It was a nightmare.
Andromeda Black had never considered what turns her life could take when she chose to pursue a friendship with the young man who had professed to love her even from their school days. She had known it was dangerous, seeing a Mudblood when her entire family was against such relationships, and yes, even her sister and brother-in-laws were bound to fight against such people. She had never thought of what would happen if anyone found out, had never taken steps to be able to secure her future should something happen to her and Ted Tonks.
Everything had fallen apart one evening when she and Ted were spending time together. They had been discovered by Death Eaters doing a raid in Ted's hometown, and Andromeda's own sister had turned her in to the Dark Lord, who wanted all Muggles and Mudbloods rooted out. The Dark Lord had, in turn, sent Andromeda home in disgrace to her father, and Ted was taken by other Death Eaters for Bellatrix to deal with later.
Understandably, Cygnus Black, Andromeda and Bellatrix's father, was furious at the news presented to him, especially upon learning that several Death Eaters also knew and that what Andromeda had been doing would not be a secret for very long. Andromeda found herself cursed, shouted at, mistreated, and locked in her room until her father decided what to do with her.
Andromeda had not been prepared for his reactions, but was more worried about what he would do with her now that other purebloods knew what she had done. She was considered the perfect daughter, the one who always behaved no matter what. Andromeda had taken the place of her mother as lady of the home when Druella had died, and she had received many compliments in her abilities to keep a household together so young, but that was over.
She did not see anyone, hardly even saw her own sisters before she was called to her father's study for his verdict. Andromeda had never really been frightened of her father until she had suffered his wrath for her deeds and now, she struggled to keep herself from trembling as she looked at him with the most proper and respectful expression. "You have decided?" she asked in a low voice.
"Since you do not value yourself, and have disgraced yourself and our family—me—with your foolishness, I have decided that you do not deserve to recover from this blight you have brought on yourself," said Cygnus Black maliciously. "Since you throw yourself away on a Mudblood—"
"I was never with him," Andromeda hissed. "But I'd rather have a Mudblood than an unhappy, stuffy pureblood marriage."
"Well, you won't be having the Mudblood," Cygnus chuckled darkly. "Bellatrix has dispatched of him, I heard. Besides...there's something you haven't considered. Arthur Weasley has accepted the marriage offer for you, Andromeda."
"What?!" Andromeda half-whispered, half-shrieked.
"Oh, yes," Cygnus said. "You are to pack your things today, and you will be going to stay there, permanently, starting tomorrow."
"No!" Andromeda cried, but her father merely raised an eyebrow as she jumped to her feet.
"You cannot escape the manor on your own," Cygnus told her. "I've taken you out of the wards. Tomorrow, you'll begin to learn how to be a real bloodtraitor. After all, isn't that what you wanted?" He smiled. "I don't know how kind they'll be, but the mother is a disowned Black, so you'll have much in common."
"Father!" Andromeda gasped, but Cygnus waved open the doors to his study and motioned her to leave.
"Be ready," he warned her, then shut her out of the room.
The next morning, Cygnus informed Andromeda that they would be leaving for the Weasley home at 9am. "Eat, girl," he told her. "You'll need your strength."
"I'll be sick if I eat," Andromeda murmured, shaking her head.
Cygnus eyed her for a moment, but didn't question her. The time came all too soon, and Andromeda performed an Anti-nausea spell on herself before her father took her by the arm and disapparated.
Andromeda took a deep breath when they arrived and looked up to see a modest home before them. "Your new home," Cygnus chuckled.
She was too numb and also still too horrified to think much about the house itself as she forced herself to walk up to the gates with her father. He sounded the chimes in the house, the two waiting to be admitted.
They were greeted by the Weasley patriarch, and though he greeted them by name, Andromeda could not bring herself to speak. She was thankful that he did not continue to talk to her, even as kind as he seemed on the surface.
"Oh, no thank you," Cygnus replied upon an invitation to stay for a few moments. "I've got to get back."
Andromeda refused to say goodbye to her father, not looking at any of them. She was relieved the moment Cygnus was gone—and then fear set in. She was alone.
"Andromeda," said Septimus Weasley, "if you'll follow me..."
She unwillingly walked after him, anger and sorrow settling over her heart and mind, knowing that she was trapped. Andromeda was further alarmed when she entered the sitting room and found herself the center of attention for the lady of the home and her three sons.
"He didn't stay," Septimus said, sounding amused, and the oldest boy laughed.
It was warm in the room, Andromeda noticed, but she still felt cold, as if a hand of ice were gripping her heart. She could hear them talking, but they sounded so far away….
"Drink this," said a voice in her ear, and someone placed a potion under her nose.
"No!" Andromeda snapped, and turned her face from it, shivering violently as she felt a supporting arm around her waist. All she could think of was them trying to drug her, or poison her—or worse, give her a love potion...but it didn't smell like anything she liked….
"Come, dear," said the woman quietly, approaching her, "I'll show you to your room."
Andromeda did not protest, blinking to keep her eyes clear. As she followed the older witch out of the room, she heard one of the boys say, "She doesn't want to be here" and another say, "Shut up!"
The room she was given was small, but she hardly noticed, obeying the order to sit down. "I don't feel well," she whispered, placing her hands over her face.
Cedrella Black Weasley frowned at the girl. "Are you pregnant, Andromeda?"
Andromeda was astonished. "N—no," she said.
"Are you sure?" Cedrella replied. "Then pray tell why my dear cousin dropped off his daughter on our doorstep? Rather uncharacteristic of the House of Black, do you agree?"
Andromeda shivered. "I was discovered with a Mudblood," she said. "I've been locked up at home until now."
Cedrella was frowning still. "But you're not pregnant?"
"He never touched me." Andromeda said the words, then looked up. "Test me if you must," she said.
"You are to marry my son," the older woman said firmly. "We would prefer there to be no complications."
"Fine," Andromeda muttered, thinking how Cygnus had been right about the other ex-Black. She gasped as the spell coursed through her abdomen and she struggled not to be sick.
"Not pregnant," Cedrella nodded in satisfaction.
"Not just because I talked to him," Andromeda scoffed, wrapping her arms around herself as the woman laughed.
"Drink this potion," Cedrella ordered her. "It's Pepperup: it'll help clear your mind."
Andromeda glanced at the potion, then picked it up and drank it, feeling a little warmer and more collected. "Are you going to force me to stay?"
Cedrella raised an eyebrow. "Where would you go?"
The girl had nothing to say to this, and Cedrella continued, "Arthur is the kindest one of my sons, and also the quietest. I have taught all of my sons to respect their wives, and women in general. He will not hurt you, Andromeda."
Andromeda shook her head. "I'm trapped," she whispered.
"Not necessarily," Cedrella answered. "Arthur will want to talk to you about these things, Andromeda."
"Not today," Andromeda said quickly.
"We will see," Cedrella replied. "There are several hours left in the day." Andromeda was horrified, and the woman said, "You brought your belongings, right? I will retrieve you for lunch: get settled in."
"Wait," Andromeda said. "Is this my own room?"
"Yes," Cedrella replied. "After the wedding, you and Arthur will move into a larger suite, as is proper."
Andromeda said nothing, waiting until the woman had gone to curl up on the bed. It was over. Even if she was allowed to leave, she had nowhere to go. She lay there hopelessly for a few minutes until she decided to go find the washroom, needing to at least freshen up. She stepped out of her room and looked both ways, but couldn't be sure where she should go.
Choosing the left, Andromeda walked almost silently along until she could hear male voices.
"Mum says she's angry, and scared," said one voice. "Her father practically abandoned her."
"Be careful what you say about her family," warned the voice she knew to be their father. "You know how your own mother feels about that."
"She seems very boring," came the voice of the oldest boy. "You can have her, Arthur."
Andromeda bristled at this, but jumped in shock when someone tapped her shoulder. The third Weasley brother grinned, unimpressed with her wand in his face. He motioned her to follow him, and she held back a sigh and obeyed.
"Looking for something?" the boy asked her.
"The washroom," Andromeda sighed. "I wanted to freshen up..."
The boy nodded, leading her back the way she'd come and saying, "Down there, on your left." He pointed in the opposite direction of the way she'd gone.
"Thanks," she muttered, and hurried off before he could say anything else. She was glad to be able to wash her hands and face and touch up her hair before returning to her room.
She wasn't altogether sure how to pass the time until lunch, but she also knew that she probably couldn't find her way back to the sitting room. It seemed like far too long, but Cedrella eventually came back and retrieved her for lunch.
Andromeda did not feel like eating, but she knew better than to skip two meals in a row. To her great discomfort, she was seated between Arthur, and his mother. She was silent most of the time, not looking at anyone.
Finally, the oldest brother turned to the youngest. "Cole, how's school been so far?"
"Same old Hogwarts," Cole shrugged. "I must have already set a record for falling asleep in History of Magic."
The other men laughed, and Cedrella simply smiled at her youngest. "Honestly," the boy said. "If I have to hear him go on about this decree, and that Minister, and this law, and another trial, I'm going to have nightmares."
"As long as you get decent grades," Septimus chuckled.
"Hey, Andromeda," Cole said, "have you ever fallen asleep in Binns' class?"
"Only in seventh year," Andromeda answered. "Seven years of his droning and it's bound to happen."
Cole and Arthur laughed. "What was your favourite class at school?" Arthur asked her. "Mine was Transfiguration."
Andromeda knew what he was doing, but played along anyway. "Charms," she answered. "With Arithmancy as a close second."
"Arithmancy makes zero sense," said the oldest brother disparagingly.
"It's the math of magic," Andromeda retorted. "It makes perfect sense: the strength of spells, the distance they travel, the creation of wards..."
He raised both eyebrows at her. "What language are you speaking?"
She gave him a look of disgust, and Cole said, "Care to help me with my homework?" Andromeda declined to answer.
When lunch was nearly over, Arthur said to her quietly, "Let's take a walk: I'll give you a tour of the house."
She agreed reluctantly and he led her from the dining room, first showing her the way to the Entrance Hall. "It'll probably be easier to keep track of if you know how it wraps back around," he told her.
Andromeda walked with him through the manor, glad that he didn't offer to show her any of the bedrooms. He did tell her whose rooms were whose, and she was glad that she wasn't anywhere close to the rest of them.
"And we'll possibly be down there, eventually," he pointed out casually before turning away.
Andromeda's stomach turned. She did not want to think about being a proper wife to this man. He glanced at her. "You should probably have a coat since we're going out into the garden."
She nodded, and he walked her back to her room, waiting outside until she had retrieved it. They were silent for a few minutes until he started the conversation she'd been dreading.
"I know you don't want to be here, Andromeda," he said quietly as they stood in the garden together. "It's okay to feel that way."
"Did you want this?" Andromeda asked him. "Did you ask for me?"
"Your father came to mine," Arthur said seriously. "He simply offered you, and we didn't know what to think."
"Why did you agree?" Andromeda whispered. "Why did you agree to this if you had no idea if this was a plan of my father's to hurt you all?"
Arthur blushed slightly. "Well, you've always seemed like a perfect witch to me," he admitted, "but I never thought it was possible so I didn't really consider it; and then your father showed up. It really does sound awful, but I know you're a prize, Andromeda."
"Did your mother happen to tell you why Father cast me away like that?" Andromeda raised an eyebrow.
The young red-haired man frowned. "She said you were caught with a Muggle-born."
Andromeda looked at him for a moment. "Death Eaters found me in the company of a Mudblood and took me to the Dark Lord. He ordered them to take me back to my father. I have thoroughly disgraced my family."
"But no one knows!" Arthur said in amazement. "And you've seen You-Know-Who?"
Andromeda laughed slightly. "I've hosted him at Black Manor before," she said. "Mum died when I was sixteen, and Bella—well, the lot fell to me."
He looked at her with a new respect. "You're not a Dark witch, are you?" he questioned in concern.
"Whatever that means," Andromeda said haughtily. "Obviously I know all of the Black family grimoires. Potential and knowledge doesn't make someone Dark—but don't you dare call me a Light witch." She gave him a sharp look.
"All right," he agreed.
"You should not have agreed to this," Andromeda said, looking at him.
"I believe something beautiful could come out of this," he said. "We have to take risks: you know about that. And something worse could have happened to you, I'm sure."
Andromeda drew a steadying breath. "So...you think we should go ahead and get married?"
Arthur frowned. "Well, I was looking forward to it," he said.
"Of course you were," she huffed, and though his face turned red, she did not smile. "You do not understand how much I do not want to be here."
"No," he admitted. "I belong here."
"I don't," Andromeda said.
"Do you have somewhere else to go?" he asked quietly. "It isn't exactly right to keep you against your will."
Andromeda bit her lip slightly. "I don't," she whispered. "I have no way to provide for myself." Anger rushed through her as she wondered why pureblood women were so useless. "I can't leave." And she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
Arthur sighed. "Well, I won't hurt you," he said. "You're safe here."
"I'll believe that when I see it in action," she replied, her eyes dull. "Shall we go back in? It's chilly out here."
"All right," Arthur agreed. "So, you must be eighteen, right, because you just finished school? I'm twenty-one."
"Oh," said Andromeda. "Yes...I'm glad you're older—hopefully that means more maturity than the boys my age."
"I hope so too," he said. "You seem to be handling this very well so far."
Andromeda too a deep breath. "It hasn't happened yet," she muttered. "You'll see. If I'm stuck here my whole life, you're sure to see me break down screaming a few times."
Arthur scratched his head thoughtfully. "I'm not ready for that."
She gave a bitter laugh. "It'll be a sight to see," she told him. "There's nothing like the rage or sorrow of a Black."
Arthur nodded, but Andromeda knew that he would not understand what she meant until he witnessed it personally.
The following day, Cedrella called a dressmaker to the house, as Andromeda's wedding dress was to be made quickly and of course, the girl did not want to go out.
Andromeda loved the dress that she chose, but as she turned to see the proposed alterations in the mirror, her heart broke. It wasn't going to be anything like she had wanted: a sweet, quiet wedding. It was just going to be another show of an unfortunate witch and a lucky—
"Andromeda, pay attention!"
She startled with a gasp, thinking for a split second that her mother was there, and for the rest of the fitting, it was all she could do to keep back her tears. Andromeda was relieved to finally sit down, clasping her hands in her lap as she tried to calm down.
"You're going to need a Calming Draught for the wedding, aren't you?" Cedrella said to her.
"Maybe," Andromeda muttered, then decided, "no, I need to be in my right mind."
"You will be," Cedrella began, but Andromeda shook her head.
"Father did that to both Mum and Bella to make them compliant," Andromeda murmured. "I'm mostly immune because Mum took them when she was pregnant with me. I just need an Imperius to be calm and not cry."
Cedrella raised an eyebrow. "Possibly, though I doubt it would really help you."
Andromeda frowned, still looking down at her hands. "It needs to be a short ceremony," she said, taking a deep breath.
"It will be," Cedrella answered. "Shall we go to the tea room? I have a few things to discuss with you."
With a feeling of dread, Andromeda got to her feet and followed the older witch. "What is it?"
"Things you should know about Weasley men," Cedrella replied. "Andromeda: always use contraceptive spells unless you want to get pregnant."
Andromeda was horrified at this blatant statement, and Cedrella began to explain. "Weasleys are extremely fertile," she said. "You could still conceive days after intimacy. Trust me: it's very important that you protect yourself."
The younger witch tried to understand, asking, "But one spell will work?"
"Depends on the spell," Cedrella sighed, summoning a book. "I'll show you the ones that have worked for me." And she began to talk them over with her future daughter-in-law.