Symphony | Andromeda Black

The Music Room

The house was taught with tension in the coming days, and Andromeda just wanted to go back to school and see her friends. Bellatrix was cool about the whole situation, and told her she didn't exactly care what her parents thought anymore.

She was in a very very good mood, and had let Andromeda into her bedroom. It was dark, the curtains closed. Her bed was rumpled and unmade, and the cuttings stuck to her wall had grown in number so that barely any of the white paint was visible. The Dark Lord smirked from some of the pictures, while most were articles with headlines in bold type, and some of them were highlighted. It was like a shrine.

"They're both crazy."

Andromeda flinched at the casual disrespect of their parents. Years ago, such a statement would have gotten Bellatrix caned. But now she was revelling in her new freedom. "I can't wait to go, but Mother says I can't get married until I finish school. Perhaps Father will get around her. She can't over rule him or the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix was lying back on her bed and playing with a small toy, a ball she kept throwing at the wall, catching it as it bounced back. Her reflexes were good. Cygnus had been Slytherin Seeker in his time, but had discouraged his daughters from joining the Quidditch team. 

"What's he like, Bellatrix?" Andromeda was curious, a little embarrassed for being so. She didn't have much experience of boys, excluding her young cousins. Boyfriends were a whole new revelation. "Rodolphus Lestrange?"

The ball flew back into her hand. "He's weak," she said flatly. "But he's all right. He'll do for now."

Andromeda chewed the inside of her mouth. She knew what would have to happen to him. Divorce was not an option. "Mother and Father are acting so strange about the whole thing."

"Whatever. They're a joke, both of them. A hypocritical fool and a selfish drunk. I can't wait to leave them. You can come and live with me, if you want. You and Narcissa."

"Oh," Andromeda said, and couldn't think of much less to add but, "Thanks."

"It's a big house. Lots and lots of rooms, even more than here. Grandmother is pleased. She wrote me a letter yesterday, warning me about sex."

"Bellatrix!" Andromeda hissed, burning red. She didn't understand much at all about sex, but she knew enough to know that it was something private and shameful, something that happened only within the private chambers of a married couple.

Bellatrix laughed. "As if I'd be stupid enough to have a child with him. Then I wouldn't be able to ever leave. They all treat me like I'm so stupid. I'm not Aurelia."

That sobered her up, the smile slipping off her face. Andromeda wasn't sure when anyone had last said her name. It seemed to hang in the air. The ball stilled, and it was Andromeda who broke the silence.

"Are you inviting Aunt Persephone and Evan and Rupert?"

"I suppose I'll have to," she resumed her game with the ball. "Though I'm not sure Persephone will come. Evan's a right little suck up these days, too. He's absolutely furious that the Dark Lord made me a Death Eater, especially since he had to wait until he was of age. You'll never guess what the Dark Lord said, though, Andromeda. It was so funny. Evan was moaning away, and the Dark Lord didn't even look at him and said, "I wasn't aware I had a whining child in my ranks, Rosier."

Andromeda didn't really find it funny, but Bellatrix chuckle. "You should have see the look on his face, the little toad, all "apologies my lord" and "of course not my lord" he's just like the others. He thinks he's special."

"Can I see it?" Andromeda asked timidly. "The Mark?"

Bellatrix hesitated, then rolled up her sleeve. It wasn't just black, like ink, but the sort of pure black that made her think of darkness, the pitch black of midnight. Looking at the Dark Mark made a horrible nausea rise in her stomach. 

"Does it hurt?" She asked. The cold air made goosepimples on Bellatrix's bare arm.

Bellatrix shrugged. "It burns a bit, but you get used to it. It only takes a second."

Andromeda slowly reached out to touch it, the tip of her finger only just short – "Don't!"

She jumped as Bellatrix dropped her arm like she'd been burned.

"Why not?"

"It calls him," she said, quickly rolling her sleeve down again. "And you don't want to waste the Dark Lord's time."

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When Andromeda went back to school, Lacrimosa was gloomy because her mother's wedding was coming up in April. When Andromeda heard this, she asked if Lacrimosa would be going home from school for a few days. "No," her friend said, stabbing her shepherd's pie with her fork. "Mother doesn't want me there. She says I'll make a scene."

Glenda sounded horrified. "Your mother won't let you go?"

"No. I don't really want to go anyway. His family are all horrible, and so is he," Lacrimosa poked the meat fiercely. "And he'd be awful-"

She swallowed, putting her fork down. "Whatever," she said bitterly. "It doesn't matter. Maybe him and Mother will have their own babies soon, and she won't care about me at all."

Andromeda thought of Bellatrix's wedding, about the sickening uneasiness she held about it. But there were some things you just couldn't tell people.

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It was one wet Saturday, when Andromeda was climbing the stairs, that she heard the strangest sound. Her friends had gone to Hogsmeade without her, because she had to catch up on homework, and most of the castle was empty. Piano music, light and drifting, coming from the room at the end of the corridor. The music room. There was a piano in there, of course, mostly brought out and played by Professor Flitwick on special occasions, but the sound stopped Andromeda in her tracks because she hadn't known that piano music could sound so beautiful before. When she played it, it sounded halting and hesitant, and nothing like this. The door was partway open, and Andromeda peeked through.

There was the heavy oak piano on its stand, and sitting in front of it was a boy. His back was to her, she could see a shock of sandy hair. She could see his fingers dance over the keys like they had a life of their own, and the music sounded sweet and happy. She hadn't known piano music could sound so beautiful. The door gave a creak as she leaned too hard on it, and the music stopped abruptly, the boy turning quickly in his seat. Andromeda blushed.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I just....I heard you playing. Outside, in the hall."

His cheeks were lightly flushed too. "Oh," he said, clearing his throat. "I thought everyone had gone."

There was an awkward silence, and Andromeda was the one who broke it. "You were very good," she said at last. "Your music. I almost forgot where I was."

He smiled, and she saw the light reflecting off metal on his teeth as he turned properly on the stool. She'd seen the same metal on muggleborns. Glenda said they were called braces and helped straighten teeth. "Do you play?"

"Me? Oh. A little. I'm not very good," she rubbed her arm. "I didn't know piano could sound so......free."

He paused, looking at her thoughtfully. "Do you want to play?"

"Oh," she blinked. "No, no thank you."

He smiled again. "You look like I said I was going to throw you in with sharks. Don't you like the piano?"

"Not much."

"Then why do you play?"

"My father -" she stopped abruptly, then blushed red. "Well."

It was as if the music had cast a temporary spell. Suddenly Andromeda seemed to be out of her own body, watching herself talking to a boy she didnt know. She took a step back.

"I'm Ted," the boy offered. "Ted Tonks."

"It's getting late," she said quickly. "I should go. Bye."

He looked surprised, and blinked. "Oh – okay then. Bye. See you around."

Andromeda hurried from the music room, vowing never to tell a single soul.