Chapter 18
ANDROMEDA HAD NEVER TRULY UNDERSTOOD THE WORD 'AWKWARD' and the phrase 'the tension could be cut with a curse' until she was seated in the fifty-seater dining table at the Planetarium on the first night home for Yule break.
The family dinner to celebrate the beloved children return from Hogwarts for Yule was a sort of fond tradition, and anybody who was directly related by at least two generations prior to the Blacks -such as the Houses of Prewett, Potter, Crouch, Longbottom and Weasley (but specifically only Arthur)- were invited to attend along with a few who had received the special permission from Lord Black.
In the past, those special permission holders included the Minister of Magic, the Supreme Mugwumps and important delegates of the International Confederation of Wizards, War-heroes like Newt Scandamer and Tina Goldstein, luminaries in the research of magic such as Nicholas Flamel and even celebrities like Gwenog Jones and Celestine Warbeck.
Now, Ted Tonks also had the honour of being added to this list.
To an outsider, it would have been pretty obvious who was the foreign person on the table within seconds.
All the purebloods on the table looked to be grace personified. There was a certain natural elegance emitting from them in the way they moved and a charming pronunciation in the way they spoke along with them bearing a lovely, sharp countenance.
The sole muggleborn dining, however, gaped most of the time- at the food, the elves, the fact that all the utensils were made with gold and studded with real diamonds, the expensive chandelier and the whole grand attire of the manor-like-castle in general.
He also ate clumsily, misused the wrong forks so many times and had the back-erectness of a snake, which is none. He had absolutely no table manners and knew nothing about traditions, but Andromeda loved him anyway.
And nothing anybody said was going to change that.
If her great-uncle had assumed that she was going to change her mind upon seeing the difference between him and them, he was going to find himself quite disappointed.
It had been ten minutes into the dinner, and nobody had brought up the topic of the unknown person sitting beside Andromeda.
Sure a lot of people were glaring crucios at him, but other than angrily stabbing their meat and narrowing eyes, not even a word had escaped their mouths.
Lyra -seemingly not noticing the tension- sat a few seats from Andromeda, and was in a conversation with her seat-neighbour Molly, about her coming wedding due to happen in a few days. Narcissa, who sat opposite to Lyra, also looked to be involved in the discussion and so did Bellatrix who sat opposite to Molly, all three girls gushing over details.
Her dear sister Bella had found an odd friend in Molly during the time they all attended classes at Hogwarts, as the two girls traded ideas and shared worries over their respective weddings that were right around the corner.
James and Sirius were fork-fighting, assuming them to be swords and themselves, knights, who were set in a battle against each other; while Regulus and Bartemius, sitting opposite to them, switching between cheering for them and arguing over which house was better- Ravenclaw or Slytherin.
Arthur Weasley, Molly's fiancé, and Frank Longbottom, the grandson of Harfang Longbottom and Callidora Longbottom nee Black, were engaged in debates over various topics, highly clouded in their own bubble.
Gideon Prewett looked to be giving his undivided attention to the ex-Auror turned politician, Lord Charlus Potter, as he regaled him with some of the secrets of the departments along with some tips and tricks and stories from his own days as a famed and decorated Auror.
Meanwhile, Fabian Prewett looked to be highly concentrated in his task of aiming and throwing green grapes at Lord Crouch's head, before immediately turning his head and pretending to be in a talk with Cassiopeia Black whenever the man turned with furious eyes to catch the culprit.
And Great Aunt Cassiopeia, who felt that her favourite cousin Charis was too good for that man anyway, helped in solidifying Fabian's new-found hobby by glaring at Lord Crouch whenever his eyes landed anyway near Fabian. Andromeda was sure that she even saw her great aunt toss a couple of grapes on Lord Crouch's head herself.
Uncle Orion was talking with Great Uncle Arcturus about something related to Stella, while Great-Aunt Dorea was engaged in a conversation with Grandmother Irma regarding the supplies that she needed for a particular potion.
Great Aunt Malania was happily chatting with Aunt Lucretia, who returned her genuine enthusiasm while her Grandfather Pollux, Lord Harfang, Lady Callidora, Heir Darius and Heiress Augusta Longbottom nee Fawley, Uncle Ignatious, Lord Bertimous Crouch Snr. (when he wasn't rubbing his head at the force of the grapes) and Lady Charis Crouch was in a heated group discussion that altered between the topic of Wizengamot and Hogwarts.
Aunt Walburga was too engaged in her friendly yet borderline hostile sibling banter with Uncle Alphard who seemed to be enjoying the furious expression on his sister's face all too much; to give a second thought to the mudblood dining with them.
Andromeda had been quick to realise exactly why her Uncle Alphard had begun taunting Aunt Walburga as soon as he had arrived and couldn't help but feel grateful to him for keeping her aunt occupied enough to not even care that somebody of less than perfectly pure blood was not only sitting, but also dining with them.
In fact, Andromeda would have completely forgotten that this wasn't just a normal family dinner, if not for the fact that the glaring eyes of her parents were borne into her, as they sat directly opposite to herself and Ted.
Ted leaned closer to her so he could whisper into her ears, the action causing her father to grip his gold fish-fork with so much pressure that Andromeda was honestly surprised it didn't bend.
"I think this is all going rather well, don't you?" He asked quietly, eyes scared yet cautious. "I mean, nobody's tried to kill me till now."
"That's because Great Aunt Malania hates it when we get blood on her carpets," Andromeda responded in a low voice. "And nobody wants to get on her bad side. She was a dueler, you know? Won twelve championships as well."
Ted let out an impressed whistle. "That's amazing."
"Plus, she was a Hufflepuff," Andromeda added. "So, I'm hoping the fact that you are as well can soften her enough to accept you. And if she holds influence over many people, whether they realise it or not, so like a domino effect, they too will follow her decision."
Ted smiled softly at her. "Don't worry so much, 'meda."
"I'm not worried." Andromeda defended.
"Yes, you are," Ted said, chuckling. "You bite the insides of your cheeks whenever you are worried, just like you're doing just now."
Andromeda's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she realised that he was correct. "Shut up," she mumbled, turning back to her plate of food. "And you're using the wrong knife."
"Am I?" Ted's eyes widened. "Oh my god, please don't tell Heiress Black. Given how long she took to teach me about this shit, I think that she will stab me with this very knife."
"Don't be silly," Andromeda waved off his concerns. "Great Uncle Arcturus' policy states that neither Uncle Orion nor his children are allowed to 'hit' people with knives, accidentally or purposefully without having prior permission from him, unless they wish to be disowned. Not to mention, Grandmother Irma is quite protective over the cutlery and utensils. Her family before marriage, House Crabbe, were in the gold-shaping business, you know?" She told him absentmindedly, the multitude of facts flowed effortlessly from her mouth.
"That's nice," Ted said before pursing his lips. "So no stabby and killing of me?" He asked as if to confirm.
Andromeda shook her head, wearing a small smile. "Not with those utensils and definitely not on this carpet."
Ted relaxed. "Thank god," he breathed out a visible breath of relief.
Andromeda felt a tinge of amusement at his reaction, but not entirely so considering that she was extremely worried over how the night would go. This night would decide everything, whether Andromeda's relationship with her family would deepen or be cut off completely.
Just to be safe, she already had a bag packed upstairs and a protective charm on the tip of her tongue.
But despite her mother and father's glaring, nothing significant actually happened.
Everybody finished their dinner -Ted was ignored the whole time- and a lot of joking occurred -Andromeda taking part in it as well- before the clock struck nine, alerting them of the time. The first day of Yule, which was the next day, was traditionally spent with family in their own houses, so the Longbottoms, Crouch's, Potters, Prewetts and lone Weasley bid them all individual farewells, wished of having a blessed Yule, another congratulation on the two weddings that were going to take place soon -Molly's with Arthur in a few days, and Bellatrix with Rudolphous in Easter break- along with promises of meeting up soon and good lucks.
It was only after they had left, did naturally, all hell broke loose.
Her mother, Druella Black nee Rosier, had swirled to meet her furious face with Andromeda's slightly frightened ones. She had narrowed her eyes before turning to Ted, her normally clear eyes now looking like a storm at sea.
"You!" She spat, drawing out her wand and aiming it right in between a wide-eyed Ted. "You did this to my daughter! Put her under a spell, did you not you piece of filth! Did you put my precious daughter under a love potion?!"
Neither Ted nor Andromeda was given the chance to reply as the tip of Druella's wand glowed purple.
Andromeda pushed Ted out of the way, taking his place as the target of her mother's wand. "Mother, stop." She said sternly. "He didn't do anything to me. I love him, mother."
"Lies!" Druella growled although the purple glow had disappeared from her wand, hesitant at throwing a curse on her daughter.
Andromeda defiantly glared back at her mother. "The truth is what you believe in, mother, so you can do whatever you want. But the fact is that I love Ted and he loves me back. Nothing you say or do is going to change that."
Druella let out something of a war cry. "You ungrateful girl! How dare you say such things! We've raised you so much better than this Andromeda Irma Black!" she snarled, before rounding up on Ted again.
"You! You piece of absolute filth corrupting my poor, innocent, sweet daughter! You're not even worthy of licking our house-elves drape, mudblood, and yet- you have the audacity to claim my daughter! I shall add your head to the collection against the walls at Walburga's Manor, steal your flesh and throw it to the dragons at the sanctuary, take your liver and shove it so down your throat that you will choke and die on your own vomit while your skin begins to shed like a snake- "
"Not on my carpets you won't," Great Aunt Malania interrupted calmly, making Druella pause mid-dialogue.
"Of course, Malania," Druella reassured immediately, before facing Ted and Andromeda again with narrowed eyes. "You both, follow me, now." She spat, turning around in a flurry of robes and walking determinedly to one of the few rooms in the Planetarium that didn't host her Great Aunt Malania's precious carpets.
Andromeda's eyes connected with Great Uncle Arcturus' who gave her a reassuring smile, calming her down. Her Great Uncle had promised herself and Ted at Hogsmeade that he would give their relationship a lot of careful thought and when he extended an invitation to stay with them during Yule to Ted, he had assured them he would make sure none of them would be cursed, hexed, jinxed or physically harmed in any way.
And while Andromeda was still blind to the decision that he had come to over her and Ted's relationship, she did know that her Great Uncle did not make promises that he didn't know he could keep.
So, she followed her mother's steps and Ted, in turn, took that as his nonverbal command to follow them as well.
Similarly, every other member in the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black also traced their steps, either thoughtful like Uncle Orion and Uncle Alphard or fuming like Aunt Walburga and Bellatrix.
She could hear Lyra tell the adults that she would put Sirius and Regulus to bed and that she also wanted to talk to Narcissa about something related to the Court, as she ushered the three upstairs; something that Andromeda was thankful for. She would rather not have the children or her little sister bear witness to what was to occur, especially not without knowing the outcome of the situation, the words that were going to be exchanged or to which extent it was actually going to go.
As Andromeda walked, she could feel something climb up her legs before wrapping itself around her hip like a belt. Without stopping her steps, she glanced down to meet Phoebus, a black mamba who Lyra adored.
The corners of her lips tilted upwards without her consent as she realised that although her dear cousin had opted not to be physically present in Andromeda's judgement talks, she sent her support in the form of the black mamba who was currently wrapped around her waist protectively and looking ready to pounce at anybody who even tried to come near her.
And so, just like Andromeda knew, if in case things went south like she had a feeling it would, she could count on Lyra to bail them out.
Andromeda walked into the door her mother had entered with confidence, not regretting anything that she had done, for was love truly a crime?
She certainly didn't think so and she prayed that so did her family.
Narcissa scowled at her cousin. "Why did you pull me away?" She asked angrily, watching the retreating forms of her family. "Don't you see what my sister did? Who my sister did? I should be there with her. I sh-"
"-Do you think what Andromeda has done is wrong?" Lyra interrupted.
"-ould be there- What?" Narcissa blinked.
"Do you think what Andromeda has done is wrong?" Lyra repeated calmly. "Do you think she deserved to be disowned and cast away from her family simply because she fell in love?"
Narcissa hesitated before saying, "Yes."
Lyra kept looking at her.
"...No," Narcissa reluctantly admitted. "She's my sister. I don't care if she falls in love with a troll, but I don't want her to get disowned. I don't want to lose her."
"I know," Lyra smiled softly, "and that's why I need your help."
Narcissa looked intrigued.
"Grandfather has promised that no harm would come to either Andromeda or the mudblood inside this house, but if the discussions go south, then-" Lyra took a breath. "Then Andromeda will need a place to go to."
Narcissa's lips fused themselves into a thin line. "But where? All the Black property wards are keyed into the Lord and Lady of the House. They'll know as soon as anybody enters."
"Not all Black properties, actually," Lyra revealed before explaining. "For my seventh birthday, Grandfather had bought a house in Edinburgh, and its wards are keyed in with me."
"You're going to let them stay at your house?" Narcissa asked, surprised.
Lyra nodded. "That's the plan." She gave her a half-smile. "You asked why I held you back, and well, it's because if -Hecate forbid- something goes wrong, then the two of us can help Andromeda and her mudblood."
Narcissa grew quiet, face thoughtful. "Why didn't you ask Bella to stay back?" She asked in a small voice.
"I think you know the answer to that yourself, Cissa," Lyra replied softly.
Narcissa's lips thinned, signalling that she did.
Bellatrix, no matter how much she loved her sister, would not sacrifice her beliefs. Instead, much like their mother had done earlier, Bella would claim that Andromeda was improvised, delusional, under a love potion, or honestly, any other explanation than accepting that Andromeda would voluntarily love somebody beneath her.
And Narcissa sincerely feared what Bellatrix would do to Andromeda.
"Shouldn't we know what is going on inside to understand what we must do?" Narcissa asked finally.
"I sent Phoebus with Andromeda to keep her safe," Lyra told her. "And I also told him that if by any chance, he sees signs of things going bad, then he will come and tell him straight away. Plus," A small smirk descended on her face, "our ancestors are thankfully, very nosy, and there are portraits everywhere." She looked to where Regulus and Sirius were joking with each other, oblivious to the content of the conversation between their sister and cousin. "Let's put these two to bed first, and then we'll ask one of the portraits of our ancestors, okay?"
Narcissa nodded with a small, worried smile. "Okay."
Lyra turned to her brothers with a wide smile. "Okay, boys! Now off to bed with you lot."
Sirius whined while Regulus grumbled as their sister and their cousin led them into their respective rooms, with a nonverbal agreement that Lyra would put Regulus to bed while Narcissa would do the same with Sirius.
Regulus had always been an easy sleeper, and Lyra remembered that when they were little, he would always be found asleep in the oddest places- inside the kitchen cupboard, the snake den, near the fireplace, on the staircase and so much more, which constantly gave them all a mixture of fright and anxiousness.
Once, they were unable to find a five-year-old Regulus even after an hour of searching (the 'point me's constantly kept pointing to an empty space on the corner of the living room) and had just been about to flip a coin on whether to brew a rather illegal location potion or give a kidnapped complaint to the Aurors to find him, when they had heard a small yawn. Following the general sound from which they had heard the noise, they were soon able to find a confused Regulus who was wondering why his parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins looked so relieved at the sight of him.
And that was also the last time James Potter was allowed to bring his invisibility cloak to Grimmauld Place, they just couldn't risk Regulus falling asleep and using it as a comforter again.
All she had to sing him was a small lullaby and Regulus was already deep in dreamworld by the time she finished. Lyra kissed his forehead with a soft smile before making her way to Sirius' room to see how successful Narcissa was in her task.
Narcissa had barely made any progress in getting Sirius to sleep, but Lyra couldn't fault her considering she knew first-hand how difficult that herculean task was.
Narcissa had looked so thankful for her cousin's presence, that Lyra almost felt bad for her.
Together, the two of them constantly asked Sirius random and somewhat absurd questions at a stretch and kept bothering him until he answered them all, and thus, completely tired himself out and descended into the realm of Morpheus mid-speech.
Lyra and Narcissa had shared a hug after carefully, gently closing Sirius' bedroom's door with euphoria.
Sadly, putting Sirius to bed had taken roughly two hours, so they weren't sure how much they had missed in the discussion happening with the others.
They walked downstairs to the bedroom where the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, former Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was hung.
"Grandfather Phineas," Lyra called upon entering.
"Can you hear what is happening with the rest?" Narcissa asked immediately with anxious eyes.
The portrait smiled. "Yes."
The two girls waited for him to continue. He didn't.
"Can you tell us what the rest are talking about?" Lyra specified before adding a, "Please?" as an afterthought.
"Well, since you were kind enough to ask," Phineus said sarcastically, but upon seeing that his great-granddaughters were not at all amused faces, he cleared his throat to answer. "The opinion is divided." He grudgingly admitted with a scowl. "I didn't know our Most Ancient and Noble House had fallen so much that we had to even consider such disgusting matters. Disown the blood traitor and the filthy mud blood, I say!"
"We didn't ask you what you think, so please refrain from commenting," Lyra said, worried for Andromeda. "Who against who?" She asked.
"Walburga, Durella, Cygnus and Bellatrix are against the mud blood as they should be, while Orion and Cassiopeia have abstained from voting. Malania, Alphard and surprisingly, Pollux and Irma don't want Andromeda disowned." Phineas revealed.
Lyra drew a sharp breath. "Grandfather Arcturus will be the deciding factor." She said, making Narcissa nod.
It was true because in the end, even if there wasn't a deadlock in opinions, it was the Head of the House that would make a decision on a matter and the thoughts of the others wouldn't matter, for they would all be under magical obligation to accept the verdict taken by Lord Black.
Lyra must have been lost in her thoughts for long because she heard the sound of a door fling open and hit the walls in the distance.
She shared a concerned look with her cousin before both of them ran in the direction of the noise, with Lyra clutching the portkey to her private property tightly until her knuckles had turned white.
They spotted Andromeda running towards them, tears streaming down her eyes. She ran and hugged Lyra tightly, prompting her to return the embrace. A second later, Andromeda released her from the hug and proceeded to embrace her little sister.
"Are you going?" Narcissa asked in a small voice.
"No," Andromeda replied with a wide smile which was a perfect mixture of a happy surprise, releasing Narcissa and facing both of them now. "Great Uncle says he won't disown me. He says he supports the union."
"Really?!"
"Yes!" Andromeda cried with happiness. "I couldn't believe it either at first, but he said that the joy and safety of the family comes first. He said that he saw how happy I was with Ted, so he won't break it up."
Narcissa and Lyra shared a relieved glance before enveloping Andromeda into yet another group hug.
"I'm so happy for you." Lyra murmured.
"Me too," Narcissa mumbled.
"Thank you," Andromeda said before looking at Lyra. "For everything." She added, referring to all the contribution by her cousin, from convincing her not to run away, making Ted 'proper' and arranging a trip to Hogsmead to all the letters that Andromeda knew Lyra had sent to her grandfather about her problem and how Lyra had told her that she had a safe house ready just in case something went south.
"Of course." Lyra smiled before pausing. "How's Bella?"
Andromeda winced. "Predictably angry with me forever, but she'll have to follow Great Uncle's decision since she's bound to do so." She said with a bitter laugh. "I'm sure I won't be able to stay with mum and dad anymore, so I'll live with Grandpa Pollux and Grandma Irma." She confessed, making Lyra and Narcissa nod, having come to that conclusion already.
"And Great Uncle didn't just give his approval just like that, you know," Andromeda continued. "He made Ted take a Wizards Oath to many, many things and I'm honestly really grateful for him to agree on all the conditions considering how absurd some of them were, but-" Andromeda was smiling so widely at that moment that Narcissa was sure her cheeks were hurting. "both Great Uncle and Ted agreed and accepted, and that's all that matters."
"What kind of conditions?" Narcissa asked curiously.
"Well, he needs to take my name after marriage, rather than the traditional, other way around, and also, any children we have will also be Blacks and not Tonks," Andromeda explained, "There are like twenty other things, I forgot most of them already, but Great Uncle said he'll write it down and give it to us so Ted won't accidentally break them."
"That's wise," Lyra stated, prompting Andromeda to let out a relieved laugh.
"Yes," Andromeda agreed. "Ted's also going to be staying with us for the rest of Yule, and he's also going to be attending Molly's wedding with me as my guest."
"I'm sure he'll be quite surprised by how our weddings are held." Lyra mused, before meeting Andromeda's eyes. "You better not let him try out any of the drinks."
Andromeda nodded thoughtfully. "That's probably a good idea." She agreed with a laugh. "And I haven't told you both the best part yet."
"What is it?" Narcissa asked with intrigue.
"Ted and I are getting married," Andromeda revealed with a nearly suppressed squeal.
Lyra's eyes widened. "That's...big. Congratulations! When is it?"
"Next summer," Andromeda confessed. "A few months after Bella's. Great Aunt is going to help me plan it and grandpa and grandma are going to pay for it."
Another group hug took place.
"Congratulations," Narcissa said with a partially genuine and partially stiff smile. "But isn't this going a little too fast?"
"I don't care," Andromeda said with a shake of her head. "I'm just happy that it's happening at all."
Molly Prewett's winter wonderland wedding was wonderful and as dictated by tradition, was held outside the groom's house. Bells were hung everywhere, as the old-age belief of them being used to disperse evil and a single horseshoe was hung above the altar, symbolising fertility and good luck.
It took place four days before New Year's Day and was picture perfect.
Molly had been a vision descended straight from heaven in her leaf-green wedding dress -thus, standing out in the Snow White background- and wearing a crown of pretty, multicoloured flowers; while Arthur, who had a crown made of ivy on his head, had been smiling so widely upon seeing her, it was adorable.
The bride carried a bouquet of herbs to ward off evil spirits together with red roses which were a symbol of love.
Family, friends and guests stood in a circle around the bride and groom who knelt before an altar upon which the four elements are placed.
First, the wedding celebrant blessed the circle and invoked the Spirits and the Goddesses and then, the priest invited the four elements, the spirits and the gods to bless their union. Lord Prewett lit a candle for fire and placed it to the North of the altar, Lady Prewett placed a bowl of water in the East, Mr Weasley stuck an incense stick to the ground towards the South to represent air and Mrs Weasley placed her favourite piece of crystal to the West to represent the earth.
The ritual of 'Hand Fasting' was performed next, whereby the Bride and Groom's hands were bound by a naturally woven fibre, and just before the 'Giving of Rings' the binding was slipped off with the knot still intact, signifying the fact they would always be 'bound together in marriage'.
The priest, smiling at the young couple, sung verses for the handfasting ceremony as Lady Prewett and Mrs Weasley helped tie the fibre around their hands.
"Now you are bound one to the other
With a tie not easy to break.
Take the time of binding
Before the final vows are made
To learn what you need to know -
To grow in wisdom and love.
That your marriage will be strong
That your love will last
In this life and beyond."
The fathers then handed their respective son and daughter a ring each, to put on the other as they repeated the vows the priest narrated to them.
"I take you my heart
At the rising of the moon
And the setting of the stars.
To love and to honour
Through all that may come.
Through all our lives together
In all our lives,
May we be reborn
That we may meet and know
And love again,
And remember."
The guests cheered loudly for the couple as the priest brought out a golden goblet, which was called the Invocation.
The Greek god Dionysus was usually thought of as the god of wine, but people tended to forget that he was also the god of faithful marriage, and so Molly and Arthur drank the mead from the breakable shared goblet.
Then, the couple shared their first kiss together as husband and wife, prompting many cheers and whistles from their guests.
And in the end, the tradition of jumping over the broom was held. It was a rather fun thing to do and Lyra's favourite wedding activity to watch, if she was being honest, as it was thought that the handle of the broomstick represented the male principal and the brush the female principal. Together they represented the perfect unity of masculine and feminine and were a symbol of fertility. The couple would have to jump over the broom which leaned across the doorway of their new home. If they could cross the threshold without knocking the broom this was a good omen for their life ahead, if not they were in for stormy seas ahead.
Molly and Arthur did a jump successfully, and they all applauded loudly as they did.
Shortly after, they all rushed to congratulate the newlyweds, bless them with a happy life together and give them presents. After that, there was lunch and a whole lot of partying and drinking.
Anybody who assumed that purebloods were too 'stuffy' and couldn't party, clearly hadn't been to one of their private and most exclusive wedding ceremonies, where they joked, played, drank and danced.
Rounds of toasts and suggestive comments were made to the happy couple, each one as embarrassing as the former and making both Molly and Arthur blush a deep red. Lady Lucretia Prewett had taken it a step further as she regaled the crowd of well-wishers with very humiliating tales from Molly's childhood, complete with pictures and thus, giving them all tons of blackmail material.
In his speech, Gideon had without shame, narrated deeply detailed incidents where either Arthur had sneaked in to see Molly or Molly had been caught sneaking out to see Arthur along with the very many times they had got caught in broom cupboards at Hogwarts. He ended his toast with an open question of what they must have been doing in their shared Head's private room, causing wolf-whistles to fill the air and Molly to glare heatedly at her younger brother.
The night ended with bursts of fireworks and overall, it was an extremely joy-filled day filled with smiles and love.
Sadly, like all good things, Yule break came to an end and soon, they were back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
There had been an incident at the Hogwarts Express, however, when a fifth-year Ravenclaw named Gilderoy Lockheart had had the audacity to not only barge into their compartment, but also dared to flirt and make suggestive comments to a very amused Lyra in front of a furious Lucius.
One look at the amount of red on Lucius' face had quickly made the boy cautioned over their relationship, and thus, prompted him to chat up a clearly disgusted Narcissa Black, whose beauty was almost as flawlessly enchanting as her cousin's.
Unfortunately, poor Gilderoy had made the mistake of trying his luck on her in front of a glaring Leonard Rowle, who had gotten quite close to the Silver Second that school year and had thus, made him jealous.
Leonard's wrath upon Gilderoy was the only thing that had saved him from an even worse fate which would have been dealt by Narcissa herself for daring to talk to her.
Lyra was sure Gilderoy Lockheart would never look at butterflies the same again, especially considering how many Leonard had made to go up the holes of his nose, mouth, ears and... other places.
They got back into their normal course of routine soon after returning to Hogwarts- James, Sirius and Regulus pranking with the Prewett twins, Narcissa stressing over her up-coming O.W.L.S, Lucius switching between planning Quidditch plays and making jokes to see his girlfriend's beautiful dimples and Lyra alternating between pretending she didn't just see her brothers and cousins walking along the corridors after curfew dragging questionable items behind them as they waved and wished her a good night, and calling her boyfriend 'cute' and 'adorable' at every instance possible.
The only difference between before and after Yule break was that now, Andromeda and Ted didn't have to keep their love for each other a secret anymore, something that both of them were on cloud nine about.