Chapter 2 – The (almost) Permanent Smile

Sitting in History of Magic, pretending to write down everything that Professor Binns was saying, gave Andromeda time to take stock of the most current gossip. Naturally there was the fact that Helena liked Helios (that was perfect for persuading Helena to carry out things that Andromeda did not want to sully her hands by doing), there was Titus and Holly (she didn't have a use for that yet, but she would find one) and the knowledge that the youngest Macmillan was secretly meeting with a half-blood Hufflepuff. She shuddered. If you were going to betray everything your family believed in, at least go for it properly; meet with a mudblood Gryffindor. Secret trysts with a halfblood smacked of being too scared to fully abandon your family's ideals. And a Hufflepuff at that. Honestly, everyone knew that Hufflepuff was the weak house, the nothing house, the lucky to be there house. Even Ravenclaw had a better reputation. She doodled thoughtfully as she tried to decide whether she liked Erich enough to not tear his sister's reputation to shreds.

"Black. Who was the ring leader in the revolution of 1686?"

She quickly looked down at her notes, but found she could not read them because her doodling had crossed from the margin of the parchment onto the brief notes she had made. "I'm not sure sir, but was it-" She picked a name out of the air. "Alger the atrocious?"

"Correct Miss Black." The professor looked disapprovingly at her, "although in your NEWTs you will have to be sure."

"No you don't" Titus murmured, "they've all got stupid names, I'm fairly sure we can make some up."

She stifled a smile. "Of course Professor."

"So if you weren't paying attention to the thoroughly fascinating topic of minor goblin revolutions," Titus said, as they walked away from History of Magic, towards the freedom that the grounds offered, "What on earth were you thinking about?"

"Less of the sarcasm," she reprimanded, checking that she had her Ancient Runes textbook in her bag. "Binns is an excellent teacher, considering he's dead."

Titus laughed. "So what were you thinking about?"

"Surely that's something you should be asking Holly." She avoided the question, but obviously not well enough, because Titus went on to speculate.

"Let me guess. You were plotting how to make Rabastan Lestrange fall in love with you." He laughed again, as she flushed slightly. "Seriously, what is it with girls and him?"

She shrugged. "I wasn't thinking about Lestrange," she said so pointedly that anyone else would have let the topic go.

"Yes you were," Titus insisted, with a grin. "He's going to be your brother in law; that's practically incest. Do you dream about him? Do you think you could be the one to tame him?"

"Oh shut up Titus," she snapped, angry with herself for letting him get to her. "Even if I were thinking about Rabastan it would not be any of your business."

"Oh it's Rabastan now is it?" He winced when she punched him. "Well that was uncalled for."

"I wasn't thinking about Lestrange," she told him viciously. "I was wondering whether your girlfriend knew about the summer you spent in Paris."

He paled considerably. "Dromeda, you wouldn't."

As they descended the steps outside the main entrance and began to walk towards the lake, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"No." It was an honest answer, and Andromeda had to smile. "I won't talk about him anymore." There was pause before he added "even if he is your lover boy."

"Titus!" She looked furious before she saw the grin on his face. She hit him again, even as he burst into laughter. "I swear, if you mention Lestrange one more time I will feed you to the giant squid."

He was still laughing as they neared the spot that had been theirs since third year. There was a stone bench, a weeping willow and it was hidden from the track that surrounded the lake, making it suitable for them to adopt as their study space. But today as they approached they heard laughter, and they frowned at each other.

"That's no-one we know," Titus said slowly.

"So who is that?" Andromeda reached into her bag for her wand, pulling it out. The closer they got, the more they could see of the space, and she realised there was a group of non-Slytherins appropriating their spot. There was some other girl sitting on her bench, laughing at someone still hidden from view. Suddenly there was a shriek.
"No! I swear, if you drop me-"

"When have I ever dropped you?" Andromeda recognised the second voice, but could not immediately place it. There was another shriek.
"Put me down, don't-"

"Put you down?" the voice sounded amused. "Right here?"

"No!"

Titus and Andromeda were finally in a position to fully see the scene, and to see a blonde boy with a girl in his arms nearly fall over. He was also standing in the lake.

"Woah, that was close." He smiled at the squealing girl, as he finally deposited her on the shore.

"Yeah, because if you'd actually dropped her, we'd have to listen to Anna moaning for the rest of the day." This was drawled by a dark haired boy who was lounging on the grass.

"If you'd dropped me in the lake, I'd have hexed you," Anna said, dusting herself off.

"Excuse me." Andromeda's voice was cold. "What do you think you're doing?"

The quartet turned, the smile on the girls' faces disappearing. "Studying," the dark haired boy replied. "What's it to you?"

"This is our place," Titus replied. "We'd like you to leave."

"Why?" the girl sitting on the bench asked. "We're not hurting anyone, and you don't own the area."

Andromeda lazily toyed with her wand. "You're Ruth Spencer."

The girl looked back at her friends, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. And?"

"I know who it is you meet in the broom cupboard on the third floor every other Friday." Andromeda smiled joylessly. "Do your friends know?"

The girl faltered, but the blonde boy finally spoke. "Have your sodding bench." He still had a smile on his face, which somehow seemed to genuinely contain some warmth. "But for the record, we don't care who Ruth sees."

Andromeda shrugged. "As long as you leave."

As the Hufflepuffs left, they settled on the stone seat and pulled out textbooks. It may be the start of the year but if she wanted to pass some of her NEWTs, she would have to start early. Then, suddenly, the realisation of who the blonde boy was hit her; it was the boy in the wrong shoes from that morning. She flicked her hair, wondering how on earth she had had the bad luck to see the same idiot Hufflepuff twice in one day.

She walked into Transfiguration and frowned when there was only one chair left. Why had everyone else arrived so early? She sighed inwardly, and with a sneer she sat down in the empty chair.
"Andromeda Black." There was that voice again, sounding perpetually amused.

She turned slowly to see the blonde boy smiling at her. "And you are?"

"Ted, Ted Tonks." He offered her a hand along with a beam, but she looked at it disdainfully.

"Oh. The mudblood."

For the first time, his smile disappeared, and his features darkened. "Yes, I'm Muggleborn."

She sniffed. "Well I suppose it's not your fault you have filth for parents."

"Take that back." He was definitely glaring at her now. She smiled icily, wondering just how far she could push this boy.

"No. In fact, I'd go as far to say that maybe you're not even a wizard. Are you sure you can cast spells?"

"Of course I can cast spells," his reply was scathing, and he released his grip on his wand. She hid another smile. If he thought she was finished, he would soon have another thought in that vacant head of his.

"Oh. Well perhaps your mother slept with a wizard." She feigned disinterest. "I mean, it's not possible, if you really do have magic, that you have two Muggle parents. It simply does not happen."

"Don't you talk about my mom." He was clutching his wand again, and he stood up, backing away from her.

"What? If she found the idea of power attractive, I cannot blame her." She checked her nails, before looking back at him. "Do you look like your father at all?"

"Densaugeo"

"Vermillious"

The spells were cast at the same time. Ted may be quick, but Andromeda had shockingly good reflexes. The spells hit each other, only to rebound off one another and hit people who were not intended to be involved.

"Tonks! Black!" The stern voice of Professor McGonnagall echoed throughout the room as she entered behind them. "Detention, tomorrow. Both of you."

"But professor-" Andromeda began to protest but she was cut off.

"Sure professor. No sweat." The laidback version of Ted Tonks was back, complete with bemused smile.

As the professor escorted the affected bystanders to the hospital wing Andromeda sulked. She knew no one in this class cared – they were all Gryffindor or Hufflepuff – but she kept her expression haughty. Just in case someone was watching.