Chapter Two:

Andromeda silently and sullenly sat with her Slytherin compatriots. They were loudly cheering and welcoming the new first years, who shyly took the open seats at the table.

"Meda," Bellatrix said in a deadly voice. "Ted Tonks. Is. Staring. At you."

Andromeda cast her gaze up to the Gryffindor table, where Ted Tonks was indeed staring in her direction. She quickly swept her gaze away to Professor Dumbledore, who at the end of the new students being announced, told everyone they could eat.

Andromeda picked at her food, but she couldn't get the events in the train out of her mind. Narcissa was sitting on Lucius Malfoy's lap. What Bellatrix said about what Andromeda "should've done" instead of going to the compartment.

She had to wonder though; did she choose those mudbloods and blood traitors over the Slytherins? She was sure that if she asked someone to make room for her, they would.

Pushing this frightening and sickening thought out of her head, she resumed poking at her dinner.

"Why is he staring?" snarled Bellatrix.

"I have no idea!" she snapped, glaring at her sister. "He's just being an idiotic mudblood, pay no attention to him!"

"Well, I can't help it! Ever since you walked out of that compartment, you've been acting strangely! Seriously, Meda, what is wrong with you?"

Andromeda stood up. "I'm leaving. I'm just tired, Bella. I was just being stupid, okay? It was just a mistake."

"Ridiculous, Andromeda. Blacks don't make mistakes." Bellatrix turned back to her dinner, rubbing her knee against Rodolphus Lestrange's seductively and now successfully ignoring Andromeda.

She stormed angrily out of the Great Hall, walking to the Slytherin Commons silently. She closed her doors and lied down in bed. Everyone in the dorm eventually lied down in their own beds to fall asleep. Andromeda didn't bother greeting any of them.

Later that night, as her stomach growled loudly, she crawled out of bed and snuck down to the kitchens, deciding to get food. Even though only trouble-makers seem to do that, she did that often as she regularly skipped meals.

"Hi," she whispered as the few awake house elves surrounded her.

"Hello. I wasn't expecting to see you," stated a voice.

Andromeda took the tea cup from the little house elf in front of her and looked up to see Arthur Weasley. "I wasn't expecting to see you either, Arthur Weasley. What are you doing?"

"Getting food. We're all celebrating being back at Hogwarts in Gryffindor," Arthur explained with a smile. "How is being back at Hogwarts for you?"

"Stressful." She sipped her tea and took the bowl of rice that she had asked for.

"Stressful? Why?"

Reluctantly, she sat down across the table from the youngest Weasley. "Well...it's hard to explain. I don't think you would understand...it's just family stuff, issues and such."

Arthur nodded. "Oh yeah. It must be hard being one of those strict Black girls. I've heard many rumors." His face twisted with a cold sneer that she didn't know he could have. "Mostly about your sisters."

"Yeah. I've heard those too."

"Are you sure? I've heard Bellatrix has had three boyfriends at the same time and cheated on all three. I wasn't aware that was possible."

Andromeda sipped her tea with a dark chuckle. "I don't know, Bella's just the way she is. I cannot be held accountable for what my family does."

"Oh?" asked Arthur. "Then why did you chew us out earlier?"

"I suppose it was natural defensive reaction," she grumbled in reply. "I guess." She sprinkled salt and pepper over her rice and took a bite.

"I have one more question."

"Mm?"

Arthur set down the food he was holding and looked her in the eye. "Why did you make Ted's cut better?"

"I...I don't know. I have an accident prone cousin, and he's a bit younger than me so I'm used to jumping up and immediately healing him so blood doesn't get everywhere. It...it was just my first thought, I guess."

He looked down at his food and she looked down at hers, shoveling a bite of rice into her mouth. He looked back up and said, "You seem different from your sisters, Andromeda."

She finished, standing up and walking to the doors. She turned around and said bitterly, "Yeah. I've always been different."

Andromeda stormed to the Slytherin Commons. She didn't know where all this emotion was coming from; she knew she was different before. It hadn't bothered her as much before as it did now.

With a disgruntled sigh, she tip toed into her room and lied down. Maybe Bella was right. Maybe she should've sat on Theodore Notte's lap instead of being with the muggles and blood traitors.

What was she thinking? Of course Bella was right. Muggles were awful, low, mudbloods.

Except Ted Tonks. He wasn't awful.

"No!" she threw herself up. "I can't think that way!" she whispered to herself, clenching her hands and slowly easing herself back into her bed, closing her eyes to sleep.

That was it. She was just tired. No big deal. When she woke, she would be back to normal.