Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Andromeda teetered around the roof, her fine emerald robes swirling around her ankles with every delicate step. Her arms were spread wide for balance, the long velvet sleeves like wings. In one hand she clutched a stolen bottle of liquor by its neck.

The wind whipped at her hair where it fell from its updo, bit lightly at her cheeks as she paced. From below, the muffled sound of music and laughter rose like steam from the ballroom as her sister's engagement party carried on in full swing. She paused to listen, ignoring how her body swayed in the breeze.

Below her, the gardens stretched out in a tangle of cobblestone paths and neat flowerbeds. At the edge of the property, the thick wall of trees waltzed in the wind. The sun had finished its dive below the horizon, the thin sliver of a waning moon taking its place. Her fathers voice echoed in the chamber below and Andromeda took a swig of the booze, unflinching as the burning liquid hit her throat.

An owl screeched somewhere, and Andromeda couldn’t help but imagine if she too could fly. She doubted anyone would realize she’d left at all.

“Andi?”

The brunette whirled around, half tripping on her robes. Narcissa stood by the trapdoor, her new navy cloak draped delicately around her. Flecks of silver glinted in the setting sun, as if the night sky itself had gathered her in its arms. Her dark hair was coiffed perfectly.

The perfect pureblood bride-to-be.

Andromeda let out a heavy sigh. She turned back around, content in watching the horizon. The alcohol made her sluggish, like her limbs were made of lead. “What do you want, Cissy?”

“Mother sent me to check on you. She’s worried.”

Andromeda couldn’t help the scoff that escaped her. Narcissas heels clicked on the roof as she drew closer.

“You’re drunk, Andromeda. It’s time to get off the roof.” There was an edge to her voice as she spoke, a firmness she probably learned from Bellatrix.

“You sound like Mother when you talk like that,” Andromeda countered. Even to her own ears she sounded drunk, her words laced together like a spider's web. “Remember when Bella and I used to take you up here to test your magic?”

Narcissa didn’t respond. “We used to levitate you over the garden and pretend to drop you. Well, Bella did. She wanted to make sure you were actually magical. Bit of a psycho, our sister.” She let out a humorless chuckle and lifted the bottle back to her lips. “Oh, but we all had fun here. Real fun. Not the stuck up, pureblood bullshit they teach us inside. Here we could play games and laugh about Bellas crush on the Quidditch captain and…
“For a moment, it felt like we were normal. Just three sisters, nothing more.”

“I remember those days,” Narcissa began, the soft air she used to speak with filtering in, “You guys taught me glamor charms before my first year because I was nervous about my acne.”

Clouds had rolled in, blocking out the soft light of the moon. Andromeda turned to face her baby sister. Narcissa had charmed little glowing orbs to fill the space around them in a blue haze.

“I remember that day. Mother had been fretting herself half to death about her bloody first impressions ideology and you started hiding away in your room. Bella and I spent all morning perfecting it so we could teach you before dinner.” Narcissa just watched her with those piercing blue eyes. A breeze ripped through the air, and the brunette blamed her shiver on the cold. She took a sip of liquor to warm up. “I can’t live here anymore.”

The women froze, the sudden tension thick between them. Andromeda bit her lip and started walking up the roof, stumbling over slats and fabric.

“Wha- what does that even mean Andi?” Narcissa asked, that childhood softness gone, their Mothers edge taking its place. Andromeda ignored her, weaving her way along the point of the roof, wing-like arms spread wide. “Andromeda!”

“I can’t live this lie anymore! I can’t do it anymore Cissa!” she whined, wrapping herself around a wrought iron spire for support. The metal was cool against her skin.

“Andi, please you’re drunk. Just, stop and talk to me,” the younger woman pleaded. She gathered her skirts in her hand as she stalked forward. “What do you mean by living a lie?”

“Hmm, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

Narcissa huffed, her breath forming a little cloud in the chill. The glowing orbs trailed behind her like obedient hounds, lighting the sisters once more. For a moment, Andromeda swore she saw concern line her sister's dainty features. “Does Bella know?”

“Bellatrix can’t know. Neither can Mother, certainly not Father,” she gave a deep sigh and slid down the spire, “that’s why I can’t live here anymore.”

“Maybe if you tell me, you’ll feel better.”

Andromeda shook her head and Narcissa kneeled down in front of her. “If I tell you, you’ll never look me in the eyes again. You’ll think I disgraced our family, betrayed you,” a small smile twisted on her face. “We can’t have that now, can we Cissa?”

The young woman twisted her hands together while Andromeda looked out over the grounds. The moon shone brightly between the clouds, the faint speckles of stars poking through. In the woods a creature cried out into the darkness, a low mournful song to fill the silence.

“It’s a beautiful night.” Andromeda finally spoke. She shifted her gaze to her sister, placing a heavy hand on a navy thigh. “You will make a beautiful bride.”

Narcissa only hummed. “I’m sure Rastaban will come around soon.”

“Ugh, I hope not,” the older woman cringed. She shivered and took a shaky breath. “I have my eyes on someone else,” she whispered at the horizon.

“Who?” Narcissas eyes were wide in curiosity and Andromeda smirked.

“A Hufflepuff,” she sang. Her mind felt fuzzy at the edges as she took another drink from her bottle. Satisfied, she looked at her sister through her lashes, weighing the odds of telling her the truth.

What she said was true. She couldn’t live at home anymore. Bellatrix had married the older Lestrange boy and hadn’t been the same since. Their parents were hosting all sorts of “society” meetings that reeked of bad news. With Narcissa being pawned off to the Malfoy heir, there was nothing left for her. She couldn’t stand by while her family aided in the destruction of wizarding society, purity of her blood be damned.

“I suppose a Hufflepuff can have pure blood,” Narcissa wondered aloud, playing with the fabric of her dress.

“His name is Ted,” Andromeda began with the same fond smile she always got when she said his name, “and he’s a muggle-born.”

She watched as her little sister worked through this new information. Shock, rage, hurt, they all shuffled through her face like candle light.

“And that, is why I can’t stay here anymore.” Andromeda huffed and started pulling herself to her feet, using the spire as a support. She swirled the bottle in her hand and placed it at Narcissas feet before making her way towards the trapdoor.

“Where will you go?” Narcissa shouted behind her.

“Somewhere. As long as it’s far away from here.”

Silence spread between the two as they absorbed the gravity of what was happening.

“Do you love him?” Narcissas question was so quiet, Andromeda almost thought she imagined it. She thought about his smile as he told her about his favorite band, how he comforted homesick first years, no matter what house they were in. How he comforted her whenever she got a letter from home, never even needing to ask a question. He knew her better than anyone ever had, or anyone ever will.

She turned to face her little sister, the most precious person in her life. There were tears rolling down her cheeks despite the brave facade she had put in place. “I do.”

Narcissa didn’t move. To the untrained eye she looked blank, unreadable. Only Andromeda could see the pain in her eyes, the betrayal that she just barely restrained. “I don’t think you can love anybody, Andromeda.”

Andromeda gave a heartless chuckle. “Well, I guess this won’t hurt then.”

In the blink of her eye, Andromeda's wand fell from her sleeve into her hand. She didn’t even have to speak as she aimed the charm at her baby sister. Her blue eyes went glassy as the silver strand of memory was pulled from her mind.

Tears rolled down Andromeda's cheeks as the charm dissipated. She rushed to her sister and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

“Know I did this to protect you,” she whispered into the soft hair. “Everything I’ve done is to protect you.”

And with that she stepped away and apperated away without a second glance.

Later, Narcissa would wake up on the roof, an empty bottle at her side and a pounding headache behind her eyes. She couldn’t remember how she got there, or what happened when she did. She would tip the bottle over in her fuzzy state of mind and find a roll of parchment that would change the course of her life forever.