On the eve of her first day of 5th year, she snuck out of her room to speak to her uncle Alphard like she did every year. He'd stay in the guest bedroom during the summer, and go live in his house during the school year.
He was sitting in an armchair in the library, when she came in. She moved to sit on the love seat next to it.
"So what do you think of my new story, Andromeda?" he said.
"I think it is your best one yet! It is certainly my favorite..." she said. Her uncle always let her read his stories first.
"Really?" He said, chuckling.
"Yes, of course! Actually, I was wondering-"she fidgeted with the sleeve of her nightgown nervously, "Could I keep it? At least until Christmas-"
"Of course, you can keep it forever if you like, but may I ask you a question?"
She nodded, a little embarrassed by her previous behavior.
"What do you like so much about the story?" he said with a smile.
"Well, I really liked how the main character stayed happy despite hiding herself from everyone, even those who cared about her. It is admirable to do that. She did everything to stay with her family."
His smile faltered momentarily, but Andromeda didn't seem to notice.
"Thank you for your honesty, Andromeda. Is there anything you want to talk about?"
She thought for a few seconds.
"Well, I became prefect this year-Which is great!-but I am afraid of all the responsibility... and since Bella got snubbed the head girl position... I am just worried about what is going to happen this year."
"Andromeda… it doesn't matter if Bellatrix is feeling bad, you need to think for yourself without getting hers or others approval. Say what you think. You are not just Bellatrix's sister or a Black , you're Andromeda," he paused, "You are going to be an amazing prefect, but not if you don't get enough sleep," he said getting up from his chair, "Goodnight, Andromeda."
"Goodnight, Uncle Alphard." she said.
When she got back to her room, she opened her trunk to put the book in. She looked at the book's cover, in her uncle's fancy writing was the book's title, A Dove Among the Crows . She chuckled as she put the book in her trunk, where did her uncle get such great story ideas?
"Oh, Jimothy, will you miss me?" he said smiling to his best friend who was sitting on his bed.
"I'm only gonna miss the birds not attacking me in my home. Is it safe for you to even touch your guitar? Don't you have magic hands?"
"What? Yes, it's safe magic comes from my wand! Poor, young Jimmy, how will you survive without me, the older , responsible one between us." he said, playing some chords.
"The first time you used magic was when we were playing swings; you pushed me and I landed on top of the Miltons' house. That magic came from your hands." he said, giving him a look that Ted was too familiar with. The "I'm-right-you-idiot" Jim special.
"I was scared to go on swings for a year! Also, I'm only 3 days younger than you!"
"And those days made all the difference," he thought for a second, "That's when I didn't have control of my magic, now I do and it goes through my wand!"
"I never understand any of this magician stuff, just tell me when you can finally pull a rabbit out of a hat."
The boys laughed.
"But seriously, Ted, I'm really gonna miss you. You're my best friend."
"You're my best friend too, you're like the brother I never had. I love you, Jimothy." he said with mock tears in his eyes at the end. Jim laughed.
"I love you too, Tedward," he said, playing along, they fake cried, and Ted put down his guitar, then they hugged.
They laughed, again.
"Boys, you have to be quieter, your mother's asleep and Jim, you're gonna have to leave soon." Ted's dad said from his doorway.
"Can't we have a sleepover, dad?"
"Yes, please, Mr. Tonks?"
Mr. Tonks looked between Jim and Ted. He smiled, giving in, and Ted and Jim subtly low-fived.
"I'll call your mother, if she says "no" Jim's going straight home, alright."
"Yes, sir!" they said with a mock salute.
Mr. Tonks left, shaking his head with a smile. A couple moments later he called upstairs
"She said 'yes'!"
"Yes!" the boys said together.
"Does the whole family need to come everytime?" asked Sirius.
"Of course," said Walburga, "We need to show support for our kin, and you're going to Hogwarts soon, too."
Sirius looked at her, judgement clear on his face, but he was careful to school his features into a smile when she looked back.
"Why are you smiling?" asked his father.
"I can smile at my mother!"
"Tradition is reason enough to be here, Sirius." Andromeda said.
"Stop being a nuisance, Sirius." Bellatrix said.
"Goodbye girls, act appropriately." said Druella, their mother.
"Keep your grades up," said their father.
Alphard went to muss his favorite niece's hair, then remembered how much work it had taken her so he settled on giving her a hug instead.
"I hope becoming a prefect doesn't make you too serious." he whispered to her during the hug.
"Well, being a prefect comes with a lot of responsibility, I will have to be serious." she said as they parted.
"Be good, Andromeda." he said.
"Will you send me letters, 'Cissa?"
"Of course, Reggie." Narcissa said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the forehead.
"'Cissy, always practicing being a mummy with little baby Reggie" Bellatrix murmured to her other sister.
"Well, she is going to be one. We should probably be practicing too."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, and they got on the train.
"Bye, dad! Bye, mom! Bye, Jimmy!" Ted said, "I love you."
"We love you too," said Mrs. Tonks.
"You'd better write to me all the time," Jim said while hugging him, then he thought for a moment,
"Maybe not, people are going to think I attract owls or something,"
They chuckled.
"You have to write us letters too, Teddy," his mom said, pinching his shoulder.
"Listen to your mother," his dad said, jostling his hair.
"Well, bye!" he said, "I have to run into a wall now."
Then he did, right through the wall between platforms 9 and 10, a wave of tourists covering his entrance.
"Naya! "
"Andy! "
"It is so wonderful to finally see you, Naya! Oh, and congratulations in person for becoming prefect! "
"You too, Andy."
"Have you seen, Gwen?"
"Yes, but I'm not supposed to tell you."
"Why?" Andromeda eyed her suspiciously.
"BOO!" Gwen yelled, scaring no one and only earning an inquisitive glance from Andromeda, then Gwen awkwardly got herself off the luggage rack, "nobody ever puts their stuff up there, since this is the prefects' compartment." she said, wiping down her skirt, "That's the last time I tell you anything, Shafiq."
"I made cupcakes, to celebrate us becoming prefects." Inaya said, bringing cupcakes from behind her back.
"I forgive you," said Gwen, and Andromeda and Inaya chuckled.
"I'm so happy we are all prefects!" Andromeda said, grabbing a cupcake.
"Ok, everyone settle down and sit down," said a Gryffindor with red hair.
"Ugh, the blood-traitor who stole my rightful place." muttered Bellatrix from beside her.
The meeting went on normally after that, with a few angry mumbles from Bellatrix. Andromeda thought that the Gryfindor made a good head girl, but she never would say it to Bellatrix. She remembered what her uncle had said, and felt bad. She held the cupcake in her hands, she wouldn't eat it during the meeting. That would be rude. She pushed it out of her mind to focus on the head girl, Penny... Patty... Polly? Something with a "p"
The head girl said that Andromeda and Delwy Selwyn were supposed to patrol the train for the first hour and a half.
"Well, see you later." she said to her friends, and they waved goodbye to each other.
"So, do you want to go see the gang?" asked Gwen in a whisper.
"Sure."
They went to the compartment where their other friends were.
"Heya, guys." Mason told them calmly, as the rest of their friends were rolling on the floor laughing.
"What's happened?" asked Gwendolyn.
"Well, Dolly," said Edith, one of the two people laughing on the floor, panting, "Mason ate a chocolate frog, and-and-and" she started laughing again.
"It jumped on Ted's face." Mason said unphased.
Ted looked up to see the people who had entered the compartment, the frog had seemed to have jumped from his nose to his blonde hair and out the window, leaving blotches of chocolate all over in its wake.
Gwen laughed, but Inaya and Mason didn't:
"It's not really that funny."
"Of course, Miss Perfect Prefect Ravenclaw would object to us playing games."
They talked about their summers, Gwen had gone to Italy with her father. Inaya had gone to visit her sister and her niece. Ted had tried to start a band with Jim but didn't have enough friends with musical inclination for it to work.
Edith had a small afro that always looked great. Her smile could always light up a whole room, but her dark eyes had a certain wiseness to them, like she always knew a secret about you. She was wearing a band shirt and straight-leg jeans. The only Gryffindor in the group, Mason, had light brown eyes. He had striking eyebrows and a thin wrinkle across his forehead. He'd already changed into his Hogwarts robes. Ted had wavy blonde hair that reached his ears, and pale skin. His eyes were green, and when he smiled he had a dimple in his left cheek, that was currently still covered in chocolate. He was wearing his Hogwarts shirt and tie, but was also wearing jeans, "why not limit my changing time?" he'd said to his mother, "It looks muggly enough."
"Have you told Andromeda about us being friends?" Edith asked.
"We haven't," said Inaya.
"Why?" Ted asked.
"You don't understand how she could react, she could still be in that pureblood madness, " said Dolly, the tone of the room shifted.
Ted was laying on the floor, his back against the wall, he'd cleaned his face and now he looked conflicted. Edith was sitting in the corner, her knees to her chest, wearing a blanket she knitted. Gwen had taken the rest of the seat from Edith, laying on her belly resting her chin on her hands as she stared at Ted. Mason and Inaya were sitting properly with their feet touching the ground on the opposite seat.
"Have you even tried talking to her about it?"asked Mason.
"W-we haven't really seen her over the summer. She usually spends it with her family," said Inaya, not meeting his eyes.
"How do you expect her to react when she finds out about this?" asked Edith.
"I don't know." The compartment was struck with silence.
After a couple of seconds in the unease, they had gone back to their regular banter, but it hadn't felt the same since there was something under the surface.
"We should probably be going now. It's a miracle she didn't find us while on patrol."
"We'll talk later, okay guys," said Dolly.
After the compartment door had shut, Ted said:
"I don't see why they're friends with her when she could be a terrible person ."
"We only became friends the last few months of school, we shouldn't be pressuring them. We don't even know Andromeda, for all we know she could love mug-" Edith said.
"She could be like the rest of her family too, though."
"But we don't know her, Ted."
"Whatever, I'm gonna get candy," he said, getting up to leave the compartment.
"That boy. What are we going to do with him?" she said, after he'd left. Mason nodded.
"A Pumpkin Pasty, please," she said to the trolley witch, she seemed a little annoyed.
"Hi, Andromeda," he said, it always pained him a little to see her.
"What? Who are you?"
"It's Ted Tonks," she looked at him confused, "from second year ."
She had no idea who he was. Maybe, he'd caught her in a mood or something.
"I was in choir with you." he said turning pink with embarrassment, he hadn't wanted to talk to her this long. He didn't even know why he had initiated a conversation.
Suddenly it dawned on her, "Oh, second year choir , I remember you now. Did you want to tell me something, or just reminisce?" she said with a stern expression, not hateful or spiteful. The look made him feel like he was in trouble, and that she knew what he had done and was trying to get him to figure it out himself.
"I was just trying to be friendly ," he said, quietly.
"Well, stop." she said, then paid the trolley witch and left.
He ordered some Cauldron Cakes, and tried to ignore the trolley witch's pitying expression.
"Some muggle-born boy tried talking to me. I am going to laugh about that later. " she said with a smile, before finishing her Pumpkin Pasty. "I am so glad I got myself a treat, I was a little annoyed that Selwyn left me alone, but now I feel better."
Inaya and Gwendolyn looked at each other.
"Who was it?" asked Gwen.
"Who was who?" asked Andromeda, visibly confused. Her cat, Milky-Way jumped into her lap.
"The muggle-born?"
"Ted Tonks. I was in choir with him in second year."
Gwen and Naya shared another look. They decided to continue on as if everything was normal, maybe try to figure out Andromeda's true opinion on blood-purity politics.
"So what do you think of the new heads?" Naya asked casually.
"Well I don't know about the boy, but the head girl is good,"
Naya and Gwen looked hopeful, she couldn't be all that bad if she supported-
"for a blood-traitor."
They shared a worried look.
"at least that is what Bella would say," she said all of this between bites of a Pumpkin Pasty.
Ugh, but what would you say Andromeda!
Gwen and Inaya shared a confused look.
The rest of the ride was the same. Everytime, Andromeda would say something that would tie her to one side, she'd say something that tied her to the other. Inaya and Gwen shared confused looks the whole ride, to which Andy was completely oblivious, petting Milky absentmindedly. Naya and Gwen were sitting on a seat together trying to have a telepathic conversation, and failing. Trying to figure out which side Andromeda was on was like the world's most exciting roller coaster, but Naya and Gwen really just wanted a straight answer.
Andromeda was slowly falling asleep as she looked at England's countryside. Soon she was snoring softly, laying across her seat with her head against the window, her nose pushed up against the glass, Gwen almost laughed at her before Naya shushed her.
Gwen had curly strawberry blonde hair and eyes where you couldn't tell where her pupils were. She had skin that blushed easily. Inaya's hair was up in an elaborate hairstyle and she wore silver rimmed glasses. Andromeda's hair, had a light curl and was long, and she resembled her sister, Bellatrix, but more elegant though she didn't look elegant at the moment.
Naya and Gwen took off their cloaks and put them on Andy as a pseudo-blanket.
"Andromeda, it's time to get off the train."
"It's a good thing she's already dressed, otherwise she would just walk in there wearing things the Blacks think are "muggle attire"," Gwen chuckled, then got a light punch on the shoulder from Inaya."Ow!"
"What?" Andromeda whispered softly.
"Sorry." Inaya and Gwen said together.
"Here are your cloaks," she said, giving them the pseudo-blanket pieces back.
"Thank you," they said at the same time again.
"Is this some new trend that I am unaware of?"
"No," they said at the same time again.
She gave them an inquisitive look.
"It's not," Naya said.
"A thing." Gwen completed.
"We haven't done anything weird or suspicious," they said together again.
"We should just leave."
Naya and Gwen sighed in relief . Andromeda would let anything slide.
Andromeda was sitting with her sisters at the Slytherin table, Gwen, Naya and Andy had agreed that they'd sit at their house tables for special events. Naya was sitting with some other Ravenclaws and Gwen was sitting near Ted and Edith. She didn't really have to be subtle, she was hiding a secret from Andromeda.
"I didn't see you on the train, where were you?" asked Narcissa.
"I was with Gwendolyn and Inaya, you?"
"I was with Kerry and Lucius," Kerry was sitting next to Narcissa.
Kerry Bulstrode had short light brown hair, and green eyes. Narcissa had long platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Lucius was sitting with his other friends. Narcissa kept looking at Bella and 'Meda's prefect badges in resigned jealousy that went unnoticed by her sisters.
Bella was further along the table talking to the Lestrange brothers, probably complaining about the new head girl again. Andromeda couldn't wait until dinner, she hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, she'd been too nervous about her first day as prefect.
Then there was a cough heard at the head of the room, it was time for the hat's song. Ted remembered the first time he'd heard the hat speak, he thought it looked like some kind of strange puppet and laughed at the wackiness of the school. Mason had given him a look that told him that the hat was to be taken somewhat seriously, and he had stopped laughing.
The first years walked in. The hat's makeshift mouth appeared and the students went silent, the first years looked so nervous huddled in between the long tables. The hat sang:
"In the troubling times ahead,
Some semblance of order is in order,
Easy, just place me on your head,
Venture, poke into your mind, that's what I'll do,
Eating and chatting and then off to bed, after my ruling for you,
Rarely wrong, I've never had any misses,
Yes, there are many houses, but if the hat fits,
The choice will be easy to know:
Hufflepuffs, sweet and kind, rarely go toe to toe,
In their common room of plants,
Never to betray their friends, that their nature attracts,
Gryffindor, home of the brave!
All mighty and glorious go there,
Love to tell you that no one else can compare!
Libraries are full of them, they are:
Ravenclaws! Free of mind!
Intelligence beyond the comprehension of humankind,
Guaranteed a seat, and always filled with pride,
Haughty and resourceful, Slytherins flourish,
Their own success is their one greatest wish!
Now, time to begin, find your home and all that,
Only I know your place, for I'm the Sorting Hat!"
The Hogwarts student body clapped, though some people looked offended on behalf of their house. The first years were sorted, and then Dumbledore told everyone the regular announcements.
"I still can't believe that filthy muggle-lover is the headmaster of our school," said Bellatrix.
"It's better than him being minister," Narcissa then whispered, "I heard that he turned it down to be headmaster."
"Speaking of blood-traitors, isn't that your friend speaking to mudbloods." she said pointing at Gwendolyn.
"No, she is just sitting by them, sometimes you can be so hasty, Bella." said Andromeda.
"I'm not being hasty, Andy. I can just see what's before my eyes!" she sighed, "Whatever 'Meda, as long as you remember who you are, my sister , and a Black." Then she went back to talking with the Lestranges.
Narcissa was talking to Kerry, leaving Andromeda alone. She ate her food in a proper manner and left when she finished, and left the prefect duties to the older prefects.
Bellatrix was sitting in between the Lestranges, laughing her head off. Narcissa and Kerry were playing chess. Andromeda was reading A Dove Among the Crows, again, squished in an armchair listening to Bella and her friends' conversation.
"D-did you see-" Bellatrix gasped for breath, still laughing, "H-how Mcgonagall spilled her whole drink on-"
"Dumbledore! She looked so embarrassed!" interrupted Rabastan.
"DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" she said, making the Lestranges go quiet.
"Bellatrix be quiet, I am trying to read ," Andromeda said, not lifting her eyes from the book.
"Leave me alone 'Meda, I can do whatever I want."
"I just want to read in peace." Andromeda said, turning a page.
Bellatrix stuck her tongue out and Andromeda didn't notice.
"Stop fighting," said Narcissa, looking at the board before moving a piece, "Checkmate. I win, Kerry" Kerry slumped into her seat.
"So how was your first little prefect patrol?" asked Bellatrix. Narcissa frowned while setting the chessboard again.
"It was all right, but Selwyn ditched me while I was patrolling."
"Ugh, I knew it. He's a jerk." said Narcissa, moving a pawn.
"I found it better, I was happier on my own."
"He should treat you with respect, you're a Black." said Bellatrix, the Lestranges nodded.
"His family is barely pureblood," said Rodolphus.
"You are right, I should be treated with more respect," said Andromeda, "But, I would have ditched him anyway. He would not be able to keep up with me."
"I would have just made him do the work," said Narcissa.
"I'm so glad that I'm not a prefect. I couldn't deal with all that!" said Rabastan as he sunk into the sofa. They all chuckled a bit, Andromeda smiled.
"I am going to write a letter to uncle Alphard." said Andromeda getting up to go to her dormitory.
"What do you even have to tell him, it hasn't even been a day!" said Bellatrix, "I can barely have a conversation with him, and meanwhile you're writing him 12 feet of parchment every night!" she scoffed.
"Well, I just want to make sure that he knows that I am doing well." Andromeda said, "Goodnight, everybody."
"Goodnight, Andromeda." they all said.
She'd made it to the dormitory first, (well second if you counted M.W her cat), so she lit a candle and got to writing:
Dear uncle Alphard,
I am sorry about writing to you so quickly after my arrival, but I have already much to discuss with you.
The new heads are from Gryffindor, but I do not know their names. I should know, but I was not listening during their introductions. I think I was just nervous about my first meeting.
My friends are doing well, it is nice to see them again.
I saw the boy again, the boy who knows my secret. I hope he forgot about it, and that if he does remember, that he knows to keep quiet. I still can't believe I was so careless.
Thank you for giving me your story, I just read it again and it is nice to have a piece of you at Hogwarts.
I hope that you are doing well in that house all alone.
Sincerely,
Andromeda Black
R&R
