To Ted, Christmas holiday couldn't come fast enough. As much as he loved Hogwarts, he was desperate to be back home where everything wasn't doom and gloom and dark wizards threatening to burn the world down. It would also be nice to not be the center of attention anymore. He was so over all the glares and hisses he got from the Slytherins and all the ogling he got from the others.

There was just one thing he needed before school ended for the year, and he still hadn't gotten an answer. He'd sent a letter to his mother a month ago asking if Andromeda could stay with them over the holiday. The train left tomorrow, and he still hadn't heard anything. He was surprised. He'd known things between Meda and his mother had been tense, but he'd thought they'd parted on a pretty good note. Maybe she was just overwhelmed with everything she'd been hearing on the muggle news.

Then, finally, the evening before they were supposed to leave, one of the school owls finally dropped a letter in his lap. He tore into it with such rigor, Jake glanced over at him in alarm.

"You all right there?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, what that letter do to you?" Lorie added, but Ted ignored them as he pulled out his mother's letter and scanned through it. As soon as he read enough to realize his mother was saying yes, he practically collapsed in relief.

"She said yes?" Liv asked. "She's letting Andromeda come?"

Ted nodded, grinning too much to form actual words.

"Wow," Liv said, "That's good." Ted made a face at her and she made one right back. "What? I said it was good." Ted continued to make a face at her, and again she relented. "It's just. You already spend all your time together. A little break wouldn't be the worst thing."

"We've already spent enough time apart," Ted said, before adding. "What about you? You going to see Sirius at all over the holiday?"

Liv blushed, and Ted's grin slipped back into place. He'd just been kidding, but it looked like he'd struck gold.

"And after all the grief you just gave me," Ted said, savoring the moment.

"We're just going to meet up in London for a bit," Liv said. She'd managed to regain her usual cool charisma, but her blush hadn't quite faded.

"We should all meet up!" Lorie said, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Right, because that worked out so well last time," Liv said.

Lorie's lips pouted slightly. "We can't stop living just because some people…"

"Want to make sure you stop living?" Liv finished.

Her words left an odd chill in the air, before Lorie smiled and said, "Exactly."

And with that, they were all smiling again.

"I've got to find Meda," Ted said as he swung around off the bench and stood up. "But we'll be meeting you in London, and I'm going to have Andromeda tell Sirius about it, so you can't back out," he said to Liv. She tried to give him a scathing look, but her smile from earlier hadn't quite faded.

Andromeda had told him previously she'd be skipping dinner to study. With everything Lily had been asking of them, they'd been getting behind in their homework. While this didn't bother Ted, Andromeda refused to let her grades suffer. Still, he couldn't wait to tell her the news.

He found her in the far corner of the library, her favorite quill in her mouth as she mulled over complicated transfiguration theorems.

"Andromeda!" he said loudly, momentarily forgetting where he was, though the glare from the librarian reminded him. He gave Andromeda a sheepish grin as he made his way over her, but to his surprise she didn't look mad.

"Ted," she whispered. "have you come to study?"

"The day before holiday? Of course not," he said, though at least he remembered to whisper. "No, I came to tell you . . . to invite you to stay with me over Christmas." Her eyes widened, but when she didn't say anything he pressed on. "Not the whole holiday, if you don't want, but definitely the Christmas part of it." When she still didn't say anything he continued, "Also Lorie wants us to meet up in…" He didn't get to tell Andromeda that part, as she suddenly threw her arms around him.

"I guess that's a yes?" he said.

"It's a yes," she said, then before he could say anything else. She moved from hugging him to snogging him. Once again it was deeper than he expected, but he didn't complain, he just gave in.

"Mmhmm," The librarian cleared her throat loudly behind them. Flushed, Ted and Andromeda sprang apart, before giving the librarian apologetic smiles.

Once she left Andromeda said, "I need to send a letter to my uncle, but I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall tomorrow. She gave him another ecstatic hug, then gathered up her things and sprinted away.

Ted watched her go, his grin slowly fading. He hadn't told her what the rest of his mother's letter said. He hadn't told his friends either. She'd find out soon enough. No need to worry her now.

******************************************************************************8

Andromeda composed her letter as she walked, so by the time she reached the owlery, she'd already finished it. And her handwriting was mostly legible. Her owl, Iris, was already waiting for her. Andromeda provided her with a snack and few scratches before sending her on her way.

Her Uncle had informed her a while ago that he always worked the Christmas Holiday. It kept him from missing the family too much. Something she could relate too. This would be the first Christmas since she could remember she wouldn't be attending the Black Christmas Party. While she'd never much enjoyed those parties, especially once Sirius started refusing to attend, it still felt strange. Realizing she wouldn't be able to make faces at Narcissa across the table when no one was looking, or hide all the extra sweets and cookies the house elves used to give her, or laugh at the expression Bella made every time some man tried to court her, left her with an odd hollowness.

But the thought of spending Christmas with Ted . . . well, considering they'd been split up after last Christmas holiday, there was no where else she wanted to be.

Sighing, she gazed on the window, enjoying the winter night. It was a full moon, but despite all the dangerous things a full moon brought, tonight she found out it absolutely beautiful.

Then she blinked, realizing something moved through the night sky. It was an owl. It was rather late for an owl to be arriving, she wondered who it could be fore. To her surprise, the owl came straight for the owlery, and then straight for her. It dropped a letter in her hands before finding a perch to rest on for the night.

Andromeda stared at the letter in confusion, but there was something familiar about the owl, that made her wonder. She opened it, and gasped when she recognized Rabastan's flowy handwriting. His letter read:

I know what I said last time we spoke, but I meant it when I said I missed you. Besides, I can't see the harm in a few words exchanged between friends every

I've been thinking a lot about what you said. I don't know if I believe it, but it means a lot that you would say it. I hope you know whatever happens, I don't wish you any harm or grief, and I'll do whatever I can to spare you from both.

Her breath caught a little at that statement. He hadn't said as much, but he'd more or less promised her he'd try to keep her and Ted safe. While the thought filled her with warmth, she had no idea what he could really do to achieve it.

She read on:

I have to be honest with you, I've picked up one of your bad habits. One that's particularly dangerous given my new associates. But it made me think of you and I couldn't resist. Have you ever read the book Lady Chatterley's Lover? It's about an upper-class woman who has an affair with a lower-class man. I hope you are not offended when I say this made me think of you. I thought, perhaps, that it might help me understand you more. I quickly found out you are nothing like Lady Chatterley. Turns out this book is quite scandalous, even by muggle standards. But there were some passages I thought might help you deal with your… situation. I have included them for you.

I don't know when we'll be able to communicate, but I'll find a way. I've come to realize I need you in my life. I hope you'll make a place for me.

Yours,

R

Andromeda read the letter again. She could hear Rabastan's voice in her head as read it. His soft, soothing voice as he made her promises. Unlike her, he actually kept his promises. She didn't know how to make a place for him in her life, but she would try. She owed him that much. She carefully tucked his letter into her robe and then reached for the pages underneath.

She read through the prose, and immediately turned beet-red. She'd known muggle fiction could be risqué, but she'd never read anything like this. And yet, she was transfixed. The words, however crude they appeared at first, carried with them also a sense of intimacy and sensuality more intense than any she'd ever read. She felt the characters' own sensations filling her body. This was what it was those sensations were supposed to feel like. And she'd had moments like this with Ted, but she wanted more. She wanted…

"Interesting read?"

Andromeda screeched and almost shredded the pages. She'd become so intent on the prose, she hadn't realized someone else had entered the owlery. Once again she'd found herself trapped, though not by Rita Skeeter. By her cousin, Regulus.

Her skin flushed deep-red. She felt as if she been caught in a rather compromising situation, even though Regulus couldn't know what she'd been reading, or where her thoughts had been. Though something is his knowing smirk made her wonder. She hastily stuffed the pages into her robe and then asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, isn't a little late to be sending letters?"

"I, well . . ." she dared not tell him about Rabastan, but she'd also rather not tell him about her letter to Alphard. She'd rather her family not know where she was over the holiday, especially consider Bellatrix's new extracurricular activities. "I was just…" she gestured to the window, "enjoying the view."

"I've heard the view from the astronomy tower is superior, if you are really intent on stargazing."

Andromeda blushed again. Regulus had always been like this. He didn't speak much, but whatever he said cut right through to the point. Best she remove herself from this situation before she said something truly incriminating.

"I suppose I should try that," she said, "Good Night, and uh… Merry Christmas."

Regulus raised an eyebrow. They'd never been close, and she'd probably never wished him Merry Christmas before, but he was one of only three family members with whom she was still on speaking terms, so she didn't feel the need to be overly cold.

Her goodbyes in order, she started to leave, but she had just brushed passed him when he said, "You can trust Barty."

She paused, glancing back in confusion. She'd thought their conversation over, and if not, this was the last topic she expected.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Don't play coy, Andromeda. It doesn't suit you," he said. Despite his usual arrogant smirk his eyes were cold. "Barty Crouch is not your friend."

For some reason his words sent a chill through her. She'd only just started considering Barty a friend, and he was one of the few she had.

"Why are telling me this? Isn't he your friend?" It seemed a strange thing to say about a supposed friend.

"He is," Regulus said simply, "which is how I know."

Andromeda shook her head. This whole conversation didn't make sense. "What makes you say he isn't trustworthy?"

"Barty doesn't care about muggleborns. He only cares about power. And people like that, well," he chuckled darkly, "they don't have much use for friends. Only pawns."

Andromeda's eyes narrowed. "Why are you telling me this?"

Regulus considered her question for a moment. "The world needs to have a certain balance. There are people out there who want to upset that balance, and that will leave us all in chaos."

Andromeda blinked. If she thought this conversation didn't make sense before, it was nothing to how she felt now. Regulus had started speaking in tongues. "What?"

But Regulus on smiled and inclined his head. "Goodnight, Andromeda," he turned to go, then glanced back at her with a glint in his eye, "and Merry Christmas."

Andromeda watched him go. She had no idea what to make of his words. Her first instinct was to toss them out, if not because she wanted Barty as ally, and a friend. She needed someone else who was like her. Yet Regulus knew Barty better than she did. But could she trust Regulus? He may have been kinder to her than the other Slytherins, but he was still a Black. They always had their own agenda.

Sighing, she pushed the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about Regulus or Barty right now. She didn't even want to think of Rabastan. All she wanted to think about was her and Ted, Christmas Holiday, and what she'd felt reading about Lady Chatterley's intimate affairs.