galaxies [andromeda black ♔ 1] | ⚐

11; kisses and kittens

DECEMBER, 1970

Dear Callisto,

I just wanted to let you know that you're a really good kisser and —

Andromeda ripped up her seventh attempt at writing a letter to Callisto Hopkins as she groaned in immense frustration. There was so much to be said, but she couldn't even get past the first sentence.

After their kiss, Andromeda had run away, like the coward she was. She didn't know how to react — she'd never kissed someone with such passion and desire like she had kissed Callisto. She blushed deeply just thinking about it, thinking about the tingling feeling that remained with her after. It had been special. She felt ridiculous — what kind of person ran away after kissing someone? She hadn't even said anything slightly romantic, she just wished her happy holidays and ran out of the Owlery like her life depended on it (because if someone had seen them, it might have actually been the case), leaving Callisto behind. She hadn't even looked back. She should've looked back.

There are a lot of things you should have done, a voice said in her head taunted her. But you didn't, did you?

She burned any trace of her letters to Callisto and decided to write to her late. It was only the first official day of holidays. Andromeda looked out of her window to the fields she had grown up running around with her sisters, knowing that in less than three hours her entire family would be at the Malfoy Manor for their annual Christmas party. Narcissa had already started to get ready but Andromeda knew that, like every year, she'd be the last one to come down the stairs before leaving.

She eyed the dress that she had carefully hung on her closet. She was sure that even her mother wouldn't find a single flaw in it — it was beautiful. Not that Druella Black could ever complain: much to Andromeda's surprise, the dress was an early Christmas gift from Elijah, one that she had received this morning. It was a form-fitting, long-sleeved, off-shoulder midnight blue dress that had been charmed to show the stars making up the Andromeda constellation. She had immediately recognized the constellation and was touched by how personal the gift had been, as well as impressed with Elijah's taste. Her mother had been delighted, and Narcissa a little bit envious, but Andromeda barely cared. She hoped that the dress was a sign that she and Elijah were starting to become friends.

Eager to give Elijah an equally special gift, Andromeda had gone to Diagon Alley in the early afternoon to buy him a cat. Although he'd never admit it out loud, Andromeda knew Elijah Parkinson had a soft spot for cats, even though he didn't have his own. She had caught him more than once leaning down to pet a fellow Slytherin's cat, the tone of his voice softening and he spoke to it. Whenever Andromeda tried to bring it up, he feigned ignorance to what she was talking about and changed the subject. The small, black kitten with a blue collar was fast asleep on Andromeda's bed. She had decided to bring him with her to Malfoy Manor and gift him to Elijah at the start of the party.

She felt a pang of guilt when she thought about Elijah. Even though they clearly weren't in love with each other, she felt as if she had wronged him by kissing Callisto. And yet, Andromeda was sure that kissing Callisto was the only right thing she had done in a while. She just didn't know how to move forward from the point she was at.

Not that Andromeda knew what point she was at. Her entire life, she had never questioned the fact that she was going to end up with a man. Of course, this was well before she met the devastatingly beautiful Callisto Hopkins. It's not that Andromeda was bothered by anyone who considered themselves queer — the small part of her that was a hopeless romantic simply believed in love, and that was that. However, this wasn't the case with the rest of her family, let alone a lot of the pureblood families she knew. They believed that queer people were dirty, much like Muggles or Muggle-borns wizards and witches. Andromeda was sure that if she ever told her mother or father that she was interested in women and women only, she'd get herself tortured, kicked out of the house, and would be forced to change her last name (but not publicly — the Black family would never dare to stir up any scandals, as their public image amongst their fellow pureblooded families was much more important).