Andromeda was used to sneaking out, but this time felt different. Maybe because for once she wasn't sneaking out to meet Ted. She prayed he never found out she was sneaking out at all. Technically, she wasn't even sneaking, as it was her night to be on patrol, but she was sneaking away from her duties, that was for sure.

Ambrose hadn't mind splitting up. After a few comments about Andromeda' stench, he'd wanted to be as far away from her as possible. She'd made sure to steer him away from patrolling anything near the Prefect's lounge, but she was still nervous as she made her way over there. If anyone found out who she was meeting tonight, she would be in a world of hurt.

But she had to see him, even though she was terrified of what she might find.

She reached the lounge with a few minutes to spare, and immediately made her way over to the fire. Her heart pounded rapidly, and her thoughts were going a million miles a minute. Rabastan may have been the one to call this meeting, but she had so many questions. What had he known about the attack? Had he been involved? Why had he warned her? And why was he risking talking to her now?

She hadn't thought about the implications of telling Lily and James and Gideon, she'd just wanted to do something, rather than have all that guilt of her conscious. But what if word somehow got out that Rabastan had warned her? What would happen to him? She couldn't deal with that on her conscious either.

"Andromeda?"

She almost called out, but thankfully she didn't as Rabastan's head appeared in the fire. And the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself.

"Rabastan," she breathed, before realizing that was obvious. The problem was, she didn't know what else to say.

"How are you?" she finally asked.

Even in the fire projection, she could see a dark shadow cross over his face as he grunted, "Been better."

Her head dropped and her lip trembled. She must have been right. Her actions had made things worse for him. "Rabastan, I'm sorry."

Her words hung in the air, before Rabastan asked, "You're the one apologizing to me?"

She glanced back up. The truth hung between them. The truth neither of them dared speak out loud.

But Andromeda was already drowning in secrets, and she just couldn't take anymore. "You're one of them, aren't you?" she whispered, "A Death Eater?"

Rabastan flinched, like the name itself was too much to bare. His voice trembled as he said, "Andromeda, please—

"I won't tell anyone," she said. "I can't, as that would betray my promise." She looked deep into his eyes, and despite his fear he didn't look away. "But I have to know."

The dark look that crossed over his face was answer enough. His voice was barely a whisper as he said, "I didn't have a choice."

"Rodolphus," Andromeda said, "he made you do it."

"Someone else made Rodolphus bring me in," Rabastan said coldly, "Someone you don't say no too."

If Rabastan couldn't handle being called a Death Eater by Andromeda, she doubted he could handle hearing her say the name of his master. Though truth be told, she couldn't handle saying his name either. It made her skin prickle with dread.

"Rabastan, you can't," she said, her voice breaking. "You have to get out."

"There's no getting out," he said, chuckling darkly, though his voice was devoid of humor. "Not alive anyway."

Andromeda's heart stopped pounding. It just stopped. She thought back to the man she'd been engaged too. The one who'd been so sweet and gentle. The one who'd helped her bring Narcissa and Lucius together. Who'd bought her books for her birthday. Would forgiven wer wholeheartedly no matter how many times she'd ripped his heart out. Then she thought of people in the black cloaks and grotesque masks. The one's that threatened to burn their world down, who tortured, who killed. Rabastan was one of them. Rabastan was a Death Eater.

Tears sprang into her eyes, but she didn't try to stop them. She couldn't. She couldn't think beyond those words.

"Are those tears for me?" Rabastan asked, a weak smile on his lips.

Andromeda wiped her tears away. She should leave. She should tell Rabastan to stay as far away from her as possible. But instead she asked, "Do they know? Do they know you told me?"

He hesitated, then said, "No. Because if they did, I'd already be …" He didn't finish that sentence, thankfully.

Andromeda wiped away her tears again. For some reason they'd stopped coming. Maybe it was Rabastan's smile that made her think he wasn't gone. Not entirely. Not yet.

"Why did you tell me?" she asked.

"Rodolphus has it out for you. I knew if you were there, he might… and I couldn't let anything happen to you. I still can't. I didn't think you were going to try to play hero." He followed that statement with another dark chuckle.

Andromeda looked down again. "I just, I couldn't sit back. Not anymore."

"I'm not mad, Andromeda," he said, that small faint smile on his lips. "But you realize you can't do it again? They'll figure it out if you do."

Andromeda's eyes widened. "Does that mean their planning something else?"

Rabastan hesitated, and this time he didn't quite meet her eyes as he said, "I don't know."

"Rabastan," she said, her voice breaking again.

"Andromeda, please," he said, his voice breaking too, "don't ask me."

It was funny, because she'd said the same thing to Ted, when his questions bordered on making her break her unbreakable vow. Had Rabastan made one of those too? It wouldn't surprise her. This Lord Voldemort couldn't have all his secrets getting out because one of his followers got cold feet.

"Why did you want to meet me?" she asked instead.

"To tell you that. Mostly."

Another silence followed his words. If that was all he'd come here to say, then they had nothing else to say to each other. And yet, she wasn't ready for this conversation to be over.

"How's Ted?" he asked. Apparently, he wasn't either, especially if he was willing to bring up his least favorite subject.

"He's umm…, he's fine, I guess." Andromeda thought back to their stiff conversation earlier, but she couldn't tell Rabastan that, especially when she still wasn't sure what it was.

"So you guys haven't…" he didn't finish that sentence either.

Andromeda shook her head. "No, we've been a little busy, dealing with the aftermath of everything."

She didn't specify what aftermath, but Rabastan could guess. "You know that's dangerous," he said. "Fighting back."

"We're not really fighting, so much as inspiring."

Rabastan made a face, and Andromeda sighed. Here went nothing.

"Lily Evans," she said. "Do you know her/"

"She hexed me last week," Rabastan said, his voice carrying hints of sarcasm, "so yes, I know her."

Andromeda fought of a smirk. It wasn't appropriate in this situation. "She's got this weird thing where she parades me and Ted around and tells everyone if we can stand up to pureblood extremists, they can too."

Rabastan's eyes slowly widened, and then her burst into laughter.

"It's not funny," Andromeda said, blushing.

"it is, a little," he said as he laughter died down, then his voice took on a more serious edge. "it's also dangerous."

Andromeda sighed. "I can't sit back and do nothing. If I do, there is no me and Ted."

Their conversation was hit with a third bout of silence. Somehow, it had never really occurred to them the situation they were in. Andromeda was fighting to save the very thing Rabastan was trying to destroy. They'd ended up on opposite sides of this war, and there was no way either of them could back down. Once again, Andromeda found herself yearning for a relationship she could never have.

"I miss you," Rabastan said finally, "Sometimes I think you're the only person in my life who really knows me."

"I know the feeling," Andromeda said, surprised that she meant that. Ted knew her, mostly, but he didn't really understand what it was like to grow up the way they did. Sirius knew her, and he understood. But Sirius didn't know what it was like to miss what she'd left behind.

"I should let you go," Rabastan said finally, sighing.

And Andromeda should let him go, but she found herself asking, "Will I see you again?"

Rabstan paused, his eyes widening. Something like light flickered in his eyes, and then it disappeared.

"I don't know. It's risky."

Andromeda nodded. Rabastan started to fade before she said suddenly, "Rabastan?"

He paused. The light flickering at the back on his eyes again.

"You're not like them," she said. "Please, whatever happens, don't forget that."

Even through the smoke and the flame, she could see the tears spring into his eyes. "Goodbye, Andromeda," he said, his voice breaking again.

And then he was gone.

Andromeda stared at the place where he'd been moments before. His goodbye sounded so final. And she understood it. They couldn't be friends. They couldn't even be acquaintances, not when her world wanted him behind bars. And not when his wanted her and those she loved dead.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of Rabastan as the enemy. And she couldn't erase the pain in his voice from her mind either. Whatever decisions he'd made, whatever he'd done. He didn't ask for this. He wasn't a monster. At least, not yet.

The problem was, she had no idea how to save him from that path, not without risking everything she loved.