Andromeda had hoped Ted would be done with detention before she left at midnight, but perhaps it was best he was not. Now she didn't have to lie to him about where she was going. It worked out that she was on patrol tonight as well. Ambrose, her fellow patroller, was known for sneaking off to snog his girlfriend of the week, so he wouldn't be there either.

Even so, she made sure to be absolutely silent as she entered the tower and made her way over to the fire. She was early of course, so she had time to think about everything that could go wrong if either of them were caught. It wasn't a pretty picture.

"Andromeda?" Even though she'd been expecting Rabastan's voice, she still jumped a little at the sound of it. His face had appeared in the flame while she'd been lost in thought.

"Rabastan," she said, smiling slightly, though the smile slipped off her face as she got a better look at him. Even through the fire she could tell he looked haggard. The shadows on his skin had become more pronounced, and his eyes looked like more sunken pits that the sparkling pools she remembered.

"Are you alright?" she asked, his voice bridled with concern.

His face lightened slightly at her question, and his lips parted like he was going to answer it. Before he could the shadows returned, and instead he said, "This doesn't concern me. It concerns your sister."

Andromeda's own face darkened. She didn't want to talk about Bella, but it seemed she had no choice. "Is Bella…. Is Bellatrix planning something?"

Rabastan shook his head. "Not Bellatrix. Narcissa."

Andromeda blinked. She knew that Bellatrix and Rabastan served the same master, but Narcissa had nothing to do with that. She couldn't.

"What about her?" Andromeda asked, her voice quivering.

"Her activities at Hogwarts are attracting attention…. From him."

That last word sent a shiver down her spine. Rabastan hadn't even called him by name, yet the mere thought of him made Andromeda want to shrivel away. And the thought that he knew of her sister… she couldn't bare yet. And yet, she had too, because who else could?

"How does he even know of her?" she asked, hoping that gap in logic would somehow make this problem go away.

"He pays attention to what goes on at Hogwarts," Rabastan said. "He wants younger Witches and Wizards. He says they're more committed, though what he really means is they're more malleable." He looked away after that sentence, though Andromeda could imagine the shame and guilt on his face. She would have tried to comfort him, but she couldn't think of anything but Narcissa.

"He also pays attention to certain bloodlines. Siblings, and her connection to Bellatrix means she's been on his radar for a while."

Andromeda closed her eyes, giving herself a brief reprieve from Rabastan's words, but she couldn't run from this forever.

"Has she… has he ever… contacted her?" Andromeda could barely get the words out she was so terrified of the answer.

Rabastan shook his head. "He wants Lucius to. He knows they're… together. Lucius is resisting, as was Bella, at first. But now that she's caved… it's only matter of time before the Dark Lord gets what he wants."

Andromeda shook her head. "He can't want her, she's not…" she was going to say like them, but Rabastan hadn't been like them either, and that hadn't saved him.

"I know," Rabastan sighed, "But with the number of attacks she's initiated this year… her actions tell a different story."

He was right, even if she was terrified to admit it. Before she knew it her mind was clouded with a vision, of Narcissa bearing down on Ted again, but this time garbed in a black cloak, surrounded by others. As she approached Ted she raised her wand… there was a flash of green light… and then—

Andromeda forced the vision away, but it was too late to erase the image now burned in her mind. She'd already lost Rabastan to Lord Voldemort, and now she might lose her sister. Tears began streaming down her face, but for once she didn't try to stop them. What was the point?

"Meda," Rabastan said, "It's not too late. The Dark Lord dare not recruit anyone still at Hogwarts, not now, with Dumbledore on high alert. He won't approach her until the summer, and he won't add to his ranks until she's left Hogwarts for good. Which means you have time, time to change his mind. To convince him Narcissa doesn't belong with his followers."

"How?" Andromeda asked raspily.

"By convincing Narcissa to stop these attacks. Convince her it's unseemly. Beneath her. Something."

Andromeda stared at him for a moment. The vision of Narcissa murdering Ted was fading, except there was still one problem.

"Narcissa won't speak with me. She won't even look at me."

"But she still loves you," Rabastan said quietly, but fervently. "You have to find a way to get through to her. You're the only one that can."

That might be true. No one else could save her sister, but Andromeda wasn't convinced she could either. But she had to try. She owed her sister that much.

She glanced up at Rabastan. She owed him too, for warning her about the danger. She couldn't imagine the risk he was undertaking, telling her this. It was proof though, that underneath all the darkness and pain, the Rabastan she had loved remained.

Without thinking about it, she reached out like she was going to stroke his face. Even though he was only smoke, he closed his eyes as her hand reached him, like he could feel her touch. She wanted to say something, to tell him the truth she had just discovered, but before she could the sound of footsteps reached her ears.

"Someone's coming," she said, pulling her away. She wished she hadn't though, as the brief calm that had entered his features disappeared.

Rabastan didn't say anything, just started to fade away. Watching him disappear ripped at her heart, and she cried out, "Promise me, Promise me I'll see you again."

He stopped fading, and she thought she saw the flicker of a smile on his lips, "I promise," he said. And then he was gone.

Andromeda barely had time to breathe out in relief before a voice behind her said, "Andromeda? Who are you talking too?"

She'd expected Ambrose's voice, as he was her fellow patroller, but instead she heard the voice of the 5th year Prefect.

"Barty?" she said, her head flipping around to confirm. It was Barty, dressed in his prefect robes. "What are you doing here? Where's Ambrose?"

Barty shrugged. "He asked me come replace him. Something about have something else to do. Or someone." He grinned a little at his own lewd joke, but Andromeda didn't respond. He'd asked her earlier who she'd been talking too. Had he heard Rabastan? Or even seen him? Barty had made it clear his allegiance lay with the Ministry and his father, but he was still in Slytherin. If he let the wrong thing slip to the wrong person… Rabastan had made it clear Lord Voldemort had ears at Hogwarts. She imagined he wouldn't take kindly to one of his followers communing with a known blood traitor.

But perhaps, with her follow-up question, he'd forget, or decide it wasn't that important. But as he sauntered forward and peered into the fireplace behind her, she didn't get her hopes up. "Who could you possibly be talking to at this hour?" he asked again. He didn't sound accusatory, merely curious, but it didn't matter. Her mind whirled. She couldn't tell him about Rabastan, but she had to tell him something.

"My uncle," she said finally, "Alphard. He works at the Ministry. I was hoping… hoping he could give me some insight into the Death Eater situation." After a moment, she added, "Lily asked me too."

There, that was a fairly believable lie, wasn't it? Unless he decided to ask Lily, but that seemed excessive for mere curiosity.

But he didn't press it, instead he sighed. "I've been asking my father the same thing, but he never knows anything useful. Did your uncle have anything to say?"

Andromeda shook her head. When Barty looked away, she let out another sigh of relief.

"My father keeps telling me not to worry. Hogwarts is safe. But it's not me I'm worried about. My father is taking an active stance against these Death Eaters. What if that makes him a target? Or my mother?" He took a seat next to her and buried his face in his hands.

Andromeda supposed she should count herself lucky her own family wouldn't be targets, but she had others she worried about. Ted, Lorie, Teresa, even Lily. They were safe inside Hogwarts for now, but they would be graduating in a few months, and then what?

She didn't have answers, but she placed a hand on Barty's shoulder. "Have you told him on your concerns for him?"

Barty shrugged. "He doesn't care what I have to say."

She sighed. "I know the feeling. My father, well, I'm not sure he ever really cared about me."

Barty glanced up at her, and she was shocked by the intensity of his gaze. It was like he was searching her soul. Finally, a smile broke through, and he said, "Their loss, right?"

She smiled as well. "Their loss."

They remained in comfortable silence for a moment, before he glanced at his shoulder. Andromeda hadn't realized she'd left her hand there. She removed it, blushing, but that only made Barty's smile more pronounced. Then he stood up.

"We should return to our posts. There are muggleborns to save and budding Death Eater's to put down."

She chuckled as she followed him out, but as soon as he back was to her a shadow passed over face. Budding Death Eaters like Narcissa, unless she found a way to stop it.