{andromeda} love at first dance

[tedtonks]

UNTIL I OPENED MY EYES
AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR AND THE SKIES CAME TUMBLING DOWN

There were so many things to love about tonight. Ted mostly loved the way that Andromeda fit so perfectly into his arms, but there was also the easy chatter that he'd come to know so well. After the first spat on their first day, Meda hadn't been one to judge him. And for that, Ted was grateful.

Just as Ted was starting to lose himself in thoughts of Andromeda, a hand obstructed his view as it grabbed Andromeda's arm. Panic rising, Ted swivelled around to see Bellatrix Black standing in her usual halloween attire, a look of pure hate scrawled upon her face. Ted's eye twitched. What was she going to do to him?

He averted her death glare and instead focused on Andromeda. It was calming, but Bellatrix's words were deadly poison and before he knew what was happening, he and Meda were being beckoned to follow Bellatrix into the Entrance Hall.

He gritted his teeth together and clamped his jaw down shut. He wasn't going to say anything to hurt anyone tonight, no matter how much Bellatrix prodded and provoked him. He'd do it for Andromeda's sake - after all, if there was one thing that Ted had learned over the past week of their friendship, it was that Andromeda was different from the rest of them.

He returned Andromeda's look of worry before having to look away. As the pair of them walked silently, side by side, after Andromeda's sister, Ted yearned to lean over and hold her hand. She stared down at the floor, defeated, and a pang of guilt fell over Ted. This was his fault. He got her into this mess.

Almost without thinking, he slid his hand into Andromeda's and gave her a reassuring squeeze and a smile, trying to say that it was all going to be okay. As they reached the Entrance Hall and Bellatrix turned around, Ted dropped her hand quickly. He regretted it almost instantly. Her hand fit perfectly into his, and the warmth that it spread all throughout Ted's body was soon noticeably missing.

"Yes, Bellatrix?" Ted said in his most polite voice, starting off the conversation that was bound to happen. He wondered for a brief moment if Bellatrix was going to hex him right then and there.

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[bella]

Not even for a second did Bellatrix question that Andromeda and Ted would follow her out of the hall. The idea that they might refuse to do so did not even enter her head. And so she did not turn around to check that the two were following, she knew they would be. Nobody dared to defy Bellatrix Black when she was like this.

As she reached the Entrance Hall she glanced around to ensure it was deserted. It was. Of course, most students were in the Great Hall, having a wonderful night. They had no reason to be in the cold, silent Entrance Hall. She turned around to face her sister and Ted. She was furious, anybody could see it plainly written on her face. And her mood was not improved when she opened her mouth to speak and Ted got there first.

Her eye snapped towards him. “You’ll speak when spoken to Tonks or I’ll personally make sure you regret every single time you’ve laid eyes on my sister.” She said coldly, “Have I made myself quite clear?” Her gaze rested on the sixth year Hufflepuff for several seconds longer than was necessary. The temptation to just hex him right now was overwhelming, but cursing yet another student was almost definitely going to get her thrown out of the castle for good.

As Bella turned towards her sister, her expression hardened slightly, but only for a split second. “Have you absolutely lost your mind Andromeda? A mudblood?! Do you have any idea what Mother and Father would say if they heard about this? You’re a Black Andromeda, does that mean nothing to you?! Or is it your desire to be burnt off the family tree?” her voice was filled with venom. It was a way in which she had never spoken to her sister before, and she was sure Andromeda wouldn’t fail to notice that.

Pulling out her wand, she turned to face Ted. Her wand was level with his chest, pointed straight at her heart. “And who exactly do you think you are, dancing with my sister? She’s a Pureblood, from the house of Black, and you’re nothing. Just a filthy mudblood.” Her wand was held steady as she waited for a response from either one of them. Of course, she had no intention of using her wand against Ted, but he didn’t know that.

[quof]

Andromeda looked up at Ted with wide eyes when he spoke, her warning not to speak coming a few seconds to late. She blushed at her sister's rudeness but made no comment.

She wouldn't look at her sister as she spoke, she couldn't. Her hands were stiff at her sides and her shoulders were tight and she felt as though tons of weight were pressing down on her shoulders and it was only the corset that was keeping her upright.

"Bella—" She started, but her sister was already interrupting her. She looked up at her then, her eyes wide and fearful. She was frozen. "It's Not—" she began again, but her sister had already moved on from her and was speaking to Ted again.

She flinched, but she was surprised at her the heat that was rising in her cheeks. She'd heard her sister belittle, if she could use so tame a word, people before, and she didn't react like this. But Ted was her, her friend, and she hated how her sister was treating him. She wanted to shout at her, to tell her that she didn't even know him and that this whole mudblood thing was stupid anyway, but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. She was going to lose ted just like she had lost everybody else, because of her fear.

"Bella," she said again, her voice breaking, "Bella, I'm sorry." Maybe that would be enough to get her to leave him alone and forget the whole thing. Now all she could see was that hufflepuff girl, only now it was Ted's writhing body lying in front of her. The thought made her throat constrict even more.

[tedtonks]

UNTIL I OPENED MY EYES
AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR AND THE SKIES CAME TUMBLING DOWN

In all honesty, Ted had expected nothing less from Bellatrix and her venemous personality. He had heard about how cold-hearted and strong she was, but seeing and dealing with it in person was something entirely different.

He would show no emotion. Bellatrix would not break him; her harsh words were barely worth answering. She had made it clear that she had no time for him, and that Andromeda should follow in her footsteps. And if Bellatrix had no time for him, he definitely would not seek out her friendship.

Her words were cold and harsh and cut through the night's air like a knife. The words that Bellatrix spoke sank through Ted's mind, You're nothing. Just a filthy mudblood, and echoed in his head. Well, if that was all he was to her...

He prepared himself to walk away from the situation. This wasn't worth his time. Andromeda would find him later and the two of them would just have to work harder to keep their friendship under wraps - no more sitting by the lake for them. Just as he lifted his foot, about to turn on his heel, Andromeda spoke.

Sorry? What did Andromeda have to be sorry for? Confusion spread across Ted's face, before he quickly wiped it away in fear of Bellatrix seeing. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Andromeda," Ted said softly to his friend.

Ted ignored Bellatrix's raised wand. If she wanted to hex him, now would be the time to do it. "She's done nothing wrong," he spat in the older Black girl's direction, "and if you have a problem with it, you take it up with me -- not her," he pointed to Andromeda for effect.

He wanted to leave this stupid situation. He wanted to go back to the dance-floor and hold Andromeda in his arms once again, but that wouldn't happen. Not tonight.

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[bella]

Andromeda’s apology provoked no response from Bellatrix. Most would soften slightly at the sight of their younger sister apologising. But Bellatrix remained as she was. In fact, the only indication she gave that she had heard her sister speak was a quick glance in her direction. She was still beyond furious, this situation was not something that would go away with a simple ‘sorry’. Besides, Andromeda was a Black, born and bred, she was more than capable of manipulating her way out of situations she didn’t want to be in. Bellatrix was almost convinced it was the reason she had apologised.

She laughed at Ted’s next comment. The laugh was cold and dangerous, devoid of any real humour. “Well isn’t this adorable?” she smirked, her voice mocking and patronising. “Going to look after my sister are you Tonks? Is the mudblood going to take on the big nasty Slytherin?” She lowered her wand immediately. She had no intention to use it and he didn’t seem bothered about it anyway.

“Nothing to be sorry for? Done nothing wrong? You have no idea Tonks. You think this will all be forgotten? Take a look at my sister and tell me she doesn’t look like a girl who knows she’s done something wrong. Go on, I dare you.” She glanced quickly at her sister for effect. Andromeda’s voice was breaking, her cheeks were flushed with emotion. Bellatrix was almost certain Andromeda was aware of the consequences.

In all honesty, the situation was beginning to worry her. This was more than two people sharing a dance, this was serious. He was protecting her, taking the blame. Surely they weren’t? No, it was impossible. Her sister would not stoop that low. And yet, with every second, Bellatrix’s heart was sinking lower and lower.

“Oh you really don’t want to do that Tonks. Trust me, I am not someone you want as your enemy.” Was she threatening him? Absolutely. Did she care? Of course not.

[quof]

Andromeda let her eyes flicker to Ted for only a second. His gentle tone soothed her, though she knew he was wrong. She had so much to be sorry for. But Bella’s voice cut through her calm like a knife. Her hands clenched in fists and she had to take several breaths to steady herself, not looking at either of them. Teds next words made her feel worse. Here he was standing up for her, and she couldn’t even bring herself to do the same. Tears began welling at the back of her eyes but she blinked them away furiously. She couldn’t cry, not here.

She looked at him again when Bella mentioned her, and this time her eyes met his. She wasn’t sure what he saw, but she imagine the fear and pain would show in wide eyes that were fighting back tears. And the shame would be there too. Yes, she was ashamed. Not for the reasons Bellatrix thought she was, she was ashamed of herself, that she still wouldn’t do anything, that she wouldn’t tell her sister the truth. But he wouldn't be able to see that, he would see what Bella told him to see, because Andromeda wasn't giving him any reason to see otherwise. And now Bella was threatening him. Andromeda couldn’t stand this any longer. She grabbed Bellatrix by her arm and wheeled a few feet from where Ted was.

“It was just a dance Bella,” Her voice no longer choking, but firm. “Just a stupid dance.” She knew Ted was just behind her, that he could hear everything she said. But she couldn’t let this happen, she had to end it. And she knew only one way to do that. “It was nothing.” But she knew that wouldn’t be enough, there was one thing she had to say or her sister would never except any of this. It would destroy everything, but she had no choice.

“He’s nothing, Bella.” She made sure her sister was looking at her as she said this, and though her words made her feel like she was shriveling up from the inside she kept all emotion off her face. She didn’t look like someone who was ashamed now. She stood tall, her voice clear and powerful, and her eyes and face cold and devoid of weakness. She looked like the Black she had been taught to be. She kept her eyes locked on Bella, knowing that if she looked back at Ted and saw the betrayed look that was bound to be there, she would fall to pieces. It was taking everything she had to keep from whirling around and telling him she didn’t mean any of it, to keep any sign of her inner turmoil from showing on her face and continue staring at her elder sister with these fierce, composed, lying eyes. “It was a mistake.” She said in a voice that sounded like it should belong to a queen, a dark queen. “It won’t happen again.”

[tedtonks]

UNTIL I OPENED MY EYES
AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR AND THE SKIES CAME TUMBLING DOWN

Ted took a step back, bewildered at Andromeda's words. It was hard to hear what Bellatrix was saying over the buzz in his own head. Had she really meant that? That's all he was to her. That's all their 'friendship' was. Nothing.

He was just another stupid mudblood after all.

Why had he even thought that this could work? Friendship was a two-sided thing, and as much effort as Ted was willing to put in to make it work, it wouldn't. Not if Andromeda thought that it was all for nothing, or if his blood status tainted whatever kind of future they would have had together. "Right," Ted said, unable to say anything more. He couldn't trust his voice or his head. He would say something he didn't want to, or start asking questions. But now wasn't the time or place for that.

The words coming from Andromeda's mouth were, in a way, more cold-cut and harsh than anything Bellatrix had said all night. Their short, week-long friendship was over; brought down by four words. 'It was a mistake.' Ted took another step back and resisted the urge to argue back against it. What was the point of pursuing it if Andromeda didn't want to?

It felt like Ted had deflated. He'd lost his reason to stand on his own two feet. He pressed his lips into a hard line and turned on his heel, turning towards the Hufflepuff Common Room. He would be safe there. He would have friends there.

This was all too much.

Without another word to either of the Black sisters, Ted disappeared down the small corridor and into the darkness, where he could have time to process things by himself.

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[bella]

Bellatrix’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as her sister grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to one side. It was a short-lived exclamation of emotion, by the time Andromeda had opened her mouth to begin speak, Bella’s face had reverted back to the furious cold expression she had held seconds ago. She heard Andromeda speak without really listening. It was the same old excuses that everyone used. She had heard them hundreds of times before, and they were no more credible to her ears when they came from her sister.

And then the younger Black sister spoke again. But this time it was different. This time she stood tall and proud and spoke with such assurance that any listeners were left in no doubt. It was at this moment Bella could truly see why so many commented on the similarities between the two eldest Black sisters. He’s nothing, Bella. It was a mistake. It won’t happen again. The words cut through the air and caused a smirk to appear on Bella’s face. This was the younger sister she wanted, one who knew her priorities and what people expected from her.

She barely noticed as Ted walked away from the two of them. He wasn’t important in the situation. All that mattered was that her sister had come to her senses. A moment of insanity, a moment of thoughtlessness, surely that was all it had been. She could see that now.

“In that case, how about we call it a night?” The tone of her voice was softened considerably. The situation was certainly far from over. Bella would make sure to keep an eye on her younger sister in the coming weeks. But for tonight, no more would be mentioned. She turned and headed in the direction of the Slytherin Common Room, leaving Andromeda standing in the Entrance Hall. She was finished with the Halloween Ball, events with the whole school were never enjoyable for the young Death Eater.

[quof]

She heard Ted say something, and there was something in his voice that pulled at her gut. But she didn't turn, didn't flinch, she didn't even blink. She had to make sure Bella believed her first, or she would have done that for nothing.

But she needn't have worried. Bellatrix was still not happy with her, that was certain, but the fiery accusation had receded from her eyes and voice. She nodded in response to her sister's question, she wanted nothing more than to bury her face in her pillow and convince herself that this had all been a dream.

It was only after her sister had turned and was heading down the hall that she finally allowed herself to look back at Ted, but he was gone. Her shock existed only a moment before a sort of hollowness took its place. She stared at the place where he must of gone, her breath coming in heaving gasps while a part of her longed to run down that hall after him. But she knew that was pointless, he was gone, in more ways that one.

She no longer felt hallow, but heavy, like her entire body was filled with lead. But she let none of this show and she turned and walked after her sister with her head held high, not a fleck of emotion on her face though she had to fight back tears once more.