"Nothing New"
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Andromeda’s Point of View:
The light smell of smoke drifts through the air from the burning fire. Not a cautious and dangerous scent but more of a subtle and tranquil scent similar to one that provides happiness and comfort. Along with the fire, the scent of Kassidy's chai tea similarly wafts through the air leaving it with a scent of the forthcoming Christmas.
The fuzzy, emerald-green comforter lays on my bed covering the silk sheets in the exact same shade. The black robe wrapped tightly around my body shields me from the cold breeze that wraps the dungeon in an eternal winter. The bunny slippers that are gifted to me from Ted are keeping my feet warm from the freezing tiles that lay upon the floor.
I carefully snap each small curler into my hair to make sure I get the perfect brunette curls I desire every single morning. I select a chunk of my hair before rolling it into the curler and pinning it into place. Half of my head is layered with the black curls, and I dread doing the other half.
“Does your family know about Ted yet?” Kassidy paints her nails a shade of silver that shimmers bright green when placed under the correct lighting.
“Merlin, no. And they aren't going to find out either,” The curler I snap into my hair pulls a bit causing me to wince as a response.
“You're going to have to tell them at some point it is inevitable,” She uses a spell to immediately dry her nails instead of waiting for hours.
“When I tell them I will be ready to be disowned,” a stern look is spread upon my face to show the intensity of the conversation.
“Besides telling my family I'm dating a muggleborn is practically a death sentence itself,” I add another curler to the collection on my head.
“Why haven't your sisters told them anything?” Kassidy inquires.
“Because Bellatrix is dating a half-blood Ravenclaw girl and Narcissa is constantly snogging a Gryffindor blood traitor who also happens to be a girl,” I add emphasis on the ‘girl’ parts of the statement.
“My family will never change their ways, that's nothing new,” I continue adding the curler to my hair despite how uncomfortable it feels.
“You could be the person who changes that,” She tries to reason about how my family functions.
Despite it not functioning at all.
“Cygnus and Druella Black do not reason. Besides they would simply disown all three of us as my cousins are the true heirs,” The pinch of a curler almost sends me over the edge.
“Who are your cousins anyway?” She's already begun picking at the nail polish on her long nails.
“Sirius Orion and Regulus Arcturus. You'll meet them when Sirius arrives next year and Regulus the next,” When I state their names Kassidy lets out a giggle in response.
“Your family has such weird names,” She continues giggling.
“They’re astrological, you buffoon. You would know that if you actually paid attention in astrology,” One more curler pinching me and I might go insane and rid the world of this girl.
Luckily, before I can we are both interrupted with obnoxious knocking that sounds as if they needed to desperately get inside of the dorm. We usually just simply ignore the knocking, but something is telling me to answer it. Something in the incandescent glow of the fire is telling me to answer the door.
“Can you get it, Kass?” I continue adding curlers to my hair as if my life depends on it.
“Why? We usually just ignore the door,” She responds with a smirk on her face, and I can sense her attitude from a kilometer away.
“Just get the god forsaken door Kassidy,” She knows I'm pissed when I use her full name.
“Fine I will jeez,” She rolls out of her messy bed and makes her way to the door.
Each step of the way I hear her slippers slapping against the ground and it almost feels like the fire is as hot as a pit of hell.
The door swings wide open only to reveal the one and only Narcissa Black. She usually never comes here unless there is something urgent, we must attend to. And by the look on her face something urgent definitely just occurred.
“Is everything alright, Cissy?” I know she hates that nickname.
That's why I use it.
“Bellatrix tried to kill herself. She's in the Hospital Wing right now,” I can see the tears on the brim of her eyes.
I know she needs to do something urgent. I just can't quite put my finger on it.
The color completely drains from my face, and I know she can tell. At least as much color I have in my face does. Pale skin with dark features is an odd combination, but somehow, I manage to pull it off.
There is a simple face everyone must understand about the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. Nobody gets out unscathed. You may be disowned, yes, but they won’t let you go without a fight. A fight that usually ends with someone getting tortured.
Needless to say, killing yourself is not the solution to getting out of the Black Family. Bellatrix knows this. Which leads me to believe that the reason for the abstract event was not to escape our family but moreover to escape someone or something else.
Likely a topic she found that made her uncomfortable. Or for the love of Salazar, Rita Bridget Skeeter. Now while I hope Bellatrix would not kill herself over a person as bland as Rita Skeeter. It would not surprise me to say the least as she has been showing signs of erratic behavior in the past weeks or so.
I pray that Bellatrix wouldn’t kill herself over a dumb, blonde girl. Yet, she is known to be psychotic and utterly obsessed with the topic of death and human suffering. Rita Skeeter is not a girl that you should every kill yourself for.
“I have to go and get someone who deeply cares about Bellatrix, but I’ll meet you at the Hospital Wing,” Cissy states, knowing that I don’t like my tears being acknowledged by others.
“Okay,” I begin frantically changing out my black robe for a pair of denim jeans and a plain gray t-shirt.
Narcissa exits the room, and Kassidy gives me a look of concern. I take each and every curler out of my hair because Salazar knows that I won’t be caught dead with people knowing my curls are fake. I know Kassidy is worrying about me at this moment, but I don’t have time to hear what she is going to say.
I have to see my older sister.
“Do you want to talk before you leave,” Kassidy inquires as I ignore the tears that wash my expensive moisturizer down my face.
Kassidy makes her way towards me and helps take the black curlers out of my thick, brunette hair. She knows how to calm me down. She basically knows how to calm anyone down. There’s a reason why she’ll make such a great Healer in the future.
The hot drops of saline run down my cheeks ever faster. The air in my lungs comes out irregular with huffs of oxygen and then none at all compared to the usual deep breaths I tend to take when I’m upset. I feel my heart ache as I attempt to wrap my head around the idea that my older sister almost died due to her own hand.
“Andromeda you’re having a panic attack you need to pay attention to me,” Each breath feels like I'm swallowing jagged shards of glass.
My dark brown eyes make contact with hers as she tries to demonstrate deep breathing. She takes slow breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth holding them for a couple seconds before releasing them. I try to follow her breathing, but I seem to be struggling with doing so.
She wipes the tears from my cheeks and her touch calms for a second before her hand retracts from my face. I never noticed how beautiful Kassidy was. If I wasn’t dating Ted, I'd 100 percent let her kiss me if she wanted to.
She smells of expensive perfume. Who would’ve thought that even half-bloods could be rich. They’re still not as rich as the House of Black though. Not even close.
Eventually, as she learns that touch is the thing that calms me down when in a moment of panic like this. She gently rubs my back and holds my hand. The cold metal of her silver rings snaps me back into the cold and morbid reality.
“There you go honey. Just keep taking deep breaths. I’m here for you,” My breathing is almost completely ordinary despite the occasional hiccups from the crying that came with the panic attack.
Kassidy assists me in taking out the few curlers still left in my hair. She then helps me put on my shoes since my hands are shaking profusely.
“Do you want me to stay with you or just walk you down or stay here?” Kassidy would make the most perfect pediatric healer.
“Can you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone with her until Narcissa is there,” I stare at the floor despite how hard I try to look at her in her warm, deep, brown eyes.
Kass nods and gently pets my head with her hand. I know she deeply cares for me and will support whatever choice I make no matter what the consequences are. I just need her to be here with me right now. That’s all I ask of her.
“I’ll do whatever you need me to,” The soft smile that shows off the chip in her front tooth enlightens me with happiness and comfort.
With that we slowly begin walking to the Hospital Wing. She does her best to match my slow pace due to my recent panic attack. She holds my shaking hands as her attempt to help calm me down which mostly works besides for the residue of the panic attack that still lingers. She is the bestest best friend anyone could ever ask for.
We walk through the halls in silence. Not the type of silence in a room that makes two people overwhelmingly uncomfortable but the type of silence that leaves an amicable sense between us that no one dares to try and interrupt.
After what feels like hours upon hours but in reality is only about 10 minutes, we finally make it to the corridor where the Hospital Wing is located. My eyes are still red and puffy but at least the pink shading spread across my face has almost completely faded by now. The doors are completely shut as I know if for some privacy due to the odd circumstances.
There is one thing no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to stop thinking of though.
One thing.
Our parents have to be notified if someone tries to kill themself.
Right?
So, it’s only a matter of time before the infamous Cygnus and Druella Black arrive at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.