Damsels in Distress and Knights-In-Shining-Armor
Class was winding towards an end. Before I had done much more than respond to Aveline's whispered "pay attention" by grabbing my Herbology book, the class was pronounced over. Smiling smugly to myself, I opened my bag to slip my book inside. The space within was such a neater, clutter free space that it shocked me. I felt a sudden, completely random and illogical rush of affection for Andromeda Black. It almost made me think to react to it. Maybe placing my hands over my heart and sighing would suffice. Or going out of my way to make my affections known like writing her a silly little note or singing a song for her or…
The unforeseen turn my thoughts had taken set off alarm bells in my head. I shook my head to clear the thoughts and blinked in the after affects. Dizziness was overwhelming as the room spun a bit. I had no idea what that had been about and it had been most irrational and unlike me. Her acts of kindness were not that big nor had they left that big of an impression on me.
Rather it was she herself who had left an imprint on my psyche. The enigma of a pureblood Slytherin’s unexpected acts of kindness to someone with an unsatisfactory bloodline was mystifying. Perhaps there really was more than meets the eye… It was remarkable that I was only just discovering this about people. My mother would have been ashamed of me as she still thought that I knew better than that.
I had developed a bit of a theory about people after a few years of going to Hogwarts. There were certain kinds of people. Generally, people tended to keep within the usual behaviorisms of their category. However, every so often, someone would shed their layers and prove their placement was wrong or just simply prove to be too hard to categorize. It was just my younger mind trying to wrap around the intricacies of human nature.
The surprising thing was that I kept to it through the years because it proved to be fairly reliable. Andromeda Black had originally been placed in a category with most of the Slytherins, the people who favored status and power above all else. They were the kind of people who’d step on anyone to get to the top, even if it meant taking out family. Of course though, they’d make it resemble something completely benign and innocent to keep up their unblemished reputations. Her younger sister and Lucius Malfoy definitely seemed fit this category to a tee. They’d be the perfect couple.
Andromeda seemed to be shedding her layers to show was really beneath the hauteur, the self-importance, the “I’m better than everyone” countenance. Maybe she was a genuinely caring and kind person. Perhaps she was honest even and only hoping for the best. I hadn’t really paid her any attention to her last year but I suppose she had been a little different then too. Changes like that just don’t happen overnight. Perhaps it was because her sister left Hogwarts. Bellatrix Black could no longer be a widespread horror to those within the school grounds.
I had been on the verge on changing my opinion of her when her boyfriend had assaulted, harassed and threatened me. I suppose she put him up to it. She thought I was stalking her or something along those lines. It was unreal, how angry Raphael Ferox’s words had made me. I’m typically not a violent person at all but it took a lot of self control not to punch him in his pretty boy face. Where did he get off thinking that he had a right to do that? It wasn’t my fault she had decided to return my smiles or that she had helped me pick up my belongings outside. I hadn’t forced her to do anything. The cunning Slytherin certainly gave off the air of a person used to being in control at all times. He was probably in control of not only himself but his friends and his girls… Or perhaps I should just say girl.
Bitter, enraged thoughts had run through my head during most of the lesson as I told the story to Aveline with biting side remarks as to the characters involved. I felt keyed up, tense. I was wishing I could leave the humid greenhouse, hop on my broom and just take off for a fast flight around the grounds. The frigid air had the fresh smell of snow. It surely would cool off my unusual amount of vexation. Needless to say, my work suffered. Aveline eventually took my plant from me and did the work herself, along with her own. She was best at Herbology. I just sat there and attempted to look like I was doing something while I ranted to my best friend. It relieved me to see that she listened patiently. She never did fly off the broom handle about things. Her collected calm slowly rubbed off on me as I talked. It was almost the same effect that I knew flying on my broom would have had.
I was really getting into the telling of the tale when I felt an odd sensation. My head tingled, almost feeling itchy. I scratched it absently before recognizing the familiar sense. It was like I was being watched again. My eyes flew up from their contemplation of my fingers to find Andromeda Black watching me with inscrutable hazel eyes.
The irritation I initially felt melted as I observed her ill humor. Her small smile in my direction seemed shy and unsure, not smug like I had expected. My face went vacant as confusion flooded my mind. She would surely have been happy if she had wanted her boyfriend to confront me. Maybe even smug that it had worked out so well. I watched her myself a while longer.
My eyes roamed over her face, taking in the aristocratic straight nose, the wide caramel colored eyes. Her thick dark hair contrasted with the pale skin it was set against. Her facial features weren’t as long and pointed as Narcissa’s or as dark and heavy seeming as Bellatrix’s face. The face of Andromeda Black seemed to possess a hidden softness that neither of her sisters had. Distracted as I was by studying her, I shrugged at the nudge my friend sent my way. I paused, reluctant to pull my eyes away. I only just saw her throw a rather nasty look at her boyfriend. Was he even her boyfriend? I honestly didn’t know. They had always been together as far as my memory of the pair went.
More confused now than annoyed, I looked down at my hands. My rough, calloused fingers traced along the grooves in the wooden table absently. I was refusing to let myself think about the situation and source of my inner turmoil. Thankfully, Aveline leaned over and interrupted my Andromeda-less thoughts.
“Since you take forever getting your stuff together, shall I just meet you for dinner later?”
I hadn’t been given much of a chance to do any of my work but it seemed as if my things were strewn all over the place more than usual. I guess in my anger that I had pulled nearly every out of my bag. Books and papers and quills were placed at random around our station. Sighing at myself, I almost wished that when angry, I was an organizer. Instead, my organizational skills were almost non-existent. Saying goodbye, I waved her off and began trying to gain order of my things. Professor Meidren merely shook her head at me and walked away, knowing I’d be a while. Finally, I gathered the objects into like piles and began cramming the things back into the bag. The earlier neatness of the bag was soon impossible to tell as habitual messiness struck once more.
Almost done, I glanced around the greenhouse and noticed I wasn’t the only one left. The raised voices of the pair in the corner had completely escaped my notice. It was Ferox and who I suspected to be Andromeda Black. Her usually neat hair was messed up, her robes almost falling off one shoulder. It either looked like a lover’s kiss gone amiss or someone had gotten a little rough with the slender girl.
I was alarmed, but reluctant to get involved. I was a peaceful person. However, I lacked the skills that were useful in creating peace. The few arguments I had gotten involved in, neither of those involved appreciated my efforts. It was better off to just leave them to it. Quietly, I bent my head over my bag. I took out a few of the messier parchments and placed them neatly inside book covers. I took longer than was necessary. I was hoping that they’d finish and leave before I got up.
Finally, I could delay no more and rose slowly from my chair. Their heated voices and the dark murderous look on Ferox’s face made me nervous. I knew from experience that when upset, Slytherins didn’t always play by the rules, even with each other. I lengthened my steps, still hoping they’d leave. However, as I drew within a few feet of them, their raised voices became discernable.
“Growing up together? How could I forget? You were my hero. My idol. How naïve I had been back then.” Derision almost dripped from the normally polished voice of Andromeda. Frustration and irritation had blackened her expression so that bright spots of color blotched on her cheeks and her usually light brown eyes were almost black.
Her companion’s face looked stung as her words hit him and his own dark countenance grew even darker still. “You didn’t seem to mind that in the past.” His tone of voice brooked no argument.
She responded to it all the same with her voice rising almost hysterically. “Of course I didn’t! I didn’t know who you were becoming. I didn’t know the monster that hid inside of you.”
“Your sisters seem to think you’re losing your mind. They think I’m perfect for you.”
“Oh, then why don’t you date them?!”
Ferox stared at her, his jaw clenched tightly. I could see a muscle twitching in his neck from the tension and I took an involuntary step back. He seemed to take his time responding. He spoke, uttering in a slightly calmer voice, “You know it’s you that I want.”
“You can’t have me Raphael. I am not your girl. I may have been in the past but this girl is no longer going along with the game. You’ve ruined it for yourself. I’ve changed… I don’t want you.”
Andromeda took her own time before replying. Her management of calm anger made me envious. The last few words she said were said with such fervent passion, I couldn’t possibly think them untruthful. I was frozen in place, eyes roaming back and forth. Raphael’s look grew even darker, if that was possible. Next thing I knew, Andromeda was reeling back from him, hand held to her cheek and a look of shock upon her face. Her mouth was open in a small circular ‘O’ shape. His own seemed rather surprised, his hand still raised. Without a second thought, I dropped my bag and launched a fist into his perfect face. I had no respect for those who hit women or girls and I wasn’t about to let him get away with it.
I bent calmly to pick up my bag, almost smiling. I felt much better about the whole thing. I settled the strap on my shoulder carefully, took Andromeda’s hand and led her out of the greenhouse. The professor could take care of him.
I led her away from the school and the greenhouses, close to the edge of the lake before I turned towards her. She seemed to be in a bit of shock. Her expression hardly changed except for a closed mouth. Gently, I pried her hand away from her face, starting at the vivid, almost purple colored handprint against the side of her face. A small cut was visible under her eye. He must have had a ring on for that to happen. Anger flooded through me once more and I wished I had stayed to finish him off.
“Andromeda, are you okay?”
Obviously this was a silly question. Surely, she wasn’t okay after being hit by someone she seemed to have known her whole life. Nevertheless, she looked at me, blinking her wide doe-like eyes at me before I could see them focusing on my face. Still, I got no reply. Well, it was better than nothing. She was focusing on me.
“I’ll transfigure an icepack for you but then we’re going to Madame Pomfrey. I don’t trust myself with healing you.”
She nodded slowly. Pleasure went through me when I saw a faint curl to her lips. It was still better than nothing. I was rather good at healing charms but I had yet to do them on anyone but myself. I was reluctant to try. What if I turned her nose green or something? I dug through my bag and produced an empty inkwell. It was one of my nice ones…
I looked at the appealing girl next to me, my mind making its decision. It’d do just fine for transfiguring. I could always transfigure it back. I pulled my wand out of my robe pocket and waved it vaguely at the inkwell. Coldness hit my hand as the black pot changed into the desired icepack. Not bad, Tonks, not bad at all. I handed it to her with a flourish and was pleased to see her eyes had returned to normal as she took the pack from me. Gingerly, she placed it against the mark, hiding the worst of it.
“Alright, time to go. It’s freezing out here," I said, taking her free hand without thinking. I enjoyed the warmth of it in the cold wind. I watched her as I led her to the castle. Thankful for once, I praised the free period I had been given. I wouldn’t have been there to rescue her otherwise.
She seemed to be coming back to herself. I checked quickly to see if she had her bag. Relief flooded through me to see the strap on her shoulder and the bag thumping against her hip lightly. In my observations, I saw the pretty little star pin attached to the front of her robes. I felt a small stirring of smugness over the fact that I had found it for her. Curious, I looked at her face to see her watching me too with an amused smile. I pointed at the star with my free hand. I felt the need to ask about it.
“That’s pretty. Did someone give it to you?”
“Thank you. Yes, my little cousin Sirius did for Christmas. Spent all his pocket money on it too.”
I grinned at her charming look. “He must mean a lot to you.”
She looked down at the pin. “He’s quite possibly one of the best people in my family…”
The sad, fond tone alerted me to a fragile subject and I merely nodded in response. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to risk a joke about it. “And thank you. For rescuing me, I mean.”
I flashed what I hoped was a winning smile at her and shrugged. “That’s me, the knight-in-shining armor, here to rescue the beautiful damsel in distress. With hopes of a kiss as a reward, of course.”