An advantage shaped itself on two sides. She had never been as talented as her sister. Indeed, Narcissa showed promise and talent where she failed. Whilst Bella lured into the Dark Arts, she used these tricks for practical use. A change in perspective, she had said. Her family ignored this line. What was wrong with her? Generation upon generation laid the foundation for this line. Her father indeed pondered this very question the night she left. They turned deaf. They might have forgotten her, but Andromeda still had a family. Her thoughts often drifted back to them, especially when she felt confused.

It wasn’t hate. She could never hate them. Honestly, she had a very privileged childhood. Her father cherished his family. In their company, at least, he never voiced a complaint of oestrogen suffocation. Andromeda and her sisters learned socialization from the governess, Agnes, and picked up a few things from the house-elf. That’s where it all started: she pecked her mother with endless questions. Why didn’t all families have a Kelsey? Shouldn’t they offer to help her out with the chores when they finished their lessons? None of them humoured her curiosity. Sheltered, she took the easier route till she got to school.

“You’re doing it again.�

Andromeda yanked herself away from memory lane. The street, which had been deserted a few hours before, bustled with children donning an array of costumes. A little girl with a head full of curly hair ran after her fat mother and waved a plastic pumpkin in the air. She had been left because she chatted away with a few of her friends. The girl clutched the handle of an old, battered broomstick in her fat hand. She looked to be about four of five and shook her head at something her mother muttered. Small children giggled at the girl as she passed. Angry, she caressed the taunting boy’s face with the sharp bristles.

“No, it’s not,� she shouted, stopping in her tracks and shaking her head vehemently. She dropped her pumpkin and its contents spilled onto the sidewalk. “You don’t know. He told me that they’re real. They are. You really shouldn’t talk about what you don’t know.�

“Oh, well, that’s not ...� Andromeda folded the paper and looked over her shoulder. He wasn’t there. The man had strolled over to the small crowd. As the kids wandered over to the next house, he swept his wand over the mess and the candies zoomed back into the pumpkin. Struck dumb, the girl only stared. Nervous, Andromeda glanced at the mother; her back was turned. Panicked, she addressed him in a high-pitched whisper and kept scanning for onlookers every few seconds. “Ted, what are you doing? Get up!�

“Me?� he asked, handing the pumpkin back to the girl and getting to his feet. The girl seemed really interested in her black ballerina slippers. Ted took the hat and fitted it back on her head. “I’m not doing nothing. Here you go, Charity, I’m sorry about that. There, that should be straight now. Next time, let’s try this ensemble without the warts, yeah? It’ll go better without them. Let’s keep this secret between the two of us.�

She nodded.

“Charity,� her mother called. She doubled back. The colour had drained from her face, and she paled a little. Perhaps she thought for a second that some stranger snatched her child. “Come along.�

Ted waved to the girl as she ran down the sidewalk. He looked rather pleased with himself and stuck his hands into his pockets. He had openly broken the Statute of Secrecy and strutted round like this was some game. Before she had the chance to tell him off, he shook his head and sat down beside her on the metal bench.

“What’s that look?� Ted made a face and gestured to the small brick house where a new bunch of trick-or-treaters had gathered at the doorstep. “She’s five. What’s she going to do other than blab to her parents and a few strangers? Who’s going to believe her tonight?�

Halloween. They held an annual festival at Hogwarts in celebration of this. For the life of her, Andromeda couldn’t wrap her mind round that tradition. It’s not as if they didn’t see them. When they were little, Narcissa and she would rush to the windows and peek through the drapes at the squealing neighbourhood kids. It looked like loads of fun. Annoyed, their mother asked them to find other things to pass their time. The Muggles, she reminded them, took pleasure in mocking them when they pranced round in these disguises. They insulted them, reducing their long held traditions to shreds. Bella chose not to watch the show. Again and again, the reminder reared its head. She couldn’t do it anymore. People, ignorant, childish fools wasted their lives tying everything back to their families. It’s how they were raised. Not anymore. Not her.

“It’s ... it’s nothing,� she said, brushing a lock of dark hair out of her eyes. She nodded at a tall figure dressed in holey sheets and dark trainers. “That’s a ghost? Seriously?�

“None of that, none of that,� he said, waving her down. “It’s a classic. You never know. Perhaps the old fellow just couldn’t part with his favourite trainers.�

“And a bit of skin?� she added, raising her eyebrows. Andromeda raised her hands in surrender and nodded to a little girl who wore a red cloak and carried a basket. “Who’s that?�

Ted rolled his eyes and stopped a moment later, realising she really didn’t know. “Little Red? It’s a fairy tale. Not a very good one, mind you, because the wolf has cheap comebacks. It’s a morality tale about judging. Never mind, though, because I’ve completely bored you and lost you again. Sorry it isn’t Rabbit Cracked Stump , but the principles are the same here and there.�

She held her tongue and didn’t bother to correct him. She hadn’t anticipated rows about stories and costumes. At least they had waited to have kids; she was grateful they had that they had that opportunity to themselves. They loved each other. Why would she have risked everything if she didn’t love him? Sirius left the house on his own and left them all behind. Andromeda could never truly know the answer, yet she doubted she would have had the courage without a spark of inspiration. It was lonely on that some days, for it was nothing to dropping a name. It was the consequences that followed. She couldn’t forget who she was any better than she could saw off her own feet. Like it or not, their family of two, soon to be three, had no prospects of sharing any special holidays or traditions with them. They were quite alone.

“Don’t do this now,� he sighed, reading her face and reaching in his robes pocket for a handkerchief. It wasn’t there. Looking round frantically, he opted to let her dissolve in tears and welcomed the distraction of a black furry thing. He walked over and coaxed it out of its hiding place before he returned to her. He toyed with the thing for a while before turned to her. Clearly, he wanted to distract her, and his face lit up like a child who received a gift from Father Christmas. “Can we keep it?�

“It’s not you,� she said, wiping her eyes distractedly with her sleeve.

“Right. Am I going to get the expected line now?� Ted pulled a face and sounded a bit dejected. Perhaps he thought this had nothing to do with the emotional spill at present; after checking something, he passed over his grammar and reworded his request. “May we keep him?�

Composed now, she pondered about what actually went on in this man’s head. She swore words simply leaked through his head; they went in one ear and out the other. This had little to do with his selective hearing. She knew his tricks, or, at least, she thought she did. She had been with him for quite a while now, yet they still learned these little quirks about each other. Thankfully, this hadn’t been an arranged marriage, which was the path her sisters choose along the way. Even though her parents and relatives pampered each other with a leaky kindness, she had picked up a few things. Marriage filled itself with these compromises to fuel the curiosity of the unknown fire.

“What are we going to do with a cat?�

“Well,� said Ted. “We’re not going to eat it, are we?�

She narrowed her eyes. “With a baby? Diane’s going to raise hell.�

“You’re frightened of my stepmother? You, of all people, should be the one telling her right where she can stick her ... and, see? There’s the look again. But that’s not the point, is it?�

“Cleo Rose?� His defence and mockery sparked something in her memory. The lunch with his family this afternoon passed smoothly till she had been passed the gravy with this suggestion. “That’s what she said. Cleo Rose. And you just sat there. Cleo Rose Tonks. Don’t you even think about using my name because that’s not happening. And, no, I’m not scared of Diane, but that’s appalling. Can you imagine?�

Ted gave something like a half-committed grunt. He shrugged it off. “It’s not that bad.�

“Forget she’s your stepmother.� Andromeda threw up her hands in frustration. “She asked you to name my daughter after a dead rat. A rotten, dead, decayed rat.�
“Yeah, I get that now,� he said, nodding. The description proved rather unnecessary, for she had his attention at ‘rat’. He licked his lips and brought things back on track. “So, since we’re not granting Diane her wish, what about the cat?�

****

It was a dark, cold night. As cliché as it sounds, the line fit rather perfectly for someone who didn’t want to think.

It had been a long day. Nothing got checked off the list, which really bothered her because this sort of thing was starting to become old hat. When they first got married, things got along really well, but small things started becoming noticeable, and the honeymoon period evaporated. Crumbs multiplied in the bed sheets by some apparent invisible force. Ted’s definition of a tidy room meant propelling his robes and his clothes in the vicinity of the hamper. Of course, it never occurred to her to mention this thins till after he left. Turning onto her side and punching the pillow, Andromeda thought it was a shame she couldn’t sleep without the foghorn blaring in her ear all night long.

Annoyed, she snatched one of her husband’s books off of the bedside cabinet and flicked the two mismatched socks off of the mess. She flipped through the sticky pages of a paperback pamphlet and sighed when a coffee mug slipped off the disorganized stack and scattered to pieces on the stained carpet. A single burning taper provided little light, but it was enough to distinguish the tiny square boxes and a confusing configuration of numbers. The things Muggles did for entertainment! It looked like a promising remedy for a headache, but how else was she going to pass the time? She lifted the already ink splattered quill that Ted had decided was the ideal bookmark and pondered a method to this madness. Luckily, Ted skipped around with this thing, so she reread the instructions and landed on a puzzle labeled ‘beginner’. There were only nine numbers, so how hard could this thing be?

Time slipped through her fingers and pretty soon she just wanted to finish the damn thing. “Eight, no, it’s a three. I already used that one. Six, no. What is this thing? This is not that hard.�

“Mummy, why are you talking to yourself?�

“If three is in the centre, it’s can’t be seven,� Andromeda muttered under her breath.

She jumped when she felt something near her leg. The quill flew the air when she yanked the covers. A lanky black cat greeted her with a bloody rat in its claws. Apparently pleased with its skill, the cat leapt up and placed its prey by Andromeda’s hand. Surprised, she leapt off of the bed and took the cat by the scruff of the neck. Her small daughter had crawled onto the upholstered bench at the foot of the bed and waved at her. She must have been too absorbed in the puzzle because she never registered the door opening. Somehow, the cat had reclaimed its prize and was clutching it between his paws.

“Benny says hi,� said Nymphadora, leaping onto the bed and burying herself in the covers. “Can we sleep with you? It’s scary, and I don’t like the noises.�

“I never liked you, Benjamin,� Andromeda hissed at the perfectly content feline.

She looked at the clock on the wall and noted it was near midnight. She knew it would do no good, but the cat used up her patience quota. She considered tossing the cat in the hamper for old time’s sake. Of course, the giggling reminded her that she’d have an audience, so she set Benjamin on the floor and pulled her house robe off of the four poster bed. After shrugging into it, she took out her wand and cleared the stinky clothes chaos on the floor. She was tired. Andromeda pulled a face and readied herself for the usual routine. Her little girl chewed happily on a long lock of strawberry blonde hair and pretended to be enveloped in the puzzle book. It was upside down.

“Read this.� Nymphadora set her stuffed rabbit beside her.

“No.� Andromeda glared at Benjamin, who sucked in the rat tail like a spaghetti noodle. “Don’t play with me.�

Benny took this as an invitation and took refuge in Nymphadora’s arms.

“How’d he get in here?� she asked.

Nymhadora scratched Benny behind the ears. “He was scared, too.�

“Oh, he’s got you and Daddy trained really well,� sighed Andromeda as she walked over and lifted the girl. “Why are you not in bed?�

“I got to brush my teeth.�

“You did that.�

“Oh.� Nymphadora thought that one over, changing her hair to a violet shade. “I forgot one?�

“Cute, but no.� Andromeda set her down and put her hands on her hips. “It’s bedtime.�

“But … Erik’s thirsty.� Nymphadora waved the bunny rabbit.

“Both you and Erik had milk and biscuits, remember? I cleaned the kitchen and you got a second glass after spilling the first one?� Andromeda led her towards the door. “What’s next? You’re hot? That’s why your door and window are open.�

“Yeah, but …� Nymphadora stopped cold, confused. “How’d you know that?�

“Nymphadora,� Andromeda sighed. “Stop this. Go to bed, please. Good night.�

Andromeda inched the cat out of the room and closed the door. She was not fooled when she saw little fingers slip through the crack underneath the door. Right on cue, the nonsense ramblings and incessant pleas started. Ted finally succumbed to sleeping by her bedside and not sneaking away till she finally drifted off to sleep. The excuses followed the same pattern: a snack, some water, a lost Erik, another snack, a secret, a story, a monster, some juice, a second story. Ted had been switched to a random schedule at the shop, so when he landed on the night shift, their daughter knew she’d have to step up her game. Andromeda had to hand it to her; she played the game well. They should never have fallen into the habit of putting the bassinet by the bed. It just set this never–ending cycle in motion. She was sure Ted was joking when he suggested they should think about having a second kid.

“But- but Mummy!�

Pushed to the breaking point, Andromeda yanked the door open. “What do you want?�

She was sure the light from the corridor played a trick on her eyes because all colour drained from Nymphadora’s face; she was ashen white. Her pleas came to a screeching halt, but tears continued to cascade down her face. Benjamin ran back into the bedroom and clawed at the closed window. Ever so slowly, the little girl lifted a finger and pointed outside. She had trouble forming the words. Andromeda knew she had dropped the act because she dared not cross the threshold. Benjamin arched his back and gave a low hiss.

“What are you looking at?� Andromeda found her voice.

“There’s a man, a vampire,� answered Nymphadora, not looking up at her. “I heard him under my window. Ask Benny.�

Andromeda got to her feet and looked out the window. She held her wand aloft and scanned her garden. Nothing there. It just didn’t make sense. A second later, she remembered she spoke with an imaginative six-year-old. How had she been so stupid to fall for another trick? These games burnt up her patience, and she took the girl roughly by the hand and picked her up. Ignoring her pleas, she marched down the corridor. Tomorrow, she decided, the two of them were going to have a heart to heart, and Ted would have to stand his ground on this one. No excuses. Of course, the little girl didn’t need to be aware of the war, but this was no time to play games. Andromeda decided it was time to put her foot down.

“You just want to play with the other neighbourhood kids. I know you. When your father gets home, you’re going to get it, miss,� threatened Andromeda, no longer feigning anger.

Something rapped on the door, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Gathering her courage, she reasoned these guests were a few late night trick-or-treaters. This was another custom Ted had gone through great lengths trying to explain to her. Apparently, Muggles delighted in this tradition of parading round in costumes on Halloween mocking every clichéd concept they had misconstrued about their world. He had said it was great fun going from door to door and coming home with a mountain of sweets. He completely missed the point, in Andromeda’s opinion, and she, for one, didn’t want their daughter thinking the magical community ought to fall into such a parody.

They knocked again. She felt frustrated that they hadn’t given up this rouse. Andromeda headed into the sitting room. It was nearly eleven, so these had to be a few straddling young people hanging round to join in the games. Of course, she had no sweets, and she couldn’t just answer the door empty handed. Ted usually picked up a bag of cheap sweets for this type of thing. Of course, this would teach them to stop taking advantage of a kids’ holiday. A fruit bowl full with rotten apples presented the prefect disguise. Smiling, she tapped the bowl with her wand and the forgotten mess transformed into wrapped candies. Taking Nymphadora by the hand, she walked towards the door.

“Trick or treat ...�

A scream caught in her throat. The bowl clattered to the floor. A young man dressed in a blood stained t-shirt with a golden emblem nearly fell over the threshold. He was supporting a lifeless lump dressed in tattered robes. The lanky figure and perfect hair registered in her mind instantly along with a million questions. Drenched, dirty blonde hair covered the fat young man’s eyes. A knife was locked in his shoulder, and fresh blood spilled onto the carpet. To add insult to injury, this man looked as though his skin had ripped at the seams. When opened his mouth to speak, sick flooded through his nonsense syllables.

“Andromeda, give us a hand,� groaned Sirius. Carefully, they stepped over the sick and started into the sitting room. The aspidistra crashed onto the floor right before they heaved him onto the couch. Every hair on the cat’s back stood up so that he looked like a porcupine. Claws unleashed, Benjamin hopped round as through preparing for a fight in the alley and hissed like a siren.

“Don’t worry about it,� she said, waving her hand at the mess.

She waved her wand and a stack of towels appeared on the small coffee table. Completely at a loss, she stood back and watched Sirius rip through the man’s tattered garments. She dashed into the kitchen and filled a silver pot with hot water and soap. After running back to her cousin’s aid, she wrung a flannel and held it out to him. Sirius glanced nervously towards the window every few seconds. A bloody knife lay on the coffee table.

“What the hell is going on?� she demanded.

“Nothing, nothing,� Sirius mumbled evasively, cleaning and packing the severest wound. “Hey, does your husband have any spare clothes? Does he wear robes? I mean, it really doesn’t matter.�

“Mummy?� asked Nymphadora. She pointed at Sirius and hugged her rabbit. “Who’s that?�

“Hey, you. You’re cute.� Sirius smiled at the girl and looked at Andromeda. “Is your bloke a punk?�

“Shut up.� Andromeda slapped him hard in the back of the head and looked at her daughter. “Bed, Nympahadora! Now! Benjamin, if you don’t shut the hell up, so help me, I will obliterate you!�

She didn’t need telling twice. Recognising he fought a lost cause, Benny followed suit.

“That sounds familiar,� Sirius sighed, rubbing his neck. He took a deep breath and pulled the wand out of the man’s shoulder. He took the flannel and applied it to the man’s wounds. Andromeda offered an extra set of hands and helped with the dressings. “Nymphadora? Which one of you damned her with that one?�

Andromeda knew his tricks, and she wasn’t falling for them. As a consequence of going against the family, they banned together. On the one hand, this offered each of them an alley, yet they might have reached the point where they understood each other too well. This careless man, even if he had acted stupidly, didn’t just end up in a ditch over nothing. If anything, he might have done well to defend himself when he got cornered. She understood that Sirius kept things from her. He forgot that her patience wore thin; Andromeda had used tonight’s quota up with her daughter. In any case, if she was going to treat this man and offer him a bed for the night, she’d be damned if she didn’t get the story.

“Sirius!�

“All right, all right,� he conceded, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “James and I got in a scuffle with the Muggle law enforcement, and one thing led to another.�

Andromeda shook her head and rushed to answer the door. “Merlin, Sirius, you can’t help yourself.�

“Hey. You look angry,� said Ted, wary and shrugging off his coat. He smiled at Sirius and shook his hand. “Are you the one who sent her into a tiff?�

“Well, actually, it’s a good tale,� said Sirius.

“He ran away from the authorities because, clearly, the law doesn’t apply to him or his friends.� Andromeda filled him in. “And then he ran to us.�

“You’re interrupting me? It’s rude?� he cut in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He waited till she fell dumb. “Thank you. Where was I? Long story short, Rodolphus and some blonde-haired beast tracked me and James, see? We had to break the trail and protect the innocent, didn’t we? So, James took my bike home. By the way, Ted, thanks for tinkering with it. A levitating motorbike? You know your stuff. So, I was headed back to my flat when I got stopped again. Peter, here, got caught in a scuffle with Roldophus and Blondie. There’s no telling what happened there.�

“You really like the bike?� asked Ted, who missed the point.

Andromeda looked at the ceiling and rolled her eyes. “Idiots. I am surrounded by idiots.�

“’Dromeda,� Ted said, wiping the grin off his face when she threw her house robe over the chair and pulled on a travelling cloak. “’Dromeda, come on.�

“I need some air,� she said, walking past him and into the night.

She understood he worked hard, and she appreciated that he supported them through thick and thin. She didn’t know if this was men in general, but when two got the opportunity to share a few hours, it was all laughs and tools. Really, she felt relieved Ted had clicked with someone in her family, but she didn’t want anything to do with the others. If Rodolphus went after another victim for sport, couldn’t there be a possibility Sirius was being followed? Andromeda pretended not to know anything about her sister, but she knew down whatever Benny had done to that rat would be considered downright humane in Bellatrix’s eyes. They had been estranged for over eight years now. Andromeda fought the urge to release her anger, and, unfortunately, Sirius seemed like the perfect target.

Andromeda felt exhausted. She walked across the street to the Millers’, thinking she’d keep the dog company whilst she cleared her head. The dogs had not howled tonight, which was a peculiar thing because they usually were restless all hours of the night. With all the kids running round, he should have been rather restless. Mr. Miller had been alone ever since his wife passed last summer, and she just checked on him and listened to his longwinded stories of the good old days. When she got to the curb, she thought she saw a body. Thinking it was some idiot waiting to surprise her, she hurried on to the door.

She could see a Jack O’ Lantern lit with candles on the wooden porch. The creaking of the weathered rocking chair carried in the wind. She pulled off her cloak, wondering why the old man hadn’t simply left the sweets by the door. The sleeping Labrador lay at his feet. Andromeda draped the cloak over the old man and felt his ice cold fingers.

“Mr. Miller? Mr. Miller, can you hear me? Mr. Miller, why won’t we get you inside?� Andromeda stood in front of the man and raised her voice, remembering he was hard of hearing. She judged by the faint light of the Jack O’ Lantern and brushed her fingers on his leather veined skin. His eyes looked eerie, translucent. “Mr. Miler? Ephraim? Mr. Miller?�

“Treat or treat, trick or treat,� sang a soft voice.

A cold chill ran down Andromeda’s spine as she felt a bony hand on her shoulder. A rotten stench filled her nostrils, and she stared into the hollow black eyes of a corpse. He looked as though yellow wax had been stretched across a canvas. She recognised the man’s face immediately, especially when he licked his chapped lips. He wore a faded set of black robes and kicked up dust whenever he took a step. His blackthorn wand was clenched in his long fingers. He might have been there for ages, waiting to slip away without the slightest suspicion because he fit in so well with the crowd. Andromeda’s voice evaporated. Paralysed with fear, she made no move when he grabbed her by the throat.

“Hello, dear,� he whispered, breathing lingering spirits into her face. “You remember me, don’t you? I suggested to Bella that we visit relatives along the way, but she didn’t seem too keen on that idea. I haven’t seen you since our wedding, so it’s no surprise you’re a little shocked. Beautiful, though, if you had been a bit older, I might have asked for your hand. And the girl...�

Andromeda held her arms close to her body and took a swing. Roldolphus fell back, surprised.

“See? It’s the quiet ones you ought to look out for,� Roldophus mused, fingering the blood dripping from his nose and laughing in spite of himself. “Did your mother teach you that?�

“You stay away from me,� she said, gripping her wand. “Let me go.�

Rodolphus laughed and yanked his hand back a moment later as if burned by a hot, invisible flame.

“She asked nicely, idiot,� roared Sirius as Roldolpus fell to his knees, piercing deaf screams into the night. Sirius waved a couple of young people who passed their path. “Hey, we’re just trying to stitch something up, that’s all. He tripped over his trainer laces, no big deal. He nicked a part off of my bike.�

They backed away without saying a word and disappeared without the slightest complaint. Andromeda was surprised when Sirius actually laughed the whole thing off. On second thought, she took that back. This was the perfect night to reflect any persona he wished, and he pulled it off without a problem. Roldophus thought that he was finished and he made to run for it, but Andromeda watched him like a hawk and he slammed onto the hardwood planks. She held her wand aloft and readied herself for a fight. Sirius swished his wand, breaking his hold on the man’s larynx. With Sirius by her side, this man had no chance, and it would be a foolish move to think he could escape.

“I wasn’t going after you,� he gasped. “It was all in fun and games, right? Look at them. They’re mocking you, fool, and you go and marry one. But, if you care, you have me on a hook. Go ahead. Bella never left a trace.�

Andromeda cleared her throat. An empty threat carried no weight as a comparison. “I’m not like her.�

“No, no,� Roldophus agreed, nodding. He got to his feet and backed away slowly. Sirius gaped at her, amazed. “That’s a shame.�

He walked away without another word and disappeared once he slipped into the darkness.

“Andromeda? What are you doing? Come on.� Sirius held out his hand.

“Someone should know.� She shook her head and sat on the steps, petting the lifeless dog. “He was a good man, and I’m not leaving him alone. I’m waiting.�

“Yeah, but ...�

“I know what I’m doing. Stop questioning me!" Andromeda blinked her eyes and swallowed tears. Sirius sat beside her, dropping the argument, and draped an arm round her shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts. The candle extinguished. She squeezed his hand. “You want a cat? I was wondering if I didn’t have to break it to Ted if Benny, you know, mysteriously disappeared.�

“You are so wrong,� Sirius said, completely caught off guard. He chewed it over for a minute. “I don’t know. Lily might want a cat. I’ll ask round.�

“Okay.�

“Why was he here?� Sirius seemed to be holding onto that one.

“The Muggles changed things up a bit,� she said, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes. “We’re not them. We’re not supposed to know. Maybe Roldophus wanted to play the game.�