3Written for The International Wizarding School Championship Season 2
Round : Round 1—Home Is Where The Heart Is
School : Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry
Year : Year 5 - Deputy
Theme : Number Four Privet Drive—not being accepted. The theme is shown here as Andy not accepting her family and their beliefs and their not accepting hers.
Special Rule : Write an AU you have never written before—No Voldemort!AU
Prompts : 6. (Song) Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez [Main]—the meaning in the song is used in Andy having to pretend to be like the rest of her family
9. (Word) Extravagant [Additional]
2. (Colour) Emerald Green [Additional]
Word Count : 1123
Three instances in which Andromeda inspects her relationship with her family, and one in which she makes a decision.
I.
"Put away your wand, Bellatrix, and behave this time," Druella says sharply as she slaps away the house elf tasked with braiding Narcissa's hair and begins twisting the youngest girl's hair herself. Andy watches as her twin scowls at their mother's turned back and stows her wand into her expensive robes. She herself is dressed in similarly extravagant robes of emerald green, as opposed to Bella's red. Sitting beside each other they look each other's mirror images. No one would be able to tell at first glance how different they really are. Andy herself hadn't been able to tell for eleven years of her life. She had always had an inkling, she supposes, from how far apart their interests had always been. From how different both their interpretations of the Wizarding World and its high-caste, Pureblood ideology are.
"If I find another incidence of you cursing Isabella Parkinson or turning Amelia Bulstrode pink, you will regret it, young lady. Am I clear?"
Bella nods from beside Andy and whispers to her sister, "then we'll just have to make sure she doesn't find out."
Andy only half nods, not that Bella notices. Andy has never really understood her twin's penchant for violence or for tormenting others, and she doubts she ever will. They're very different, she has realized. Too different.
So different from any of them present in the extravagant celebration organized by one pureblood family or another. They're celebrating a new law that has just been passed against Muggles, one that would lessen the consequences of killing them. There are grinning faces all around her, except her own. She puts on a smile on her face though—to mask her disdain and inner turmoil—and keeps it there until the night has passed.
II.
She is only half able to mask her horror at her twin's deed—Narcissa has already excused herself from the living room and rushed towards the bathroom, the sight too much to take for her eleven year old self—but her parents do not so much as blink as they begin disposing of the poor muggle that had had the misfortune of running into Bellatrix. He is alive, she thinks, but barely. Druella only half remembers to Obliviate him before he is levitated to outside somewhere and thrown out. She feels such pity for the poor Muggle—he was only going about his business. He might have family waiting for him.
Andy's chest tightens and suddenly it's hard to breathe. Still, she keeps on taking deep breaths and stifles a sob—something that does not go unnoticed by Bella, who looks at her with an eyebrow raised.
"It might do you well to not bring the vermin home next time, dear," Cygnus says mildly as he returns to the living room.
Bella grins, still eyeing Andy, and no more is spoken of the topic.
III.
"You've been acting a little … strange, don't you think?" Bella's voice is careful and contained, but Andy doesn't miss the little malice that slips into it.
"No, what makes you think so?" Andy's voice strains towards the end of her sentence, and all pretence of niceness slips from Bella's voice as she says, "don't lie, Andromeda, I've seen you with that little mudblood Hufflepuff of yours. You're morphing into one of those blood-traitors—fraternizing with those vermin and defending them. Don't think Crowley didn't tell me about what happened over Christmas."
"I was not defending Teddy, simply pointing out what was the truth—he does have more magic than Crowley, despite being a Muggle-born. It was an insult to Crowley, Bella."
"Muggle-born," Bellatrix scoffs, "how politically correct, Andy. I suppose you also have an explanation as to why you were in Hogsmead with a cluster of those rats?"
Andy purses her lips and swallows. Bella gives a small, mirthless laugh.
"Admit it, Andy, you are a blood-traitor."
There is a moment of silence, as though Bella is waiting for her twin to correct her.
"I am your sister, Andy, and I love you. That is why I am not Curciating you right now. Mother and Father will not be as kind." Bella's eyes flash. "This is your last chance, Andy. You will have to choose—your life, or Mudbloods."
Bella does not give her a chance to reply, turning on her heel in an extravagant flourish of emerald green robes. Andy swallows painfully as she watches the retreating form of her twin and sighs.
IV.
"You've got to let it go, Andy," Teddy says to her softly, and she knows inside that he is right. It's just that she is too chicken.
"It's not that easy, Ted," she whispers, "they'll Avada me before I am out of the door."
Teddy hums and Andy turns so that she is more deeply burrowed in his arms, not wanting to see the disappointment on his face.
She cannot keep on with her pretence that she is okay with what her family believes in, especially when she is in love with Teddy. But what would she do? Simply up and leave? Weave an elaborate scheme so that her family thinks of her as dead? Would it matter at all, if they ever found out that she was planning to marry Ted?
Her doubts and questions are all thrown out of the window when she gets home from Hogwarts. She stares with barely concealed horror first at the sight before her and then at her parents, who are grinning at her and Bella in unaware bliss.
"We thought we'd get you a present," Druella says, "to celebrate your graduation."
Andy puts on a mask of polite happiness on her face as Bella turns to look at her. The two Muggles are body-bound and wide eyed. Cygnus looks at them expectantly.
"Well," he says, "go on."
Bella does not hesitate in drawing her wand and casting the Cruciatus. Her parents are caught up enough in its splendor that they do not notice the devastation on Andy's face, nor the sob she stifles as she lifts her own wand and tries to cast the curse. One try, and nothing happens. Second try, nothing happens. She can feel their eyes on her now, and Bella's.
On her third try she channels all her anger, all her resentment towards her parents, the wizarding world, their beliefs and watches with a sinking heart as the poor muggle rises up in agony.
Later the night catches her packing a simple bag—only necessities and her most prized possessions. She cannot do this anymore, she decides, as she looks out of the window at Teddy, who is standing shrouded in shadows. She throws her bag out and gives a last look to her bedroom.
"I've made my decision, Bella," she whispers, and climbs out herself.
