"I'm not bitter and broken
I'm just torn up inside"

Andromeda was aware she couldn't separate Henri from her family forever, but she would've liked to believe that she could keep the two unrelated farther than midway through October. Still, when the quidditch game rolled around and Henri asked Andy to watch her play, she knew that the jig was up.

As far as she knew, Henri was quite a good quidditch player. She played as Gryffindor's keeper and was on her way to becoming the Captain.

Yet, with all this in mind, Andromeda knew she couldn't go watch. She had been taught that quidditch was a man's game and that she wasn't supposed to engage in any part of it. Andromeda briefly thought about disguising herself, but Bellatrix and Narcissa were expecting her in the library.

She couldn't possibly formulate the right words when Henri actually asked her to watch. It was far too much to explain as they exited the potions classroom. She just smiled and nodded before Henri grinned back and bid her goodbye.

Andromeda's trip to the dungeons felt longer than it had since she befriended Henri. She slipped further into self-loathing, further into the depths of her mind as she was reminded who she was.

Andromeda was a Black, and she couldn't change that. The rules that had been ingrained in her brain were wrong—she knew this—but it wasn't like she would survive if she broke every single one. The quidditch rule had always been insignificant to Andromeda as she didn't have any particular interest in the game, however, that changed when she saw the joyful look on Henri's face when talking about it.

Andromeda was about to become a disappointment not only to her family but also to Henri. Andy's heart practically tore when she watched Henri's eyes light up. But, what were the chances she would take the time to look for her anyway? Henri was going to be busy playing a quidditch game, so Andy could just pretend as if she went.

Each day came and went in great anticipation for the match of Gryffindor v. Ravenclaw. Andy felt it too, in more ways than one. Henri had talked her ear off about quidditch, so much so, that Andromeda had to remind her that she had already told her everything she was speaking about the prior day. She didn't complain, however, she thought it was nice that her friend was so passionate about something.

The morning of the match arrived, and Andromeda felt very much like a fish heading upstream. As nearly everyone else in the castle went to the quidditch field, she went to the library side by side with her sisters. They carried their school bags and textbooks into the room and settled on a table close to the window.

Andromeda thought it was poetic that she could see the quidditch fields through the window. It was like she was meant to be there watching the match play out. Of course, if she said this aloud, then she was sure she'd sound insane, so she sat quietly and started studying for a transfiguration quiz coming up.

The quiz was on Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Each class in the fourth year had gone over this in class multiple times, and now it was time for McGonagall to see if they had actually been paying attention. Andromeda was proud to say she had been, and that she was nearly positive she would ace the quiz.

"I can't believe Rodolphus is out there wasting his time," Bellatrix spoke snarkily. "It's not as if he made the Slytherin team."

Bellatrix and Narcissa laughed at the comment while Andromeda wished she was out there "wasting her time." She hummed as she reread the paragraph she had been focusing on before Bellatrix interrupted her train of thought.

"Lucius went down there with him," Narcissa added, grateful to have all of Bella's attention.

Andromeda had found it odd that Bellatrix paid more attention to her, and often complained to herself, but it looked as if, right now, Cissy had gained some sort of favor with their older sister.

"Yes, but that might actually do him some good," Bellatrix reasoned. "He's the future Captain for Slytherin, it's all about strategy, Cissy."

Narcissa agreed quietly and the two turned back to their work, but only briefly, and this time, Andromeda pulled herself into the conversation.

"So, you've been talking to Lucius Malfoy," Bellatrix began, a smile on her face that lit her features. "Do you think he'll court you?"

"Maybe," Narcissa bit her lip despite their mother telling her not to. "Maybe there's someone else out there for me."

"Careful, Cissy, you're starting to sound like a romantic," Andromeda teased, at which Narcissa blushed.

"Lucius is very noble," Bellatrix said, disregarding what they had said. "A very good choice if you ask me."

"Isn't she too young to be courted?" Andromeda asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

The youngest she had heard someone get courted was their sixth year of Hogwarts. Andromeda didn't agree with arranged marriage ever, but it wasn't like she could stop it from happening to anyone except herself. However, her sister was only in her second year, Narcissa couldn't start being courted before she turned thirteen. It just didn't make any sense.

"It's not as if courting means she getting married tomorrow!" Bellatrix said the manic look in her eye returned. "Courting takes time, I should know."

"What does that mean, Bella?" Andromeda nearly demanded.

"Whatever you want it to," her older sister smirked.

Their study session passed by rather quickly after that, the end of the quidditch game marking the end of their stay in the library. They parted ways, Bellatrix going only Merlin knew where, Narcissa trying to find her friends, and Andromeda roaming the corridors.

It turned out she should've gone straight back to the common room. That would've been a much better option than running into an angry Henri Moreau.

She walked aimlessly—thankfully with no thoughts buzzing in her head—but her arms still carried all her books. Meda gathered later that she didn't look at all like she had gone to the quidditch game, which was what tipped Henri off.

"You didn't go," her voice startled Andromeda, who whirled around to see Henri still clad in her quidditch uniform.

She wore a maroon hijab that was pinned down, not only with bobby-pins but with charms Professor Flitwick had told her about. This ensured her hijab did not fly off during the game, and it also made it a lot harder for other people to whip it off.

Andromeda didn't respond, instead, she watched Henri's body language. She could tell that her friend was disappointed that she hadn't gone just by the way Henri looked at her. Reading people was one of Andromeda's greatest strengths, she had acquired it over time, gaining it as a survival skill.

"You went to the library instead," Henri observed, taking a step closer. "You chose to study over going to my match."

Andromeda didn't want to lie to Henri about why she didn't go to the match. She also didn't want to scare her away by telling her about her family, but she didn't see another way to explain why she hadn't gone without lying.

"I'm not allowed to go to quidditch matches," Andromeda said quietly, maintaining eye contact with Henri as she spoke.

"Says who?"

"It's a family rule," Andie explained further. "Quidditch isn't seen as a ladylike activity. I couldn't risk my sisters finding out I'd gone."

Henri looked like she didn't know how to respond, but it appeared that her anger and disappointment had melted away.

"If you hadn't already heard, then let me be the first to tell you," Andromeda paused to smile bitterly. "My family is quite literally insane."

They dissolved into laughter before sitting up against the corridor wall. They stayed there until Henri had relayed the entire match to Andromeda. Gryffindor had ended up losing by twenty points because they hadn't been able to catch the snitch.

In the end, Andromeda realised that people weren't supposed to scream and yell before you could tell your side of the story. She had noticed that Henri treated her better than anyone she had ever met, and she wasn't about to lose that, ever.

...

Author's Note:

Song: Greyhound
By: Ashton Irwin

I made Andromeda an aesthetic! You know how people say that different people love in different colors? Well, I think that Meda associated the color yellow with love and happiness, which is part of the reason why her aesthetic has yellow as the main color!

Lmao anyways thanks for reading
-teddy xx