"It appears that Christmas has thrown up on the castle,” Andromeda mused.”It’s a little bit early, don’t you think?”

"If I had brought Bella with me, she probably would have refused to speak to you. Now, that wouldn't be much of a reunion, would it?"

“Well, if you’ve brought Bellatrix with you, we’d nearly have a family reunion.” 

And love, if your wings are broken Borrow mine ‘til yours can open too Cause I’m gonna stand by you

send me “have you evers” and I can only reply with “yes” or “no”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Reg,” Andromeda sighed to her cousin, allowing the guilty person to make an escape. “They didn’t mean it, and you’ll be fine.”

“Three minutes in and there’s already a drink down the front of my shirt. Fantastic. Could you be any more careless?”

“Well then, it’s a good thing that I managed to find myself a whole bottle of firewhiskey,” Andromeda said, perching herself beside the girl before taking a sip.

“Yes?” Arabella glanced up at the figure that approached her. “Alcohol is the only thing that will make this part less lame, so unless you have that–start talking.”

Andromeda, despite being sure that no one else was paying attention to the two, couldn't help but sneak glances out to the crowd from time to time. She couldn't help herself. She was grateful that her older sister would never be seen at a party like this, and her younger sister...well, she wasn't so sure about Narcissa, but she hadn't seen her yet, so she hoped that perhaps she'd not run into her that night, at least not when she was talking to Ted. "You're not the only one," Andromeda laughed slightly, and for a few moments her smiled returned to her face, which was proving to be hard to contain, as she gestured towards a group of boys who were jumping about, clearly intoxicated. "I'm sure that tomorrow, half the school will wake up regretting what they've done, and they'll be in need a hangover potion. But, what else would you expect from a party, really?"

It was awkward for him, he couldn’t deny it. He wasn’t used to her, or any like her, talking to him. He didn’t know what to say or do, and he had to make sure that he didn’t do anything that would insult her. He noticed the change in her expression, and he couldn’t help but wonder why it changed, but he wasn’t going to ask her that. “I’m good. Although if I keep drinking this,” he said raising his glass slightly. “I’m going to be slightly inebriated.” 

Andromeda + Ted / / Tedromeda / / Moodboard

Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you Even if we can't find heaven, I'm gonna stand by you Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you

It was, unfortunately, true that Andromeda had to watch herself when mingling with people like Ted. She was constantly aware of what people she spoke to, and how she went about doing it. Truthfully, Andromeda wasn’t quite sure why she’d sought Ted out. After all, she was supposed to hate people like him. Didn't she hate people like him? Wasn’t speaking to him going against everything she- and her family- supposedly stood for? Perhaps, she thought, but just because I’m speaking to him..well, it doesn’t- it doesn’t mean that I accept what he is, I can’t. Banishing the thought, her smile was replaced with blank expression.

‘I’ve been well, thank you for asking,” she said. “And how are you?”

Of course she had to look around to make sure no one was watching them. He knew that some of her housemates would most likely attack him for fraternizing with someone of her bloodline. It was ridiculous to him, but it was how things were. He took a sip from his glass, grimacing as he realized that it wasn’t just butterbeer, but it was firewhiskey. “So how’ve you been, Andromeda?”

Andromeda continued to look at everyone but him for a few moments, before she decided that it was safe to turn to him and look him in the eye. “Cheers,” she replied, a smile forming on her lips as she held her glass up before taking another gulp of her drink, which tasted suspiciously of firewhiskey. 

To say he was shocked that Andromeda would strike up a conversation with him first was understatement, but he knew that if they were anywhere else, she wouldn’t have. “That’s a great idea,” he said, picking up a class from the table. “Cheers.”

Andromeda continued to look at everyone but him for a few moments, before she decided that it was safe to turn to him and look him in the eye. “Cheers,” she replied, a smile forming on her lips as she held her glass up before taking another gulp of her drink, which tasted suspiciously of firewhiskey. 

To say he was shocked that Andromeda would strike up a conversation with him first was understatement, but he knew that if they were anywhere else, she wouldn’t have. “That’s a great idea,” he said, picking up a class from the table. “Cheers.”

Andromeda continued to look at everyone but him for a few moments, before she decided that it was safe to turn to him and look him in the eye. “Cheers,” she replied, a smile forming on her lips as she held her glass up before taking another gulp of her drink, which tasted suspiciously of firewhiskey. 

To say he was shocked that Andromeda would strike up a conversation with him first was understatement, but he knew that if they were anywhere else, she wouldn’t have. “That’s a great idea,” he said, picking up a class from the table. “Cheers.”

“Well, I suppose we could stay a little while longer.”

“Oh, come on Andromeda, let me stay for a while more, we’re having such a great time.”

Andromeda had never really been one for parties.  

Of course, her family had held many, and she'd bitten her tongue and gone along with everything, because she knew that she had to, but when it came to school parties, well, she'd often managed to give them a miss without much of a fuss from anyone else. After all, her older sister had never shown an interest, and so it wasn't unusual for her to skip the hormone-fueled parties that drove the school into a frenzy of excitement. However, as the party began and Andromeda sat perched on her bed, in her empty dorm, she decided that perhaps a party would do her good. Perhaps it would get her mind off other things. 

Once she'd gotten dressed, she made her way down to where the party was being held, passing a few of her fellow peers as some found dark corners to be alone with another, and as others cheered and held up drinks in an act of celebration. What they were celebrating, Andromeda was not sure. A student had just died, and yet here they were, partying like nothing had happened, as if a young girl hadn't just lost her life, as if her family weren't grieving, wishing their little girl was still with them.

Andromeda did not feel like there was much to celebrate, but it certainly did not stop her from grabbing herself a drink and settling in.

Andromeda gave a leveled look to her cousin, and for a moment there was a hint of a smile at her lips, but it was quickly chased away by a blank gaze, the one she wore whenever she did not wish to reveal too much. 

"Any time, Sirius."

It was a simple enough answer, and yet it held a lot of meaning. Unlike the rest of her family, Andromeda hadn't been so quick to cast out her cousin. Of course, she couldn't admit that, there'd be too many people ready to chastise her for mingling with her ungrateful cousin, as her mother had put it.

“You’ve saved my life, Andromeda.” 

 It’s said at a level enough tone as not to give away whether he means it or not,  but he flashes a smile at the end. It’s not Peg’s fault that she’s not had much  work, and has got restless enough to roam the entirety of the castle causing  mischief. 

 Sirius knows the feeling. 

“Oh, I was just wandering. I didn’t expect to find anyone else out here.”

“No Andromeda, thank you. What are you doing out here?”