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Caution, Emmeline always says, fondly, in regards to Andromeda, is not a word in her vocabulary.
When Andromeda Black kisses Emmeline Vance in the Great Hall, while holding one of their hands in her own, several things change at once.
The most immediate is the way the room quiets. Andromeda can hear the clang of silverware as forks are dropped mid-bite. The sudden hush is rather dramatic, and if Andromeda’s heart wasn’t beating so wildly from nerves, she’d roll her eyes.
Next comes the reaction from the girls in her dorm. That night, they eye Andromeda with a new kind of wariness. Like something from a Care of Magical Creatures textbook has wandered into their midst, replacing their roommate.
“Like you’re all so surprised,” Andromeda says with no small amount of snark.
“Well, no, not surprised, Dromeda,” Caroline Flint, ever the leader of the sixth year Slytherin girls, remarks. “Not about that. Just that you’re doing it so close to being chosen.”
“Plenty of us do it,” one of the Carrow twins says reasonably.
“But put it aside when it’s time to be married,” the other twin finishes in the same tone, as if explaining something to a child.
“Emmeline isn’t someone to be put aside,” Andromeda says finally.
Maybe they can’t understand it, in terms of setting aside family duty. But to Andromeda, it really is as simple as that.
She receives no less than four owls from Bellatrix over the next twenty four hours.
She reads each letter, memorizing the condemnation and accusation before moving on to the next, and the one after that. She can recite them from memory by the time she burns them, watching the flames lick the edges until the paper is curling in on itself, reduced to ash.
Her mother’s Howler arrives when she’s eating breakfast with Emmeline the next morning. The Ravenclaw table has moved on from the kiss heard ‘round the hall to the upcoming match against Gryffindor.
“You’ll crush them,” Andromeda promises, holding their hand under the table.
“Great Quidditch aficionado now, are you?” they tease, squeezing Andromeda’s hand in silent thanks.
Andromeda ignores her breakfast for a few moments, feeling a swell of contentment from the warm pressure of another hand in her own, and the way Emmeline inches toward her, until their shoulders knock gently.
“Incoming!”
Andromeda glances up in time to catch sight of the bright red envelope that’s landed in the center of her plate. Her eyes go wide, and she attaches to snatch the letter, to bury it under her robes and make a run for it, but it’s already warmed to the point of being painful to touch.
“Shit,” Emmeline says with feeling.
Just as the letter bursts open, revealing her mother’s booming voice, there’s a great deal of commotion from the Slytherin table. The sixth year girls get to their feet, aiming their wands at the letter. They fire off a range of spells that fly across the hall in beautiful bursts of light, in an attempt to make it stop.
The staff get to their feet, hollering for the girls to stop right there, but it’s too late. Some of the older Ravenclaw girls begin doing the same, and soon, the din of the professors and students is enough to nearly drown out Druella Black’s shrieking voice, telling Andromeda she’s been burned off the family tapestry.
“You can stay with me this summer,” Caroline offers that night.
Without waiting for permission, she seats herself on Adromeda’s bed, looking like a queen in her nightshirt, as she watches Andromeda braid her hair and prepare for much needed rest.
“Your parents would have a fit, Caroline.”
Caroline waves the thought away, like a minor inconvenience. “They’ll be on holiday for most of it. You don’t have to answer right now, anyway. Just think about it. Promise.”
Andromeda feels something like a smile tug on her lips. “Thank you.”
Two weeks later, Andromeda is on edge during the Ravenclaw match against Gryffindor. Emmeline flies like they're being chased by the hounds of hell. As dazzling as it is to see in action, Andromeda will also admit to being completely terrified by the maneuvers her Chaser attempts.
When Ravenclaw wins, Emmeline wastes no time in flying right over to where Andromeda's standing, breathless from cheering and shouting. They hover close enough for Andromeda to easily lean and meet them in a kiss that sends the stands off into another frenzy of cheering.
Andromeda tangles her fingers into their mess of blonde hair, smiles against their lips, and feels like she's right where she belongs.