She didn't know if she was more worried at having to teach her cousin or not having to teacher her sister; it felt as if dropping out of Muggle Studies was a sign that she was becoming less like her older sister and more like her oldest sister. I'm just being paranoid, it doesn't mean anything. The new school year had begun and, after saying a teary goodbye to Ted, Andromeda had taken up residence in the castle. She had spent almost the entire welcoming feast looking at Sirius and trying to figure him out. She had become estranged to almost all of her family now and had learned not to trust them; but Sirius wasn't like them, he wasn't in Slytherin. In fact during the feast Andromeda had been pulled out of her reverie only when another of her cousins, Regulus, had been sorted into Slytherin.
"Take a seat, everyone" she called out to her first class of the year; the third years she had been dreading so much. Sirius sat fairly close to the front of the room, his handsome features somewhat hindered by the mess of dark hair that, despite its much sorter length, was so like Bellatrix's. He was sat with a fellow Gryffindor; not the boy with the glasses who was boasting at the feast, but another boy much more humble and introverted.
"Lumos" she called out with a flourish of her wand, as none of the candles had been lit in her new teaching quarters, "please turn to page-" but just then a swarm of angry birds escaped from a desk draw and started to chase her around the room. The third years immediately burst into laugher as Andromeda reached the front of the class. They think I'm pathetic because of the subject I teach. Well then, I'll have to show them that I'm still in some ways a Black she thought angrily.
"Protego" she said; causing the birds to be deflected and fly at the now screaming and cowering students. "Impedimenta!" was her next incantation to immobilise the screeching creatures in the air above them all. "Confringo" she said, oddly, in a serene voice even though its effect was causing the birds to burst into flame and vanish along with any remaining smirks on the faces looking up at her. She then shouted "colloportus!" as a number of them got up and ran towards the door; they were clearly all in on what can only be described as a horrid practical joke, but only one can cast the spell. She immediately walked towards the desk of Sirius Black, who had remained in his seat, and asked for his wand.
"Why, professor?"
"I wish to look at it"
"But-"
"Accio wand". She used all her concentration to guarantee that only the wand she wanted rose from the student's pocket and followed her obediently. She then pointed her own wand at it and chanted "prior incantato". None of the third years saw what the purpose of this spell was, but Andromeda was suddenly feeling a combination of smugness and victory as she approached her cousin once more.
"The last spell cast by this wand was oppugno, Mr Black" she threw her hands on his desk and glared right into the eyes that were startlingly similar to hers, but she was addressing the whole class. "Do not think for one second that just because I'm your Muggle Studies teacher I am ignorant of magic and can be treated like a test subject for your childish jokes! I've seen the real world and I have just as much experience to teach you Defence Against the Dark Arts as much as this, so don't ever try to underestimate me again!" she stormed back to the front of the classroom, failing to maintain any level of composure, and told the class to turn their books to the page on the Muggle Legal System.
"Muggle prisons" she began "are nothing compared to what we have here in the wizarding world. Have any of you been to Azkaban?" a few reluctant and scared nods were visible amongst the seats, including Sirius'.
"Have you, professor?" asked the Gryffindor boy next to Sirius.
"Yes, Mr Lupin; it was one of the most dreadful places I have ever been to and like hopefully everyone in this room I aim never to return; be it as a visitor, like the last time, or a prisoner. In the Muggle world it is Muggles themselves who guard the prisons; specially trained officers who are paid to control the inmates. . . " regardless of the earlier disruption the class appeared to be fascinated by the lecture and took notes eagerly, much to Andromeda's delight. At the end of the lesson she said "I know we didn't get off to the best of starts, but if you tolerate me then I will of course tolerate you too. Don't think of me as your enemy, there are much worse witches and wizards out there, which is why I won't be setting any homework today". The class cheered in relief and Andromeda just had to smile at their giddiness.
As the students were filing out, Andromeda turned her back on the door (which she had just unlocked for them) and began to organise the notes on her desk. It came as a surprise when she heard a familiar voice saying "I'll see you back at the common room, Remus" as she had thought they had all left already.
"Professor, can I have a word?" Sirius asked.
"'Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it'" she quoted from her favourite wizard and headmaster with a welcoming smile.
"I didn't mean anything by it, the oppugno I mean; it was just a joke. I'm sorry"
"Thank you, Sirius". There was a pause whilst Sirius waited for Andromeda to look him in the eye, as if he needed encouragement in order to make his confession to her.
"I'm scared too, you know".
"What about?"
"I overheard my parents talking to a visitor at Grimmauld Place at the end of the summer. Bella's come back from abroad and she's brought him with her". Andromeda was shocked that a boy as young as Sirius was aware of such a serious issue, but she had seen his test results and knew that she too shouldn't underestimate.
"There's no place safer than Hogwarts, you'll be fine as long as you're here" she tried to reassure him; but it was his next words that surprised her most of all.
"I'm not scared for me, I'm in Gryffindor" he said with pride. "I'm scared for our family; they're all turning towards the Dark Arts. Bella's a Death Eater and she's married one too, both our parents are all for getting rid of Muggles for good, Regulus is young but he's weird like he's biding his time, and Cissy-"
"What's wrong with her?"
"I think she needs you. After you left she started befriending all the Slytherins and she got better at Potions really quickly. She dropped Muggle Studies, like she only took it just to please you, and she's been going out with that Malfoy boy; I saw him waving her off at King's Cross. You're the only good one left".
She welled up despite her earlier indignation at Sirius, and placed an almost motherly hand on his shoulder as she said; "No I'm not, you're good too". For a moment it looked as if the two cousins were about to hug, but the realisation that they were teacher and pupil as well as family suddenly dawned on them both and they broke apart, smiling.
"Sirius, if you ever need anything-"
"What about a book on how to become an animag-"
"I was referring to moral support" they both laughed. With one last wave Sirius Black had left Andromeda's classroom, and even though she had reconciled her relationship with one family member she was more worried about her younger sister than ever, and she couldn't help thinking that Sirius' oppugno was just as good as Nelly's had been.