Cissa’s batting at the scarf made her giggle, and Andromeda flopped down beside her sister rather indelicately –but next to Narcissa, every move made looked indelicate. Stretching her arms above her the darker-haired sister smiled and tried, desperately, to keep her focus on what Narcissa was blissfully chittering about. But worry started to cloud her thoughts, darkening her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling of her old bedroom. _When do I get to meet Ted?_ Those words, in her little sister’s dainty voice, kept repeating in her mind. _When do I get to meet Ted?_

Did she _really_ want to meet him? 

Andromeda was terrified of the idea of Ted meeting any of her family –even Sirius, who, she knew, would certainly have no complaints against her being in a relationship with a muggleborn. Archaic and hideously inaccurate beliefs aside, her family could be a bit… overwhelming. Unyielding, aggressive in a dangerously quiet sort of way, and, above all, proud. Dear Cissa and Sirius weren’t nearly as bigoted as the rest, but still Dromeda feared introducing her Ted to them. Sirius was careless, and not above humiliating someone for his own pleasure, but Narcissa; Andromeda was so scared that if her sister finally met Ted, she’d find something about him to detest –his family, his manners, his speech, his penchant for too well-worn leather jackets; how he puts half a dozen sugars in his tea and then lets it cool too long before drinking, how he always manages to miss a spot after washing anything, how he bounded when he walked, how he seemed to always chuckle when he talked, how he was rarely ever on time. His rather odd love of ‘Glam Rock’. How he considered himself the best pie-maker in the world, and even owned a certificate (he’d made for himself) that said so. How proud of was of his damn pies. How proud he was; of his family and his jackets and his tea and his walk and his _damn pies_. He could be a bit overwhelming at times, unyielding, aggressive in a quiet sort of way, and **proud**. 

Andromeda didn’t want Narcissa to find something about Ted to disapprove of. Narcissa’s support was all that she had, and she couldn’t bear the thought of losing it because Ted wasn’t quite what her sister wanted him to be.

It was a horrible thing for her to think; Narcissa was not nearly so vain as to turn her nose up at a man simply because he did not dress in the finest robes like her Lucius Malfoy, and Ted was strong enough to handle Cissa’s possible scrutiny. Her little sister could be a bit over-protective, sometimes, of the ones she held dear. Still, the dark-haired witch worried, and wasn’t quite sure if she’d ever be ready for them to meet.

Andromeda pulled herself away from her fretting by trying to focus on Narcissa’s tales of Hogwarts, allowing herself a smile as her little sister happily spoke of Lucius, even though Dromeda had never been too overfond of their fellow Slytherin. He was a bit too _stuffy_, for her taste. At school Lucius Malfoy seemed too wanting of attention, needy, self absorbed and arrogant, and she’d made a point of not spending very much time around him. But Cissa was happy with Lucius, and perhaps he wasn’t really as bad as he seemed. Perhaps she’d find out if he had a less stodgy side at Auntie Walburga’s party. 

A fairly audible groan left her at the thought of having to attend yet another of those dreary parties at Grimmauld Place, with her aunt and her disgusting taste in taxidermy, “that is the best way to get him better acquainted with our family. I mean, they’re plenty familiar with him and all, but if he’s this serious you _know_ everyone is going to be testing him, seeing if he is truly worthy of the most precious of the Black family’s jewels! The startling piece of onyx is now bought and paid for, and no one wants the rough little piece of dark amber, but that radiant little diamond; they can’t let just anyone have her! He has to be truly perfect.” 

She sighed lightly, curious and, frankly, almost amused by the thought of her mother and aunt spending their whole evening inspecting Lucius Malfoy; watching them buzz around him the entire time, picking and tutting and huffing question after question. It would certainly keep the two from bothering Andromeda any, and she rather liked the idea of spending one Yule Party free of the overbearing Black matriarchs. “If everyone else is just as fond of him as you are by the end of the night, Mummy might be planning a February wedding for you!” Andromeda smirked, nudging her sister’s shoulder lightly, “and, if they don’t, then I’m sure he’ll make a lovely addition to the soup.” 

The brunette gasped, turning quickly towards her sister and failing to hide her grin, “If they off Lucius for being unworthy of you, do you think Auntie will choose to have him dismantled, or stuffed? He’s pretty enough, I’m sure he’d look lovely mounted on a wall; might make the place a little less hideous…”

Head nodding in approval, her cheek resting against her forearm, Andromeda’s legs curled instinctively behind her as she lay on her side, and finally fell into the comfort of being home. Her eyes landed on the daisy in her sister’s hair, and she smiled, “In all seriousness, though; I really do hope he’s a good enough man for you. He better make you completely, unbelievably happy. And truly understand just how special you are. Otherwise, he’s not getting past me.” Her dark eyes narrowed in a horrible imitation of Bella’s warning scowl, a look that even in attempt Andromeda could not take seriously and that caused the tone of her voice, that she was truly trying to keep severe, crack with unsuccessfully held back giggles, “And if you think Mummy and Auntie Walburga would be cruel, it’s nothing compared to what I’d do to him—”

Andromeda tried. She really did. She tried so hard to keep her voice serious, because she was serious. If Lucius ever showed any signs of being unfit for her little sister the brunette would not be above using unsavory means of getting rid of him. She had no desire to keep the blonde wizard’s head as a trophy, as her aunt would, or to use his spine as candle holders as mummy had threatened to do to so many in her day. No. She didn’t like the idea of death, but if need be she’d find a way past her aversion, for Narcissa. Atleast, she thought that she could, if the need ever arose. She was a daughter of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black; of course she could. She was serious, maybe too serious. So serious, that even she could not really take herself seriously? she guessed, and before she could even finish her thought she was dissolving into giggles at her failure. It was all too silly anyways. Lucius was a bit of an uppity prat, but he certainly couldn’t be dangerous.

“And!” Andromeda continued through her giggles, “if he does show up to Auntie’s party, truly as a suitor and not as just another pureblood nob, I’d be interested to see how long he’d last without Sirius setting him on fire! If he manages to survive whatever our cousin throws at him, I’d say he’s definitely one to keep!!” She was cackling into her duvet by now, finding the idea now of Sirius waging war against the blonde’s significant other for an entire evening just as, if not more, entertaining than her mother tailing him and battering the snake with questions. Both would be nice, actually. This might turn out to be the best party Auntie Walburga’s ever thrown, “And, if you think about it, if Sirius is trying to kill him then he likely is the absolute best choice for you.”