The Black Chronicles

Andromeda

    I'll never forget the day my daughter came home with pink hair. Pink hair!! I flipped. But of course, my dear husband, Ted, thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world! I conveniantly changed his mind with a frying pan.

    During the argument between Nymphadora and I that ensued soon thereafter, I kept seeing my mother's face, screwed up in anger after I told her that I was not going to marry into some stuffy Pureblood family like she wanted me to, and instead marry Ted Tonks. I realised that I had lived my worst nightmare. Becoming my mother.

    All during our childhoods, Bella, 'Cissa and I always swore we'd never become the absolute bitch that my mother was. That we would let our children (though when your 10, the thought of having kids made us squeamish) be who they wanted to be, do what they wanted to do, and let them marry whoever they want.

    That was a lie. Bellatrix still doesn't have kids, can't have them when your in Azkaban and your husbands dead. Narcissa has absolutly no control over that boy, Draco and I'm screaming at my daughter because she wears her hair like a psychadelic mushroom. We've each become a bit of our mother. Bella's the embodiment of evil that Elladora Black represented, Narcissa, the beauty and me, well I guess I got her temper.

    I remember the day I told my mother I was going to leave. She nearly had a thestral. She started ranting and raving about how I was going to be just like Sirius and leave my family name in the dust and don't I care about blood?! In all reality, I didn't care about the blood. In my opinion, to be a Black isn't a gift, like Mama and Aunt Augustine always said...it was a curse. If you were a Black, you were forced to live a lie. Forced to be perfect, even when what your parent's thought of as perfect was something that was completely unattainable.

    I told Mama very calmly that I'd fallen in love and that I was leaving as soon as school got out. She went completely mad and stomped off to Aunt Augustine to yell at her for having such a rotten influencial son like Sirius. I still remember the dissapointed look on Narcissa's face and how Bellatrix refused to look at me when I climbed those stairs. I gathered my stuff and went on the train that next day, not saying goodbye to any of them. I went to Ted's for Christmas, and we were wedded that summer. Sirius was the only in my family to come.

    A few years later, and a baby later too, I got a letter from Narcissa. I'd been out of the Wizarding World for a while, travelling with Ted and Nymphadora for his job. The moment I read the letter, I cried.

    "Mother! Are you even listening to me?!" Nymphadora's angry voice snapped me out of my reverie.

    I watched her for a moment and turn and fled up the stairs, ignoring the calls of "Mama!" and "Andie?" from my daughter and husband. I reached my bedroom, and wrenched open a drawer, going through it till I found a crumpled letter. It was the one Narcissa had written me.

    Dear Andromeda,

    I know we have not spoken in years...but I thought there were somethings you should know, since I heard you were out of touch with our world.

Bellatrix and her husband, Rodulphus were taken to Azkaban...for torturing Frank and Alice Longbottom. I don't know if you knew this, but she became a Death Eater...

    Regulus is dead. He also became a Death Eater, but once he killed his first victim, he fled in fear. He was murdered. His funeral is next weekend if you'd like to come. No one will stop you. Aunt Augustine also died. Of grief I think, once Regulus died it was too much for her.

    Sirius is also in jail. They accused him of selling James and Lily Potter out to...Him. And he's also accused of killing Peter Pettigrew. I personally don't see him doing that, seeing as they all were his best friends.

    The good news now. I have a son. His name is Draco Malfoy and he looks just like his father. I guess I should be happy about that...but I wonder sometimes if you and Sirius were the ones who made the good choices, in getting as far away from the Black Curse as you could.

    I hope your life with Ted Tonks and your daughter is good. I hate to burden you with the sad news, but I thought you should know. Don't write back, Lucius would be furious at me for communicating with you.

    Love, Hugs, and Kisses from your sister,

    Narcissa Malfoy

    In a single letter, my entire family had been taken away from me. I had cried for hours. I never said good bye to Sirius, Narcissa, Bellatrix or Regulus...just dissapeared from view. I did go to Regulus' funeral, laid a black rose on his casket as a remembrance.

    Another tear forms in my eye as Nymphadora slowly walks in the door. She takes a look at the letter in my hand. "I remember the day you got that letter, you cried and cried. What was in it?"

    I looked at her, maybe it was time she knew of the family she was born into. I silently handed the letter to her, watching her eyes widen as she read.

    She looked back over at me, looking like she was trying not to tell me something. She bit her lip and smiled. "Things might be looking up soon, Mum." She kissed my cheek, and squeezed my shoulder and left me.

    The next time she saw me, she was in tears, whispering over and over that he was dead, and she was sorry and that she should have told me about him sooner. Thinking she meant a boyfriend or something, I asked who.

    She looked at me with watery eyes and whispered, "Sirius Black."

    I sat down quickly, my face blank. Nymphadora began to tell me of what happened the summer before up to the one we're currently enjoying. She spoke of the Order of Phoenix, a group of people who were against the Rise of the Dark Lord. I made a note to join. She spoke of Harry Potter and Sirius escaping Azkaban, and Remus Lupin and how Aunt Augustine's picture still screamed at all passer-by's.

    When she came to the part where I learned that my own sister had killed Sirius, I burst into tears. Nymphadora cried with me, while Ted held us, whispering condolences to both of us. But neither of them understood. My only true family, the one I still truly loved, was gone. Dead.

    Bellatrix would pay. I'd make sure of it. And when I'm standing over her, with her down on her knees, begging for mercy, I'll ask her why. Why did she kill the one we all truly loved.

    I may be a blood traitor, but I'm the one who will be still standing when this is over. I'll make sure of it.