"Breathe deep, bottle it up
So deep until it's all we got"

Time, the friend and foe of many. It had long been known that life is subject to change; everything one has could be gone in an instant. Each day is only a snapshot of one's life, a fact that many people forget, causing them to put too much value on every day. That is not to say that each day that humans live is worthless, it's the exact opposite of that actually. To live life to the fullest, one must first balance the ratio to which they hold every day and their entire life.

This is no easy feat in any way. Time takes it as a challenge to test the strength of people, mentally and physically. Change comes along with every sunrise, one might call the two a package deal.

Do not take it lightly in the slightest the time you have above ground. The time that is given to you shall be used properly as everyone serves a purpose, and not one person was placed in the timeline on accident. The most difficult part of life is figuring out where one belongs, but once you learn that, time will figure out new ways to trouble you.

A clock sounded off alarm bells every hour in Andromeda's head. As time ticked away from her very life, she sat ignoring the rising panic she felt in the kitchens.

If anything had been learned in her childhood, it had been patience. Every time that Alexander Carrow had put his hand at the small of her back, she reminded herself that she had to behave for the time being in order to escape. Reeling back her anger was a tough job, but it was one she could handle—for the time being—as long as she was able to hang out with Henri in result.

Like they were traveling to Neverland, each girl fled their common rooms, landing in the kitchens at the time they had arranged.

The elves had been as welcoming as they were in the past, greeting them with grins on their faces, ready to serve their every need. All the two wanted though, was a few pounds of chocolate, which the house-elves certainly produced.

"How hard do you think it would be to take over the world?" Andy asked randomly as they sat on the floor eating chocolate.

It might not have been the most random question if one took a look inside Meda's head. Trying to come up with ways to get out of the marriage, she stumbled down the rabbit hole of taking over the world to escape her problems.

"Probably pretty difficult," Henri mused, playing along with whatever Andromeda had started. "I bet it'd be harder for muggles than wizards though because they have magic."

"Yeah, but, the people they're fighting against have magic too," Meda thought aloud.

"Unless the people they attack are muggles," Henri shuddered at the thought.

"What kind of a wizard would actually take on a bunch of defenseless muggles?" Meda asked, not being able to process the idea. "Like pick on someone your own size."

"Only a really bad wizard would do that," Henri replied, gratefully taking more chocolate as the house elves gave it to them.

Time rushed on, dissolving them into silence as the next day arrived. The girls could expect irritations and deadlines and maybe some amusing situations, but for now they were unaware of what time had planned for them. Perhaps, this was for the best because time could be cruel.

...

Dear Andromeda,

I do not write to you often while you're at school, but this requires a letter. I would have just flooed to your school, however, the current headmaster has created different rules, making more clearances you have to meet that I do not have time for.

As I am sure you are aware, you have a Hogsmeade trip on Halloween. I need for you to meet me by The Three Broomsticks at noon on that day. The wedding preparations must begin.

Bring any plans for this grand day you've already thought of, nothing stupid of course. There will be nothing short of elegance at your wedding, and I will personally make sure of this.

Do not be afraid.
Druella Black

The statement, "do not be afraid," might've made Meda more afraid than she already had been. The letter had arrived in the mail two weeks before Halloween, but now the day had arrived itself—there time goes again—and Meda had never been so anxiety ridden in her life.

Sitting at breakfast had done nothing to help her nerves. In fact, listening to her peers chat happily around her as if they hadn't a care in the world might've made her feel even more nauseous. The smell of the food, which usually would've woken her up and put her in a good mood, caused her to want to throw up, or maybe that was just the thought of going to see her mother in Hogsmeade?

After around ten minutes of doing nothing but fight with herself internally, Andromeda stood from the breakfast table suddenly, startling the Slytherins around her. Alexander put his hand around her wrist and feigned a caring persona.

"Where are you going?" He asked, his eyes more threatening than his words.

"I feel unwell," Meda responded, grabbing her wrist from his grasp as people around them watched. "I'm going to the hospital wing."

"I'll go with you-"

"No, that's quite alright," Meda responded again. "I can take myself."

Before he could get up the table and stop her from going to the hospital wing, she rushed from the Great Hall and nearly ran up the moving staircases. It wasn't until she was more than halfway done with her trip to the infirmary when she realised someone was following after her.

She turned around with her wand drawn expecting to see Alexander. It wasn't him though.

"Henri? What're you doing here?" Andy asked, noticing now that she sounded breathless and was lightheaded.

"I was checking on you, Andy," Henri replied, her eyes shone with care. "You looked upset when you left breakfast."

"I just had to get out of there," Andy swallowed hard. "My brain was screaming at me."

"Alright, well, that's okay," Henri said like she wasn't sure how to respond. "Are you going to the hospital wing?"

Andromeda turned to look around where she was, dizziness settling over her, making her stumble in her footing. As if Henri was ready for this, she caught Andy before she could even think about hitting the ground.

"Let's get Poppy to help you," Henri said as if she had just made a diagnosis in her head.

"Okay," Andy said, hardly nodding in agreement.

Andromeda couldn't remember much from when Henri took her into the hospital wing. She thought she heard Henri greeting "Poppy" like an old friend, and she might've tripped over one of the chairs and fallen over, but that could've also been a strange dream she had had. However, one thing she clearly remembered was telling Madam Pomfrey to write a letter to her mother.

"You're not that sick, dear," Madam Pomfrey responded, tucking Andromeda into the covers. "Your parents don't need to come to Hogwarts."

"No, you don't understand, I need you to write to my mother to tell her I can't meet up with her in Hogsmeade today," Meda insisted.

"I'll have you do that later today when you're feeling up to it," she said while she grabbed a potion from a nearby cupboard.

"No, this has to be done now! My mother has to know before noon!" Andromeda said, not aware of how she was drawing the attention of other patients because of how she was almost shouting.

"Alright, alright," Madam Pomfrey sighed as she poured the potion into a cup. "I'll have your friend, Henri, write to her and explain-"

Henri looked like she was about to agree to this before Andromeda interjected, even more adamant than before.

"No! It has to come from you! It has to come from an adult!" Andromeda yelled, bolting upright. "You have to write to her, Madam, please."

Madam Pomfrey certainly looked confused, and frustrated with the patient in front of her. Yet, it was clear to her that Andromeda would not be listening to anything she said unless she agreed to write to her mother, so that it exactly what she did.

"You need to take these potions now," Madam Pomfrey suggested as Henri sat behind her in a chair.

"What do they do?" Meda asked, looking suspiciously down at them.

"One is to calm you down, and the other is a sleeping potion that'll have you asleep for a few hours at least," Madam Pomfrey replied promptly, looking like she would have liked to say something else.

"Alright then," Andromeda said uneasily, drinking the potions.

As promised, the first soothed her nerves and the second pushed her into a dreamless sleep. Too things she so desperately needed.

...

The very first thing to register in her head was the fact that there was much less light in the room than when she fell asleep in it. The second thing she noticed was that Henri still sat next to her bed, playing chess against herself.

"Henri?" Andromeda said, her voice groggy.

Henri's head whirled around at the sound of Meda's voice. She smiled at her friend before grabbing a glass of water and handing it to her.

"You feeling better?" She asked, pleased when Meda nodded.

"Yeah, I am," Andromeda said, placing the water back down and sitting up fully with her back against the wall. "Were you here the whole day?"

"I only left for lunch and dinner," Henri explained quietly, and Meda became aware of the other patients in the room. "Which, by the way, is over in five minutes, so I can run and-"

"No, I'm fine. I'm not really hungry right now," Andromeda interrupted. "I'm sorry I wrecked your plans for today. Weren't you planning on going to a Hallowe'en party?"

"You didn't wreck anything," Henri shook her head like that idea was crazy to her. "If much rather make sure my friend was okay than go to some stupid Hallowe'en party. It probably wasn't that much fun anyway."

Andy felt touched in a way she couldn't explain. Unable to use her words, she grinned widely at her friend.

"You really mean that, Henri?" Meda asked, a little scared Henri was about to pull some practical joke on her and say no.

"Of course," Henri replied genuinely. "And I always will."

...

Song: Rock Bottom
By: Hailee Steinfeld

My present to you all is this chapter! Have a very merry Christmas if you celebrate, and if you don't, I hope you have a fantastic Saturday!

If I don't update before the new year, then happy new year's as well! I wish you all well into the new year!!

Lmao anyways thanks for reading
-teddy xx