May 23rd 1998

There was a knock at Andromeda's front door, a quiet, almost hesitant knock, as though whoever was on the other side wasn't sure if they really wanted to come in or not.

Warily, and with her wand out, Andromeda approached. The Battle may have been won, but there were no shortage of bitter Death Eaters who would delight in seeking vengeance on a blood traitor and her grandson.

"Who is it?"

The answer she received was unexpected, though not entirely unwelcome. "Andy? It's Narcissa… your sister." And then, as if she felt she needed to justify her presence, and prove her identity, she went on. "I am Narcissa Malfoy, formerly Narcissa Black. You and I shared a room when we were children, because Bellatrix wanted one all to herself. I haven't seen you, my sister, since you turned seventeen and ran away, but I think it's time to change that. I want to change that."

Upon hearing Narcissa's voice, Andromeda had paled, and placed a hand against the wall to steady herself. She might never have admitted it out loud, or even to herself, but she had missed her sister.

Fearing that she was being ignored, Narcissa spoke again. "I- I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me Andy, Merlin knows I deserve it, and much more. I had only hoped that there might be a possibility… "

Before she could finish, the door swung open, and Andromeda stepped aside. "Come in, Cissy," she said, somewhat awkwardly.

They walked into the sitting room, where Narcissa took a seat on one of the sofas and delicately removed her gloves. "I'll make a pot of tea," Andromeda said after a moment, retreating to the kitchen. She quickly ducked upstairs to check on Teddy, and the sight of him sleeping peacefully brought a smile to her face.

Downstairs, she made the tea efficiently, wondering why her sister had chosen to visit, and what it meant. Would they restore the bond they'd had as children? Could they restore that bond, or was there too much between them now for it to ever be the same?

Andromeda took a deep breath to clear her thoughts and carried the tray into the sitting room.

"Does Lucius know you're here?" She asked bluntly, unwilling to bother with pleasantries.

"No. I've just told him I'm going out, and for the time being, he need not know where."

Andromeda nodded and the conversation stalled as they both busied themselves with their tea, unsure about what to say next.

Considering that she had been the one to approach Andromeda, Narcissa took it upon herself to speak. "I know you probably don't want to hear it, but I am so enormously sorry for your loss."

"My loss?" Andromeda spluttered furiously. "You know nothing of my loss! You never knew my daughter and you hated my husband, all because of his parentage, something he couldn't help! How dare you? You and your husband and your son are safe, because you changed sides at the last second and my family – mine, who fought on the right side all along – they're gone, and they're never coming back!"

She was shouting by the end of her tirade, glaring at Narcissa, her hands balled into angry fists, and her voice was cracking with supressed sobs. She'd not yet grieved in front of another, saving her emotions for when she was alone, and those feelings tumbled out now, directed at Narcissa.

Narcissa was outwardly unfazed. She held Andromeda's gaze, saying, "It's okay to let yourself cry, Andy. It's okay to let yourself feel the hurt and pain and anger. You have to, if you want to live any sort of life again."

"How in Merlin's name am I supposed to have a life again, Cissy? You tell me that! It's been exactly three weeks, twenty-one days, since my daughter and son-in-law were taken from me. Ted's been gone six months, and not an hour goes by that I don't miss him. He'd tell me to keep going, to stay strong, and the only reason I have is the little baby upstairs who needs me, and even meeting his needs seems impossible sometimes!"

Narcissa rose and went to sit next to her older sister, uncertainly gripping her hands. "I'm here for you." There was nothing else she could say.

When Andromeda had calmed down, the two of them sat in silence for a while, until Narcissa ventured to break it.

"I know it's silly, and it makes no sense, but I feel so sad that Bella died." There were tears shining in Narcissa's eyes and she looked to her older sister for a response, just as she had so many times as a little girl.

"Bellatrix was nothing to me, Cissy. In my mind, she died a long time ago, and I sincerely wish she had, because then she wouldn't have been able to kill my only daughter. But you were always closer to her than I, and I can see how her death would grieve you. In the end, she was a maniac and a murderer, and yet before all that, before Azkaban and You-Know-Who and everything else, she was our sister."

"She was family, and family - " her voice wavered a little, "family is important." Narcissa let her meaning sink in before voicing a request.

"I was wondering if I might meet my great-nephew. Please, Andy." There it was again, her long-forgotten nickname coming from her sister's mouth, and Narcissa sounded so sincere that she didn't want to refuse her.

"He's sleeping now, and I'm not going to wake him up, but we can look in on him if you like." At Narcissa's nod, she stood and led the way upstairs to Teddy's bedroom. Pushing open the door, she positioned herself so she was blocking Narcissa's view. She felt suddenly, enormously protective of the little bundle in the basinet, and she didn't want to expose him to anything or anyone that might hurt him.

"It's okay," Narcissa said from behind her, "if you don't feel comfortable with the idea of me meeting him, we can just go back downstairs."

"No," Andromeda's voice was decisive. "I was just – I'm so scared – I want to keep him safe from everything, shielded and protected so he doesn't have to go through any of the pain I do… But that's impossible, I know. He's going to grow up, and he's going to feel pain as well as joy. He won't have a mother or a father to guide him through. He'll have me, and his godfather, and maybe – maybe he could have you too."

She walked towards the basinet, with Narcissa following, until they were both looking down on baby Teddy.

He was lying just as Andromeda had left him, knees bent and tiny hands curled into fists, his hair a bright, electric blue. He was wrapped in a blanket that had an "N," "R" and "T" shakily stitched at the bottom. Nymphadora had laboured over it for days, determined that Teddy should have something from her. She'd made him a scarf too, Andromeda remembered, with a matching one for Remus. They'd all laughed as she'd proudly presented her creations, loose and riddled with holes, for their inspection. Flawed though they were, they had become precious gifts to Teddy, items that might make him feel a little closer to his absent parents.

Andromeda impatiently wiped the tears from her eyes and saw that Narcissa was staring fixedly at Teddy. "His hair…" She breathed.

"It's generally blue when he's asleep, and when he's happy. It changes colours rapidly when he's awake, and that probably won't stop until he's about one or two, when he's got a little more control. Nymphadora was the same. When he's sad, his hair is brown, the exact shade of his father's."

"He's a miracle, Andy. He's so innocent."

The sisters looked each other in the eyes, estranged for so long, now finally reunited. "He's got an opportunity for a fresh start, at least to some degree, and so do we."

Written for:
Hugs and Happiness Challenge - UnicornsandRainbows20089
The Flower Language Challenge - Nasturtium
Fantastic Beasts Challenge: Hebredean Black
The Doctor Who Appreciation Competition: Ninth Doctor