Regrets and Repercussions
As she was grabbed and pulled away, she was struck with a sudden wave of fear. Andromeda could still see his face in her mind: the look in his eyes as she unleashed the cruciatus curse, the pain on his face.
She liked it.
She couldn't think clearly, could barely process her thoughts as she was pulled along by Narcissa.
But as she watched the town streets quickly pass by her in a blur, her sense of reason began to slowly return. She could feel her heart starting to beat faster, the adrenaline pumping through her veins making it hard to believe what had just happened.
I'm just like mother.
The thought haunted her. The vile woman she swore she'd never become.
If the ministry didn't lock her away, her shame and guilt was ready to swallow her whole…but underneath it all, there was a subtle thrill at the power she'd wielded.
They had been taught that unforgivable curses are difficult forms of magic, they required more from the witch or wizard because of their dark origins. It was horrible but the little voice in her mind that pushed her to be top of her class, headgirl, the overachiever…part of her was proud.
No one would be surprised, a pureblood witch of an ancient family line. Of course, she was powerful. There was never a doubt and yet all her life, Andromeda has felt the pressure to be more.
Andromeda couldn't shake the feeling of empowerment that came with casting that unforgivable curse. She was surprised at the realization and yet, beneath the shock, was the sense of pride that had always come so naturally. She was no different than her ancestors - she was powerful and she liked it.
Yet the dark euphoria she felt was short-lasting. Almost immediately, the guilt and shame crept back in before she could fully enjoy the pleasure.
Narcissa's hand tightened around her wrist, increasing their speed. Andromeda quickly regained her bearings, coming to realise she was being pulled along by Narcissa, who seemed determined not to let her linger in her thoughts.
Eventually, they came to a stop. Swinging into a dark corner of the castle. Narcissa grasped Andromeda by her shoulders and forced her against the wall.
“What the hell, Andy!”
Her sister's enraged tone rang heavy in her ears. As her sense of reason started to return, the adrenaline rush began to lessen. She felt herself starting to breathe a bit more slowly and deeply, but there was still a tight knot in her chest.
“What?” Andromeda stared back at her, dazed and breathless.
Narcissa stared at her in disbelief for a moment, releasing her grasp on Andromeda. “Merlin's beard!” She cursed, pacing across the floor.
Narcissa paced across the floor, her anger clearly simmering just below the surface. She cursed under her breath, her expression one of disbelief. When she found that a simple curse wasn't enough to assuage her frustrations, she spoke again.
"Fucking hell!" She exclaimed, seeming almost surprised at herself for saying it. "I can't believe you did that!" She seemed genuinely upset, her concern over the situation apparent.
Narcissa's voice pierced through Andromeda's daze, shocking her as much as the sudden stop. She felt her body come back to life, aware of every part of her as her heartbeat picked up again.
Narcissa's anger was plain to see, and she felt as if she had been slapped in the face. But the shock wore off quickly, and she stared back at her older sister with a mixture of confusion and defiance. Narcissa paused in her pacing and looked back at her sister with a look that spoke volumes.
"Are you out of your bloody mind?" she stormed, her voice barely contained under the thin veneer of self-control.
Andromeda just stood silently, taking her rage. A situation she was no stranger to.
Narcissa's anger seemed to grow with each moment of silence. After a few moments, she finally stopped pacing.
"Answer me, are you out of your bloody mind?" she demanded again.
Andromeda remained silent, staring at her sister with an unreadable expression. The knot in her chest tightened as the adrenaline rush began to fade, but there was still a residual sense of power swirling inside of her.
“Lucius is to be your husband! What will happen now? They'll call off the engagement and mother will surely kill you.” Narcissa flustered, sitting down heavily on the low windowsill. “If you're lucky, he will still have you but you will spend your life indebted to him beyond imagination.”
“I don't want to marry him.” Andromeda piped up quietly.
Narcissa flinched at the quietness in her sister's reply, feeling slightly off-balance by it.
"That's besides the point," she snapped back instantly, determined to maintain some semblance of control over the situation. "You just cast one of the most powerful and illegal curses known. You can't just do that."
"I can't marry him," Andromeda repeated softly.
Another beat passed between the two, the tension simmering in the air. Narcissa took a deep breath and tried to keep her cool. Brushing herself off, shaking her head.
"You can't do that," Narcissa insisted. "Look," she took on a softer tone, "I'm not saying this because I agree with the stark rules of the messed up society that we live in but…"
She paused and leaned forward, searching her sister's face. The bruises under her eyes were deep purple, a sharp contrast against the shallowness of her skin.
“I'm saying it because you can't just go around casting unforgivable curses. What if someone sees you? What if the wrong person finds out?"
Andromeda remained silent for a moment, her face betraying no emotions.
"Please, Andy," Narcissa begged softly. "We've both seen the things mother can do. The last thing you need is to give her a reason to go after you."
Andromeda's face remained emotionless, but she felt the tightening in her throat, the fight taking every drop of control she had left in her. She wanted to scream, to cry, to kick and scream... Instead, she forced herself to remain silent.
Narcissa continued, her voice more urgent. "You could get expelled for this. You could go to Azkaban!"
The possibility seemed to jolt Andromeda from her silence. A look of fear crossed her face, and she swallowed hard before speaking.
"I… I couldn't control myself in the moment. I just… reacted.” Andromeda stared down at her feet.
Narcissa kept a stern eye on her sister as she spoke. She could see the fear in her eyes, but still needed her to grasp the severity of the situation.
"That's not an excuse," she said sharply. "You cannot let those kinds of emotions control you. People will think you're unstable, dangerous.”
“Maybe I am.” Andromeda snapped, tears building in her eyes.
Narcissa flinched, taken aback by her sister's sudden defensiveness. She had expected anger or denial, not tears.
"Don't say that," she said gently, reaching out to try and comfort her. "I know things are hard, I know how much... how much she..." She stopped, not wanting to bring up old wounds.
"You're not," Narcissa affirmed softly, her tone softer than before. She rose from her seat and moved over to her sister, wrapping her arms around her as she pulled her in for a hug.
Andromeda stiffened at her embrace. Narcissa's embrace was comforting, but Andromeda remained still, her whole body tense. She didn't know how to deal with this side of her sister, the sensitive side.
She held her anyway, wanting to offer her support and reassurance. After a few moments, she released her and stepped back, but kept her hands cupped firmly around Andromeda's shoulders.
"Come on," she said. "Let's get you back to your dorm. I'm going to fix this.”
"You'll fix this?" Andromeda asked softly, her tone tinged with doubt.
Narcissa nodded firmly. "I promise," she said quietly. "No one will have to know. We won't tell mother, we won't tell anyone. We can get past this.”
“What about Lucius? He won't- he'll never-” Her voice caught as her throat tightened. Lucius was a monster before she even gave him a reason to be.
Narcissa's anger returned, the colour rising in her cheeks. "No," she snapped sharply. "He won't. I'll make sure of it." The way she said it made it clear that she had no intention of allowing her sister to marry someone she didn't want to.
Suddenly, Andromeda felt a warm, reassuring grip on her hand again. Narcissa took it firmly, her eyes locked on hers.
"Let me handle Lucius. You don't have to worry about him.”
“Don't tell Bellatrix.”
Narcissa stiffened at the mention of their sister. Her body went tense and she squeezed Andromeda's hand sharply.
"I won't," she whispered fiercely. "I promise. Now let's get you to bed.” Narcissa offered out her hand to lead Andromeda back to Slytherin house.
Andromeda nodded slightly, still reeling from the rush of emotions that had run through her. She let Narcissa lead her back to the Slytherin house without another question. It was clear she was in no condition to argue at the moment.