this chapter contains blood and death, you've been warned

It had been months since Andromeda had seen her – ten months, to be exact – and Deborah was barely recognisable.

She had lost a lot of weight, her pale skin looked translucent, grey, and dry, her blond hair fell pitifully on her brow, her blue eyes – opened wide in panic as she tried to understand why her Healer had dropped on the ground – seemed to have lost their shine. Andromeda felt herself well up, her throat constrict into a knot and her insides tighten.

I'm so sorry, she thought, feeling as guilty as if she had been the one to put Deborah in that state, and feeling guiltier for what she had done to get here, and feeling guiltier still for what she was about to do.

Still, she could not back down. Not now. Not after having done so much. So she took a deep breath and let the Invisibility Cloak fall at her feet. Deborah's eyes whipped around to where her body materialised, seemingly out of nowhere. There was a beat during which time seemed to stop. Deborah opened her mouth, probably to exclaim something, but no sound came out.

Andromeda wiped her teary eyes before putting her wand back inside the sleeve of her cloak.

'Calm down,' she said meekly, facing the muggleborn. 'I'm not Bellatrix.'

The panic in Deborah's eyes slowly turned to distrustful confusion. Andromeda sidestepped the unconscious Healer to reach her side, and Deborah started scrambling around for anything that could be used as a weapon. There was nothing. Andromeda sighed, feeling worse every passing second, and simply sat on the stool where the Healer had been.

Deborah tried to punch her but it was obvious she had not used her muscles in a long time. Andromeda grabbed her wrist easily.

'Debbie, listen to me,' she said, realising that this was probably the first time the two of them interacted. 'I'm not here to hurt you.'

Debbie's eyes shone with hatred and she opened her mouth to reply. Once more, no sound came out. She was unable to talk.

Andromeda stopped her other fist when Debbie threw it at her face and held it, forcing the girl to look at her.

'Listen to me,' she repeated with more insistence. 'I don't have much time.'

Debbie continued to try and wriggle away, seemingly not willing to pay any attention to what Andromeda was saying. She did, however, present her with every form of reproachful and heinous glare she could muster. Andromeda decided to continue speaking anyway.

'When the Aurors ask you about what happened the night you were attacked, you cannot say anything,' she said forcefully. Debbie stopped gesticulating. 'I know it was Sophie that attacked you, and I know my sister and other people were with her, but you cannot say any of that, understand? Because if you do, Debbie, a lot of people will be hurt.'

Debbie frowned and growled from the depth of her throat. Whatever that meant, Andromeda tried to ignore. Instead, she leaned in to look Debbie dead in the eyes, because the more she talked, the more she realised the reality and the gravity of every word she was saying, and she needed Debbie to understand them too.

'The people that were with Sophie and my sister, there are more of them out there, and they do not want you to say a word because it could harm them, Deborah, you understand? So if you do talk, people are going to be hurt. People are going to die! And you will be their first victim, believe me!'

Debbie started breathing heavily and Andromeda realised just how close to her she was looming, and how loud she had gotten.

So much for hiding your emotions…, she thought, and sighed.

She stepped back and looked around. There was a sink near the desk and a goblet on the bedside table. She went to pour Deborah a glass of water, and maybe thus dampen the poor girl's agitation.

While filling the glass she started thinking about Ted and felt herself well up again. Ted would hate her for pressuring his best friend into keeping silent when she was only just awakening from nearly a year of brain death. Ted would hate her even more if he knew she was hesitating about whether or not to bring up his name in the hope of gaining Debbie's trust, and thus guarantee that she would keep silent.

In the end, she decided against it. It would not help, talking about Ted. It would only confuse Debbie further, and Andromeda assumed this would not be good for her recovery.

'I'm going to leave,' she said, extending the glass to Deborah who refused to even look at it. 'I beg you to listen to me, Deborah. I don't know what you –'

She cut herself short upon hearing odd sounds outside the hut. Deborah had heard too and perked up. They exchanged a glance. Those were not simply odd sounds they were hearing. Those were shouts and growls of pain. Those were fighting sounds.

Andromeda placed the goblet back on the bedside table and hurried to the door. She opened it only wide enough for her eye to see what was beyond and she gasped when it did.

Four wizards cloaked in black hooded robes, their faces hidden under ominous-looking masks, were battling Fenwick, Pacha, and a very confused-looking Brooks. Andromeda held her breath and jumped when she noticed a fifth mask coming her way, dragging someone behind them. She closed the door and turned to the bed. Debbie was looking at her expectantly, waiting for a report.

I won't be able to carry her outside under the Invisibility Cloak or disapparate without risking killing her, Andromeda realised. Maybe I can't disapparate at all. Maybe the wards are still up.

Well… She had already intruded a person's mind and stupefied another since the sun had risen. It looked like she would have to do something similar again.

'Don't be afraid,' she told Deborah while hurrying to pick the Invisibility Cloak up from the ground and enveloping herself in it. 'Don't do anything, and just stay still. I'll protect you.'

Deborah's eyes opened wide when Andromeda disappeared, and she started wriggling on her bed once more. She seemed unable to use her legs. Andromeda moved to her side and brushed her arm to let her know she was still here. Debbie stopped gesticulating.

The door opened.

Sophie was thrown inside.

oooOOOooo

Sophie, looking as pale as a ghost, was kicking and jumping and screaming, but her arms and wrists were tightly tied with ropes and one of her legs was bleeding a river despite being enrolled in a bandage. Hidden under the cape, Andromeda smacked her hand to her mouth.

What have they done to you?

'I beg you, Bella, let me go!' Sophie screeched at the black, masked figure that had brought her here. 'I beg you I won't say anything! I won't do anything! Just let me go and I'll go with you to Albania and you won't even have to use the Imperius on me anymore because I will do every –'

The cloaked figure released a long sigh and shut the door close with her foot. She raised a hand, then, and Andromeda found herself praying that this was not her sister. That somehow Sophie was messing with her, or mistaken, and that the person under the hood was a complete stranger whom Andromeda had never seen before.

But the hood dropped. A mane of long, curly, black hair fell on the person's shoulder. And even before Bella took off her mask and threw it on the ground at her feet, Andromeda knew it was her.

'Shut up, Sophie,' Bella groaned. She looked angry, and tired, and like she did not want to be here at all. 'It wouldn't have come to this if you hadn't been making plans behind my back.'

'Please, Bella…' Sophie wailed.

There was a small pool of blood forming under her injured leg and Andromeda noticed bruises on her pallid face as well. Had she been tortured?

Andromeda startled.

Bellatrix had slapped Sophie.

The sound echoed in Andromeda's ears.

Sophie looked up, shocked, speechless. Bellatrix, slowly, gazed at her reddening hand. There was a long, heavy silence. Was she thinking of Aunt Walburga as well?

She let out a screech, grabbed Sophie by the hair, and threw her on the ground.

'SEE WHAT YOU MAKE ME DO!' she yelled and raised her hand to hit again.

With no conscious intention to do so, Andromeda threw her cloak to the ground and shouted, 'Bella, STOP!'

Time suspended. Bellatrix froze in place. So did Andromeda. So did Sophie.

Slowly, all eyes turned to the middle sister. Bellatrix straightened up and Sophie started sobbing.

'Andy…' she moaned.

'Andy?' asked Bellatrix, looking awestruck.

And as though she had only just gotten inside the room, she let her gaze wander until it landed on Deborah Leeswood. Her eyes widened. Deborah remained still.

'Andy… What are you doing here…?' Bella articulated, her dark gaze never leaving Debby.

'I came to help,' said Andromeda, barely managing to speak as her lips quivered in fear. 'I eavesdropped on you and Rodolphus back home and realised you'd be in danger if De- if the mudblood said anything! So I found a way to get here and… and I… I messed with her memories! Her brain is in shambles right now! She won't be able to say anything to the Aurors, Bella!'

Battle was still raging outside, Andromeda could hear it. Sophie, however, had gone quiet. She was staring at Andromeda very intently. Bellatrix cocked her head.

'How did you know to come here?' she asked carefully.

'I – I found the Auror father had bribed to get you off the hook after the incident at Hogwarts. H-He brought me here.'

Bellatrix's fingers started toying with her wand. 'Ah,' she said simply.

A smile creeped on her face. Andromeda held her breath as shivers travelled through her body. Shivers of fear. Shivers of terror.

'Impressive...' whispered Bellatrix.

Andromeda could only stare as Bellatrix turned to observe Debbie.

'Do you know who I am?' she asked.

Andromeda's heart beat madly, but Debbie played it smart. Her eyes had turned glossy, and empty. A smudge of drool pearled at the corner of her half-open mouth and upon hearing Bellatrix's words, she released a pitiful moan that made Andromeda deeply uncomfortable.

Bellatrix grimaced and shuddered. 'Disgusting…' she breathed and looked away to find Andromeda's eyes once more. 'Well done, sister,' she said.

At her feet, Sophie released a shaky breath.

Andromeda looked at her to see stinging pain on her face. Her lip had been cut from Bella's smack and was bleeding. Her face was bloated with the previous bruises she had on top of the newest, and her leg was still bleeding as well. Andromeda stepped forwards, wanting to help. Bellatrix anticipated her movement and interposed herself.

'Don't,' she said firmly.

'But Bella, I –'

Bellatrix glared at her with eyes devoid of any light. Her eyebrows frowned slightly. It was a warning. Andromeda stepped back.

Bellatrix took a deep breath. Turned around. Her fingers toyed with her wand. Her shoulders started shaking. Andromeda faced her back, but she could feel the tempest raging inside her sister's mind.

'Bella?' she called weakly. 'Bella, what are you…?'

Bellatrix silenced her with another glare, and Andromeda stopped. She watched as Bellatrix slid her wand inside the pocket of her robe, only to extract another wand from another pocket, one which Andromeda immediately recognised for it belonged to the person she had known the longest outside of the Black family, and watched as Bellatrix raise it in the air. Andromeda wanted to speak, wanted to say something. But she only watched. And she only watched as Sophie's eyes grew wider. And she looked back when they found her. And something triggered inside Andromeda's mind that allowed her to do something she had never done before: she did not have to point her wand and cast the spell this time as she dived into Sophie's mind.

I saved your father, Andromeda said.

She exited.

They exchanged a glance.

Sophie nodded imperceptibly and let her lids fall over her eyes as a single tear rolled on her cheek.

'Avada Kedavra!'

oooOOOooo

Sophie's body hit the floor with a thud. It fell next to the Healer's body which Bellatrix, breathing heavily as though she had just ran a marathon, seemed to notice for the time.

'Did you kill that one?' she asked Andromeda matter-of-factly.

Andromeda did not reply. Andromeda did not move, eyes still fixed on Sophie.

Bellatrix stared at her sister. Her eyes were black and devoid of light. Her face was pale and her expression as lifeless as that of the two corpses at her feet. For many seconds Bellatrix did nothing but stare. At no point did she turn around and take a glance at Sophie's body. Then her face muscles started twitching and she grimaced while pointing her wand at the Healer.

'Avada Kedavra!' she shouted.

The Healer's body twitched once and stilled.

Andromeda shuddered. Once more, Bellatrix refused to look at her victim. She let go of Sophie's wand and ignored it when it clattered onto the ground, near Sophie's lifeless hand. She stomped forwards and grabbed Andromeda's wrist. Andromeda did not fight. She was still looking at Sophie.

'We're getting out of here,' Bellatrix said.

She picked up her metallic mask, put it on as well as her hood, opened the door and, unrecognisable, dragged Andromeda outside. The battle, it seemed, had ended. Two Aurors lied on the ground. Dead. The third, Brooks, was on his knees and bleeding.

One of the masked figures turned to Bellatrix and pointed at Brooks.

'He says he works for your – I mean, for Cygnus Black,' He said in a familiar voice.

Bellatrix turned to Andromeda.

'Is that him,' she asked, voice muffled by the mask of metal.

Andromeda stared at the man blankly. There was terror in his eyes.

'Why is she here?' asked one masked man in a growly voice, pointing at Andromeda.

'Is that him?' Bellatrix repeated louder, ignoring him.

Andromeda nodded weakly.

Bellatrix was still holding her wrist and she was dragged along to confront the corrupt Auror.

'There are two bodies inside,' Bellatrix told him, pointing at the hut. 'One is a Healer, the other is just a girl. You will say that the girl killed the Healer and was about to kill the sick mudblood when you arrived and killed her first. If you say anything different, you will die.'

Brooks, down on his knees, wrists tied up, a bruise on his nose, could only nod vigorously.

Bellatrix turned back towards the two masked figures.

'You go first', she said.

'I'll stay behind,' said one masked figure, grabbing a dead Auror – Fenwick–'s Invisibility Cloak. 'Make sure he does as he's told.'

The others nodded. Brooks closed his eyes tightly.

'Hurry. Reinforcements will be on their way,' said another masked man with the deep voice.

Bellatrix nodded. Her friends disapparated, except for the one guarding Brooks. Bellatrix turned back around to face Andromeda, grabbed her other wrist, and disapparated as well.

oooOOOooo

Andromeda fell on her knees and threw up. She had eaten nothing but a breakfast, yet it felt as though her belly would not empty. Bellatrix sat down on the grass next to her and started patting her back gently.

'I'm sorry you had to see that,' she said softly, eyes lost on the shimmering surface of the river on which bank she had taken them. 'But you did well, Andromeda, assuming the mudblood's brains really are in shambles. Now she won't be able to testify against us, while Sophie's failed assassination attempt will direct all the blame on her. She's dead so she won't be able to defend her name, and we will be rid of this business for good.'

Bellatrix started nodding to herself.

'Yes,' she breathed. 'We did good.'

Andromeda coughed. She had nearly choked on her own vomit. Eyes stinging she managed to look up, at Bellatrix, and there she saw a single tear rolling, down her sister's cheek.

She turned back front and threw up again.

oooOOOooo

It felt like aeons before Andromeda could finally sit up. Bellatrix's hand had never left her back and when it seemed Andromeda was done for good, Bellatrix lifted it to pet her little sister's hair instead.

'Better?' she asked gently.

Andromeda continued to look front, at the river Bellatrix had taken them too. It flowed only a few minutes away from Black Manor. When the sisters were little, they used to walk all the way to its bank to play.

When her sister repeated the question, Andromeda still would not meet Bellatrix's eyes, so she nodded. In the corner of her vision she saw Bellatrix smile tenderly.

'That's good,' she said. Looking sorry she added. 'I have to go, Andy. The Death Eaters will be waiting for my report.'

Andromeda did not give any sign of having heard or listened. Bellatrix did not make notice of her silence.

'Wash yourself up in the river,' she said, 'so that you can look presentable, and then head home. If mom and dad ask you questions, just tell them to wait until I arrive. We'll explain together everything that happened, okay?'

Andromeda stayed still.

Bellatrix sighed and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 'You did well, Andy,' she repeated.

She looked down then, and her eyes found Andromeda's necklace diving inside her robe. She took out the pendant and turned it around between her fingers, observing its every facet. Andromeda caught her breath. Bellatrix, focused on the necklace, did not notice. She smiled and let it go. Then she stood up, picked up her mask and disapparated, leaving Andromeda behind. Alone.

Andromeda sat still for who knew how long, legs crossed on the green grass of the river bank. A breeze arose then and made her shiver. She stood up and walked to the river. She washed her face, thoroughly, then her hands and her arms to her elbows. She took a few deep breaths, kneeled over the river, and looked at her reflection. She looked fine.

The necklace hung from her neck, dangling above the water. It was beautiful. A stone shining a thousand colours, its shape perfect in every way. Only that was an illusion. Part of the charm. The necklace was supposed to look perfect, and anyone who dared touch it beyond a select few people, would get burned like insects who got too close to the light.

Andromeda seized it and ripped it from her own neck. She held it in her fist. A few seconds passed, and she opened her palm. The enchantment still held, the necklace would still burn. Andromeda would not carry it.

She closed her fist once more, stood up, took a short run-up, and threw it with all her might.

She watched it make a high curve in the air and peak downwards until it broke the surface of the water with a loud splash. She continued to watch until every ripple had faded away.

Then she turned on her heel and reluctantly joined the road leading to Black Manor.

If I should change the rating for this, please tell me, although I really think that T is alright.

So yeah, that was a little intense ^^

I really hope you liked it...