Chapter Eighteen:

Throughout the day when Andromeda passed Sirius and Remus in the halls she would wonder how she had missed the fact that they were a couple. Their hands were always brushing meaningfully against each other; they constantly whispered things into the other's ear and gave each other knowing, wry smiles. Andromeda wanted to just kick herself. She was supposed to be the smarter one of the family.

Then again kissing James hadn't been the smartest decision, actually it was downright dumb. James and Sirius' friendship could possibly be ruined forever and it was all Andromeda's fault. Again, she wanted to kick herself.

Lunch was damn near unbearable. James was sitting at one end of the table chatting with some seventh year guys and Sirius was at the other hanging out with his usual crowd. James kept saying rather loudly how much he hated friends that didn't trust him. He never said Sirius' name but every in between the two feuding friends knew whose name he was implying.

In fact everyone seemed to know what happened that morning between Andromeda and James, not that much had actually happened. But everyone thought something had.

When Andromeda was coming out of transfiguration class two Gryfinndor fourth year girls cornered her.

"Is it true you made out with James Potter?" One of the girls asked, her blonde hair swinging slightly. What Andromeda wouldn't give to yank it right out.

"Because we heard it from our friend Rayne, who heard it from her boyfriend, Kane, who said he saw it happen all in front of his very own eyes." This girl's hair was brown and Andromeda had an equally strong desire to yank it out as well.

"He also said you tried to go at it with him as well," the blonde said angrily, her voice almost a growl.

Andromeda didn't know what to say. How dare anyone make those insinuations about her? She was a Black and although she sometimes greatly disliked having the surname it came quite in handy when trying to scare other people.

"And Rayne is not happy about that," the brunette continued, moving closer to Andromeda. "And because we're her friends we're not happy about it either. So we decided to teach you a lesson you little slag."

Forget ripping out there hair, Andromeda wanted their hearts. But she settled on scaring them a bit.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" she snapped, pulling in all the airs she had picked up while living in the higher society.

Neither of the girls looked at all intimidated. They looked at each other both rather amused.

"The Queen of England?" asked the blonde girl in a snarky manner.

"No, she is Anne Bolelyn," the brunette squealed. "The whore of jolly old England." Both girls laughed.

"I am Andromeda Black, daughter of Lord Black, and sister of Bellatrix Black. I assume you've heard of her."

Andromeda watched with pleasure as the girls' faces fell. Their cloak of confidence ripped from their bodies in one swift movement.

"You're Bellatrix's sister?" the blonde stammered, looking around cautiously as if Bellatrix would come screaming around the corner with a wild abandon and slice her head off.

"Yes. What to see the scar she gave me for saying her teddy was ugly?" Andromeda began to slowly roll up her sleeve.

"No, that's okay," the brunette said, backing away.

"Yeah we have to get to class now. Sorry about bothering you." They began to slip into the crowd off students, trying to escape.

"Maybe you could have tea with Bellatrix and I," she called after them in a laughing tone. "I'm sure she would be just delighted to meet you."

They turned around, gave Andromeda a stricken look and then broke into a sprint disappearing around a corner.

Andromeda burst out laughing. "Stupid cows!" she yelled, causing people to stare at her in alarm. "Not you," her voice became sweet. "I was talking to those bloody hags that just ran around the corner."

Everyone looked at her questioningly. "Just as mental as Bellatrix." She heard one of them mutter. "They probably sacrifice human blood under every full moon."

Adjusting the straps of her book bag Andromeda stomped away, using every bit of her will power not to show those insufferable assholes how mental and violent she truly was.

"You are above them," she muttered to herself. "You will be a better person in the end for this." Screw being a good person, where was the fun it that.

"Having a bad day?" a voice whispered behind her. A breath of hot air floated across her cheek.

"Why can't you assholes just leave me alone?" Andromeda snapped spinning around, ready to punch the wise guy out.

James grinned at her, holding his hands above his head. "Don't shoot," he joked.

Andromeda felt a wave of red creep up her face. "Uh... sorry 'bout that. I'm not on the best of terms with the human population of this school at the moment. They've completely gotten on every single one of my nerves, which were already rather frazzled to begin with. I wish I could just punch 'em all. But as my mother would say 'Any form of excessive physical activity is reserved for men or the working class. It is improper for a young woman of society to sweat.'

"Of course I completely disagree with her on that point and pretty much every other opinion she openly speaks for the supposed benefit of her 'fine young daughters'. Personally I think she just loves to hear herself talk. I've even told her that once. She made me go and stay with my aunt for a week."

James sniggered quietly as Andromeda rambled on trying to cover up her extreme nervousness.

"It was possibly the worst experience of my entire life. I spent one entire week sitting at tea parties with a bunch of old witches who all thought it best to leave me with a textbook explanation of spells that would be good for when I was a housewife. 'You must always be prepared for anything. You never know when your husband may need a 'little help' with 'certain aspects' of his manhood later on in life. Good Widow Brannigan insisted on teaching me exactly how to perform the spell. She even had a diagram with little illustrations. It was ghastly."

At this James couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You may have to teach me that one some time," he suggested, wriggling his eyebrows.

Andromeda blushed again. Then she remembered what had happened this morning.

"I'm sorry about this morning," she whispered, staring at her feet.

"Don't fret about it little one. I know how terribly irresistible I can be at times." He reached over and lifted her chin up. "And don't blame yourself. Sirius and me... well let's just say it's been coming for a while now. You just happened to be the unlucky one that set it all off. So don't fret. Everything will turn out okay."

Andromeda wished he would touch her again. That moment when his fingers had touched her face, it was magical.

"You should talk to Sirius," Andromeda found herself saying. "He needs you right now. He may not want to admit but as his cousin I can tell."

"I want to. But he has to apologise first. I find it very offensive how little he trusts me." James sounded like a spoiled little girl and Andromeda told him so.

"You two have been best friends for almost six years. There is no way that you can say you don't miss him."

James' face looked stricken for a brief second. "Are you aware how much you talk?" he teased stepping closer to Andromeda.

"Don't try to change the..." Andromeda began but was cut when James pressed his lips against hers.