They visited Walburga and Orion in November, just after Sirius' fifth birthday. Walburga sat on a large armchair, her heavy frame making it creak. In her lap, the cat lazily cracked one green eye open to stare at Andromeda. She had tried to pet Louella, but she'd hissed at her, and quite honestly she was afraid of her now. She was almost as fat as her owner, less like a cat and more like a large black balloon.

The children were sent off to play, and even though Bellatrix had been allowed to sit with the adults at her age, Andromeda wasn't, and, glowering, she was sent off with them.

They went into the nursery, and Sirius told them exciting news.

"We've got a ghoul now," he said triumphantly. "He sleeps in the attic and everything, and at night time we can hear him thumping like boom boom boom!"

"No we don't!" Three year old Regulus protested. "We don't have a ghoul, Mother said!"

"That's what she wants you to think," he said cheerfully. "But some night when you're asleep, he'll creep up and grab you, an' - an' he'll slobber all over you, an' eat your brains, an'-

"No he won't," Narcissa said, wrinkling her nose. "Our aunt has one, and he just moans and rattles pipes. He wouldn't ever hurt anyone. Don't listen to him, Regulus."

Andromeda had just noticed vivid bruising on Sirius' legs, visible where his short trousers cut off. He saw her looking, and she didn't know what was worse, the fact that he pulled them up to show her even worse bruises, or that his voice was matter-of-fact when he spoke.

"Father caned me," he said. "Because I went into his study without permission."

Andromeda felt sick. She didn't think she had ever seen bruising that bad, and Narcissa was staring too. Their father caned them as well, but she had never been so bruised as Sirius. His pale skin was mottled purple, tinged with yellow and brown in places.

Regulus was silent, sucking his thumb, his large brown eyes fixed on his brother's legs.

Andromeda finally found her voice. "Does – does he always do it that bad?"

"That's not bad," he said scornfully. "One time they were bleeding. But I didn't cry," he added defensively. "Not even a little bit. Reg always cries though."

Regulus' thumb came out of his mouth. "I do not!"

"You do!"

"I don't!" He sounded near tears, and Narcissa gave him a hug.

"Don't worry," she said. "I always cry when Father canes me, too. Especially now I'm doing lessons with him."

Andromeda was silent. She didn't like to admit it, but sometimes she missed the days when it was just she and Cygnus in the study. She felt guilty about it, especially because Narcissa always muddled dates and things up, and on one memorable occasion had gotten The Dark Mark confused.

Cygnus had been enraged and after caning her had pulled up his own sleeve to show her. Andromeda had seen it before, and it always made her uneasy. The vivid black ink wriggled underneath the skin like it was alive. She knew her mother didn't have one, because The Dark Lord didn't accept women into his circle. But she'd heard Cygnus saying that Bellatrix was the special case. He was waiting for the day she turned seventeen.

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Christmas came and went, and then something arrived with an owl, something in a bright pink envelope with rose petals inside. Andromeda knew what it was straight away, because nobody except Aurelia would put rose petals with their wedding invitation.

The writing was curly and golden, Aurelia and Augustus invite you to attend their wedding on the 28th June 1964.

There was even a picture attached. Augustus and Aurelia were building a snowman.

"A snowman," Bellatrix said, when they were out feeding the cats. "How sad. He's that man who did our portrait, isn't he?"

"Yes," Andromeda replied, watching as Augustus in the picture posed beside their snowman, a smile on his face.

"I thought I recognised him at the engagement party," she said, and then she hesitated. "Do you think he's going to be there?"

"The Dark Lord doesn't go to weddings," Andromeda said scornfully, as she scraped cat food into Max's bowl. "He's too busy. Anyway, Augustus isn't in his circle."

"Ooh, Augustus. Are you carrying a torch for him, Andy?"

She flushed red, so embarrassed she didn't realise Bellatrix had used the nickname. "No! Of course not!"

"Of course not," she parroted, a smile playing around her mouth. "You're still a little girl. You haven't even started your monthlies yet, have you?"

"No," she said stiffly, still blushing. That was a sore spot, especially because she was also still flat as a board.

"Two fried eggs on an ironing board," Bellatrix mocked. "I wore bras from when I was ten. You know boys won't be interested in you unless you have a chest."

Andromeda silently panicked. "Really?" She managed.

"Oh yes. Grandmother told me ages ago. She said I should probably keep an eye out for a husband too, especially if Father hasn't got one in mind already."

Andromeda stared at her. "But you're only thirteen!"

Bellatrix tossed her hair. "I'm fourteen next month. And anyway, Mother was sixteen when she met Father, you know that. There's barely any difference."

Andromeda had to miserably conclude that she was right.

When they went back to the house, she locked herself in the bathroom, stood in her underwear, and examined herself in the mirror. She sighed. She was still as plump and little girlish as she'd always been. She didn't even need to start shaving yet, which of course she'd seen Bellatrix doing.

She wondered what the usual age to start your monthlies was. She didn't really have anyone to base it on other than Bellatrix, who'd been eleven, exactly the same age she was now. But maybe Bellatrix had even been late. Maybe most girls got it way before and she was some freak of nature. She imagined starting at Hogwarts in less than a year, and sharing a dormitory with girls who wore bras and had their monthlies. Maybe they'd all be like Bellatrix and make fun of her. Maybe Andromeda would be a freak all her life, a flat chested little girl for all time. The idea was horrible to even contemplate.

There was an impatient knock on the door. Druella.

"Andromeda?" She said. "What are you doing in there for so long? I want to have a bath."

Andromeda quickly put her dress back on and unlocked the door, slipping out past her mother.