Love Among Muggles

Andromeda didn't want to approach Lucius Malfoy to find out why Ted's friend Maggie had been accused of spying. She was sure he was probably the best-connected person she knew, but she was wary of him. Despite being a few years younger than her, he was a skilled manipulator, and she preferred to keep him at arm's length. As it was, though, he found her. She was returning to her common room from the library where, under the pretence of looking up details for a History of Magic essay, she'd been looking into historic trials for spying. There weren't many, and none had a happy ending. She was feeling headachy and tired. There was no reason for Lucius to be anywhere near Ravenclaw's common room, but there he was, appearing as though it was the most natural place in the world for them to bump into one another. Andromeda wasn't fooled.

"Lucius," she said, walking towards him through past dark windows that, in daylight, shed stained-glass colours all over the stone floor. "I'm surprised to see you here."

He smiled faintly, that shark like smile that was all teeth and no warmth. He knew she had the measure of him this time. "I was just wondering where you were. Your parents are worried about you, you know."

"You were checking to see if I was keeping unsuitable company?" she laughed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've been in the Library. A Ravenclaw's work is never done."

Lucius nodded. He actually looked sorry for her. Andromeda felt like apologising for letting everyone down, even though she'd done nothing wrong. The emotion irritated her. "I hope you enjoy it," he said softly, and left her alone.

Andromeda walked through Ravenclaw's book-lined Common Room deep in thought. Green-shaded library lamps cast a soft light across the room. So, Lucius was checking up on her, was he? Had he wanted to, she knew he could have been much more subtle. A quick flirt with a girl here, a favour to a 'good chap' there - he could probably get most of the information he needed without facing her. She didn't know whether he'd given her a warning because he wanted to scare her, or because he cared for her and wanted her to look after herself, but she appreciated it. She would have to be doubly cautious when meeting Ted.

**

Skinny, bitter Slytherin fifth-year Venus Potts was Andromeda's first target. Her father had somehow got himself onto the Wizengamot, although Andromeda's father had declared over dinner one holiday that Potts owed so many people so many favours it would be fifty years before he could use the position to his own advantage. Everyone said Venus and Pongo Bulstrode were certain to marry. Venus' family was minor, but ambitious, and Pongo's was well connected but Pongo himself a bit of an oik. For a nineteen-year-old man, he bore an alarming resemblance to his own grandfather, right down to the tweedy brown robes and florid cheeks.

Venus was still at school, and was a keen gobstones player. Andromeda cornered her outside the weekly friendly match. If Lucius could lurk in wait for people, so could she. "Hello Venus," she said, in her best imperious Black voice.

"Hello Andromeda," Venus replied coolly. "Taken up gobstones, have you?"

"No," Andromeda laughed. "My aunt sent me a set, and I'm never going to use them, so I thought you might like them." She tossed a small bag to Venus. Venus' own set were chipped and worn with age, and her eyes lit up when she pulled a shiny sphere from the bag. Venus was a Slytherin, though, and knew she wouldn't get anything for nothing.

"It's Blue John," Andromeda pointed out. "Aunt Walburga bought them to match my house colours." The rare mineral was found only in Derbyshire, and the Gobstones were clearly extremely expensive.

"Surely they should go to another Ravenclaw," Venus pointed out. She wasn't going to accept the stones until she knew what Andromeda would ask for in exchange.

"Your father's on the Wizengamot, isn't he?" Andromeda pressed. "I was wondering if you knew anything about that witch they caught spying. That... mudblood witch. I saw her at a Ministry party over the summer."

Venus relaxed and pocketed the stones. She was always happy to talk about her father's position. None of the Pottses had ever achieved anything like it, and he had to do an awful lot of favours to the people who'd helped him get there - people who didn't want their personal political views to be known, and so would never put themselves forward when a vacancy came up on the Wizengamot. Nonetheless, it was flattering that someone as well connected as Andromeda Black thought he might have information, and getting a set of expensive gobstones in exchange for harmless gossip was a good bargain.

"I think they're still compiling evidence," Venus admitted. "Dad won't know anything much until the court hearing, but it looks as though they'll be calling the whole Wizengamot to sit at the trial. Goblin Liaison are still trying to get details of her bank holdings - the Goblins are notoriously secretive; makes you wonder what the little beasts are hiding - but Magical Law Enforcement are having some success."

Other students started walking past them to get to the Gobstones Club meeting. "She didn't look the type," Andromeda mused.

Venus sniffed. "Just goes to show, doesn't it? They can wear the clothes, do the work and have the same education as us, but you just can't trust them... Dad says if she's convicted it could bring down the Minister. If you'll excuse me, I'm playing a match tonight."

"Of course," Andromeda said. "Good luck."

Venus smiled. "I'll let you know how they play, so you can tell your aunt if she asks."

Andromeda left her there. Venus had said nothing surprising. Of course the goblins wouldn't tell people what was in Maggie's bank account. It would be bad for business if they went around talking about people's property. Her own mother kept some of the most valuable family treasures in their Gringott's vault, just in case she ever needed a tiara at short notice while they were in London. Andromeda also suspected that items too sensitive to be kept at their home in Wiltshire were stashed in the vault. Maggie wouldn't have anything like that, but the Goblins didn't talk about anyone's holdings as a matter of principle. Venus made it sound as though the goblins' secrecy in this case was suspicious, whereas it was completely natural.

If Venus didn't know very much, very few other people would have information, Andromeda guessed. Araminta Mariner might know a little, but she would be more suspicious than Venus about Andromeda's questions. Opal Carstairs was a chronic gossip. Her stories were usually embellished, though, and Andromeda wanted the truth. The people she needed to talk to were the people she was most keen to avoid.

For several weeks she kept her head down, worked hard, had friendly conversations with Jezebel Parkinson and Jessie Pucey, and cheered for Slytherin in their match against Hufflepuff. It was like turning back the clock to her fourth year, before she'd ever met Ted or put on a Muggle dress. Everything felt so small, as though the world had shrunk and dried out. She'd warned Claire that they had to meet in secrecy, and had arranged to meet Ted out by the old ruined house on the edge of Hogsmeade, a place so dull and shabby no students ever ventured there.

The late September Saturday dawned bright and crisp, and Andromeda walked to Hogsmeade with Lucius and Walden Macnair. Lucius seemed convinced that Andromeda was behaving herself. Macnair probably didn't care. They made small talk, discussing Andromeda's young cousins ('two boys from the Black family, that's good, it means the name's sure to last for centuries to come') and her aunt's wonderful taste for interior design ('the heads on the wall, how witty!').

Andromeda moved the conversation around to Margaret Packham as they approached Hogsmeade. She began carefully. "I see that witch from the party over the summer has been accused of spying... it's a shame, she's so pretty."

Lucius frowned. "Perhaps if she hadn't been, she wouldn't have got into a position to sell state secrets. All those men she's dated have pushed her straight up the career ladder."

Andromeda knew this was a lie. Maggie didn't like men. Her girlfriend - something she kept very secret - was a professional Quidditch player. "Mother was right," she said, "You really can't tell."

"I tried to warn you," Macnair huffed. "Everyone saw you hanging round with filth in public during the summer."

Her face must have given her away, for Lucius said, "Walden, leave it. Andromeda's got a good nature; she's not to blame for the way they tried to take advantage of her. Look how many people at the Ministry that Packham woman fooled. Of course, the Minister's an utter fool for employing a spy."

"She hasn't been convicted," Andromeda ventured. It was a beautiful morning, but she was feeling sick to her stomach. She looked down at the path they were walking along, not wanting to see her companions' faces.

"She will be," Lucius said with certainty.

"My father was one of the arresting officers," Walden said. "They took her robes so she couldn't hang herself with them." He and Lucius laughed dirtily, and Andromeda was disgusted. Macnair continued, "She's hidden things very well, though. They searched her flat when she was arrested and didn't find anything. They found all the papers on the second search a few days later. Dad says he didn't know how they missed them."

He's either lazy or stupid, Andromeda thought to herself. "Venus says it'll affect the Minister," she said airily. "I thought people liked the current one."

"Oh, hardly," Lucius scoffed. "He was okay to begin with - a bit soft, but then politicians like to look like everyone's friend - but he's gone too far. He's talking about making it legal for Muggle-born wizards to start their own businesses within the community. Have you any sort of the disgusting trash they'd be peddling? It just takes one to start selling Muggle stuff, and before you know it some dopey fools like the Smiths or Weasleys will be right in there buying it. The sooner he goes, the better. Father's backing Gerontius Mulciber for the next Minister."

"Mulciber's too old," Macnair said. "He's a bit feeble."

"He's just what we need," Lucius insisted. They reached the crossroads at the centre of town. "Would you like a butterbeer?" Lucius asked Andromeda.

"I'd love to," she said, clinking a bag of Galleons, "But I promised mother I'd buy some new dress robes. I'm off to Gladrags, and I've no idea how long I'll be there. It could be all day." She did her best to look daft and girly. Lucius and Macnair laughed indulgently.

"Well, if you don't take all day, do come and meet us in the Three Broomsticks," Lucius told her.

"Will do." As they parted, she called back, "Watch out for Jezebel, Lucius. I think she fancies Malfoy for a surname." Lucius' startled expression made her chuckle all the way to Gladrags, where she astonished the sales assistant by grabbing the first thing in her size on the sale rack and handing over the money.

Claire and Ted were waiting for her near the derelict house. "What's that?" Claire asked, eyeing the parcel.

"An alibi," Andromeda laughed, flinging the bundle of robes down. "Malfoy and Macnair think I'll be in Gladrags for the rest of the day." She plonked herself down next to Ted. He looked as good in robes as he did in a suit, although she noticed he still wore his desert boots underneath them. He handed round bottles of a Muggle drink called coca-cola, and Andromeda thought the bottles were just the cutest things ever. As they drank it, she filled them in on what she'd learned, ending with, "So, it looks pretty bad for Maggie, but I'm sure the evidence is all cooked up. If the Minister resigns, perhaps the allegations will disappear."

Ted nodded slowly. "It gives me something to work with. Don't do any more digging, Annie. I don't want you to get into trouble."

"I've got to talk to those people anyway, or my parents will get suspicious. It might as well have a purpose."

"How is Maggie?" Claire asked eagerly.

Ted frowned. "Bearing up. Some members of the Magical Law Enforcement patrol have been absolute swines to her, but there's this new girl there, a little spitfire called Amelia Bones, and she's put a stop to it all. She's making sure Maggie gets treated properly before the trial."

"The Boneses are a good family," Andromeda said. "Her brother Edgar's getting married next year, and it should be the wedding of the season." Looking at Claire and Ted, she realised this meant nothing to either of them. She sighed. She loved her Muggle-born boyfriend and friend, but they could be startlingly ignorant about the world they'd been admitted to. "The Boneses are nice people, Ted," she told him. "Thorough blood traitors, according to Aunt Walburga. Take Amelia out for a beer and talk to her. If anything dodgy's going on and she knows about it, she won't cover it up."

Ted nodded. Claire stood up. "I've got to go, chaps," she grumbled. "I'm on Sweet Duty."

"Sweet Duty?"

"It's a Hufflepuff thing. 'Cos the tinies aren't allowed into Hogsmeade, they give us their cash and we buy them what they want from Honeyduke's. We've got some right greedy sods in the second year. It's going to take me ages to do the order, and I don't know how I'll get all of it back to the castle."

"I'm sure one of your boyfriends can help you," Andromeda laughed. Claire looked thoughtful, then smiled and nodded.

As she left, Andromeda realised that although she'd thought of it often, this was the first time she and Ted had actually been left alone together. What should she do? She'd heard Jezebel's stories, and it wasn't as though Molly hid what she and Arthur got up to, but Andromeda had never had a boyfriend. Ted took her hand. "We can just sit here on the grass," he said gently. " Or have a cuddle. Whatever you want."

Andromeda snuggled up to him. It felt strange, but good. He smelled of some Muggle aftershave and laundry soap. She could smell the grass and earth beneath them and hear the birds above. Her heart was racing, but it was bliss.

**

As evening drew closer, she was one of the last students to leave Hogwarts, and felt slightly ashamed when Lucius and Walden caught up with her. She hoped they hadn't waited in the Three Broomsticks for her. "Are those the robes?" Lucius asked.

"I've never known a girl who spent so much time in shops," Walden said disbelievingly.

Andromeda laughed. Memories of cuddling up to Ted and talking, talking, talking - and a little bit of kissing - filled her head. "I wouldn't have spent my afternoon any other way," she told them both.