Halloween was coming fast and the castle was bubbling with excitement. Hagrid was growing gigantic pumpkins in his potage near the miserable hut in which he lived. Andromeda had gone to see them once with Bellatrix. The two of them did this every year, just so that Bellatrix could rant hours on end about how obvious it was that Hagrid was a half-breed. Andromeda always let her do silently because she loved sitting in the wet grass of Hogwarts' grounds and watch crows flying around the potage. In a way, it reminded her of those childhood autumns she used to spend with her sister, when Bellatrix would complain for hours about this or that and Andromeda would feel happy, sitting there and listening, thinking that shared misery meant no misery. When Narcissa was old enough to join them, she broke that routine. Narcissa hated sitting still, and even more so if it was to listen to somebody else's life.

This aspect of Narcissa's character had remained a constant throughout the years. The youngest Black sister proved it again when, during breakfast, she cut off her friend Caroline Travers, who was complaining about her dysfunctional wand, to rant about her own issues.

'Caroline, just buy another one. The real problem here is how the first Slug Club's party is happening two days before the Halloween Feast and I'm still not invited!'

Andromeda lazily bit into the apple she was holding. The situation was all too familiar.

'Nobody wants a baby at a party, Cissy,' teased Bellatrix cheekily.

Narcissa did not appreciate the humour. 'Will you stop with that! I'm not a baby, I'm thirteen!'

'Narcissa,' intervened Sophie. 'Slughorn only invites fourth-years and older to his parties, you know that.'

'Yes I do,' spat Narcissa, 'there's no need be patronising.'

Sophie nearly replied before deciding against it. Having known the Black sisters most of her life, she'd had time to learn a thing or two about dealing with their infamous temper. She remained silent whilst Narcissa continued to complain and Bellatrix continued to tease her mercilessly.

'I can't believe Narcissa,' Joy whispered next to Andromeda. 'At least she knows for sure that Slughorn will have an invite ready for her as soon as she hits fourteen.'

Andromeda chuckled. Joy was always pouty but rarely at the same time as when she was being anxious, which she very much was this morning. As her legs wriggled nervously and her breath shortened, Andromeda put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

'Catch the snitch today, Miss Moor, and I'll make sure you are Slughorn's next VIP,' she said.

Joy threw her a disbelieving glare. 'Don't say that…' she moaned.

'I'm serious,' insisted Andromeda, smiling brightly. 'With your great season, last year, you've already made a name for yourself. If you start this year as brilliantly as you ended the last, and if Andromeda Black puts in the right word, there is no way Slughorn could refuse you.'

Joy seemed to hesitate briefly before her pout turned into a cheeky smile. 'You think?'

Across the table, Paloma snickered. 'Look at you, Joycelin,' she said. 'You've been waiting for her to say that aloud for ages.'

Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

'That's a lie!' Joy shouted a little too passionately.

'You were literally asking me if I thought Meda would talk to Slughorn for you last night…'

'Shut up!'

Andromeda tilted her head and squirmed closer to her friend. 'You should have told me,' she said softly. 'I would have done it earlier if you'd asked. I just didn't know you cared that much, I'm sorry.'

And she truly was. She knew she was not exactly the best friend there was, but she still cared. Joy, however, seemed taken aback.

'You would have?' she asked.

Andromeda looked her straight in the eyes. 'Of course. You're my friend… It's – it's the least I can do.'

Friend. Technically, Joy was her best friend, but Andromeda had never found it in her to call her that. After all, if anything, her best friend was Bellatrix… or, she used to be. She was supposed to be.

Joy appeared truly flustered by Andromeda's words, although the latter could not help but notice the suspicion behind the confusion and could not help but feel a little hurt by it. Was she usually so distant that the simple act of offering help to a friend could be taken with such caution? Or were her friends the ones to know her so little?

Paloma rose suddenly, eyes focused with determined intensity.

'Come on, Joy. Let's go,' she said.

Joy nodded and followed. They were imitated by the other players from the Slytherin team and left the Hall under Andromeda's drifting gaze and Bellatrix's more intense one. Andromeda did not fail to notice the jealous shadow darkening her sister's pupils; Bellatrix had always wanted to play Quidditch but their parents had never allowed them to practice at home. With no experience under her belt, Bellatrix never even tried for the team, not willing to risk failure and humiliation. Andromeda herself was not particularly interested in the sport – any kind of sports – but did feel for her sister.

Narcissa rose as well.

'Let's go, Caroline, Gwen.' Her friends immediately followed her lead.

'Wait!' called Lucius Malfoy. Andromeda was surprised to see he had not left with the rest of the Quidditch team. Instead, he hurried to catch up with Narcissa, smiling brightly as he fell by her side.

Andromeda watched her little sister smile back and felt her own lips curve upwards. Bellatrix must have been thinking along her lines because when she spoke next, Andromeda knew exactly what she was talking about.

'What do you think of him?' Her voice was low, meant only for her sister to hear.

'I don't know him enough to judge,' replied Andromeda in the same tone.

Bellatrix snorted. 'Bullshit,' she spat. 'We judge strangers all the time.'

Andromeda hesitated but decided not to argue. 'He is a Malfoy, very much respectable on that point. And he sure looks like he'd have good grades but I can't be sure.'

'You can. Just ask around.'

'Why would I?'

Bellatrix did not reply right away. She leaned closer and when she spoke next, she sounded even more secretive.

'What do you know of his father?' she asked.

Andromeda frowned. 'Abraxas Malfoy, Elf Legislations Advisor to the Minister of Magic but famously at odds with him because he used to be Undersecretary to the previous Minister. A friend of dad's too. Apparently, he has a lot of money and he knows how to put it to good use. Why do you ask?'

'Is Lucius close with his father?'

Andromeda thought about it. There was only so much she could know about a person…

'I think there was something about Lucius's mother dying and Abraxas being an overprotective father. Honestly, I don't know why you're asking me and not Rita. She's the one who knows everything about everyone.' There was a pause during which Bellatrix stared at nothing. Andromeda grabbed her arm to catch her attention once more. 'Why are you asking anyway?'

Bella opened her mouth before closing it again. Her eyes looked intensely thoughtful when she spoke again. 'Nothing, I just want to make sure Cissy stays with the right people.'

Bellatrix meant to leave but Andromeda grabbed her arm before she could.

'She does stay with the right people,' she said. 'Remember that Ravenclaw girl you told her to dump?'

Bellatrix frowned. 'Yes?'

'Well, she did. The day after you told her to.'

'You saw her?'

'Cissy was bragging about it in the Common Room that evening.'

Bellatrix smiled proudly. 'That's our Narcissa! She knows how to get things done.'

Andromeda wished she could share in her joy, but found herself more disgusted than anything.

'Wasn't it a bit harsh, though?' she mumbled, doing a fantastic job of hiding her true feelings, as always. 'One second they're friends and the next Cissy is throwing her away like an old smelly sock.'

Bellatrix looked intently into her sister's eyes. 'It's not harsh,' she said. 'It's for the best.'

And Andromeda knew that logic was not sensible, yet she did not bring it up, because she also knew what Bellatrix meant; no method was too harsh if it meant protecting Narcissa.

Bellatrix sighed. 'Well, I gotta go,' she said. 'See you later, Andy.'

Andromeda nodded and watched her walk away.

The match was against Gryffindor, Slytherin's natural enemy, and although Andromeda was not as keen to partake in the fervent House competition, she had to admit feeling particularly smug when the Slytherin team crushed their opponent two-hundred-and-fifty points to seventy. She felt even more smug knowing that Joy's excellent catch was the reason for the win and the significant point difference.

Joy herself was over the moon. She had been carried all the way to the Common Room by the entire team, including Liantris and Paloma who had been calling for drinks all the way from the pitch to the Common Room.

A cup of Butterbeer in hand, Andromeda walked over to a corner of the room. She had just left Joy to chat with her teammates and come to realise that she herself needed some air. The room was packed and loud and hot and Andromeda could hardly tolerate any of that. She started looking around in the hope of finding someone to talk to so that she would forget about the clammed atmosphere. Surprisingly, there was no one of the sort. She frowned then, confused.

'Meda!' called Liantris loudly above the noisy chatter of the room.

Andromeda turned around and was relieved to see him.

'Liantris! Where is everybody?'

Her friend shrugged. 'Who's "everybody"?'

Andromeda sighed. 'Fine. Have you seen my sister?'

Liantris thought before answering, 'I haven't, actually. Did she come back from the pitch with the rest of us?'

'What do you mean?' Andromeda had to shout to be heard above the overwhelming noise of the Common Room.

Liantris inched closer. 'She was right behind me in the stands but I never saw her walk inside the castle.'

'Then, where is she?'

'How should I know? I'm telling you I haven't seen her.'

Andromeda frowned, confused. It wasn't like Bellatrix to miss out on a party and free butterbeer. Unless… Andromeda sighed. She must have gone drinking Firewhisky somewhere.

'I'm going,' she said to Liantris.

He laughed. 'Can't trust dear old Bella?'

She ignored him and left.

The corridors were chilly, dark and empty. The faint moon rays breaking through the windows were all the light there was. Andromeda's heels echoed loudly against the paved ground. She turned a corner and paused.

Where could Bellatrix be?

Andromeda looked to her left, then to her right, hesitated, and made a decision. She started walking again, towards the Black Lake.

Who was Bellatrix with?

Liantris had been in the Common Room, so had Valentine and Rita. Sophie was absent but that was expected; wherever Bella went, Sophie followed.

Faint voices travelled through the outside breeze. Andromeda stopped to listen. Voices mixed but their words were unintelligible. Slowly, she made her way towards them. The wet grass under her feet muffled her footsteps, making her invisible in the darkness of the night.

Against the moonlight, the shivery form of a silhouette formed up the hill. It seemed to be walking towards the castle. No, not walking; running.

It tripped on its feet and shrieked a cuss in frustration. Andromeda's blood turned cold.

Bellatrix.

Andromeda hesitated. If she stayed where she was, her sister would see her and she could go back to the castle with her. Yet, for some reason...

Carefully, Andromeda snuck behind the nearest tree. She waited, hidden, and watched Bellatrix hurry past her, through the gates, and inside the castle. Andromeda came out of her hiding place behind the tree and walked towards the Lake.

She let her feet guide her and walked and walked until broken sobs broke through her trance. She looked around and froze. Near the lake, behind a wild bush, were two people. Sophie, on her knees, hands clasped against her mouth, was desperately trying to muffle her crying. Lying in front of her, the unconscious body of Deborah Leeswood.

Voices again, behind her. She turned around. Slughorn, his face visible thanks to the light shining at the tip of his wand. Andromeda still enveloped in the shadows, hurried far from Sophie and Leeswood, far from the Potions' Master, to where no one would see her. She hid in the shadows and watched and caught her breath when she realised Bellatrix stood by Slughorn's side. She did not seem in trouble, however. There was worry in her eyes. It was not real. She had trouble walking straight. Her cheeks were pink. She was drunk.

The professor knelt beside Leeswood's body. Andromeda watched. She remained hidden while he cast a levitating charm onto the unconscious body to take it back inside. She did not move when Bella helped Sophie to her feet and passed a supporting arm around her shoulder. She remained hidden as they followed Slughorn to the castle.

She remained hidden through the night. A chilly night, and not quite as festive as it had started.