Andromeda rose from her slumber, momentarily confused. Her bed was not the one of her childhood, and her corset felt far looser around her frame than it had moments before. Breathing deeply came automatically, without any effort. Confused, she turned over, only to find her husband sleeping next to her, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips.
That dream had been particularly strong, but she was hardly new to them. For years, she'd experienced what Bellatrix had termed to be a "dream memory." Yes. She'd been having those ever since her marriage-much like her older sister. Only, her sister had experienced them far more frequently, while Andromeda's came perhaps once or twice a year. Thinking hard, Andromeda called that while her last one had been in early September, she'd not experienced any earlier in the year. Technically, she'd only had two this year, even though they certainly had come closer together than usual. Her dream memories came not as objectively as watching memories from a pensive (not that she'd ever done so firsthand), but with almost the same amount of detail.
It made it nearly impossible to return to sleep before at least a couple of hours had passed. Sometimes, a warm mug of tea or hot chocolate aided her in falling asleep.
Andromeda sighed, more than a bit perturbed at her latest memory-or, rather, how it had ended. Until she'd married Ted, she really hadn't considered her life before her marriage to be so very unhappy. Certainly not as dreadful as her own mother's had been, based on her visits to her grandparents, and recounts of her mother's childhood.
All the same, being a Black had been a bit like being in a cage, or a very large, very well-furnished prison. She hadn't realized it until she'd escaped.
Well, she'd be laying awake for some time, now. Ted wouldn't mind of she roused him, even if it was just to sit by her side or card her hair, but one look at her peacefully sleeping husband made her feel it would be unfair to wake him.
She rose from her bed, donned her heated dressing gown and slippers, deciding to go downstairs and make herself a pot of tea.
No, some hot chocolate. That sounded much better.
On her way down the hallway, Andromeda saw the outline of a light in her daughter's room. Frowning just a bit, she knocked lightly on the door.
"Just a minute!" Dora called, as though from afar.
A few minutes later, Dora opened the door, clad in one of her new (well, from the summer months) nightgowns, and wearing one of Andromeda's overbust corsets on top of it. Even in the dim light, her small waist was quite striking.
"Mum?" Dora asked, frowning just a bit. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes-but are you all right, dearest? I saw the light on when I was passing by," Andromeda asked, feeling herself frown in concern.
Dora laughed. "I woke up having to use the loo."
"Oh!" Andromeda said, then laughed.
"Mum? Are you okay?" Dora pressed, stepping aside so her mother could enter.
Should she tell her? There was no real harm in it.
Besides, if this trait was hereditary, and the fact that Bellatrix experienced it as well made Andromeda think it might be, Dora ought to know before her first.
"I sometimes dream of my childhood...rather vividly," she began. "They come in the form of memories, and I can even recall what I was thinking at the time, they're so clear."
Dora stared. "Wow. Do you have them a lot?"
Andromeda chose her words carefully. "Usually, they're only once or twice a year, but I had one just after you left and another tonight, so they might be coming more frequently. Or, perhaps it's simply a coincidence," she explained. "They're hardly nightmares, honey, so I don't want you to trouble yourself, or be alarmed if you end up having them at some point. At the same time," she added, with a shrug, "it's always rather hard to sleep afterwards. I was on my way downstairs to make a pot of hot chocolate when I saw your light. Would you like to join me?"
Dora nodded, and it struck Andromeda how young she looked. Really, she'd been focusing on how grown up her daughter was getting, but Nymphadora was still just a teenager-and a young one, at that. Her daughter still only reached the top of her shoulders, and she was not one of those girls who begged to be allowed to wear makeup. Even with her waist diminished by her night corset, her breasts were still quite small.
Perhaps it was the lighting, but in spite of her daughter's small waist (which her dressing gown didn't entirely hide), just then, she looked a good deal younger than nearly fourteen.
"You'll want your dressing gown, honey," Andromeda reminded her, softly.
Dora retrieved it from its spot over one of her chairs, and pulled it around her. Then, she cast a Warming charm before putting her wand back on her desk.
Andromeda smiled, wrapped an arm around Dora's shoulders, gave her a squeeze, and the two walked downstairs.
It didn't take long to make a pot of hot chocolate, not even the way Andromeda made it. In addition to chocolate and milk, she mixed in marshmallows and a small amount of cinnamon. Soon, the delightful smell filled the room, and she wondered if her husband would wake, after all, and join them.
Then, she opened a tin of biscuits she had made earlier, and added them to the tray. Why not, after all? They were already having hot chocolate, and Dora certainly needed the extra calories.
Once everything was ready, Andromeda inhaled again, and held the tray. "Would you like to eat here, or in your room?"
"In my room? Really?" Dora asked, surprised, but smiling.
Andromeda smiled. "I know I don't usually like you to have hot beverages in your room, but let's make an exception for tonight. If there are any spills, we can always clean them up. Besides," she added, cheerfully, "it is a holiday."
Dora's smile turned into a grin. "Thanks, Mum! I'll try to be extra careful."
Andromeda's laughed. "Lead the way, then."
Her daughter rose quickly, fortunately not banging any limbs in the process, and left the room. With admittedly more grace, Andromeda followed.
A few minutes later, they sat on Dora's bed, resting under the heated covers. Andromeda took a moment to gaze out the window, and had to congratulate herself for choosing her daughter's room well. Although one of the smaller ones-but still quite roomy-her large bed sat against the window, which included a wide ledge perfect for placing books or even tea trays. The view, too, was lovely, even if it was too dark to see much of the ocean or the waves. They lounged against the pillows which the large headboard supported, and sat for a few moments in companionable silence. Dora remained settled against her mother as she sipped her drink.
It was Dora who broke the silence.
"Mum? Is everything all right? I mean," she added, haltingly, "because you had one of those dreams?"
"Oh yes," Andromeda answered, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. "These dreams-I call them dream memories-give me much to contemplate after I rise, but they're rarely nightmares."
"Oh." Dora nodded. "That's...good, I suppose."
Andromeda hesitated, then decided there was no real harm in divulging this information to her daughter. "They're more vivid that traditional dreams. Not quite like viewing a pensieve, or as I would expect viewing an event in a pensieve would appear, because these dreams aren't objective. I very much recall the events as I saw them, and my thoughts. When I awake from one, it can be rather startling."
Dora shuddered. "It sounds awful."
"Not usually," Andromeda contradicted, gently. "It usually gives me new insight on my childhood."
"I thought your childhood was...well, awful," Dora said, slowly.
Andromeda sighed. "I rather expect mine was better than some. My parents were firm with me, to be sure, but not severe. I always knew that they loved me and wanted the best for me. It explained why they acted firmly with me and my sisters. I just...well, I didn't realize until later how their mindset of pure blood loyalty and customs rather put us in a type of prison. And, as you may remember, my own mother's upbringing was far more severe than my own."
Dora was quiet for a bit, no doubt digesting this information as she nibbled on a cinnamon flavored biscuit.
"If you don't mind telling me, what did you dream about this time?" she asked, quietly.
Andromeda, who had long finished her cup of hot chocolate and had free hands, hugged Dora to her. "I don't mind. I dreamed of my early days of wearing a corset."
"When your mother made you lace down to twenty inches on your very first day?" Dora asked, with some of that righteous anger of hers sparking.
Andromeda managed not to laugh. "Yes. In a previous dream, I remembered it was in stages, so while challenging, it wasn't quite unbearable. And in this one, I recalled the first day afterwards."
"Why did you remember?" Dora asked, nestling against her mother.
Andromeda tucked the blankets more securely around them, then warmed them further with a wordless charm. Dora murmured in appreciation.
"The first night was very difficult, and I looked rather like a ghost the following morning. After breakfast, we had lessons-pure blood culture and history, and acting like a lady-and Mother could see I was struggling. She had a couch brought in, which was delightfully soft, and had Bella loosen my corset by an inch and a half," Andromeda recalled.
"That must have felt wonderful after being laced down four inches," Dora noted.
"Without a doubt. Mother then placed enough pillows around me to support me perfectly, tucked me in, and I must have slept for at least three hours. I awoke feeling much, much better," Andromeda recalled. "That night, I was allowed to sleep an inch and a half looser, after a nice, long bath. The next few days were far easier. Of course, soon I was tightened further, but nights became quite bearable after the first couple of days."
"Then why do you want me to sleep looser than how you did?" Dora asked, with a yawn. "I can manage at an inch looser than my day measurement."
"Because there's a difference between bearable and comfortable, and I want you to be truly comfortable. At all times, but especially when you're sleeping," Andromeda explained, gently.
"I suppose." Dora yawned again. "What else do you dream of?"
But Andromeda knew Dora was inches away from sleep, and, really, so was she.
"Shh," she murmured, instead, wrapping her arms around Dora more securely. "Let yourself go to sleep."
"Night, Mummy," Dora murmured.
Which of the two of them fell asleep first, Andromeda could not say.
When Andromeda woke up the following morning, Dora was still asleep. Cradled in her mother's arms, she looked very peacefully, and at least a few years younger. At least, from the neck up. Anyone seeing Dora in her nightgown, with her corset covering her chest, would be able to see that she was at least twelve years of age.
Smiling to herself, Andromeda held her close, happy to stay in bed and holding her daughter while she slept. Unlike her husband, Dora didn't snore, and her warm body cradled into her mother's. Andromeda slowly and gently pushed herself into enough of a sitting position so she could look outside. The waves crashed against the beach, but the sound was muted by the thick windows of their home.
More than once, unbeknownst to Dora, Andromeda and Ted had considered making this their home. But they had ultimately decided against it. There were problems with security-Andromeda wasn't sure why, exactly, but Alphard had said that homes along the water were less secure, unless you used a Secret Keeper-and the weather in the winter made it necessary to reapply charms to warm the house on a daily basis. Then, there was the problem with distance to Ted's family. His brother's family already lived four hours away by muggle car, and this would increase the distance by two. Same with his sister's family. Of course, the Tonks family could Apparate, but muggles did not have this option.
So, they kept it as a summer home, although it looked like they might use it for the Christmas holidays as well.
Andromeda watched the waves moving closer to the shore as the tide turned, knowing that it would never quite reach the area they walked during the day. Still, it was a work of beauty, especially during a storm. The weather was due to be clear today, according to the muggle news reports from last night, but there might be a storm this evening. If so, they would eat biscuits and drink hot chocolate in front of a fire, wrapped in blankets, as they listened to the heavy rain.
Dora stirred, then made small noises of waking up which reminded Andromeda of her husband. Aware of her mum being there, Dora snuggled into her, and received a deeper hug in response.
"Good morning, Mummy," she murmured, yawning.
"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" Andromeda answered, with a smile her daughter couldn't see.
"Oh yes, it was lovely." Dora sat with ease, smiling at her mum. "Was it a dream, or did we have hot chocolate and biscuits last night?"
Andromeda tucked some strands of hair away from her face. "We did."
Dora nodded, still smiling. "Did you sleep well?"
"Very. I was just admiring the ocean before you woke up," she said, keeping an arm around Dora. "Do you have much homework left?"
"Some." Dora sighed. "They ought not be allowed to give any over the holidays. Easter is the worst, though."
"I agree." Andromeda had often felt that way, even enough to consider jockeying for a seat on the Board of Governors, but in all likelihood, it was a decision made by teachers.
Dora's stomach growled, then, and with a laugh, they both rose and, after Dora donned her dressing gown and placed a Heating charm on it and her corset, they went downstairs to begin the day.
Andromeda smiled to herself as she prepared their breakfast. She doubted that a house elf enjoyed the task as much as she did.
It would be another lovely day.
Author's note:
Last Andromeda chapter for awhile, but not the last in the story by any means.
I've seen a lot of stories that build on certain ideas which were not established in canon, myself included. Seems like someone had the idea, others thought that it made sense, and it spread like wildfire into the fandom. Some established fandom ideas are great, and others...not so much. My personal opinion, anyway.
I'm rather hoping that at least a couple of my ideas make their way beyond this fic. :)
Next up will PROBABLY be the Christmas celebration, but I might have another chapter written before. I guess you'll have to wait to find out!
Have something to say? Ideas for future chapters? Please let me know below!