Symphony | Andromeda Black

A Surprise In The Kitchens And Detention

Andromeda was so upset at the thought of detention that she actually cried.

"It's not that bad," Glenda said, looking alarmed.

"But Father will be so d-disappointed in me!" She half sobbed.

As it was now lunchtime, Glenda shepherded her to the bathroom and handed her toilet paper to wipe her eyes.

"It doesn't matter much. I don't think they even put detentions on the report cards. It's okay," she said anxiously. "This is my fault, isn't it, for talking to you?"

"No! It's my fault for getting detention," she blew nose loudly. "And now it'll be on my r-record forever!"

"It won't be, not really, and even if it is, does it matter?"

"Of course it matters," she sniffed.

"Well – well, maybe your parents won't mind. Mine won't, not really. My mum might give off for a while, but my dad will laugh, and then she'll calm down."

Andromeda knew they probably would mind, especially when she had promised Cygnus she'd carry on his legacy the best she could, but she kept her mouth shut tight.

She didn't want to go into the Great Hall for lunch and face Lacrimosa again, so Glenda said she knew a trick to get into the kitchens.

"All the Hufflepuffs know," she said, leading the way down stone steps. "You tickle the pear in the fruit picture until it giggles."

"You tickle what?"

In explanation, Glenda stopped in front of an oil painting of fruit and gentle tickled the green pear. After a few seconds, it emitted a high pitched giggle, and the section of wall swung open.

"Come on," Glenda said. "They always have lots and lots of spare food."

"Won't we get into trouble?"

"No way! The house elves love giving us food, and the Hufflepuffs come down here all the time, so Dumbledore's probably known for ages."

Andromeda hadn't been in the kitchens at home in years. Something about the scent of freshly baked bread was soothing to her.

The house elves welcomed them immediately. Glenda knew them all by name, even enquiring about a baby.

"House elves have babies?" Andromeda whispered.

"Of course! How did you think they were born?"

She blinked. She'd never really thought about it. But as her eyes wandered over the kitchen, she ssa a small and familiar face. "Yula?"

The house elf's face broke into a smile. "Miss Andromeda!"

As Glenda collected food, Andromeda spoke to the little house elf, who filled her in on what had happened.

"When Yula left, Miss, Yula didn't know where to go! But Yula has friends, Miss, and theys always talking about Hogwarts. So Yula comes, Miss, and Mr Dumbledore, Miss, he gives Yula a job straight away!"

"Oh that's wonderful," Andromeda said weakly. Feelings she had pushed away for years, guilt and shame at not having spoken up, not having done anything, reared their ugly heads. "I – I'm so sorry about Mother sending you away."

Yula waved a wrinkled hand. "It is no matter to Yula, Miss," she croaked. "Yula understands."

"You understand?" Andromeda said. "How do you understand?"

"Yula is knowing Mistress from when Mistress is very young. Yula is knowing how Mistress is thinking."

Andromeda still didn't understand, and said so. Yula explained with patience.

"Mistress is thinking maybe Miss Andy Miss Cissy and Miss Bella will love her more if Yula isn't there."

"But that – that makes no sense!"

Yula patted her hand with her own wrinkled one. "Feelings make no sense, Miss Andy," she said kindly. "Miss Andy will understand."
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She was itching to tell Bellatrix she'd found Yula, but when she spoke to her in the common room she only raised her eyebrows. "That old house elf that used to look after us when we were little?"

"Yes! She's working here."

"Oh," she said, and shrugged. "Is it true you got detention, Andromeda?"

Andromeda pinked. "Who told you that?!"

"The entire class heard it. Well, well. What did you do?"

"Just....I pushed Lacrimosa Rawle off her chair."

Bellatrix choked on her pumpkin juice, then surfaced, spluttering. "You what?"

"She was saying all this horrible stuff about you, that you were smelly and that you were – why are you laughing?"

"Smelly!" She repeated, her eyes streaming. "Merlin, I forgot about eleven year old insults. Good on you, Andromeda. I hope she got in trouble too."

"Of course she didn't," Andromeda picked at a loose thread in the chair. "She's all the teacher's favourites, because she's sweet as sugar to their faces, but she's really just cruel."

She itched to tell Bellatrix about her new friend Glenda, but she didn't really know how she'd react. Something told her to keep quiet about it for now.

When they arrived for detention that night, Andromeda had no idea what to expect. She was nearly trembling. But all Professor Welles told them to do was write lines.

When his back was turned, Andromeda got carried away drawing little pictures for Glenda, until the other girl was choking on giggles and she was laughing too.

"Concentrate on your work!" Professor Welles called from the adjoining room.

They bent their heads quickly over the parchment, but then Andromeda heard the rustling of paper, and then Glenda offered her four squares of a half melted chocolate bar under the table. "It's from my emergency stash," she hissed.

Andromeda thanked her and took it, the two of them chewing companionably.

"Is that your sister, then, the tall one with the dark hair?"

Andromeda swallowed. "Yes. I've got another at home, Narcissa."

"I've got a little sister too. We always fight."

"I never fight with Cissy," Andromeda said in surprise. "Sometimes with Bellatrix, though."

"I get on good with my brothers. I've got two of them, but Ama always gets everything, just 'cause she's the youngest. It's not fair."

"It's not at all fair being the middle child either. Everyone always goes on about how cute Narcissa is and how charming and funny Bellatrix is. They never talk about me."

They sighed companionably.