Disclaimer: as always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all those poor characters end up in. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy this latest chapter, and let me know what you think.

A Friend By Any Other Name

After the showdown with her father Andromeda began to treat Ted differently. Not that they became buddy buddy or anything, but she slowly forced herself to stop heaping loads of distain on him and instead settled on the regular distain she had for anyone of her own class and station. Since Ted was a Muggleborn, this was a huge leap for her to make. She didn't chat with him in the halls or hang out with him on weekends, but she didn't look at him like he was slime under her shoes either. A definite step up to Ted's way of thinking.

The tutoring continued, with Ted making considerable progress in his studies as he strove to impress the hell out of his girl. She wasn't overly impressed, but then again her standards were higher than most of the professors. She was able to tolerate him for over an hour at a time though, which was progress.

A week before Easter holidays found the two in the potion's lab, a boiling caldron in front of them as Ted dropped the latest ingredient into the pot.

"You're stirring too fast again, nice and slow, remember." Moving to stand behind him Andromeda reached around to place her hand over his, slowing down his stirring and forcing him to keep the rhythm steady and consistent. Always in a rush, this one.

Extremely aware of Andromeda directly behind him Ted let her control his stirring so that he could appreciate the smell of her skin and hair. She smelled of spring, something flowery that he couldn't name but that made his head spin in wonderful ways. Except when she caught him at it and let him have it for not paying attention. Then his head spun because she'd whacked him upside the head for it.

Sensing he was going off into la la land again Andromeda stepped back and grabbed the next ingredient needed, holding it out towards him until he took it.

"Sorry." Taking it from her Ted carefully measured out the correct dose and dropped it into the caldron. "So...uhm…got plans for Easter?" He asked, relieved beyond words when the contents of the caldron went a pale green the way it was supposed to.

"Nothing really. You?" She asked automatically, regretting it immediately. She needed his full concentration on the caldron, since with him being blown up was always a possibility. Ted and potions tended to be a lethal combination and nothing seemed to distract him more than conversations with her.

"Birthday party. Mine is actually right after we get back, but we're celebrating during the vacation. I'll be seventeen." He added proudly. In the Wizarding World turning seventeen would make him an adult, even though he'd have to wait another year in the Muggle one. He'd tried explaining that to his Mum, but she said he wasn't grown until she said he was and that that could be a lot longer than another year the way he behaved.

With his distractibility he would be lucky to make it to eighteen, Andromeda thought as she watched him add the chopped up Mandrake to the concoction. It was only a matter of time before the Death Eaters and Voldemort started openly hunting the Muggleborns, not just picking one off here and there. The Hufflepuff was no doubt high on Antonin and Nicolai's list of future hits. He'd stand about as much chance as a house elf against them. It would not be a quick death knowing them.

Andromeda was self aware enough to know that because of her upbringing she was more conditioned to kill than many of her classmates. She had been raised to see the extermination of a Muggleborn as being on par with the swatting of a fly. She was fairly certain she could kill someone and carry on without the guilt most were expected to feel. But she wasn't like the Dolohovs or Bella, Andromeda thought as she watched Ted stir the caldron. She would never draw out a death or torture as they seemed to delight to. If she absolutely had to kill the Muggleborn in front of her, she wouldn't want him to suffer any pain at all. She'd rather he not have to die period.

Startled by that last thought Andromeda didn't notice that Ted had added too much powdered slug until it was too late.

Watching his caldron begin to shoot out spurts of blue potion like just turned on fountains Ted immediately backed up, knowing from past experience that the further away from the potion he was the less likely he was to end up in the hospital wing.

"Well really." Waving her wand Andromeda caused the contents of the caldron to freeze in mid mini explosions. Hands going to her hips Andromeda leveled him with a look that would have done any teacher proud. "Do you know what you did wrong?" She demanded to know, knowing the potion was now ruined beyond repair.

"I either put too much or too little of the powdered slug. I'm thinking too much." He guessed, going with the fifty-fifty option, crossing his fingers for luck behind his back.

"At least you know what you did wrong. That's something at least." Turning back to the caldron Andromeda made its contents disappear. "We might as well put away the ingredients we didn't use and then pack up for the night. It's too late to start again."

"Sorry."

Helping Andromeda put the still usable ingredients back into their various containers Ted followed her into the storage area once they were done and handed them to her as requested so that she could put them in their proper places.

"Andromeda, I was wondering something." Ted began as he watched her lock up the storage room door once they were done. "Do you have any nicknames? What I mean is, a less formal name than your whole one. Like how people in my family sometimes call me Teddy instead of Ted."

"Teddy is longer than your first name."

Okay, bad example.

"Well you call your sister, the younger one, Cissy sometimes. I've heard you. I was just wondering if there was a shorter form for yours that she and your other sister use."

Eyes narrowing Andromeda didn't see where this was going. As it was she only allowed him to call her by her first name when they were alone. When they were in public she insisted he call her Miss. Black and she referred to him as Mr. Tonks. And that was when she called him by name at all. "Why do you want to know what my family call me?"

"Just curious."

"Dromeda. But you are not, under any circumstances, to call me that. Only my sisters call me that."

"Dromeda? That's an awful short form for your name." Paling a little as he realized what he'd just said Ted shot her a slightly fearful look. But she was just watching him with detached interest, the way she did when he'd said something she wasn't quite sure what to make of. Luckily his opinion of things rarely mattered to her. "What I mean is…well…uhm…Andromeda is a beautiful name but Dromeda doesn't sound lovely at all. It sounds more like the name of a car."

Blinking Andromeda's lips twitched, the sound that came from between them the closest Ted had ever heard to her laughter. Realizing it Andromeda slapped a hand over her mouth, too late to completely hide her reaction.

"You laughed." Pointing a finger in her direction a huge grin crossed Ted face as he moved to stand in front of her.

Removing her hand Andromeda forced her face to turn stern. "It's rude to point."

"Who cares about that, you laughed. I've never heard you laugh. Do it again."

"I was not laughing." Crossing her arms in front of her Andromeda was not about to admit that she'd found being compared to a car the least bit funny. But now that he mentioned it…it did sound like a rather good name for an automobile, didn't it?

"Well I think you did." Knowing how stubborn she was Ted knew it was pointless to try and drag another out of her. So instead he went back to their original topic. "So do your parents not call you by a pet name too?"

"No."

A thoughtful look on his face Ted decided he was feeling brave. "If we were friends I'd call you Andy."

"Andy? That's a boy's name." Dark eyes flaring up Andromeda was taking offence this time around. It was one thing to be compared to some Muggle contraption and another to be compared to a stupid boy. Not to mention the friends comment. As if that would ever happen. A Black was more likely to end up in the Gryffindor house.

"It doesn't have to be. And I've always liked it. I think it's cute."

"Well lucky me that we shall never be friends." And nose in the air Andromeda strolled off in the direction of her dorms, Ted wisely deciding not to walk her as far as she'd let him.

Maybe if next lesson he brought her an Easter egg she'd be in a better mood.

)

It was the second day of Easter holidays and Andromeda was not in a celebratory mood. That she was spending the day with Bella made it that much worse. Watching her older sister out of the corner of her eye Andromeda was glad that they'd run into an old school mate of her sister's. The two were so engrossed with what they were talking about that they seemed to have forgotten her presence. And that was fine with her.

Standing slightly apart from them Andromeda tried to recall when she had started to become afraid of Bella. It had been so gradual, she wasn't entirely sure she could put her finger on it. Bella had never been an easy or restful person; she'd always had an explosive and rather vindictive nature. She'd never been as nasty to her and Cissy as she'd been to people outside their family, but even they had not escaped her wrath at times.

Andromeda wished she could blame Bella's current state on her brother in law or the Dark Lord, but really, if she were honest, they'd simply allowed Bella the freedom to be as wicked as she wanted. Before Bella had married and gotten involved with the Death Eaters her older sister had restrained herself to an extent and had followed their society's guidelines for proper behavior. Or at least she had in public. But her brother in law couldn't control Bella the way their father always had and Voldemort seemed to only encourage Bella's bad behavior. Trying to make her as monstrous as he was, she thought.

Andromeda feared he would succeed.

"We're going now, Dromeda."

Instantly turning her attention back to her sister Andromeda nodded, as regally as a queen as she returned her sister's classmate's good bye.

Bella waited until they were walking once more before letting the sneer cross her wildly handsome features. "Stupid little chit. Like I don't know what she's up to, acting like we're old friends. That she would even think the Dark Lord would have any interest in her or her family…I ought to hex her for even thinking it."

"You'll only get yourself into trouble. There are too many people around who would speak up." Andromeda warned softly, her stomach cramping up as she noticed the way Bella was twirling her wand between her fingers. Never a good sign.

"Like anyone here could match me."

"Obviously not, but your Dark Lord won't like it if you draw unnecessary attention to yourself before he wishes it." Andromeda hated even speaking of him, but she knew that nothing else would rein her sister in. She knew her sister had been at some secret meeting the night before, and Bella was always at her worst after a visit with her master.

"Yes, you're right. He would not like it." Bellatrix purred out, the thought of her lord settling her down.

Watching the fanatical gleam fade from Bellatrix's eyes Andromeda forced herself not to breathe a sigh of relief. It wouldn't do for her sister to know how much she disapproved. She was already in the hot seat with her over Ted and the fight with Nicolai. The Dark Lord had wanted her to marry the eldest Dolohov and was apparently making it known that he was not at all pleased to hear that the Blacks and Dolohovs were currently not speaking. Since Bella was the only one in their family to have officially joined Voldemort's numbers she was getting the brunt of his disapproval. Most of the Dolohovs, including Antonin and Nicolai, were Death Eaters, hence Voldemort's siding with them.

"What do we have left to pick up, anyway?"

"You said you wanted to stop off at Peppernickel's to pick up some new shirts for Rodolphus."

Grimacing, since she didn't so much want as had to, Bellatrix none the less changed direction so that they were headed towards the store in question. That she should have to go shopping for her useless husband when she could be doing something to serve her master infuriated her more than she could say. But the stupid man was useful in her lord's eyes and until that was otherwise she'd have to bear it. For her master's sake.

Silently the two headed into the store, Andromeda leaving her sister to her bad mood as she wandered the aisles aimlessly, as this store provided men's clothing only. There was nothing she could possibly need here. Spotting one of her mother's friends out of the corner of her eye Andromeda instinctively moved out of sight, not wanting to be caught in a conversation with the gossipy know it all. Bellatrix wasn't as lucky, Amdromeda thought with a wince as she heard the old woman call out her sister's name. Now there was a combination that could end very badly.

Moving with the intention to go over and referee Andromeda's eyes instinctively veered when they saw something in her favorite color. Turning her head Andromeda walked over to study the cobalt blue dress shirt being displayed by one of the store's mannequins, eyes taking in the size and cut while she forgot all about her sister. It was obviously intended for a younger man, and a gangly man at that. It was a little too big for someone of Ted's size, but he was probably still growing. Or at least she hoped he was for his sake.

"Are you interested in purchasing that particular shirt, Miss. Black? We only have that one left I'm afraid." Nervously coming up behind her the owner of the store did his best not to fidget as the young woman turned to give him her complete attention. Of the three Black sisters this one was the least volatile, but he still dreaded her reaction if she had hoped to find that particular shirt in her father's size. Not that he could imagine her father wearing so bright a color, but perhaps the girl thought to brighten up the older man's wardrobe. He could not see that going over well, so perhaps the shirt's small size was a blessing in disguise.

"I'll take that shirt. I don't require a bag."

Eyes widening the owner knew better than to question her. Removing the shirt from the display he led her to their sales area to neatly fold it up for her, only speaking to her when necessary as he rung in the purchase.

Watching him it took all of Andromeda considerable control not to slip into shock. She was buying something for the Muggleborn. It had been an impulse, the words out of her mouth before she could control them. She hadn't meant to buy the stupid Muggleborn a shirt, Andromeda thought, even as she handed over the appropriate amount of coins. Why would she? She didn't just randomly buy things for people, much less people she didn't have to buy for. And she couldn't take back the words now, could she? Not without seeming stupid or indecisive.

Had she lost her bloody mind?

Accepting the purchase automatically Andromeda had only enough time to slip the shirt into one of her shopping bags before Bellatrix appeared at her side, looking more than a little vexed.

"There you are." Bellatrix's voice was unnecessarily harsh as she pushed the shirts she'd picked out in the direction of the clerk, her eyes remaining on her sister while the clerk and owner hastened to ring in her purchases before she blew.

"I thought you'd come here as soon as you were finished. I didn't want to have to deal with people trying to get past me in the aisles."

"Hmph." Instincts telling her something was up Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, trying to pick out just what it was about her sister that was off. But Dromeda had always had one hell of a poker face and the girl was giving nothing away. People had always compared her to fire and Andromeda to ice. The comparison had always been an apt one.

Meeting her sister's gaze squarely Andromeda was relieved when the owner distracted her sister with the total for her purchases. Once all was paid for Andromeda ushered Bella out the door before the owner could ruin everything by mentioning her own purchase.

Her sister would kill her on the spot if she knew.