Chapter Nineteen: Rush of Freedom
Disclaimer: This stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling!
Andromeda sharply inhaled her breath. She looked positively furious.
"Narcissa—just—go. Just leave. If you see Bella, stop her in any way you can. Now go!"
Her sister sauntered out, head held high and without a single care. Andromeda began pacing; Ted was still in a shocked daze.
"What can we do now?" he asked, staring into the fire.
Andromeda took off towards the door. "I'm going to find Bella, and I'm going to show her that she's not the only one capable of—"
Ted ran over and pushed her back. "Don't be stupid! She knows more dark magic than you ever will!"
"This is our best chance, Ted," she growled.
"Getting killed? That's supposed to be our best chance?"
"She wouldn't kill us. At Hogwarts? Right under Dumbledore's nose?"
Ted was silent. From what he'd heard of Bellatrix Black, he didn't doubt the possibility.
"But we should get out of here," he said. "We're safe now, but for how long? What if your sister knows how to get in here?"
"We could Disappa—"
"You can't Disapparate in Hogwarts!"
Andromeda rubbed her forehead. "Right. I...forgot. Ted...I know it's stupid to be asking...at a time like this...But do you remember those Muggle people you compared us to? Romelet and Julio—?"
"Romeo and Juliet."
"Yes, them. Well, what happened to them?"
Ted avoided her eyes. "It's from a book, that's all. It's not real..."
"What happened to them?!"
"Well, they, er, had a misunderstanding. And they, er, couldn't be together. So they killed themselves."
There was a resounding silence. Never had Andromeda felt more chained than now. Trapped in the room she once loved, with the person she most loved. The place that was her refuge. Now where could they go? They couldn't leave the room. Couldn't stay.
"Meda."
Hearing the old nickname, she snapped out of her reverie.
"We should go back to our common rooms. It's after curfew."
She shrugged helplessly. "What's the point? Bellatrix will be waiting there for me."
"Meda? We could get Sirius to help."
"What can a first year do?"
"He's sort of like an inside agent. To infiltrate the house of the Blacks."
To infiltrate the house of the Blacks...if they could get Sirius to get them to his house...Bella would never look there.
"Ted!" Andromeda shook him. "We have to get to the Gryffindor common room. I know the perfect place we can lie low for the next few weeks."
"The Gryffindor common room?"
"Better than that. But we need Sirius. Come on!" She grabbed his hand and they took off running, wands out.
Each time they rounded a corner or went up the stairs, they jumped with the fear that Bella would be waiting there.
Finally they made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Let us in!" they begged.
"Password?"
"Please?" Andromeda suggested. The Fat Lady shook her head.
But Ted had lost it. "Oh, that's just—"
He struggled to think of the most derogatory non-swear word he could, and came up with, "That's just hogwash!"
The portrait hole swung open and they looked at each other in bemusement.
"Gryffindors," muttered Andromeda.
But the red, cozy room was deserted, making them feel even more out-of- place.
"Sirius!" Andromeda whispered. But what would whispering do? Defeated, she crumpled onto a plush armchair and covered her head with her hands.
Then—"What are you two doing here?"
One of Sirius's friends was peering at them suspiciously. What was his name? Peter? Paul?
"Go get Sirius," Ted said. "We need him."
The pudgy kid shrugged and went up the stairs. A moment later a bedraggled Sirius came down.
"Wha—? You two aren't allowed in here." A grin spread over his face. "That's great! Prefects breaking rules! Can I visit your common rooms?"
"Sirius, we have a much more urgent matter at hand. Can you get us to Grimmuald Place?"
"Why would you want to go there?"
"Because your house would be the last place Bella would look for us!"
Comprehension dawned on his face. "Do you mean...Bellatrix knows about you two?"
"Yes!" they shouted together.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, bugger...well, follow me..."
He led them out of the common room.
"Where are we going?" Ted whispered.
"To the kitchens. We can get some Floo powder and get you out of here."
As they walked though the darkened corridors, Andromeda was less uneasy about escaping and more about the frightening consequences that would follow. How would she ever go home again? Would her parents still want her? Crazy—no, misguided—as they were, they were still her family.
They reached the kitchens, snuck past sleeping house elves, and Sirius grabbed a bunch of Floo Powder.
"This'll take you directly to the parlor at Grimmuald Place. Once you're there, I'd advise getting out as soon as you can. My father's placed some pretty protective charms on the place and Ted's likely to set them off."
Andromeda's face fell. "Oh no. I planned...on staying there. I mean, where else can we go?"
Sirius shrugged. "Diagon Alley?"
Ted nodded his agreement. Andromeda wanted to have one final goodbye with her family, but this would have to do. Speaking of goodbyes...
She hugged Sirius tightly. "I'll see you again, won't I?"
"'Course," he said. "At your wedding."
She let go extremely abruptly. She and Ted both echoed, "Our wedding?"
But he only smiled knowingly. Ted thanked him and ruffled his hair, smiling.
But his smile fell. There was a clatter of pots and pans, a light from behind he shadows, and a dark figure emerged.
"Don't leave so soon!" Bellatrix Black was smirking.
Ted didn't stop to think. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted.
But she hopped out of the way, his disarming spell useless. He immediately yelled, "Protego!" and brought up a barrier. Bella turned to Andromeda.
"Locomotor mortis!" Bella's wand was pointed right at her sister. Sirius leapt out of nowhere, tackling her to the floor.
She threw him off with a blasting curse. She saw Ted's guard down and yelled "Impedimenta!" at him. He was suspended, motionless, in mid-air.
"Finite incantatum," said Andromeda from behind him, and Ted went back to normal speed. He gave her a hurried "thanks."
Sirius was back on his feet and dodging Bella's spells and throwing a few of his own. Andromeda felt her wand fly out of her hand and spin across the floor by Bella. She reached for it, and a cloud of Floo powder exploded around her, shifting the fireplace to a smoky purple. She leapt up to join the melee, but a strong hand took hers and pulled her into the fire.
"London!" someone yelled.
The last thing she saw was Sirius zapping Bella with the Stupefy spell while she was gloating. Bella hit the floor with a thud. Two wands lay useless next to her. Then the scene changed, buildings appearing. She was thrust forward, landing in a puddle in the middle of a dingy alleyway.
"Watch out!" Ted pulled her back just as a gigantic metal thing sped by.
"You have to watch out for cars," Ted said. He looked terrible: covered in dirt with a nasty bruise on his arm.
Andromeda looked around them and shivered. The Floo powder in the fireplace had disappeared. They were stranded in Muggle London without wands.
A/N: As always, thanks to everybody who reviewed.
Aalikane: Actually, Ted Tonks is Muggle-born, not Muggle. From OotP (U.S. version):
Pg. 50: Tonks says, "My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob."
Pg. 113: "Andromeda married a Muggle-born, Ted Tonks, so..."
Hope that clears that up! (And thanks for sticking up for me about all that, Clarey the Angelic Squishy!)
Disclaimer: This stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling!
Andromeda sharply inhaled her breath. She looked positively furious.
"Narcissa—just—go. Just leave. If you see Bella, stop her in any way you can. Now go!"
Her sister sauntered out, head held high and without a single care. Andromeda began pacing; Ted was still in a shocked daze.
"What can we do now?" he asked, staring into the fire.
Andromeda took off towards the door. "I'm going to find Bella, and I'm going to show her that she's not the only one capable of—"
Ted ran over and pushed her back. "Don't be stupid! She knows more dark magic than you ever will!"
"This is our best chance, Ted," she growled.
"Getting killed? That's supposed to be our best chance?"
"She wouldn't kill us. At Hogwarts? Right under Dumbledore's nose?"
Ted was silent. From what he'd heard of Bellatrix Black, he didn't doubt the possibility.
"But we should get out of here," he said. "We're safe now, but for how long? What if your sister knows how to get in here?"
"We could Disappa—"
"You can't Disapparate in Hogwarts!"
Andromeda rubbed her forehead. "Right. I...forgot. Ted...I know it's stupid to be asking...at a time like this...But do you remember those Muggle people you compared us to? Romelet and Julio—?"
"Romeo and Juliet."
"Yes, them. Well, what happened to them?"
Ted avoided her eyes. "It's from a book, that's all. It's not real..."
"What happened to them?!"
"Well, they, er, had a misunderstanding. And they, er, couldn't be together. So they killed themselves."
There was a resounding silence. Never had Andromeda felt more chained than now. Trapped in the room she once loved, with the person she most loved. The place that was her refuge. Now where could they go? They couldn't leave the room. Couldn't stay.
"Meda."
Hearing the old nickname, she snapped out of her reverie.
"We should go back to our common rooms. It's after curfew."
She shrugged helplessly. "What's the point? Bellatrix will be waiting there for me."
"Meda? We could get Sirius to help."
"What can a first year do?"
"He's sort of like an inside agent. To infiltrate the house of the Blacks."
To infiltrate the house of the Blacks...if they could get Sirius to get them to his house...Bella would never look there.
"Ted!" Andromeda shook him. "We have to get to the Gryffindor common room. I know the perfect place we can lie low for the next few weeks."
"The Gryffindor common room?"
"Better than that. But we need Sirius. Come on!" She grabbed his hand and they took off running, wands out.
Each time they rounded a corner or went up the stairs, they jumped with the fear that Bella would be waiting there.
Finally they made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Let us in!" they begged.
"Password?"
"Please?" Andromeda suggested. The Fat Lady shook her head.
But Ted had lost it. "Oh, that's just—"
He struggled to think of the most derogatory non-swear word he could, and came up with, "That's just hogwash!"
The portrait hole swung open and they looked at each other in bemusement.
"Gryffindors," muttered Andromeda.
But the red, cozy room was deserted, making them feel even more out-of- place.
"Sirius!" Andromeda whispered. But what would whispering do? Defeated, she crumpled onto a plush armchair and covered her head with her hands.
Then—"What are you two doing here?"
One of Sirius's friends was peering at them suspiciously. What was his name? Peter? Paul?
"Go get Sirius," Ted said. "We need him."
The pudgy kid shrugged and went up the stairs. A moment later a bedraggled Sirius came down.
"Wha—? You two aren't allowed in here." A grin spread over his face. "That's great! Prefects breaking rules! Can I visit your common rooms?"
"Sirius, we have a much more urgent matter at hand. Can you get us to Grimmuald Place?"
"Why would you want to go there?"
"Because your house would be the last place Bella would look for us!"
Comprehension dawned on his face. "Do you mean...Bellatrix knows about you two?"
"Yes!" they shouted together.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, bugger...well, follow me..."
He led them out of the common room.
"Where are we going?" Ted whispered.
"To the kitchens. We can get some Floo powder and get you out of here."
As they walked though the darkened corridors, Andromeda was less uneasy about escaping and more about the frightening consequences that would follow. How would she ever go home again? Would her parents still want her? Crazy—no, misguided—as they were, they were still her family.
They reached the kitchens, snuck past sleeping house elves, and Sirius grabbed a bunch of Floo Powder.
"This'll take you directly to the parlor at Grimmuald Place. Once you're there, I'd advise getting out as soon as you can. My father's placed some pretty protective charms on the place and Ted's likely to set them off."
Andromeda's face fell. "Oh no. I planned...on staying there. I mean, where else can we go?"
Sirius shrugged. "Diagon Alley?"
Ted nodded his agreement. Andromeda wanted to have one final goodbye with her family, but this would have to do. Speaking of goodbyes...
She hugged Sirius tightly. "I'll see you again, won't I?"
"'Course," he said. "At your wedding."
She let go extremely abruptly. She and Ted both echoed, "Our wedding?"
But he only smiled knowingly. Ted thanked him and ruffled his hair, smiling.
But his smile fell. There was a clatter of pots and pans, a light from behind he shadows, and a dark figure emerged.
"Don't leave so soon!" Bellatrix Black was smirking.
Ted didn't stop to think. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted.
But she hopped out of the way, his disarming spell useless. He immediately yelled, "Protego!" and brought up a barrier. Bella turned to Andromeda.
"Locomotor mortis!" Bella's wand was pointed right at her sister. Sirius leapt out of nowhere, tackling her to the floor.
She threw him off with a blasting curse. She saw Ted's guard down and yelled "Impedimenta!" at him. He was suspended, motionless, in mid-air.
"Finite incantatum," said Andromeda from behind him, and Ted went back to normal speed. He gave her a hurried "thanks."
Sirius was back on his feet and dodging Bella's spells and throwing a few of his own. Andromeda felt her wand fly out of her hand and spin across the floor by Bella. She reached for it, and a cloud of Floo powder exploded around her, shifting the fireplace to a smoky purple. She leapt up to join the melee, but a strong hand took hers and pulled her into the fire.
"London!" someone yelled.
The last thing she saw was Sirius zapping Bella with the Stupefy spell while she was gloating. Bella hit the floor with a thud. Two wands lay useless next to her. Then the scene changed, buildings appearing. She was thrust forward, landing in a puddle in the middle of a dingy alleyway.
"Watch out!" Ted pulled her back just as a gigantic metal thing sped by.
"You have to watch out for cars," Ted said. He looked terrible: covered in dirt with a nasty bruise on his arm.
Andromeda looked around them and shivered. The Floo powder in the fireplace had disappeared. They were stranded in Muggle London without wands.
A/N: As always, thanks to everybody who reviewed.
Aalikane: Actually, Ted Tonks is Muggle-born, not Muggle. From OotP (U.S. version):
Pg. 50: Tonks says, "My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob."
Pg. 113: "Andromeda married a Muggle-born, Ted Tonks, so..."
Hope that clears that up! (And thanks for sticking up for me about all that, Clarey the Angelic Squishy!)