She found Bella as soon as she stepped outside, or rather, Bella found her.

"Did we have a relapse from this morning, dear sister?" Bella said lazily from her place on the wall, though Andromeda could see the cold glint in her eyes.

"What?" Andromeda asked, before it hit her. Bella had made her talk to Rabastan this morning, and now she must've witnessed Andromeda's cool greeting to him just moments before.

"He seems to think you're not very interested in being his fiancé." Bella continued with that same, slow drawl.

Andromeda breathed deeply. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to escape thoughts of Rabastan, the twinge of guilt and the knowing anxiety of being engaged. "I know," she paused, "I'm sorry." But she couldn't think about Rabastan now, she had to help Narcissa. "But I really need to—"

"Of course, I reassured him he was being ridiculous. My sister would never dream of defying our families' wi—"

"Bella," Andromeda hissed. "I got it, all right? But there's something I really need to discuss with you."

Bella almost choked, her eyebrows raising as she gazed at her sister, as though trying to make sure it was in fact Andromeda who stood in front of her. Andromeda who interrupted her. She'd never interrupted Bella before, she'd never dared, and they both knew why. But Andromeda couldn't back down, not this time.

"Very well," Bella peeled herself off the wall, giving Andromeda her full attention. "What is it?"

"I," and just like that, her strength dissolved. She wasn't entirely convinced Bella had really forgiven her for the interruption. Forgiveness wasn't really in her sister's nature. Would Bella even believe her? She certainly didn't trust Andromeda.

"I'm waiting." Bella said, the impatient tone creeping back into her voice.

Meda took a deep breath. Hopefully Bella would realize, whatever else they differed on, that they both wanted the best for Narcissa.

"Have you noticed anything different about Narcissa lately?" Meda asked, choosing her words carefully.

The irritated line disappeared from Bella's face, her eyes widening a little. "I suppose, now that you mention it, yes."

"I, I think it's because she's been seeing someone."

"Someone?" Bella repeated, lines forming around her eyebrows as she pinched them together.

Andromeda breathed. Why couldn't she just get the words out? Tell her sister exactly what was happening? "Rodolphus."

"Rodolphus?" Bella let out a snort. "Are you sure?"

And now something else occurred to her. How was she supposed to explain how she knew? She couldn't very well tell her she was sneaking around at night. Bella would want to know why. And then she would see that Meda was keeping something from her. Something big.

"Did Cissa tell you?" Bella asked, cutting to the chase.

Andromeda let out a shaky breath. She couldn't lie to Bella, not this time. "No, not exactly."

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Then how do you know?"

And there it was. The question she couldn't answer, not honestly anyway. But if she tried to lie again, Bella would see right through her.

"I…well, I… I just…"

"Andromeda," Bella placed her hands on both of Meda's shoulders. "I want you to imagine something for me. Imagine there are limited number of words a person can use in their lifetime. And once they use them all up, they die."

Maybe she couldn't lie to Bella, but she was going to have to anyway. For Narcissa.

"Well, I was out late and…"

But Bella's gaze trailed away from her, focusing instead on something behind both of them. Swallowing, Andromeda turned to look as well.

Her hair was as tangled as always, and she wearing a bright, sparkly pink shirt underneath her robes. And she was holding the same tattered moleskin. Andromeda didn't think she'd ever seen her without it. Her head was down, per usual. She seemed entranced by something on the floor, and was muttering to herself, like she had something very important to tell the ground.

Don't look up, Andromeda found herself pleading, just keep walking.

But of course, as if she could hear her, Piper looked up. Her eyes found Andromeda first, and she stopped, the corners of her mouth moving like she was going to smile, but then they noticed the person standing next to her.

Her expression changed, but as if in slow motion, allowing Andromeda to see every tiny detail. How at first she stared at Bella with wide eyes and parted lips, as if merely shocked. But then the line on her lips twisted while her eyes pressed inward, like she could someone erase what she was seeing. Then she started trembling.

Bella, upon seeing this, raised her eyebrows, before letting her lips spread into a small grin.

Piper let out a small squeak. The sound seemed to bring her out of stupor, as she hastily turned away and continued down the hall. She shot Andromeda another quick look, too quick for Andromeda to really see what it was about, before continuing down the hall. She wasn't sure whether to be comforted by that or not.

"Meda," Bella's impatient voice was back, "You were out late and what?"

Meda looked back at Bella, but her thoughts were still on Piper.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bella asked, one eyebrows raising as Andromeda continued to stare at her.

Andromeda opened her mouth, but she couldn't make the words come out. For Bella, though, things clicked into place. She stepped back, making sure there was plenty of space between her and Meda.

Andromeda let out a long breath. "Bella, please—"

"Oh my god." Her eyebrows lowered. "You still want to protect her, don't you? The mudblood."

Andromeda shook her head. "This isn't about that, it's about…"

"So it's true," Bella said, hard lines forming on her face.

I didn't say that," Andromeda said quickly.

"Well maybe you should." Despite her deepening anger, Bella's voice was calm. Quiet. Almost off-handed even. "Clear the air, you know."

But Andromeda knew better than to get used to that. The storm was coming. "Please, you have to listen, it's…" But it was too late.

"No, you listen." Bella drew closer, forcing Andromeda's face to hers. "Look me in the eye and tell me it's not true. Tell me you don't want to protect her from me. Tell me if I would charge after her right now, you wouldn't get in the way."

But Andromeda couldn't. She couldn't make the words come, however much she might want too. However much she, in this instant, hated herself for not being able too.

Bella's eyes flashed, looking black. "That's what I thought," She rose to her full height, towering over her sister in a way that use to make Andromeda shrink back, but now just left a pang in her chest. Bella seemed momentarily shocked by this reaction, but she must've have decided she didn't care, because after one more disgusted glare, she swept away.

Andromeda stood there, staring blankly at place her sister had been moments before. She finally understood it, finally understood why it was so hard for her to tell Bella truth.

Andromeda had hardly dared admit it, especially to herself, but she hadn't forgiven Bella either. She realized now, with a sinking feeling of dread, that she didn't trust Bella, not even with Narcissa. How could she? The sister she had loved was a murderer, or at least capable of it.

Though, if she was being perfectly honest, she had stopped trusting Bella long before then.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice he'd come to stand next to her. He didn't look at her, instead pretending to rummage through his bag, but then he said, "You were wrong."

Andromeda flinched, startled. Ted wasn't looking at her, a trick she'd taught him.

Andromeda quickly looked away as well, pretending she hadn't noticed him, but then she said, "What?"

"About those boys," he straightened, but still didn't look at her, instead staring at the same wall she was. "They were waiting for her."

But Andromeda's thoughts were still on Bellatrix, and Piper, and the man who was hurting her sister. She couldn't connect his words. There wasn't enough room.

"Teresa," Ted said, his voice rough.

Right, Teresa. Another girl her classmates had tried to hurt. Now she remembered, but not soon enough. Ted shot her a quick look, disgust etched in the lines of his features. Now he was mad at her again, and she didn't have a clue what to say to him to fix it. To explain what was happening. She put her palm to her forehead, like she could hold her head up. Ted shifted away from her, like this show of weakness made him even angrier.

"Guess it's a lucky coincidence Potter and his friends decided to play a little prank, isn't."

Yes, she wanted to say in a voice twinged in sarcasm, coincidence is exactly the way to describe it, but she couldn't get the words from her brain to her mouth. It was too fuzzy.

Ted made another hissing sound before turning his back on her.

"Ted," she said, finally finding her voice, as breathless and weak as it was, but once again she was too late. He was already gone.

She had a class to go to, but she couldn't make her feet move. She just stood there staring blankly at the wall.

Narcissa. Piper. Ted. Teresa. Bella. Rodolphus. Rabastan, it was like they were all crammed inside her head. But there wasn't room, and they were spilling out, making her feel like she was falling too pieces in a hundred different directions. They wouldn't be quiet. There was so much noise, banging around in her head, telling her what she needed to do. She just wanted quiet. Quiet enough to hear her own heartbeat, and make sure it was still beating.

Because honestly, she wasn't so sure it was.

Ted didn't speak to Andromeda at all the last week before the holidays. He couldn't. Every time he thought about her his jaw began twitching and he had the desire to crumple up the homework he was clutching, not a good thing considering the current state of his grades. He'd thought she was different. He'd always thought she was different, but maybe he'd been wrong.

They'd been down this round before, but no matter what she did he couldn't keep himself away from her. But this time she'd gone too far. Maybe she didn't believe the same things her family did, but that didn't mean a damn thing if she wasn't willing to do something about it. Wasn't willing to stand up to them.

He'd thought she just needed encouragement. Someone to show her she didn't have to be afraid, that she could come out of the cage they were keeping her in. But they weren't keeping her in cage, she was, and there wasn't anything he could do to change that.

He thought he'd known her, but he'd been wrong.

So then, why was he still dreaming about her? And why, when he saw her the day before they were supposed to leave for Holdiays, walking by herself with head down and weary slump in her shoulders, did he have the almost overwhelming desire to run his hand across her cheek and wrap her in his arms?

No reason, except, that despite his best efforts, he still cared for her. Maybe he was fooling himself. Maybe he could never let her go. Not completely.

"You're sure you're not coming, mate?" Jake said, his brows crinkling in worry. The train to head home for Hogwarts would be leaving soon. Ted was packed, but he was lying on his bed, not able to find the desire to move.

Ted shrugged, as much as person laying down could.

"Suit yourself," Jake said with an accepting shrug, as he and the other Hufflepuff sixth years made their way toward the common room.

As soon as they were gone Ted let out a long breath. He wasn't sure if she was still here. She might be on the train already, and he dared not approach her there, not with her sisters around. Maybe he should just forget about it.

But he couldn't. She was leaving. And despite not having spoken to her the past two weeks, the idea of not seeing her at all, even if it was just a glimpse in the hallway, left a heavy knot in his stomach.

He peeled himself off the bed, charming his trunk to hover after him as he made his way to the entrance hall. He was just going to wish her a Merry Christmas, that was it. It wouldn't mean anything, it was just a friendly gesture.

Still, his heart was beginning to pound. He told himself it was nerves, but he couldn't ignore the lightness in his step, like he was looking forward to seeing her.

She was still in the entrance hall when he got there, though whether he was relieved or more anxious, he couldn't decide. Ignoring the voice in his head that was telling him to avoid her, and the other voice that was telling him to do much more than wish her a Merry Christmas, he stepped forward.

"Andromeda," Rabastan said, coming towards her. She looked up, and— Ted' stomach flipped— smiled.

"Do you have everything?" he asked. She nodded. "Good," he smiled again, and placed a hand on her back.

The knot in Ted's stomach hardened.

Andromeda's gaze flicked over, but he quickly ducked his head. He didn't want to her to know he'd been watching, or even noticing her at all. Lucky for him, Teresa chose that moment to enter the entrance hall.

"Hey," she said, smiling as she and her trunk drifted over to him. "Mind if I tag along with you?"

Ted nodded, and, still avoiding look in Andromeda's direction, picked up his own trunk. Just as they were about to make their way outside he caught someone looking at them, but it wasn't Andromeda. It was Rodolphus. His gaze was oddly blank, but there was something in it as he gazed between Ted and Teresa. He met Ted's gaze, and his eyes flashed.

It could be nothing. Rodolphus would clearly be interested in Teresa, and Ted was her friend. Of course they'd be together, but something in Rodolphus's eye told him he was looking for something else. Something that could explain why Teresa hadn't shown up at the greenhouse and be boutobered with the rest of them.

Turning away from Roldolphus. Ted swallowed the lump that rose in his throat, avoiding Teresa's gaze as they made their way outside.

Which meant he also missed the way Andromeda's eyes followed him all the way out the entrance hall.