3rd November 1972

Andromeda entered the living room. For what might be the last time, the voice in her head reminded her. She shook slightly at the thought.

The room was plastered with pictures, mainly sickeningly sweet-looking ones of Narcissa (there were barely any of Bellatrix and Andromeda once they got past about the age of seven). Amongst the pictures there was dreary-looking furniture, on which her parents and sister were sat. Her father was engrossed in the Daily Prophet, her mother was knitting and Bellatrix was glaring at her opposite, in stony silence. They had probably just been arguing about something. It wouldn't exactly be the first time.

Andromeda had been hovering in the doorway for some time before her mother looked up. "Oh, Dromeda," she greeted. "Did you have a nice conference?"

Andromeda hesitated. This could be the moment. She could take the easy option, she could just say 'yes' and be done with it. But she couldn't. She had to do the right thing by her child. "Er, well. The thing is, Mother, I... I wasn't at a conference."

Her mother looked slightly bemused. "You -"

"Oh, so you're going to come clean?" Bellatrix interrupted.

Andromeda looked at her, stunned. She couldn't possibly know, could she? "I'm sorry, what?"

"About the abortion. I assume that's where you were?" Bellatrix asked casually.

Andromeda's parents looked at her in horror.

"Andromeda Black!" her mother shrieked. "I am speechless!"

"No, no, Mother, it's not what it looks like," Andromeda said hurriedly.

"It's not?" Bellatrix asked, confused, while her mother's expression relaxed a little.

"No. But you're going to like the truth even less."

Andromeda's mother looked incredulous. "Something I could like less than that?"

Andromeda sighed. "I guess I'd better start from the beginning. Four years ago, I fell in love. I fell in love with the most wonderful, amazing man you could ever meet, and I've decided want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Andromeda, can we skip to the important part?" her mother demanded. "You are spending the rest of your life with Rabastan, you're getting married, for Merlin's sake!"

"No, but that's the thing, Mother," Andromeda insisted, snatching off the ring that had invaded her finger for so many years. "I can't marry Rabastan. It's not Rabastan I'm in love with."

"Don't be ridiculous," her father snapped. "You've been engaged to the Lestrange boy since you were thirteen years old!"

"Yes, and then I fell in love with somebody else," said Andromeda.

"Well, the least you can do is tell us who he is!" her mother exclaimed.

"Well?" her father demanded.

There was an expectant silence. "Ted Tonks."

Her parents looked blank, but Bellatrix gasped. "No!"

"What is this? Who is he, Bellatrix?" demanded her father.

Bellatrix, for once in her life, was speechless. "He... he's a Mudblood," she whispered. Nobody dared speak. Bellatrix finally found her voice. "He's a Mudblood. A Hufflepuff Mudblood. And he's not even good-looking. What possessed you, Andromeda?"

"I don't know what it is," Andromeda admitted quietly. "But I love him. We love each other. He's no different to us."

"And now she's pregnant," Bellatrix announced, pointing a shaking finger at Andromeda's stomach. "She's got one of - those - growing inside her."

There was another stunned silence. Then -

"Out," said her father shortly. "You have five minutes. Pack all your things, and go. Leave. You'll see how much he loves you when you turn up pregnant and penniless on his doorstep."

A single tear streaked down Andromeda's cheek. "But -"

"Now."

The tears started to flow freely. "Mother," she said, turning desperately towards her. "Please. You're not really throwing me out?"

Her mother looked at her pitifully. "Come on, Andromeda. See sense. Get rid of the baby, marry Rabastan and forget about him. If you're not willing to do that... you no longer belong to the Black family."

Andromeda ascended the stairs and looked around her bedroom she'd had since childhood one last time. Even though she had been expecting this, she was still absolutely devastated. There had still been that tiny part of her that had hoped that her family loved her enough to put her happiness before their beliefs. But it was not to be. She performed a sweeping movement with her wand, gathering all her possessions into her trunk, and went downstairs for the final time.

"Goodbye," she said, being sure to take in her family's faces.

"Andromeda, think about what you're doing," her mother pleaded. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"Yes, it does," Andromeda said sadly. "I just want you to know that, although I disagree with your beliefs, you're still my family, and I always have, and always will, loved you. I just wish I could stop you from turning into what you're turning into. Goodbye, Mother. And Bella," she said, turning towards her older sister. "Be careful. Please."

There was no emotion displayed on Bellatrix's face. Andromeda now knew that there would not be a day of her life when she would not worry about her.

"Your time's up," her father said harshly. "Get out. And you're not coming back."

"Oh, I know that," she said, a look of disgust on her face. "I wish I could help you, but you're beyond help. Get over yourself."

And with that, she slammed the front door, and ran out onto the street, tears streaming down her face, into the pouring rain, and Ted's open arms were awaiting her.

"Shh, shh," Ted said comfortingly.

"Thank you so much for waiting for me," Andromeda said shakily as she sobbed onto his shoulder. "I need you right now, Ted."

"And you've got me," he said soothingly.

When her sobs had calmed, he pushed her arms off his. "Dromeda," he began seriously, "I know this might not be the right time, and you're sort of... grieving for your family, but I want to do this properly, for you and for the baby."

He got down on one knee, and withdrew a little box from his coat pocket. Andromeda gasped.

"Andromeda Black, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

"Yes," she cried, and her tears transformed into tears of joy, and their lips came crashing together in the midst of the pouring rain, and it was at that moment that she realised that Ted and the baby were the only family she needed.

A/N: Well that was heartbreaking to write...

This is a repost of this chapter because I made a little mistake (thanks for pointing it out, kci47!) and also because my A/N didn't save.

So thanks to everyone for reviewing and I'm still not J K Rowling, glad my writing is so fabulous you mistook me for her ;)

Drop me a review and tell me what you thought.