Symphony | Andromeda Black

The Best Mother In The World

By Christmas, the three of them were firm friends. Glenda would of course always be her best friend, but Andromeda had a lot more in common with Lacrimosa. Whereas she always kept quiet about her parents in front of Glenda, because she felt they would never compare to her friend's, she told Lacrimosa, and Lacrimosa told her about her parents too. She had been very close to her father, but always found her mother hard to understand, which Andromeda could relate with. She spoke at length about her father, who sounded wonderful, but hardly spoke a word about her stepfather, and little about her mother.

"Sometimes I think she hates me," Lacrimosa confided in the dim of the common room at night. "I'm like this giant dirty spot in her new gleaming life that she wants to get rid of."

"Sometimes I think Mother looks at me like that too," she confessed. "She can be proud of Bellatrix and Narcissa, but she always picks at me. I'm never good enough."

Lacrimosa was sharp as a tack. "Is that why you always study so hard?"

She shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe. They never notice, anyway. They only ever notice the bad things.

Lacrimosa told her about how she loved animals, often going to see the owls, and Andromeda told her about her drawing, and the piano. It seemed she had completely misjudged Lacrimosa Rowle.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵　　‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

As Christmas approached, Andromeda was surprised to get a letter from home, which was a true rarity. Somebody must have told Druella the very thing she wanted to keep from her: that Andromeda was now friends with Lacrimosa Rowle. She wanted her to invite Lacrimosa for Christmas, and had grudgingly added that the "foreign girl" could come too if she wished.

Andromeda was sure she didn't want her friends to meet her parents and composed a hasty set of lies about them both having plans, but Lacrimosa received her own letter. She had been expecting to have to spend Christmas at school, but her mother wrote to say that it was all fixed up for her to go to Andromeda's. She seemed excited by it and Andromeda tried to be the same, though her stomach churned. She invited Glenda too, who said she would definitely come if her parents let her. Andromeda half wished they wouldn't, but her mother's letter was a definite yes, and her friend hugged her in excitement.

"We're going to have so much fun!"

Andromeda smiled weakly, wishing she could believe her.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵　　‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

When a house elf met them at the station, Lacrimosa showed no surprise. Glenda, however, seemed shocked. "Don't your parents meet you?"

"Not usually."

"My dad always comes, and usually Mum too, if she can get away from the shop."

Her stomach squeezed. She wished her friend would be more tactful and stop talking about her parents all the time. Lacrimosa and Bellatrix were silent, and Glenda and Narcissa did most of the talking as they went towards the house. For something to do, Andromeda had accepted Glenda's offer of toffee. She had long since finished it, but she still had the sickly sweet taste in her mouth and didn't dare to open it lest she got sick.

Druella was waiting for them in the hall. When they entered, and house elves bustled off with their trunks, she swept down the stairs. She was wearing a deep red gown with matching heels, and she was perfectly made up, her blonde curls styled to perfection.

"Girls!" She said, like this was how she welcomed them all the time, when she was usually holed up in the parlour. "It's good to see you again, darlings."

She swept each of her children up in a hug. Bellatrix was stiff, and she let go quickly. Andromeda was squashed against her shoulder for a moment, inhaling perfume, and then she grabbed Narcissa, who outright sneezed when she let her go.

"Handkerchief, Narcissa! And it's good to finally meet you two," she smiled a bright smile at them. Andromeda found herself wishing that for once, just this once, she could have had lipstick on her teeth, or some other little crack in her perfect image.

Glenda smiled at her, dazzled. "It's good to meet you too, Mrs Black."

Druella's looked at her. Andromeda saw her eyes flicker over her shoes, which were a little scuffed, and then her long braids.

"Goodness," she said. "Does your mother do that?"

"No, a hairdresser, she –"

"How quaint," she said, and moved on to Lacrimosa. Andromeda almost saw the triumphant gleam in her eye. She knew Druella didn't like her mother, Cordelia Rowle, but that hadn't stopped her sending invites to dinner parties. Her mother collected dinner party guests like other people might collect stamps or ornaments. Cordelia, however, had never accepted, but now here it was at last, a Rowle in their house.

They were eventually allowed to go upstairs, being told that dinner was in an hour, and then Druella swept off into the drawing room and closed the heavy doors.

Andromeda was sullen as they went upstairs, and in the safety of her bedroom, Glenda was the first to speak.

"Wow, Andromeda," she said. "Your mum is so beautiful."

"Yes," she said, winding hair around her finger. "I know."

Glenda went on and on and on about Druella and how beautiful and kind she was, and how she must be amazing, even as they flicked through her magazines.

Thankfully, Lacrimosa did not seem part of the Druella Black fan club. She nibbled at her nails instead, reading an issue of Teen Witch.

Mercifully, Glenda changed the subject and started talking about how she didn't like her name. "I like your name, Glendy," Andromeda said in surprise.

"Yes," Lacrimosa chimed in. "It reminds me of the good witch."

Andromeda looked at her blankly. "You know, Glinda, in the Wizard of Oz? It's a children's book."

"Oh, of course," Andromeda murmured, blushing because it was obviously a muggle book.

"You should try being Lacrimosa," she said glumly. "I hate it. It's such a mouthful."

"I'd prefer it to Andromeda. The real Andromeda was chained to a rock and left for a dragon. My cousin Evan always thought that was hilarious."

She felt sick mentioning his name. She hadn't seen any of the Rosiers since the summer, only spotting Evan and Rupert at meals at school. They looked like their old selves, if a little more drawn.

They were interrupted from the magazines by Druella herself telling them dinner was ready. When her heels had tapped their way down the hall, Glenda looked at Andromeda.

"You must have the best mother in the world," she said.