Andromeda woke up at midday to find her husband sleeping on the floor, a stuffed rabbit shoved in her face, and three small girls sprawled across the bed. Apparently her bonsai self and Narcissa had not felt the need to ask permission, and had preferred to sneak in whilst she was asleep. She wondered whether Ted had relocated to the floor voluntarily or been kicked out, whilst comatose, by a wriggling six year old. She felt someone blowing on her face.

'Narcissa!'

'You're awake!' a high-pitched voice cried happily.

'I am now. Must you do that?'

'Cissy, that's my head you're kneeling on,' muttered Bellatrix, who was curled up next to Andromeda.

'Sorry, Bella. Is Anna still pretending?' asked Narcissa in a stage whisper.

'I'm awake! Don't poke me!' screeched little Andromeda hurriedly, scrambling to her feet, jumping out of the bed and landing on Ted's stomach. Ted let out a groan.

'And my wife claims Dora got her mischief from my side of the family...'

'You're awake too!'

'I see etiquette lessons haven't started yet,' said Andromeda dryly.

'Oh, we know how to behave in public,' said little Andromeda brightly, 'but you're not public.'

Andromeda laughed at her younger self's response.

'Of course, it's all about being seen to be respectable,' she said, rolling her eyes.

'That's what Uncle Alphard says!'

'All right. Go and get dressed. Cissy, do you need a hand?'

Narcissa, who was by this point sitting primly on the edge of the bed, her ankles crossed and her hands folded neatly on her lap; as if trying to demonstrate to Andromeda just how well she could behave, shook her head, slipped off the bed, and with an elegant toss of her blonde head, skipped balletically towards the door, dragging little Andromeda along with her.

'I can dress myself,' she said in a slightly injured tone. 'I'm six.'

Andromeda looked at Bellatrix, who was still curled up next to her. She still looked a little fragile.

'Feeling better?'

Bellatrix nodded slowly, although her agreement didn't really convince Andromeda, who knew that it was a point of honour for Bellatrix not to admit to weakness. She sighed.

'Go and get dressed, then. Give Cissy a hand, will you? I know perfectly well she never dresses herself, and we both know she's going to get herself in a muddle.'

Bellatrix smiled weakly, slipped out the bed and made towards the door.

'You know,' said Ted, massaging his ribs, 'I never thought I would ever feel sorry for your parents, but I'm seriously starting to reconsider.'

Within half an hour three children and two adults were downstairs. Andromeda was cooking lunch, but in the meantime the children, who had not had any evening meal the night before, were sitting at the kitchen table eating toast. Narcissa was ensconced on Ted's knee, her face covered in bright red jam; little Andromeda was dropping crumbs all over Babbity, who was sat on her lap; both were watching in fascination as Ted levitated an apple and used a severing charm to peel it in one go, without breaking the peel; and Bellatrix sat quietly, eyeing Ted slightly warily, but unable to find anything about the muggle-born's behaviour that she could object to.

A few minutes later, Tonks came stumbling into the kitchen, tripping over a flagstone tile and ending up splayed on the floor.

'Are you all right, Dora?' said Ted, in a tone of voice that suggested this wasn't anything he hadn't been expecting.

'Never better,' said Tonks sarcastically, as she sat on the floor rubbing her knees and examining a fresh graze on her elbow. Andromeda tossed a jar of graze-removal paste at her, having reacted so quickly it was almost as if she had got the jar out of the cupboard as soon as she had heard her daughter coming down the stairs. Tonks looked round at the occupants in the room.

'It's like a Slytherin coven in here, how about we charm the room yellow, Dad, and make things a bit more civilised?'

Andromeda struggled to contain a laugh. Little Andromeda got up from her seat and sat down beside Tonks, smiling up at her.

'I'm going to Slytherin?'

'You were never going to go anywhere else,' Ted laughed.

Suddenly Tonks spotted Babbity in little Andromeda's hand.

'So that's where she went! I don't remember saying you could borrow her!' she cried teasingly.

'I needed her more than you did,' said little Andromeda haughtily, 'you're too old for rabbits.'

'I wasn't aware there was an age limit.'

'And anyway, she was mine first, and I haven't given her to you yet.'

Tonks didn't really have an answer for that.

'When do we need to leave for Grimmauld Place, Mum?'

'We're in no rush; Dumbledore's not scheduled to arrive until this evening.'

Andromeda sounded a little sad. Bellatrix couldn't help but notice, and remembering their conversation, smiled at her sister.

'It's all right, Anna, we'll see each other soon, I promise.' She was surprised when Andromeda did not look comforted at all.