𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕊𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕡

3- The Quidditch Rule

"I'm not bitter and broken
I'm just torn up inside"

Andromeda was aware she couldn't separate Henri from her family forever, but she would've liked to believe that she could keep the two unrelated farther than midway through October. Still, when the quidditch game rolled around and Henri asked Andy to watch her play, she knew that the jig was up.

As far as she knew, Henri was quite a good quidditch player. She played as Gryffindor's keeper and was on her way to becoming the Captain.

Yet, with all this in mind, Andromeda knew she couldn't go watch. She had been taught that quidditch was a man's game and that she wasn't supposed to engage in any part of it. Andromeda briefly thought about disguising herself, but Bellatrix and Narcissa were expecting her in the library.

She couldn't possibly formulate the right words when Henri actually asked her to watch. It was far too much to explain as they exited the potions classroom. She just smiled and nodded before Henri grinned back and bid her goodbye.

Andromeda's trip to the dungeons felt longer than it had since she befriended Henri. She slipped further into self-loathing, further into the depths of her mind as she was reminded who she was.

Andromeda was a Black, and she couldn't change that. The rules that had been ingrained in her brain were wrong—she knew this—but it wasn't like she would survive if she broke every single one. The quidditch rule had always been insignificant to Andromeda as she didn't have any particular interest in the game, however, that changed when she saw the joyful look on Henri's face when talking about it.

Andromeda was about to become a disappointment not only to her family but also to Henri. Andy's heart practically tore when she watched Henri's eyes light up. But, what were the chances she would take the time to look for her anyway? Henri was going to be busy playing a quidditch game, so Andy could just pretend as if she went.

Each day came and went in great anticipation for the match of Gryffindor v. Ravenclaw. Andy felt it too, in more ways than one. Henri had talked her ear off about quidditch, so much so, that Andromeda had to remind her that she had already told her everything she was speaking about the prior day. She didn't complain, however, she thought it was nice that her friend was so passionate about something.

The morning of the match arrived, and Andromeda felt very much like a fish heading upstream. As nearly everyone else in the castle went to the quidditch field, she went to the library side by side with her sisters. They carried their school bags and textbooks into the room and settled on a table close to the window.

Andromeda thought it was poetic that she could see the quidditch fields through the window. It was like she was meant to be there watching the match play out. Of course, if she said this aloud, then she was sure she'd sound insane, so she sat quietly and started studying for a transfiguration quiz coming up.

The quiz was on Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Each class in the fourth year had gone over this in class multiple times, and now it was time for McGonagall to see if they had actually been paying attention. Andromeda was proud to say she had been, and that she was nearly positive she would ace the quiz.

"I can't believe Rodolphus is out there wasting his time," Bellatrix spoke snarkily. "It's not as if he made the Slytherin team."

Bellatrix and Narcissa laughed at the comment while Andromeda wished she was out there "wasting her time." She hummed as she reread the paragraph she had been focusing on before Bellatrix interrupted her train of thought.

"Lucius went down there with him," Narcissa added, grateful to have all of Bella's attention.

Andromeda had found it odd that Bellatrix paid more attention to her, and often complained to herself, but it looked as if, right now, Cissy had gained some sort of favor with their older sister.