Symphony | Andromeda Black

Glenda's House

"Oh well, we must chat later. It's nice to finally meet you. Glenda always talks about you. Speaking of...."

There were footsteps on the stairs and Glenda raced down. She'd had her hair done, so the colour was now red, and her bracelets jangled on her wrist. "Hey Andy, let's go upstairs to play."

She paused. "Where's your bracelet?"

"Oh," Andromeda rubbed her neck. "Mother took it to keep it safe."

It was a tiny fib. Druella had said she looked like a gypsy with so much jewellery. She'd only been allowed to wear her ring.

"Oh okay. When's dinner, Mum?"

She talked to her mother so casually that Andromeda blinked, but her mother only smiled as she shut the door.

"In about an hour. You girls play."

Andromeda followed Glenda up the stairs to an open door.

"It's a bit messy," she said apologetically. "Especially because I have to share with Ama, and anyway we were playing forts."

Andromeda blinked as they entered. It was quite probably the most untidy bedroom she'd ever been in. Toys and games were scattered across the floor, and books were arranged in stacks and arches to simulate forts.

She found her voice eventually. "Don't your house elves clean your bedroom?"

"Oh no, we don't have any. Dad doesn't like the way they're treated."

This was absolutely alien. Andromeda didn't think she had ever been anywhere that didn't have house elves. And there were so many things. Her own bedroom was empty of everything but the base necessities. But Glenda and Ama had posters, books, clothes tossed untidily on chairs, and toys upon toys......

Glenda's little sister was kneeling by the window building more forts. She knew Ama was five, and she had the same hair as her sister and mother, but it was shorter.

"D'you want to play dolls?"

Andromeda put her hand over her mouth when she saw the state of the dolls, whose hair was all hacked, their plastic skin covered in marker. "Wasn't your mother angry?"

"Of course not," Glenda said, sounding puzzled. "Why, would yours be?"

"They don't like when we disrespect gifts. Father caned Narcissa when she drew in her school books."

The two girls stared at her. Ama's thumb had left her mouth, and Glenda's was in a big o.

"Your father canes you?"

"Well, yes," she said, suddenly uncomfortable as she always was when Glenda looked at her like that. "Because we have to learn."

"But doesn't it hurt?"

"The pain is a lesson not to do it again. Don't your parents cane you?"

"No," Glenda said, like the very idea was absurd. She looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Of course not."

Andromeda blushed and quickly changed the subject. They played dolls, and Glenda rolled her eyes when Ama started to play too.

Andromeda rolled her eyes too, but she was secretly glad, because it meant Glenda wouldn't ask any more questions about caning.

When they were bored of the dolls, Glenda took out nail polish, but then her brother came in wondering what they were doing. He was seven, and his name was Mikey.

Glenda asked him if he wanted her to paint his nails.

"You don't paint boy's nails!" Andromeda was scandalised.

She shrugged. "Why not?"

"Because – because boys aren't supposed to wear it. Won't your parents be angry?"

"No. We even do Dad's sometimes. Put your hands flat," she commanded, and Mikey did as he was told.

"I'll do one of your hands and Andy can do the other one. Ama can do your toes."

He was happy to go along with it. "I want red," he told Andromeda, so she uncapped the bottle of red and painted along his nails. This household, she thought privately, was the most bizarre one she'd ever been in.

"Wait til we eat," Glenda told her as she carefully painted Mikey's little nails. "Mum cooks the best food in the world."

Andromeda knew better at this point than to convey her surprise. In her world, the house elves did the cooking. She'd never seen Druella make so much as toast.

She was faced with more surprises when they went down to eat, because they all sat at the same table and Glenda's father welcomed her warmly. When she saw him noticing Mikey's nails she worried he would be angry, but he just laughed.

The food was some of the best she'd ever tasted, different and exotic to the plain English food she was used to. She turned to Glenda, and mouthed over the table, "Your mother is amazing."

"I know," Glenda mouthed back.