Word Count: 652


It's late. Andromeda isn't quite sure how late, but she knows it's past curfew, and she's lucky no one has caught her. Still, she's smiling as she nears the dungeons.

Ted always leaves her with a smile on her face. She knows she shouldn't love him, that she should be repulsed by him. She isn't. He may be a Muggleborn, but he is good and kind, and he looks at her like maybe she's the most important thing in the world.

She isn't supposed to have a choice in who she marries, but she doesn't care. Ted has talked about running away with her and marrying her whenever they finish school, and she thinks he means it. He has never been dishonest, and she can't help but believe him.

Except it won't be easy. Her family is strict and traditional, and she is supposed to be good and follow their every rule. That means marrying whoever they see fit and never daring to complain about it. Once, she might have been okay with that. Ted has changed everything and made her think that it would be nice to let go and make her own decisions.

The thought is terrifying. Does she follow her heart or stay with her family?

She's still considering her future when she enters the common room. It's almost empty. Almost, except for her older sister.

Bellatrix sits on the couch, long legs crossed. She tosses a dice between her hands, catching it so skillfully that Andromeda wonders if she's ever considered being a Seeker. Bellatrix's dark eyes find Andromeda's. There is no gentleness in them, and the smile she offers Andromeda is chilling. "Hello, sister," she says. "Bit late to be out, isn't it?"

She doesn't know anything, Andromeda tells herself. As long as I don't say a word, she'll never know.

"I couldn't sleep," Andromeda says with a shrug.

"Probably because you haven't been to bed," Bellatrix says. "Monique Quirke said she hasn't seen you since before dinner. Where have you been?"

That isn't ideal. Andromeda isn't sure what to say. She hadn't expected Bellatrix to call her bluff. "Monique must be mistaken."

Bellatrix lets the dice fall to the table. She rises, eyes narrowing. "I'm going to give you one chance to come clean," she says, her voice low and threatening. "I would take it if I were you."

Andromeda wonders what would happen if she denied it. Would Bellatrix know the truth somehow? Would she press until Andromeda finally cracked? Andromeda knows all too well how persuasive her sister can be.

"Andi, you're my best friend," Bellatrix says. "You know I don't want you to get hurt. I'm only trying to look out for you."

Telling the truth is equally terrifying. Andromeda can only imagine what Bellatrix would do to Ted if she knew. There had been a Muggleborn who had sent Narcissa a love letter. Narcissa had called it sweet; Bellatrix had hexed the poor bastard, though no one could prove it was her.

Neither option seems good, so Andromeda finds a middle ground. "I was hoping to meet a boy," she says. "He… I guess he wasn't actually interested in me. I was stupid, but I kept hoping he would show up."

"Oh, Andi…" Bellatrix pulls her into a hug, stroking her hair. "This is why Mother and Father will choose your husband. You may think people are good, but they really aren't."

"I know," Andromeda says. "I know."

When she pulls away, the relief is visible in Bellatrix's face. Maybe she had suspected, but Andromeda has set her mind at ease. "Come. You really need to get some sleep."

Andromeda nods, following her sister. She hadn't told the truth, not tonight. One day, she will. One day, she will be brave enough to be honest, to make that difficult decision without fear of consequence.

For now, however, Ted will be her secret.