/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟏.𝟙𝟘.𝟤

Andromeda looked rather relieved and she leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. "David Kancis."

"What?"

"That's the last time you said those exact words to me. Fifth year. You were 'in love' with David Kancis."

Now it was Narcissa's turn to look defiant. "This is different! Andromeda," Narcissa lowered her voice once again. "I think- I think I'm in love with him."

At this, Andromeda leaned back and ran her fingers through the soft waves of her brown hair. "Narcissa..." she sighed, sounding absolutely drained from the situation, "Narcissa, you can't be in love with Lucius Malfoy."

"And why not?" Narcissa asked with a challenging stare.

Andromeda bit down on her glossy lower lip with gentle preoccupation, trying to get the words together in her mind. The girls sat there for a long time as Andromeda sorted carefully through her scattered thoughts. At last, she gave what she didn't know would be the last piece of sisterly advice she'd ever give. "Narcissa, you know I don't try to control what you do- I know that doesn't work but, well- you can't be in love with Lucius Malfoy. I need you to trust me on this." She held up a hand when Narcissa opened her mouth to argue, her face expressing its calm, motherly wisdom the entire time. "He's not the right guy for you. Someday you're going to find someone who will truly love you and respect you for who you are, but that's not Lucius. He's mean and he uses his power as head boy to hurt people, and he does a lot of things that are really not okay-"

"Shut up!" Narcissa interrupted, standing up so fast her seat toppled over backwards and people really started to stare. "Just shut up! You know as well as I do you're just jealous."

"Narcissa..."

"No- you're jealous that I could find someone noble and pure who Mum and Dad'll approve of. You know you'll get disowned- hell, you got pregnant! You're jealous I'm upholding the family honor while you're having some half-blood freak of a baby-"

Andromeda was out of her chair before Narcissa even finished the word 'freak.' "You take that back!" she shouted. Across the library, Madam Pince shushed them loudly. For the first time ever, Andromeda ignored her. "You take that back right now!" Narcissa simply shook her head. "Narcissa, you have a right to be confused and upset because you're a fucked up mess, but you have no right to insult the way I chose to live my life! I'm happy with the way everything is going and- and I'm sorry you're not, but I can't sit around and wait for this family to catch up anymore!" She reached up and swiped tears from her eyes, her once-subtle eyeliner smearing across her face. "I have to get out of here." Then, in a more pensive voice, "I have to get out of here."

The entire library was silent, staring at the two sisters who once were inseparable, now glaring daggers at one another. Finally, Madam Pince was the one to break the silence. "Out, girls," she said sharply, "Out." On her way out, Madam Pince cast an almost apologetic look towards Andromeda, who she'd taken a liking to during her first year as librarian, Andromeda's fourth year. The girls left the room quickly, and on her way to the Hufflepuff common room to meet up with Ted, Andromeda knew exactly what she had to do.

~

"He said you're annoying," Peter said softly, choosing to stare down at the chess board between him and Artemis instead of directly into her eyes. "But- but Remus said the problem between you two is that- you're too similar... or something..."

Artemis glared around the common room, completely ignoring the unfinished game she'd agreed to play with Peter. "Oh, he thinks I'm annoying?" she said testily, her fingers toying with her wand sitting on the couch cushion next to her. "He has got to be kidding."