In Your Honor
I knew from day one at Hogwarts when Ted Tonks pulled me out of the lake and gave me a swoon-worthy smile that I was doomed. Now, I Andromeda Black am trying to figure out the irony of this whole star-crossed lovers bit that's funny in spite of itself…
Disclaimer- Harry Potter etc. is owned by J.K. Rowling- really doesn't it go without saying… fanfiction…. Really… people!
Dedicated to the HMS Marauders- love you all!
I blame this on the plot bunnies and extended-summer vacation! But I really like this Andromeda/Ted and if I do say so myself it's got potential! And it's my first non-LJ story gasp!- I've never even read anything else!
SO PLEASE HELP ME OUT AND LEAVE A REVIEW!
OoOoO
The Irony of Falling
Hogwarts, February 1972
I'm not like them.
I knew that from the beginning.
I was different.
I liked change.
I liked difference.
But those really meant nothing… not compared to the big differences between me and my family- especially my sisters.
I respect Dumbledore- I truly do.
I hate those family traditions- everything from the pureblood society to placing the heads of house elves on the wall, from the sternness to the strict acceptance standards.
I hate that they think being a Black means your royalty.
I hate that everyone is thick enough to believe it- and act upon it.
I hate them wanting purity of blood, and with such narrow minds- I couldn't stand it… perfect pureblood marriages for all.
But because of all those differences… I didn't really belong in Slytherin.
Well maybe I had those qualities of Slytherins hand picked students- an inability to follow the rules, passion, leadership, resourcefulness and so on…
But not in today' Slytherin- do I belong.
All of them around me… they're crazed- with blood and power…
Well then again Salazar was a crazed man off his rocker…
But then again I guess I was too for not listening to the sorting hat.
'Oh Black- another one- must be in SLYTH-' the sorting hat started but then paused again as if delighted he found something. 'Wait you're different.'
'Huh?' said- well thought an anxious eleven year-old me.
'Yes, yes- you've got potential… true an determination… and a good deal of intelligence… but not Ravenclaw studious… a strong conscience and…o yes bravery… you've got bravery young Black.'
'I do?' I gulped. This was not going well.
'You can be put somewhere else.'
'Somewhere else?'
'Wait you're scared of that? You have a need to be different and Gryff-'
'No… I can't!'
'No well you're different young Black… much different… but we shall be on the safer side and you'll still be fine. And may this be a bit of a consolation for the future that I've never spent this long on any Black before…' before he yelled 'SLYTHERIN'
And I let out an exasperated sigh.
Maybe if I listened to the Sorting Hat's original idea things would have ended up differently… probably not since my life just seems to be messed up as a rule.
But you weren't there… you don't know what happened that day that made me so scared to be different- and not listen to that strong conscience... maybe if you were there you'd have a little more pity for my case… well I hate pity but at least you wouldn't think I'm that pathetic (which I'm guessing you kind of think I am.)
Hogwarts Express- September 1st 1966
"Andromeda, this way," Beckoned a tall second year Slytherin with a green and silver scarf wrapped proudly around her neck walking down the aisle of the train as if she owned the place.
"Yes Bella-" she hesitated at the look her older sister gave her. "Bellatrix," she continued as the heavy eye-lidded girl nodded. "Where are we going- there were some empty compartments back there."
Bella wanted Andromeda to use her full name- apparently Bella had some people she wanted to impress- or at least not be embarrassed in front of.
Andromeda wasn't really close to her sisters, and Bella wasn't too much of a helpful older sister, but apparently she was trying to assist her no matter in what weird way now… so she might as well follow since she herself knew nothing and Bella acted like she- well… owned the place.
"No Andromeda I want you to sit with some people."
"Oh." She said as realization dawned upon her. Andromeda was a pure-blood through and through… being a Black made you royalty and royalty only associates with other royalty, so on and so forth.
Andromeda suddenly felt herself bump something which turned out to be her older sister who turned around and gave her a glare and snapped something along the lines of "And do try not to make them realize how… you well… are."
Andromeda chose not to respond to that- and had no time as Bella opened the compartment door and suddenly she realized she recognized some of the students as children of close family friends.
"Bellatrix!" said a thin boney fourth year boy by the name of Rudolphus Lestrange (the one Bella fancied…). "And that must be your younger sister- Andromerta right?"
He sounded more like he was the host of some party and that just annoyed her.
"Andromeda."
"Right." He said crossly as if wondering why a first year dare correct him. "This is my brother Rabastan. First year as well." He finished gesturing to a large boy who had the same pale look to him- who was looking through a box of Every Flavored Beans attentively. "And this is Lucius Malfoy who is starting this year as well. You'll definitely be in Salazar's prestigious house as well I'm sure right Lucius?"
Lucius Malfoy nodded her way with a gleam and smirk even though Andromeda felt like mentioning that they've known each other infants.
"We've met." Was what she settled for instead.
"Of course we have. We're of the true purebloods, and you'll find that once you enter Hogwarts, especially during the present condition," he smirked. "That these bonds are more crucial then ever."
And he continued to introduce the other first years in the compartment- most of which she already knew from one way or another. Lestrange was right I a way- they were bonded together through blood or some other relation, but she didn't really want to have to keep them that way. Would she really want to keep a close tie with that sour looking girl in the corner who kept darting her eyes towards Malfoy.
If her only chances of friendship if she had narrow views like Bella and Lestrange were these people… she didn't want them.
"How about we leave you first years alone while we- go er… discuss past events with the upper Slytherin-classmen," smiled Bella.
Oh, so this is how these Slytherin make sure to pass on their parents' teachings, leave the potential ones in a compartment together. Well whatever, if she had to be a Black by blood she wouldn't let them control her way of thinking as well.
"Black where do you think you're going?" Malfoy snapped.
"I have to go to the bathroom," she lied- how dare Malfoy ask her anything- and demand it and quickly walked out of the compartment leaving the sniggering and staring purebloods behind and walked in a random opposite direction passing the compartment where her older sister walked into- where they were discussing something in hushed voices about blood purity and 'idiot Mudbloods'.
Only thirteen years old and already into Black politics… Bella… Bella … Bella…
So to defy sister, and that sole purpose alone Andromeda went wandering the aisle of the moving train.
Her mum would scream at her for hours if she found out what she was doing and in a way it felt good… except walking on a train isn't exactly a stroll in the park. The route was probably made smoother by magic but some of the terrain was quite bumpy that even the magic couldn't make even, and that's when the second Black sister found herself loose her balance and fall into a compartment, which had an open door, most likely because the person inside was waiting for someone.
"Oi!" cried a surprised voice squatting down to help her up.
As he grabbed her hand Andromeda felt a slight shock as their hands met and she looked up to meet the smiling face of an extremely light brown, or kind of dirty blonde boy.
"Finally! I think I've finally met someone more clumsier then I am!" he said cheerfully extending his hand to her. "Ted Tonks, I'm a first year and you are…?"
She frowned standing up and dusting of her skirt of whatever might have gotten on it, and ignoring the extended hand raised an eyebrow, "They say flattery will get you everywhere, but apparently you don't believe in that."
"Oi! No wonder mum says no girl will ever want to date me." He
said smiling again his light blue eyes sparkling. "That was no way to court a young lady. You must excuse me"
Andromeda extended her hand in defeat, "Andromeda Black, it's my first year too and you're excused but there might be other reasons why girls might not want to date you."
"Nice to meet you And-ro-meda… and I'm only eleven. I still have time," he winked then scrunched his nose. "An-dro… er… that's not going to work. You do have a nickname right?"
Andromeda raised an eyebrow again looking at the absurdity that just introduced himself has 'Ted Tonks'.
"Not really."
"Andromeda-"
"See you can say it."
"But it's a mouthful."
"I'm insulted. You're mum wouldn't like that."
"But I get to choose who I court right?"
"I'm insulted."
"Andy!"
"Huh?"
"Andromeda- Andy… makes things much easier! See I'm Theodore- Ted is so much easier!"
"I have a cousin how calls me Andréa," she smiled. Her perky seven-year-old Sirius also thought the names of all the Black family members had way too many syllables- Sirius had a nickname (some more appealing then others). Now that she thought about it this boy reminded her of her favorite cousin Sirius. He reminded her of him very much.
"See I'm not the only one! Still I like Andy."
"It's a boy name."
"Well mainly but too late- you're Andy- and that's all I'm going to call you."
"Then I better hope I don't run into you that often then."
"We'll be in the same year Andy-" he started but was interrupted by the a shrill voice crying, "ANDROMEDA BLACK!"
"I think someone wants you," he said unnecessarily.
"Yah- I guess my older sister does." She said moving towards the door but apparently Ted didn't get the gist that she wanted to leave.
"Oh so you have an other sister who goes to Hogwarts?"
"Er… ya- Bellatrix."
"Oh what house is she in? I met these two guys who just went out to get something from the food trolley- and they say there are four houses. Hogwarts is more complicated then I thought. But I guess you already know all about that since your sister went before you."
"Er… pretty much my whole family went to Hogwarts, I guess your parents might have gone to-"
"Oh no, as far as I know I'm the first person from my family to have any magic."
"Really?" she said awkwardly. He was a Muggle born. If Bella found out she'd be really mad, and now it wouldn't be just because she walked out on her.
"Yah- it was a surprise." He continued happily.
"Neat- look Ted I've got to go- my older sister is a bit of a prude-"
"Oh yah, see you around Andy!"
"Yup, you too…" I muttered quickly making my way out of the compartment and toward Bella's voice.
"Andromeda," she hissed dragging her younger sister towards the back compartment. "Can you at least try to keep some respect for the Black family name?"
Back to Hogwarts February 1972
But that was only the beginning of what happened on my first day on the Hogwarts Express. You still don't know even half of the story. And maybe when you know the whole story you will understand my current dreadful state of mind.
"Hey Andy!" called a cheery oh-so-familiar voice. The oh-so-familiar-voice sat next to my at the library table- where I was supposedly doing research for some homework, though lately I can't keep my mind from wandering.
"Hello Ted," I said looking up from a thick tome-of-a-book.
"What report are you writing now?" he said- apparently he had just come back from Quiditch practice- still in his scarlet and gold robes.
Quiditch practice in February… madness.
"Oh, potions," I said making a face.
"I can't stand it either. Though Slughorne adores you." He said peering over my shoulder at my 'progress.'
"He adores me because he adores my family- because my family adores their connections to-" I started ranting before controlling myself. "Well adore me or not he'll still fail me if necessary."
"Nice Andy…" he said shaking his head. "Well I came to check out Quiditch Through the Ages. A bit of light- warm up reading. Hate to say it but Gryffindor is going to cream Slytherin come next weekend."
"Fine by me," I said. "Just don't get them too upset. When they are most of the people in my house start attacking their own kind. Not pretty."
"Wow, when if we don't win Gideon and Fabian start having a sissy attack."
"Wow you're not sexist at all." I said huffing away the fringe of my jet black hair and it elegantly went back into place. God, that was the only good thing about being a Black. Good hair. Now here is a moment to be vain, I normally am not. I'm not hideous looking- actually most of my family isn't. Probably because most Black marriages are pre-decided by the potential's parents, the spouse tends to be good looking. And voila we are one good looking pure-blood maniacal family Good looks run in the family. Especially first cousins.
"Well they do."
The Prewett twins were Ted's best friends. I for one didn't have any extremely close friends. None really. I had some nice enough friends from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, some people who I can exchange pleasantries with before and after Prefect meetings. But no real close friends like Ted had from my own house. But really look at the people I had to choose from. I don't really want to be pals with Zabinini who has been through more guys in one week than socks. I was generally liked well enough (outside my own house) for being a Slytherin.
The Prewetts though don't like me much. I think they think they are protecting their Muggle-born best-friend who's a bit innocent to everything. That's also another thing that happened back at day one. Well you couldn't blame them- our families didn't get along. And would you think that one in a million Black's wouldn't call him Mudblood?
So in a sad way my closest friend was Ted Tonks. Yes, I realize that is a bit pathetic, well my closest friend had moved on with the conversation without me noticing.
"You know that cousin of yours, Sirius- he's one Hell of a beater. And his best mate, Potter. Brilliant."
"I heard. Sirius has been beating me since he was nine- either he was good or I was really pathetic." I smiled.
"You know it might just be the latter."
"Wow your mum would be proud."
"Shutting up. Well see ya around Andy. I got to go. The librarian is giving us the evil eye and you still have to finish Slughorne's essay. Can you please do that thing again?" he whined quietly.
"No." I said simply.
"Please?"
"Al'Right," I huffed straining and concentrating hard to make my eyes turn a shade lighter blue then they are now to resemble his.
"I cannot get over how cool that is."
"I'm only a semi-Metamorphagus though. It runs in generations like that. My Uncle says that my kid will be able to be a full one." I laughed shaking my head. I could concentrate my head out and all I'd accomplish is a couple of inches extra to my hair.
"I want my kid to be a Metamorphagus."
"Bye." I say trying to control my mouth from hanging open, as he nodded and winked leaving me back to my thoughts.
Did he even realize what he said?
No he was being the same idiot Ted Tonks again.
Another thing that happened since my first day of Hogwarts, I had fallen and fallen hard for Ted Tonks…
He's a Muggle born and I come from a strict pureblood family.
He's a GRYFFINDOR and I'm A SLYTHERIN!
There was no happy medium- we we're polar opposites in every sense.
But I still fell for him…
And I have no idea what to do about it.
OoOoO
WOW! I like this story! I don't know how many people will read this but I hope some do because I really LOVE this one! It has a future! Most of all it is more well thought out! I looked through all my HP books to make sure I got the math etc. right!
So here's a handy dandy list-
Andy/Ted (Prewetts, Malfoy etc.)- Sixth year
Bella- Seventh
MWPP- Second
Narcissa- Fourth
So expect lots of interference from them all!
PLEASE REVIEW IT WILL MAKE MY DAY AND I REALLY ADORE THIS ONE! It's so cool that I get to look into the Black's/ Slytherin history! It'll make me so upset if no one is reading it! So if you are please leave a review! Your input helps so much!
Like Always,
TajM
(It's my first non LJ fic… and o- SMALL STEPS will probably be updated tomorrow!)