Andromeda moved sluggishly down the stairs. It was as if her legs were moving of their own accord, dragging her forward.

She felt like a worm had nestled in her heart and was slowly eating its way out. Her skin was on fire, yearning for him. She'd never thought lips could hurt, but hers seem too, and all she could think about was Ted. They'd kissed each other three times now, and each was swimming around her brain like a swarm of bees, or maybe butterflies. Especially the last one. If she concentrated really hard she could still taste it, the sweetness of it. Nothing had ever made her feel like that. Like she meant something, everything. She hadn't known what to think then, she hadn't been able to think until she'd gotten back to her dorm room. It was in those moments when she couldn't sleep, that she realized why she was both exuberant and terrified. She was in love with Ted Tonks. She loved that obnoxious, clumsy, bright-smiling, muggleborn.

And that's when the tears really began falling.

And now she was here. She yearned to be with him again, but the rest of her was screaming. She couldn't be with Ted Tonks. Just being seen talking with him had almost thrown her sister into hysterics. She was already under the careful scrutiny of her parents and her older sister. Right now she could only pray they never heard about her conversation with him, or they dismissed it. But if they knew she was seeing one, kissing one… She was worse than ruined. And Ted, Ted would be dead, if he was lucky. Her parents may not have been Death Eaters, but they were friends with some, she was fairly certain, and they would make sure he and his family were dealt with, brutally. This is what had become of the people she'd grown up with. She knew better than to hope for mercy. So why was she still entertaining fantasies of the two of them?

And there was Rabastan. Every time she thought of him she felt a stab of guilt, and a rush as she remembered his kiss.

She hadn't known him much growing up. She didn't associate with the other pureblood children before Hogwarts, with the exception of Sirius and her sisters, but she'd seen him. Over the years of Hogwarts, she'd watched him grown from a cheeky kid with fat cheeks to the smooth, practically god-like boy that now strutted down the halls. He'd been nice enough to her, but there'd always been something about him that unsettled her. Or maybe it was because there was a corner of her brain that wanted him, but she would never admit that. And then when he'd become her fiancé it was like facing some terrible nightmare and realizing you couldn't wake up. But the two times he'd sought her out, he'd seemed different. Not abounding in confidence, though he pretended he still was. But there was a vulnerability that hadn't been there before, and it had opened something inside her.

And the way he'd kissed her, she couldn't deny she'd felt something, but it was different than what she felt for Ted. Whereas Rabastan made her feel dizzy, Ted made her feel alive. Maybe that was the key, one made her feel weak, the other made her strong. And she'd been weak enough in her life.

She gritted her teeth. She didn't want to think about this, not right now, she needed time to...

"Andromeda."

She stopped, just before she'd reached the door to the common room. Her natural extinct was to stop when someone said her name, but never like this. There was only one person who could freeze her in place like that, knowing Andromeda would never dare ignore her.

Bellatrix.

Her sister was dressed in her usual black today, and her usual boyfriend. Bellatrix Black and Evan Rosier had been going out since the end of last year, a record for her sister who usually preferred not to engage in long lasting relationships. She didn't have patience for the clingy, slobbering boys who trailed after her like puppies and would lose interest in them after a few weeks. But she and Evan were hardly ever seen apart. Today her arm was around his neck and her leg sprawled across his hips as they huddled together on one of the larger couches of the common room. Evan's hand was on the bare skin of her leg, her long black dress pulled up just above her mid-thigh.

"Andromeda, come here."

She walked forward, not sure if she should sit on the couch or just stand. She chose standing, regardless, she didn't want to get any closer to them than she had too.

"What is it?" She tried to keep the strain out of her voice.

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Do I need a reason to want to talk to my younger sister?"

Yes. "No, I just... you seem so serious, I thought maybe..."

"God Andromeda," Bella cut her off. "Quit blubbering, it's annoying."

Andromeda's head dropped, much like it did when her mother chastised her. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry." Bella said a nasally voice, and Meda flinched. It was hard to believe Bella's imitations of her had once made her laugh.

Evan chose this moment to nuzzle her neck. This time Andromeda couldn't help it, she looked away. Bella and Evan were uncomfortably, grossly intimate in public. But who was going to tell Bellatrix Black what she could and couldn't do with her boyfriend? It was suicide.

"Though you're right, actually," Bella said. "There is something I need to speak to you about."

Cold dread washed over Andromeda, but she kept her voice steady as she replied, "Yes?"

"Not here," Bella untangled herself from Evan as she stood up. "Follow me."

Evan's eyes followed her. "Do you want me to come?"

"No," Bella said, barely glancing at him. "This is a family matter."

Evan glared at Meda, like he sincerely blamed her for stealing his girlfriend, but his eyes glimmered as he said, "My, my Meda, what did you do?"

A lot of things, actually, but hopefully Bella didn't know about most of them. If someone had seen them last night... but no, if Bella knew about any of that... she'd be able to tell, wouldn't she? It was clear from Bella's hard, cold mood that whatever she wanted to discuss, it wasn't the fashions in the latest issue of Witch's Weekly. But it wasn't the deathly calm that now came with her sister's murderous tirades either. But as much as Andromeda wanted to think she was safe, she didn't really know her sister anymore, not like she used to. She followed Bella out, trying not to feel like she was walking into the fiery pits of hell.

Bellatrix didn't stop to see if Andromeda was coming. It probably never occurred to her that Meda wouldn't. Meda didn't try to talk to her sister, not even to ask where they were going. The tense silence between them stifled any hope of conversation anyway.

She tried not to think about what was coming, but her body reacted for her. Blood rushing through her ears and her heart pounded. They reached the main floor, but then her sister turned and went up another staircase. Where could she be heading? It seemed Meda's panic was getting the best of her, as she kept getting this image of Bella leading her up to the tallest tower, calling her a traitor and throwing her over the edge. But after a few more flights she turned and headed into an empty classroom.

Meda let out a shaky breath as she followed her inside. Is this what she'd come to? Her sister wanted a word and she assumed Bella wanted to murder her? She never would've imagined feeling like that when she was young, but then, there were a lot of things she never would've imagined.

The classroom was damp and musty, and the pitch-black air carried a dreadful chill. Bella muttered a spell, lighting the gas lamps scattered around the rooms, but she did nothing to alleviate the cold, forcing Meda to draw her robes tighter around herself as she tried to ignore the feeling of dampness settling on her skin.

Her sister turned to face her, but didn't speak, eyeing Andromeda through dark-lidded eyes. Andromeda met her sister's gaze levelly. If she looked away, if she swallowed weirdly or even blinked too much, Bella would know something was up.

"I've been hearing things," she said finally. The words looked like they came from the lips of a statue.

Andromeda's arms were so tense they hurt. "Oh? From whom?" Her voice shook and she bit down on her lip, praying Bella hadn't noticed.

"Narcissa," she scarcely even blinked. "Among others."

Andromeda raised her eyebrows. Then this was clearly about her talking to Ted in front of the great hall, unless someone else had seen something. But wouldn't she mention those first, since they were more serious? Yes, she would, unless she was planning too...

"She said she saw you talking to a mudblood, is this true?"

Andromeda bit her lip, sweat lining her brow. This wasn't the time to lie, but she could scarcely utter her response.

"Yes."

Bella's eyes flashed darkly as she took another step forward. "And this was the same mudblood Amycus was complaining about, the one who didn't know how to keep his dirty mouth closed?"

Something told her this wasn't really a question. Bella was gauging her reaction, and Meda couldn't give her any reason to suspect something was up.

"Why were you talking to him?" Bella asked finally.

"Well, I—"

"Did he threaten you?" Her sister's voice was still strangely quiet and calm; she wasn't even looking at her sister really, but staring at some vague point behind in the distance. But, if anything, this only heightened Andromeda's sense of foreboding. The storm was coming, she could feel it. "Amycus indicated his behavior was rough."

"No." She still couldn't lie, not like this.

"Did he threaten someone else? Narcissa, perhaps?"

"No."

"Did he hex you? Or place the imperius curse on you? Because I'm running out of logical explanations." Spit flew from her mouth as she said this, clearly having reached the point she'd been trying to make from the beginning.

If this was what Bella thought it took for her to talk to a mudblood, or muggleborn, it was a damn good thing she didn't know about the other stuff Meda had been doing.

She didn't want to answer, but her sister was clearly waiting for something. She sighed, letting some of her fear slip into her voice and choke up her voice. It never hurt to sound broken.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't anything, I promise—"

Bella reached forward and grabbed both of Andromeda's shoulders, forcing her sister to look her in the eye. Her eyes were like firestorms, but her voice was the low rolling of thunder that followed the lightning.

"Have you seen him since then?"

Andromeda barely blinked, her eyes never leaving Bella's. "Never."

And for the first time in their conversation, Bellatrix visibly relaxed. Andromeda couldn't help but feel relieved herself. She'd made it, Bellatrix had believed her, and now all that was left was too...

"How dare you be seen with him?" Bella snarled as she walked around her. "Do you have any idea what implications this puts on our family?"

"It was just a homework question." Andromeda stammered, the choking, almost desperate tone finding its way into her vocals again. "It wasn't—"

"Then don't go to a mudblood!" Bella screamed, chest heavy and eyes blazing with an almost insane glint. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just about you; this is about us, all of us. The Black family has been an example of pureblood nobility for generations. We are the most powerful family, and we can't afford to let that crumble. It's bad enough that Sirius is in cohorts with that bloody mudblood lover, I can't have people thinking my own sister is a blood traitor too!"

Andromeda took a step back, head dropping and eyes closing as she prayed for this to be over, but it wasn't.

"It was one mistake, Bella, just one."

But it had been one mistake too many.

"One?" Bella's nostrils flared and her shoulders rippled as she stared at Andromeda with so much disgust it was almost crippling. "I'm still trying to clean up your last mistake."

Andromeda flinched, and her voice cracked. "It won't happen again."

"Our family honor depends on it, Meda." She looked off into the dark distance again. "Especially now that you are bethrothed."

And there it was. It seemed like it followed her wherever she went, every time she turned someone, something brought it up. It was like running from a very persistent bludger. And Ted, she was… she was seeing someone behind her fiancé's back. She was seeing a muggleborn behind his back. That was the very definition of dishonor, but she couldn't stop, not when he made her feel the way she did. She glanced at her sister. She couldn't tell her about Ted, but she wanted to tell explain her fears, her uncertainties about the wedding. She couldn't tell Narcissa, she was too excited about the whole ordeal. It would crush her. But Bella, she would understand, wouldn't she? She'd always been so strong and independent…

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

Andromeda jolted. Her sister must've read something on her face.

"Not exactly, I'm not sure I'm ready for this…" she struggled to find words that wouldn't make her sound like she was willfully considering going against her parents' wishes, "I'm not sure it's what I want."

"What did I just bloody tell you!" Bella hissed. "It's not about you and what you want. Marriage has never been about that. It's about bringing honor to your family."

"I know." Andromeda stepped back. "It's just, I don't know if it's it righ—

"Andromeda, listen to me." She grabbed Meda's shoulders again. Her anger wasn't blazing from her like had been before, but there was that same sense of desperation, like breathing in a bittersweet herb.

"You never repeat any of this to anyone. Do you hear me? Never."

She stepped back, breaking her sister's grasp. There'd been a time when she'd told her sister everything, no matter how crazy or silly it seemed. She'd listen, she wasn't always polite, in fact most of the time she wasn't. But she listened. No matter what Sirius said about her she'd never dreamed that Bella could be anything than her older sister, best friend, forever. But that door had now closed, and she wasn't sure there was a way she could open it.

"Of course not, I'm sorry I even thought to speak of it." She paused, fighting the weariness as she said the words she knew her sister needed to hear. "You're right." Then she turned her back, afraid she was going to start crying, and Bella would see her.

"Andromeda, wait." She froze, before slowly turning around, hardly daring to believe it. There was hesitation in her sisters voice, doubt in her eyes. Her sister never doubted. She never second-guessed anything. She never had any regrets. But here she was, looking like she was willing to try. It was just a simple look in her eye and yet the whole world suddenly seemed so different to Andromeda. It was like that door creaked back open, just enough for a sliver of light to escape through.

"There's something I wanted to tell you."

Andromeda felt something lift insider, a new kind of anxiety settling in, but she kept her voice calm as she replied, "Yes?"

Her sister hesitated. Then she sighed, her hand grasping the end of her sleeve as she pulled her shirt up.

Was Bella injured, or something? Meda found herself instinctively reaching for her sister's arm.

The door banged open and a couple stumbled in, their hair tousled and their arms wrapped around each other. They were so busy snogging they didn't notice the Black sisters. Meda recognized the girl instantly; it was Gwenog Jones, star and captain of the Ravenclaw quidditch team. She turned, not blushing the way Andromeda would've; but smirking and tossing her long golden hair out of her eyes.

"Sorry mates, I—"She stopped talking, realizing who it was they had fallen in on. The boy straightened behind her, shoulders tense and eyes narrowing. Meda recognized him now, he was Cardaroc Dearbourn, a fellow sixth year. What's more, he was a Gryffindor, and a muggleborn, one who fought back.

Andromeda's pulse raced as she prayed Bella would let this one slide, just this once. Bella whipped her sleeve down, looking positively feral and almost, well, if Andromeda didn't know her better she would've thought, fearful. But Bella wasn't scared of anything, was she?

Bella's lip curled and she whipped out her wand, stalking forward.

"You'd stick your tongue down that, Jones? Guess you really do boink any boy that breathes, don't you?"

"You're one to talk," Gwen snorted.

Bella pulled her wand.

Cardaroc moved in front of Gwen. "Watch it, Black,"

"Mind your tongue, slug." Bella turned on him; her nose looking curved like the most disgusting thing in the world was in front of her. "Maybe you'd like a visual representation of what you're really snogging, wouldn't you, Jones?"

"Make one move and I swear I'll—"Cardaroc began, but Bella ignored him the way one ignored an annoying dog.

"Careful." Gwen smiled, pulling out her own wand. "Wouldn't want to mess up that pretty face."

"Bella," Meda grabbed her sister's arms as she raised her wand even higher, "It's not worth it, alright?"

Bella shook her off, but Gwenog was already backing towards the door, "Come on, Daroc, let's go." The two of them glared at Bella as they left, and Cardaroc briefly glanced at Andromeda. His look was by no means friendly, it was almost wary, like he was trying to figure her out. But a moment later Gwenog shut the door and they were gone.

"Bella," Meda started, when her sister still hadn't said anything, still wouldn't look at her. "Bella listen to me. I had too."

"How did you become so weak?" she burst out, pulling out of her sister's reach. "You were raised better."

Meda stopped reaching for her sister, feeling suddenly feeble and useless.

"You know what you are?" Bella laughed humorlessly. "Pathetic, and that's all you're ever going to be."

Then she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The almost earsplitting crack hit Andromeda like a stone wall. She stood in silence for a moment, the shock rendering her motionless. Tears began to fall, but she didn't notice, almost like she couldn't process them. She would've stayed there for a long time, all day maybe, but that wasn't a choice. She had classes today. She didn't want to make a habit of being late, or, heaven forbid, missing classes.