Chapter 17 – Magic in moonlight
Mars 1977
"I am really sorry Regulus," said Andromeda and hoped she sounded regretful. "But I have a load of homework to take care of this weekend. And besides, I don't really feel like going to Hogsmeade."
Her younger cousin shrugged. "All right. I hope you don't mind if I ask someone else instead."
"Oh, not at all." You can go with anyone you like as long as you stay far away from me.
"I just thought this seemed like a good time for us to get closer." He smiled mischievously. "But we have an entire life to do that, don't we?"
Andromeda managed a smile. Ever since Christmas, Regulus seemed to take for granted that they were practically engaged already. He also seemed to assume that Andromeda had absolutely nothing against the thought of being his girl. Who would, after all? He went out of his way to be polite and protective towards her in a way that made her feel positively choked. So far, she had been too much of a coward to set him straight.
The worst about it was that he was often getting in her way when she was sneaking off to see Ted. Andromeda quickly hurried down from the steps where he had stopped her and snuck around a corner where the tall Ravenclaw was waiting for her.
Andromeda wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him, but to her surprise, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled away. The look on his face was confused and worried. "What was that all about?" he asked her.
"Oh, it was just Regulus," said Andromeda, cringing. "He is so annoying, always getting in my way. But you already knew that, didn't you?"
But Ted shook his head, frowning. "No, it was something else he said. I heard him. He said that you two should get closer. What did he mean?"
"Oh that..." Andromeda blushed. "Our parents have this absurd notion that we should be married. A family alliance you know..." She shrugged.
Ted looked stunned. "Married? You and Regulus? Where did they get that idea?"
"They are just playing matchmakers. Since Regulus is the heir to the house now, they think it would be a good idea. My mother told me this Christmas."
"Christmas!?" Once again, Ted looked stunned, but now he was also getting angry. "Why haven't you told me about this?"
Andromeda squirmed. "I just didn't think it was much to tell you about. It was just such a silly idea..."
"Have you told them that?"
"Well no, but I..."
"So what are you going to do then?" he asked her angrily. "Are you going to keep me as your secret concubine even when you are Regulus' wife?"
"Don't be stupid! I am not going to marry Regulus. I just... I haven't been able to tell them yet."
"And when will you?" he asked her coldly. "When are you going to tell them about me?"
Andromeda didn't know what to say. She bit her lip. "You knew the terms," She mumbled. "You said you were prepared to accept them..."
He nodded "I know I did. But perhaps I am beginning to change my mind." He sighed and pulled a hand through his hair. "I am just so tired of this. So damn sick of sneaking around like we were criminals. I want to go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend, like everyone else. I want to show my feelings for you without having to worry that someone is watching. I want a real relationship, not some secret, bloody affair."
When
she didn't answer, he just sighed and walked away. Andromeda
watched him leave with frustration and guilt. What do you want me
to do?
When Andromeda returned to the girls' dormitory in Slytherin she felt tired and frustrated. She knew that Ted had a right to be angry with her. It really wasn't strange that he was tired of being pushed away whenever her friends or family were around. He had been remarkably patient with her, but she could tell that he was starting to feel like he was being treated like a complete doormat.
She didn't want him as her doormat. She wanted to make their relationship public as much as he did. She wanted to be with him without a sense of guilt or shame. She just didn't know how.
She found Narcissa sitting on her bed with her nose bent over a letter and a deep frown on her face. She looked up in surprise when Andromeda entered and quickly tried to push the letter under her pillow.
Despite her bad mood, Andromeda couldn't hep smiling. "Did he send you another one?"
Narcissa looked nervous. "Who?"
"Oh come on." Andromeda sat down on her own bed, right in front of her sister. "Don't you think it's time to stop this secret game? Can't you just tell me who are sending these exciting letters you won't show me? Is he very attractive?"
Narcissa blushed. "No... I mean yes, I... It doesn't matter. He is nothing special."
"Really?" asked Andromeda. "Well, he seems to have had an impact on you at least. You have really gotten back into shape over the last few weeks if you don't mind me saying so."
Her sister didn't answer and Andromeda studied her closely. It was true that Narcissa seemed much better than she had been during the whole autumn semester. She had picked up her school work again and put away her look of depression. Still, she was not the same person she had once been. She had become a serious and controlled young woman and seemed to have left her girlish enthusiasm behind her.
"Are you going to tell me that you are just friends?" asked Andromeda.
Narcissa bit her lip. She seemed like she didn't know what to say. "He wants to see me in Hogsmeade this weekend," she finally admitted. "But I don't know if I should go..."
"But of course you should!" Andromeda encouraged her sister. "You need to go out and have some fun. And if you don't meet him, how will you ever know if you are compatible or not?"
Narcissa glanced down at the letter. "I just don't know if it would be right..."
Andromeda was getting puzzled. "Cissy, there is nothing... unusual about him, is it?" For a moment, she wondered if her sister had picked up a fancy for a man like Ted? Or perhaps a werewolf like that Lupin? But it didn't sound like Narcissa.
Narcissa shook her head. "No, no, don't worry about that. He comes from a fine, pureblood family. I am just afraid that he will want more than I can give."
Andromeda placed her hand on her arm. "I think you should at least go and see him," she said firmly. "If you find out that he is a complete git, you can always slap him in the face and go."
Narcissa chuckled, which made Andromeda happy to hear. "What about you?" she asked. "Are you going?"
Andromeda looked thoughtful. "Yes... Maybe I am."
"Excuse me, handsome..."
Ted Tonks looked up from his book and was surprised to see an unfamiliar female form standing in the door to his dormitory, dressed in the blue and bronze Ravenclaw colours. He was even more surprised to notice that the girl was a gorgeous red-head with striking green eyes.
"Can I help you?" he managed to ask.
The girl began to giggle. "Don't you recognize your own girlfriend?"
Ted's eyes grew large as he realized that it was something vaguely familiar about the girl. "Andromeda? Is that you?"
"Of course it is," she said, fluttering her long eyelashes against him. "Some poly juice potion can work miracles, can't it?"
"I can't believe it," Ted mumbled as he practically ate her with his eyes. "Where did you get it?"
"I stole some supplies from Slughorn and cooked it up myself."
"How did you get in here?" he asked her. "The password was just changed and as far as I know I haven't told you about that."
"With a face like this, no doors are closed," smiled Andromeda. "Now I begin to understand why Bellatrix has always been able to get anything she wants." She grinned at Ted who was still looking like he had been clubbed in his head. "Well? Did you want to go to Hogsmeade or didn't you?"
Ted got to his feet and pulled her into a tight hug. "I am sorry that we argued," he told her. "The things I said... I didn't mean any of it. I will do what it takes, for your sake. I was just afraid that I will never be important enough to you."
"You are," she whispered against his shoulder. "You had a right to be upset. I have to do something about this... I just don't know what."
Lucius Malfoy had come to pick up Narcissa by the gates of Hogwarts and they had walked together into Hogsmeade, chatting pleasantly. But once they had settled down to have drinks inside the Hog's head, Narcissa was getting uncomfortable. It seemed like he was getting so close, sitting right in front of her by the table.
And she couldn't help remembering that other time she had been in Hogsmeade with Malfoy. Only then he had been Bellatrix's date and she had Sirius by her own side. She had been so happy that day, the whole world had been full of dreams...
"What are you thinking about, Narcissa?"
She flinched and glanced across the table at Malfoy. "Oh, nothing, I was just far away..."
"You haven't said much since we came in here."
There was no accusation in his voice, but she still felt guilty. "No, I guess I haven't..." she mumbled. "I am sorry, but I don't know if this was such a good idea."
"Why not?" he asked. "We agreed to meet, didn't we?"
"Yes, I know," she said, squirming. "I just don't know if it is right. Bellatrix is my sister after all..."
"I know she is. Bellatrix is a lovely girl and I wish her all the best with her new husband. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Lucius, please... You know what I mean. She wanted to marry you. And even if she is married to someone else now, I wouldn't want to hurt her."
"A good sister wouldn't want to stop you from being happy," he said lightly. "And she is a good sister, isn't she?"
"It's more than that," sighed Narcissa. "I think she is still quite angry with you for..."
"Narcissa." Unexpectedly, he leaned over the table to clutch her hand. The look in his grey eyes was firm. "I broke it off with Bellatrix because she wasn't fit to be my wife, that's true, but I was actually quite relieved that I didn't have to marry her. Somewhere in my mind, I had begun to realize that she was not the right woman for me. There was someone else. Unfortunately, she was wasting her feelings on someone who certainly didn't deserve her. She is free of him now and I won't lie and say that I am not happy about that."
His eyes never left her when he spoke and Narcissa blushed. But he did not let himself be bothered. "When you have written to me, I have realized that you have not wanted to get too close to me. And I am afraid that you are using this thing with Bellatrix as an excuse to keep me at distance. I think you are afraid that you will never have the same feelings for me as I will for you."
His face softened. "I know that you were very much in love with him, Narcissa and I know that he hurt you deeply. I want you to know that I am not asking you to pretend anything else. I am not demanding or even expecting anything from you. I just want a chance, that's all. Is it too much to ask?"
A wave of heat stemmed up Narcissa's face. The intense look in his eyes was too much for her and she had to look down. His hand still held hers tightly. She pulled a deep breath and looked up at him again. She managed to smile, despite her red cheeks. "No... No, I suppose it's not."
"Oh dear," mumbled Andromeda as she cached a glimpse of herself in Madam Puddifoot's window. "I think we should start going back to school. The effects of the potion are wearing off."
Ted glanced at her from the corner of his eye and grinned. "Too bad. Did you ever think about taking a potion that gives permanent effects?"
Andromeda smacked him across the arm and he snorted with laughter. "Come on - if you can walk, that is?"
"I suppose you will have to carry me back," he mumbled in her ear as he threw one of his arms around her shoulder, supporting himself on her. "But you are not looking completely steady on your feet either."
She wasn't. They had been spending too much time on The Three Broomsticks, having far too much to drink. On top of that, they had also bought some chocolate chunks from The Honeydukes' that were filled with some magic substance that seemed to have a similar effect. They just hadn't been able to stop enjoying themselves. They were intoxicated by the sensation of being free, of not having to worry that anyone would notice them. Andromeda had spotted Sirius and his friends in the village, but she had thought it best not to reveal herself.
"But he might want to beat you up tomorrow," she mumbled thoughtfully.
Ted glanced at her in confusion as they were slowly manoeuvring themselves forward, leaning against each other. "Who?"
"Sirius. When he finds out that you have been fooling around behind my back with some strange and gorgeous red-head..."
Ted seemed to find that incredibly amusing and they both went into yet another hysterical laughing fit that lasted all the way back to the gates of Hogwarts. They were walking slowly, dizzily and when they finally got back it was very late.
Still, Andromeda grabbed Ted by the collar to steady herself and keep him from going in through the gates. "I don't want to go in," she mumbled. "Suppose the other students will catch us in this condition?"
He smiled. "We are prefects, aren't we? They should be afraid of us, not the other way around."
Andromeda sighed. "I just don't want to part from you." She reached a hand up, stroking his cheek. "I don't want the night to end."
Ted looked thoughtful for a moment. Then his eyes began to twinkle. "Come on," he whispered and before she could protest, he pulled her with him off from the road and into the forest, behind a huge tree. The unexpected movement made Andromeda trip. She fell back and tried to grab him for support, but only managed to pull him down with her. They collapsed on top of each other in a semi-melted stack of snow. Once again, they both began to giggle.
"So..." said Andromeda when she had calmed down. She looked up into his face as he was laying over her in the snow. "Was this what you had in mind?"
Ted smiled down at her, but he didn't answer. His finger slowly followed the line of her cheek and jaw, down to her neck. "You are so beautiful."
"Really? I thought most of the effects of that potion had worn off?"
"It has," said Ted firmly. "That's what I mean. I prefer you as yourself. That's what makes you beautiful."
Andromeda smiled and reached up her hand to cup his chin. "I love you."
"I love you too." He bent down and their lips met passionately. Andromeda reached her arms around his form, holding him tight as his lips followed the way down her throat, kissing her exposed skin.
"You are so warm," he whispered throatily. "So warm and clean and beautiful... Merlin, you smell so good..."
They kissed again, deeper. There was a hunger in their kisses that had not been there before. Andromeda wrapped her hands into his long, blond hair and caressed his scalp. His hand stroked her breast through the material in her shirt. His breath was hot against her ear when he began to whisper low words again.
"I love you... I love you so much..."
As he talked, his hand had moved down to her leg and was slowly working its way up under her skirt. For a moment, Andromeda stiffened. Ted looked up. "Don't you want me to go on?" he asked her quietly. There was a hint of desperation in his voice, but she knew that he would stop if she told him too.
Deep inside, she knew that she should. That was the only reasonable thing to do. She well remembered Bellatrix's warning story about her own experience with some boy in Hogsmeade when she had gotten too much to drink.
But tonight, there was something magic about the whole atmosphere. It was the silvery moon that looked down upon them from the dark sky, the cold snow against her back and the heat of his body against her.
"No," she whispered. "Don't stop."
Andromeda didn't know how long she had been slumbering when she woke up, feeling cold in the snow. She sat up, still with Ted's arms draped around her. He was sleeping soundly and she couldn't wake him even when she shook him firmly. She realized they should get inside the school or they would risk getting severely punished.
She was just thinking about rubbing some snow against his face when she heard the sound of steps from the path towards the gates. Instinctively, she put her hand across Ted's mouth to choke his snores. Fortunately, they were hidden by the large oak tree.
But Andromeda couldn't curb her curiosity when she realized that one of the voices belonged to her sister. She remembered Narcissa's secret date and she wanted to know who he was. She glanced out from behind the trunk.
The moon light was shining down on Narcissa's light hair and she was smiling. Her smile was a bit shy and reserved, but it was more than Andromeda had seen from her in a long time. The man walking next to her was tall and blond, in elegant black robes. He was moving with a sort of confident smoothness, like a great cat.
It took some time before she recognized him and when she did, she was absolutely stunned. She just couldn't bring herself to take her eyes away from them and what he saw and heard made her even more astonished.
"It's late," she heard Malfoy saying. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to the doors?"
Narcissa shook her head, smiling. "That's sweet of you, but it's fine. But I must thank you for tonight. I had a very good time."
"So did I," he smiled. "I just hope you don't think I was talking too much?"
She chuckled. "No, not at all."
He said nothing more, only watched her and Narcissa was starting to look a little uncomfortable, even though she was still smiling. Malfoy slowly moved closer to her. He reached out one of his hands to pull a stray of hair out of Narcissa's face. His long fingers moved to her cheek and raised her head while he bent down.
Andromeda's whole body tensed. A part of her wanted to run out and intervene. She had to help her sister, jump to her defence. This was wrong. This couldn't be what she wanted. Malfoy had somehow made her. But something in Narcissa's face stopped her.
Malfoy kissed her sister, gently and without force. Narcissa didn't hug him back or try to press closer to him, but nor did she make any move to resist him. Her eyes were closed as his mouth carefully discovered her own.
Finally, he broke away and smiled down at her. "I will keep in touch. And I hope... I hope to see you again soon."
She nodded. "Me too."
"Good night, Narcissa."
Narcissa watched him quietly as he left her. From behind her trunk, Andromeda could hardly believe what she had just seen. Once again, she wanted to reveal herself to Narcissa and demand an explanation from her. But somehow, she felt guilty and embarrassed. How could she tell her sister that she had been watching her kissing a man?
Narcissa's face was unreadable. She looked neither happy nor sad. Slowly, she turned around and started walking back toward the castle. Andromeda followed her with her eyes.
But what about Bellatrix? She wanted to call out.
