A/N: The final term has started… We're in the homestretch now.
Please Note: After I posted the last chapter I got some very bad news that my cat has cancer and only has a little time left. Updates may be sort of sporadic for a little while. I'm doing my best.
Soundtrack: "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo and "Where is My Love? (Acoustic)" by SYML and "For Now I am Winter" by Olafur Arnalds
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The Slytherin common room was cold despite the fire that burned in the large fireplace. Andromeda sat perfectly still on the black leather couch, hard and unyielding underneath her, but Andromeda did not feel it. She didn't feel anything. No tears fell from her eyes; they just stared straight ahead, unseeing.
She vaguely heard the sound of deep voices next to her as Lucius spoke cheerfully with Rabastian on the couch opposite of them. Lucius had his ankle resting on his knee and his long arm stretched over the back of the couch around her. Andromeda made no movement to remove it. They ignored her stony presence; she was not relevant to them. She was an object now, obtained and owned.
Andromeda slowly brought her eyes down to her hands in her lap. The ring felt strange on her hand. The cold metal wrapped around the soft flesh and the heavy stones surrounding the black pearl weighed it down so it sat tilted on her pale, thin finger. It was strange that such a small thing had caused such a change in her life.
It was the same black pearl that she had worn around her neck for years. Lucius had ripped it from her a year ago, and he had given it back to her in the form of an engagement ring this year.
Andromeda had lain in her bed and cried her eyes out for the entirety of Christmas day. She cried until her body was exhausted from shaking and her pillows were soaked with salty tears. She cried until her eyes were bruised and her lips were chapped. She cried until she fell asleep but received no rest. She curled her body into a ball and held the snow globe against her chest, heaving with sobs.
"You're scaring me," Narcissa's voice was soft but deep with worry. "Do you want me to bring you anything?"
But Andromeda had no appetite. Not for food or water, not for life anymore. What was life without Ted? What was life locked away in a mansion forced to be the wife of Lucius Malfoy? She knew what he would expect from her; what he would take without a second thought.
Her Mother had come in late that night and told her that Lucius would be by in the morning and she was allowed out of her room to see him. Andromeda refused.
"I will not go down. I will not speak to him!" She pushed herself up on the bed. "I will not marry him!" She screamed.
"You will!" Druella hissed.
Andromeda glared darkly at her Mother with red eyes.
Her Mother huffed and looked around the room briefly.
"Your Father and I… He has provided you with everything you could have ever wanted, Andromeda. This house, your dresses, everything you have ever asked for!" She snapped. "The least you can do is obey his wishes!"
Andromeda sat up, clutching the snow globe with the cottage in her hand. "I don't care," She snarled. "I don't want it, he can have it back, all of it! I'll leave, I'll go today!"
Druella's dark eyes narrowed at her daughter. "You ungrateful girl!" She scoffed. "Master Malfoy is giving your Father 40% of the shares in Malfoy Enterprises for you; not that you're even worth that anymore!" She said viciously.
"I'm not marrying him. I won't do it." Andromeda raised her chin. "I love Ted and he loves me-"
"You will not say that again while you are under this roof!" Druella's eyes blazed.
"Then let me go!" Andromeda begged. "Mother, please," She crawled to the edge of the bed. "Please, don't make me do this,"
Druella recoiled from Andromeda, glaring down at her. "That's… that's not an option. Your Father… has made a few mistakes." She paused and Andromeda watched her face intently. "The gold… the gold is gone." Druella had a hard time saying those words.
"What do you mean the gold is gone?" Andromeda asked breathlessly.
"A few bad investments," Druella crossed her arms and looked away. "He's borrowed gold from Rodolphus to get through the last few months."
Andromeda stared opened mouthed at her Mother. This was no small feat. The gold was gone. All of it.
"The dividends he will get from Malfoy Enterprises will keep us afloat. He will be able to pay back Rodolphus and the others. Eventually."
"How many others?" Andromeda breathed.
"Too many," Druella muttered.
Andromeda could hardly believe what she was hearing.
"How… how could he let this happen?"
"You know your Father," Druella said softly. "Without Lucius' gold we will have nothing. We will lose everything," Druella explained. "No more parties, no more dinners. Everything will be sold off, all our things... Narcissa will never make a good match, no one wants a ruined girl," She said, close to tears. Andromeda felt a pang of guilt. Narcissa wasn't the one who was ruined, but she was the one who would pay the price.
"Not that there would be any money for her wedding anyways," Her Mother said, finally breaking down as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Andromeda stared at her Mother as she cried into her hands. Narcissa had been dreaming of her wedding since she was a little girl. She would dress up, pick flowers from the garden, and parade herself around. She had hung on Bella's every word once she had gotten married, picturing herself in that role of someone's life. Narcissa had told Andromeda how much making a good match meant to her, that finding the right husband was her way to find power…
"You're going to marry him," Druella said in a firm voice, wiping her eyes. "You're going to do it for your sister." She looked towards Andromeda. "You can hate me and your Father for the rest of your life, but don't take it out on Narcissa."
Andromeda didn't know how much more pain she could take before she crumbled in on herself.
"Tomorrow morning," Druella said, standing up. "Wash yourself, dress yourself, and come into the drawing room at nine o'clock. It's time to grow up, Andromeda." She said without looking at her daughter and closed the door behind her as she left.
Andromeda watched the firelight play against the smooth surface of the black pearl on her finger. The diamonds surrounding it sparkled brilliantly in the low light. Lucius had arranged for his carriage to bring them back to the school after the winter holidays instead of taking the train back. She had not seen or heard from Ted since Christmas Eve and was dreading when she had to see him again. How was she supposed to look him in the eye after what she had done?
"It's late, love"
Andromeda looked up to see Lucius' hand outstretched towards her. She looked up at him as if seeing him for the first time this evening. Slowly she lifted her hand and took his.
Lucius smirked as he saw the ring on her hand. He pulled her up to stand in front of him.
"You know," He reached up and brushed her long hair over her shoulder. "You can come to my bed tonight, if you want,"
Andromeda felt her breath quicken as she gazed into his pale grey eyes.
"It's… it's been a long day," Andromeda said quietly. "I'm tired,"
Lucius' face fell slightly. "As my future wife-"
"Future" Andromeda repeated. "And until then-"
"Until then," Lucius interrupted. "You'll conduct yourself in a manner befitting of a Malfoy," He said harshly. No other explanation was needed; they both knew he was talking about Ted.
She felt a small spark of something inside her for the first time since Christmas Eve.
"And on our wedding night," Lucius growled, his eyes moving over her.
Andromeda stiffened.
"You will submit to me and every one of my desires," Lucius enunciated each word.
Andromeda felt bile rise in her throat and took a deep breath to try and push it back down.
"Until then," Lucius continued. He lifted her hand up and gazed at the ring on her finger before kissing her hand softly. "Sleep well, Andromeda."
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Ted rested his head in his hand, leaning on the table as the students around him talked excitedly about the first day back at school. The morning light was a pale grey as it shone through the long windows of the Great Hall. Ted's eyes were red rimmed with dark circles under them and a shadow of stubble covered his chin. His dirty blonde hair stuck out in different directions and his robes were rumpled and wrinkled.
He had woken up Christmas morning shivering and frozen in the snow and terribly alone. He had never felt a pain like the one he felt when Cygnus Black had sold Andromeda to Malfoy right in front of him and he had been powerless to stop it. He had tried to go back to Black Mansion, but could not find it again. Where it was supposed to be was just… nothing. He stumbled back home knowing that Cygnus must have updated their wards specifically to keep him out.
Ted had wandered home and spent the rest of the holidays hoping that Andromeda would get some kind of message to him; tell him that she still loved him and she was running away to be with him. But he only had the cold and silent snow answer him as it piled up outside his window.
He had arrived at Platform 9 ¾ early and watched as students and parents crossed the barrier, waiting for her, but she never arrived. After searching the entire train three times he accepted the fact that she was not on it. Neither was Malfoy.
Malfoy had her. Ted couldn't get the image of Malfoy's sick gleaming face as he held Andromeda to him. He felt nauseous remembering her honey eyes on him, tears spilling down her face. He hadn't been fast enough, smart enough, or strong enough. He should have just grabbed her by the hand as soon as she walked into the study and ran off with her. He should never have even gone there that night.
Now she was gone.
Ted ran his hand over his face, scratching at the stubble on his cheeks.
He trudged through the snow towards the greenhouse for Herbology. The cold air bit into him but he didn't even seem to feel it. He took his place, leaning on the table in front of him heavily and hung his head.
Professor Sprout greeted the class warmly and welcomed the last students making their way in from the snow. Ted kept his eyes down, just trying to get through the morning so he could get through the evening just to get through another day tomorrow. Without Andromeda he felt lost. He wondered where she was right now.
Ted lifted his head to begin his work. He looked up as he grabbed an empty pot in front of him and pulled it towards himself. Ted blinked several times before he came to the calm conclusion that he had actually gone crazy. He was hallucinating. There was no possible way that Andromeda was standing on the opposite side of the long worktable in the middle of the greenhouse about halfway to the door from him. He blinked his red eyes several more times.
No, that was definitely Andromeda. Here. Real.
Ted dropped his bag of dirt loudly on the table, unable to keep his eyes off her. She was slowly adding fertilizer to her pot. She was moving slowly, deliberately, her large dragon hide gloves stretching up her arms and a grey apron covering her uniform, but it was undoubtedly her.
"Andromeda!" Ted called out, unable to stop himself and not caring to at this point.
Her hand hovered over her pot for a moment then she poured the fertilizer in without looking over at him.
"Andromeda!" Ted called again, more urgently.
Her hand shook, but she did not look at him.
Ted pulled off his gloves. He didn't care that it was the middle of class. He was going over there, had to get to her.
Ted stopped as he looked back up to see Malfoy's white hand close around her wrist tightly. Ted looked up to see his grey eyes storming with anger. They were too far apart to talk, but his message was clear; Andromeda was his.
Ted bristled. He was going to rip Malfoy's hands off and beat him with them. Ted was distracted as Andromeda dropped her trowel into her pot and Ted saw the pained expression on her face.
Ted's dark eyes held Malfoy's pale ones until finally he broke their gaze. Malfoy released Andromeda's wrist and he saw her rub it hastily. He wasn't going to let her get hurt because of him.
He rushed through the rest of the class, just waiting for it to be over so he could try and talk to Andromeda.
It wasn't over between them. She was here and he just had to get to her.
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As Professor Sprout dismissed them, Andromeda did not bother to clean her station but just grabbed her bag and bolted for the door before Lucius or anyone else could stop her.
"Miss Black!" Professor Sprout called after her, but she did not slow. Andromeda was halfway back to the castle when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She could have collapsed at the weight that she felt when he touched her. The fragile glass she had built around herself to protect her from Ted shattered the moment she felt the warmth from his palm.
"Andromeda," Ted's voice was shaking, "Please," He swallowed hard. Andromeda did not turn around, not yet. Tears were pricking in her eyes again and she heaved her bag onto her shoulder further. "Just talk to me. You can say whatever you want to, just talk to me." His voice was pleading, pain resonating through it.
She sniffed and closed her eyes for a bit longer than a standard blink, then turned. Andromeda's heart felt like it had turned into shards of ice as she saw Ted's face. Red nose, red eyes, tears about to spill over onto his cheeks. The red tinted stubble more pronounced on his face and his hair as wild as it had been when she had woken up next to him.
Andromeda's throat closed and swelled as her own tears spilled from her eyes. She couldn't have spoken even if she knew the words to say. His eyes were searching her face for any answer, but she had none.
"What… what happened?" Ted gasped. "Where've you been? I thought…"
Andromeda bit her lip and played with the gloves on her hands. She let out a short breath and watched as it clouded in front of her.
"I came back," She said softly as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his again. Ted seemed to be trying to smile, thinking she came back to him. "With Lucius," Andromeda added, hating herself as much as the words she spoke.
Ted's mouth fell open slightly and his earthy eyes grew wide with disbelief.
She knew she was breaking his heart, she was watching it happen right in front of her. Andromeda wanted to die, the pain on his face was more than she could bear.
"Why…" Ted finally croaked out. A sob wracked her body and she let her chin hit her chest.
"Dromeda, please," Ted choked out, crying now too, "We were happy…" It seemed to take everything in him just to say this.
She had never felt pain like this before, radiating cold through her very core. She thought her soul was breaking. She wanted to tell him everything, that she still loved him that she wanted more than anything to be with him, that he was perfect. Instead, Andromeda merely let out another sob.
Ted pulled her behind a few stone pillars as the rest of the students from Herbology were now walking past towards the castle for lunch. Ted wiped the tears roughly from his face with the back of his hand and reached out to tilt her face up to his. His fingers on her face were almost too much for her to stand.
"Ted," she breathed, she owed him the truth. If she was going to break his heart he deserved to know why.
"Are you offering your congratulations?" Lucius' drawling voice called out as he approached the pair behind the pillar.
Ted wiped his face again quickly and glared at the blonde. "Go away, Malfoy." Ted's voice was strong, but still had a waiver of emotion in it. "This doesn't concern you."
"No?" Lucius feigned surprise, coming to stand behind Andromeda's shoulder. "I think anything to do with my fiancée has something to do with me." Lucius could not keep the triumphant expression off of his face.
"She's not going to marry you," Ted argued. "She doesn't love you!"
"Then why," Lucius snarled as he grabbed her wrist tightly again, making her wince, and pulled her hand up.
Andromeda gasped as he roughly pulled the glove from her hand.
"Is she wearing my ring?" Lucius snarled. He shoved her hand in front of Ted with a smug expression on his face.
Andromeda felt another crack in her chest as she watched Ted's expression at the sight of the black pearl ring on her finger.
Lucius sneered and threw her hand back down.
"Ted…" Andromeda pleaded, her honey eyes pouring into his.
"That's enough." Lucius snapped, moving himself in between Ted and her. "You are upsetting my fiancée and I won't have that." He seemed to be throwing that word around just to try and get a rise out of Ted.
Ted ignored Lucius, his eyes closing in on Andromeda's over Lucius' shoulder. "Dromeda," he paused, "No…"
"You were right Tonks," Lucius sneered. "She can make her own decisions. And now she has."
"You…" Ted choked on the words. "You're going to marry him?" His voice shook.
Andromeda gave the smallest nod and Ted let out a sob that she felt echo through her own body. Lucius scoffed, but Ted either didn't care or didn't notice, his eyes still trained on hers.
A minute ago she wanted to die and now she knew her wish had been granted. Andromeda was dead. At least inside. Anything good and well in her was gone. She was hollow. She was a shell.
Ted ran his hand through his light hair, threatening to pull it from his very skull. He twisted and turned as if trying to find a way around this before finally falling down on his knee, cradling his head in his hands.
Andromeda moved to go to him. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss his tears. She couldn't bear to see him like this; her own pain was forgotten for the smallest moment and all she could think about was putting a stop to his.
Lucius grabbed her quickly and viciously. "Don't you dare," He hissed in her ear, pulling her body against his. He felt hard and cold against her. "You're mine now, better start acting like it." He spat out every word as he placed his cold cheek against her own wet one.
Andromeda met Ted's eyes; they pleaded for this to not be real. She had never in her whole life seen pain in someone's eyes like she was seeing in Ted's. Lucius wrapped his arm around her midriff and let his hand rest on her lower stomach. Ted looked as if he was about to be sick at the sight of it.
Lucius savored the image of Ted bawling in front of them on his knees and let the scene sear itself into Andromeda's brain like a brand for good measure before turning her away from him and guiding her back into the castle.
"Dromeda…" Ted's tearful voice called out causing a fresh wave of her own tear to spill onto her cheeks and down her neck. She could still hear him gasping for breath.
"ANDROMEDA!" It sounded as though he was tearing his throat with the force of his scream.
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Lucius sat in a chair in the far corner of the common room. He watched closely as Andromeda sat on one of the large cushions next to the tall windows that offered a view into the lake. Her legs were pulled up against her chest and her head rested on the paned glass, which cast a sickly green glow over her. She hadn't moved in the last forty-five minutes.
He set aside his quill and parchment with a sigh. She had slipped the ring on so easy and then slipped into this soulless state that she had been in for the last few weeks. He had always liked her strange and fiery streak but if it was still there, it was buried deep.
He had done it. He had broken her just like he broke the fillies he bred into prize mares. She was his prize now. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't have all of her, not yet at least. There was still a part of her that he hadn't touched, hadn't taken. A small thrum of fear passed through him at the thought that even after their wedding night, he would never have all of her. There had been and would always be a part of Andromeda that was unobtainable and that drove Lucius to madness.
"Hi," Narcissa said with a huff as she sat in the chair across from him. "What have you got there?" She asked as she peered at the parchment in his hands.
"Bill of sale," Lucius said in a low voice as he folded the paper and stuck it in his breast pocket.
Narcissa smiled sweetly at him and he couldn't help but notice that she was looking less like a cute girl and more like a beautiful woman everyday. Her blue eyes were clear and bright and… shining as she looked at him.
"You're next," He said with a smirk.
"What do you mean?" Narcissa tilted her head to the side and her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulder.
"To get married," He explained. "Now that Andromeda is engaged, your Father will be entertaining suitors for your hand,"
Narcissa blushed and Lucius smirked wider. He liked her modesty and purity. She was more… docile than her sister. Obedient.
"He will be a lucky man, I'll say that," Lucius said, sitting back and letting his eyes move over her. Her body was very different from Andromeda's. Where Andromeda was all curves and fullness, Narcissa was lithe and thin. A slip of a girl with a small waist and a petite frame. He couldn't help but imagine how easy it would be to conquer her.
"Andromeda is a lucky girl," Narcissa said breathlessly and tucked her silky blonde hair behind her ear in embarrassment at her boldness.
Lucius surveyed her as he gave her an open mouth smirk. "Why thank you," Lucius inclined his head towards her, "love," He added.
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"They're coming for you," Andromeda muttered quietly.
It was the first time in weeks she had spoken to him. Ted had watched her from afar, unable to break the habit after cultivating it for so many years. It seemed almost as if there was nothing left of the wild, radiant Andromeda that he had known. She also wasn't the arrogant and disdainful Slytherin she used to pretend to be.
This was a new Andromeda, a ghost that walked the halls, talked to teachers, and sat with her sister but seemed to be empty, just a shell of a person. Her wavy hair was dull and flat; her eyes were muted and dark like wet sand. She never let them meet his anymore; if she had to look in his direction she would blink slowly as they moved over him. It was like his existence had been erased along with hers.
Ted turned at the sound of her voice, more like a memory after so long.
"What?"
Students passed them in the corridor, laughing and running towards their next class.
"They're coming for you," She repeated, her voice so soft he could barely hear it. "On your next patrol,"
Her eyes landed on him and Ted felt a schism in his chest. For just a moment he could see her so clearly; smiling, laughing, throwing her head back like she used to. But his vision was interrupted by the grey skinned, pale shadow of the person that used to be Andromeda.
"Who?" Ted asked.
"Lucius." She whispered his name and Ted felt a deep thrum of anger in his chest. "Rabastian. Thaddeus. Corban." She listed off their names one by one, her face blank as she named them.
Ted stared down at her. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, so many things he wanted to ask, but all he could manage was, "How do they even know when I'm patrolling?"
"Because I told them." Andromeda said flatly.
"Why would you do that?" Ted asked quickly, confused at her admission and this entire conversation.
"So I could tell you when they were coming," She explained.
He gazed into her amber eyes. She was still in there. Somewhere, buried deep. She was still there.
Her Slytherin mind amazed him. She was stuck in a world of hate and misery but she was still fighting. They had been plotting to come after him and she had fed them information then turned around and sold them out. She betrayed them. For him.
"So don't patrol on Thursday, just say you did," Andromeda stated.
"Why are you telling me this?" Ted asked breathlessly.
"Promise me," She whispered urgently.
"I promise," Ted answered. He would have given her the world if she would ask it of him. "Why?" He repeated, searching her face.
'They can't change the way I feel,' Andromeda wanted to say. She wanted to tell him… so many things, but like before, the words would not come out.
Ted's deep eyes locked onto hers and saw just the slightest glimmer in them, a flash that disappeared quickly back down.
"No matter what," She breathed out. Hoping that he would understand what she was trying to say.
Ted gaped at her as she easily slid away from him and slithered back into the crowd of students.
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"She warned you?" Howard asked him as Ted sat in the Hufflepuff common room Thursday night instead of walking the halls.
"Yeah," Ted said as he looked into the orange flames.
"Well I'm not surprised," Howard said as he leaned back into the couch.
Ted turned his head towards his friend. "What are you on about?"
"She told me how unhappy she is," Howard commented.
Ted felt like he had just been hit over the head with a troll's club. "She what?"
Howard sighed. "She made me promise not to say anything," He explained.
"Tell me. Everything." Ted said with wide eyes. "Right now."
Howard sighed and ran his hands over his thighs in thought. "We've been… talking," He stated.
"Talking," Ted repeated as if he didn't understand the word.
Howard nodded. "Mm-hmm. In the Library. There's this one study desk where there's a large chip in the side of the partition and you can whisper and no one around you can hear you,"
Ted felt his jaw drop open.
"She misses you," Howard said in a small voice.
"When… when were you going to tell me this?" He asked breathlessly.
Howard groaned and leaned his head back. "I wasn't. She asked me not to. She's going to kill me once she finds out I told you all this," Howard continued.
"Why have you been talking to her?" Ted asked urgently.
"Well," Howard rolled his eyes. "She's not as bad as I thought. We're kind of… kind of friends now." He shrugged.
Ted could hardly believe his ears.
"Look, she didn't want me to tell you because she doesn't want you to get your hopes up. I asked her and she said that she's going to marry Malfoy. It's… a whole thing with her family." He shook his head sadly. "Mate, I'm sorry,"
Ted merely stared at his friend. Andromeda had been talking to Howard. About him. She missed him. She warned him about Malfoy's plan to beat him into a pulp, or worse. She made him promise…
"I love you. No matter what,"
"Oh no," Howard said, "No, I know that look, Ted-"
She was trying to help him. She still cared about him. He had seen that glimmer in her eye today. Andromeda was still in there, his Andromeda… His goddess.
"Ted," Howard warned.
"She loves me." Ted stated.
"Ted," Howard's eyes went wide and he started to shake his head. "You can't-"
"She still loves me," Ted breathed out.
Howard groaned and threw himself against the back of the couch. "She's going to kill me for this," He muttered.
"She's still in love with me," He repeated, savoring the words. A ray of hope shone in his heart for the first time in a month.
Howard pinched his nose and sighed.
"She loves me," Ted said again, unable to stop.
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A/N: Okay so this was a shorter chapter but I feel like I can't put anything more in this one or it will be too overwhelming. PS- the scene outside Herbology was the second thing I ever wrote for this fic way back.
I'm not sure when I'll update again, but I will be back.
Eventually.