The Black Sisters

seventy-nine

Andromeda Tonks sat on a porch swing in the dark beside Ted. They sat in a comfortable silence, a blanket of nothing covered both. As Andromeda's mind wandered the depths of her memories. She found a precious one. A memory she hadn't thought of often but wished she had. The stars glimmered in the sky, that night was one of the few nights the sky wasn't covered in a marine layer. She redirected her gaze to her husband who had happened to be staring right back at her.

"what are you thinking of?" he asked breaking the silence

"Stolen times" she let a small smile graze across her face. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "what about you Teddie?"

"you-"

"you cheater!" Bellatrix yelled as she loudly pushed her chair back away from the chess board.

"I am not!" Narcissa yelled right back

"You are to!"

"Bella just because you didn't win, doesn't mean Cissy is a cheater. You can't win every time" Andie spoke , stroking a small Dorea's hair.

"do you wanna play again Bells?" Cissa asked

"no. I wanna play little miss justice." Bella spoke crossing her arms

"okay Bella"  Andie nodded, never backing down from a challenge

She moved dorea off her lap and placed her back down on the couch, Cissa took a seat beside Dorea. Andie sat down where Cissa had been sitting and they began to replace the wizard chess set.

Dorea sat intently as the battle took place between her older sisters. Not understanding fully what was happening, she was very young, and had just began learning how to play. After about 20 minutes of their showdown Cissa got up off the couch and walked to the sitting room, surely bored of the intense glares the two were giving each other. Dorea followed in pursuit of Cissa holding onto her sleeve.

Narcissa sat down at the piano bench and helped dorea onto it. Dorea didn't know how to play but she liked to be included. Narcissa gracefully placed her hands ready to play. She breathed deeply three times and then began to glide her fingers across the board of notes. Not bothering to look at the paper sheets filled with symbols Dorea didn't understand. A fast paced melody flew through the piano's strings and fled into the room Narcissa and Bella were sitting in.

As the music slowed down, and played a simple but elegant tune, releasing the tension from the previous chorus Bellatrix let out a loud yell causing Cissa to stop playing and look up out of her trance. The two young sisters rush to Bella but to their surprise Bellatrix was dancing and laughing. Andie had a frustrated look on her face, which told Them that bella had in fact won.

She always won which just made Cissa's win so much more impressive. But none of them prided her, she just sat their in her silent smugness knowing she had outsmarted bella.

Andie got up and left the room with a sigh and rolled eyes.

Dorea ran up to Bella not understanding that she was taunting Andie and just got up and danced with bella which made both the older sisters laugh. Bella hit the switch on the record player and a familiar song played. Andie peaked her head back in the room after hearing the music and smiled her anger evaporating. Bella was holding Dorea and swaying to the beat, Andie grabbed Narcissa's hands and began to dance with her too.

As the song faded and the new one trickled onto the player Andie dipped Cissa and flew her off onto the couch laughing. bella set Dorea down and grabbed Andie's hand, the two began to do a more complicated waltz even though it didn't match the beat of the song. Dorea tugged on cissa's hand and the two held hands and danced in circles having no clue how to dance like their older sisters.

All four of them laughing, all four of them smiling. And even in Andies defeat time had stopped for a moment and let the sisters breathe. Despite Bella and Andies differences they sang badly along to the song and danced sloppily. They twirled so much it felt as though their feet had been lifted from gravity and they were floating, nothing was in their heads except for the song and each other.

The song faded, and their moment of weightlessness ticked by.

"You're not a cheater Cissa" Bellatrix breathed, and even though bellatrix would never say the words you could tell she loved her sisters more than the sun and the moon.

"I know bella" Cissa smirked and Bellatrix returnmed her look, but as they shared a look Bella began walkign towards her. Cissa took steps back still smiling. "Don't you dare" Cissa began walking faster her smile growing. "I'm gonna get you!" Bella yelled as she began to sprint after her young sister.

Andie crouched down beside Dorea to meet eye level.

"we still have an hour before Mother and father get home, what do you wanna do girly?" she asked. Dorea's wide smile glided across her face and she giggled as she said "cookies".

It was such a vivid memory despite being years ago. No camera could've picked up the helpless happiness the girls felt. The hopeless love they had for each other. None of them would say it to each other but they loved each other with the chained hearts they owned. If only Dorea had had that camera of hers then, maybe the heavens would've taken a photo of them all dancing of bella chasing Cissa. Maybe one day they could dance again. Maybe one day they could be weightless together again. But her head told her that it would never happen. Maybe when forever becomes today.

"Teddie?" she asked

"yes dear?"

"Teddie do you wanna play chess?" she asked smiling fondly at him

"sure, why the sudden urge?"

"I just don't want our time to be stolen"

"honey, we have forever"he rested a hand on her cheek 

"but we don't-"

"we have our forever, and there's nothing more important than that"

"I want to teach dora to play" andie spoke 

"of course"

"and I want to invite my sister Dorea to visit, to finally meet dora. I know it's risky but I want Dora to have the childhood i couldn't have. And Dorea's still a kid."Andie nuzzled her head into his hand.

"we can do whatever you like. I trust you, I always have and always will" ted leaned in and kissed her "I'd follow you blind"

"I love you Teddie"

"I love you more Andie"

Andromeda Tonks wanted one thing for her daughter, she wanted Dora to be happy. But beside that she wanted Dora to know that everyone has a story, a reason for being the way they are. Even if it's not right in front of you. She wanted Dora to look beneath the surface to read between the lines and to never judge someone due to their status of past.

Because everyone has a story. But not every one gets told.

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It's been like 3 months I'm so so sorry.

I hoped you enjoyed some fluff right before thanksgiving.

Does anyone else feel like November is kinda like a filler month. Like nothing really  happens in it except birthdays. Idk i'm not very obsessed with november. To be honest where I live November is just kinda cold and windy and rainy.

Also i fucking love Ted he's such a good husband

have a good day/night

-Caroline