"I had a feeling so peculiar
That this pain would be for
Evermore"

Like a breath of fresh air, Andromeda entered the world where magic didn't have to be dark. She found comfort in how welcoming the platform was, no amount of scowls from her sisters or people looking at her would dim her bright feelings.

As she stepped onto the train with only herself and her trunk—her sisters had already abandoned her—a slight wave of panic raised through her with the thought that Henri might've decided she didn't want to be Meda's friend anymore. If this was the case, then Andromeda wouldn't blame her. A life without Andromeda and her baggage would be much easier than with it. Maybe Henri told her amazing mother about Andromeda and got told that she wasn't allowed to be friends with Meda anymore.

Like a rainbow in a storm, Henri tackled Andie into a hug, forcing all those unpleasant thoughts out of her brain. At first, she wasn't sure how to return the hug, but she decided just putting her arms around Henri's back was fine.

"I missed you over the holidays!" Henri said with a large smile. "Let's find a compartment to sit in."

Andromeda nodded and followed Henri after picking up her trunk she had dropped when Henri hugged her. To her surprise and delight, it didn't take long for them to find an empty compartment to sit in.

"So, what's been going on?" Andie asked now that they were sitting.

"Well, my mum had to do tonnes of overtime at Mungo's, so I was at home alone for a while," Henri frowned.

She didn't say this out loud, but a holiday home alone sounded like paradise. Having complete control over the house with only the house-elves to speak to would be like a dream come true for her. She knew though that that was not the case for Henri as her mother seemed to be a genuinely nice human being.

"That's no fun," Meda replied, smoothing her skirt. "Did you get to spend Christmas with her?"

"Yeah, she had Christmas Eve and Day off," Henri explained. "She made the best roast and we had a late lie in. How about you?"

"I spent most of my time with Cissy," Andie replied. "We sat in her room and sewed these patchwork teddy bears-"

She was cut off by the compartment door slamming open, startling them both from the conversation. Andie furrowed her eyebrows at the two Gryffindor girls in the doorway, who, in Andromeda's opinion, looked rather mean.

One of them had strawberry blonde hair pinned back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, a wicked grin upon her face, and a prim look to her. The other had long brown hair with a messy fringe, wide green eyes, and circular, gold glasses. They were around the same short height.

"You must be the one taking pity on Henrietta," the one with strawberry blonde hair spoke.

Andromeda glanced to Henri for an explanation, but saw that she was cowering away from the two girls, which was quite unusual. She wasn't really sure what was going on at the moment, however, she had decided that she wasn't going to put up with whatever they threw at her. Andie did enough of that at home.

"I'm sorry, who might you be?" Andie asked in a fake polite voice.

The girl scoffed and Meda smirked at her reaction. She found it odd that the two girls hadn't recognized her because everyone at school usually did, and if they didn't they mistook her for Bellatrix.

"I'm Lucy—Lucinda—Williams," Lucy replied promptly.

"And I'm Betty Graham," Betty, the brunette, piped in and Meda only flickered her glance to her for a second.

"Who are you?" Lucy said with authority, raising an eyebrow.

"If you must know," Andie stood up from her seat and practically towered over them. "I'm Andromeda Black."

She didn't miss the flinch from them when she said her last name. It appeared like as soon as she introduced herself, that they recognized who she was if their reaction was to go off of anything. She wasn't sure how either of them got sorted into Gryffindor because they were acting like cowards in front of her.

"I'd suggest you quit interrupting us and go bother some people who actually care enough to be nice to you," Andie said, her words cutting through the air harshly.

Lucinda and Betty didn't take another second of hesitation in getting out of their way. Andromeda hoped that was the last that she would see of them.

Sighing, she turned around to see that Henri looked more physically closed off than she had before. Andromeda had been reading body language for long enough to know that this probably meant she had closed off emotionally too. She knew from personal experience that Henri needed to talk before she exploded from her internal thoughts, yet Meda also knew that she, personally, wouldn't want someone prying.

"Just in case you didn't already know, I'm not pitying you," Andromeda said quietly and Henri looked up at her when she continued to speak. "If anything, I would've thought it to be the other way around."

"And why would I need to pity you?" Henri asked.

"My family is quite literally insane," Andie laughed with Henri at the statement that sounded casual. "Why wouldn't you pity me is the real question?"

"You seemed fine before I joined your life," Henri shrugged and some of the light returned to her eyes.

"I pretended to be," she said sadly. "But, now I know that I wasn't and I'm not now."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Henri asked gently.

"Not yet," Andie cleared her throat. "I do want to know what the hell was their problem though."

"Who?"

"Betty and Lucinda," Meda leaned back in her seat as she watched Henri's shoulders droop.

"Well, congratulations, Andie, you've just met two of my dorm mates," Henri said and Meda's eyes widened.

"Merlin, they are your dorm mates?" Meda repeated and Henri just nodded.

"We used to be friends actually, Betty, Lucy, Ruth, Phoebe, and I," Henri sighed. "Until the end of last year."

"What happened at the end of last year?" She asked before she could stop herself.

"I had had a crush on Ruth for a little while—at least that's what I think it was—and Lucy got ahold of my diary and read it to everyone," Henri spoke not meeting Andie's eyes. "I was so angry and Ruth wouldn't talk to me and they all took her side."

"I'm sorry that happened, Henri," Meda said apologetically. "They're jerks who don't deserve you anyway."

"Thanks, Andie," Henri smiled for the first time in a little while. "For the record, I'm pretty sure I like guys and girls though."

"Alright, that's fine with me," Andromeda smiled back.

...

Author's Note:

Song: Evermore
By: Taylor Swift

Happy Monday everyone! I'm publishing this from my online chemistry class (my school shutdown because of covid) and honestly I don't know if I could get more bored lol.

Yayyyy we learn more about Henri's character!! 🥳 Honestly, I love her so much and hope you do too.

Sorry about the length of the chapter! Hopefully, next chapter makes up for it.

Lmao anyways thanks for reading
-teddy xx