Salvaging Remnants

[Patrick O'Brien]

Salvaging Remnants is the plausible continuation of what might or could have happened after the North Tower incident between Brian and Andromeda. For this story to move forward other people were called into play, namely myself. The cast is as follows, the story will be narrated by each character accordingly with the exception of Brian Getathorn XIX, Zazuka Bones and Carlisle Moonlight who have kindly given their permission to be used in this fanfiction. Please refrain from commenting until you read the actual words -- THE END, as this particular fanfiction will resemble an rp in base.

Cast:
Andromeda Fiorelli - werewolf and third year Gryffindor Student
Patrick O'Brien - Uncle to Andromeda, healer and ex-professional quidditch player
Esmerelda Smickett - Animagus, Godmother to Andromeda and ex-Transfiguration professor.
Brian Getathorn XIX - Third year Ravenclaw student and Andromeda's best friend since first year and first ever friend
made at Hogwarts, also first love!
Zazuka Bones - Third Year Ravenclaw student, Andromeda's other best friend, Brian's girlfriend and second ever friend
made at Hogwarts.
Carlisle Moonlight - Third year Beauxbatons transfer to Hogwarts, Andy's boyfriend and calming influence

Patrick paced up and down waiting for her to arrive. He had wanted desperately to go to the train station but Esmerelda had made him wait instead at The Gables. He still didn't know why he had gone along with it, he felt as if he had been bullied into remaining behind while she had gone instead. But she had told him that Andromeda was too easily excited and disappointed, too easily led by her heart to have him go and waylay her on her first day out of school. Wasn't it bad enough that he was downright kidnapping her for the holidays? Patrick humphed, he wasn't kidnapping her. He had explained it all in perfect detail to Esmerelda that neither he nor Andromeda had been back to Ireland in almost three years. He at least had returned for his fathers funeral, Andromeda hadn't even been allowed that much. The ministry never allowed freshly infected werewolves to travel to muggle inhabited parts of the world, she would have to be two years or more infected before they could even begin applying for a travel permit for her.

Sighing Patrick thought he would wear a hole away in the floor if they didn't hurry up and return. He couldn't wait to see his niece, it had been so damned long. Would she be so very different? How tall was she now? Who did she resemble Maeve or Giovanni? Did she still adore Quidditch as she used to? Patrick had so many questions he wanted to throw at her. He heard a crack from outside the front gate and with two long strides got to the front door and yanked it open. There she was, he couldn't get over how tall she was, how slender and how pale. Yet she was still his Angel, his Andromeda. Nothing would ever change that. He strode outside the front door and opened up his arms to welcome her.

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

Esmerelda had waited patiently at the train station for her god-daughter to alight from the train. She was nervous about the reunion between herself and her uncle, but Essie couldn't stop it from happening no matter how she felt on the matter. Truth be told none of the O'Briens were in her good books at that point and time. Andromeda's mother had abandoned her only daughter to the harsh cruelty that was Durmstrang. Patrick now knew what had transpired there, she had told him all the night before. Watched as the grown man cried for the pain his niece had been subjected to and that he had left her to. Esmerelda had no sympathy for him. He had gone on his own crusade to discover or find out a cure for Andromeda's condition. A wild goose chase in her view but of course who would listen to her?

Andromeda finally approached her through the throng of other students, she looked happier than she had in a while. Essie smiled and embraced her.
"Come on lets get you home love. There's someone waiting there for you" she checked to make sure they had everything before apparating them outside the white picket fence of The Gables. They no sooner had than Patrick was almost yanking the front door off its hinges to get to Andromeda. Esmerelda merely smiled and nudged her god-daughter in his direction. A feeling of severe foreboding overwhelmed her in that instant.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda had sat in the compartment with her roomies, not wanting to encrouch on Zuka and Brians time together. The truth of the matter was, she hadn't been able to encrouch on any time they had together since they began dating, as neither seemed to want the company of any other person. Andromeda missed Zuka's presence dearly but couldn't ask her for more time for them, didn't want to ask for it incase she heard straight from the horses mouth that she wasn't wanted. That Zuka now had Brian and simply didn't want or need anyone else. It was these imaginings alone that had kept Andy from seeking out Zazuka on the train. Herself and Brian still weren't talking since their big argument, well it hadn't even been an arguement. He had blown a gasket that Adnromeda had attempted to get himself and Zuka together, shouted all sorts of abuse at her, vowed they would never be friends again and then proceeded to go and have a relationship with Z!

Andy thought it was all unfair. She had simply wanted him to be happy and knew deep down that his happiness was not with her and though it hurt her to her very core to admit this, she had still tried to bring together her two best friends. Both of whom she knew had feelings for one another. Life was a vicious roulette game though and she seemed to be constantly the loser. They were now dating one another even after her attempts at trying to do just that, Brian had not appreciated her interference and now they were no longer friends.

Andromeda said goodbye to her friends and walked along the platform looking for her uncle Patrick. It didn't bother her at all that the only face she saw was her god-mothers. Instead she went into the warm embrace and hugged the woman back.
"I missed you" she whispered, enjoying the safety the arms around her gave. No matter what had happened in her life in the past three years, Esmerelda had been the one constant force that had kept Andromeda going. She depended on her now like she depended on no other. She knew she would meet her uncle in but a few short minutes but Andromeda knew she could not trust him as wholeheartedly as she could trust the woman who put her arms around her and loved her unconditionally. Essie had never left her, had saved her. Had been there for her each and every time. Andromeda would never question her, never question her own love for this woman. Andy's loyalty lay here at The Gables where they apparated too within moments of meeting.

Andromeda barely had time to regain her equilibrium from the sidelong apparation when the front door to The Gables was wrenched open and her uncle Patrick strode out to meet her. She embraced him in return, enjoying the inconsistency of the comfort he wrought in her. He was taking her home to Ireland, his last letter had said so. She couldn't wait but before that they had so much to talk about, so much that needed to be said but she somehow knew half of it wouldn't be.
"How was your trip?" she asked as if she were asking if he'd like some tea. She was an O'Brien alright, finding it easy to hide the big things behind the banal and mundane.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick embraced her, feeling more bone and sinew than anything else. Where was the little girl he could once cuddle and not be afraid of damaging? The problem was, his Andromeda was damaged now. Damaged so much there was no turning back from it. A smile crept to his impecable features, he had found a way hadn't he? She could be undamaged again, untainted again and she would be his perfect angel once more. He closed his eyes, his arms still about her. She was always his angel, no matter what and this he would someday be able to stop himself from reminding.
"Don't mind me, come on inside. I want to hear all about the past year. Essie tells me you're dating now, it's not that Blane guy again is it? Or have yourself and Brian finally gotten together?" he laughed at his own humour, though deep down he suspected that some where along the line Andromeda and her friend were supposed to be more than what they both thought.

He would put off for now what he had knew was only inevitable. Patrick was here for a reason, he had written to her that he would only be back if he had found a cure of her infection or some means to altar it. Well no cure had he found but the latter he thought he had, he knew he had. Breaking this to Anromeda was going to be difficult though, he couldn't just blurt it out! He turned them towards the house and slowly walked them back inside. Smiling as she kept up a somewhat polite conversation along the way.

They reached the sitting room and he turned then to Esmerelda.
"I need to get something, can you hold the fort?"
he didn't wait for an answer but walked briskly to his room, opening up his large travelling trunk he tossed various sweaters and pants aside in his search, until at last a small blue casket was lying there waiting for him to pick it up. Patrick did so and held it close, hoping that this was indeed the answer to all their prayers. Returning to the sitting room, Patrick sat down infront for them and said simply:
"I have something to tell you that I need you to listen to carefully. Please don't interupt".

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

They had barely been given a chance to settle in, not mind for Andromeda to unpack her trunk or check out the new wall paper in her room. Esmerelda wanted nothing more than to slap Patrick across his face and wake him up a bit. Didn't he know how cruel he was being, just by his presence alone? They all knew he would leave again, the fact of the matter lay only in the when and not the how.
As she sat down in her large comfortable armchair, Essie wondered just what it was Patrick was so excited about. She flicked her wand and the kettle boiled, poured the water in to a waiting teapot with teabags already on standby. She then flicked it again, summoning cups and saucers, milk and sugar all wordlessly as she too waited to hear what Patrick was going to tell him. If he broke Andromeda's heart in the first sentence then she would use the crucio curse herself on him. Waiting as she also listened to her heart hammer wildly against her rib cage Esmerelda hoped on everything magical that this better be worth it!

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda allowed him to lead her back inside the house, amazed herself that he was so excited. More so than she was it would seem but perhaps he simply felt guilt and was over compensating. Smiling as she would to a silly child as if to placate him, Andromeda listened as he asked her some questions mainly about who it was she was dating. She smiled at Esmerelda delighted that no information had been divulged, he was privy to this type of news just yet. He had only just walked back into her life, did he really expect her no matter how happy she was to simply pick up where they had left off.

She managed not to say much of anything though his asking her if she were dating Brian hurt like nothing else. No, she certainly wasn't dating him. She turned to Esmerelda who began sorting some tea out, always perfectly in tune with what her god-daughter would need in her first few minutes back. The two always had a cup of tea and chatted comfortably about her time throughout the year that letters hadn't been able to say. Patrick had run to his room with childlike abandon to get something.

"He's all much ado about nothing isn't he?" she removed her cardigan and placed it over the back of a chair, sitting herself down in the armchair opposite Esmerelda's one. This was her home now, no matter how much she missed and craved Ireland. She simply didn't belong there anymore but it would be nice to see everyone and say goodbye to them all properly. She looked up as he strode back in carrying a blue box, begging that he not be interupted.

Now with her cup of tea in hand, Andromeda sat back in the armchair and tucked her long slender legs underneath her as she waited for him to begin whatever fabulous tale he was bursting with.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick began with a telling of his travels around the world, the box remained unopened on his lap. His hands caressing it ever so gently as he spoke. He told them of how he tried every tribe in the known world for a cure for her condition but nothing. He had come close he thought many times but most concoctions or potions were all pretty similar to the wolfsbane or simply weren't as powerful as it. This had led Patrick to thinking out side the box. If there was no cure perhaps there was another way, some means by which to change her back again. He looked at his niece and smiled.

"I came across a tribe practically unheard of deep in the rain forests of South America. They had magical powers beyond anything I had seen before, I thought at first that perhaps they could come up with a potion or something but they merely shook their heads at me. They were of the mind that no potion could return a soul that was damned" Patrick hadn't wanted to say that out loud but felt he needed to tell them everything, "What they said was the only sure cure was for the event not to have happened, to wipe it from the path of time. Change the course that history had written."

He watched them for a reaction, then very carefully opened the box. Still he did not show them what was inside but rather looked at its contents with reference.

"They gave me an amulet, a highly charged magical amulet that could transport its wearer through time and space. I was thrilled of course, this meant that I could go back to the time that Halloween night and stop you from getting bitten. Reverse all that had happened in the last three years. They told me the chant to use and how I was to think of the place I wanted to go to and led me to a small hut, in which I was to go and ..." Patrick sighed, it had not gone as he had wanted. The memory still stung.
"I went into the hut and sat down, chanted over the amulet until I was taken back to Hogwarts. I transported myself back to the hospital wing instead of the gardens. So I had to run as fast as I could to get down to stop you but I hadn't been there in the grounds that night so I didn't know exactly where to go."
Excuses now and he knew it.
"I was too late, I could already see Cecily running to help you. Hear your screams" that memory would also haunt him forever, "I held the amulet tight and repeated the chant to transport me back to the present time so that I could try again. I figured it worked pretty much like a time turner but it didn't. Nothing happened and the tribal shaman explained that the amulet gave each person who held it one chance to go back and one chance to come back then the amulet lost its power for that person."

He looked at Andromeda and reached out his hand to touch hers.
"I'm sorry I messed it up but... they let me bring the amulet here for you to try. As soon as you return to the present time, the amulet will find its own way back to them again. Andromeda, you can go back and stop yourself from becoming a werewolf, from being bitten."

He held the blue box out to her containing the amulet.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda slowly sipped her tea as he began to talk, she couldn't look at him but stared fixedly into her cup. The story seemed so unbelievable, so fantastical. Was it really possible, of course he hadn't succeeded though. She was still a werewolf, that much was more than plain. Eventually he got to the end of his story and handed the box to her. Andy put down her cup looking directly at him and not looking inside the box yet.

"What's in here could help me... become me again, so when I return to our present time I'll be completely human. I won't have any memories of Durmstrang because the abuse and torture there simply wouldn't have happened. Is that really possible?" of course she was going to doubt this, she had read the story of the Fall of Troy and the wooden horse so many times. Gifts of this magnitude had reprisals, they always did. She lowered her gaze to the box, her hands ever so carefully picking up the amulet within.</COLOR>

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It looked amazing but it also looked strangely familiar. The symbol was one that she had seen in a lot of the books she had read regarding werewolves. Her fingers traced the outline of the amulet. This piece of gold could give her back her soul. The thought ruminated around inside her for a few minutes. A slow smile crept upon her and her eyes filled with tears. She could be Andy again, she would be whole. No more scars, no more charmed leg, no more sickness at the moons phasing, no more hiding for what she was and no more arguing with Brian over her secret. Her temper would surely not be so bad anymore. In one fluid motion she was off the chair and flinging her arms about her uncles neck.

"Thank you" she whispered, the amulet clasped tightly in her hand. As she straightened up she smiled at Esmerelda before turning back to her uncle.
"What must I do?"

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

Esmerelda could neither look at Andromeda nor at Patrick has he recounted the bizarre story. She kept her eyes averted not wanting to see hope etched all over her god-daughters countenence. Hope was a dangerous thing to offer to a girl who had precious little of it recently. Wanting to say something but not knowing what to actually say, Esmerelda simply watched as Andromeda picked up the amulet from its box.

She looked for a moment as if it was all simply too ridiculous to be real and then she was flinging her arms around her uncle. Essie sighed, rubbing her temples with her hand and placing her cup on the side table near her chair. This was not going to end well, she knew it. She returned her smile, attempting to hide the concern from her face. Andromeda was buoyant, jubilant, about to burst with the prospect of being the old Andy again.
'Oh let this work and not be a pipe dream of his'.
Andromeda stood waiting for the instructions on how to use the amulet and Essie shook her head slowly. What would go wrong? what could go wrong? She had seen this girl on the brink of oblivion, death had nearly taken her, life had nearly abandoned her but she had held on. Had fought back little by little, the Gryffindor in her would allow nothing less. Now Esmerelda was afraid that this one piece of hope could shatter everything she had painstakinglyand lovingly nurtured over the past year. Andromeda might not come back from this if it turned out disasterous, she may lose what was left of her humanity altogether. Hope being nothing but a tedious word that was passed about for the naive.

Should she speak, should she say something. Esmerelda knew nothing she said now would make a difference. It was up to Andromeda what the next step would be, she would simply have to be there once more to pick up the pieces.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick was delighted when she flung herself at him, he caught a glimpse of the old Andromeda and was thrilled. She seemed really eager to get started and he certainly didn't want to stop her. Their whole trip to Ireland depended on her succeeding with this. He hadn't applied for any travel papers for her as he was certain that this would work this time and she would simply not need any special papers. Pretending to ignore Esmerelda's shaking head and afraid that she would say something to stop his niece, Patrick stood up and clasped her by the arms.

He explained the small ritual that she had to perform, looking directly into her amber eyes so she would know how important it was to follow what he said to the letter. He then told her the magical chant and had her repeat it back to him so he was certain that she had it word perfect. This was going to work, he just knew it. His hands were beginning to sweat from anticipation as he steered her towards the stairs.

"Go to your room to perform it. You have to be on your own. We'll wait here, don't worry nothing will go wrong. I have faith in you" he smiled, hugged her briefly before stepping back to allow her to go.
"Just remember to allow yourself time, try to calculate your arrival well before the event so that you have plenty of time. Don't make the same mistake as me" he knew she wouldn't, she would get it right. She would make no mistakes at all, he was certain of that much.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda smiled at them both as she slowly made her way up the stairs. Every word and gesture that her uncle had told her in regards to the ritual she now repeated in her head as she mounted the stairs. Closing her bedroom door behind her, Andy sat on her bed and looked at the amulet.

This was going to change everything. She would go back and have a fresh start but would her friendship with Brian still be in tatters? Andromeda threw herself down on the bed gently touching the amulet in her hand and thinking things through. Things weren't really any different between them before she was a werewolf, so the thought that they would still be fighting when she came back again was one she didn't want to face. She cared deeply for Carlisle, she loved him that much was certain. She had so much room in her heart for plenty but Brian she had fallen in love with a long time ago and that was where the difference lay. She could give pieces of her heart to everyone but Brian simply was her heart. And as happy as she was with Carlisle, she knew at 14 years old it was not a great and lasting romance. They had met at a time when they obviously both needed one another and for that she would always be grateful.

Andromeda didn't really have a nasty bone in her body, werewolf or not and the more she thought of Brian, the more she knew how to save their friendship. She could live with him and Zuka being together, they were so very happy. What she couldn't live with was him not being in her life, if she could restore their friendship somehow life would be all the sweeter again and she seriously wouldn't care about being a werewolf. The truth was, damned soul or not it was who she was now. It was what defined her, she was as much a part of the beast as the beast was part of her.

Standing up Andy knew exactly where she needed to transport too and what to do when she got there. Checking that she had her wand in her pocket, she very slowly and carefully began the ritual. Repeating the chant over and over as she had been instructed. The room around her blurred, seemed to meld into nothingness. Her head hurt, her eyes ached and her body began to shudder. It seemed like hours but it only took a few minutes and there she was...

...standing in a darkened corner of the North Tower the evening that Brians grandfathers journal had been taken and burnt. She would stop whoever had taken it, she would prevent it somehow and then herself and Brian could be friends again, once he knew what she had done for him. The idea seemed so easy in her head as she thought it through. She heard footsteps and readied her wand, she was itching to see just what sort of person would steal somebody elses journal to simply burn it.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

The shadows hid her thankfully, her hand flew to her mouth to block the gasp that issued forth. It was Brian. Surely she hadn't missed the person already, she had calculated as best she could to be here in plenty of time and then her eyes opened wide. Brian was taking out the journal and burning it. Andromeda wanted to move out of the shadows and say something but she was too confused, way too puzzled. She didn't know what was happening, this was just way too bizarre. Andy could feel the pain in her heart as it contracted again and again, she could hear other footsteps and knew instinctively who it was. Shaking her head in dismay she saw her past self arrive out onto the roof and see Brian. Watching it all transpire now, Andromeda wished herself not to kiss him but to walk away, run away. But he had asked her not to go, told her he was sorry. A tear rolled down her face as the realisation dawned that Brian had lied to her, blatantly. She watched now as her past self walked over to him and put a hand to his face and then kissed him.

Unable to look anymore she closed her eyes, when she should have blocked her ears for that was when he told her that he thought he loved Zuka. Opening her eyes once more she could almost see the moment when her heart broke, she could see the pain etched on her own face and wanted so desperately to reach out to herself and comfort her. Let her know that things worked out in the most unexpected of ways. Andy left the roof top and Andromeda was about to use the amulet to return when she saw Brian call Athene and hurriedly scribble a note and attach it to his owl. He then proceeded to take something from his pocket and eat it, scattering pieces on his jumper. A light went off in her head as she realised, it was the alihotsy. He had drugged himself with the herb and blamed some imaginary person. The deceit was too much, she waited for him to leave the roof which was mere seconds after that, she could almost hear him fall near the end of the stairs too. Deservedly so, she muttered. Stepping out from the shadows Andromeda could almost feel the heart within her harden. He had lied, he had burnt the journal, he had taken the alihotsy and then had the nerve to call her a liar, to call her all sorts of horrible names and tell her how he never wanted them to be friends again. Well if their friendship was build on those kind of lies then she didn't want anything more to do with him. She looked at the fragments of his grandfathers journal and walked over to them. Picking up a small unburnt page she folded it up and put it in her pocket. Within moments she was repeating the chant and ritual, arriving back inside the sanctuary of her bedroom.

She was no sooner back than the amulet began to glow. It got so bright that she had to turn away from it as it began to float from her hand. It wasn't long before the brightness in the room dimmed and when Andy looked again, the amulet had disappeared. She had lost her chance to become human again and for what, for a friend who had lied. Who had destroyed her only chance of being whole again. Yes, this time she would blame him. If he hadn't lied to her and their friendship had remained in tact she would not have felt compelled to return to make her peace with him. Everything had changed now, she lay on her bed recalling each moment with perfect clarity. If he was standing infront of her now, she would probably stupefy him or possibly worse. Taking a deep breath she knew she would have to go back downstairs to the others.

When she did go down to them, she went to her armchair and sat down quietly. Not daring to look at either Essie or Patrick. She simply stared into the fire, hollow and defeated. Brian had won again. Was there anything left of her heart because of him? Andromeda finally looked up at Esmerelda, ignoring Patrick completely. He wouldn't understand. She shook her head.

"I'm still the same" was all she said before looking back into the fireplace.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

The time seemed to drag by, first he paced the floor after she had gone upstairs then he had sat down at the kitchen table wondering how she was getting on. Restless he had gone from the pacing to sitting to pacing again. Until finally sitting into one of the large chairs infront of the fire, he heard her bedroom door open. He looked first at Esmerelda, the excitement was palatable now. He wanted to be the first to embrace the new Andromeda who was technically the old one. Trying not to look directly at her, he was amazed that she sat so calmly in the armchair when she finally did come down. she said nothing at first. Ignoring him blatantly when she at last turned to Esmerelda and said in such a defeated voice that she was still the same.

Patrick knew if he was standing he would begin to stagger, tremble, falter in some way. This wasn't supposed to be the case, it wasn't supposed to be like this. He knew there was no point in asking for the details, instead he stood and walked back to where his travelling robe was hanging. Patrick looked once more at her and then at Esmerelda. He didn't think for a second that she had failed but more that he had failed her again. He needed to get out, to get some air before he suffocated himself with guilt. Wrenching the front door open he walked briskly out into the late afternoon.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Patrick left a few weeks later, the atmosphere at the Gables was just too much. He was consumed by guilt, Essie was consumed by frustration and Andy was consumed by a growing hatred that was festering within her for Brian. She had written to Zuka but as yet had heard nothing back from her. School was about to start soon and Andromeda was not looking forward to it. Time and again she had imagined how she would greet him, how she would let him know that she was aware of all his lies, his treachery and deceit. The thought that Zuka was well aware of some of those lies if not all of them, washed over her countless times. Didn't Zuka always say how she felt what Andromeda felt and yet if that was so, surely she would write wondering why Andromeda was feeling so many desperate emotions. But there was no correspondence at all and Andy could only surmise that she was having such a wonderful summer with Brian that all thoughts for Andromeda had ceased to exist.

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

Esmerelda felt like she had to walk on egg shells, Patricks mood deteriorated until he couldn't take the silence anymore and left. It was typical in her view, she didn't want to witness Andromeda's spiralling health again either mental or physical but that was what she was subjected too. Essie tried time and again to get her to speak but Andy was tight lipped. She had almost completely stopped eating, wasting away before her very eyes. If it had not been for the Moonlight boy then Esmerelda shuddered to think how deep Andromeda would have fallen. He had a remarkable calming effect on her and Esmerelda was grateful for his presence the last few weeks before school began, she was even happier to hear that he was transferring to Hogwarts. Somehow Esmerelda knew that she would not have to worry about her god-daughter there.

Two nights before school started, Andromeda entered the sittingroom holding Carlisles hand. There was something she wanted to say to both of them, something she needed to tell them. It came as no surprise to Essie that this strange boy would know of Andromeda's secret and still care for her. She listened as they were told about the original incident on the roof and then the time she had used the amulet. Esmereldas heart broke for her, not only for being able to love so completely at that age but for having to deal with an unrequited love, the lies and deceit and then her heart was also touched by how the boy would take it. She watched fascinated as he stood up from the chair and went to her side, embracing Andromeda and comforting her pain with no regard for his own.

As Esmerelda went to bed that night, she knew for sure that she would not have to worry about her god-daughter, she was in very good hands.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

The day finally arrived as Andy joined the hoards of other students alighting from the express and made her way over to the coaches pulled by thestrels. She had not once seen Brian or Zazuka on the train and even now amongst the crowd she could not find them. Someone suddenly touched her hand and she turned to see Carlisle smiling at her. She returned the smile and joined him in one of the coaches. The journey up to the school seemed never ending, her anger had dissipitated with the recounting of her story to Esmerelda and Carlisle. She couldn't harm Brian even if she wanted to, she couldn't even wish him harm. Andromeda was numb though, she had pushed every emotion relating to him so deep within her it felt as if there was nothing left. Carlisle and she were now merely very good friends, she could not give him more than that and he deserved so much more.

As the second to seventh years began to merge into the great hall and mingle a while before the faculty called them to order, Andromeda finally caught a glimpse of the two of them. Her heart remained beating as normal, her pupils did not dilate, her palms did not sweat. She was the very picture of calm and cool, even if Zuka were to feel anything now it would be a coldness nothing more.

Zazuka Bones was happier than she had ever been or thought she would ever be again. She had spent the summer with her boyfriend Brian in France and back at his home. It had been the most glorious of summers, one she simply didn't want to forget or had wanted to end. She laughed now at something he said, her old habit of laughing behind her hand was almost completely gone. Being with Brian had given her a confidence in herself she hadn't been aware of. She felt beautiful, special and utterly fabulous. About to say something she had the strangest feeling begin to seep into her consciousness but didn't know what it was. Placing her hand into Brians she leant closer to hear better what he was saying, the noise in the great hall was almost deafening with everyone trying to talk all at once.

Andromeda looked at Carlisle and nodded her head.
"It's alright, really" she moved away into the crowd, her steps taking her closer to where the two stood.

Brian Getathorn XIX smiled down into the face of his girlfriend, he could actually look downwards at her now for a change as he had shot up a few inches over the summer. About time in his mind, everyone seemed to be growing but him now that had balanced out nicely. The summer had been brilliant, they had enjoyed every minute of it and he knew that like himself, Zuka hadn't wanted the summer to end. School would be hard to get used to after the glorious freedom of the past few weeks. He clasped his fingers around hers as she placed her hand into his but instead of saying anything else when she leaned in closer, he simply kissed the top of her head. He was utterly crazy about her and it had been so refreshing that neither of them had to worry about Fiorelli once all summer long.

Andromeda removed a slip of paper from her pocket and looked at it. She was barely a metre from where they were and yet they hadn't even noticed her. As she looked down at the scrap of the burnt journal Andy's heart shuddered. Zuka froze where she was.

"Andy!" she whispered as if remembering her friend at last, as if returning from a dream and realising someone had not been in it. Zuka had meant to write to her this summer, had been delighted to receive Andy's letter but there never seemed to be any time. From the moment they woke until bed time, their time was consumed by so much. It was usually exhausted that she fell into bed at night. She had felt nothing wrong all summer long and had thought Andy was alright. Now feeling this sudden burst of absolute oblivion, Zuka knew that she had been wrong. Something had happened to her over the summer and Zuka had not felt it like she usually did. Perhaps she pondered it was because she had been so utterly happy, her emotions were pretty much tied to her growing powers after all. Maybe the happier she was the less chance she had of feeling anything bad. She tugged on Brians sleeve as she turned to face the person she knew was standing there.
"Andy" she whispered again, Zuka smiled and broke the few steps to get to her. Embracing her in a warm hug.


Andromeda could not even smile, did not raise a hand to return the hug that Zuka gave her. Andy knew she had been betrayed by both of them and could not muster any enthusiasm for what she was about to do. As Zuka released herself from the hug that had not been returned she looked at Andy who was looking at Brian. The coldness was washing over her slowly and Zuka grabbed at her chest. It hurt because Andy's was hurt.

Brian heard the name and sighed, they had both agreed on the express that they would make more time for Fiorelli and that he would even wave the white flag for Zuka's sake but looking at her now, taller and almost paler than he had ever seen her Brian knew something was up. He hadn't wanted Zuka to go to her but he couldn't stop her and so had to watch while his girlfriend embraced his once bestfriend. Noting that Andromeda didn't return the hug but looked directly at him instead, Brian merely sighed in exasperation. She was going to be difficult and ruin the return to school for them after such a great summer. Well he wouldn't let her. Walking over with grim determination Brian was about to say something when Zazuka stood infront of him, her arms outstretched to block him from going any closer.

Other students were now beginning to look at them but not one of the three seemed to care.
Andromeda wanted to speak but couldn't, the emptiness that they had created by their deceit and lies was too vast. She was lost in it and felt like she couldn't return. Her head and heart were speaking the words but nothing would come out of her mouth, instead she simply handed the piece of paper out to him. A single tear edged its way to the corner of her eye. Then the strangest thing happened.

Zuka felt the abyss consume her, as if channeling every emotion from Andromeda she slumped forward. Brian reached to catch her but she stood back. Her eyes looked directly at him but they were pure white. There was no iris, no pupil just a vast whiteness. When she spoke it was with a different voice too, sombre and flat. Empty like the person she channelled.

" I know the truth. I know it was you and no-one else who did this"

Brian looked aghast as Zuka's eyes became opague what was happening? Was this one of her visions? Then she began to speak and he looked at her quizzically, what was she on about? He looked at Andromeda standing directly behind Zuka, blank of expression blank of everything it would seem. She simply stood there. Brian looked from one to the other, remembering Zuka telling him that she and Andromeda had a connection, that she could feel her feelings. Was this what was happening now?
"Andromeda stop, leave her alone" he shouted, more people turned to see what was happening.

"It was all a lie. Our friendship, you made a mockery of everything. You burnt your grandfathers journal, you ate the alihotsy yourself and lied to me. Do not ever speak to me again, either of you." Zuka wavered and a small cry of wretched pain engulfed her. She felt so strongly connected to Andy again that she could see it all, she felt herself tumbling back to the chance she had to change her past and be whole again. Zuka knew better than anyone what a damned soul meant to Andy, knew what kind of sacrifice her friend had made. In that moment she knew what type of love Andy really felt for Brian, to do something so selfless, so huge and to be repaid with lies instead. Slowly her eyes returned to normal and she toppled towards Brian, who was looking at the piece of parchment in his hand.

Brian looked at the piece of paper, it was from his grandfathers journal but how did she? how could she? He was confused now but still didn't care enough anymore about Andromeda's feelings when Zuka was the one tumbling forward into his arms.
"Zuka are you alright?" looking up angrily at Andromeda he all but spat at her, "you are never satisfied are you? you..."
He got no further as Zuka put her hand up to his mouth to stop him, she knew the entire truth and would speak to him later. They were both to blame for how her bestfriend was, Brian had told her how he had lied to Andromeda on the roof and Zuka had never said anything to her. Had kept if from her. So much for protecting her, they had ruined her one chance of ever being human again.
"We've done enough damage Brian" she spoke softly, leaning on his arms and turning around to face her.
"I am so sorry Andy".

Andromeda still could not speak, her eyes filled with tears that she had not been able to shed for so long. She wanted to be angry with them, she wanted to scream at Brian mostly but a hand was placed into hers. A tender voice calling her back from the brink, guiding her back slowly. Carlisle had come to stand beside her, held her hand now and turned her gently from them. Leaning her head on his shoulder, he lead her past the gawking students just as the faculty came out from the staff room and took their seats at the staff table. He walked her to the Gryffindor table and sat down with her there, the rest of the house smiled at her. They would protect their own, they knew her secret and would make sure she was safe from anyone who would try to hurt her. Andromeda heard as if coming out of a long lonely dream, the first sounds of her heartbeat. As if she had not been able to hear them before now. She was alive, she was cared for and she was a Gryffindor, being a werewolf would just have to be a bonus on top of all of that.
"thank you" she whispered to Carlisle, as the sorting ceremony began.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

THE END​

CREDITS:

I would like to thank Zazuka Bones, Brian Getathorn XIX and Carlisle Moonlight for allowing me the use of their characters in this fanfiction. I hope you've enjoyed it.