𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝┊𝐇𝐏

ᴄʜᴘ.6 ┊ᴠɪꜱɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴛ ʜᴇɪʀᴇꜱꜱ

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❝Chapter 𝗌𝗂𝗑 ❞

𝖵𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌
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There was nothing like the mornings at Hogwarts. The fresh, cold air that slightly nipped at your skin and blew your hair gently, the dewy grass, and the empyrean, beautiful morning sky. It was safe to say that mornings at Hogwarts were James Fleamont Potter's favorite.

He was up in the early morning, watching as the rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. Yet, the heavenly sight did little to quell his worries.

His mind was still on the night earlier and afterwards, on the unanswered questions.
If he were dead, what would happen to Harry? How would the muggles take care of his boy?

And those questions were still on his mind. He glanced to his right, his hazel eyes watching his best friend sit on the couch with an impassive face. He had been like that since this morning, and James had no doubt that this was something relating to his family, the Black family.

And James Fleamont Potter also knew that Sirius would only talk about it to him after a few days; it always was like this.

"Well, if all are here now," Ignatius Prewett said, while clapping his hands, "let's start again, shall we?"

And just then the screen flickered on and lit up, and the familiar typewriter sounds once again were heard.

Alleyway behind Merkin's bar,
Knockturn Alley,
London
16.45 pm.

"Strange" Rodolphus Lestrange commented, his blue eyes narrowing slightly, "No date this time"

The dingy alleyway was desolate. Darkness looming over it due to the large ramshackle buildings surrounding it, the stone pavement was gritty as if nobody had bothered to lean it up in ages.

Suddenly a creaking sound was heard, the decaying wooden door slowly opened and out came a lanky man. His robes were rough and had several patches around it and his blonde hair was bushy. The man turned around and put a cigarette in his mouth and rummaged around his pockets to find a lighter while whistling.

Behind the man, a figure with a blue cloak came into focus. The rich blue robes the figure had on looked completely out of place. The cloaked figure tilted their head, silently observing the whistling man in front.

His hazel eyes narrowed as he pointed his finger towards the screen. "Okay this person is obviously well off" James asked his best-friend, "Why are they even in the knockturn alley?"

"It's not really that strange for lords of noble houses or so to personally go to Knockturn Alley for delicate information," the raven-haired boy told him.

The runaway heir shot his great aunt a glance and then slowly leaned towards his best friend, "It's usually where creeps are but those creeps know a lot of information"

The focus turned back to the lanky man, puffing out the smoke, but he suddenly froze as he heard soft whistling behind him.

The cigarette from his shaky hand fell as footsteps echoed in the dingy alleyway.

On the other side of the great hall, Bellatrix Lestrange, nee Black, looked up, her eyebrows furrowed as the tune.

It sounded familiar. Too familiar.

Her dark gray eyes closed as she tried hard to remember where she had heard it, scowling lightly when she did not.

"Turn around," a feminine voice commanded.

Heads of family members of the House of Black snapped to the right, where Andromeda Tonks, nee Black, was sitting on the amber couch looking at the screen wide-eyed.

"What are you even doing there?" the runaway heir asked incredulously while pointing towards the screen.

"That's not a place any respectable lady should be at," Pollux Black commented, but stopped midway as he saw his youngest son's subtle glare.

"Enough," Cygnus said calmly, yet the ire burning in his eyes was obvious to his family members. His hand clenched at his side as he took a deep breath to calm his anger.

His family had really been testing his limits.

He turned his head to look at his middle daughter, his precious daughter. Why would she go to Knockturn Alley in the first place?

Andromeda always had gray magic, unlike her elder sister, who thrived in dark magic, nor did she like potions so much that she needed to go to Knockturn Alley of all places to find an ingredient. So why was she there unless...

Unless the girl wanted some very specific information,

But about whom?

He had always prided himself on not letting his daughters see or know too much about the dirty work, like removing information. It was not their age to see that much manipulation and sometimes even gore. His eldest nephew, Sirius, had no choice as he was the heir; he needed to know those things for the long run.

Still, Cygnus had let his daughters, Bellatrix and Andromeda, mainly as Narcissa never did have any interest in family work, learn as much as they wanted to, theoretically, from Cassiopeia, with strict instructions not to scar them for life with too many gory details.

His middle daughter, from her lessons and her private lessons with Cassiopeia, and sometimes him, would know how to remove specific information and how to dispose of the source too.

"I...I don't know," he heard her say.

His dark gray eyes wandered off to hers. Her eyes, the very same ones she inherited from him, were fixed on the screen, and her hand was fiddling with her diamond wedding ring as she refused to look anyone in the eye. The youngest child of Pollux and Irma Black stood up, blatantly ignoring the looks he was getting, and walked towards his daughter, wordlessly sitting down beside her.

And even with all the peculiar and puzzling things happening around him, Cygnus Marsic Black cherished the warm feeling that washed over him.

A feeling that had been missing for the past three years.

A feeling he had been desperately missing for the past three years.

The scene started playing again, making everybody look back at the screen. "I still don't like that you went there alone," he whispered out of the blue, making Andromeda snap her head towards him.

"You should have taken somebody with you."

"I don't even know why I'm there."

"I have a feeling we soon will."

A greasy smirk appeared on the blond man's face. The previously fearful face now replaced with fake confidence.

"Well, lady, we could always first go to dinner and then..."

"Excuse me," Andromeda said, her face turning into disgust.

"Mind your tongue," Cygnus Black hissed, his dark gray eyes glaring murderously at the screen.

On the other couch, Bellatrix Lestrange's dark gray eyes narrowed, and her lips formed into a poorly disguised snarl. She closed her eyes as she resisted the urge to take the silver knife strapped to her thigh and hunt down that lousy scumbag.

"This is why we don't go to such filthy places," the blonde said, looking straight at her disowned sister. She had changed so much, yet so little, Narcissa thought.

The Andromeda she knew would never disregard her safety like that, unless it was quite a dire situation.

The Andromeda she knew was meek yet cunning and would never let any harm come to their family.

But then again, the Andromeda she knew would never leave her own blood for anyone, let alone a boy.

Yet she did.

She did leave her and Bella willingly.

Willingly for a wizard named Ted Tonks.

But did she really, or did she do it because of you?

Her jaw clenched as her mind replayed yesterday night's events. Her father furiously yelled at her for causing Andromeda to run away. She remembered looking towards Bellatrix for help, yet the look in Bellatrix's eyes caused the words to stop right at her mouth. The disbelief and betrayal shining in her eyes were obvious.

A part of her wanted to tell her that she didn't deserve that look of betrayal. How was she supposed to know that Andromeda was listening to her conversation with her friends?

All she wanted to do was share her ever-growing family problems with her group of friends. She needed to. It was not as if anyone in the family was willing to listen to her.

Bella had shut herself in the room after the revelation of Andromeda, Ted Tonks, and the baby. Sirius refused to even look at her, calling her a snitch for telling her mother about Andromeda and Ted. Regulus, as always, followed his brother's steps.

She just needed to vent everything to somebody.

Then again, her mind went back to three years ago, when Andromeda herself had indignantly yelled at her, claiming she had no right to poke in her business and that she was going to tell Father everything herself after a few days.

She remembered scoffing at that time, thinking she was trying to save her face by lying for the disgrace she brought their family, but now that she thinks of it, Andromeda was telling the truth that day. She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Andromeda's voice.

"I do not know why I am there, but I can assure you that if I am there," Andromeda said, her ring-clad finger pointing towards the screen, "I am there for a good reason."

"And what good reason?" her mother said out of the blue, making her resist the urge to flinch.

Even after three years, the woman's ability to stay silent and then spook the heck out of somebody by suddenly questioning them never failed to astonish her.

It was Druella Black's way of intimidating and unnerving people.

"Would one have to be in a filthy place like that?" Druella Black née Rosier continued.

Her dark gray eyes closed as she struggled not to snap and tell her for the thousandth time that she didn't know what the fuck she was doing in that dreadful place.

"That's what she keeps telling you all." The raven-haired boy commented tiredly, "She doesn't know."

Before anybody could say anything else, the scene started playing again, forcing them to stop talking and focus on the screen.

Their eyes met, and a soft smile graced her lips. "Thank you," she mouthed to him.

Sirius's mouth twitched a little as he rolled his eyes. "You're very welcome," he mouthed back, and then promptly stuck his tongue out and looked away, causing her to chuckle quietly.

The man's words cut off as he felt a cool blade near his neck. Slowly, he turned his head, his eyes widening at the sight of the long, shiny, sharp silver blade near his neck.

The camera shifted, and Andromeda Tonks, née Black, came into view.

Her dark gray eyes were narrowed, furiously glaring, and her mouth curled up in an angry snarl. Her hand, which was clad with delicate golden rings, tightened its grip on the silver raven handle of the blade.

"Shut the fuck up," she said, articulating every single word, and pressed the blade slightly against the man's skin, leading to crimson blood trailing down from his neck due to the cut that was caused.

"Andromeda," the Potter heir whispered in shock while his best friend beside him let out a boisterous laugh.

"Oohh, went directly for the throat, huh?" the raven-haired boy said while clapping his hands. On the other side, Bellatrix Lestrange looked at the screen with a smirk on her face.

"He got what he deserved." Andromeda simply told James, causing her father to suppress a smirk at Druella's stunned face.

"Should've aimed a little forward for the jugular," Cassiopeia commented, her fingers covered in sheer black gloves, idly spinning her self-inking quill.

"He won't be of any use if he's dead."

The masterful legilimens hummed as she looked at her grand-niece. "True," she said as her eyes shifted towards Cygnus. Their eyes met, and Cassiopeia raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow at him to tell him what an opportunity they had missed due to him. The girl would have thrived in their family business under her guidance.

"Turn around," the woman commanded.

The raven haired boy turned his head left, a strand of his hair sticking to his forehead. "Always so demanding, Andy"

"Can't help it"

The lanky man slowly turned around, careful of the silver blade on his neck. His blue eyes widened as he looked at the middle child of Cygnus and Druella Black.

"You," he whispered while shakily pointing to her. "You're that disowned Black"

Andromeda tilted her head to the side slightly, her scarlet lips pursing as she narrowed her dark gray eyes on the screen. Her right hand fiddled with her diamond pendant as she let out a quiet scoff. "Well, that's one way to know me."

The camera shifted, and Andromeda Tonks came into focus, her scarlet lips twitching up as she tilted her head as if mocking the man in front of her.

"Well, that's one way to know me."

"You- you're Andromeda Black"

"Yes, I thought we established that already."

His hand fiddled with his ruby cufflinks as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the man on the screen. "He doesn't seem that bright, does he?" Rabastan said.

"You have a bounty on your head."

"Yes, I know that too. You really should stop stating the obvious."

"You've got a what on your head?"

The incredulous tone of Cygnus Black made his middle daughter snap her head towards him, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked at his aghast face. "You didn't know?"

"Well, of course not", the youngest son of Pollux and Irma Black replied. "A bounty. A fucking bounty on your head, and I was not aware of it. Why was I not aware of it?" the man mindlessly mumbled as his dark gray eyes drifted off to his cousin, who looked just as puzzled as him.

Soon after Andromeda ran away, Cygnus had given some of his responsibilities to Orion and Cassiopeia, who had both had gracefully taken them without complaint, even if they had their own never-ending duties that took most of their time.

They weren't arduous duties, mostly related to some tips and inside information and keeping tabs on it, but after Andromeda had run away, he couldn't bear to do that work. Almost all of the information was related to her, and the stabbing pain and the searing hatred for Edward Tonks were about to consume him whole.

His own informant, Raquel, kept tabs on his daughter and would give him whole reports when he had gathered the courage to ask for them.

His fingers gripped the ends of his emerald robe tightly as he bristled with ire and irritation. How dare anyone even think of putting a bounty on Andromeda? How had they missed somebody putting a bounty on one of their own?

More specifically, how had Raquel missed it when he had told him to keep tabs on every little thing?

Cygnus clenched his jaw when he realised that in his efforts to not hear anything relating to this middle daughter, he had just put her in more danger.

His negligence had put her in danger she should never be in.

"Did you have any idea about this?" Cygnus asked the only son of Arcturus and Melania Black. The firm no of Orion and Cassiopeia Black got him thinking who was that mad enough to go after his daughter. You have got to be mad enough to have a death wish. He knew what he had to do.

No matter how many precautions that bastard took to hide their identity and stay anonymous, his informants would remove it in a matter of a few weeks. Mayhaps he could task Claudius with it; the man would get the work done in a few days.

Yes, that's what he'd do after having a talk with Raquel about his incompetence, he thought.

The wizard snapped out his thoughts as the scene started playing once again. The scene halted all the furious conversations that had started since the revelation. His dark gray eyes glanced at the patriarch, whose face looked furious and was scowling at Orion and Cassiopeia. The younger wizard pitied his cousin and aunt just a little bit.

Arcturus had been in a foul mood since yesterday, and Cygnus pitied anyone who came to his bad side today. The poor soul would for sure get the most severe tongue-lashing of their lifetimes.

"What do you want from me?"

A loud clap resonated as Andromeda clapped her hands together, her mouth lifting up in a mocking smile.
"Now," she said, "that's a good question. I need information."

The man gulped, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead as he glanced at the witch in front of him. A shaky breath left his mouth as he asked, "On who?"

"Death eaters," the brunette-haired witch simply replied.

"More precisely, the Yaxley and Burke heirs."

A low whistle left the runaway heir's lips, "Yaxley and Burke, huh? Makes sense; both of them are absolute twats."

James Potter, who was beside the raven-haired boy, nodded in agreement, having the absolute displeasure of having to converse with them in the pureblood parties.

Her grip on the hilt increased as her dark gray eyes narrowed into a glare. The tinkling chime of the nearby bar echoed in the dingy alley. The words she overheard earlier kept ringing in her head as her grip on the hilt increased and her eyes narrowed into a glare.

"What are they planning?"

"Something tells me you already know."

"I do," she agreed, "but I would like to hear it again."

The witch carefully sheathed the silver dagger and, not even a second later, whipped out her mahogany dragon heart-string wand, causing the man in front of her to flinch violently.

"Now speak," she commanded.

Dark gray eyes widened in fear and disgust as she heard the stuttering words of the man in front of her. Her left hand clenched the rich, dark blue cloak in a fist, resisting the urge to fire a curse for the outright crass plans and assumptions.

"You mean to tell me?" the middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black gritted out, "You abhorrent bastards plan to attack Lateita's jouets et livres, a place full of women and kids-"

"-heirs"

The noisy commotion began in the great hall as furious and horrified shouts from everyone caused chaos. Everybody knew Lateita's was one place in Diagon Alley where everybody went for their children, even purebloods, because of their quality products.

The place was normally always at full capacity, with children running around, seeing the newest toys, and women socializing and looking at imported book collections, which was impressive.

"Such abominable behavior. Heirs they may be, but they are still children," Melania Black shouted, appalled. Her daughter, Lucretia Black née Prewett, nodded in agreement, her face furious and her eyes murderous.

The loud sound of a slap resonated in the alley. The wizard clutched his stinging left cheek and closed his eyes as he felt the metallic taste coat his mouth.

His blood.

Blue eyes snapped open as he heard the dark, menacing voice of the witch, causing him to take a step back. "One, do not interrupt me." Andromeda said furiously.

"Two, heirs or not, they are still children. Children. Innocent children who you sick bastards plan to harm"

"Yes, Andromeda, show him who's the boss." James Potter cheered.

At the same time, his raven-haired whooped, "One more slap, Andy. On the other cheek too."

"I couldn't have done better myself," Cassiopeia Black said with a dark, one-sided smile on her face. Her amusement increased a little as she saw Pollux's comical, bewildered face as he watched back and forth between the screen and Lady Black, who was praising Andromeda rather loudly.

"It's not like that-"

"It's exactly like that," Rodolphus Lestrange said, disgust etched over his face. Children were a miracle, a blessing bestowed upon them by Lady Magic, and to harm such pure souls, it was a crime of the highest degree.

"Precisely. The fact that he is still making these worthless excuses is nauseating."Lucien Lestrange replied to his eldest son.

The Lestrange Lord looked at his eldest child with critical eyes, fully aware of how involved his eldest and his wife were in this. "I better not see you or Bellatrix participating in such vile acts."

He raised his right hand, silencing his son, who was about to say something. "You both will not have any affiliation to that filth after this, for sure, but even now," he said while pointing to the screen, "in these future memories, I better not see any involvement, Rudolphus. I will not have our house stoop down that low."

"Yes father"

"Keep your excuses to yourself," she snarled as her ring-clad hand reached into her pocket. Grabbing the small vial of veritaserum, she tossed it to the man and motioned for him to drink it. Her dark gray eyes closely watching as she made sure the man drank everything. "Tell me who the targets of this attack are."

The blue-eyed man let out a breathy sigh, knowing there was no chance he could get out of this mess.

He knew the women in front of him won't hesitate to kill him if he didn't cooperate, for she was raised as a Black and everybody knew how vicious the house is.

"Ladies and heirs of some houses who rejected the new Wizengamot bill, like Delacour's, Edcombe's, and Ogden's," he said, not meeting her eye. The blue-eyed wizard bit his lip harshly, not wanting to delve into further information that would for sure get him killed.

"He's stalling," Arcturus Black commented, his eyebrows furrowing as he took in the man on the screen. His left hand, which was holding Melania's gloved one discreetly tightened its grip.

"There were also some specific names. People who will be visiting the place for sure. They made sure that they would be present."

Seeing the perfectly raised eyebrow, the man continued, "You know Abigail Fortesque. Athena Clearwater. Gareth Hicks and"

"Shit, that's Alice's mom," the hazel-eyed marauder muttered in shock.

"And Athena Clearwater. That's Seraphina Clearwater's mother; she was in my batch," Andromeda said, her hands fiddling with her diamond pendant mindlessly as she heard the name of the mother of her old friend.

They had been close, with Slytherin and Sera, Ravenclaw, often getting praise for inter-house friendships, but after her disownment, Seraphina hadn't bothered to contact her, and even she didn't.

Dark gray eyes narrowed as the man in front of her muttered another name. A name muttered so softly that she couldn't hear it, yet she had an inkling about it.

'Make sure she does nothing suddenly; fire the spell on the spot if she makes any moves. Whatever happens, Ted Tonks must go to Lateita's jouets et livres today' she heard the Yaxley heir say.

They had been keeping an eye on her and her shop since morning. Observing her every move keenly-too keenly-she couldn't even alert Sirius about it.

That's when she knew those bastards had something planned.

Andromeda hunted the pathetic wizard in front of her in mere hours for clarity of the plan and confirmation. Nobody was touching her family at her watch.

The wizard mumbled something once again, and Andromeda snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Speak louder"

"Ted Tonks"

"I beg your fucking pardon" Andromeda gritted out, her hand clutching her wand tightly, her dark gray eyes glaring murderously on the screen.

"Merlin, not Ted" Sirius muttered, his mercury gray eyes fixed on his cousin who looked a second away from hexing the shit out of somebody.

Yet he could understand her, Andromeda's husband Ted Tonks was a nice man. He kind of reminded him of Remus, kind, warm, literally in love with books, loyal except Remus had a sailor's mouth.

Why anybody would have a problem with that man was beyond him.

For Godricks sake, the man travels extra from St.Mungos to Diagon Alley most days just to get Andromeda's favorite Crème brûlée and Croquembouche.

Her eyes closed, her grip on the wand tightening. "Excuse me?" she gritted out, appalled and furious at the fact that these useless pieces of shits thought of targeting her family.

"T..Te..Ted Tonks and Andromeda Tonks"

The spell fired not even a second later, and the scream from the man came milliseconds later, only to be silenced by the witch in front of him with a flick of her wand. The man withered in pain on the dirty road, his face red and his hands clutching his chest. He raised his hand, which was shaking terribly, as if he wanted to speak.

Raising an eyebrow, she flicked her wand slightly, curious to see if those bastards had anything else planned. She wouldn't put past the Burke heir to have a Plan B or Plan C; those Burkes were intelligent, sometimes even if they acted like dimwits most of the time.

"P...pl....please.... Spare me" The man gasped out. Before Andromeda could say anything, the man continued, "I'll give you more information."

"What information?" Andromeda asked in a clipped tone. She had better things to do than waste time on this idiot.

She needed to get Ted and Andromeda out of Diagon Alley, where Ted was currently entertaining Andromeda by showing her different shops and stalls.

"They... They got inside news. News that Nar..Narcissa Malfoy is going to that store too."

Silence and then deafening chaos, James watched wide-eyed as the Malfoy family and Cygnus Black threw out plans of death and gore and doom so easily.

"How dare those Yaxley and Burkes think that they would get away by harming my house?" Abraxas Malfoy seethed. The man's temper reached another level as he saw his son nodding, but he stopped when he noticed his father's glare.

"Do not nod like a blithering idiot." The Malfoy Lord snapped at his son, still furious over the secrecy and audacity of transferring his money to a filthy nobody, as he found out yesterday night while going over his accounts late last night. "You willingly joined these abhorrent fools."

Her breathing stilled, and her eyes widened. She felt as if her heart had stopped beating. Narcissa meant Draco too; her sister nowadays never went anywhere without the boy.

Strands of her brunette hair stuck to her face as she looked back. A single stone staircase led upwards to Southern Diagon Alley.

"Oh, Narcissa," she whispered, her scarlet lips parting as fear gathered in her eyes.

"Go," she told her father, who was looking at his youngest daughter. The wizard turned to look at her, and she smiled a little.

"Go, father. I'll be fine. She needs you. They both do," Andromeda said, looking at her mother, who was embracing Narcissa tightly to her chest.

"I told you everything I knew. Let me go," she heard the man say. Rage filled her dark grey eyes as she spoke, anger filling each word. "Oh, I will let you go."

The middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black turned around, raising her wand and slowly enjoying the fear in the man's eyes.

"Goodbye," she said simply as a purple curse shot from her wand, and the screen promptly went black.

"Such a badass, Andy" the raven haired boy said trying to cut the tension which had befallen the great hall. Familiar typewriter sounds began playing once again as words typed themselves over the screen.

Diagon Alley,
Southern side
Near Dean's bookstall of magical mysteries
17.15 pm

The streets of Diagon Alley were busy. The cobblestone road was filled with witches and wizards, all dressed in robes in a flurry of colours. The camera shifted as Andromeda Tonks, nee Black, came into focus, hurrying down and muttering apologies to the people she pushed by to get through.

Dark gray eyes scanned the crowd, widening as she saw the silhouette of her husband. She could recognise that tan coat she absolutely loathed and that messy hair she absolutely loved anywhere.

"Ted" Andromeda said, a soft smile gracing her face as she saw her husband.

"Yes, Edward" Cygnus Black said impassively, his tone making Sirius snort.

Picking up her speed, the witch made her way towards him. "Ted," she called out, hoping the man would hear her over the bustling street.

The man in question looked up, his eyebrows furrowing as he shut the big brown leather-covered book he was looking at with a thud.

Ted turned around, a strand of his sandy brown hair sticking to his forehead. The wizard gripped the now-closed book in his right hand as he scanned the crowd. Warm brown eyes sparkled with joy and adoration as he spotted his wife, lifting his left hand and waving eagerly.

"Andy," Ted said with a soft smile as Andromeda reached them.

"You heard," Andromeda said, her voice coming out as breathy as her ring-clad hand clutched her chest. "I thought you wouldn't hear with all this noise."

"Well, it was you who called. I'd recognise your voice anywhere," the wizard replied, his left hand gripping her shoulder softly and stroking it.

"Ugh you both are so disgustingly cute" the raven-haired groaned.

"Leave us alone, Siri" Andromeda said dryly, rolling her eyes at her cousin's dramatics.

Adjusting her gloves, Melania Black shot a smile at Cygnus's middle daughter, "He sounds like he loves you very much" she said, causing the girl to blush.

"Maman," a voice yelled enthusiastically.

Andromeda's dark gray eyes softened as she glanced down at her daughter. Her hair rapidly changed colors, settling on bright bubblegum pink, and her dark gray eyes were wide with happiness.

Andromeda lifted her right hand, stroking her daughter's rosy cheeks, trailing down to her mouth, which was split in a beaming grin. The black witch felt her own lips lift up in a soft, wide smile.

"Hello 'Dora"

"There's my little mischief," Sirius said with a wide smile as he looked at Andromeda's daughter on the screen.

Nymphadora Tonks was a ball of energy who would one day have the entire wizard London at her feet. With her stubbornness, playfulness, persistence, and drive to get things perfect once she started them, the runaway heir had no doubt that the girl one day would accomplish great things. And her sharing his penchant for mischief was merely a bonus.

"That's..." Cygnus Black said, his mouth dry as he looked at the screen, his dark gray eyes wide with surprise and awe.

"Nymphadora Tonks" Andromeda said, a smile making its way up her face as she glanced at her father, "Your granddaughter."

"She's beautiful, ma chérie" the wizard said, blinking rapidly, and if Andromeda noticed the crack in his voice, she didn't mention it, just relishing in the contentment she felt.

"So it's true, then. Your family gifts have made their way back into your bloodline," Lucien Lestrange said, his icy blue eyes fixed on Lord Black. His face was impassive, not showing even a bit of envy, which was bubbling inside of him.

Family gifts, abilities which were so rare beyond the normal witches and wizards, which were bestowed as a blessing upon them by Lady Magic, had all vanished from their ancient lines; it was a bitter fact most witches and wizards had accepted throughout the wizarding London.

His icy blue eyes glanced at Ignatius Prewett, the only known wizard in London who had his line's gift, Magic Sight.

His own line had been dragon tamers, and at least one account in the thick scrolls written by Azar Lestrange, the third patriarch of the House of Lestrange, mentions that his daughter, Aithne Olga Lestrange, was resistant to fire.

No amount of heat ever left a scar on her skin of any kind. It was said she had hair as red as the fire, with freckles scattered around her face, and her ember eyes reminded people of a burning flame.

Unfortunately, the flame did not keep on burning, as before her twentieth birthday, Aitne Olga Lestrange passed away, for reasons unknown to everybody else but only known to the Lestrange Lords.

"Yes. A Metamorphmagus. A blessing indeed."Arcturus Sirius Black said, yet his eyes were fixed on the screen, taking in the sight with wonderment. A gift that had not been seen since Seren Portia Black had passed away, which was nearly more than two hundred years ago, was once again seen in Andromeda's daughter, Nymphadora.

Building up courage, she gave her disowned sister, who was looking at her in shock, a small smile. "Nymphadora's a delight to look at, 'Meda." she said, her smile instantly getting bigger as she heard Andromeda reply to her.

"Honestly Andy. What were you thinking while naming her? Nymphadora, really?" the raven-haired boy said, earning a laugh from his best mate.

"Honestly, Sirius, why do you hate it so much?" Andromeda said dryly, feeling sick of the comment that always came up whenever Sirius came around to visit during the holidays, "It's a beautiful name."

"Your daughter, herself, literally hates it, Andy." Sirius said.

"God forbid somebody call her Nymphadora; she'd break somebody's nose. Remember last time?" he said and laughed loudly when he heard Andromeda breathe out a heavy sigh.

His cousin's meltdowns over her daughter's antics would never not be funny.

"And just what happened last time?" Lucretia Prewett, née Black, asked.
"Story for another time," Andromeda told her.

"Don't worry, Aunt Lu. I'll tell you during lunch," his mischievous mercury gray eyes twinkling in amusement. "Trust me, you especially are going to love it," he said, earning a loud laugh from his aunt.

"You seem to know a lot about young Nymphadora, Sirius," Walburga Black asked calmly, her eyes ignoring the glare her husband shot her.

"Of course I do, mother," his face cool, but his eyes narrowed at his mother.
"I do not cut people off for some silly little thing that does not matter that much, unlike some others, I know" the dig clearly there.

Before the mother or son could say anything else, the scene started making all of them turn their attention back to the screen.

The girl pulled her mother's left hand twice, her eyebrows crinkling slightly. "Maman, where were you? Papa kept going on and on and on and on about different plants and animals. I think my head will burst if I hear more of Alihotsy and giggling or whatever," the little girl said.

"Alihotsy leaves cause those giggles," her father started, but the metamorphmagus paid him no mind and then brought her hand to her mouth and whispered as if her father couldn't hear her. "I wonder how his head hasn't burst."

"I think it's those thick books he always devours that cause such resistance to head-bursting," the mother whispered too, playing along.

"You both do know I can hear you perfectly, correct?" Ted Tonks asked, raising his left eyebrow.

Nymphadora Tonks glanced back, her eyes changing from dark gray to warm brown, twinkling with mischief all the same. "Good," she said. "You were supposed to."

"Oh, how I love your daughter, Andromeda," James said, laughing at the young girl's response.

"Watch me tell her all the secret passages and tunnels. Oh, she'll use them well, carrying on the marauder's legacy," Sirius said, causing Andromeda to gasp.

"Sirius No"

"Sirius yes"

The camera shifted towards the middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black, her face glum as she looked at the now-arguing father-daughter. Oh, how close she was to losing them both, she thought, her fingers gripping her daughter's cheek firmly, causing the metamorphmagus to glance at her mother worriedly. Ted followed his daughter's gaze, his own eyes shining with worry as he cupped his wife's cheek.

"Andy, what's wrong?" he asked.

She felt her lips twitch upward as she heard her husband. Of course, he'd notice something was troubling her. He always did, which usually made it much harder to hide her worries from him. Scarlet lips pursed, as she could literally hear what Ted would say-the same thing he always said whenever they had such conversions.

'Your worries are my worries. We'll solve them together as always'.

His voice seemed to snap her right out of it as a wild look appeared in her eyes, causing her husband to look even more worried.

"Andy-" he started, but got cut off as Andromeda gripped his hand and cut him off. "You both have to get out of here."

"Maman, no way. We didn't even go to Lateita's yet. It's just some shops ahead; we'll be quick-"

"Quiet 'Dora. The adults are talking."

The little metamorphmagus's hair immediately turned bright red, but Andromeda paid her no mind. She can make up to her later; her safety was more important.

"Andy, what has happened?"

"Listen," she cut him off and glanced around at the people around, then whispered in a hushed voice, "They are planning to attack Lateita's. You need to go inform somebody at the ministry.

The camera shifted to Ted, his brown eyes widened in shock. The wizard glanced around the crowd. It was the peak time where Diagon Alley was always full, and the crowd would keep on increasing in the next half an hour. His hand gripped the book he was holding tighter-the massacre, the deaths, and the injuries it would cause. His eyes glanced to his left, where the vendor, who was busy talking to another customer, was probably informing the person about the book.

Dean was his name. Ted came to him always to buy books, and those times formed a small friendship between them, which also led him to know the man was a muggle-born.

Just like him.

There was no way he would survive if the attack happened. The Tonk's wizard glanced left again at the busy street. Merlin, how many of them were half-bloods, and how many of them would die today?

How many would be seen dying tonight at St.Mungos under his hand, where we were supposed to save them but failed?

How many families would he be telling, "I'm sorry," and informing them of the deaths of their precious ones.

"-Ted. Ted. Ted, are you listening to me?"

"Fuck that's-" the Potter heir muttered, but Andromeda paid that no mind. She closed her eyes in frustration, her ring-clad hand gripping her robes. Her husband's anguish-filled voice rang in her head.

Just last week, where he had to tell a family he couldn't save their 5-year-old who was sadly caught in a death-eater attack.

He told her how the family had immediately broken down.

How the mother had begged him to try one last time to save her little one.

'He was five, Andy. Just five. He had so much to live for. So much to live-' his pain-filled voice later subsided into sobs.

The scene started playing once again, and Andromeda opened her eyes, her hand fiddling with her golden pendant as she ignored the subtle looks from everyone present.

The wizard blinked rapidly, his one hand clutching his daughter's small hand. "Yes. Yes," he said, his voice coming out breathy. "I'm listening"

Andromeda gripped his shoulder firmly and met his eyes. Dark gray eyes met warm brown ones; her's always sharp, yet providing him comfort and security every time he looked at her.

"You need to calm yourself and leave for ministry and tell somebody over there," she said. "Or else, just find Sirius. Yes, just find Sirius and tell him everything. He will get everything handled."

The raven-haired boy nodded. "Yes, find me as fast as you can."

James turned his head slightly and smiled a little. "Now that provides confirmation," he whispered, not wanting anybody to hear. "You became an auror and got into the headquarters."

"We both did. I'm sure," Sirius replied.

If he did, then James must have too. While he was interested in the Aurors and their work, Jmaes was outright obsessed with it, just like he was obsessed with quidditch. There was no way James wasn't in too.

The wizard nodded and nudged his daughter forward, motioning for his wife to do the same. "C'mon, we need to get out of here."

"You both move forward-"

"Andromeda NO"

"Ted, listen to me-"

"No, we are not arguing about this. There is no arguing about this. We all are-"

"Narcissa's there," she cut him off, her expression pinched.

And that stopped his next words right in his mouth. A sigh left his lips as his hold over their daughter tightened. He knew there was no way he could persuade her.

It was Narcissa.

No matter what harsh words and cutting taunts the two had exchanged in the past, Andromeda would never leave her sister.

"Thank you"

Her dark gray eyes snapped away from the screen, directly staring at her sister's blue ones. "Thank you," Narcissa repeated, her eyes a little misty. "For not leaving me."

Clearing her throat, hating the lump she felt in her throat, she said, "Anytime."

"Then I'm coming with..." His words stopped as he glanced down at their Nymphadora, who was looking at both of them with confusion.

Andromeda glanced down too, and a sad smile pulled on her lips. She shook her head and softly grasped his hand, the very same one that was holding their daughter's hand.

"No. You need to get 'Dora out of here and then get Aurors," she said, looking at him in the eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be in and out. I'll grab Narcissa and apparate the fuck out of there."

Her eyes held amusement as she said the last words and then looked down at the tiny metamorphmagus, whose eyes were rapidly changing to different colours, which she usually did when she was confused.

"Don't repeat that, ma douce fille"

"In and out," her husband said, his brown eyes, the very ones she has adored since their school years, filled with so much worry for her.

A small smile graced her face as it always did whenever she looked at him and squeezed his hand gently.

"In and out. I promise"

"I love you."

And that silly small smile turned into a big beaming grin hearing those words, which she always heard yet never got tired of hearing again and again, "I love you too."

The camera shifted down to where the two were holding hands, their hands encasing their daughter's small hands, and the screen turned black.

The raven-haired boy turned his head to his left, where his cousin was sitting alone on the amber couch. "In and out, Andy. You better grab 'Cissa and get the fuck out of there. I don't like the thought of you two being so close to danger. You especially. You've got a bounty on your head."

The middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black kept her eyes down on her wand, which she was twirling with her right hand, not once looking at Sirius. "I think you forgot one important thing," she said, and then suddenly gripped her wand, snapping her eyes to his. "This is in the future. I don't know what will happen."

Yet she had a feeling.

A feeling that this is probably how she died.

The brunette glanced in the direction of her mother, who was sitting beside her father and Narcissa. How would she react? They weren't on good terms. Merlin, they weren't even on barley stable terms. Would she be sad, or would her mother's anger still persist even after her death?

She snapped out of her thoughts as she caught her father's eye. His dark gray eyes, the very same ones she inherited, looked at her with curiosity and worry. Shaking her head slightly, she shot him a small smile, trying to quell his worries.

His face never changed, but she could see his eyes soften a little. How would he deal with her death? Would that mask fall? She had heard about the meltdown the man had when she ran away, and Andromeda Tonks hoped there won't be a repeat of that.

"The second back exit," the matriarch suddenly said, snapping Andromeda out of her thoughts.

"Lateita's has a second back exit, which directly leads to Horizont Alley. From there, you could hide at Orenda's pub. I'm sure she wouldn't oppose it; on the contrary, she would protect you. Oh, what is her pub called?

"The fountain of fair fortune, mother," Lucretia Black said.

Delicately adjusting her pearl bracelet, "And Orenda would never turn them away," she said, knowing her dear friend. While they didn't keep in touch regularly, they did meet up every few months, and Orenda still remains one of her very few friends who she is fond of.

"Hmm, that would work," Arcturus Black said mindlessly, lost in thought, yet the one glance he threw at Andromeda confirmed her suspicions.

Even he thought that this was it.

Still, the man turned to look at his wife with a smile, praising her and talking with Cassiopeia, who indulged him but looked at him with knowing eyes.

The sound of the typewriter made everybody turn their heads once again to the screen.

Diagon Alley
Lateita's jouets et livres,
Between Elise's potions and spells and Alodia's Resto,
17.15 pm

The snowy marble reflected the lights of the crystal chandelier hanging above. A soft melodic tune began to play as the camera panned the shop, showing several witches dressed in bright robes laughing and talking with each other as their kids ran around seeing the newest toys, which were kept across various racks.

Suddenly, a ring-clad hand gripping the crystal door handle came into focus. The door opened, and Andromeda Tonks, nee Black, came onto the screen, her scarlet lips curling up in a fake smile as a sales assistant immediately came over to welcome her.

The witch didn't pay much attention to the pleasantries; her dark gray eyes quickly scanning the crowd, searching for her blonde-haired sister. A soft breath of relief left her scarlet lips as she spotted Narcissa with a little Draco in her arms, both completely safe.

The blonde-haired witch tuned out her mother's excited ramblings, even if a part of her was relieved that her mother's constant worries had been diminished, even if it was just for a while. Narcissa teared her eyes away from the screen and locked her eyes with Bellatrix, an excited grin forming on her face. "I have a son, Bella! Look at my son."

And even if the two sisters weren't on the best terms, the elder one gave her youngest sister a warm smile, knowing how much Narcissa had desired a family of her own. A child of her own.

The two sisters sitting on opposite sides, Narcissa with her mother and father on one side and Bellatrix on the other side, sitting with the Lestranges, together turned their heads right where Andromeda was sitting alone on the amber loveseat.

She looked happy. Andromeda could hardly look away from the screen, her eyes fixed on Narcissa on the screen, who was happily smiling at the baby in her hands, and she couldn't deny the warm feeling she felt as she took in the sight. Her little sister had gotten what she always wanted.

Her own child.

While she and Bellatrix weren't keen on them, Narcissa had always desired and loved children. And, for the first time since yesterday's night revelation of her death, Andromeda Vinda Tonks felt her conflicting thoughts calm down.

Feeling eyes on her, she looked away from the screen, resisting the urge to look back at it, and saw her sisters already looking at her with matching smiles on their faces, which were filled with elation. She felt her own face twist, matching their excitement.

The three sisters ignored all the other talks and whispers, leaving all the resentment, vicious words, taunts, and family politics behind them for a moment and having a moment just for themselves.

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes at the congratulatory messages and fake talk between his maternal grandfather and Abraxas Malfoy, as if the two old coots hadn't planned the entire thing for the last two years.

Sirius felt a wry smile grace his face as he took in Arcturus Black's face, the fake pleased smile plastered on his face, speaking as if he were overjoyed, but he could see a bit of vexation in his eyes.

As far as he knew, Arcturus Sirius Black, the third of his name, was not at all too keen on the Black-Malfoy betrothal contract, a contract with one of the biggest rivals of the Blacks.

Yet somehow Pollux and Cygnus Black had talked him into it, the former more as the latter hated the pompous peacocks, but the father had somehow appeased the idea with the son with the one thing he knew would make Cygnus Black agree.

Profits.

Sirius bit his lip, his eyes shining with amusement as he listened to James's horrified whisper ranting about having a mini Lucius Mlafoy crawling around. "-also Draco? I thought you lot were named after stars, not constellations."

"We usually are, Prongs," the raven-haired boy replied.

"Then Draco-"

"Andromeda is a constellation too," he reminded his best friend, rolling his eyes at the double standards of his family. His eyebrows furrowed as he saw the said constellation girl make her way towards them, her face beaming as she plopped down beside them in a much more elegant way than Sirius ever could.

The middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black accepted the congratulatory pleasantries James immediately gave her, even if she knew it was more of an heir-formality. "So what are you both talking about?"

The bespectacled Gryffindor opened his mouth, but Sirius cut him off. "We were talking about how you are obviously adopted."

Mercury-gray eyes sparkled with amusement as he saw the indignant expression of Andromeda at the comment and the completely unladylike small sneer on her face, which completely tore down the image the girl had been putting on in front of the three houses since they arrived here yesterday.

"Sirius, you little-" her voice quieted down as the scene started playing again, hushing everybody up.

"Oh, just you wait," Andromeda said to him as she got up and went back to the amber loveseat.

The raven-haired boy glanced at his hazel-eyed best friend, who let out a shocking laugh. Adjusting his glasses, he gave the boy beside him a nudge. "Your family is so dramatic," James said, grinning as he saw his best friend roll his eyes and lean back on the couch.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know," he replied, well aware of their antics.

The blue robe swished around her dragon-hide boots, which had a big heel. The brunette witch made her way across the store where her sister was. "'Cissa," she breathed out once she reached her and quickly clutched her hand.

The blonde turned around, her blue-doe eyes widening at the sight of her sister. "Andy," she said, surprised, and then quickly glanced around.

"What are you doing? We could be seen-"

"So you two made up too" Sirius said looking at his two cousins who were looking at the screen in shock and to his surprise it was Narcissa who answered him.

"It seems like we did"

Andromeda felt herself rapidly blinking at those words. Morgana's name, how severed their bonds were. They were sisters-three sisters who were always seen together sitting beneath the gulmohar tree, chatting for hours. Three sisters who could not even go to sleep properly without seeing each other before sleep.

And now look at them; they hadn't even glanced at each other for years before yesterday.

Andromeda herself had actively avoided the two for years, ignoring all the invitations where the two would make a presence, like her heart didn't yearn for them. Yet it seems those severed bonds were repaired in the future, not just theirs, she thought as she glanced at Sirius.

"-but you both are hiding that from others," Alphard Black said, resisting the urge to scratch his beard.

"Perhaps they don't want others to know."

The words of the Lestrange scion got Orion Black thinking. Did they actually not want the others to know, and the others, if they are in fact hiding their rekindling, has got to be them. The elder Blacks.

His eyes drifted off to where his eldest was sitting, merrily talking to the Potter boy, his hands over the other boy's shoulders. Were Sirius and Regulus the same? Did they actually-

No, the girl, Glacia, had said Noire Manor, which means that they know, they must know, and he must know. Shaking the useless thoughts away, he glanced around the room, trying to find a distraction that would calm these incessant thoughts. It would do him no good if he kept thinking about it.

His mercury eyes glanced at the Malfoy heir, who was quite literally preening like a peacock. By Salazar's name, he wasn't drunk enough to hear his pompous guff.

Resisting rolling his eyes at the boy and his pompousness, his mercury gray eyes drifted off to his cousin and stared a minute longer at Cygnus and his poorly hidden relief and happiness in his eyes. He was staring long enough that Alphard shot him a concerned look.

The scene started playing, and everybody stared back at the screen.

"Shush Narcissa," Andromeda said, and then glanced down at the sleeping child to make sure she didn't disturb the peaceful sleep. "We have to get out of here. Now"

"Andy, what is even happening?" Narcissa asked her, her blue eyes glancing around the people surrounding them.

Some of the ladies had ceased their talk and started to stare at them. She could spot Marielle Carrow and her unpleasant gaggle of friends at her right, watching the sisters with sharp eyes.

"Just listen to your sister."

To Melania's utter surprise, it was Druella who had said that. The Rosier women, unlike Cygnus, had made all attempts to avoid even glancing at Andromeda yesterday, even if her resolve broke after hearing about her future demise. Her fingers, which were covered in peach gloves, grazed her black opal ring delicately.

It was a gift from Arcturus for their first wedding anniversary, and the man just kept adding diamonds around the ring every anniversary.

Mayhaps she shouldn't interfere this early, she thought, thinking back to the plans she had thought about at breakfast about utilizing this time to make her family whole again.

As it is, her mother always used to say, time is the best healer.

Andromeda made a frustrating noise as she grasped her shoulders. "Just listen to me. There is no time to explain-"

But before she could say anything, a loud scream was heard, and not even a second thunderous boom resonated as bombardas were fired on the shop, causing debris to fly everywhere.

Screams and cries echoed around them. The dust cleared, and through the blasted wall, a group of people came in, their black robes swishing around and their wands raised high. Their faces were covered with an ivory mask with small intricate onyx designs all over it.

Death eaters.

"Fucking shit," the run-away heir shouted over the commotion that had started.

"How dare they-"

"It's a place full of children and women. How could they-"

"Like hell, they care about that," Sirius snapped, his eyes moving towards his mother. Raising his hands, he pointed towards the screen. "These are the people you keep supporting," he said, but got cut off by the louder commotion that his uncle and Abraxes Malfoy were making.

"Just one harm on my line and I'll bring death on you-"

"-I'll obliterate them. Completely-" Sirius heard his uncle furiously rant, his eyes drifting to Aunt Druella, who had her mouth covered with her gloved fingers; her eyes had already glossed over.

The raven-haired boy closed his mouth, ignoring his mother in favour of watching his father, and the patriarch huddled with Cassiopeia, scrunching his eyebrows when he couldn't make out a word of what was being said.

"-this is blasphemy. How dare they even think of attacking the purebloods? This is-" Pollux Black angrily shouted.

"Honestly, fuck your pure blood," Sirius muttered, causing James to give out a choking laugh.

Taking long strides, the raven-haired boy made his way towards where Andromeda was sitting and grabbed her hand softly, squeezing them. Her cousin didn't say anything, which Andromeda was thankful for; she didn't want to talk right now. Not when her heart was beating so fast, but his eyes spoke volumes. She squeezed his hand back to quell some of his worries, but didn't let go. She needed his presence to calm herself.

"Kreacher," she heard Sirius call out, which made her eyes widen.

Everybody in the family knew his irritation with the old, grumpy elf who seemed to worship Walburga Black.

With a snap of his fingers, the elf appeared before them. His wrinkly face got wrinklier at the sight of the raven-haired boy. "Kreacher be listening to Master Sirius, but Master Sirius bes breaking his Mistress's heart with his lawless ways-"

"Silence. Stop your shit talk, Kreacher; it honestly gives me a headache. Go get a draught of peace from mother's stash.

"Steal from the mistress. Take things without mistress's permission. Master Regulus would never-"

"Kreature now," Sirius snapped, and not even a second later, the elf snapped his fingers and vanished away. The brunette opened her mouth to protest, but Sirius shushed her.

"Mother wouldn't even notice. I swear that women makes potions in batches that could provide for the entire fucking wizarding London," he told the little fact to Andromeda.

A fact that was absolutely not true, as potions go bad according to the ingredients you use, but it was worth the smile he got from her in return.

He glanced at Narcissa subtly, just to make sure everything was okay with her. He really didn't want to go over there. Both his mother and father were sitting on that side too and Sirius wanted to avoid the pair until the lunch he was being forced to go to. His eyes met Bellatrix's, who was attending Narcissa.

His mercury gray eyes glanced at Narcissa and then went back to Bellatrix's dark gaze, receiving a firm nod indicating the girl was doing alright.

He watched as Bellatrix looked at Andromeda and then looked back at him. Subtly tipping his head,'she will be' he mouthed the words to the older girl.

A pop sounded as Kreacher came back into the great hall with the potion. The sight caught the eyes of quite a few, but most of those eyes went back to the fuming Malfoys.

Wordlessly, grabbing the small potion vial, he thanked Kreacher in his head for getting the correct amount, as the old elf had already disappeared, and handed it to Andromeda.

As she drank the potion, the raven-haired boy looked up, his eyes locking with his uncle Cygnus, who was still watching them. He gave a sharp nod to the man to tell him that she was alright so that he would stay there.

As it is, it seemed some others needed him more, he thought as he glanced at Aunt Druella. Glancing back at Andromeda, he thought of his conversation with Ted, where Ted was talking about how Andromeda got easily overwhelmed nowadays.

As disgustingly endearing as it was to see his worry, he couldn't blame Andromeda. Part of what Ted didn't know was that Andromeda was constantly worried about him and his life. Being muggle-born and, on top of that, being married to Andromeda meant that his life was in twice as much danger than anybody else.

All this stress wasn't good for her yet Sirius Orion Black had no idea how to breach the topic of seeing a mind healer with her.

It was a thing he was struggling to talk to her about ever since his talk with Ted two months ago, and it didn't seem quite a topic they could converse through letters.

The sound of the scene playing again snapped Sirius out of his thoughts. Shaking his head, he motioned James to come over, not feeling quite alright to leave Andromeda just yet.

"Anybody dare try to move, and they will be the first one's killed," a deep voice yelled, causing the screams of panic to cease.

Mothers held their children close to their chests, their eyes shining with fear. The daily news that they read in the daily prophet coming to their minds. Death and carnage.

From the corner of her eye, Andromeda could spot Rosetta Selwyn sobbing, her back pressed against the shelves, while her friend Clemensia Dove had her ears covered, tears streaming down her face as she kept on muttering prayers to Lady Magic.

Dark gray eyes glanced back to check on her sister, who was looking shaken up but otherwise wasn't harmed. They were lucky that they were at the back of the shop, the part that wasn't that impacted by the onslaught of continuous Bombardas.

Her eyes drifted down to the baby, who was somehow still sleeping. How her nephew had managed to sleep through all of that, she didn't know but Andromeda hoped the boy would continue sleeping.

Draco crying would bring attention to them and that's the last thing she wanted right now.

Narcissa opened her mouth, but one raised finger from Andromeda was enough to silence her. The middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black knew what her sister was thinking. Death eater attacks had increased, with at least one happening every day in muggle or muggle-born witches and wizards' neighbourhoods, but to attack a very well-known shop that was frequently visited by purebloods?

Unheard of.

"The gall of these uncouth hooligans," Walburga Black said over the raised voices, all voicing their own opinions. And even with all the worries about the uncertainty of the future that kept plaguing her, Andromeda Vinda Tonks let out a small laugh when she saw Sirius's face.

The boy in question looked at his mother with raised eyebrows. Leaning closer to his two companions, he whispered, "Am I hearing things, or did she really say that? Do you think she needs a mind healer?"

The raven-haired boy shook his head immediately after saying that, "Nevermind, she already needed one before."

"Those numbers aren't looking good," Rabastan said, his blue eyes fixed on his brother, who was staring at his wife. "One everyday day that's just-"

The boy couldn't complete his sentence as the scene started playing once again.

Andromeda turned to look at the group of death eaters who were now making their way into the shop. Their footsteps echoing in the now completely silent shop, each step causing the huddled women and children to flinch. Without looking back, her ring-clad hand nudged her sister behind her, completely covering her as she saw one of them creep a little near their direction.

"You need to hide." Cygnus Black groaned, his hand clutching his head, tangled in the curly mane. Her hand stopped fiddling with her wedding ring as she looked up at her father with a blank stare. "There is no place to hide over there too," she said, and she cut him off as she saw him open his mouth to counter her.

"And I know. I see the pillars and shelves to the left, but we both would be dead even if we made a slight move towards them at this moment. You know that."

"She's right. They need to wait for the precise moment," Alphard Black told Cygnus, his eyes softening a little behind his green sunglasses. Taking hold of the gold arms of his glasses, he removed them and patted Cygnus on the knee to provide him some comfort.

"Well well look who we have here"

"Motherfuck-" Cygnus Black swore.

Multiple voices raised their tone as they saw the death eater stop just a few feet away from the sisters. A sob left her maroon lips, her eyes closed, not wanting to look at the screen any longer; she wanted this nightmare to be over.

First Evan, and now her daughters.

Removing her purple satin gloves, Druella wrapped her arms around Narcissa, who was staring at the screen without any emotion. Her hands tangled in her daughter's straight blonde hair, making it messy, but she didn't care as she clutched her close.

Her eyes drifted off to Andromeda, her eyes becoming more glossy at her sight. By Morgana, it hurt so much to see her when she had avoided everything about her since she ran away.

She stored and locked away everything-her clothes, her books, her jewellery, her photos, even the fucking quills-just to get away from those memories that kept hurting her and causing a stab in her heart every time.

She wanted to hate her for all the hurt, but never wanted her fucking dead.

Never dead.

She closed her blue eyes at the thought of her even being dead, but she would have been, the vicious part of her brain supplied. She would have been dead if the deity had not intervened, leaving her to grieve for Andromeda, whom she was already grieving for the past three years. Her hold tightened over Narcissa at the thought of Nymphadora, her 'Meda's little Nymphadora.

She heard the scene start playing again; she heard the shuffles of the feet, all of them going back to their own places to settle down. She felt Cygnus grab her right shoulder, but she paid him no attention and buried her face in her daughter's hair.

Pretending

Just as she has been for the past three years.

Pretending it was Andromeda in her arms and not her sisters.

A breathy sigh left her lips, her dark gray eyes filled with horror, as she saw the masked death eater grab a shivering man and shoving him harshly towards the other's, who let out maniacal laughter at the sight.

The camera turned towards one masked death eater who wasn't laughing. Taking slow steps, just like a predator would to his prey, the death eater made their way towards the shivering man.

"I'm going to provide a little demonstration of what will happen if you don't comply with our demands," a masculine voice said.

"Any demands" they said while looking towards the huddled women.

"What a fucking creep," James snarled, disgust etched on his face.

Rodolphus Lestrange furrowed his brow as he heard the voice. He turned to look at Lucius Malfoy, who was looking at the screen with conflicting emotions, not believing that the dark lord would harm his own.

The Lestrange heir resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the man who was still conflicted when his future wife and child were in danger because of Voldemort. He couldn't give a fuck about the man's emotions, but he needed some answers.

"Doesn't that sound like Maximus Avery?"

"It does...a little"

"Always knew that Arsehole was up to no good," the runaway heir said, and rolled his eyes when he heard his mother say the name again, her tone conveying revulsion. "Yes, mother, he's your precious Samantha Avery's son."

"Also, the one who you suggested Andromeda marry," he added after a minute, wanting to add oil to the fire.

It earned a slight nudge to the ribs from Andromeda, but the furious look that Cygnus and Druella Black in unison gave to Walburga Black was worth it.

It would provide slight entertainment for the dreaded lunch.

Raising his wand, the death eater whispered, "Avada Kedavra"

A flash of light and then a thud echoed as the man fell on the marble floors, his eyes wide open but him not moving. Screams rang, and children sobbed, the group of masked individuals relishing in it.

Andromeda clenched her jaw, her grip on Narcissa increasing. She needed to get out along with her sister and nephew and somehow help the others too. She felt the frustration increase in her, her dark gray eyes looking around, widening at the big slab of concrete slaying on the marble floor, directly in line with the group of death eaters who were now talking about their plans to kill them, their ego of nothing harming them would just help her.

"Get ready," she whispered to Narcissa, who looked at her wide-eyed.

Any other spell she fired would directly put attention on them, and there were too many of them to take on, but a simple first-year spell wouldn't.

Andromeda knew she and Narcissa could never make it to the makeshift exit she'd make.

They were too far, and the chances of them getting there were low, and the chances of them getting hit with a killing curse were higher.

No, they'd had to take the back exit. It was closer to them. But the others could escape from there.

"That glint in your eyes terrifies me, but I respect it," the Potter heir told Andromeda, causing her to let out a sudden, loud laugh.

"Are you gonna do what I think you gonna do?" Sirius said, his voice full of mischief.

"And pray tell, what exactly is she going to do?" Pollux Black asked his eldest grandson.

"Andy's going bowling, or at least she's gonna bowl"

"Pardon me?"

"Wingardium Leviosa," she cast the spell and immediately lifted it, slammed the big slab of concrete to the group of death eaters who were standing in line, not letting any of them react.

"Bombarda!" she yelled, blowing the two horizontal walls with a loud bang, providing an easy escape to the Diagon Alley.

The people didn't waste a minute and ran towards the makeshift exit before the now-fallen and groaning death eaters got up again. Andromeda herself grabbed Narcissa, being careful of the baby in her hands, and rushed towards the back exit.

"Oh, fuck, yeah, Andromeda. Show them" James Potter said that and whooped. A joyous laugh came out of him as he heard the praises being thrown and added his own, "Oh, you got them good."

Her scarlet lips curled up in a pleased smile as she listened to the praises being thrown around, but she let out a string of chuckles as she listened to Sirius and James.

"That was a good plan. Flawlessly executed," Lord Black complimented her nodding when Cassiopeia commended her for her quick thinking.

"Simple yet effective," Lucien Lestrange said.

Reaching the wooden door, her ring-clad hand quickly grasped the crystal knob, trying to open the door, but to no avail; it wasn't opening. The middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black let out a groan as the door didn't open. "C'mon. open. Open. open. Open."

"By Salazar's name, just blast the door, Andromeda," Cygnus Black snapped, his right leg bouncing up and down constantly.

"Merlin's balls," Andromeda cursed as she removed her wand and shot a spell at the handle, immediately opening the door.

Her dark gray eyes narrowed, and not even a second later, she turned around and shot a shield spell. The spell countered the bright purple spell thrown in her direction.

Behind them stood Maximus Avery, crimson stained his forehead and was trickling slowly down his right cheek.

"Andromeda Black"

"It's Tonks, actually," she snapped at him, nudging her sister towards the exit discreetly.

"Merlin's saggy balls" Sirius swore and snapped his head to his left, where Andromeda was sitting. "You better cast that killing curse first."

"Sirius," two different voices yelled.

One was James, whose face was absolutely showing astonishment, which Sirius could understand since James's upbringing was purely based on light magic, and his face also showed half-approval, and the second was Walburga Black, who was mortified at the effrontery of her eldest, saying that in front of two of the most ancient and noble houses.

Completely ignoring the fact that one of the two said houses, was spewing out threats of blood feuds with Avery's while the other house was trying not to get caught in the crossfire since they were related to the Avery's by marriage.

"You... You insolent witch. You dare talk back to me after you sullied your pure blood-"

"Oh, fuck your pure blood, honestly."

"-And the gall. That filthy mudblood corrupted you so much-"

"Do you ever shut the fuck up? Speak one more word about Ted, and I'll tear you apart limb by limb," Andromeda seethed.

Flicking her wand once she held the door open, "Narcissa run" she said, her eyes fixed on the sadistic wizard in front of her.

"No Andy..."

"Narcissa, go!" she yelled.

Tears glazed Narcissa's eyes as she looked at her elder sister, hating that her magical core had weakened so much after the tough and complicated pregnancy that she could not even assist her in a duel.

"Andy..." Narcissa whispered.

The middle daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black slammed the door shut once Narcissa went through and casted a wordless rune, making sure no one could leave from that door.

She just had to take care of this idiot heir, and then she would remove the rune and be out of there.

"Thank you" a voice said, causing Andromeda to look away from the screen.

Her gray eyes met the electric blue eyes of Abaraxes Malfoy. The older Malfoy Lord bowing his head slightly and tipping his hat to express his gratitude. "You saved my future heir and daughter-in-law. Malfoys are indebted to you."

His words just made her more and more shocked. It wasn't a daily thing where a lord of the most ancient and most noble house says they are indebted to you. To even hold such a favor was a very beneficial thing. A breathy sigh left her scarlet lips as she nodded her head.

She watched as Lord Malfoy turned to look at Arcturus Black, who was watching the entire exchange with an impassive face. "You have my thanks too, Arcturus."

Andromeda didn't pay attention to the later exchange as her eyes were fixed on her father. Cygnus Black was still watching the screen with a look of horror on his face, the realization that his daughter's death was pouring over him like cold water.

Spells fired, each of vividly different bright colors. Maximus Avery kept stepping back as Andromeda started her onslaught of spells, each darker than the last.

A mocking smile pulled on her scarlet lips as she heard his howling scream as one hit him in the leg, but to her much vexation, the man was still standing.

"You should have married me when my lord father proposed the betrothal contract, Andromeda."

"Oh, you're still stuck on that, huh?"

"You insulted my house-"

"You do it well enough yourself," she said, cutting him off and casted a powerful Expelliarmus to break his defense.

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." Maximus Avery shouted, his face sweaty and red. "I would have kept you happy-"

The brunette cast a dark spell specifically used to crush all the bones of the legs.

"The only person you can keep happy is yourself, you greedy bastard. I pity Miss Travers, who is stuck with you because of the betrothal, but I suppose I'll make her life easier and happier," Andromeda said.

A smile pulled on her lips as she cast the spell, "Confringo."

"Oh, it's over." Rabastan Lestrange spoke as he glanced towards his sister-in-law, who looked proud and relieved at the fact that the fight was over.

"Great duelling, Andy," Sirius said as he ran a finger through his head. "Now get the fuck outta there."

"Mind your language, Sirius." Walburga chided at the same time her younger brother nodded, "Exactly now you've got to quickly run before some other adversity occurs."

"You guys spoke too soon," James groaned as he watched the screen.

"ad conteram carpi" a feminine voice shouted the curse at the same time as multiple footsteps of running echoed in the now empty store.

A scream erupted from Andromeda's lips as she clutched her right wrist, her dominant hand. Her wand skittered across the room, stopping as a black dragon-hide boot stepped on it.

Ominous, dark ambient music began to play as the camera moved upwards, and long billowy black robes came into focus. The silver serpent chain shone on the plain black robes of the person.

The man's red eyes looked completely unnatural on the plain white skin; along with it, his nose was missing, and a wide, creepy smile was plastered on his face.

"Andromeda Tonks," Voldemort said in a breathy voice.

The raven-haired boy swore, his mercury gray eyes glaring at the monster who was on the screen.

Across the great hall, Bellatrix Lestrange had tears in her eyes, McGonagall's words echoing in her mind.

This was it. This is how Andy died.

Alone.

She closed her eyes, the stinging pain in her chest growing more and more. This can't be how Andromeda died; she had so much to live for. She had to. She deserved to. She deserved to see Nymphadora grow up, do great things, and experience those things with her.

Fuck, Andromeda would never see her daughter all grown up, and her daughter...

Another pang hit her heart as she thought of her niece. Her niece would live her entire life without her mother; she wouldn't see the incredible women who birthed her, raised her, and played with her. That spark in Nymphadora's eyes, the innocence and playfulness of her golden childhood. All of that would be ripped away from her. Snatched away cruelly, all because of a madman.

She felt disgusted. Disgusted with herself. The kind of disgust that no matter how many times she scrubbed her skin off, she won't be able to clean it.

She stood beside that madman. The same madman who will be responsible for snatching her niece's childhood away from her, burdening her with grieving her mother at such a tender young age.

Replacing that innocent playfulness in her beautiful eyes with haunted grief.

Bellatrix sat numbly watching as her father clutched Andromeda to his chest tightly, as if he were afraid that somebody would snatch her away if he even let her go away for one second. Besides them, Narcissa was clinging onto her elder sister, her long blonde hair falling across her face like a curtain, but everybody could hear the repeated I'm sorry and apologise; the girl kept muttering like a mantra.

She caught Sirius's eye, who had moved away with the Potter boy, to give Andromeda, Narcissa, and her father some space. The raven-haired boy stared at her as if he were contemplating something and then made his way over to her. Bellatrix watched numbly as he grasped her shoulder in comfort and then made her stand up.

"Go," he said as he nudged her towards Andromeda.

The curly-haired witch stood where she was, not moving an inch, making the young black heir let out a big sigh. He nudged her again, repeated his previous statement, and later added, as he plopped down on the emerald green couch she was sitting alone on, "She needs you, and you need her."

She blinked rapidly, the gathered tears splattering across her cheeks, and made her way towards her. She ignored James Potter's pitying smile as he walked past her to join his best friend on the other couch.

Throwing his arm across his shoulders, he pulled Sirius near as he whispered, "You alright, Pads?"

Was he?

Andromeda dies in the future, as do Regulus and his sister-in-law. He resisted the urge to let out a sardonic laugh, thinking black to that one Black Yule Ball when they were young and were talking about their future. They were so little at that time; their bonds were not severed, and they were untouched by the cruelty of life.

Who'd tell those little souls blissfully sitting in the asphodel fields staring at the stars that in a few years their lives will be tainted with greed, prejudice, and hate.

"Pads?"

He closed his eyes when he heard James's voice. Merlin, he'd lose his brother in all but blood, the one who was always there for him even if he didn't understand what was happening.

"No, I am not," he breathed out, "but the fact that we can stop all of this from happening is helping."

"My My look who it is, my friends." Voldemort said, raising his hands in the air, earning chuckles from the group of followers who had followed him.

"The disowned Black. The little blood traitor who left her family for her mudblood lover "

Clutching her wrist, her dark gray eyes glared hatefully at the man walking towards her. The dark lord made a mocking tutting noise as he looked at the bloodied body of Maximus Avery, his red eyes glancing back towards where the slab of concrete had crushed the small group of death-eaters.

"A blood traitor," he started, "who kills my devoted friends."

"Friends? I thought these dogs were your slaves." Andromeda snarled, making all the other death-eaters grit their teeth and raise their wands.

"Say the word, my lord. We'll make this mudblood-loving bitch see her place," one of them snarled."

Glancing away from the man, whose red eyes were swirling with some sick amusement, Andromeda looked at the one who said it. It was obviously a man, a familiar one, with his tall build and deep, scratchy voice, which sounded like somebody scratching the chalkboard.

A feeling that made her bleed her ears out even now, just like she did when she was a mere girl being forced to socialize with him. "I am self-aware of my position, Heir Yaxley. Mayhaps it's you who is not, but I can remind you," Andromeda said, narrowing her eyes, knowing the insult would hurt his fragile ego.

"It's beneath his feet."

Before Heir Yaxley could retaliate, the red-eyed, dark lord let out a loud laugh.

He was waving his right hand, which was clutching the phoenix feather core wand, and waved around like a madman. "And here, Andromeda Tonks, I was about to give you a family reunion."

"What the fuck is he talking about?" Rabastan Lestrange said, his blue eyes constantly darting towards Cygnus Black, who was very loudly proclaiming threats and insults.

Her dark gray eyes widened in horror, and her scarlet lips parted slightly as she looked at the screen. What if they found Ted and Nymphadora?

Was that his sick definition of a family reunion?

Her ring-clad hand clutched her robes as she muttered a silent prayer up to Lady Magic; her family cannot watch her die. No Ted....fuck Ted would never survive and Nymphadora. No not her 'Dora.

His footsteps echoed as he made his way back towards his followers who were now standing in a semicircle. The footsteps stopped as he stopped towards one of them, his slender pale fingers delicately grasping the ivory mask off.

Wild black curls, dark gray eyes and maroon lips graced the screen.

"Bellatrix won't you say hello to your sister?"

"What the fuck?" a feminine voice shrieked. Bellatrix Lestrange stood up from the amber loveseat, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes showing horror.

Silence fell across the great hall, an uncomfortable kind of hush, nobody knowing what to say. Removing his glasses, the hazel-eyed boy rubbed his hands over his face. "Well, isn't this just fucking grand?"

"Bella, honestly, what the ever-loving fuck?" Sirius said, his right hand on his forehead, totally feeling drained out by today, and this was just the first memory they were watching today.

"I...I don't know what I am-" Bellatrix started saying, but her sister cut her off.

"Bella Just sit down. It's okay," the brunette witch said, raising her hand when her elder sister opened her mouth to say something else. "This hasn't happened yet, and it won't happen. We will talk about this later, I promise. Just sit down and let's get this over with quickly."

The scene started playing once again as the curly headed witch hesitantly sat down once again on her amber loveseat, desperately avoiding all eye-contact with her father.

Seeing the Lestrange witch silent, the dark lord cocked his head to one side, his red eyes narrowing just like a snake. "Nothing," he prodded.

"Well, I don't blame you, my dear. Who would when they are filthy muggle loving blood traitor" he said, earning laughter from his followers.

"We'll make her death torturous too," he said, with a sinister smile on his face.

"Crucio"

The madman laughed while walking around his followers, pleasant at the screams that echoed. The man stopped the spell, the heavy, harsh breathing of Andromeda Tonks nee Black resonating around.

Voldemort walked towards where some of his death eaters had died, his red eyes fixed on one of them. A man in his forties who was a prime voice in the strategies of attacks "Shame," he muttered.

He walked around them loudly, proclaiming how they'd take their revenge on muggleborns, who were obviously the reason for their deaths.

All the gathered followers, looking at their master with full attention, all accept one.

Dark gray eyes met identical dark gray eyes, one with no emotion behind them and one with tears of pain because of the excruciating torturous spell.

'Look away,' Andromeda mouthed.

Her shields were on the verge of breaking as Bellatrix's eyes gathered a small tear, her lips slightly quivering.

'Look away, Andromeda once again mouthed.

"And now onto the blood traitor."

Sobs sounded across the great hall as everybody else watched deathly silent. Andromeda closed her eyes and buried her face in Bella's thick curls, not wanting to see the pitying looks she was getting from everyone.

Her hold on Bella tightened as she heard her sob more. Bella had stopped watching minutes ago, clinging and hiding her face in her neck, muttering repeated apologies and begging for forgiveness.

"I know this won't ever come to pass, but for what it's worth, my condolences, but I give you my word that the House of Malfoy will stop at nothing to bring an end to this despicable monster, and you have us indebted to you for saving our heir and daughter-in-law."

Taking a deep breath, Andromeda looked up and nodded. "I appreciate it, but you are correct; this won't come to pass, Lord Malfoy. Besides, Narcissa is my sister."

The man nodded, his eyes fixed on his black cane, brushing his fingers over the intricate design. "Bonds of families are just so perplexing, aren't they?"

"They are"

Thumps echoed in the now-destroyed shop as the death eaters stomped their feet in unison, the noise just increasing as the dark lord got closer to Andromeda.

It all happened all too fast.

The sharp sound of unsheathing the silver dagger and the strangled gasp of Andromeda as the dagger lodged itself into her chest.

Tears in her dark gray eyes, falling down as she got stabbed once again, and then a squeaky girly scream, and the screen went blank.

James glanced at his best friend, his face impassive, but tears were running down his cheeks as he watched his cousin die. He felt his jaw clench, so many deaths, so many families broken, all because of one madman and his foolish followers.

He heard the words of sympathy being passed around and felt his anger rise like a fucking sorry for your loss would lessen their pain.

His hazel eyes peeked towards Andromeda but immediately looked away, feeling a stabbing pain in his heart at the sight of crying sisters and the father, who looked like he was grieving his living daughter, barely responding to his brother, and Sirius's father, who had moved towards him to provide some reassurance.

"Who's scream was that?" Ignatius Prewett asked, his arms around his wife, stroking her hair as he helped calm down her crying.

"It sounded...young," Lucien Lestrange added, his icy blue eyes following the eldest, who was going towards his wife, Bellatrix.

"It isn't over yet, father," Rabastan said, his ring-clad finger pointing towards the screen, which had started playing the memory once again.

Amid the starlit black sky, the moon shone brightly, casting a soft silver glow. The gentle light passing through the window covering the room with a glow.

The room looked like a little girl's room; soft teddy bears lay across the bedroom bench. All placed strategically facing towards the door like mini-toy floofy soldiers, as if to protect the sleeping figure from any intruder.

Walls painted warm beige, but most of it was covered with the tall bookshelves, all filled with different books as if the owner were an avid reader.

The camera zoomed in towards the little vanity mirror directly across the window, which was covered with sheer white curtains. The same squeaky scream was heard, and the silhouette of a small figure waking up sitting upright was seen through the mirror. Her hands covered her face as her small body still shivered, even if all the windows were closed.

"What the fuck? Who is this girl?"

"Godric, she's a bookworm. Look how many books she has, Pads."

"A little adorable too." Sirius half-heartedly replied to his best friend, his mind still on the previous scene which he saw, "I mean, look at that arrangement of teddy bears. Consider me frightened.

"Oh, poor darling, perhaps had a nightmare. Look how precious she is, Ignatius." Lucretia Black told her husband while pulling his arm.

The wizard looked at the screen and let out a sigh. "As adorable as she might be, It doesn't answer who she is."

"Wait a minute." Lucien Lestrange spoke, his eyes narrowing at the screen.

"Did this girl dream the entire thing we saw before?"

A black quill twirled in her right hand as Cassiopeia arched an eyebrow. "Lord Lestrange is right. This isn't a new memory; this is a continuation of the past one"

"Antares? You awake" a masculine voice called out.

Gasps and chokes sounded in the great hall as everybody processed the information. Antares, as in Black's Antares?

"Wait, Antares?" Sirius questioned, and his mercury gray eyes widened in shock. Just then, typewriter sounds echoed in the great hall.

Aaramya Nivas,
Kiya Street, Brekkerton
London
23 June, 1991.

"Holy shit it is our Antares," the raven-haired boy shouted.

At the same time, Andromeda stood up with a horrified look on her face and asked, "Why the fuck is she dreaming about my death?"

The statement made everybody fall silent. Rabastan Lestrange watched the House of Black, each member getting more and more petrified at the thought of the lost heiress having visions of the dead.

"Antares. Are you awake?" The masculine voice called out again.

"You'll miss the school bus and then be late for your field trip. C'mon, we don't want to keep those animals waiting, do we?"

"I'm awake," the girl said, her voice very gentle.

"Anne?"

A small, soft groan sounded, and the girl removed her hands. The girl's face came to the screen. Doe-eyed eyes with mercury gray irises framed by long lashes, rosy cheeks with thin lips, her heart-shaped face was framed by thick raven wavy hair, one small strand of it falling over her forehead.

Her hands grabbed the black dog plushie on the bed and clutched it to her chest, her eyes fixed on the door.

"Oh my god, she's so cute," the raven-haired boy said, his entire attention on the screen, which showed his little niece. Merlin, she reminded him so much of Regulus when he was her age.

A soft laugh left his lips as he remembered the number of books in the room. Of course, Reg's daughter, too, took after him and his hobbies.

"Prongs," he said, turning towards his best friend. "Look how adorable my little pup is. Godric, Prongs, she reminds me so much of Reggie, like-"

James laughed and cut his best friend off as he slung his arm over his shoulders. "Well, I have to admit, Baby Black is quite adorable, like a doll, and she still has that plushie."

Yes, the plushie.

His smile widened as he looked at the plushie, which looked so identical to Padfoot. His eyes drifted off to Andromeda, who was talking excitedly to Narcissa. The stress and grief that had previously been on her face disappeared for a while, replaced with softness and awe as she looked at her future niece.

His smile stilled a little, his mind wandering searching for answers. Why was Antares dreaming about Andromeda's death?

Just why her?

Wasn't her life already so filled with sorrow that such horrific nightmares, which might be visions, were now plaguing her?

His right hand clenched in a fist as he remembered his niece's plight. So little, so innocent, he thought as he looked at the screen, yet her childhood was already being tainted by these horrific visions and the meddling of an old coot.

Anger filled him as he even thought of Dumbledore, the main reason his niece wasn't with her family. He would be searching for her; he knew it.

His eyes drifted off to his grandparents, the patriarch and the matriarch, who were currently talking in hushed whispers, glancing at the screen every two seconds. His family, too, would be searching everywhere, using their connections to find Reg's daughter. But how would they when there are fucking blood runes casted and complex ones at that.

Oh, just let him get his hands on Dumbledore. Well, that is, if he beat his father to it, because if there is one thing Sirius Orion Black, the third of his name got from yesterday's family meeting, Orion Arcturus Black was craving his enemies blood and downfall, his eyes practically promised annihilation.

And the enemies here were Voldemort and Dumbledore, and the man already hated Dumbledore with a passion. Seeing yesterday's act, Sirius knew his father's hatred for the headmaster had reached astronomical heights.

"I'm awake," she yelled, her nose scrunching up at the thought of getting out of bed after such a terrible nightmare.

"Good. I don't think that the zoo in Surrey takes in latecomers. C'mon, freshen up quick," a knock sounded once.

"And don't go back to sleep. I mean it, Anne."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, got it."

Glancing back at the screen, he kept his eyes focused on his little niece. His right hand was fiddling with the raven ring on his finger; it was a family ring that protected him from curses, hexes, jinxes, and poison, which he always wore under an invisibility spell. He waved his wand wordlessly, a small black diary materialising beside him along with a self-inking quill.

His right hand which was covered in rings, grasped the black quill as he opened the black book with his left and wrote down the two names.

Two names to bring down.

Two names that the coming ages will remember as cowards in history, with stories written about their glorious downfall.

Albus Dumbeldore

Voldemort

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-',✎𝐊𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

Well

Leaving that miserable fact behind, first of all, my dearest gentle readers,
I am sorry.

Sorry for leaving you guys hanging.

I deleted wattpad, wasn't logged in since May, as life became shit.
I scored very good marks, a 9 pointer sgpi, but didn't get a seat in my own fucking college and later had to rush around finding a college who'd offer me a psychology degree seat (the demand was high for them y'all)

Thankfully I got one and after so many months of literally crying and one counselling visit later. I can now accept it's nolt my fault and I didn't do anything wrong. Which if I think back, why was I feeling like a fucking loser? Like sometimes I feel like shaking my past self for her self-loathing stupidity like bitch 3 colleges later offered you seats in their college

(Ps: found that out after I had already finished by admission process with non-refund policy)

Well, let's just say I later found out that my past colleges gave some seats to people who literally failed the subject in past semester!?!?!? Like tf-
Which btw, the requirement for taking a psychology major is no failing the subject in semesters before.

Cause apparently you can buy the seats. Yes, give money and your seat is secured.

My naive self never knew shit like this existed.

There are some things my counselling visit made me realise,
1.) I put too much academic pressure on me and seek academic validation

2.) Education system fucking sucks

3.) I got fucked over by the sucky education system.

4.) I really need to go get some fucking therapy for myself. Which fun fact, will not be a easy conversation to have with parents.

Yeah so that's all what happened in my little life. Gosh, too much ranting. Okay other than that, thank you so much for being there. I saw that so many of you reached out, tried to check on me. Y'all Don't know how much I love and appreciate you.

Anyways, how have you guys been? I really hope everyone of you have been happy and alright, mentally, emotionally and physically.

And now I'm gonna stop talking,
Always remember hydrate yourselves and eat something. Have a good morning/afternoon/evening/night
everybody.

Also ps: I'm releasing new book tomorrow.

Crimson leaves
Black family centric of course

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