Blackbird

Chapter 48

"Ow!" Andromeda hollered as she was, for the fifth time in the matter of a few minutes, stabbed by a knitting needle.

"If you would stop fidgeting," her mother snapped, exasperated, "this would not be such a painful experience."

Andromeda had to bite her tongue to keep from snapping back. Nothing good ever came from talking back to her mother. She had no idea why her mother sounded so exhausted though, as she was doing nothing more than watching while the enchanted needle and house-elf stabbed her daughter under the pretense that they were altering her wedding robes.

"Alright." Her mother waved her hand and the needles withdrew to their miserable little basket. The house-elves also retreated with tiny squeaks as her mother strode forward to inspect their handiwork.

"Well." Andromeda hardly dared to breathe as her mother looked up her and down. She sniffed a few times, before finally proclaiming, "There is still hope you'll make a decent bride, I suppose." Andromeda had to disagree. She looked like a white version of that awful picture hanging over the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, though perhaps not quite so obese. Her mother had decided to layer her robes with so many jewels, ruffles, and lace it was hard to believe it had one been plain. And the sleeves were so poofy she could probably fit a quaffle inside each of them.

Still though, she let out a long breath. If she wasn't much mistaken, she had just received a compliment from her mother, at least a close to one as her mother ever got. But no sooner had the thought crossed her mind than her mom's wand smacked across her belly, hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

"That is, if we can do anything about that unsightly pudge of yours." She lifted her wand to Andromeda's chin, forcing her to attention. "Watch your figure, we can't have you looking like some common pig walking down the aisle."

"Yes, mother," Andromeda said, careful to keep any emotion out of her voice. Good thing she'd had a lot of practice at that lately.

Her mother gave her another contemptuous look before turning towards Bella, who was having the same fight with the fitting needles Andromeda was, except, Bella seemed to be actually fighting back.

She let out another sigh of relief, though she made sure to keep her belly tucked in. She'd thought the original fitting had been awful, but it was nothing compared to this, and she would still have one more before this was over. And then she would be married to Rabastan Lestrange.

She closed her eyes, swallowing the lump that rose in her throat. School had ended two months ago, and it had been a whirlwind of wedding planning ever since. Originally her wedding was supposed to happen at the end of her seventh year, after she had completed her time at Hogwarts. But after all the rumors about her and Ted and the love potion had begun to circulate the school, her mother felt it was best they moved up the timetable. And since she was a legal adult, technically, her marriage to Rabastan would be perfectly legitimate in the eyes of the Ministry, if not a bit uncouth.

Once she had left Hogwarts, things had become more bearable. She was no longer forced to see Ted every day, nor deal with the constant whispers and gossip that seemed to follow them around wherever they went. Rabastan had been saintly. He assumed her withdrawn state was a result of the trauma she had been through, and not a broken heart. She was never going to correct him. After all, she was his best chance at a happily ever after. Her chance may have been shot, but she wasn't going to deny him the same opportunity.

But ever since the school year had ended, she'd barely seen him. Her mother had her so wrapped up in wedding preparations, and her parents had her on such a short leash it was nearly impossible to get a moment alone with him. Getting to know her future fiancé was not a priority to them. She would have her whole lifetime to do that. For now, they just needed to make sure she didn't get into any more trouble until their fates were sealed and she was securely in the care of the Lestrange family.

The problem was, Rabastan was about the only thing that could keep her distracted, and when he wasn't around, there was nothing that could stop her from thinking about Ted.

More than anything she wanted news of him. There were times when she wondered if he wasn't a figment of her imagination, created to allow her an escape from the helplessness of her situation. She wondered what he was doing constantly. Was he happy? She'd seen him laughing with his friends on a few occasions, though it had always evaporated when he noticed her. It had to be easier for him now that he wasn't forced to see her with Rabastan every day. Perhaps he'd even found someone new, though the thought made her shrivel inside. Still, it was less painful than imagining he felt like she did. Numb. Empty.

"I said no, mother!" Bella's screech pulled her out of her reverie. She glanced over, eyes wide. Though Bella had always been more—spirited—than her sisters, none of them ever dared speak to their parents that way.

Her mother was staring at Bella in a shock that was almost comical, except, Andromeda's attention was drawn elsewhere. To the sleeve that Bella hastily pulled down. The seconds before she did Andromeda could see the edge of some black tattoo, but before she could make out what it was it had disappeared.

"Bellatrix Black!" Her mother seethed, as she slowly recovered from the shock. Once she did there was no telling what her wrath would look like. Bella, however, looked as indignant as fiery as ever. Except, unless Andromeda was mistaken, she was trembling. She'd never seen Bella tremble before.

"I don't have time for this." Bella whipped out her own wand, and the dress fell off her body, leaving her in nothing but her underwear. Her mother turned so red she looked purple, but Bella paid her no mind as she waved her wand again, and her normal black robe wrapped itself around her body. Without another word she turned and strode out of the room.

"Bellatrix Druella Black!" Her mother shouted again, "You are not finished until I say so!"

Bella stopped, but when she looked back, her usual sneer was already in place. "Finished with what? Preparing for this sham of a marriage? It's going to be a disgrace no matter what I look like."

Her mother went from purple to white in a matter of seconds, but Bella paid her no mind as she strode out of the room. Andromeda couldn't even process that her sister had called her a disgrace and her upcoming marriage a sham. She just wanted to know why she was so determined to hide her tattoo from their mother, assuming that was what it was. Of course, her mother wouldn't have approved, but she knew her sister's dramatic exit had not been out of spite, it had been out of fear. She was terrified of their mother seeing what was on her arm. The thing was, it reminded her of another time. Bella had been about to show Meda something on her arm before they had been suddenly interrupted, and she'd had that same look of desperation on her face as she did then. Things between Meda and her sister had become so strained, she doubted Bella would show her now, but she couldn't stop herself from being curious. What was Bellatrix hiding from them?

She didn't dare talk to Narcissa about this, but there was one other person who might be able to help.

"What are you still doing here?" Her mother snapped, "didn't you hear me excuse you?"

"Sorry, mother," Andromeda quipped, "I was—" but her mother didn't even bother to listen to her excuse. "What did I ever do to receive such mediocre offspring?" She shot Meda another glare before exiting from the room.

The wheels were turning too fast in Andromeda's brain for her to even be offended by her mother's insult. The matter was settled, now more than ever, she needed to find a way to be alone with her future fiancé.