The large doors that separated Andromeda from the inside of the hospital wing creaked open slowly upon her approach, and she slipped through them as quickly and as quietly as possible. The ward was hushed, preparations for the night shift well underway, though almost all of the patients were awake. Andromeda walked down the middle of the room, searching the face of the inhabitant of every bed.
"I wondered if you'd come to visit me, Andy." Ted's voice startled Andromeda and she whirled around to see him sitting up right in one of the beds ahead of where she was, a white cast on his leg. "I didn't dare hope, one of the deigned Black sisters by my bedside, well I never! But I did wonder." He continued, smirking at her.
Andromeda wandered over to him and sunk herself down in the chair that sat beside his bed. "You really mustn't call me that." She scolded gently, looking at his leg.
"Would you prefer Andromeda?"
"Well... No." She replied uneasily.
"Dromeda then? How does that sound?"
"It'll do for now... What happened?"
Ted rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "Some idiot third-year sent off a spell that rebounded and ended up hitting me instead of him. All the bones in my right leg gone just like that, poof! You should have seen the way I fell down it was actually quite comical." He chuckled.
"Did it hurt?"
"The spell didn't, I didn't have anything there to feel the pain, not like when you break a bone. But the growing them back, that's proving to be most unpleasant. Still, I'll be back in the dormitory in a few days, then walking around with nothing to support me and attending my classes again by next week."
"Almost like magic." Andromeda quipped.
"Dromeda Black, was that a joke?"
It was Andromeda's turn to roll her eyes. "Just because my house colours are green, it doesn't automatically impede my personality."
"Well sure, some Slytherins are hilarious. I've never met a member of the Black family that was though. Except maybe Sirius, but then he's not like most Blacks."
"No, he certainly is not."
"Though apparently neither are you."
"I beg your pardon." Andromedaa bristled.
"Well I don't see the infamous Bellatrix attending to any mudbloods. I've never even heard of Narcissa so much as looking at one of us when we speak. And yet little Andromeda, the middle Black sister, the golden girl, is sitting beside me, practically mopping my brow and whispering words of comfort."
"Hardly. But then, I don't really think my sisters are the nurturing type, even amongst purebloods...
"But you are." Ted pressed.
"I didn't come here to compare myself to my sisters, or to you for that matter. I simply came to thank you for helping me up the other day. I appreciated it."
"Anytime Dromeda."
"Right... Well, now that I've done what I came to do, I ought to return to my common room and to my sisters. They'll be wondering where I am."
Ted smiled, shaking his head. "I knew it."
"Knew what?"
"I knew you were here in secret. Tell me, are you ashamed that you're lowering yourself to speak to a mudblood or are you just scared of what mummy and daddy will say." He said bitterly.
"Don't use that word." Snapped Andromeda.
"Mudblood?"
"This was a mistake, I shouldn't have come." Cried Andromeda, standing up and preparing to leave. The genuine nature of my thanks remains but I must go and I don't think we will meet again."
"Wait Dromeda, I didn't mean to upset you." Ted called out. "Let me make it up to you, what do you say?"
Andromeda hesitated, looking up at him through her eyelashes. "What exactly do you propose?" She ventured.
"Do you ever go into Hogsmeade?"
"My sisters and I go every few weeks. Why?"
"Would you ever consider going with me?"
"Why? Do you need to buy something?"
"Nothing in particular." He replied nonchalantly. "I just thought it might be nice for us to spend some time together when you're not bleeding and I'm not growing new bones."
"Well I suppose..."
"Your sisters need never know."
Andromeda smiled gently and nodded tentatively. "Very well."
"We'll arrange a time later?"
"Okay."
"Goodnight Miss Black."
"Get well soon, Mr Tonks."
Andromeda turned back and with an elegant swish of her hand made a bouquet of sunflowers appear in the empty vase beside his bed before hurrying out of the room and racing down to the Slytherin Common Room, only narrowly beating her sisters there.
~~~
"Sirius!" Andromeda called out, seeing her cousin's dark head ahead of her in the corridor. He turned back, and seemed surprised to see that it was her that had said his name.
"Miss Andromeda! How honoured I am to be in your presence twice in as many days. To what do I owe the pleasure."
"I need to talk to you. Alone."
"Alone as in, somewhere that your sisters won't see you talking to me?"
"Something like that."
"Understandable, follow me, I know exactly the place." Andromeda trailed behind her cousin, trying her hardest to look as though they were only travelling in the same direction by coincidence, should anyone see her and report back to her older sister.
"In here." Sirius said finally, swinging open a door Andromeda had never noticed before. Once inside, she realised that she had never known that such a room even existed. Forgotten objects were piled high, and every corner of the room held a hiding place.
"Where are we?"
"The Room of Requirement. It only appears when a student really needs it. At least now I know you really need to talk to me."
"I do."
"Is it about Ted Tonks?" Sirius said, smiling knowingly.
"How did you know that?" Andromeda responded, her eyes wide. If Sirius knew about her and Ted how on earth was Andromeda supposed to keep it hidden from her sisters?
Sirius' reply eased her worries somewhat. "Oh come on Cousin. You've barely spoken to me the whole time we've been at school together, and only brief words at family gatherings. Don't worry," He rushed as Andromeda opened her mouth to defend herself. "I'm not angry, I know you're just looking out for yourself. It's not easy having a conscious in this family... But all of a sudden you've started showing up to talk to me and the first time was to do with Tonks. It's time to come clean Andromeda, what terrible things have you been doing to sully the name of Black?" He teased.
Andromeda bit down on her lip, smiling at the memory of her conversation with Ted the previous night. "Nothing too terrible..."
"Yet."
Andromeda ignored him. "Ted Tonks has asked me to go with him to Hogsmeade and I'd like to go. The only problem is-..."
"Bellatrix would start throwing around Unforgiveable Curses if she ever found out." Sirius concluded.
"Bella wouldn't-..." Andromeda stopped herself before she uttered something that may reveal itself to be untrue. "Will you help me? Make sure she doesn't see me?"
"Hmm, that depends."
"On?"
"Do you like Tonks, Andromeda?" Sirius asked genuinely, crossing his arms and leaning back against a wooden chest.
"Yes?"
"No I mean, do you like him?"
"Oh, well... I suppose so, yes." Andromeda blushed. "Though I thought I'd figure it out once we'd actually gone out."
"Well then, I'll help you! Anything for young love, and anything to piss off Bellatrix Black. Though be careful Andromeda, before you let this go to far. Your family will never forgive you if you stick with anyone that's not a pureblood. I personally would be over the moon to not be the only blood traitor in the family, but I know you love your sisters. Tread carefully."
Andromeda's breath caught in the base of her throat. She nodded seriously. "I will, thank you Sirius."
"Just let me know the day and I'll watch your sisters like a hawk to make sure they don't spot you out and about."
Andromeda grinned, and before she knew what she was doing she had flung her arms around Sirius' neck and pulled him into a hug.
He gave a surprised chortle, but relaxed almost immediately and hugged her back. As they pulled back, he smiled at her. "It's been a while since I received a hug from a member of the Black family."
"Me too actually." Andromeda said, suddenly saddened.
"Well, no matter what happens from here, y'know with Tonks and your sisters, you have a friend in me Andromeda. You can rely on that."
Andromeda nodded, unable to reply verbally and turned on her heel, leaving the Room of Requirement and hurrying to her next class. Sirius watched her leave before counting to ten and then following.