Our Story

“An after dinner treat”

After dinner Andromeda and Alison walked out of the Great Hall giggling and chatting about the events of that day when, at the threshold of the door, Andromeda felt a hand wrap around her upper arm and pull her sharply to the left. This shocked both of the witches and they made their wands at the ready even from inside their robes and pointed them towards the being whose hand grabbed Andromeda. They both turned to see a very frightened Ted, who was now looking down the tips of two wands.

“I didn’t mean to startle you but I wanted to surprise you by whisking you away for an evening stroll. If you would like to, that is?” Ted said still looking down at the two wands fixed on him.

Andromeda dropped her wand and almost immediately and so had Alison. She sheepishly looked at him and said” I’m so sorry. I am not used to be whisked away like that.”

Alison looked from one to the other realizing that their eyes were locked on each other. She leaned into Andromeda and said “I see you later in our dorms then?”

“Sure.” Andromeda nodded without her eyes ever leaving Ted’s. She had heard Alison but was in some kind of a trace like state.

Alison seeing that she still hadn’t taken a step closer to him gave her a nudge in the back as she walked away.

Andromeda had been broken of her trance by the nudge in her lower back, “We’ll continue our conversation later.” She said as she looked back to her friend already walking away.

Alison looked back towards Andromeda and gave her a little smile. She knew that she would be getting all the details when Andromeda came back to their room. She saw Alison disappear down the stairs to the dungeon and took a moment to take a deep breath to ease her nerves.

Andromeda turned back to Ted to see him smiling brightly at her. For some reason his smile made her feel at ease. “How was your dinner?” She would have said anything to get the conversation started. All she wanted was to hear his voice.

“It was okay. The chicken was good but I am just not fond of beets. Candied or not I just don’t like them” He laughed nervously but felt his heart jump a little when she laughed with him. “I was wondering if you would want to take a walk with me to the owlery.” He showed her that he held a small parcel in his hand. “It’s my mother’s birthday this week.”

“I’d love to go the owlery.” She really wanted to say that she’d go anywhere with him. She also thought how sweet it was that he was sending his mother a gift.

As they made their way to the owlery Ted slipped his hand over hers. She was slightly surprised but noticed that her heart began to flutter. She gently began to squeeze his hand thinking that his touch was so soft.

Ted was amazed at how perfectly her hand fit in his. He drew her hand closer to his mouth and kissed the top of her hand gently. He could help but smile at the scent of her skin. “I know they say that most witches and wizards that are in Slytherin turn out to be evil and cruel, but you Andromeda are far from that you know. You have kinder soul. You have definitely broken the mold.

She smiled at him but there was self doubt behind her eyes. She could only hope that Ted was right. All of her family had fallen into the Slytherin category. Even in her first year when all she wanted was to learn all that she could and meet new friends that were unlike her family, the Sorting Hat had sorted her into Slytherin. If that wasn’t bad enough it was what the hat said that had stuck with her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of the 1st years had gotten off the train and into these small boats. Andromeda was walked up to her boat and was helped in by a man with long light brown hair and a shabby looking cat looming around his feet. The cat began to hiss.

“Oh hush now Mrs. Norris.” Filch said as he picked the cat up and cuddled her to his chest. “There, there now. No one will ever take your place with me. She’s harmless.”

Andromeda thought this strange but soon heard a voice from the front of her boat. “That’s Filch. He’s the grounds keeper. Apparently he is a squib as well. Also he has a rather strong attachment to his cat.” Andromeda turned to see a small blonde witch sitting in the bow of the small boat. She extended her hand, “Hello. My name is Alison Wispir.”

Andromeda reached for her hand and shook it. “I’m Andromeda Black.”

The two witches talked the duration of the boat ride to the castle. They had felt an instant connection with each other and felt that they would be the other’s confidant. They both were in awe of the magnitude of its size as it grew bigger as they drew closer to the docks. They also arranged that they were standing one in front of the other when all the 1st years walked single file into the Great Hall. One by one the students’ names were called and had been sorted in to their new houses by The Sorting Hat. Alison and Andromeda where still in line even though only 10 1st years were left.

Then she heard Professor McGonagall call her name. “Andromeda Black.” Andromeda walked up towards the stool that stood on the dais. She sat down and could feel herself shake as the hat was slowly lowered onto her head and it sprung to life.

“Hmmm. Ah yes another from the noble house of Black. Hmm, this one has a lot of courage and perseverance. And bravery beyond measure with a heart that beats pure and true as one can. It would seem you would be fitted for the towers of Gryffindor. But wait something else that I see. Ah, yes, yes, there it is in blackness. There is a drive with in you that most others do not have. That can only mean one thing…..SLYTHERIN!!!!”

Her heart sank as the table of her new house cheered loudly. She felt that she was so close to escaping her family through school and she was afraid she was just the same as them. She took her seat at the table and heard Alison’s name being called. Her heart was gladdened though when she heard the hat scream Slytherin while on Alison’s head. At least there would be one person she could talk to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“’Dromeda, are you alright?” Ted asked as he looked at her worriedly. He could see that her face had become sullen and was wondering if it was something he said. He walked her over to one of the window sill and they sat down. He reached in his knapsack and pulled out a small parcel and whistled for his owl. A strong tawny owl flew down from the rafters and landed on his shoulder. He turned towards Andromeda to show off his owl. “This is Socrates. He is a very smart owl. Bow to the lady Socrates.” The bird on Ted’s shoulder opened its wings slightly and made a slow bowing motion in the direction of Andromeda. He could see that she was impressed. He handed Socrates the parcel and said, “Okay here you go. This is for Mum, so don’t drop it.” The owl nodded in acknowledgement and flew off out the window.

“Wow he is amazing. How did you teach him to bow like that?” Andromeda said.

“It took a lot of practicing with him over the summer.” He reached down into his knapsack again and pulled out a small bundle. “I snuck some fudge from dinner tonight.” He said and he unfolded the napkin. “I was hoping we could have our own private dessert. Would you like some?”

She smiled at him spoke softly. “I would love to have dessert with you.” She could see that he thought he had said something wrong. She placed her hand on top of his and could feel him relax. “I’m sorry about that. I just got lost in thought.”

He began to unfold the handkerchief and offered her some fudge saying, “Well a galleon for you thoughts then?”

She lifted her eyes to meet his and saw something and felt complete at ease with him and began to recant the things that the hat had said to her. She looked down to the floor began to get upset. She confided in him that she thought that she would never escape the Black Family reputation and maybe that was because as evil and dark as they were.

Ted leaned over, put a curled finger under her chin and lifted her face so that he could look into her eyes. When their gazes met he realized that her eyes were brimming with tears. “Oh ‘Dromeda, you can’t believe for one second that you are like them in anyway. You have such a good heart and are always fair towards everyone. You are your own person. I know we don’t get to choose our families but the one thing we can do is find ourselves and be true to that person alone.”

A single tear ran down Andromeda cheek. It wasn’t a tear of sadness though, but of hope and happiness that she found someone like Ted. Within seconds of feeling the tear run down the side of her face she also felt his thumb wiping it away. He was staring into her eyes, wishing that he could take all the pain that she was feeling away. He slipped a hand behind her neck and the other to the small of her back and began to draw her near to him, guiding her head to his shoulder. She gladly moved her body into his. He could feel this warmth washing over him and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and keep her safe from the world.

She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck and just felt like the rest of her body just fit perfectly in his. She could feel his hand move from the back of her neck and began to stroke her hair. She could feel all of her tensions melting away while she was wrapped up in him slowly being replaced with this desire inside her to be even closer to him. She pulled her head off his shoulder and turned her gaze upwards to his. She could see the desire in his eyes to kiss her and realized that it was reviling her own. She began to lean in towards him.

He saw her look at him through half lidded eyes and begin to lean into him and sensed she had wanted the same thing he did. Gently he brought his hand to cup her face and guided her lips softly to his own. Their lips had only touched for a moment but that brief moment he knew he had wanted more. He wrapped her up in his arms, bringing her body flush with his and deepening their kiss, passion engulfing the both of them.

She felt his lips crashing onto her and could believe how good they felt. She wound her arms tightly around him hoping that she would never have to let him go. All she wanted was him, but there was something else happening between them, something wonderful. He felt the same thing.

Unbeknown to them, a gold aura began to form around them. It grew slightly brighter and wider until it suddenly began to shrink inwards and into the young witch and wizard until they were both filled with this light. It still withdrew into the two youths and into their chests before completely disappearing.

He pulled away from her for and looked into her eyes. He knew that something had happened between them, that they had bonded in someway was the only thing he could think of. He could see it in her eyes and feel it inside and knew it was just for him.