"We kissed." Ted ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Me and you. We kissed."
Yes," Andromeda answered slowly. "Is it going to happen again?"
"Well, I'd like it to," Ted replied with a smile. "Do you?
There was silence before she answered, "No." Only the sound of the fire could be heard until she continued," I was upset, you'd just been dumped. It was two friends looking for comfort."
"Oh." Ted stood up. "Well, I'd better get back to the common room before the send out a search party." He couldn't quite hide the hurt in his voice, as he crossed to the door.
"Ted."
He paused in the doorway, his face only half-illuminated by the dying fire. "It's fine. Two friends. Comfort. It's exactly right." He appeared to smile. "I'll see you next term."
As the door shut behind him, Andromeda sighed. She was so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. If she'd gone somewhere else, or if she hadn't been so upset- It didn't matter anyway. She was with Dolohov. And she didn't like him anyway. And even if she did, Ted was muggleborn, her parents would never allow it. And she was far too tired to be thinking about it. Even as she thought this, a pillow and blanket appeared next to sofa. She couldn't face going back to her House, so she stayed where she was.
][[][][][][][][][
The train had already started to move before she'd found a seat. Finding a carriage was proving problematic because usually she'd sit with Titus, but, of course, that was no longer possible. She couldn't sit with any other Slytherins because they hated her, and her only friend outside of the house was Ted, and she knew she'd messed that up last night. So she was reduced to wandering down the train, looking for an empty carriage. She reached the last one, discovering that there were no spaces, realising that she would have to sit with someone, when she realised who was in the end carriage.
She slid open the door. "Sirius?"
Four boys turned to look at her with guilty expressions. She recognised the dark haired one, she'd seen him several time with her cousin in the corridors, but the other two she only had vague recollection of. "Andy." He sounded shocked, but grinned at her. "Not sitting with Ted?"
She scowled at him, taking a seat at the empty table. "No," she said calmly, pulling a textbook out of her bag.
"Why aren't you sitting with Titus?" Sirius asked curiously, as his friends exchanged glances. They knew he had cousins in the upper years, but they had never expected one of them to come and sit with them.
"We had a- There was an incident," she replied, focusing on her charms book.
"What kind of incident?" Sirius asked, passing the pack of exploding snaps to the other dark haired boy, and plonking himself down opposite his cousin. "Did you admit your undying love for Ted?"
"I'm not in love with Ted," she protested, realising too late that raising her voice would only convince him otherwise. "And no. There was a falling out. Between me and the entire House."
"Woah." He sounded impressed. "That's…that's..." He just grinned. "Knew you were my favourite cousin for a reason. Suppose I better introduce you to everyone." Andromeda shot him an unenthusiastic look, but he persisted. "Bookworm over there is Remus, next to him is Peter, and the idiot with the hair and the dopey expression is James."
"Hi, how you doing?" James flashed her wide smile, which was only met with a scowl. Peter sniggered, and James aimed a kick at him, only to catch Remus in the shins.
"Ouch!" Remus flinched, huddling further into the upholstery.
"Sorry, Rem!" James at least had the decency to look a little repentant. "I was going for Pete."
"Do you want to be dealt in?" Sirius asked, noticing the look on Andromeda's face and realising that it would probably be a good idea to distract his mates before James murdered them all for cramping his style. Slytherin or not, Andromeda was female and in their compartment which was proving too much for the boy who thought he was god's gift to women. Of course, at the young age of twelve compared to her seventeen, it wasn't like James posed much of threat to her. It was just he didn't really understand the concept that not all girls would fall at his feet.
"I'm fine, thank you," she told. "I'm quite happy with my book."
"Match made in heaven, Remmie," Peter said, nudging the other boy, who was in danger of actually becoming part of the seats.
"Excuse me?" She did not need twelve year old boys making jokes at her expense, nor did she need any kind of grief after the night she'd had.
"Nothing," Sirius jumped in, snatching the cards off James and hurriedly tossing them around his friends. "Pete was...er...reading over Rem's shoulder. It's ermm..." He glanced desperately at Remus book and sighed in relief. "Mr Darcy's just met Elizabeth and erm, you know Pete, big muggle book buff, he was just giving the ending away."
James snorted in disbelief, "Pete's never read a book in his life!"
"Shut it, Potter." Sirius hissed, and as James started to giggle, threw his card at the rapidly ascending tower which exploded with a bang and showered them all in smoke.
][[][][][][][][][
"Where were you on the train?" Narcissa watched her sister carefully, as the chauffeur that had come to collect them opened their door.
"I sat with Sirius," Andromeda said quietly, sliding into the car.
"And his mudblood friends?" Narcissa asked, sounding scandalised.
"His idiot friends were there," Andromeda shrugged. "I don't know if they were Muggleborn."
Narcissa frowned, and then smiled. "Well, I've started damage limitation."
As her sister rambled on about the people she'd placated, threatened or persuaded, Andromeda listened dumbly, watching the streets roll past the window. She didn't want to have to think about what had happened in the common room. They had every right to hate her; she'd acted despicably. All those people she'd hurt…And Ted. She'd hurt Ted without meaning to, and that upset her far more than the fact that Titus despised her. She needed to apologise, but she didn't know how.
"So most people will still talk you, if a little begrudgingly. It's just the Greengrasses, the gamps and…oh and the Blishwicks."
Andromeda nodded slowly. "Thankyou."
Narcissa shrugged. "You're my sister, it's my job. Have you heard from Dolohov?"
"No." She drummed her fingers on her knee. "No, not yet."
][[][][][][][][][
Bellatrix did not knock on doors. Knocking was a futile activity exercised by those who lacked strength of character. She had been of this opinion for years, so when she burst into Andromeda's room, the occupant was not overly surprised.
"What?" Andromeda was sitting on the window seat, wracking her brains for the right way to apologise to Ted. She knew that flowers and chocolates worked on girls, but she doubted that a boy would appreciate two dozen roses.
"That's a nice way to greet your sister," Bellatrix said, glancing around the room. "And I came to tell you something that would have been of interest to you."
Andromeda looked at her sister quizzically. "What is it Bella?"
"Oh, just that you boyfriend is coming to dinner. With his father." Bella looked her sister up and down. "Perhaps you want to do something with-" She paused, a malicious glint in her eyes. "Well, your hair? Your face? Your clothes? Really Andromeda, you look positively mudblood."
Andromeda scowled, standing up. "You'll need to leave then."
"You'd better hurry," Bellatrix grinned. "I imagine you don't have all the time you require."
Rolling her eyes, Andromeda shut the door behind her sister. Mudblood. The word angered her for some reason; a rage building inside whenever she heard it. She hoped it was merely a phase. It was used readily in her family home and she could hardly lash out at her parents.
][[][][][][][][][
The dining table was lined by a mixture of candles and flowers along the centre, Mr Black sat an one end with Dolohov junior on his fright and his eldest on his left. Opposite him was Dolohov senior, with Andromeda on his right and the youngest Black girl on his left. Mrs Black was absent, as she was visiting her parents which was helpful as it meant that there was an even number of people seated at the table.
The girls ate largely in silence, while the two oldest men talked about their respective ministries, occasionally turning to Dolohov for his opinion. His accent seemed even more pronounced when faced with his father.
"And which of you lovely ladies is my son courting?" Dolohov Senior's accent was much thicker than his son's, but thankfully it did not render his speech intelligible.
"That would be me sir," Andromeda said, laying down her knife and fork.
"This is Andromeda," her father interjected. "The second of my daughters."
"Three girls." The other man nodded. "Truly you were blessed."
"Yes." Their father smiled. "Yes I was. The eldest is Bellatrix." He gestured to the woman in question. "She is engaged to Rodolphus Lestrange. And on your left is Narcissa, my youngest. We have high hopes for her."
"And what of you Andromeda?" Dolohov's father asked, turning to face her. "Do you have any plans for next year? Once you have finished school, of course."
"I am not sure," she began slowly. "If I were to become engaged, my plans would depend on my husband to be."
The older man smiled at her. "Do you have any particular thoughts on marriage?"
"Only that it would honour my family," she replied sweetly. "I could not bear to marry a halfblood or a Muggleborn." As soon as she said the last word she realised her mistake, even before Bellatrix kicked her. "Mudblood, I meant mudblood." Anxious to get away before she slipped up again, she turned to her right. "Father, may I leave the table?"
"Of course."
As she stood, the men did as well, but as she placed her chair under the table, Dolohov junior did not sit down. "May I walk with you?"
She glanced at her father, who nodded almost imperceptibly, before replying, "I would be glad of the company."
][[][][][][][][][
"I don't' know if you were in the common room the other night," she began slowly, as she closed the door of the library behind them.
"I am not concerned about what Greengrass said," he told her. "I merely wanted to check that you were okay."
She stared at him in disbelief. Was he not breaking up with her? She'd prepared for it. She was even ready to force tears if needs be. But no, he was watching her with worry in his eyes.
"I'm, I'm fine," she stammered, a flush creeping across her cheeks.
"Good." He smiled briefly, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I had better return to my father. I expect I will see you again over the holiday/"
She watched dumbstruck as he left the library. Was he- Did he- Had he come to care for her? Her heart sank. Theirs had been a business relationship. There had been no mention of concern for her well-being before. At least, no tin private when there was no-one to see. As she began to walk to her room, she prayed her was merely evaluating his investment.