Once again, the usual hype of excitement was buzzing around the school as the annual Halloween trip to Hogsmeade came about. The new third year students were looking forward to exploring the village and for once, Andromeda was feeling rather excited too. It would be her first date with Ted and most people were under the impression that they were going to the village together as friends, even Nott who wasn't particularly happy about her 'friendship' with a 'mudblood' but she was rather glad that Nott wasn't able to ask her to the village.

Oliver, having failed to hand in his Transfiguration homework for the second time, had been given detention; scrubbing out cauldrons without magic on the day that the trip was scheduled. Andromeda was happy about this, it meant that she could actually be with Ted and not have Oliver brathing down her neck about their wedding plans. There had actually been another development in her wedding, having received a letter from her father the previous week saying that the wedding had been moved from July to December after she graduated, making her cheer for joy that she had a little more time to try and find a way out of the wedding.

But for now, she was going to with Ted. She was falling in love with him and couldn't just remain his friend, it was too painful not having more. Having discussed this with Ted he had told her that it would hurt him to love her from afar and want her in ways that went beyond friendship. The two had also agreed not to discuss their future, one they knew they didn't have together. They both knew that they only had a year at most together and then they would go their separate ways, wiht Andromeda marrying to make her father happy and Ted to move on to someone else as well. They had agreed that their relationship was something that the two of them could look back on when on their deathbeds and hve no regrets at the memories they made.

It was as Andromeda was leaving her dormitory when Narcissa grabbed her arm and shoved her back inside the empty room, locking the door and casting a silencing charm to prevent them from being disturbed. Andromeda scowled and checked her watch, she was going to be late if her sister was going to keep both of them locked in here.

"I know what you are doing." Narcissa started.

"Doing what?"

Narcissa scoffed slightly which caused Andromeda's heart to race as the look on her sister's face told her what she didn't want anyone to know.

"I saw you, snogging that filthy mudblood on top of the astronomy tower. Did you really think that no-one would catch you? Are you his whore now? You are supposed to be marrying Oliver Nott next year." Narcissa hissed.

"You saw me?" Andromeda asked, mortified.

She watched as her sister nodded, "And I will be telling father, make the most of the time you have left with the mudblood because you do not have much time left." Narcissa said bitterly.

Andromeda knew that her sister would never approve of her relationship with Ted but she was sick of being greeted by evil glares and tutting if Narcissa saw her meeting Ted's eye at dinner, it had always been that way; even before she had started dating Ted. She didn't want to give Ted up because he was her only source of happiness and it was hope that her sister wanted her to be happy which caused her plead.

"Please Cissy, you can't tell anyone. Ted, he's the only thing that keeps me happy. I don't want this marriage, I don't want to be Oliver's and I know I made a promise to father but please just keep this secret. For me, as your sister, please just let me be happy this last year." Andromeda implored.

Narcissa scoffed again but her eyes softened, Andromeda noticed and she hoped that maybe, just maybe that Narcissa would be talked round into keeping her 'sordid' little secret.

"Be discreet but if I catch you again I will tell father. But I have a few more conditions." Narcissa warned.

Andromeda gulped, "Name them." she said.

"If father finds out on his own, I knew nothing about it. If you get dragged into the gutter for your mistake then I will not be dragged with you otherwise I will kill you myself, the same goes for if Bella finds out." Narcissa warned.

"Thank you-"

"Do not thank me. I hardly know who you are anymore." Narcissa said bitterly, uncasting her spells and leaving the room.

Andromeda took a slow walk from the common room as she was on her way to meet Ted. She knew that her sister was meeting up with Jemima, Oliver's younger sister. She greeted Ted in the entrance hall and joined the small queue of people that were lining up to sign out. They didn't talk until they had signed their signature on the sheet of parchment and started to make their way down the path.

"Are you okay?" Ted asked quietly.

Andromeda sighed heavily, "Narcissa knows about us." she whispered.

They didn't stop walking but Ted looked concerned that someone knew about their relationship.

"How?" he questioned.

"She saw us that night on the astronomy tower, she's a prefect now." Andromeda explained.

"What did she say?"

"Narcissa threatened to go to my father but she promised she wouldn't as long as we're discreet but she still doesn't approve. The only other reason she won't tell is because I told her that I wanted one year of happiness before I marry that vile boy." Andromeda muttered.

"Dromeda, I don't want to be the reason why you fall out with your sister." said Ted.

They reached the bottom of the path and walked out of the high metal gates, walking in silence for a few minutes as they continued their walk towards the already crowded village. She didn't know where they would go first but they walked a little slower in order to continue their conversation while they wouldn't be overheard.

"We're sisters, it's our job to fight. As long as we keep our relationship low key and she doesn't catch us again then we're fine. As long as we are discreet, my father will never know." Andromeda replied.

He nodded stiffly, "Then discreet it is." he agreed.

The couple decided to give honeydukes a miss for now, deciding to go in there last. They went to the quill shop first so that Ted could buy a new one having broken his whilst doing homework the night before. Andromeda wasn't really in the mood for shopping after her conversation with her sister and although she kept smiling and assuring Ted she was fine, he could tell that she wasn't. They decided to go for a walk, strolling off the main path that connected to the high street and headed for a deserted field with long grass; the perfect place to sit and talk privately because they knew they wouldn't be seen by anyone.

They sat down on a patch of grass that had been trodden on and so lay flat on the ground, they both stared up at the cloudy sky with patches of pale blue sneaking in between.

"Don't let her get to you, I know it's easier said than done but we agreed that this year would be a happy one for both of us." Ted muttered.

Andromeda met his eyes, so full of concern that she wasn't happy.

"I want to be happy, more than anything."

"But?"

Andromeda inhaled sharply, "But I'm already falling in love with you and it's only been a few weeks. We don't have a future, we only have now and that hurts me." she admitted.

Ted took her hand, "That's true, it hurts me to. But it's like you said, we only have now. We won't dwell on what the future holds for us because we know this will end soon so let's make the most of our time together Dromeda. Be happy with me, one day at a time." he whispered.

She was taken by surprise when he leaned over and kissed her. Andromeda loved the way that Ted kissed her, it made her feel that nothing else mattered; that they were the only two people in the world. Having so much pressure on her made her feel like she was drowning and Ted was the air that filled her lungs that depended on her survival. He gaver her life meaning, he made her want to live and not just exist in this world, he made her feel like the person she knew she was but was expected to keep hidden and be the person that her family expected her to be. Ted told her that he felt the exact same way as she did about him, he had been a nobody before. He had blended in to the background so that 'popular' people could take the spotlight, as was the case with his relationship with Delia. When he had been with Delia it had been about what Delia had wanted, what Delia needed to be happy and Ted's happiness took a back seat because of it but now his relationship with her was about the two of them equally.

When they broke apart, they both smiled at the other. Ted placed his arm around her shoulder and they fell backwards, lying on the grass as they continued to look up at the clouds; pointing out if a certain one looked like an animal or an object. Andromeda curled up into his side, resting her head on his chest as she sighed happily, this couldn't be more perfect.