Symphony | Andromeda Black

Yula

When Andromeda was eight years old, her sister Bellatrix started at Hogwarts. Their mother brought her to Diagon Alley early to order her school robes and books and get her wand, and the house elves collected the orders in August. Andromeda and Narcissa were unused to so much time away from their sister. Though she had refused to play with them recently, she had always been there, and there now seemed an odd distance between them.

They weren't going to the station with her. A house elf would do that too, and since their mother wouldn't appreciate being woken so early and their father didn't like being disturbed in his study, they said their good lucks and goodbyes the night before. They had a meal together in the dining room, a rare occasion for the children, and Cygnus presented Bellatrix with a small wrapped box. "It is a gift," he said. "My father presented me with it when I began Hogwarts. As I do not have any sons, I felt it fitting to present it to you."

Bellatrix slowly undid the ribbon, unwrappped the box, and lifted out a watch. It was very fine, goblin made and solid gold. As she gently squeezed the sides, it sprang open, and she held it up to her ear to hear the tick. "Thank you, Father," she murmured, and he gave a thin smile. "You are very welcome, Bellatrix."

"We must keep it at home, while you are at school," Druella spoke from her chair beside her husband. "It is too expensive for you to take."

Cygnus shook his head. "She shall take it with her. It is a heirloom."

"But Cyngus, the child is utterly careless. She shall lose it or break it within a week."

Bellatrix flushed bright pink, but Cygnus only sipped his wine.

"Cygnus-"

"That is the end of the matter."

It was Druella's turn to go pink.

After dinner, the girls and their mother sat in the parlour, while their father returned to his study. Druella sat by the window and took an evening glass of sherry from a house elf, while Narcissa worked on her needlework and Andromeda practised the piano. She didn't particularly enjoy playing, but her father insisted she attend lessons from her aunt Walburga once a week, and her aunt insisted she practise at home. She was frustrated to find that she didn't seem to improve much. Walburga had told Andromeda that her fingers sounded like bricks hitting all the wrong keys.

A fire crackled in the hearth, but it did little to warm the cold room as Andromeda picked her way over the keys. Bellatrix was sitting admiring at her new watch, opening and shutting it at intervals, stroking its elegant gold design.

As she snapped it shut once more, Druella turned her head. "Stop showing off, Bellatrix. Why he had to give you something so precious I don't know. He always does spoil you."

Bellatrix twitched. "I'm his eldest daughter."

"Even so, you can't be trusted to look after something like that."

"Father looked after it when he was eleven," her voice was calm, but Andromeda knew her sister. Her fingers stilled on the piano keys, worried she would anger her mother. That was never a good idea.

Druella sighed. "Bellatrix, please. You know that's very different."

Bellatrix was getting very red in the face. "Why, because he was a boy?"

"Well yes!" Druella snapped. "Yes, because he was a boy! Do you not think I regret that I could not give him a son? Merlin knows you would be less difficult if you were a boy."