10th July 1971

Sirius awoke late one morning to loud shouting coming from downstairs.

She quickly scrambled out of bed in her nightdress, running barefoot down the many flights of stairs. She burst into the drawing room, but no one noticed. Sirius' parents were there, Aunt Druella too, Uncle Cygnus, Great Aunt Elladora, Regulus, Narcissa. Even Kreacher was lurking in the corner. The whole household.

Everyone was surrounding Andromeda.

Her favourite cousin was sat in a leather armchair in the corner, blocked by everyone from leaving. She wore a defiant, stony expression on her face, holding her head high and sitting up straight.

"No?" Uncle Cygnus was blustering at his daughter. "No?!"

"No," Andromeda's voice was cold and forceful. She had clearly been dragged out of bed, for though she was dressed she hadn't even brushed her hair; it surrounded her face in a wild, dark mane. Despite this, she still looked, as always, a picture of dignity. "Absolutely not,"

"But I thought you'd be so happy at the news," Aunt Druella seemed on the verge of tears. "He's such a handsome boy,"

"Are you honestly refusing to marry into one of the most wealthy and pure families in the country?" Sirius' mother scoffed in disgusted disbelief. "Are you mad, girl?"

"I don't care if he owned every galleon in Gringotts and was a direct relation of Salazar Slytherin," Andromeda said. "It doesn't make him any less of a - "

"Tosser?" Sirius supplied, her eyes narrowed as she slipped through to stand next to her cousin. She didn't entirely know what was going on - though she had a good idea - but she would never leave Andromeda to stand alone.

"Tosser," She laughed without humour. "You've already tied Bella to a husband who makes her miserable. I will not marry Corvus Avery, and you can't make me,"

"Oh yes I can," Uncle Cygnus thundered. "I have had enough of your prideful, stubborn and childish refusals of more than respectable proposals. If you do not marry him then you will be disowned from the family!"

There was a silence.

Everyone seemed shocked - particularly that Uncle Cygnus would do something so rash without consulting his elder brother - but no one protested. Most likely because no one thought that Andromeda would refuse.

Sirius knew better. She didn't know what to do - she obviously didn't want Andromeda to be disowned, but she didn't want her to be miserable either - and looked to her cousin, who for the first time looked slightly nervous.

"You really think that's going to make me do it?" Andromeda swallowed, speaking quietly, dark grey eyes staring straight into her father's.

Sirius had to marvel her nerve. Aunt Druella gasped and dramatically clutched at her heart.

"Andromeda - " Uncle Cygnus started, but she held up a hand and amazingly he stopped, doubtlessly out of shock. He couldn't go back on the promise to disown her. No one from the house of Black ever went back on a promise.

Sirius' father shot him a look, clearly angry at his brother for using the last resort to start with.

"I was waiting to tell you, but now I clearly can't," Andromeda's expression didn't change, though took a deep breath, and Sirius saw how her hand gripped so tightly to the arms of the chair that her knuckles turned white. "I've already got someone,"

"A man?" Sirius' mother snapped. No Mother, a flobberworm.

"Who?" Aunt Druella asked faintly.

Andromeda looked up at her, a strange look on her face. A slight bittersweet smile, and a hard glint in her eye. She was steeling herself, Sirius realised with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"His name is Ted Tonks," She was clearly nervous, but at the same time seemed to relish in speaking the words out loud. "We met at Hogwarts. He's promised to marry me, one day,"

"I don't recognise the name Tonks," There was a dire hint of warning in Orion Black's tone. "Is he a halfblood?" Because although that would be far from ideal, the family could accept her for it at least, though her poor husband would likely always be treated with scorn, and Andromeda herself would be forever looked down upon by pureblood society.

Andromeda's smile widened, though Sirius saw her eyes grow wet.

"He's a muggleborn, in Hufflepuff. But you know what," She ignored the horrified gasps of outrage from the assembled family, talking over the growing noise. Sirius didn't protest when she grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. "He is the kindest, most gentle person I have ever met, and you know what else? I love him. Have done for a while. And he loves me,"

"Traitor!" Great Aunt Elladora shrieked. "Blood traitor!"

"I don't want to leave the family," Andromeda said more forcefully. "I love all of you. You don't have to see him, never have to meet him, you won't have to acknowledge he exists, but I - "

"No," Uncle Cygnus said, almost speechless rage and disbelieve. "No. No! You think I would let my daughter parade around here, the whore of a mudblood, shaming us all? No. You either cut all contact with him, or you are no longer a Black. No longer my daughter,"

Aunt Druella burst into tears.

"Dromeda, please!" She sobbed. "Don't do this. All you have to do is forget that mudblood boy and it'll be like this never happened," Judging from the looks on the faces of Sirius' mother, Great Aunt Elladora and Uncle Cygnus it definitely would not be. "You were always such a good girl. We're you're family, dear, don't turn your back on us,"

"I'm not turning my back on anyone unless you make it that way," Andromeda's eyes were glassy. "Mother, please don't make me choose. Please," Her tone was almost imploring, but as Aunt Druella buried her face in Sirius' mother's shoulder, her daughter's eyes hardened. "Uncle?" She turned to Sirius' father, the head of the family, though she clearly already knew the answer.

"As your father said. You make you choice now," He said coldly. "Marry Avery, have no more contact with the mudblood, and we'll never speak of this again. Or pack your things and don't expect to be welcome here again,"

Andromeda's expression went stony.

"Fine," She drew herself up, proud as ever. "Fine. Disown me. At least I can finally say that you're all bigoted, prejudiced fools. You're all wrong, about everything, caught up in your little world of hate and bitterness. Pure blood doesn't matter, not one bit. You can't see that and never will, which is why you're forcing your own daughter," She glared at each of her parents in turn. "Out of the house forever. I hope you enjoy your misery together,"

And with that, she stood up and left the room, leaving her shocked family behind her. She hadn't even raised her voice once. Aunt Druella moaned slightly and sunk into an armchair.

"Oh Andromeda. My little girl..." She was muttering, still gripping Sirius' mother's arm, but Walburga Black disentangled herself, pulling out her wand and marching grimly over to the family tapestry.

"What are you doing?" Sirius snapped out of her state of shock, running over to grab her mother's arm.

"Get away, Sirius!" The woman tried to shake her off impatiently. She never had any patience for her daughter.

Sirius didn't let go.

"You can't disown Dromeda!" She protested. "You can't,"

"You don't understand, girl," Her mother gave her a disdainful look.

There was nothing she hated more than being talked down to. It made her lash out, which was why she said what she did next.

"So what if she loves a mudblood? You can't turn her out just for that, she's family,"

"Sirius Auriga Black!" Her mother's hand drew back, slapping her across the face, and knew that she'd gone too far. "How dare you insult the name of our house, you insolent child!" Her mother was saying angrily, as Sirius' cheek stung. "Accept a blood traitor? Don't be ridiculous. Now let go of my sleeve, be quiet and stop meddling in things you don't understand,"

"But it isn't fair!" She protested still.

The woman didn't turn around.

With a noise of pure frustration, Sirius left the room. She went straight upstairs to Andromeda's bedroom, to find her packing her belongings into her old school trunk, her face still stony cold.

"Hello Sirius," Her cousin's voice was soft nonetheless as she came in. Few ever got to hear that side of Andromeda. She had kept up the image of the proud pureblood daughter until that day, and even now she was still proud, reserved, collected, slightly haughty and dignified. Andromeda Black had always had a soft side, but few ever got to see it.

"You believe all of what you said?" Sirius asked her, wasting no time. "About blood not mattering,"

She had often wondered why they looked down on mudblood wizards. If magic was superior to muggle, what did it matter who held it so long as they had it? And hearing about the actions of the madman who called himself Lord Voldemort made a sick feeling grow in her stomach.

"I do," Andromeda said. "Truly. And so do you," Sirius didn't correct her, but swallowed. "I've seen you looking out the window, wanting to go and play with the muggle children outside. I remember when you were little and you always used to ask why. 'Why do we hate muggles?' sounded so awful in your little voice,"

"None of it makes sense," She said, in barely more than a whisper. "Why does it matter if a wizard has muggle parents? He's still a wizard. Why does it matter if you marry him? You're still... you. Family,"

"To most witches and wizards, it doesn't matter at all," Andromeda gave a slight incredulous laugh. "We're the weird ones. All these years I've been taught hate and prejudice, yet if I've learnt anything it's that we're the strange ones. I know you've been reading the paper, but truly Sirius, you've seen nothing. The things that are done in the name of blood purity... They're disgraceful. Cruel. Cowardly. Unjust,"

There was a pause.

"But what about Bella?" Sirius asked. "Narcissa, and Regulus?"

Andromeda sighed.

"Narcissa just wants a nice life. She'll be happy if she ends up the trophy wife of a nice wealthy pureblood. And Regulus is just a little boy who wants to make his parents proud. The attention's always been on you you see... you've always been good at attracting attention. Gifted at magic at a young age, outshining even the heir to the House of Black, and nothing but trouble too," Sirius said nothing. "And Bella... Bellatrix doesn't see things like I do. I don't think she ever will, especially not after... well, you know,"

"That's not fair,"

"None of it's fair," Andromeda said simply, getting to her feet with her now-packed trunk. "That's why I'm leaving," She paused. "Sirius, can I tell you a secret?" Sirius nodded without question, wondering what could possibly more secret that a love affair with a mudblood. "I'm going to have a baby. Ted's baby," Andromeda added, when Sirius' eyes widened. "You can't tell any of them, though they'll find out soon enough,"

"I won't tell," She managed to get out. Andromeda smiled. "Can I - can I come and visit? Wherever you go?" The thought of not seeing her cousin again brought an embarrassing lump to her throat.

"We'll see," Her smile faded. Sirius knew that meant it would be very difficult. "But Sirius," She looked up at her. "Do what makes you happy. What you believe is right, not what any of them tell you. Don't lie to yourself, we're different to them, you and I. It's a good thing, but it won't be easy for either of us,"

Sirius was still brooding on her cousin's words hours after Andromeda had gone, without fanfare, none of the family there to see her out of the front door. It was like she was dead to them now. Though she was walking away from the riches, the power, the respect, as well as her entire family, she had never shed a tear. She truly must believe that losing what she lost was worth it for what she would gain.