La Vie en Rose

Summary: The best thing about being seen as nothing more than pitiful, traumatized children is that no one would believe it possible for any of them to conspire with the Fae to kidnap the Girl-Who-Lived. FemHarry.

Just a warning: FemHarry, AU, Language, Clichés, Non-Cannon Character Death, More in the Future…

Just so you know (Name): FemHarry's name is Andromeda Rhoswen Potter. The name Andromeda means "Ruler/Protector of Men" and was the name of an Ethiopian princess whose mother angered the gods. To placate the gods, Andromeda was fastened to a rock to be used as a sacrifice to a sea monster, from which she was rescued by Perseus. In astronomy, Andromeda is a large northern constellation between Perseus and Pegasus as well a galaxy located two inmillion light years away. Rhoswen is a Welsh name meaning "White Rose" as well as "Fair/Blessed Rose".

I don't own anything related to Twisted Wonderland or Harry Potter!

Chapter 7. Primrose for Trust in Me

RON

There was sick feeling in his stomach and Ron wasn't stupid enough to try and convince himself that it had nothing to do with the betrayal he committed.

And, no matter what excuse he came up with upon leaving the Forbidden Forest the day before, Ron knew that making a deal with Lord Raven behind Andromeda back and taking away her choice like Shacklebolt wanted to do was just that; a betrayal. One that tasted disgustingly like guilty, he thought with pursued lips. As though the heavy cloud of agglomerated negative feelings wasn't enough to make him want to double over.

Unfortunately, anger wasn't even close to being part of that agglomeration. Ron would have welcomed the distraction as he always did, maybe even used it to rid himself from the guilty at least, but there was no single encounter with Lord Raven that didn't leave him drained and unable to latch on a single spark of anger.

He gritted his teeth, fingers digging inside his pockets for the box the Fair One had handed over to him after sealing their deal.

Could he even call it a deal? Ron wondered with a hint of hysteria. After all, while he had apparently gotten something that would take Andromeda to safety, Lord Raven didn't seem to have gotten anything in return for his help which was enough to fill Ron with dread and fear – Enough to make the red-haired wizard decide to ignore the consequences and go back on the deal, throwing the box out of the nearest window and contacting every single person he knew to help hide Andromeda. After all, anything left unspoken in a deal with the Fair Folks was worse than a poorly worded one: Lord Raven could do – could take – anything he wished for and there was nothing that Ron would've been able to do about it.

He couldn't even go back on his word, he realized suddenly. In his anger and desperation for a solution, Ron had foolish forgot to add a clause about breaking the deal and in what kind of situation that would be acceptable ( Imbecile! That was why he was the strategist and brute force of their once trio and not the brains like Hermi –).

So, there was nothing that he could do aside from following the simple instructions given to him: To give the box to Andromeda before midnight struck.

And hope, he thought. And hope that Lord Raven was feeling generous enough to not twist his fairly straightforward request and keep the red-head and the D.A. from being able to follow her after they managed to deal with the Ministry permanently.

Shoving the possibility to the far back of his mind before the figurative cloud above his head swallowed him whole, Ron stopped walking. He blinked until the black spots that had gathered in front of his eyes disappeared, trying to keep his breath steady until his heart stopped trying to rip itself out off his chest on its own accord before leaning against his cane and focusing all his attention on the door leading to Andromeda's atelier.

Ron pressed his lips in a thin line, placing the box back inside the pocket of his Quidditch jacket and checking himself over. Andromeda was far too perspective for her own good and it just won't do if she immediately knew that there was something wrong… Well, maybe that was wishful thinking. Of course she was going to know there was something wrong. Ron had never been able to lie to her and he certainly wasn't in the right state of mind to even speak with her.

Honestly, it won't even surprise him if he ended up breaking down the moment she questioned him.

He closed his eyes, pushing the door open before he truly started spiraling down (And he could hear Lord Raven's laugher coming from the shadows the more miserable he felt).

Even before he stepped inside the room, Ron smelled the mix of linseed oil, spike lavender and paint. Scanning the room, he skimmed over the portraits (Andromeda made one every time a member of the D.A. died or she lost someone, it was her way to keep their memory alive despite everyone knowing she would never forget any of them) and stared when he found Andromeda standing in a well lit corner, staring at her empty canvas while tapping a paint brush against her thighs. Near her feet, he noticed a few half-finished portraits that were clearly set aside (Ron pointedly avoided staring too long at them, recognizing the pair of chocolate brown-eyes Andromeda had started painting).

"It's nice to see you with a paint brush," Ron commented nonchalantly.

"Why?" she asked, a little distracted.

Ron started limping towards her. "It has been a while since you even touched a pencil. I was starting to worry you had decided to stop painting or drawing all together."

Andromeda paused, turning to look at him. "Sometimes it's a little difficult to hold a pencil."

Her eyes were a little sad as she raised her hands for him to see. His heart dropped a little when he noticed that they were shaking slightly and he had to taking a deep breath, counting backwards to ten as he tried to block the memories of her screams.

The tremors caused by her torture during their time as prisoners in the Malfoy Manor were usually easy to ignore. Strong emotions usually just made it worse, like the ones he more than likely provoked with his far from collected moment after Shacklebolt's unwanted visit.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down at his boots.

There was a moment of silence.

Andromeda wiped her brush on a rag she summoned from somewhere in the room, then dropped it into the jar of linseed oil beside her easel.

"For what, Ron?" she asked softly, stepping closer.

"I –" Ron stopped, a little unsure.

Andromeda gave him a look. "I don't believe you are apologizing for yesterday. Not really."

He swallowed, licking his dry lips as the cloud above his head grew.

"How would you know?"

"Had that been the case," she stated, "you would have apologized before I was allowed to leave the Infirmary this morning, and then hovered for a few more hours until you were absolutely certain I was fine. So, I don't believe that's why you're apologizing."

Ron grimaced.

Was he truly that predicable?

To his sister ? Yes, he decided a second later, absolutely. And, again: Andromeda was far too perspective. He should have known better than even try and hide anything from her.

"Yes," the small teen teased said. "You should have."

"You're a Legimens now?" he asked dryly, sighing.

He snorted at the disgruntled look on her face but didn't feel any better.

"Ron? Did something happen?" Andromeda asked after a moment of silence, concerned. She clenched her hands, wishing to reach out for him but deciding to give him some space for now.

Ron shook his head, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he tried to think of a way to start this – Was it even a conversation? Would he even have time to explain himself? How did one even start to explain to their sister that she was being sent away for her own good without sounding as selfish as he surely felt?

Inhaling a lungful of air, he pulled out the box with a single word, almost snatching it back when she took it without a single moment of hesitation. Licking his dry lips, Ron watched as Andromeda didn't waste time to start poking the box in a way that reminded of her innocent green-eyed, little eleven years old self (Andromeda had been so hesitant and curious when she noticed the parcels under the Gryffindor House's personal Christmas tree). He blinked, blue-eyes eyes burning with unshed and unwanted tears.

"It's for you," he said while she opened the box to reveal a necklace with a silver chain and a vibrant red rose charm dangling from it (It was some kind of jewel but he couldn't tell what kind).

Andromeda gave him a look.

"What's this for? You do know I don't need gifts, right?" the green-eyed girl asked, pushing the necklace to his chest gently.

Ron closed his eyes for a brief moment, exhaling slowly and inhaling another lungful of air in a poor attempt of filtering the mess that was his feelings. Honestly, he wished it was just a simple gift or one of his failed attempts at bribing her but the necklace was nothing more than one of the reasons why he wanted to throw himself on his knees and apologize.

"Ron?" Andromeda frowned, concerned.

The tall, lanky wizard cleared his throat, pushing the necklace back.

"I know you don't need gifts," he assured her, wincing at how he sounded. "But I wanted you to have it."

Like the Odysseus and the Greeks wanted the Trojans to have that wooden horse, he thought darkly.

Otherworldly green eyes stared. Andromeda arched her eyebrows, pursuing her lips with suspicion.

" Really – I –" she faltered a little, hesitant. "Is anyone hurt?"

She thought he was trying to bribe her, and Ron was a little ashamed to admit that that was something he definitely would've done before the war. At least to buy some time for himself or one of the others as they tried to hide something from her (It was safe to say that, more time than not, it never worked as they wanted it to).

"No!" he shouted, making her give a little jump. The last thing he needed was for her to start panicking or worrying that something happened to the D.A. Especially not with their group being why she was so willing to hand herself over. "There is nothing wrong and everyone is safe! I just wanted you to have this! Nothing… Nothing more…"

She didn't look like she believed him which didn't surprise the red-head. Andromeda could smell a lie coming from miles away but, fortunately, she was kind enough to recognize just how important this was for him and decided against asking a bit y more questions.

"Ok," she nodded slowly. "Go on."

This time, Ron gave her a look, "What?"

"The necklace," Andromeda said. "I'll take it if that's all I need to make you feel better."

"What makes you think I'm not feeling well?"

"Aside from the unnecessary apology and the gift?" she asked, otherworldly green eyes softening. "You're like a open book."

To prove her point, delicate and scarred fingers reached out to smooth the lines on his face. Anyone else would have dismissed it as the normal scowl he usually wore but not Andromeda. Never Andromeda.

His heart dropped.

Sweet sister, Ron thought with quivering lips. If possible, the guilty from before seemed to get worse. Do you always have to be so perceptive?

"Now, go on," Andromeda said, making a motion to her bandaged neck.

He hesitated for a brief second before moving to place the necklace around her neck with a care that was only reserved for his mother and sisters ( Sister – His only sister. He only had one now). Ron touched the rose charm as he stepped back, his blood burning in his veins and a cold feeling washing over ever single bone in his body.

Thinking about Lord Raven's instructions, he glanced down at his wrist watch and sank his teeth into his tongue until that guilty started to taste like blood.

It was almost midnight.

"It is pretty," Andromeda said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Where did you get it?"

Ron raised his head to see her admiring the rose charm, squinting her eyes in a cute that almost made him smile. He would have done just that hadn't he known that she would be leaving soon and he couldn't even console himself with the knowledge of how long she would be out of his reach.

"An annoying old man gave it to me," Ron said a little dryly when he noticed that she was waiting for an answer.

She repeated his words with good humor, mouthing the words and making a face while imagining what kind of old wizard he could have gotten the necklace from.

"He –" the Gryffindor wizard took a deep breath, wondering if he should continue but being unable to truly hide anything from her. "He said it would help you."

Andromeda blinked, "Help me? In what way?"

"To be free and to find your own happiness," he explained, wincing when she seemed to wither, green eyes dulling with so much resignation that he could feel his heart break a little more at the sight.

She opened her mouth to speak but he never got the chance to hear whatever heartbreaking words that would leave her lips. Midnight struck and Andromeda froze when, suddenly, there was a familiar cold feeling surrounding them. Every shadow in the room seemed to grow and move, and Ron watch unblinkingly as the black tendrils curled behind the green-eyed witch until there was door-like hole on the wall, the infinite, dark abyss staring back at him mockingly.

Andromeda looked down at the necklace. It's previous vibrant red color had been drained the moment the shadows first started moving and was now a familiar shade of white that were only seen in the roses the green-eyed witch was named after. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head slowly, glancing back at the door-like shadows. There was a hint of uncertainty and fear in her eyes. She had immediately recognized whose power had created and controlled the shadows and, while she loved her Fae Grandfather with all her heart, the raven-haired witch wasn't blind about the kind of things the Fair One was capable of doing.

He opened his mouth to speak only to give up and press his lips together.

"Ron…?" she called softly, hesitant. The tremors in her hands seemed a little worse as Andromeda reached out to grab the rose charm, "What did you do?"

The wizard merely shook his head, afraid that if did speak, he won't be able to stop.

"Ron."

Ron cursed himself, refusing to look into her eyes; he didn't want to acknowledge the fear he had placed there.

"That's my Grandfather's power," the small teen whispered. " He is the one who gave you the necklace."

He winced, the heavy cloud over his head pressing down merciless. The guilty made it difficult breath and the endless list of negative feelings gripping his heart with cold fingers made him wish there was a way for him to rip it out of his chest if that meant it would hurt less.

But he knew that, no matter how guilty he felt, Ron would never go back on his decision (Nor could he. It was far too late).

"I'm sorry," he mumbled almost incoherently.

"Ron," Andromeda said firmly but no less kind. It honestly made him feel worse. " What did you do?"

Unsurprising, he finally broke down.

"I'm so sorry, Andy," Ron said. He didn't give her the chance to try to question him again before he continued, unable to stop the words from leaving his lips, " Please – All I want is for you to be free. I can't lose you. Especially not because you think you need to sacrifice yourself for us when we would never be able to live with that!" Andromeda flinched, watching him with wide eyes. "I know that – I know that I should have spoken to you first before even thinking of looking for Lord Raven! I know this is nothing but a betrayal! But there was no other way! I can't let you stay in Britain!"

"You're sending me away. You made a deal with my Grandfather to send me away," she whispered, blinking rapidly at the realization. She sounded like she couldn't understand why he had come to this decision and a part of him wanted to reach out and shake her until she understood how important she was and what would happen if he allowed her to stay anywhere close to the Ministry.

Ron clenched his hands, holding his cane closer in a attempt of keeping himself from breaking it against the nearest wall. It seemed like that familiar rush of anger had finally returned.

"Is there any other way to keep you from killing yourself again?!" the blue-eyed wizard snapped, almost chocking from the amount of emotions that were warring inside him and doing his best to not allow his anger to get the better of him. He refused to hurt her anymore than he already had early.

The raven-haired girl flinched again and denied softly, "I didn't kill myself. I nee –"

A desperate, nearing hysterical, laugher bubbled out of his chest, " You did! And don't dare say you needed to sacrifice yourself! We could have tried to find a way around it! So – I'm sorry, Andy!" Ron shook his head, gritting his teeth and gripping the front of his shirt. He never noticed the way her shoulders dropped, green-eyes staring at him with a thoughtful look. The more he spoke, Andromeda's eyes flickered towards the shadows before focusing on him once more. " Please, forgive me for taking your choice away from you and sending you away! I'm not Perseus! I can't fight every monster for you as much as I wish to! I know I can't even keep the Ministry away from you much less keep you from handing yourself over in a silver plate! I just –"

He cut himself off, choking for air. Ron closed his eyes, shaking like a leaf when she raised her left hand again, fingertips brushing against his face to brush the tears he hadn't even noticed were streaming down his face. Her eyes softened and, while the fear and heartbreaking resignation hadn't disappeared, now there was a glint of understanding reflected there as well.

At the touch, a desperate sob left his lips involuntarily.

She shook her head slowly when he opened his eyes, stopping him before he could as much as gather enough breathe to try and keep babbling nonsense. And that was exactly what he was doing. Ron was rather sure he stopped making sense from the moment he uttered his second apology, barely registering a single word he said.

"You won't leave me alone."

Despite it sounding more like an statement rather than a question, the blue-eyed Gryffindor understood she wanted some kind reassurance; a promise that he would come for her the moment he finished dealing with the Ministry.

"Never," Ron managed to say a little wetly, taking a deep breath and collecting himself.

Far more calmer now, he stood straighter, reminding himself that there was no need for apologizes , excuses or guilty. Not now. All he needed to do at the moment was to follow the plan and keep Andromeda safe. He could beg for her forgiveness all he wanted later.

"I'll find you later," Ron swore.

Seven years. He stayed by her side for seven years, falling easily in love with the far too kind witch who deserved more than a life filled with endless tragedy and unwanted duty. There was never any doubt in his mind that he won't follow his sister straight to the Underworld if necessary or that he would tear the heavens asunder if it proved to be a problem. Just his brothers or the D.A would – After all, Andromeda was their safe haven, their beloved sister, their caring friend and their loving Queen.

Nothing would keep him – keep them – away from her.

Let anyone try.

"And do you really think sending me away won't make things worse?" she asked. Even so, it sounded as though she already knew the answer for that question and was merely stalling the inevitable. "That it won't backfire on you or the D.A?"

"It won't," the red-head replied. And if it did go wrong or ended up backfiring on them…? Well, the current Ministry couldn't be worse than anything the D.A. had to face before and during the war.

"I can hide," Andromeda suggested weakly. "There is no need to send me away."

"You won't be able to keep hiding if anything does happen," Ron stated, recalling their time on the run.

The small witch struggled a little. "I don't have my things."

"You do," he replied.

Or rather, Ron thought, I packed your things this morning and Lord Raven said he would give it to you.

Taking a deep breath, his blue-eyes lit up with determination before he whispered, "Please, Andy, I don't want you to leave but you can't stay here. Please."

He didn't continue but both of them could hear the pleas he left unspoken.

Please, trust me.

Please, give yourself a chance to live.

Andromeda blinked, thinking about it a little more before she sighed softly, giving up. As gentle as possible, she grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers before pulling him close. Bending down so she could place a kiss to his cheek, Ron allowed a shuddering sigh to leave his lips, biting his tongue again to keep himself from breaking down crying again.

"I love you, Ron," Andromeda whispered, eyes soft and so very trusting. There was a small tilt of her lips that looked closer to a grimace but it was the closest she could come to a smile at the moment ( At the moment, he reminded himself, just for the moment. She would learn to smile like before again).

"I –" The red-haired wizard struggled for a moment, relief washing over him with a unwanted mix of longing and regret. He quickly shoved the latter two emotions aside, knowing that if he focused on them, he would probably give up on the plan just so he could keep Andromeda by his side. So, tightening his hold over the handle of his cane, Ron swallowed a sob and he continued, "I love you too."

Then, still looking into his eyes, his sister let his hand go, falling back and disappearing into shadows.

Hope you liked it and please, don't forget to:

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– Cissnei.