Thank you to Livestrong617 for the review(: it was really appreciated and I am glad you are enjoying the story so far.
~ Living4Fantasy
I Won't Give Up: Chapter 2
It was Christmas time at Hogwarts and so many of the third years were chatting animatedly on the walk to Hogsmeade. This was their first Christmas where they have been allowed to shop at the Wizarding village and many were excited to send care packages home.
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"Do you think Cissy would like Sugar Quills?" Andromeda asked Athena as they glanced around the sweet shop.
"Yeah, probably."
"Okay. Pink or blue?"
"Blue."
Athena seemed to have broken from a thought.
"You know what bothers me, Andy?"
Andromeda grabbed several of the candies for her younger sister and turned to face her best friend.
"A lot of things bother you. To which are you referring?" She said with a grin.
"That they arn't more selective about the students allowed to come to Hogwarts."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Athena continued as they stepped in line pay. "That they still permit Mudbloods to come here. If it were me running the school, only the purist of blood would be allowed in. Think of how great the school could be!"
Andromeda looked at her friend curiously.
"You don't like Hogwarts?"
"No it's alright. I'm just saying it could be much better."
"Yeah, you're right. It could use some improvement." She said as Thomas Clare walked by.
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"For the last time, Bellatrix! Young ladies do not play Quidditch!" Druella Black screeched.
"But mother," Bella whined. "Slytherin needs a new Beater and Rodolphus says I'm really good–"
"I don't know what you doing on a broomstick in the first place but if it's Rodolphus Lestrange who's given you this idea–" Druella began.
"It's not just him, mother," Bellatrix shot back. "Everyone says I'm really good and–"
"Well everyone doesn't know what is best for my daughter–"
Andromeda closed the door, to the room that she shared with Narcissa, cutting off her elder sister and her mother.
"Are they still arguing?" Narcissa asked as she stepped out of the bathroom that led into the bedroom.
"Yup," Andromeda mutter gloomily.
"Ooh! Mail's here!" Narcissa bounced on her toes to the window and let in two owls.
"You got a letter, Andy." She handed the letter to her sister.
Andromeda's opened the letter and began reading Athena's familiar hand writing.
'Andromeda, I know the summer holidays seem far away but they'll be here before you know it and I want you to come spend it with me. The Quidditch World Cup is coming up and I want you to ask your parents if you can come.'
Andromeda did not think her mother could stand another conversation on the Wizarding sport.
'I for one, am all for supporting Ireland as oppose to Peru and if you think otherwise, don't bother showing up, loser.'
She chuckled quietly as she read that last line.
'See you in a few weeks.
Lots of love, Athena.'
"Who's it from?" Narcissa asked as she peered over Andromeda's shoulder.
"Athena."
"Oooh! Mum is never gonna let you go."
"We'll see, Cissy."
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Athena and Andromeda boarded the Hogwarts Express began searching for an empty compartment.
"So how was your Christmas?" Athena asked as they approached the back of the train.
"It was alright. Bella and my mum kept fighting day in and day out."
"That sucks. Did you ask her about the World Cup yet?"
"No way! Not yet. If someone brings up Quidditch one more time she'll have a fit. I'll ask her later. I have about five months. I'll get a letter in to her," Andromeda reassure her.
"You better."
"All the other compartments are full. Come on, let's just ask your brother if we can sit with him."
"No way! Why don't we ask Serena Rosier?"
They opened the door to the very last compartment in the back. There was a petite brunette sitting in the window seat.
"Rosier," Athena called as she entered the compartment. "Can we sit with you? Everywhere else is full."
"Yeah, I suppose," she answered. "And it's Serena."
"Athena Nott," Andromeda pointed to her left, "And I'm Andromeda Black."
"I know," she smiled.
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". . . I just don't see how half of an inch should make much of a difference," Athena said exasperated.
Serena giggled.
"Maybe Professor Branwell just hates you."
"That's likely. I think she is jealous because half of her family are Muggles."
Andromeda wondered how every conversation Athena had came down to purebloods versus Muggleborns and even half-bloods. She shrugged it off, though, because she did not really mind.
Serena spoke up.
"Well it doesn't really matter does it? She'll be gone by next year."
"She will be?"
"Of course, Andy," Athena cut in. "Haven't you noticed that none of our Defense Against the Dark Arts professors ever stick around for more than a year?"
"Now that you mention it . . ."
"And you guys know why, of course," Serena said.
The two girls looked at each other.
Serena looked shocked.
"Well," she leaned forward. "They say it is because You-Know-Who got refused the job."
"Wait, you mean–"
"Lord Voldemort."
"They say he's gathering followers," Athena said.
"Yes, well," Serena said. "He seems to know what he's doing."
"Toujours pur," Andromeda said with pride.
Athena seemed to like the direction the conversation was going although it was a topic that she had never discussed with Andromeda before.
"Yeah, I believe my dad is thinking about investing himself in this. And my brother is all for it," she said excitedly.
"What are his 'friends' calling themselves? Death something . . ."
"Death Eaters," Serena supplied.
"Yeah. . ." She out of reality's touch. "Do you think they recruit women?"
"Are you seriously considering it?" Andromeda asked, surprised and a little concerned.
"I don't know. Maybe. But what are you looking at me like that for? Shouldn't you be concerning yourself with your own sister?"
"Bellatrix?"
"I heard her and Lestrange talking about it in the library right before break. She said she thought it was a worthy cause."
"Well that does not mean she is going to join," Andromeda huffed.
"Why do you seem so against it?" Serena said accusingly.
"I'm not! It just seems. . . dangerous."
"But worth it," she said.
"I suppose. . ."