do that if Ted was nothing more than her friend as she had been telling herself ever since she had met him.

She was in love with him.

She was in love with him.