Okay, we're in the home stretch here kids. 2-4 more chapters depending on how long they turn out. The next chapter(s) is /are important. I am determined to finish this thing now. It's become Christina vs. fic. I need encouragement. Encourage!

Chapter 27 - Epistolary Form

Dear Andy,

Darling, I wish you were here instead of stuck in Hogwarts. You would love Paris, it's just your sort of place. I suppose you'd fancy all the museums and that, but even I have to admit the magical history of the place is rather interesting, and they're not at all fussed about cleaning it up so as not to upset mudbloods here. Quite sensible, really.

Mrs. Lestrange has been here the past week, visiting family she says, but I can't help but feel she's watching me and I know she doesn't like me. She's the most dreadful gossip, so it is rather amusing, but then I wonder what she says about me when I'm not around. She's started giving me helpful (and she thinks subtle) tips on being a better wife…makes me want to hex her mouth shut.

I do rather miss you. It's odd, because it's not as though I see you that much at school, since you're always holed up in the library, but I guess it's knowing I can't see you even if I wanted to find you. I could apparate, but I couldn't believe the forms we had to fill out for international apparition…ridiculous bureaucracy and all that.

I really must run darling. Good luck getting back to school. Don't get too bored there at Hogwarts, and don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Your,

Bella

I glanced up at Ted, who was sitting next to me and playing exploding snap with Frank. Despite knowing that Narcissa was still there, that all of Slytherin was still there, it was impossible not to feel a sense of relief that Bella wasn't there, and I no longer felt the sort of urgency I had the term before to hide from everyone. Indeed, after spending so much time with him over the previous month, it was natural. Among his friends- Frank and Marlene and Spencer, it seemed natural and didn't raise a single eyebrow.

Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Well, it was too late for that already.

"James Potter, you are the most annoying, impossible, arrogant boy I have ever had the misfortune to meet!"

I folded up Bella's letter as the shouting of Lily Evans preceded her into the train compartment, followed by James, who didn't look at all perturbed by her invective. Their fights seemed to be now a matter of habit rather than any real disagreement, as everyone suspected she was actually beginning to fancy him a bit. Much like Sirius, he had done a bit of growing up, and was no longer trying to use annoyance as his primary tactic to win her over. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was rather suddenly tall and good-looking, rather than the skinny, messy-haired kid in glasses. If Sirius was to be believed, most of the upper years in Gryffindor had a pool going as to when they'd start going out, especially thrown together as Head Boy and Girl.

"Seventh year…" Sirius sighed happily. "I'm looking forward to a year of bullying and intimidating younger and weaker students…after all that's the point of being a seventh year."

Lily gave him a disgusted look identical to the one she had just given James.

"The last thing I need is trouble from you, Sirius Black," she snapped, collapsing onto seat, while James sat next to her, notably close. "It's going to be bad enough just keeping the prefects in line. I think the Slytherins are planning a revolt. Did you see that little fifth year smirking the whole time you were talking, James?"

"Yeah, he's going to be trouble. Both of them."

"Well, they're certainly not going to listen to me," sighed Lily.

She was right, Lily was not only a Gryffindor, and muggle-born…a bad combination when dealing with Slytherin, but she flew in the face of all that they believed about muggle-borns. No pureblood would want to admit that Lily was an outstanding success in the wizarding world- beautiful, talented, and capable. Slytherins were offended by her, in the same way they were offended by Ted. Muggle-borns shouldn't be successful, much less outshine them.

Through no fault of hers, Lily's comment made me uncomfortable, as though it was my fault. The feeling of trying to balance between two worlds was becoming more and more unnatural. The constant reminders that we were in seventh year were there to make it clear that very soon, I was going to have to choose a side, and as Sirius had said, it was all or nothing. I glanced down at Bella's letter in my hand, and then shoved it between the pages of my potions book, and instead moved closer to Ted. In an automatic gesture, without even realizing he was doing so I suspect, he put his arm around me casually. I glanced up and found Lily watching me, a small, thoughtful smile on her face.

James's comment about the Slytherins planning a revolt had been made in passing, and half-joking, but there was no question that as the war went on outside the walls of Hogwarts, certain more fervent members of Slytherin wanted their beliefs to be known despite Dumbledore's regime. There was definitely a feeling of discontent among the Slytherin table that night as the headmaster welcomed everyone back. Rabastan and his buddies were definitely the start of it, but they were by no means the only ones…some of the youngest couldn't even remember a time when war didn't exist, and so it seemed the natural way of things to them.

I didn't want to be involved in school intrigues anymore, I just wanted to finish my seventh year with good grades, but the fact remained I was a Black and a Slytherin. People expected me to have an opinion, and expected they knew what it was.

"Wonder who was stupid enough to take the defense job?" Reggie asked, scanning the head table.

"What happened to Professor Summers?"

"Resigned. Or that's the official story," Shannon replied.

"Lucius says it was a bit forced. Purebloods didn't like some of the things she was saying," Narcissa supplied.

Most of her sentences had been starting with "Lucius says" and I had started to tune it out, but I was as curious as everyone else about a new teacher…it seemed the position really was cursed. I had rather liked Professor Summers, but most of the school governors were purebloods, and apparently they were asserting their authority where ever they could.

"Good riddance anyway," said Rabastan. Unable to help it, I laughed.

"You just didn't like her because she took you out on the first day. Those little old ladies can be scary."

He glared at me. "Watch it Andromeda. You know Bella isn't here to protect you anymore."

I moved slightly, as though to stand, and he flinched. Regulus actually laughed, as did a few younger students who had gotten in his way, amused at seeing him seem to shy away from a fight with a girl. I sat back down, and gave him a purely Slytherin kind of smile.

"I don't need Bella to protect me."

I had always liked school, and that hadn't changed, but seventh year came as a shock. I guess they assumed by the time we got to our second year of N.E.W.T study we had decided what classes we could manage, and decided to bury us in homework. Evenings found me in the library just to keep up with no time for romance even if Ted had been so inclined, but since we had almost all the same classes, he was every bit as busy as I was.

After two weeks of classes, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was something of an enigma. His name was McGarrick, and he was anything but social or welcoming to students who hoped to get to know him. After a few weeks of classes, the only thing we knew for sure about him was that he didn't like us. In fact, the idea of him liking anyone seemed a bit farfetched. Even in class he did little but snarl instructions and fire questions around. Even seventh years were a little put off by him, so I can only imagine what the first years thought that year. But regardless of being unlikable, I wasn't worried about my grades in defense, he seemed fair enough.

By the time we were two weeks into term, I had hardly seen Ted at all. Partly due to the amount of work, partly due to the fact that we were in different houses, and partly that Narcissa had become incredibly clingy. Without Bella or Lucius to distract her, she suddenly wanted to be close to me. However much she was trying to make amends, I still knew I couldn't trust her when it came to Ted, and so I wasn't about to let her get the slightest hint of any of it, but then that also meant I couldn't even talk to him when she was around. I could feel him looking at me sometimes, across the Great Hall at meals or from a few feet away in a classroom, and when I'd meet his eyes normally he'd just give me a sort of smile, but sometimes it was a look that would make me blush down to my toes.

He sat behind me in Transfiguration, and normally I made a point of paying attention and working hard in the class. I liked McGonagall and she was the sort of teacher who made one want to work hard and do well. She was demanding, but certainly fair. Transfiguration was a difficult and complicated kind of magic, and while I was by no means the best in the class, I had always done well. But on Friday afternoon, I could practically feel him looking at me, so much that I kept turning around to look at him, at which point he would give me a confused, innocent look. After about fifteen minutes of this, a folded piece of parchment floated surreptitiously over my shoulder and landed on my desk gently.

I unfolded it carefully.

Miss Black,

You seem unable to stop looking at me. I know I am irresistible, but you ought to be paying attention.

Sincerely,

Ted Tonks

I turned and looked at him. He gave me an innocent smile, and I turned around and picked up my quill.

Mr. Tonks,

Leave me alone. I'm trying to concentrate.

Sincerely,

Andromeda Black

I sent it back to him, trying to be subtle. A few moments later, it once again landed next to my elbow.

Miss Black,

I know I'm just too hot to ignore, but transfiguration is very important, vital to the future of a young witch. Really, despite my distracting presence, you must pay attention.

Sincerely,

Ted Tonks

I bit my lip, trying not to smile.

Ted. You're flirting with yourself. That's just sad.

By seventh year, levitating a small scrap of parchment is simple, it's hardly any more effort than the feathers we did in first year, and so I could do it with the barest little "swish and flick" and I thought I did so unnoticeably, until Marlene sitting next to me hissed "What are you doing?"

McGonagall looked at us, but we both gave her 'attentive student" looks back, and she want back to her lecture. A few minutes later the piece of parchment landed in the middle of the parchment I was taking notes on.

Miss Black,

Please, we are in class, you really must try to control yourself! This daydreaming about me is getting to be a problem. We should really discuss this problem. I happen to know you have herbology as your last class tonight. Perhaps you should linger in the greenhouse after it to water some plants…or something.

Sincerely,

Ted Tonks

In fact, meeting him in the greenhouse, usually deserted aside from classes, sounded like a stroke of genius, but I wasn't going to say that.

Daydreaming about you? You wish.

I heard a soft breath of laughter behind me, and the scratch of his quill, and then the note came back, sneaking under my arm.

Miss Black,

I will assume that is a code which means "Yes Ted, I would love to meet you after herbology, because you're so sexy you're all I can think about."

Sincerely,

Ted Tonks

I had picked up my quill and was trying to think of how to respond, when a shadow fell over the desk and a hand snatched the note out from under my quill. I looked up at McGonagall, and immediately saw the look that scared errant students…stern and forbidding. She glanced at the note, raised her eyebrows ever so slightly, and put the note in the pocket of her robes.

"I'll see you after class, Miss Black."

I sat through the rest of the class nervously, and when I glanced at Ted, he gave me a sympathetic and apologetic look. As the class ended, he didn't leave immediately.

"Go on," I murmured as people packed up and left.

"I sent you the first one, you shouldn't…"

"Ted, there's no reason we should both have detention. Go on."

"But…"

"I'm serious…"

He looked like he didn't want to, but everyone else was leaving and so finally he did. I stood by my desk and waited for McGonagall to notice me.

"Miss Black, really," she said after a few moments. "Aren't you a bit old to be passing notes in class?"

"Yes, Professor. I'm sorry."

"Your work in my class had always been good, but you know that you need excellent N.E.W.T scores if you intend to enter healer training, and this class is difficult, you cannot expect to coast."

"No, Professor," I murmured automatically, panic alarms going off in my mind. Slughorn had obviously told her of my intention to try for healer training…I wondered who else he had told.

"I don't want to see this again, Miss Black. I expect your full attention," she said sternly, and picked up her quill as though that was all. I waited.

"Is there something else, Miss Black?" she finally asked.

"I don't have detention?" I asked stupidly, even as I said it wondering what kind of stupid student reminds a teacher to give them detention.

She didn't set down her quill or look up, but she did pause in her writing.

"Miss Black, I have never had to reprimand you for…anything. I think this first time I can let you go with a warning."

"Thank you, Professor."

"You have another class to get to, do you not?"

I was nearly to the door when she spoke again, and when I glanced back, she was looking at me.

"One wonders you're not in Gryffindor."

That evening as I left herbology with Annabelle, I made an excuse to wait back. In the years at Hogwarts I was with Ted, I became an expert at "vague but plausible" excuses.

I actually was watering when he came in, as I thought some biting hyacinth looked a bit parched. I dodged back as one of them snapped at me, and he caught me.

"Jesus…bloodthirsty little things!" he said, catching me around the waist.

"I'm okay," I said, though in no hurry to pull away from him.

"Did McGonagall give you detention?"

"Yeah, a month of Saturdays," I said, pulling a face.

"What? Oh no way Andy, you have to let me tell her it was my fault…"

I put my hand over his mouth. "Ted, I was kidding. She let me off with a warning."

He didn't seem to find it amusing, as he didn't laugh, didn't even smile.

"What's the matter?"

He had a free hour while I had herbology, but since he had certainly seemed in a good mood while getting me in trouble in Transfiguration, something must have happened in that time.

"Nothing," he said vaguely.

"Then why do you look like someone just killed your favorite kitten?"

"Wouldn't you feel bad now if my kitten had died?"

"Ted, you don't have a kitten. Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing to depress a guy like reading the newspaper," he shrugged. I wasn't sure what he meant. I had read the newspaper that morning, and while it was certainly not good news, disappearances and mysterious deaths were becoming commonplace. It wasn't that we didn't care, but the constant barrage of bad news would drive anyone to insanity if you let it. You become desensitized, without wanting to, without even noticing it.

That day's paper was half-sticking out of his bag, and so I picked it up to see if I had missed anything particularly worrying, but another glance at the headlines gave me no clues. A disturbance in Hogsmeade that might have been Death Eaters but also might have been too much to drink and a troublesome cat, the disappearance of a Ministry staffer while on an assignment in Edinburgh, and the murder of a muggle family near Brighton...the last only tied to the events in the wizarding world after it was discovered they had a son who had recently married a young witch. True, all were bad news, but not out of the ordinary.

"Muggle authorities were totally mystified by four people killed without a single mark on them," he said quietly, abruptly, facing away from me. Beyond the greenhouse was the grassy park and the Black Lake, a view we had seen too many times for it to hold much interest, but he stared at it intensely. "Crucio doesn't leave a mark. Avada Kedavra doesn't leave a mark."

Cold was creeping over me, partly because it was getting dark outside perhaps, but partly because his voice sounded different than I'd ever heard...sharper, more bitter...I didn't like the sound of the unforgivables when he said them. The darker side of the wizarding world was something I couldn't associate with him, he was my retreat from that.

"They never really had a chance, against magic. Against a killing curse. And all because their son married a witch."

Then it fell into place. He was willing to take his chances with me, but he hadn't taken into account the danger to his family. He had assumed they were removed, they had no part in this war. He had never thought that someone who thought he didn't belong in the magical world might take that out on his family, who had no hope of defending themselves. And given the newspaper article I was holding in my hand, I couldn't really argue with him, or deny that there was some validity to his fear.

"You're eleven…and you get this letter…" he went on quietly, and I remained still, watching him, knowing somehow not to say anything now. "And suddenly everything seems to make sense…because you always knew there was something. Something that made you different, something that made weird things happen around you. And it was suddenly explained, and it was such a relief, to know it's not something wrong with you, that's it's a gift, that you can do a thousand things that other people can't. And it's such a relief to know you're not the only one, that there are other kids like you, enough to have a special school even. There's this whole world, where people fly and disappear and things change shape in front of your eyes, and it feels so brilliant that maybe this is the world you belong in, because you never quite did before."

Ted never talked about his life before Hogwarts. From what I had gathered from offhand comments he was close to his family- missed them and regretted that he couldn't see them more-but he rarely let on more than that. I didn't particularly want to discuss my family or my life when I was at home, and I simply assumed everyone else was the same. The freedom with which Marlene and James talked about their families had always mystified me. And despite the fact that he was upset, there was a part of me that wanted Ted to go on, I wanted to know him, even the things he kept from most people.

"And then you get to Hogwarts and it's amazing and fucking unbelievable. And you think they were right, there's this place with people like you." He paused, shaking his head slightly. "And you don't realize right away what they didn't tell you. It takes awhile to realize that people hate you. And it's not that I don't understand why, we have prejudice in the muggle world…it's for different reasons, but just as unfounded…but it takes awhile to realize there are those who think you don't belong in this world either. They don't tell you that. They don't tell you there is a war raging. They don't tell you the ugly things magic can do, that it can be used to hurt and kill. They don't tell you that you're family will feel like they don't know you. They don't tell you that your family could be killed, just because you accept the offer in that letter…"

There were a number of logical responses to this, but I also understood that logic wasn't what he wanted to hear. This wasn't an intellectual debate. I also knew he didn't want me to lie and say his fears were unfounded. In fact, I had no idea what to say, but I wanted to do something. I set the newspaper down on the edge of a planter with some sickly looking trees and moved around so that I could see his face.

"Ted, there's always going to be a danger, but it's not because of a choice you made when you were eleven. There could be more to that story, you know the Daily Prophet tends to miss important facts, there could easily be more to it."

"That's not the point…" he picked up the newspaper I had set down, apparently just for the purpose of doing something with his hands, folding it compulsively. "The point is that if it weren't for me, they wouldn't even exist to the wizarding world."

"You can't take that on yourself, that's not fair…"

He shook his head slightly, and crushed up the paper violently.

"I just need to get out of here," he said suddenly, picking up his bag.

"Ted, don't…"

"I just need to be alone Andy."

Mia Bella,

Of course you love Paris, and how could you not, when it's hundreds of miles from Mother and Father and you can do whatever you like, and for all your claims it's rather interesting I'm not stupid enough to think you're just studying. Thank you for the bracelet you sent, it looks like it costs a fortune but I'm not complaining, you can send me as many Parisian gifts as you want.

I tapped my quill on the table, trying to think of what to tell Bella about school that had nothing to do with Ted.

Hogwarts is predictable…I'd tell you about classes but I know that would bore you to death. I will merely recount that the other day in potions Rabastan managed to dose himself with Theo Nott's Amortentia, and spent the rest of the class lamenting that Theo could never love him, and Slughorn wouldn't let him go to the hospital wing until class was over because he said it wasn't any danger and it was his own fault for being an idiot. Just something you might want to file away to torment him with in the future.

Reggie is still in a bit of a sulk because he wasn't made prefect, Tommy Burke is instead, and I'm sure he would do a fine job if he ever came out of the haze of billywig stings long enough to even notice the fact he's a prefect. I imagine Reggie thinks he has to do everything Sirius didn't do, but really I could have told him being a prefect isn't a course to automatic parental approval.

I have to get going as it's nearly dinner. And I don't know what you've been using that poor owl for but she was exhausted by the time she showed up here…do be careful.

And Bella, I don't do half the things you would.

Love always,

Andy

I read the letter again, and decided it sounded perfectly natural and not at all like there was anything else on my mind. I addressed it and tied it to Megaera, Bella's owl, who still looked annoyed that I had taken her from the Owlery where she had been sleeping. She gave me one last disgusted look and then took off.

People were coming in for dinner, and I automatically glanced over at the Ravenclaw table, but couldn't find Ted. I hadn't seen him at breakfast or lunch either, and I was starting to worry, not the least because he didn't seem to be eating. I had resolved that if he needed time alone, I could give him that, but then I knew from experience that being alone generally led to brooding, which generally only made problems seem worse. But then the fact was that I couldn't get into Ravenclaw, so if he wanted to be alone there was effectively nothing I could do about it.

I was worried about him and could understand at least intellectually his worry about his family, but even though it seems selfish, I wondered what it meant for me. Was this his way of explaining why he couldn't be with me, that it drew the attention of the wrong people and made his family a target? I abandoned my dinner and approached the Ravenclaw table, sliding into an empty seat next to Marlene.

"I need to get in the Ravenclaw common room."

She frowned. "You know they don't like that Andy…that's why we have passwords."

"I know, so would I ask if it wasn't important?"

She glanced down, poking at her potatoes thoughtfully. "You better go now while everyone's at dinner. The password is "Flitterbloom."

I knew where the Ravenclaw common room was, I had enough friends in that house to have gone that far, but I had never actually been inside, that was definitely discouraged. The common room was empty at dinner time, and I paused for a moment with curiosity, for it was very different than Slytherin. It was done in blue, naturally, everything rich and weighty, velvet in all shades of blue and heavy mahogany furniture. In a tower, they had windows all around from which I could see the sky just turning from navy to black, and every inch of the wall that wasn't a window was covered with bookshelves reaching all the way to the ceiling. I would have liked to stop and have a closer look, but that wasn't what I had come for.

I paused at the bottom of the stairs that Marlene had said led to the boys' rooms. If Ravenclaw was anything like Slytherin, there was no problem with girls going up the boys' staircase, only the other way around. As I was considering that two little boys who couldn't have been any older than second year came down and paused to stare at me and my Slytherin tie with wide eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" the bolder of them asked.

"Get lost…"

Apparently they'd head stories about Slytherin, because they didn't waste any time getting past me out of the common room. Not wanting to wait for someone older and less easily intimidating to find me, I hesitantly put my foot on the first step…and nothing happened. Relieved, I continued up the stairs until I found the room with a gold plate declaring it the seventh year boys' room. Having no interest in catching Frank or Spencer in a compromising position, I thought it better to knock. It took a few minutes before he opened the door, and had I been less worried his surprise would have been rather funny.

"How did you get in here?"

"It's not the Department of Mysteries, Ted. I asked Marlene for the password. If you're going to hide from me, you should do it somewhere my best friend can't give you up."

"I wasn't hiding from you so much as hiding from everyone," he pointed out, though he didn't close the door on me.

"Are your roommates here?"

He shook his head, and stepped back to let me in. I had an overall impression of blue in the dim lamps, but I was more concerned with looking at him. "We should set up a schedule of some sort, you know," I remarked, and at his confused look, explained. "Well, so we don't both don't have some big existential crisis at the same time. We can alternate."

He smiled, albeit weakly, and I was glad he understood it was a joke and I wasn't trying to trivialize what he was dealing with.

"I'm sorry I took off on you. And I have been hiding from you, a little bit," he admitted. "I needed to think, and I can't always think when you're around."

"The thing is, if you could go back and do it all over again, knowing what you do now, would you do it differently? I mean knowing there's a war and there's a really ugly side to this world, would you change your mind and refuse the Hogwarts letter?"

"You can do that?"

I shrugged. "It happens…those people usually end up going insane. They don't force anyone to come to Hogwarts though, so you could have refused. Hindsight being what it is, would you?"

"No…" he said, and I was relieved. I had thought that would be his answer, but I hadn't been sure. "No, then I'd feel all wrong, I expect. Like I was missing something. And you exist in this world." I smiled, but he went on. "But I can't get past the feeling that they wouldn't be in danger if not for me."

"Have you considered talking to them about this?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Hey Mum and Dad, just letting you know there's a nutter who wants to kill you, and you won't see him coming and there's nothing you can do about it, but have fun looking over your shoulders and jumping at every noise for the rest of your lives?"

"Well, you might phrase it a little differently. But wouldn't you rather know what's out there rather than some great unknown. They want to know Ted, that was obvious in the twenty seconds in Diagon Alley, they looked like it was Christmas and their birthday all at once just to meet someone you went to school with. The Statute of Secrecy doesn't extend to immediate family."

He was frowning, seriously considering the idea. I was about to go on, when the door opened and Spencer's voice began "Flitwick was asking where…" and stopped dead when he saw us. "Oh Shit! I mean…uh…sorry, I…"

"No, it's okay, we weren't…" I began.

"None of my business, really…er, sorry…" he closed the door quickly behind him.

Ted and I looked at each other, and suddenly the tension broke and I laughed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come up here. Did I get you in trouble?"

He grinned. "No, I think you solidified my reputation for the rest of my time at Hogwarts."

Ted's worry about his family was by no means forgotten, I could see it bothering him, but rather than avoiding me, he started bouncing suggestions off of me, from invisibility cloaks to portkeys, that they could use in case robed and masked figures made an appearance. While none of the ideas were particularly feasible, I knew it made him feel better to be trying to come up with something rather than merely worrying. Like most men, he needed to solve problems rather than just complain about him, so I tried to be just encouraging.

The whole thing seemed to have made him more willing to talk about muggle things to me, and so over the next few weeks I learned more about the muggle world, and it was far more interesting than I had ever imagined. Perhaps muggles couldn't do as much as witches and wizards, and yet somehow that made them more determined to push boundaries. I was fascinated by his descriptions of muggle scientists and inventors and explorers.

Annabelle had never been a stellar student, and was finding her N.E.W.T courses to be a bit beyond her, and so most days as we walked to breakfast she would consider the day before her and complain about her classes. Mostly she complained to Adrienne and I about her divination grade (due entirely to the unfair grading policies and nothing to do with her lack of skill), and I had ceased to pay too much attention. One such morning, as she was describing in detail a supposedly unfair homework assignment, I was suddenly caught from behind and pulled down a narrow corridor. Hogwarts was full of conveniently placed corridors, and Annabelle and Adrienne didn't even notice I had disappeared.

I wasn't alarmed, by that time I knew his touch, but my whisper of "what are you-" was cut off by a kiss.

"Sorry," he said as he released me. "I actually just meant to give you back your Charms notes, they got in my book by mistake. But then you looked pretty, so I couldn't help it."

"And you figured just grabbing me out of a crowd would be a good plan?"

"Not too bright, those two…"

"They're just…self-absorbed."

"No kidding…"

"So are you going to give me my charms notes back?"

"I might, eventually…"

"What might I have to do to convince you?"

"Well, let's see…"

"Ahem."

We both turned, and there was no way the scene wasn't obvious. I was leaning back against the wall, and Ted had his arm braced against the stone wall next to me, effectively trapping me if I had been trying to get away, and he was close enough to kiss me, talking softly against my ear.

And Cailean Dresden was standing all of a few feet away, arms crossed, and face impassive in true Slytherin fashion. Reflexively, Ted's arm around my waist tightened.

"Slughorn asked me to give you a note," said Cailean said without preamble, without any comment on the compromising position he'd found me in. I stepped back quickly, and he held it out, a folded scrap of parchment. "Really Andromeda, I could have been anyone. You should be more careful." He turned on his heel and walked away.

"Do you imagine the raging crush he has on you will make him inclined to keep quiet?" Ted said.

"Oddly enough, I trust him…"

"We should get to breakfast anyway. What does Slughorn want?"

I unfolded the scrap of parchment.

Miss Black,

I would appreciate if you would meet me in my office at four-thirty, if that is agreeable to you.

Best regards,

Prof. Horace Slughorn

"Well, I reckon if you're in trouble he wouldn't make an appointment."

"Odd…"

I tapped on Slughorn's door, and entered upon his answer. He looked up and gave me an engaging smile. He always seemed to like me, but I understood him well enough to know that he probably liked my name and family connections more than he had any interest in me personally.

"Ah, Miss Black. Come in, come in. I just wanted to speak to you again about your plans for the future. As I'm sure you understand a number of students find that they have to reconsider their career options after their exams and N.E.W.T coursework. We generally meet with the students in our houses again in the second term of their Seventh Year, but I wanted to speak to you before the holidays as your grades and coursework would be very appealing to the St. Mungo's Healer training programme. I wanted to ensure that is the course you still wish to pursue, as the application for the programme is due in April. Final acceptance, of course, is dependent upon your final N.E.W.T grades, but I have no worries about that. Before we are all lost in the excitement of the holidays, I wanted to ask of that is the path you still wish to pursue."

I took a deep breath. "Yes Sir, it is."

"I am pleased to hear it, Miss Black. I have the application here. As you can see it is quite extensive, but most of the information is basic enough," he explained, handing various sheets of parchment across to me. "Times certainly have changed. There was a day no pureblood woman would be allowed to take a job, even one as respected as a Healer."

I must have made a sound, for he looked up, his usual amiable expression slightly suspicious.

"Miss Black?"

I hesitated. Slughorn was a fairly simple man, in my opinion. He liked people who had the potential to do him favors. He liked to drop names and feel connected. Being a Black, I had that potential, but I had a feeling that my favor paled in comparison to the influence of my parents. Would he be willing to take a chance on me, or would he be too afraid of offending the Noble and Most Ancient House?

"Sir, my parents aren't aware that this is the course of study I plan to pursue. I should prefer to present it to them as fait accompli."

I wasn't entirely honest, I wasn't sure when or how or ever if I would tell my parents, but I didn't think the best option for letting them know was for him to casually mention it at a party or a chance meeting in Diagon Alley.

He frowned slightly as though considering this, and then seemed to decide. Quite logically, the Black family would disapprove of him because he was accepting of promising muggle-borns, but having a former student who was a well-respected Healer might be an attractive prospect.

"Very well, Miss Black," was all he said, handing me the rest of the application.

I was not in the habit of reading Narcissa's mail, but I came across it accidentally during exams. I had merely needed to check a formula for a potion that we had studied in fifth year. I had completely blanked on diluting the aconite, and remember that Narcissa had the potions textbook for that year and I could just look in hers. She wasn't in her room, but I did find her roommate Patsy Parkinson, who pointed out that her potions book was sitting on the night table next to her bed. When I picked it up, a piece of parchment fluttered to the ground. I reached down to put it back, but my own name caught my eye.

It was a half-finished letter to Bella, and the first three paragraphs were Lucius and Lucius and Lucius, which made me roll my eyes. It was then that my name came into it.

I'm worried about Andy. I think she's seeing that mudblood boy again. I haven't seen them together, but she just acts differently and looks differently. He gives her looks that could set the Great Hall on fire during meals and she makes excuses about studying late and just disappears sometimes. I don't know why she's be that stupid when Mother and Father are trying to work out an engagement to Marius Flint, and he's be just the perfect husband for her- they say he's clever and he's not so bad looking, and even though he's younger he'll inherit a good bit. I can't imagine she'd ruin her reputation and a good engagement with some mudblood. Shouldn't we tell Mother and Father?

"Did you find it?" Patsy asked from where she was ensconced in her own bed. I replaced the letter and picked up the potions book.

"Yes, will you tell her I borrowed it?"

"Sure."

I walked back to my room, already wondering how I would explain myself when Bella came home for the holidays.