M-31

The name echoed through Andromeda's head as she and Hardy returned to her cottage and put young Teddy down for a nap. After Harry left she sat in her favorite arm chair near the fireplace with the book Narcissa had pressed into her hands just thinking back.

"Cissy, come here," Andi whispered from the door.

Narcissa stretched and moaned lightly before swinging her feet over to the steps at the edge of her opulent canopy bed. Her nightgown rustled just a bit as she ran on tiptoes across the carpet following her sister down the hall and out window, looking over her shoulder several times as they stole into the labyrinth of which her mother was so proud. They didn't stop until the reached the center, a surprisingly large flat space of grass. The girls tumbled to the ground carefully so as not to get grass stains on their white nighties.

"What did you find Andi?"

The older girl held up a book and a strange contraption on which she pressed a button and light shone from the end as if she had cast Lumos.

"Muggles call this a torch. It runs on something called batteries. Don't ask where or how I got it and never let on to Mother and Father than you've seen it. I just didn't want to use my wand."

"Andi you know we won't get caught with underage magic, they'll just assume Mum and Dad are doing the magic. Even if someone did catch us no one would dare say anything against our family."

"I know Cissy, but still. Mother and especially Father would be right mad if we got in trouble."

The small blond head bobbed as she acknowledged that her sister was most definitely right about their parents. It would be worse though if their parents caught them with Muggle things so they had to be quiet and get back to bed before their absence was noted.

"What's the book?"

"I got it from a Muggleborn in my year. It's all about the stars. Muggles have names for them."

"I know that," Narcissa replied, "that's why we wanted to get the book. You and Siri and Reg are all named for stars or something right."

"Naming children after celestial bodies is a Black Family tradition," Andromeda recited.

Narcissa's lower lip jutted forth, "I still don't know why you got the special name. Why not Bella or me?"

"Father got to name Bella as she was the firstborn."

"But why?" Narcissa whined.

Andromeda shook her head, "Cis, you know why Father is the man of the house so he got to name the first child."

"That's just stupid. I'm not letting the man I marry name our first child without my approval!"

"Neither would I, but in that case we both better pick our own husbands because you know anyone Mother and Father match us with will adhere to the old ways."

Narcissa shuddered at that thought, "Show me the book. Did you find your name?"

Andi nodded, "I'm not just a star but a whole galaxy!" she whispered excitedly.

"A galaxy?" Narcissa's eyes widened at the thought, "What about Siri and Reg?"

"They're just stars," Andi bragged, "Siri is the Dog star even."

"Eww," Narcissa giggled, "Maybe we should bark at him next time we see him."

"Well the book does say it's the brightest star in the sky," Andi added kindly.

"Siri? Bright?" Narcissa's eyes again widened, this time with disbelief, "He's a Gryffindor."

"Well yeah," Andi giggled too, "but what's even funnier is Reg's star is called the heart of the Lion."

Narcissa fell back with one hand over her mouth and the other holding her stomach. She rolled back and forth giggling. Finally she calmed then pointed to the sky.

"Where's your galaxy? Show me please. I want to be able to look up at the sky and see it and remember you when you go off someday for a job or to get married."

"A job?" Andi laughed ruefully, Black women did not work. She lay back next to her sister and grabbed her hand moving it in the sky, "the Andromeda galaxy also known as the M-31 galaxy-"

"M-31, what kind of ridiculous name is that?"

"It's short for Messier 31, and I don't know exactly why it's a Muggle name. But we live in the Milky Way galaxy."

"Milky Way? That just sounds wrong, why would the silly Muggles name the place we live the Milky Way."

"I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with the way the stars of our galaxy appear in the sky, like spilled milk maybe. Anyway the Andromeda galaxy is a spiral galaxy. I don't really know what that means but it sounds really neat."

"It does," breathed Narcissa, "Is that it?"

Andromeda moved her sister's hand just a bit more, "There that's it. Whenever you look up and see it you'll think of me and when I see it I'll think of you."

Andromeda wondered just how many times her younger sister had looked at the sky and thought of her. She had stopped looking up many years ago, it simply hurt too much. Once again she looked at the book in her hands. The answers she was seeking might just be held between its covers but she wasn't sure she was brave enough to look. Still the thought of being loved again, being loved still by someone other than her grandson was a pull she couldn't resist. Finally she opened to the first page.

A/N so the muse struck this morning for a continuation of this story. I have no idea how long it will end up being or how often I will update but I had to go with the muse. I do know next time will be at least one journal entry if not more, just have to find time to write it. Enjoy and as always reviews are welcomed and appreciated, they are food for my muse.