A/N: Thank you to all the lovely people who have left reviews. It really means a lot to know I'm not updating this story into the void XD

Nobody got much sleep that night. By the time the dancing had come to an end, and the teachers were swooping through the crowds of students casting sobering spells on all those who had indulged in the spiked punch, there were only a few hours left before we would be catching the train for Hogsmeade. I had already decided that I would sleep on the Hogwarts' Express, but when I finally made it back to my room, stumbling slightly from exhaustion, my bed suddenly looked more attractive than it had all term.

"I'll just have a quick nap," I mumbled to nobody in particular. Phylissa and Helena were both already asleep, the hangings on their beds shut tight, and Annabelle's bed was empty. I lay down and closed my eyes, intending to doze for a few minutes before getting up and packing.

After what seemed like less than three seconds I was being shaken abruptly awake, and somebody was yelling at me, "For Merlin's sake get up Andy! You're going to miss the train!"

My eyes sprang open and I jerked to a sitting position, ignoring the throb in my head. I stared around wildly, noting the empty beds of Phylissa and Helena, and the already packed trunk of Annabelle resting beside the door.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"Time to go," said Annabelle. "I've been trying to wake you up for ages! Hurry up!"

With a groan I clambered out of bed, waving my wand haphazardly and causing my things to fly in all manner of chaos into my open trunk. There were several loud thumps and I winced as I heard the sound of breaking glass. "Whoops." I pointed my wand at the closet and muttered a spell that sent all my clothes soaring into the trunk, wishing I had a house elf there to help me. I had never been able to fold my clothes properly.

I was still dressed in my gown from the night before, but there was no time to change.

Shrugging my school robes over the top of my dress, I swung my trunk shut, cast a quick glance over my room to ensure I wasn't leaving anything behind, and followed Annabelle out into the common room. It was deserted.

"Come on," she huffed, levitating her trunk so that it hovered in front of her. "We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago."

Together we raced up the dungeon stairs and into the entrance hall, where a few late comers were rushing past with similar harried looks on their faces. Clearly we were not the only people to have overslept. I saw Marlene, looking distinctly ruffled, rushing past us with her trunk flying behind her, a ginger cat clutched in one arm.

"Hurry up!" barked Filch from his position at the main entrance, where he stood with a clipboard and quill, marking off students' names as they whizzed passed. "Or you'll be left behind."

We flew down the steps and out onto the ground, joining the tail of stragglers as we all raced towards Hogsmeade. Everyone was levitating their trunks, so that it looked like a disjointed wooden cloud was following us as we ran. Once we rounded the bend I could see the Hogwarts' Express, its steam billowing into the frosty morning sky, and hear the whistle announcing imminent departure.

By the time we had reached the train the wheels were already starting to move. The round-faced conductor opened a door for us, bustling us inside with a shake of his head.

"Cuttin' it a bit fine, aren't yeh?" he said.

We didn't have time to answer, for no sooner had we been whisked onto the train than the door was slammed behind us and the train lurched into motion, picking up speed so quickly my already queasy stomach gave an unpleasant roll.

"Come on," moaned Annabelle, not looking very well herself. I noticed that she, like me, still had her dress on under her school robes, and wondered if she had got any sleep at all last night. "Let's find the others."

We dragged our trunks up the corridor until we reached the Slytherin section of the train. I spotted my sisters, the contrast of Narcissa's blonde and Bellatrix's dark head catching my eye at once. Staring at them through the glass pane, I experienced a strong, unexpected urge to keep walking, straight past them and into another compartment somewhere else.

"Are you coming?" asked Annabelle.

I blinked. What was wrong with me? These were my sisters. How could I not want to sit with them on the train? And where in Merlin's name would I rather be? "Of course," I said, yanking my trunk after me and sliding open the compartment door.

It was the usual company: Bella and Rodolphus, Cissy and Lucius; Rabastan and Helena, Phylissa and Thorfinn. I gave them all a tight smile as I sat down.

"You look terrible," remarked Helena, giving me a disdainful once over. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

I ignored her, squeezing myself in between Bella and Cissy. I was so tired I felt as though I could simply close my eyes and sleep the entire train ride to London.

"Looks like you had fun last night," said Bella, stroking my hair rather affectionately. Her voice was quieter than normal, and judging from her expression she appeared to be in a relatively passive mood. Perhaps all that conferencing last night had tired her out.

"It was alright," I said, giving in to temptation and leaning my head against her shoulder. "Pretty tired, though…"

She chuckled. "I hope you haven't worn yourself out too much. There's still my seventeenth to look forward to, remember?"

I hadn't forgotten. "Don't worry, I promise I'll be awake for it," I said, and she laughed, a deep, rich sound.

She was acting so calmly I found myself relaxing enough to ask, "So how about you? I don't think I saw you once last night."

Her posture remained at ease, and her voice was light as she answered, "Oh, I was around. Don't worry about me, ma Chérie."

"Andy went looking for you," Helena cut in, leaning forward a little to speak to Bella. "She wanted to know where you were."

I glared at her and opened my mouth to respond, but my sister cut me off. Her voice was calm and sweet, but underneath was a dangerous lilt that set the whole compartment on edge. "Helena Flint," she began in an almost sing-song manner, and Helena's eyes widened in alarm at the menacing tone. "Your voice is aggravating my ears. Kindly stop speaking in my presence."

There was a thick silence. Everybody was looking at Helena, who had gone very red; she lowered her eyes and stammered, "Y-yes Bella, I'm sorry."

The compartment door slid open, and Leo entered. Despite having had as little sleep as me, he appeared unruffled. He caught my eye and said with the ghost of a smile, "I organised for us to do Prefect rounds later. Thought you might want some time to recover."

"Thanks," I said, not moving from my position against Bella.

"No worries." He looked around for a place to sit, but there was nowhere spare. The compartment was full.

I knew what was going to happen a moment before Bella spoke. "Somebody will have to give up their seat for Andy's boyfriend," she spoke in a tone that left no room for arguing. "Helena, why don't you go sit somewhere else." It was a command, not a suggestion.

Helena's cheeks were almost crimson. But Slytherin hierarchy dictated that if Bellatrix Black told you to move compartments, that was exactly what you had to do, and I knew Helena wasn't about to challenge my sister. She nodded demurely and got to her feet, dragging Phylissa up with her. My cousin looked rather reluctant to go, but after a moment's hesitation she followed Helena out of the compartment. The door shut behind them and Leo took the vacant seat.

"So, what's everyone's plans for the holidays?" asked Rabastan, breaking the tense silence. "Besides Bella's ball, of course," he added with a tip of his head in my sister's direction.

I closed my eyes and allowed the conversation to drift away from me. Perhaps I should have said something to Bella about her treatment of Helena, but I was too tired to bother upsetting the mood and besides, as far as I was concerned Helena had it coming. I sighed and let the gentle motion of the train and the murmur of voices lull me into sleep.

We were whisked away from Platform 9 and almost before any of us had had time to collect our luggage and wave goodbye to our friends. I didn't think the house elves could have grabbed us any faster, but that didn't stop our mother's frown of disapproval when we arrived in the parlour of our manor.

"You're late," she said crisply, giving the three of us a critical appraisal and crinkling her nose when she came to me. "Andromeda, why do you look as though you just got out of bed? Please don't tell me you were out in public in such a state?"

I fidgeted. I had changed out of the fancy green dress and into more comfortable clothes, but there hadn't been much I could do on the train about my bleary eyes and tousled hair, and a long sleep on Bella's shoulder had probably not improved matters.

"Andy's been a little ill," said Narcissa smoothly when I failed to answer.

My mother frowned, but at least this was an explanation she could not exactly blame on me. "I see. I'll have the house elves prepare you some medicine. Do try and take better care of yourself, Andromeda."

I shot my little sister a grateful look, and she shrugged. Looking out for one another was automatic, and I knew I would have done the same for Cissy. Not that she would ever have look that dishevelled.

"Where's father?" asked Bella.

"Out," said mother in a distracted tone of voice. She had conjured a scroll of parchment and waved it in the direction of our house elf Roly. "I want these things picked up from Madam Primpernelle's," she ordered the elf. "And then you are to go to Twilfitt and Tatting's and tell them I shall be bringing my daughters for a fitting tomorrow morning, and I expect them to be ready for us."

"Yes ma'am," said Roly, bowing low before Apparating with a crack.

"Why are we going to Twilfitt and Tatting's?" I asked curiously.

Mother paid no attention to my question. She had moved past us and was examining our luggage with the air of a quality inspector searching for defects among her goods.

"For my ball, silly," whispered Bella. "Don't you remember?"

But my attention was distracted; Mother had just reached my trunk. She opened it with a flick of her wand, and I saw her expression harden as she surveyed the jumble of contents inside.

My mother did not get angry. Such emotion was not proper for a highly respectable pureblood lady, and I did not think I had ever seen her lose control. But that didn't mean she could not make me feel utterly worthless when she wanted to. Now, her blue gaze fixed on me with icy coldness and I felt myself shrink beneath it.

"Andromeda," she began softly. "Do you think this is acceptable?"

I shook my head, dropping my gaze to the floor. I heard Bella open her mouth and nudged her subtly in the ribs. There was no point in both of us getting into trouble. "I'm sorry ma'am," I said in a steady voice. "I overslept this morning and – "

"I am not interested in your excuses," my mother cut me off without raising her voice. "This behaviour is not what your father and I expect of a woman of this family. You will go to your room and spend some time considering what it means to be a member of the House of Black, and how you can better reflect the envious pedigree we have bestowed upon you."

I did not argue, but trudged up the stairs towards the wing I shared with Bella and Cissy. It was not really a punishment, as my sisters would no doubt join me soon enough, and all I wanted to do was sleep anyway.

There was a fire lit in my room, and my bed was impeccably made, with a deep green coverlet and silver hangings. Above my bed was the Black family crest, painted in exquisite detail. It had always been there, for as long as I could remember. In fact, I thought, looking around at the elegant but lifeless furniture, and the expensive artwork hung on the walls, nothing in this room had changed in the whole fifteen and a half years I had lived in it. I had not once considered redecorating. There was not a single thing that represented my unique tastes. It was a museum.

Sighing, I sank down heavily on the mattress. In the short walk it had taken me to reach my room the house elves had already deposited my trunk at the foot of my bed and prepared a pot of tea for me on my bedside table. I had to give my mother credit; she was nothing if not efficient.

I closed my eyes but found to my surprise that I could not sleep, despite my exhaustion. Instead I simply lay and listened to the noises of the house around me, the odd creaking in the floorboards above my head, the rattle of windows in the wind, the slam of a door somewhere far away, the near-silent patter of house elves up and down the corridor. My parents' manor was nearly as big as Hogwarts, and yet it was so different, so lifeless, in comparison. Even when we had guests over, which was frequently, it remained silent and forbidding. What it needed, I thought, lazily kicking my shoes off onto the floor and lying back on the coverlet, was a few hundred Hogwarts' students. I tried to imagine a version of the Gryffindor common room located somewhere in the manor, and snorted out loud. It was like trying to picture a centaur eating with us at the dinner table.

A sudden pang of loneliness struck me, and my humour ebbed away. Was it wrong to feel that way about my family home? Certainly, I had never particularly liked the manor – as a child it had been intimidatingly large, and being forbidden to wander too far from our own wing ruined any sense of mystery that might have made it more enjoyable – but never before had I experienced this sharp, acute ache for Hogwarts, as though the manor was not my home at all, but rather somewhere I was staying temporarily until I could return to the castle. Surely I wasn't supposed to miss school? Wasn't that the wrong way round?

I was drifting off despite myself, the strange sounds of the house like a kind of broken, half-forgotten lullaby to my tired brain. My limbs ached with heaviness and the feather pillows felt soft and comforting beneath my head. Still, I was awake enough to hear my door creak open some time later, and the soft footsteps of someone entering my room. Cracking an eye open, I saw the pale blonde head of my youngest sister.

"What is it?" I murmured, my voice thick with drowsiness.

Cissy clambered into bed with me, slipping beneath the covers and blinking at me like an oversized owl. "Did I wake you?" she asked softly.

I shook my head, but my eyes had drifted closed again.

"Bella's gone out," she said. I felt her shift so that she was closer to me, her body tucked into mine, and her long hair tickling my chin. I smiled.

"You tired too, huh?"

There was a pause, before Cissy whispered, so quietly I almost did not catch it, "Lucius kissed me last night."

I reached out and wrapped my arm around her waist, tugging her into my side. "Did you enjoy it?" I asked.

Her head bobbed as she nodded. "Yes."

"That's good," I said. I breathed deep, savouring the moment of peace and closeness with my sister. "That's really good, Cissy."

I was drifting off to sleep again when she spoke once more. "Andy?"

"Hmm?" I asked without opening my eyes.

For a long while she said nothing, and I began to think she had fallen asleep herself. But then she asked in a very small voice, "Nothing will come between us, will it? We'll always be family, won't we?"

"Of course," I said at once, not a single doubt in my heart. "Always."

She snuggled closer, and I finally let my mind drift away.

Cissy and I slept through dinner, and when I awoke again my room was bathed in the deep purple of pre-dawn. My body felt groggy from oversleeping, but beside me Cissy was still fast asleep, so I stayed quiet, staring up at the inky ceiling. The fire had burned low, and the room was rather chilly. I burrowed deeper into the blankets and wondered whether the house elves had checked on us at all. I was sure Cissy would not be beside me if they had.

It was not long before sunlight began to slant through my window, catching the dust motes that hung in the air and turning the dark oak panelling on my wall to a burnished amber. I slid out of bed as quietly as I could and into my bathroom. After a long, hot shower, I felt refreshed and ready for a day of dress shopping with my sisters.

Cissy was sitting up when I returned to the room, rubbing her eyes and looking rather younger than I remembered. It had been a while since I saw my sister before her beauty ritual in the morning; I had almost forgotten she was as human as I was, and just as prone to suffer from bleary eyes and sleep-tousled hair.

"Morning sleepyhead," I grinned. Sitting myself before the vanity mirror, I began to dry my hair with my wand. While we were not technically allowed to use magic outside of school, it was tradition in the old pureblood houses to ensure that their manors were protected from Ministry interference, and I knew I could not be detected. It was just one of the many benefits of growing up in a high-ranking wizarding family.

Narcissa groaned, lifting her hair into a quick ponytail and reaching for the glass of water one of the house elves must have left beside my bed. "Is it morning?" she asked.

"As far as I can tell," I said, crossing to the window and opening the curtains. What had been only a narrow beam of sunlight became a flood of light, and behind me I heard Narcissa hiss in displeasure.

"What are you, a vampire?" I laughed.

"Very funny, Andy."

My hair was almost dry. I always enjoyed it at these moments, since my curls were still soft and tame enough to look as though they had been professionally styled, rather than the wild mess they turned into at the end of the day. Hopefully these would last long enough for my mother's approval.

"I'm going to get ready," Cissy said, slipping out of bed and shuffling toward the door. I saw her freeze halfway there, as though struck by lightning.

"What is it?" I asked.

She turned back to face me, gnawing her lip. "It's nothing," she began. "Just… do you remember, last night… what I told you about Lucius?'

I grinned at the rather painful blush spreading across my sister's cheeks. "You mean that he kissed you?"

Cissy didn't smile. "Yes, that. I just… don't… could you please not tell Bella," she said in a rush.

I blinked. "Why not?"

"You know how overprotective she is," Cissy said. Remembering my older sister's reaction to finding out Leo had kissed me, I was inclined to agree. "She'll make such a big deal out of it, and she'll probably say something to Lucius and – well – I just don't want to put that pressure on him. At least not this early in our relationship."

I thought about this for a while. "All right," I said at last. "I won't tell her. But she's bound to notice eventually. Everyone already thinks of you two as a couple as it is."

"I know," said Cissy, and the first smile of the morning graced her features. "But I want to wait a bit longer. It's always best to take things slow with Bella." She wandered out and left me alone, and I shook my head, amazed at how much my little sister had grown up without my even noticing.

We met Bella down at breakfast. She was in an expansive mood, hugging us both fiercely and piling food onto her plate. Thankfully mother was not there yet or I was sure she would have had something to say about Bella's 'unladylike' appetite.

"I went to visit the Lestranges yesterday," she announced before we had even begun to eat. "With mother. It's all arranged."

"What's arranged?" I asked distractedly, choosing a fresh croissant from the tray in front of me. With my other hand I picked up a butter knife.

"My engagement," said Bella.

The knife clattered from my hand. It hit my plate with a jarring noise, before slipping to the floor and landing with a thud on the carpet. A house elf scurried to pick it up.

I gaped at my sister, sure I had misheard her. "Wh-what?" I asked at last.

"My engagement," she repeated, apparently not concerned by my rather unflattering reaction. "To Rodolphus. It's all arranged, and will be announced at my ball this weekend."

"But…" I glanced at Cissy, but she merely pursed her lips as though to say "Keep me out of this." I swivelled back to Bella. "But…"

"But what?" she said. "Honestly Andy, close your mouth before something decides to go and live in there."

I shut my mouth with a snap. "How can you be engaged to Rodolphus?" I demanded. "You – you haven't even finished school yet!"

Bella rolled her eyes. "There are more important things than school."

"Like what?"

She picked up a bowl of strawberries and tipped half a dozen onto her plate. "Like blood," she answered calmly. "And legacy. And power."

I stared at her. "And marrying Rodolphus gets you these things how, exactly?" My tone was scathing, but she appeared in no mood to rise to the bait.

"Marrying Rodolphus unites our family with the Lestranges," she answered in a matter-of-fact voice. "It ensures the continuation of our line, and the consolidation of our family's influence. It's an important step towards the future."

"Right," I said, so angry I was almost huffing. I didn't know what exactly I was so mad about, but I just knew that something was wrong, very wrong, and nobody else could see it but me. "Right. So you're going to start popping out babies are you?"

Bella curled her upper lip. "Don't be vulgar, Andy. We're getting engaged. We won't be married until the summer."

"Oh okay, and that makes it so much better!"

"I happen to like Rodolphus," Bella responded coolly. She had not raised her voice to match mine, but her eyes were narrowed and I knew my response had annoyed her. "I'm not sure what exactly your problem is."

"My problem? My problem?" I hissed. "Bella, you're not supposed to just like the man you marry! You're supposed to – you're supposed to be in love with him! I can't – you're not old enough to – "

"I'm perfectly old enough, thank you!"

"No you're not!" I shouted. "You're only seventeen and you don't know what you want and how can you marry Rodolphus when he's nothing but a – a – "

There was a tense pause. "A what, exactly?" asked my sister in a dangerous voice. "Please enlighten me as to your opinion of my fiancé?"

With an effort, I forced myself to calm down. I was behaving irrationally and I knew this wasn't going to help the situation. Before I could formulate a response, however, our mother swept into the room, clearly drawn by the sounds of our argument.

"What in Salazar's name is going on in here?" she demanded, her eyes drifting over the three of us before settling on me. "Must you always bellow like a hippogriff, Andromeda?"

I pursed my lips together, feeling mutinous. Bella was glaring at me and Narcissa was staring at her slice of melon as though it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. I pushed my chair back. "May I be excused?"

"No, you may not," snapped my mother. "Finish your breakfast, and then we are to Apparate to Diagon Alley. You will come with me, Andromeda, since you cannot seem to behave yourself without constant supervision."

I scowled, taking an inappropriately large bite of my croissant. Across the table Bella was eating just as sullenly; once or twice she opened her mouth as though to speak, before closing it again with a glance at our mother.

"Finished?" mother asked after five minutes of silent eating. We all nodded. "Very good. Roly!" The two house elf appeared as though it had been conjured automatically by her voice. "Roly, you are to take Narcissa. Bellatrix, we shall Apparate to our usual spot. Now, Andromeda, come here please."

I took the arm she offered me, and without a moment's pause my mother Apparated. I was used to the sensation by now, but that didn't make it anymore pleasant. I shut my eyes tight and waited for it to be over, and when I opened my eyes again we were standing close to the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. Two identical cracks later and Bella and Cissy were by my side.

"Roly, remain here until we return. You three, come along," my mother said before anyone could move, sweeping away up the street as though she were a queen and we her maids in waiting.

Twilfitt and Tatting's was an upmarket clothing store located at the very end of Diagon Alley, where all the most prestigious shops could be found. Its outside was polished marble, with the words When Only the Best Will Do written in elegant silver script above the revolving glass door.

The wizard who served us was a tall, thin man with a twisted black moustache and an obsequious manner.

"Mrs Black," he greeted as soon as my mother entered the store. "A pleasure, as always. We have everything ready, just as you requested." His eyes drifted to Bella, and a simpering smile stretched across his face. "Ah, this must be the lovely Bellatrix. It will be an honour to dress you for your coming of age, my dear."

"Not just my coming of age," said Bella, standing up straighter and raising her voice so that the other customers in the shop could hear her. "I will also be announcing my engagement, to Rodolphus Lestrange. I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Yes, yes of course," said the wizard, still with that awful insincere smile. "The Lestranges are regular customers here at Twilfitt's. A most commendable match indeed. Well, if you'll follow me please." He gestured us toward a private fitting area, conjuring up another clerk with a snap of his fingers. "This is my assistant, Hertious. He shall attend to your two youngest daughters, while I help Miss Black. Shall we begin?"

It was a tedious time. My own fitting went first, and I chose the first demure robe the assistant brought me, a midnight blue, long-sleeved dress that buttoned up at the back. My mother pronounced herself satisfied, and I was then relegated to waiting while Cissy and Bella fussed over their choices. I could see neither of them were going to be done quickly, particularly Bella, who shook her head in displeasure at every outfit she was presented with.

Almost an hour had passed and Cissy was agonising between which of three different robes she liked best when a bell tinkled at the door and a familiar voice rang out, "Service!"

My mother turned, a rare smile gracing her features and making her look surprisingly pretty. "Aquila!" she exclaimed, hurrying with both arms outstretched toward Mrs Malfoy, who had just entered the store with her son. Next to me I felt Cissy stiffen, and her interest in the three dresses being shown to her evaporated.

"Lovely to see you, Druella," Mrs Malfoy drawled. "I'm just bringing Lucius to purchase some new dress robes for your upcoming Yuletide." She glanced around the shop with a haughty expression. "I much prefer this establishment to Malkin's. The service there has plummeted in recent years."

"I agree," said my mother. "We only ever shop at Twilfitt's now, since they tried to fit Narcissa next to a Mudblood boy. Disgraceful behaviour."

Lucius had wandered over. He gave Bella and me a polite nod before turning to Cissy.

"Are you choosing a dress for the ball?" he asked her.

To my surprise my sister did not show the slightest interest in him. I had expected her to blush as she had that morning in my bedroom, but instead she simply inclined her head and answered in a bored voice, "Something like that."

His eyes drifted over the three on display. "This one is nice," he said, rather uncertainly I thought, pointing to a light blue, short sleeved dress with ribbons hanging down one side.

"Oh, you think?" drawled Cissy, as though she couldn't care in the slightest. "I prefer the gold one."

I turned to catch Bella's eye, wondering what she was making of our little sister's bizarre behaviour. But I had forgotten Bella was still angry at me. She wasn't looking in my direction, glaring instead at her reflection in the mirror as she held up a slim white dress against her. Bella hardly ever wore white, but it was the traditional colour of an engagement dress. I thought it would probably make her look washed out, and she seemed to agree with my assessment, because her nose crinkled in displeasure and she gave a rather dramatic sigh.

"Can I get some assistance around here?" she snapped, and the man, who had been hovering at my mother's elbow while she talked to Mrs Malfoy, rushed back to Bella's side.

"Of course miss, of course! You don't like this one? Never mind, never mind, let's try something else shall we?"

I sighed, before an idea occurred to me and I stood up, sidling over to my mother and standing there awkwardly until she broke off her conversation.

"What is it, Andromeda?" she asked politely. There was no way my mother would show displeasure with one of her daughters in public, and particularly not in front of Aquila Malfoy.

"I just recalled, I'm running quite low on essence of belladonna in my potions kit," I lied smoothly. "Perhaps while Narcissa and Bellatrix are trying on their dresses I could go and purchase some more?"

My mother stared at me. I knew she was debating the likelihood of my getting into trouble with the inconvenience of having to stop by Slug & Jiggers on the way back to our house elves. Her gaze flitted to Bella and Cissy, both of whom seemed no closer to reaching a decision, and I saw her relent a moment before she spoke. "Very well. You are to go straight to Slug & Jiggers and then return here. And make sure you behave yourself." She would say no more in front of Mrs Malfoy, but I could read the warning in her eyes.

"Yes ma'am," I said, giving a small curtsey before turning and walking out of the shop. I had to force myself not to run, so eager was I to get away from that stuffy environment. Once outside, a broad grin spread across my face and I breathed in deeply, as though tasting freedom for the very first time. I could go anywhere I wanted; do anything I liked… within reason, of course…

I meandered down Diagon Alley, feeling strangely inconspicuous. Usually my family cut a wide path through the crowd, instantly recognisable to most witches and wizards. But without my mother or my sisters I was just another young woman out shopping, no more interesting than anybody else. It was quite a refreshing change.

I thought about going to Florean Fortescue's, but decided the risk of my mother finding out I had indulged in something as common as ice cream was not worth it. I lingered longingly outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, gazing at the latest nimbus broom, but hurried away when I spotted some boys from school coming to do the same thing. Unsure of where to go next, I found myself hovering outside a rather quaint looking book shop, its display windows filled with some of the strangest titles I had ever read: Charming Chimeras in the Chilean Desert: A Guide to Exotic Plants and Animals; How to be That Man on the Moon: The Secrets of Inter-Galactic Transportation; Blood Lust: My Vampire Love Story; Death By Darkness: Understanding the Unforgivables…

There was a tap on the glass window. I jerked in surprise, blinking several times before I recognised the girl smiling back at me from inside the shop. It was Dorcas. She waved me inside and, after a quick check to make sure I wasn't being watched, I went in.

The interior was dimly lit and smelt strongly of books. Dorcas stood beside the counter, wearing rather official looking robes emblazoned with the words 'Obscurus Books' and an emblem of a wand emerging from the pages of a book.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," I responded automatically. "Do you work here?"

She grinned crookedly. "In the holidays, yeah. My mum owns this place," she gestured around her at the dusty shelves and piles of books. "It's her passion."

A memory of Ted mentioning something along similar lines chimed in my mind. "That's really cool," I said.

She stared at me as though I might be making fun of her. "Cool?" she repeated. "Now there's a word I've never heard used in association with a book shop."

I shrugged. "I love the idea of owning my own book shop," I said, picking up a book displayed on the counter; its red cover was vaguely familiar. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," I read. "This is the Care of Magical Creatures textbook?"

"Yep," Dorcas said. "It's a great book. Do you think you'll take Care next year?"

I had barely given the thought of my subject choices next year any thought. "I… actually have no idea."

She laughed. "Well I guess you've got a few months before you need to decide. What are you doing in Diagon Alley, anyway?"

"Robe shopping," I said with a sigh. "My sisters…" I thought about trying to explain the concept of my family's annual Yuletide ball, coupled with Bella's traditional coming of age ceremony and her engagement with Rodolphus Lestrange, before giving it up as a bad job. "Just family stuff. So can you take any book you want from here, since your mum's the owner?"

Dorcas laughed again. "I guess. She takes the cost out of my pay though, unless I return them."

"But, theoretically, you could just get any book you wanted, whenever you wanted it?"

She stared at me as though unable to understand my enthusiasm. "I gather you're a big fan of books," she said, before taking my hand. "Come here, I want to show you something."

She led me to the very back of the store, where a rather dilapidated sign entitled 'Muggle Section' hung over a section of similarly shabby looking books. I froze as soon as I read the words. "No, Dorcas, I don't think – "

"Relax Andy," she said, still in the same friendly tone of voice. "They don't bite. I just wanted to show you this – " she ran her finger along the shelf before pulling out a small, dusty book, barely larger than my palm. It was cased in battered leather; faded gold lettering on the front read 'Romeo and Juliet.' "This is one of the greatest stories ever written," Dorcas told me in a hushed voice. Before I could stop her she had pressed it into my hand. "You should read it."

"I – I don't – " the idea of reading Muggle literature was something that had never occurred to me. Truth be told I hadn't even thought Muggles had literature.

"Look, it's small enough that you can hide it anywhere," Dorcas continued. "Just give it a try. I guarantee you won't regret it."

I hesitated. The sensible, Slytherin part of my brain was screaming at me to toss the book as far away from me as possible, give Dorcas a spray for trying to fill my head with rubbish, and storm back to Twilfitt and Tatting's. But the other side of my brain was burning with curiosity. "The greatest story ever written?" I repeated, doubtful. "I don't believe you."

Dorcas' eyes twinkled. "Read it for yourself then," she said. "But I did say one of the greatest. He wrote quite a few good stories, this guy." She tapped the bottom of the book, where the author's name was printed.

"William… Shakespeare," I read the words with a frown. "What a ridiculous name."

"Oh I agree. Much more ridiculous than Andromeda Black."

I glanced up to see her grinning broadly at me. Usually when anyone insulted my name I grew deeply offended, but with Dorcas it just felt… light-hearted, somehow.

"Alright," I said. "Just to prove you wrong, I'll read it." I drew my money-bag out of my pocket. "How much?"

"It's on the house," said Dorcas, but I shook my head.

"No, I insist. A Black always pays for their items."

Dorcas looked as though she wanted to argue with me, but after a moment she shrugged and said, "Three sickles, then."

I handed over the money and we wandered back to the front of the store. I slipped the little book into my pocket and was just admiring another stack of interesting titles when Dorcas' expression changed. She was staring past me out of the shop window and looked as though she had seen a ghost.

"What is it?" I asked in alarm.

"Your mother," she murmured.

I felt my eyes go round with panic, but there was little I could do. The door tinkled as it opened and I braced myself for what was to come. Before I knew what was happening Dorcas swiped up the copy of Fantastic Beasts I had left on the counter and shoved it at me with an angry look.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more assistance," she said in a cold voice. Her eyes were narrowed and she was looking at me with an expression of great distaste. "If you have a problem with the contents you'll have to take it up with the author. Now if you could please leave, I think I've spent enough of my day being insulted by you." And she span on her heel and stalked away.

I blinked in shock, my mind very slow to process what was going on. I felt my mother walk up behind me, and place a hand on my shoulder.

"What is going on here?" she asked, but her tone was nowhere near as angry as it could have been. I realised rather belatedly that by pretending we were in the middle of an argument Dorcas had saved me a very awkward explanation. Gratitude swelled within me, but I was careful to fix an irritated look on my face.

"Just another mouthy half-blood that doesn't know her place," I said loudly, hoping Dorcas would understand. "Come along mother, next time I will most definitely be buying my books from Flourish and Blotts."

I swept back out onto the crowded street still clutching the Fantastic Beasts book in my hand, my heart thudding rather loudly. That had been very close.

"I thought you were visiting Slug & Jigger's," my mother said as she followed me out. She was regarding me with a curious, appraising look, as though unsure what to make of my behaviour. But I was relieved to note she did not seem angry with me.

"Yes, I was, but then I remembered I had a complaint about this – this ridiculous book," I said, brandishing the Fantastic Beasts copy. "Still, it was rather a waste of time, as you can see. How is it going at Twilfitt's?"

We returned to the dress shop to find Bella in the middle of a flaming row with the shop assistant. Or rather, she was yelling at him and he was cowering in fear of her.

"I don't want any of these dresses!" she shouted. "None of them are good enough, none of them! Don't you understand, I need to look special! Not like – like some commoner! Ugh!" She threw up her hands in frustration, before catching sight of mother and me in the mirror. "Andy, thank Salazar you're back," she said, hopping off the stool and striding over to me, pins and all. The assistant watched her walk away with a helpless expression on his face. "I can't do this without you."

I didn't know what to say. Clearly my sister had decided that now was an entirely inopportune time to be angry with me, and was going to pretend as though we hadn't fought that morning at all.

"You've got to help me!" she declared dramatically. "I hate white!"

I hesitated for a moment, thinking hard. "How about… how about peach," I suggested tentatively, with a glance at mother. "Peach is still traditional enough, but it won't make you look so pale."

Bella cocked her head to the side, considering. "Peach? Hmm... maybe you're right."

"Yes, yes of course, peach," said the shop assistant in a rather hysterical voice. "Peace – I mean peach – would be lovely on you my dear! It would bring out the colour in your – "

"Shut up!" snapped Bella, and the assistant closed his mouth as though it had been hexed shut. "Alright Andy, what do you think about this one?"

In the end, it took more than an hour for Bella to be coerced into buying one of the gowns. It was only when mother threatened to cancel the entire ball and simply announce her engagement via The Daily Prophet that she finally made her choice.

"I'll have this one," she said, indicating a very tight-fitting dress that showed a lot of skin. I glanced at mother, wondering if she was going to disapprove of her daughter's provocative choice of fashion, but it seemed she was simply so relieved that Bella had at last made a decision that she wasn't going to argue about the cut of the dress.

"Excellent," whimpered the sales assistant, by this stage so traumatised by Bella's temper that he looked as though he never wanted to see another customer again. "Very good, yes, wonderful choice. Sh-shall I get the bill?"

.