Don‘t dare to disappoint
Andromeda is standing in front of her open trunk, examining two skirts. Her mother just now told her to pick one, but this simple task is impossible! The grey one would match perfectly with her green tie, but the black one just fits so well…
She knows it’s not a hard decision. She knows she is just distracting herself from the big day ahead of her. The train ride, the castle, the sorting ceremony and of course all the other students. Bellatrix may have assured her that she will have friends or “acquaintances” but her nerves are still running high. That’s why she is reorganizing her trunk. Thinking about the day makes her feel happy but also nauseous at the same time and if she hates anything more than muggles it is having mixed emotions.
There is a slight knock on the door, but before Andromeda can answer Narcissa storms into the room and into her sister’s arms. Andromeda drops the skirts and hugs her back. “What’s wrong, Cissi?” she asks her.
Narcissa hides her head in her sister’s shirt. “Please don’t leave me, Dree,” she whispers, her voice muffled into the fabric.
Andromeda hugs her even tighter, a wave of sadness rushing over her. She now begins to realize that this is actually her last morning at her house. In an hour she will be at the train station but not to send off Bellatrix, but to leave with her. Where did the time go? Is this really happening?
“Remember,” she replies, stroking her blond hair, “it is only until Christmas. I will be back before you know it.” The words barely comfort her sister as she squeezes her even more, but Andromeda finds comfort in them. The summer went by so fast, she is sure these months will go by quickly, and she will be able to see her family and especially her younger sister again soon.
“And next year you will be able to come with us,” a voice at the door says. Bellatrix enters the room and Andromeda and Narcissa let go of each other.
“Merlin Andromeda, what happened to your room? Haven’t you packed yet?” Bellatrix gasps.
Andromeda smiles sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I did pack yesterday but I wanted to check if I packed the right clothes and then…,” she gestures around the room, “this happened.”
A smile forms on Narcissa’s face as well. “Does that mean you’re staying here to clean up?”
The eldest sister shakes her head. “No Cissi, she is still coming. Louise can clean all this up, she is the house elf after all.” She closes her eyes and sighs. “Andromeda, I say you pack the thing you want in your trunk without wasting any more time and leave the rest as it is.”
Right after she says this Louise enters the room. “Hello Miss Black, Miss Black and Miss Black,” she greats, looking at every sister. “Sorry to interrupt. Breakfast is served in the dining room. Mr. and Mrs. Black wish you there at once, they need to talk to you.”
“Let us go down, this is our last breakfast together after all,” Andromeda says with a hint of sorrow in her voice.
“No way, do I need to remind you that you have to pack your trunk?”
“Ugh, really Bella?”
“Just grab some clothes and close it, it’s that easy!”
“Alright.” Andromeda grunts and reluctantly takes the grey skirt from her bed and other clothes from the floor and thrown them in the trunk. She then tries to close it, but it won’t work. “It… won’t… close…” she huffs and turns to her sisters who still wait patiently. “Would you please help me? Cissi you could just sit on the trunk.”
“Of course!” she yells and practically jumps on it. Bellatrix rolls her eyes at this childish behaviour but doesn’t comment on it.
They make their way down to the dining room. As they arrive they see the table decorated in green and silver colours. Druella turns her head as she sees her daughters walk in. “There you are! I asked Louise to decorate the table for Andromeda’s first day of school! We haven’t started yet, it is our last meal after all and I want it to be memorable.”
The three girls smile at her and walk to their usual seats. Before Andromeda can sit down her mother points toward the empty chair between her and her husband, which seems to be specially reserved for Andromeda. She sits down, wondering why they would change the seating arrangement now.
She looks at the table. It is once again filled with all kinds of food and Andromeda starts off by eating her usual bread.
“So, Andromeda,” Druella turns to her daughter. “Louise came to us just now and told us in what condition your room is. Please tell me that you at least finished packing?”
“Yes mother, my bags are ready now. I did have some trouble earlier, but Bellatrix helped me fix it.”
“Good,” she smiles and addresses the eldest sister. “Thank you Bellatrix. You are truly what we wish of a Black. This brings me to the topic we wanted to talk to you about. Andromeda, Bellatrix used her two years to make many acquaintances that will be helpful to her.”
Andromeda sighs inwardly. Not this again. She knows that this will be talked about over the entire meal. The whole summer all she heard about were these acquaintances which she just thought were boring. The only thing that will get her through breakfast is knowing this will be the last time until at least Christmas that her parents praise Bellatrix nonstop.
Druella carries on talking. “We think that you should stick with her for not only the first few days but weeks. You will be sorted into Slytherin, that is certain, but there is always a black sheep in a crowd. While most Slytherins are wise and helpful there are a few that you should beware of. Bellatrix will hopefully find them quickly as she did in her own year and you are to stay away from them. Understood?”
Andromeda does understand. Even though there will for sure not be any muggleborns or halfbloods in Slytherin there is always a chance of a blood traitor being there. It can always happen, even in one’s own family, but they were taken care of quickly. She looks at her sister to find her smiling at her parents.
“Don’t worry,” the eldest says. “I will take care of her and help her through this. She won’t disappoint you and neither will I.”
“Oh I know,” their mother says, but Andromeda sees her mother looking at her from the corner of her eye, and loosing the smile on her face for a sliver of a second before catching herself quickly.
“Due to the incident earlier this week,” Cygnus eyes Andromeda, “Druella will take Narcissa and I will take Andromeda. Bellatrix, you can go alone.” Of course, Andromeda thinks. She had the slightest chance of a little freedom and she ruined it as quickly as it came. Maybe in Christmas she will get another chance to prove herself…
They all go into the fireplace in these groups and get to their destination in a few seconds – without any trouble this time. The fireplace they teleport to is just as elegant and refined as theirs. When Andromeda and her father arrive, they are looking at a small crowd of people. A tall women with her hair tied into a bun dressed in a green cloak who is standing next to her husband, a man with an earnest expression and a monocle on his left eye. In front of them two little boys are waiting patiently. They both have short, brushed back hair and small green suits, which would make them look identical if it weren’t for their height difference.
They have arrived at Grimmauld Place 12.
“My dear brother!” Walburga smiles. “I’m so glad to see you again. Will you stay for some tea or be right out?”
“Oh, I’d love to, but unfortunately we don’t have the time unless we want to rush. Maybe later, after we have brought the girls away.”
“Alright, well have fun!” Walburga gives each Bellatrix and Andromeda a little hug. “We will se you at Christmas. I hope the best for you Andromeda!”
“Thank you, Aunt Walburga,” Andromeda replies politely and waves at Sirius and Regulus as she walks behind her parents along the corridor. She is glad they don’t have to stay. Sirius and Regulus are really adorable, but she doesn’t like her aunt a lot. She can be nice and sweet in one moment, but other times she has bad mood swings, in which she could scream horribly. Sometimes her screams are recreated in her dreams… She doesn‘t want to think about what her cousins have to go through.
Andromeda shakes her head slightly as she walks out the door.
“Dree,” Narcissa whispers. “Why do we always come here before we go to the station?”
“Well, they are family! It’s nice to say good bye to family when you go away. And it takes only 20 minutes to walk to the train station since they live in the city, while it takes 3 hours with the car from our place.”
“Oh, okay,” she replies.
They arrive at Kings Cross station soon and are heading to the platform 9 and 10. Then they arrive at the entrance. Andromeda has gone through the wall twice already in order to bring Bellatrix away, but it still scares her – who in their right mind likes running towards a brick wall?
Apparently Bellatrix does, because as soon as she sees the wall she starts sprinting towards it with no hesitation whatsoever. Andromeda wishes to be as brave as her one day…
Her father senses her tension. “Ready?” he looks down at her.
“I believe so,” Andromeda replies, taking a deep breath. Her father grabs her and her trunk and together they start running. Andromeda sees the brick wall coming closer and closer and just before they hit it, she closes her eyes. When she opens them again, she is surrounded by a crowd of wizards. The Hogwarts Express is stationed on the right side, just as extravagant and great as last year. There is a familiar scent in the air, something between smoke and chocolate…?
Her mother and Narcissa appear right behind them.
“Alright, the train will be leaving in ten minutes, Bellatrix, Andromeda, you better get on the train soon.”
“I just need a word with our little first year, my dear,” Cygnus chimes in.
Druella smiles at him. “Of course, take all the time you need. We will be looking for the others.”
Cygnus and Andromeda take a few steps towards the other train track, where no people were close to them.
“Your mother told you at the dining table today, but I want to make it clear to you how important this year will be for your future. It will be your first impression you will make as your own person, a Black family member outside this house. Our name isn‘t one you easily earn, not even when you‘re born into it. I trust that you will obey our family and do great things with the privilege that comes with our name when you‘re at Hogwarts. I believe that you are talented and capable of doing them. Stay on the right path and nothing shall come in the way of your happiness.” He smiles at Andromeda and strokes her hair back.
Andromeda smiles back at him. “I promise I will do my best. I won‘t disappoint this family.”
“That is what I expect. I have to go look for someone, you go back to your mother and sisters. I hope you have a successful year. I will see you at Christmas.”
“I will see you then, father.”
She goes to find her mother, which isn‘t very difficult. Her gown makes it impossible not to see her.
“Hello, mother,” she greets.
“Oh, hello dear. Look who I met! You remember Abraxas Malfoy, don‘t you?”
She indeed remembers him. There were various occasions when they would invite the Malfoys over for a ball of some sort. Their family has not come over in a long time though, in fact, the last time she saw him was a year ago at this train station.
“I do,” she says. “Hello Mr. Malfoy.”
The train lets out a whistle, signalling the last five minutes to board the train.
“Andromeda, where is your father? He must say his good byes!”
“He already said them just now, he also said he had to go find someone. He didn‘t say who or if he would come back in time, but I doubt it.”
Druella’s mouth formed a straight line and her just joyful face turned cold. “Oh well, I can‘t stop you from boarding the train any longer. Bellatrix is already inside, waiting for you in the third wagon.” She goes in for a small hug. “You will be missed, Andromeda. I hope you have a splendid time. And remember, don‘t-”
“Yes, don‘t disappoint you. I won‘t I promise,” Andromeda says, sick of having to hear it for the forth time that day.
“Alright, off you go!”
Andromeda takes her trunk and carries it onto the train. She turns around one last time and waves at Druella and Narcissa before she turns the corner to find her sister.
She can‘t stop smiling. She is finally going to Hogwarts!