Bit of a filler chapter, but I need to set the scene and whatnot. Please tell me if you have any ideas or advice. Enjoy!

Chapter 2 - CLAUSTROPHOBIA

Andromeda watched through the window at the hustle and bustle of the station: mothers kissing their children goodbye, fathers shaking the hands of the sons. Well, that was the pureblood families, all hopelessly stuffy and formal. Everyone else was hugging and talking and yelling, with younger children running around the platform, weaving between teary goodbyes and happy reunions of classmates.

Of course, it was only half as busy as it was at the beginning of the school year, because many students had stayed at school for Christmas, but it was still a squeeze on the small muggle platform.

She looked into her lap, at the emerald ring that sat like a little toad on her finger. It was big and bulky and ugly, but expensive, like any engagement ring in the rich pureblood houses. It rubbed against her finger uncomfortably. How she wished it wasn't there.

There was a sudden BANG as the door to the compartment swung on its hinges. A very tall girl with auburn hair and a wild smile on her face swept in, tugging her trunk behind her.

Andromeda grinned. "Judy."

"Andy!" Judy knew how much she hated that name, and grinned even wider at 'Andy's' put out expression.

"It's just Andromeda."

"Yeah. Andromeda Lestrange."

The name sent an icy shiver crawling down her spine. "Not yet, I hope." She said.

Judith Crouch sat down opposite her, propping her feet up on another seat and raising a critical eyebrow. "He's not that bad, is he?"

"I guess not." Andromeda lied.

They sat together, talking about Ralph and Susie (who had just started going out) when there was a knock and their compartment door opened once again.

Andromeda's breath caught. It was the Hufflepuff, Edward Tonks, who she had had a crush on for forever, and he was looking straight at her.

He had blue eyes, but they weren't icy like Rabastan's - no, they were soft, like the sky on a summer's day. He had sandy blond hair and a sharp jawline and a small smile that said everything is okay. He was just generally a comforting figure, standing in a relaxed stance in the doorway.

"Andromeda? You're meant to be at the prefects meeting."

In the rush of the engagement and the start of sixth year and Ted bloody Tonks, prefect duties were easily forgotten, and Andromeda sighed, because she'd made a fool out of herself in front of him by forgetting it. Merlin, of all people to come to the door.

Then she realised she was staring.

"Oh. Oh, yeah." she croaked out.

Judy stifled a laugh beside her.

Andromeda, blushing furiously and turning to glare at her snickering friend, followed behind Ted. He wasn't looking at her. He had hardly spoken to her, but her careful Black mask had easily fallen to reveal her flustered self. She twisted the ring furiously as she walked, careful not to look to closely at the boy in front of her (though it was very tempting).

She spent the whole prefect meeting alternating between staring at him and glaring at the new ring on her finger.

A ring that prevented her from doing anything more than staring.

It was after the prefects meeting, when she was doing her rounds of the train, that it happened.

"Black!" Said a haughty voice from behind her. She turned to see Antonin Dolohov, a Slytherin in seventh year. He spoke with a light foreign accent, smooth and almost as slimy as Rabastan's own voice. "How's your fiancé?"

"Fine."

"I spoke to him. He says you're a good one." Antonin was eyeing her up, gaze resting on her chest. He stepped forwards, closing the gap between them, until his breath tickled her face. "How do you fancy finding an empty compartment, just you and me? He wouldn't mind."

Andromeda took a step back. "How do you fancy getting the hell away from me?" She asked, her voice low and dangerous.

Dolohov didn't catch on. He went towards her again, leaning forwards until his lips hovered at her ear. "He told me I could, and the rest of us boys. He said you were fair game, as long as it wasn't public knowledge. Don't be scared, Andromeda."

His black eyes looked at her hungrily.

"I told you, Dolohov. Get away from me."

Antonin opened his mouth again, but a heavenly voice interrupted from behind Andromeda. "Didn't you hear what she said? Get away from her before I give you detention for the next month."

Dolohov stalked away, and Ted Tonks glared after him.

"That was foul." He said.

Andromeda shrugged helplessly. "I'm going to have to get used to it."

"It's awful that they think they can just take advantage of you. Your … fiancé told them they could … do that?"

"Yeah. He's not doing very well as a fiancé so far."

"Who is he?"

"Rabastan Lestrange."

Ted stared at her in horror, probably thinking of all the stories that people told about him. "You're engaged to him?"

"Yeah."

Ted stayed silent, but it was clear what he thought.

"Go on," Andromeda said, "You can say whatever you're thinking."

"He broke my arm when I was in second year, cracked my skull in fourth and slept with my girlfriend last year."

Andromeda scowled. "I can imagine."

Ted was silent for a moment. "Did he…"

"He tried."

He winced apologetically and gave her an awkward grin. "Well, I'm Ted. Ted Tonks."

"I know. I'm Andromeda Black."

"Uh, see you around, then. We're doing patrols together every week this year."

Andromeda smiled back, her day already sounding better. "See you around."

She pushed thoughts of Rabastan Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov out of her mind, thinking instead that Ted Tonks - Ted Tonks - had spoken to her, smiled at her, protected her. Ted Tonks had said he'd 'see her around'.

Her heart was already lighter.

The feast was pleasant as always, gravy-soaked roast potatoes and perfectly cooked goose and a hundred other splendid treats.

But Andromeda just couldn't enjoy it this year. Somehow the only thing on her mind was her engagement and Rabastan giving the Slytherin boys 'permission' to … have her until she graduated. The euphoria that had lightened her after the encounter with Ted had slowly melted away to the horrifying truth: she could never be with him. She could never even be seen to like him, or her family would somehow find out through their web of spies around the school.

She was trapped. Her whole life was a tiny box without an air supply. She was suffocating, unable to move out of her situation, unable to see what was going on. It was nightmare for anyone claustrophobic.

And no-one could help her this time.

Besides Judy, who Andromeda regarded to be her best friend, there weren't many people who were particularly nice people to talk with in her year. I mean, there was Ted, but she would never be allowed to spend time with muggleborns. Most of the Slytherin students were either aspiring to follow the Dark Lord, or too scared to say they weren't, and she wanted nothing to do with that.

Of course, she had a Death Eater as a fiancé now, but that couldn't be helped.

And she wouldn't say she was necessarily introverted, she was just picky, and not very likeable.

Judy had flung herself into the seat across from Andromeda, and was chatting avidly about dragons or something similar to the first year boy beside her. She had no problem with socialising, and was far too trusting for her own good. She was, unlike Andromeda, also allowed to socialise with whomever she liked, whether it be a muggleborn Hufflepuff or a blood traitor Gryffindor.

Just as she was about to leave (bored out of her mind watching Judy talk to a million other people), someone sat directly next to her.

"Hem hem?"

Andromeda repressed her urge to groan. Dolores Umbridge was beside her, one fat leg propped up by the other and a ghastly smile on her face.

Her pink cardigan made Andromeda's eyes itch. Her flowery perfume was overpoweringly sweet. Her simpering smile made her want to vomit.

"So, Andy, I heard that you are now engaged. Engaged!" She squealed loudly, drawing eyes from all across the table. "And to Rabastan Lestrange, of all people. He is awfully handsome and very kind. I do hope you enjoy your time with him. What's he like? Is he as muscular as he seems? Is he rich? Do you love him? Does he love you? Does he have a big-"

"Dolores?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

And that's why Andromeda didn't have many friends. Umbridge made a sound of disgust and flounced off, her ridiculous bow bouncing on her head as she walked.

Judy's attention had been caught. "Merlin, she's like a little frog! I half expect her tongue to come out of her mouth and snatch up the flies."

Andromeda snorted, amused as always by Judy's descriptions.

"Honestly, though," she said, "Can anyone talk about anything other than my engagement?"

"It's 'cause no-one thought you'd ever get a husband. You've never dated anyone!"

"Neither have you!"

Judy glared at her. "Yes I have! Remember Dave Jugson?"

"Yeah, as a joke."

"Arthur Weasley. That was for two whole months!"

"He never spoke to you because he was madly in love with Molly Prewett."

"Gideon Prewett."

"He pranked you."

"Fabian Prewett."

"I thought you only went out with one of them?"

"I don't know which one it was!"

"Exactly."

"Roy McIntyre, then!"

"You made him up!"

Judy huffed, rolled her eyes, stuck her tongue out at Andromeda, and started to talk to the first year again.

That night, despite more hours of endless banter between herself and Judy, despite fits of uncontrollable laughter, and despite a delicious treacle sponge with custard, Andromeda couldn't find it in her to look forward to the year. She kept a smile plastered on her face while her mind was spinning from the turmoil of her thoughts.

She twisted and turned, trying to be comfortable in her Slytherin green covers. She kept imagining Rabastan coming into the room. At least let me accompany you to bed

He had come back into that bedroom every night until he left, kissing her and feeling her and she had cried every morning because she didn't want that to be every night. She liked her solitude. She liked the silence. She certainly didn't like Rabastan's hands on her skin.

It would surely plague her every night, even if he was far away.

In short, she was doomed. 1970 was not looking good so far.

And patrols with Ted Tonks? Forget it. All she could do was imagine, and that would only make it worse.

Andromeda had already been attacked by various gossips about her betrothal, and with every word, her heart sunk further into the pit of despair.

She'd been forced into this situation, placed into a box and given to Rabastan with no say in the matter. She'd been sold off, or given away, and her parents didn't even care.

Didn't care that she was with a vile man who looked down on her with his fake spectacles. Didn't care that she had no choice, or that she couldn't change it, or that she liked someone else.

All her life, she had imagined the massive birthday parties were for her. To celebrate her birth, and that the boys that her mother invited were as friends. In what world did a four-year-old's birthday become a suitable place to look for said four-year-old's future husband?

Nothing was about her. It was about the position of her family, the respect they gained for every move. Her life was another piece on the chessboard to raise the reputation of the Black family. She was a pawn to be taken for the greater good of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

And she was still in the box, ramming into the sides, screaming for help, losing air, her head becoming duller until she couldn't think of any decent escape plans. Her nails raked the sides, clutching for even a whisper of a chance that she could escape and finally be free.

She was desperate. Oh, so desperate to finally escape, because she'd lived in that box her whole life. It was the box that all women of the Black family were sentenced to. And the sentence was for eternity.

Perhaps she could secretly kill Rabastan once they were married. Then she'd be a widow, and it wouldn't be respectful to marry again for another few years. Another few golden years of freedom.

Maybe she could elope. With anyone. Anyone. Okay, maybe not Antonin Dolohov, but if she was patrolling with Ted…

She couldn't think like that. She couldn't give herself any hope, because that little flame of a future would be snuffed out the moment she opened her eyes to the real world again. Fire needs oxygen, and she was running out. Fire needs heat, and her world was freezing. Fire needs fuel, and she had none left.

Her possibilities were closing up fast, and the truth was suffocating her.

She would just have to accept it, no matter how painful it was.

My dearest Andromeda,

I hope you are well, and that school isn't too strenuous for you.

I trust you received my message? If not, I just wanted to express that you can associate with other men at school if you so wanted, as long as you are aware that your heart does belong to me overall and that you mustn't lead them on so that they begin thinking you are theirs forever. I also demand that your purity remains intact until our wedding night, for the sake of tradition and respect.

Your parents will most likely not agree to this freedom that I am allowing you, so do keep it discreet.

My employer (you know of him already) was wondering whether you wish to join us? I have informed him of your excellent results in OWLs, and he has said he would be honoured if you joined your sister Bellatrix in the ranks.

I have no further news for now, but please bear in mind what I have said.

Your loyal betrothed,

Rabastan Lestrange

Andromeda made a face. "He sent me a letter." She spat.

Tobias Lloyd (who she regarded as a semi-friend) frowned from beside her. "Isn't that what fiancés are meant to do?"

"Not if it's this formal. Honestly, you'd think he was speaking to the Queen!"

"So he respects you."

"He's writing as if I'm stupid."

"So he doesn't know you well enough."

She just snorted, and was about to reply when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Professor Slughorn's walrus-like mustache loomed behind her, bristling as he spoke.

"Miss Black! I heard all about your engagement, of course…"

She didn't listen, just pulling up that smile again to hide her anger. Wouldn't anyone just stop talking about it?

She was choking from the weight of a thousand assumptions and expectations.

She was being squeezed from all sides, stuck in a dark passageway. The walls were pressing in, pushing at her with unseen hands and whispered cruelties, herding her to one end of the corridor. Looking forwards, where she was headed, she saw a mass of swirling darkness, pulsing with Dark energy.

She looked behind, where there was a crack of the purest light, the soft ring of laughter, and she struggled towards it, but she felt herself being tugged harder back to the darkness, the hands now clutching at her possessively.

The walls closed tighter, until they were tight on each side. In the direction of the Light, they squeezed in until she wouldn't be able to even fit down there.

Her head was rocking with some sort of terrible weight, twisted to either side. The invisible hands were running up and down her body, her bare skin. Her chest felt like it would explode after only a moment more of this agony.

Agony. Searing pain that ran in fiery bursts throughout her body, raging through her and leaving nothing behind. It emptied her out, starting from the inside until it sparked out at the tips of her fingers and toes. The whole time she was writhing in pain, she was constantly aware of the darkness that she was rapidly approaching. It was watching her.

And what did that terrible pain leave in its place? Emptiness. Andromeda felt empty, like her insides had been scooped out and thrown away, leaving just her body.

She was vaguely aware of the hands which were still skimming over her skin, a pair of eyes from the darkness looking at her hungrily. A voice whispered in her ear. My beautiful Andromeda, it said. You are mine.

And the last thing she saw before being pulled into the suffocating darkness was that crack of light, closing until only a mere, shining scar remained to light the grey of the tunnel.