Later that night, Andromeda sneaks from her room out to a rarely used bathroom outside the corridor for the Slytherin's commons. There was a chance that she'd be found breaking curfew, but she risked it for the bit of privacy that it offered her. As brilliant as Hogwarts was, Andromeda often felt suffocated by the amount of people always pressing together. It was stifling. She much preferred the intimacy of small arrangements, her alone with one or two people, or even just being alone by herself.
She slips into the bathroom and lets out a breath of relief, muttering a quick spell to make sure no one would slip in on accident. Once alone, Andromeda goes to stand before the large mirrors. She sets her cloak to the side and unbuttons her shirt quickly, setting it on the sink. She turns to the mirror and lets out a quick panicked breath. Her stomach was no longer flat and firm, but it had started to take decisive shape, rounding out as the baby inside her grew. She runs her hand down from the top of her stomach, feeling the bump. Bellatrix would notice soon. Or someone. Rabastan, maybe. Someone would notice, and then everything would fall apart.
Andromeda closes her eyes and pictures for a moment what would happen if her pregnancy was discovered. She thinks about her father, sliding out his wand and telling her what a disappointment she is the family name, how she's disgraced generations of proud purebloods. He'd push the crutiatus curse far worse than he ever had before, she knew it. Perhaps far enough to kill the child and be done with it. She wasn't sure, but a flicker of fear flashed through her that he wouldn't stop there and push the spell until Andromeda was driven mad as well.
Andromeda turns on the water in one of the sinks and dunks her head in it, trying to clear out her fears. She dries her face and quickly buttons her shirt up, the buttons straining slightly against the new size of her stomach.
Her thoughts wander to Narcissa and the fight they had had earlier that day. Cissy hadn't understood… Andromeda was trying to keep her safe. Cissy was just too young, even if the bright little girl refused to admit it. And she idolized Trixy too much. Andromeda knew there wasn't much she could do for Bellatrix. Trixy was always too smart and too cruel to listen to Andromeda's protests and concerns. But Cissy could have been different. If she hadn't been brought up by the strictness of the Black household, or subjected to the influences of Bellatrix and her already extreme beliefs, Andromeda was sure Cissy would be different. It was even worse now that she was dating Lucius.
Andromeda didn't care for Lucius. He was cold-eyed and sharp-tongue. She remembered how cruel he had been at the train station her first year going to Hogwarts. He had been there with his family and Bellatrix had taken her as she went to say hello. The Malfoy's house elf had tripped on some uneven tile and torn Lucius's cloak on accident. Lucius had slapped the elf with the back of his hand and scolded the poor thing with such scathing words that Andromeda had hated him instantly.
She knew Narcissa was crazy about him and had tried to forgive him for her sake, tried to believe that he wasn't as vile as her gut told her. She had to do this with so many of the frequent guests in the Black household. So many of them were cruel or terrifying to her, which is why Andromeda had drawn more and more into herself and her books. At least Lucius was soft with Narcissa. She had often seen the two whispering together as if they were the only two in the world, or always making sure some bit of themselves were touching- interlocking pinkies or knees pressed together- and Lucius had never, as far as Andromeda knew, said a harsh word to Cissy. But she was such a naive and trusting little girl, she could bring out the best in anyone.
Andromeda worried more about what he would turn Narcissa into. She worried he would invite Cissy into his and Trixy's world- the one filled with hate and secrets and passed around whispers that Andromeda was never trusted with. She wanted to help Cissy. Wanted to get her out, get her somewhere far away, but she didn't know how.
And this little baby was starting to grow.
She had to leave. She knew it. She had to hope that Narcissa's heart would be stronger than Bellatrix and Lucius's hate. She would do what she could for her dear little sister, but she had to get out and get this baby to safety before it was too late.