For A Candy Cane A Day on the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry Forum.
H.M.S. Tainted Blood
— Bellatrix and Hermione —
Andromeda inspects Hermione's arm with great care. Her fingers run gently over the marks carved into the girl's skin. Somehow, there's still a part of Andromeda that can't imagine her older sister committing such an act. Or at the very least, there's a part of her that doesn't want to believe it. She sighs and gives Hermione a sympathetic smile.
She closes her eyes and focuses on pushing her magic towards the wound. She can feel the warmth of it pulsing through her hands. But when she opens her eyes, the words are still there.
"It's all right," Hermione says, failing to hide the disappointment in her tone. "I didn't really think it would work. Family magic is strong, of course, but some dark magic can't be reversed."
"I'm sorry."
Andromeda can't resist trying one more time. She cradles Hermione's arm in her hands and draws on her magic. This time, she forces her eyes open, keeping eye contact with the wound. But once again, when the amber glow disappears, the scars are still there.
"You can stop," Hermione says.
Suddenly, Andromeda catches sight of something that makes her grip tighten. Ignoring yelps, she brings the foreman close to her and inspects it closely.
"Andromeda!" Hermione yanks her arm away. She looks at the older woman with tears in her eyes. "That hurt."
But Andromeda can't find the words to respond. She's too busy staring at Hermione's arm. This time, she isn't looking at the word. She's looking at a large purple mark that is obscured by the first stroke of the 'M'. She blinks, wondering if she's imagined it.
"What?"
Andromeda's gaze snaps back up to Hermione. "Have you always had that mark?"
"Yes." Hermione looks at her curiously. "It's a birthmark, that's all."
It could be true. It could be nothing but a harmless mark. Or it could be something else—a mark born of an ancient magic. A mark that, Andromeda thinks faintly, looks remarkably like one she'd once seen on her elder sister.