I was going to throw Ted and Andy right into total angst, because I don't think theirs is an easy relationship, but I didn't have the heart, so this chapter is way happier than I expected. A little aftermath of Sirius taking off, Ted and Andy try to figure out what they are, a new DADA teacher…

Chapter 23- The Right Amount of Perfect

The family closed ranks. It didn't take a genius to realize that Sirius was staying with the Potters and gossip soon confirmed that. The Potters were a pureblood family- they knew what our family was like. I think Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga realized that if they showed up at the Potters and demanded their son return, Mr. and Mrs. Potter would be more likely to tell them where to go and how to get there than to make Sirius go home.

Regulus told us that Aunt Walburga had blasted Sirius off the family tree, and indeed when I went to look at the identical one in our library there was a small charred mark where his name had been. Whether this was a charm inherent in the tapestries or our Mother had blasted him off as well I didn't know.

We didn't speak of it in front of our parents. Not because we were told not to, but self-preservation was a strong instinct and we knew without anyone having to say it. But fear of our parents' wrath didn't keep us from talking about it when we were alone.

"He'll come back," said Bella confidently, the certainty in her voice not matching the uncertainty in her eyes. "He'll get over his little snit and realize that Uncle Orion was only trying to do what was best for him, keeping him away from more influence of mudbloods and muggle-lovers."

"I don't think he's coming back, Bella."

"He will. Family is more important to Sirius than he let's on."

Reggie sighed. "They'll be his family now. Potter and that Gryffindor lot. That's how he feels anyway."

Bella snorted, either dismissing Reggie's opinion or realizing it was true. I rather suspected the latter. Sirius was not a person who could tolerate solitude, but running away from Grimmauld Place hardly meant he would be alone or unloved. He had too many good friends, and in many ways he looked at his mates as brothers more than Regulus was.

Reg shook his head again, letting dark hair fall in his eyes, a habit he had unconsciously picked up from Sirius. "He's not coming back."

The rest of the holiday we spent barely going outside, as though our parents were afraid we would all run away if not kept under lock and key. Getting our things for school was entrusted to house elves rather than letting us to Diagon Alley, but even keeping us indoors didn't keep us from hearing the gossip. Mother and Father would come back from their various activities white-faced with anger having met with snide comments. Not only could our family not control a sixteen-year-old boy, but they had, for all intents and purposes, lost him to the Potters. Owls sent by our friends in Slytherin were mostly sympathetic, saying the family was better off without him, but there was a kind of underlying glee. There was an unspoken competition among the old families, and we would have whispered and giggled too if it had been someone else's family to have such a scandal.

As we got closer to going back to school, I found myself wondering if Sirius would return to Hogwarts at all. While he was undoubtedly smart (Indeed, his test scores rivaled my own even though I never saw him study) he was not a particularly driven student. But then when I mentioned this to Narcissa, she pointed out that he was only sixteen, and suddenly quite penniless, so what else was he going to do but finish school? It was a fair point; Sirius would not take well to poverty. The week before we went back to school a letter from Marlene assured me he was indeed returning, that the Potters were treating him like a son, and he was fine if unusually circumspect about the whole thing.

We all felt some uncertainty about how that was going to work at school- I think Bella and Regulus (at her urging) resolved to simply ignore him. Narcissa seemed to waver. I couldn't see how I would avoid talking to Sirius, we had too many mutual friends, but aside from that I didn't want to avoid talking to him. I missed him already and he'd only been gone weeks.

As the reality of school starting set in, I realized I was far more nervous than I had been even in first year. Not because I was worried about sixth year coursework, or even that I was worried about how we would deal with Sirius, but because of the absolute certainty that I would see Ted, and how was I supposed to act? Daydreams were all very nice, but I was quite sure I wasn't prepared for the reality of our new relationship.

By the time we got to King's Cross I was so tense I felt nearly sick, and all for nothing, because I didn't see Sirius or Ted on the platform. I assumed Sirius was already on the train, because we did see Mrs. Potter, and for a moment I wondered if we would have an ugly scene as my mother directed a venomous glare at the woman. Fortunately Mrs. Wilkes, either by accident or reading the situation quickly, grabbed both of her hands and distracted her with an inane question. It was not, to my eyes, terribly subtle, but it was effective in giving Mother a moment to remember how bad it would look to get in a fight at the train station. She merely gave us a push to the train and swept away with Mrs. Wilkes.

Marlene seized my arm almost as soon as I stepped on the train, dragging me away from Bella and Narcissa and toward the front of the train, and I belatedly realized we had to meet with the other prefects and the new head girl and boy.

"We have got to talk," she hissed in my ear.

"No kidding?"

I thought she was talking about Sirius, but as soon as Bella and Narcissa were out of sight she squeezed my arm and practically squealed, entirely out-of-character for her.

"You and Ted?"

"Oh…well…"

I hadn't told her about it, I hadn't told anyone but Sirius, I was still having too much trouble processing it myself, but of course Sirius had told her. She was grinning widely at me.

"I think it's brilliant Andy, really! And the ten galleons I won on it was nice too."

"I haven't…I don't know…just don't say anything, okay?"

She nodded earnestly, but I suspected both Ted and I would be on the receiving end of quite a few suggestive and none-too-subtle comments from both her and Sirius.

The train started to move as we stepped into the front car, and we were among the last to arrive. The new fifth-year prefects looked fantastically impressed with themselves, though I knew only the girl from Slytherin- Narcissa's friend Patsy Parkinson. The Head Girl was also from Slytherin (not as unusual as most people would think), a rather officious and self-important seventh-year named Amalthea Derrick. I knew little of her except that Bella detested her but had discovered in first year she was no fun to mess with either, and so simply ignored her.

Naturally, I noticed none of this immediately, as the first person I saw was Ted, and somehow he was even more good-looking than I remembered. I have never considered myself the sort of woman to buy into romantic clichés, but I really did feel my heart skip.

Luckily, Lily Evans came bursting through the door behind me, shouting over her shoulder "leave me alone, Potter," and not looking where she was going, and ran into me hard, knocking me into the lap of the fifth year Hufflepuff prefect, which clearly made his day.

"Oh, sorry Andromeda," she gasped.

Rabastan was sitting the nearest to where I'd fallen, and offered me a hand up, and the Head Boy (Mark Kingston- Ravenclaw) started talking, so I couldn't have said anything even if I had been able to think of something to say in front of all those people.

I couldn't say what any of them talked about; I was too busy trying to figure out where to look. Marlene had an annoying, knowing smirk, but I knew if I met Ted's eyes I would blush wildly and everyone would notice. The whole meeting seemed interminable. I just wanted to talk to him, but then I had no idea what I would say. I'd never had any trouble talking to him before, but then I'd also never kissed him before.

Luck was against me again as the meeting ended and little Patsy Parkinson started peppering me with questions about my summer, apparently hoping to get the inside story on the scandal Sirius has caused, and when I finally brushed her off Ted had been dragged away by Frank Longbottom, and when I walked past Narcissa called me into their compartment with a question about classes, and Bella was looking through my bag.

"Bella!"

"I'm just looking for a quill," she insisted. "Why Herbology?" she added, indicating the book.

"Why not?" I responded a little defensively.

"I wouldn't think you'd go on with it as you're the "I'm-so-smart-watch-me-take Arithmancy" sort, and it's rather dull."

"I like it."

"You've never really seemed to before."

"Bella, do you want to convene the Wizengamot to consider my classes or could I perhaps choose them without you making a huge case over it?"

She raised an eyebrow and muttered "touchy" before picking up the newspaper. She wasn't wrong, but I put the book back in my bag with a jerk. I had, not surprisingly, come out with excellent scores on my O.W.Ls. Not that I had expected much notice to be taken of my grades at home, but any excitement I should have felt about good grades had been overshadowed by the drama with Sirius. Still I was set to take whatever N.E.W.T courses I wanted and so had gotten my books accordingly- there was nothing there to raise eyebrows except Herbology, and of course Bella would take note of it.

The start of term feast snapped me out of my mood by forcing an awareness of much bigger problems than the lack of privacy that I was finding so trying. A noticeable number of students had not come back to Hogwarts. Some because their parents had decided to keep them home, but we knew some of them had not lived through the summer. Familiar names had appeared in the newspaper with photos of the sinister dark mark, and although The Daily Prophet tried to delicately not mention the ages of victims, it was understood that Lord Voldemort had no mercy for children.

The first sign was the sorting hat. I had a fond spot for the sorting hat because it had put me in Slytherin when I asked it to, but I had grown used to its usual songs, which generally told the first years about the qualities each house valued. This time, the hat had different ideas and rather than talking about each of the houses, warned us against divisions among the houses. Confused whispers followed its performance, only Dumbledore looking unsurprised by this new development, though very few Slytherins allowed their composure to crack. A bit down the table I heard Will mutter, "I don't plan on cozying up to any Hufflepuffs," and Mulciber snickered. Bella didn't look the least bit concerned about the change or the tension, watching with the air of a queen and a small smile.

I saw Sirius at the Gryffindor table, looking rather more aware than usual of curious eyes on him, he met stares with a defiant glare, but spoke only to his friends. He didn't look at us, and I decided that though I felt like I had too much to manage it that night, I had to talk to him soon.

When dinner ended Amalthea sent the Fifth Year prefects to take the new students to Slytherin, and kept Rabastan and I back, talking importantly about how things were going to change in Slytherin, we were going to win the house cup and give no one any reason to take away points, and it was up to use to see that our fellow Slytherins were behaving. She seemed to think I would be more receptive to this and so spoke to me, giving Rabastan the opportunity to mimic her behind her back, while I tried very hard not to laugh. It seemed like hours before she let us go, and then as Rabastan escaped, captured me to say something more. I didn't hear a word she said and was just thinking Bella was right- she really was annoying. The look she took for attentive was really me considering if my memory charms were good enough to hex her and then make her forget it.

The Great Hall was nearly deserted by the time she finally let up, and I escaped thankfully. I was just thinking it had been an exhausting day and I wanted nothing more than sleep.

"Hey."

I jumped about a foot, and then turned to find Ted leaning against the stone wall just outside the Great Hall.

"You scared me," I gasped, but smiling despite myself.

"Sorry. I thought she was going to talk forever."

"You weren't the one standing there listening to her."

And then the painful, awkward silence commenced, and I have to give him credit for breaking it.

"This is…ah…listen, I know it's late, but I thought maybe…we could talk?"

"But maybe not…standing the middle of the hallway outside the Great Hall."

"Right…good thinking…" He glanced around and then drew me into an out-of-the way alcove that had been the home to a statue of Hengist of Woodcroft. Someone (probably the usual suspects- James and Sirius, though that had never been proven) had charmed it to make obscene gestures at passing students, and the staff had to remove it. I had thought it mildly amusing, if rather childish, the year before. Now it seemed wonderfully convenient.

"Are you okay?"

"What?"

"Well, I heard about Sirius, and…everything…"

"Oh-" I was surprised that among everything else his biggest concern was whether or not I was upset about Sirius. I shook my head. "That's okay. I mean, it happened, and no one was very surprised really…" I trailed off vaguely.

"Look, I'm probably not going to say this right, so…bear with me…" Ted began, and I thought that actually having the power of speech made him more articulate than me, since my ability to form words seemed to have deserted me. "Look, Andy, I know you've got more to lose than I do here, and I don't want you to think that I don't get that or I think it's not important…but…I want this Andy. I don't even really know what this is, and honestly, it can be whatever you need it to be, but…you're hard to read, and I don't know what you want. And then there's Davis…"

"What?" That surprised me into speaking.

"Hadrian Davis…you're not going out with him anymore?"

I actually smiled. "I never was. That's…we've never been anything but friends. He's in love with Abigail Goldstein."

He blinked. "Okay, well, that's….Okay. I mean, the point is…what do you want?"

"Can't we just take this one day at a time? I don't have an answer for that that's long term. I want to be around you, I don't want to start a war with Slytherin, or with my family, and I have to say now would be a very bad time to engage them."

"Well, that's fair. You deal with Slytherin, and your family, since you're used to them. And we'll really just keep on like we've always been friends, like nothing has changed. Except, of course, sometimes, I'm going to do this…"

And that was to kiss me, without any hesitation or uncertainty, pressing me back against the stone wall, and I forgot all the worries and perfectly sensible objections I had planned to remind him of. It was not just a kiss, but a confirmation that what had happened over the summer wasn't just a moment or an impulse. Although I can't say I never doubted again that we'd make it work, at that moment I was completely sure.

I found out on the first day of classes that too much free time to think about it wouldn't be a problem, as N.E.W.T classes involved more homework than we'd ever had. Naturally, we discovered the next morning that we would again be finding a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. There was no doubt among students that the job was cursed, and Bella, hardly the type to believe in school rumors and gossip, agreed with a knowing smile. Professor Browning had reportedly taken a job teaching in New Zealand, far away from war-torn Britain and any danger associated with it. While slightly disappointed, as it had been worth going to class just to admire him, I also had to admit we hadn't learned much. Not that I had high hopes for the new teacher- anyone who would take the job would look like a good candidate, and that was reason alone to question their judgment.

At breakfast that first morning Slughorn immediately signed off on my class schedule with a wink, and I left as Adrienne was insisting she really did think an A in Divination was good enough to go on with it at N.E.W.T level.

I arrived to Defense Against the Dark Arts with Marlene, interested in exactly who would be stupid enough to take on the class. We paused in the doorway, and found the room had been changed yet again to suit another new teacher. Windows had been enlarged so sunlight streamed into the room, making it seem large and airy. While we were taking this all in, Sirius and James came up behind us.

"So, who's the newest victim?" Sirius quipped at Marlene before he even saw me. An awkward silence fell as she looked between us, waiting to see who would speak first.

"We can only hope for eye candy again," I remarked, and he gave me a relieved grin. No drama, no need for impassioned speeches or tearful recriminations, in a casual comment I let him know that whatever had changed between him and the family, nothing had really changed between the two of us.

"I think it's the boys' turn for eye candy," James began, and then glanced past us. "…or not."

"Come in, come in, we're not going to have class there in the doorway, now are we?" the new teacher called to us. She was certainly not going to be starring in the fantasies of any of Hogwarts students, male or female, unless they had very unusual taste. The best I can describe it is that she looked like someone's grandmother. Not my grandmother, who was severe and forbidding and always seemed inches from smacking Bella with her snake-headed cane, but the sort of grandmother one finds in children's' books, one who bakes things and knits quilts. Of indeterminate age, her hair pulled back in a bun every bit as severe as McGonagall's but she was prevented from being as intimidating as she was no taller than me, round, pink-cheeked and wearing slightly faded flowery-print robes. We gaped, as she didn't really look the type to be battling Death Eaters. It was Rabastan who was the unfortunate person to voice that thought.

"What's she going to do the Dark Lord? Bake him cookies?" he smirked. There was a flash and a second later he was laid out flat, blinking but clearly unable to move.

"There will be no joking about Lord Voldemort in this class, Mr. Lestrange. Is that clear?"

I suppose he would have nodded or spoken if he could, and she seemed to sense that as she lifted the spell and he scrambled to his feet, glaring at those who snickered and watching her warily.

"Take your seats, please."

The thing that was immediately different about N.E.W.T classes was that all four Hogwarts houses were in the same class, and so there seemed to be less segregation just by default. There were no "sides" to the room. Really, Slytherin was the only house that was so particular about not mixing with others…the Hufflepuffs were naturally friendly, Gryffindors loved an audience, and everyone wanted to be friends with the Ravenclaws if only for homework assistance, so maybe it didn't seem quite such a strange phenomenon to anyone else. I was sitting next to Marlene, and Sirius was sitting on her other side, apparently struggling to keep any number of comments to himself after what had happened to Rabastan.

Ted came in just as the class was about to begin, and slid into the seat behind me.

"That's the new teacher?"

I turned around and glanced at him. "Shh! She already laid out Lestrange like a first year."

Rabastan heard his name and turned to give me a dirty look, obviously it wasn't a story he wanted spread around. But his look of annoyance vanished into confusion when he looked my way. I realized the way I was sitting, turned around in my seat with my arm resting on Ted's desk was simply too familiar. Rabastan looked at me like he couldn't figure out quite what was wrong with the picture, but didn't like it.

"All right, settle down all of you. Let's get started here. I am Professor Summers and I would suggest you all address me that way. Since you all managed to achieve and E on your O.W.L, I will assume this class is relatively intelligent, and I'm not going to go easy on you. That would be doing you a great disservice in this day and age. We will begin with nonverbal spells. Who can tell me about them?"

That first term of my sixth year was the happiest I spent at Hogwarts, despite the amount of homework associated with N.E.W.T classes, and the absolute lack of privacy, and the nagging worry of the world outside school. It wasn't hard for Ted and I to go on as we always had, because after the initial awkwardness I remembered that we always seemed to have something to talk about.

I have to admit, there is something very sexy about a secret relationship. It would have been easier if there had been no secrets and no hiding, but there was something to be said for the brush of hands under a desk, a look from across the room, a quick kiss in an empty classroom. Ted had a way, he still does it, of coming up behind me and putting his hand on my waist, as though I was going through a door, and it was something I came to expect, the kind of touch that isn't too obvious. Our family very definitely did not approve of public displays of affection so even if we hadn't been trying to be discreet it would have been bizarre and uncomfortable if he'd done anything more, and he got that, a subtle indication he understood me better than I realized.

We counted, perhaps too much, on the principle that people see what they expect to see. Nobody would expect to see a Black girl even associating with a muggle-born, so perhaps they wouldn't. I spent most of my time around friends outside of Slytherin, it had been years since I'd spent much free time with girls in my house, and so nothing seemed amiss to even my roommates. We forgot that there is absolutely nothing at Hogwarts that stays a secret for long, and so eventually, people would notice.

Frank Longbottom was the first, and he didn't notice so much as Sirius told him, though I really can't imagine how a conversation about my love life came up between the two of them. I had actually been surprised he didn't know, and when asked about it, Ted shrugged.

"We're boys Andy, we don't talk like that…"

"You live in the same room nine months of the year and manage to avoid talking?"

"Actually, yes. Of course, I could tell him during those late nights when we're all giggling and braiding each others' hair…Spencer does a mean French braid…"

In any case Frank came crashing into the library one evening when we were studying for Charms.

"I hope you're bringing back my potions notes I was generous enough to lend you," Ted began, immediately followed by "What's wrong?"

"You're going out with Andromeda Black?" Frank hissed, though nobody else was nearby.

"Um, I'm actually sitting right here," I pointed out.

"What makes you think that?" Ted said reasonably.

"Sirius Black…"

"…has the biggest mouth in the bloody universe," I finished.

"Are you insane?" Frank went on as though I hadn't spoken. "That family is completely batshit crazy!" he glanced at me and added lamely, "No offense."

Normally, I would take offense at any comment against my family, but I was finding his little tantrum amusing.

"None taken, I'm sure in some cultures "completely batshit crazy" is a compliment."

"Do you not realize who her sister is?" he went on.

Ted turned to me conversationally. "You have a sister?"

"Well, most people wouldn't know that. She's very quiet, shy, nondescript, would never draw attention to herself…"

"Oh you two obviously think you're funny. Well, I warned you about this in first year, against this, and you'd be better off to have paid attention," he turned and stomped away.

"Sorry. I'll talk to him, he's all right really," Ted insisted.

"What did he mean about first year?"

"What?"

"He said 'I warned you about this in first year.' About what?"

"I…ah…no idea. He says weird things sometimes."

"Tell me…"

He feigned a deep interest in the charms book. "Really not sure what he meant by that."

I leaned my chin on my hand. "Did you fancy me in first year?"

He sighed. "I met Frank on the train. He seemed like he knew everything, on account of being from a magical family. In any case he knew more than me. You were one of the first to be sorted, and I asked him who you were."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Because you were almost too perfect," he said, as though that comment needed no explanation. "And he told me if I was smart I would stay away from your entire family, because they would not like me. Of course, then the next day I met you in class."

"What does that mean, too perfect?"

"You were…pristine. I mean your robes were all neatly pressed and somehow you managed to get from the train to the boats to the Great Hall without getting wrinkled, and your hair was perfect and you talked more like a member of parliament than an eleven-year-old kid. You were just untouchable."

It was one of those things that might be a compliment, and yet it wasn't.

"Do you still think I'm too perfect?"

He studied me for a moment. "Well, you've got ink on your cheek, and your hair is falling down, so I'd say right now you're just the right amount of perfect."

Frank Longbottom never said a word to anyone, and generally seemed to accept me, which was a significant step considering my mother and Augusta Longbottom had despised each other since they were schoolgirls. He always looked at me a little warily, as though expecting I was about to peel off my face and reveal my true evil identity, but he never said so. Unfortunately the next person to catch on was a little closer to home.

"Hey Andy," Hadrian called after me, and then hurried to catch up as I was crossing the courtyard. I had been hoping to go back to my room and take a nap until I had potions, but I stopped and waited for him to catch up. "What's new?"

"New?"

"Yes, it's a thing people ask. What's new? What's going on in your life? Is there anything significant you'd like to share? New hobbies? Pastimes? Important or significant events?"

"Are you writing an article or something? I know the public is dying to know more about the constant excitement that is my life…"

"No, no article. Just that if nothing has changed, then I'm wondering just how long you've been sneaking around with the boy I saw you in the library with last night."

I stopped, and two fourth year Hufflepuffs ran into me. Hadrian dragged me down a deserted hallway.

"So you saw me studying with someone?"

"Don't try to bluff Andy, you're really bad at it. I did see you studying last night, and I was going to come over and see if I could borrow that copy of the book on runes that you took out of the library- I need to borrow that by the way- but then you packed up your books, kissed him, and left the library. Now, unless I'm really missing out, that's not how you usually say goodnight to your friends."

"No…"

"So? Are you insane?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to kiss people?"

"Andy, I don't know that kid well, but I do know he's muggle-born. That's a dangerous game you're playing."

"I don't care, I like him."

"You're not going to like Cruciatus, and you're going to get to know it really well if your parents find out about this."

"All the more reason not to tell them."

"You know I wouldn't, and there's no reason to get nasty with me. I'm trying to look out for you here, as your friend. We're not talking about minor trouble. Is this really worth it?"

"I think it is."

It was late November, almost one in the morning when I got back to the common room and found Narcissa the only person awake, sitting in front of the fire with her astronomy book, making out a star chart.

"What are you doing up?"

She glanced up at me with a dry smile. "You're not the only one in the family who studies, however it might seem like it." She closed the book and added, "but I was waiting for you. Where were you?"

"I'm having a mad raging affair with the Minister of Magic. Shh, don't tell anyone."

She smirked, but didn't let it go. "Seriously, you're acting strange all term."

The only reason it had gone unnoticed that long by the two people who read my mood best was because they had other things on their minds. Bella was at school that term only in body. She would finish her seventh year for the sake of appearances, but as far as she was concerned she was finished with school. There was nothing left at Hogwarts that she wanted to learn. She had gone from treating teachers with vague contempt to outright baiting, and stopped barely short of cheeking Dumbledore. The teachers, finding detention useless, seemed to have resolved not to engage her. A few of them seemed a bit afraid of her, which shows admirable foresight. In any case, she was lost to another world, and while it bothered me, more than I cared to admit, I had tried very hard to ignore it in favor of the things making me happy. As for Cissy, she was still floating on a cloud, head over heels for Lucius. Though she obviously didn't see him at school, they did write frequently, and I again wondered what it was they found to say to each other.

"I'm not acting strange."

"You are, and Bella says you are too," she insisted, folding her arms and fixing me with a critical look. "You're never around, you're staying in the library until all hours, and you're…distracted."

"I'm fine, Cissy. I've had a lot of work this term, you know N.E.W.T. classes are harder."

"I've seen you talking to Sirius," she said quietly.

"Yes Cissy, I talk to Sirius. He's my cousin, regardless of what the tapestry says, I don't think family is something you give up on just because they don't do everything in life the way you approve of," I snapped, surprised by the feeling in my own voice. Until she'd given me a reason to say it, I didn't realize quite how much I'd wanted to. She looked taken aback, but then stood up, glaring at me in the firelight, which made her hair shine like a sort of halo.

"I've seen you talking to that boy."

"Oh for Merlin's sake Narcissa, yes, I talk to boys. Is that really so bizarre given that half the population of this school is male?"

"Not boys, Andromeda. That Ravenclaw boy. He's a muggle-born. The same one Mother caught you being friendly with in fourth year. You talk to him all the time. I've seen you in the halls, and out on the grounds. People are going to talk. You're too familiar with him."

"So what are you going to do? Tell Bella? Tell Mother?"

"No. Not yet. I'm telling you. So you can stop now."

Going on vacation. Yes, lovely lovely vacation. Beach, sand, sun...sounds nice, doesn't it? As I am unchaining myself from the shackles of laptop and cell phone, updates will be a bit off.