Look, I promise next chapter will have more Tedromeda. Thank you to all the lovely reviewers!

A MALICIOUS INVITATION - Three Letters

Throughout the next few days, Andromeda found her eyes drawn to the shadows, her feet pointed nervously away from them. She found herself jumping at the tiniest of sounds and taking her wand out at the least suspicious of looks. She glared icily at anyone who even alluded to the attack. Taking the lesser-known corridors ensured that she could avoid Dolohov and his friends. Waking early and sleeping late meant she didn't have to meet Umbridge in the dormitory.

The dream had shaken her more than she liked to admit.

Paranoia. That was the name for it, she knew. As much as she wanted to deny it, Andromeda was terrified of being attacked again. Terrified of being blamed. Was she overreacting? Was she making a mountain out of a molehill? No, she thought. Not with what awaited her at home.

Word had surely found its way to her parents by now, and she did not want them any angrier than they surely were. They expected perfect behaviour, and usually it was praise that they spoke. But now that she'd been put in detention … well, her perfect record was ruined and her father would not be happy. She shuddered to imagine his reaction.

Maybe Rabastan knew. Would he care?

Yes.

Judy frowned from her seat beside Andromeda in charms. "Hey, you okay?"

Waking out of her anxious reverie, she blinked twice, "Me? Yeah. Never better."

Judy gave her a smile, almost making Andromeda think back. Back to when smiles were easy and laughs were smooth. But now her betrothal had shattered that blissful image. Now her world was just father's disproving face, attackers lurking in the shadows, and a pair of spectacles glinting from the end of Rabastan's nose.

Her fears were growing to terrifying sizes, and Andromeda couldn't help but feel herself become swallowed in their shadows.

It was breakfast, five days after the attack. Andromeda sat across from Judy as usual, glancing around the Great Hall. She was ridiculously early, so the tables were peppered with only a handful of the most eager students (most of which were in Ravenclaw). Judy looked at her.

"Look, Drommie. We need to talk."

Andromeda started buttering her toast, "Do we?" she asked.

"Yes! You've been … weird all week. Ever since … you know. The attack."

"Oh. Oh, right."

Andromeda pushed around the food on her plate.

"And?" Judy demanded.

"And what?"

"Why?"

She found herself suddenly defensive, "Why should I tell you? It's none of your business!"

"I know you don't mean that."

"Sorry. It's just … in the holidays, you know about the engagement and all. It's … getting to me. Just the stress, the fact that my fiancé's … Rabastan, and … everything's happening. Am I overreacting? I look back and it's nothing compared to what people are going through out there. Yet I'm freaking out about something so small."

Judy frowned. She had that hard look in her eyes - that unbreakable determination - that I had missed so much. "No. You are completely entitled to be as mad as you like."

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are. You don't realise it, but you're angry because the world has messed you up. Your family are stuffy posh preening peacocks, your fiancé's a creep who you don't like in the slightest, and you've been blamed for something you didn't do which means the peacocks and the creep are going to be mad at you. You have every right to be angry. Just tell me next time, okay?"

Andromeda smiled. For the first time for the past two or three weeks, she let herself wonder if maybe, just maybe, things could be like they used to be. "Alright."

The next few moments were blissful, until the post came.

My dearest Andromeda,

Word has reached me of the most recent events at Hogwarts, and I was incredibly disappointed when I heard of your little spat with Dolohov. He is a valuable friend of mine and a devoted follower of our great leader. It would not do to have you on his bad side. In fact, I hoped you could be friends. I cannot express my shock that you had initiated a fight with him. Obviously you are not as wise as I had previously thought. This incident has embarrassed me greatly, as I had told all of my acquaintances how beautiful and proper you are before this nasty mess happened.

Your mother, as always, is nattering on about our wedding, which will take place the day after your graduation, in one and a half year's time. I am sure you are looking forward to it as much as I am. Gladness fills my heart when I think of our future together.

Please refrain from embarrassing me further. I expect you to be more obedient when you become my wife.

Your love,

Rabastan.

How silly she had been to assume that the world might forgive her. As always, there was something - someone - there to tear her moment of bliss. Obedience. Was that all a woman was good for? Andromeda thought of his hands on her thighs, his lips on her neck, his body against hers … if that was what awaited her, did she honestly have the will to live through it all? Have the will to remain obedient?

And she had embarrassed him. He was ashamed. Could he not be happy with what he had, rather than requesting that she become a dog to be his pet? Next would be a collar around her neck with an engraved name tag:

Andromeda.

Belongs to Rabastan Lestrange. Do not approach: may bite.

She almost laughed bitterly, imagining the image and not finding it too unbelievable.

But she didn't. She didn't laugh or cry. She didn't speak up. This was life. She had grown up knowing she would be married off, and she knew all other pureblood girls would receive the same treatment. Who was she to complain when hundreds of others carried the same burdens?

With a sigh, she opened her next letter, the second of three.

Our daughter,

We have received news of your recent detention and the events that caused it. Neither of us expected you to do anything like this, as you have always been calm and courteous in the past, and it's safe to say that we are incredibly shocked. What sort of lapse in thought caused such a thing to take place? When you come home at the end of term, this will be discussed further.

We just want our daughter back.

Your loving - yet very confused - parents,

Cygnus and Druella Black.

Another letter speaking of disappointment. That was it? They didn't care that she had been hurt, just of how it would affect them and their social standing.

Andromeda didn't know when she had become so bitter, but right now she wished she had any other family. This sudden surge of reproach towards her kin had come upon her like a wave, a sickness that had taken hold of her and hadn't let go. He found herself questioning her own father, thinking herself above her mother. She was sure if discovered, she would be punished severely for thinking such awful things, things that went against the very nature of her family.

She was scared. She didn't want her mind to be turned over like this. She didn't want to be any different from her noble ancestors.

But here she was. Bitter about the life she had never before complained about.

She had almost forgotten the third letter, and she opened it with a sigh, having had quite enough scoldings.

Andromeda,

His power burns inside me, my sister. You will have to see some day - the beauty He weaves with the twitch of a wand, the destruction He wreaks upon this earth. And she needs it. The Earth needs it, because she is sick. In the castle, perhaps you can't see her properly, but she needs Him. He is the doctor this world has been waiting for, the saviour of all that is pure. He will pick the mudbloods from our holy ground like weeds, allowing us flowers to bloom. We are his sheep, and he is the shepherd, leading us to a greater future where we will rule.

And you will join. You can join Him, join us as we strive towards that future. That fire can be in your heart too. I hope we can work together, as we used to play together as children. This will happen soon, I guarantee - consider this an invitation.

Remember my words. Think of His words.

Your sister,

Bellatrix.

She had been receiving letters like this for a week now, reading as her sister spiralled further into madness. Andromeda knew of who she talked of, who she worshipped like a god, and she wanted no part of it.

Andromeda wanted no part of killing children, of burning houses down. She didn't see the appeal in death.

Bella had always strove for power. Even as a child she had spoken of her need to speak out, her need to physically do something to get rid of those 'mudbloods'. Never had Andromeda imagined this. Bellatrix sat at the table and ranted about the Dark Lord. She laughed when she saw reports about him murdering innocent people. She yelled of her allegiance to anyone who would listen, even if would get her killed.

The older sister was too proud to back down from a war. Too cruel to spare a minute to mourn. Too passionate to stop and think. Yes, she needed to think. Think and back out before it became too much, before her eyes darkened any more than they had already with wild malice. She needed to think about what she was doing, needed to see that it wasn't right.

But she would never see that now, not now that she had got that ugly tattoo on her arm, now that she had killed and tortured and who knows what else.

And now, an invitation to do the same. To turn her sister into a monster.

Andromeda had loved her sister once. Now, though … she couldn't help but think that Bellatrix was beyond repair.

She looked up to see Judy looking at her. "You sure?"

"What?"

"That you'll be okay."

She didn't hesitate. "Of course."

Bellatrix,

He sounds like a hero, and you are one too now that you work with him, but I'm afraid it is not in me to be heroic in any way, and I would be of no help in the ranks. You, Rodolphus and Rabastan are more than enough to represent the Lestrange family I'm sure. I will stay at home and do whatever women are expected to do - whatever Mother does when we are away. I thank you for the invitation, and here is my polite decline.

Yours,

Andromeda.

The Owlery stunk. Feathers littered the floor among all sorts of filth, and the room was full of the flutter of wings and the indignant hooting of the birds.

She came up here every two weeks to send her letters, but today she was going early, now that she had the strength to refuse Bellatrix's offer.

The owl she had chosen stuck his leg out and looked at her expectantly.

She hesitated. The letter was curled in her hand and sealed with the Black crest. It was only small, but seemed like a dead weight.

"You have no right," She murmured to the tiny piece of parchment, "No right to do this to me. I have never been indecisive in my life, and look at me now! Can't even send a stupid letter."

She glared at the letter, then at the owl, whose amber eyes now looked more angry than inviting.

"What's the owl done to you?" came a voice from the entrance.

She spun around and saw a head of dark blonde hair and a faceful of freckles.

"Hello Edward."

He laughed, the sound rich and inviting, "Just Ted, please."

"Alright then, Ted." She said as he stepped into the little round room.

"So," he started, quirking an eyebrow, "What has that poor owl done to offend you?"

"It's evil."

He laughed again, "I doubt that. Look, it's cute!"

"No, it isn't. Those glaring eyes aren't making it any easier to send this letter."

He looked a little confused. "What's in the letter?"

Andromeda turned cold. She hadn't meant to, but she didn't want him thinking of her as a future follower of ... of him, so she did what the rest of her family had always done and let her voice become icy and unpleasant. "None of your business."

"Oh, right," he said, his voice a little dampened. "Can you tell me why you can't send it?"

She considered for a moment. That wouldn't do any harm, and how could she resist the smile that danced on his lips?

"I'm scared. My sister wants me to go to a … party, of sorts. I just … don't like the people who are going."

Ted didn't seem to mind her obvious lie. "Why is that scary?"

She stumbled through an explanation, finding the lie rather easy to go with after years of learning to twist her words around her family and her house. "Because I've declined, and it's a rather important party. My sister is terrifying at the best of times, and my parents would like me to go. To … make connections."

Ted nodded, quickly tied a note on what looked like muggle paper to the leg of an owl, and watched it fly away, before turning back to her.

He gave a winning smile that lit the whole room. "Well, best of luck in ... whatever you're doing. We have our first patrol tomorrow. Meet me at ten by the prefects' lounge?"

She smiled a little, not sure why she was doing it, but sure that it was the right thing to do. Something fluttered behind her eye. "Yes. I'll see you then."

He walked off, and Andromeda looked back to owl. "Come here."

Neatly tying the note to its leg with a black ribbon, she stood back to look at it the owl last time.

"Go on," she said, and watched her last shred of control in this world be carried away in a flurry of feathers.

"Mum's against him."

They were sitting in the library, an eerie silence hanging around the shelves. Andromeda reached up for an old tome, dust coming with it in a shower over her head, stinging her eyes and making her cough.

"Who?" She asked Judy, who was sitting up on the table (away from the prying eyes of the librarian, of course.

"Him. You know. Him."

"Still don't get it." She started scanning the shelves again, only half listening to the conversation.

Judy's voice came in a whisper. "The Dark Lord."

A book came smashing onto Andromeda's foot, making her cry out a little. Once she recovered, she stared at her best friend. "What?"

"I mean, I don't know who I agree with. We don't have to know yet, do we? We're away from all that here."

"I guess," Andromeda said, thinking the opposite: bitter thoughts about the pressure from her parents and Bella's ravings.

"And, well … everyone says he's so great, but … what has he done that's good? What's really wrong with mudbloods?"

"Muggleborns."

Judy frowned, "What?"

"If you think like that, you'd better call them muggleborns."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess you're right."

They took the books to their table, settling down in silence for a little while.

"They want me to join."

The silence was absolute apart from the turning of pages.

"Join … him?"

"Yeah. Bella's mad about it, and they want someone to represent the Blacks other than a lunatic. They think we need to be part of this new revolution." Judy didn't say a thing. "I'm guessing they just want some power left once he's in charge."

"If," Judy whispered, "If he wins."

"Yeah," Andromeda said, "I hope it's all over soon."

She thought about Judy. Judy, who had those views that Andromeda wished she could have herself, who had the confidence to use it. Judy, who would probably do whatever she tried, whether it be kissing the boy she liked or taking down the Dark Lord.

And she imagined herself. She was in that little Black box, not bothering to ty to get out anymore. She was a doll hanging from its strings. Only it was different this time, because she had the Black ring on one finger, the Lestrange one on another, and on her forearm there was an ugly black tattoo that resembled a snake emerging from a hideous skull.

That mark would keep her away from her best friend. Judy's views and Andromeda's family would ensure that they'd be pried apart, maybe even fighting against each other in a never-ending war.

Her little Black box was more than that, she realised. More than just a prison.

She would lie in it. She would cry in it. She would die in it. Her body would rot in it.

It was a coffin.