𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕊𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕡

46- Finally

"All my troubles on a burning pile
All lit up and I start to smile"

Andromeda having learned this new phrase, "seize the day," had been trying to wake up everyday with a positive outlook on things. Of course, by doing this she was attempting to effectively rewire her brain, but trying was better than not.

Surprisingly so, it had been going well. Andy could report she smiled more times before noon than prior to this new experiment. However, on Halloween, outside influences had caused her recently solidified resolve to crumble, and by outside influences, it was her dorm mates.

She didn't have the best track record with them by any means, but they had decided to ignore her. That plan worked for Andromeda better than they probably knew of, so she was particularly annoyed when they cut through their unspoken truce.

One thing led to another—Andy had to do her best not to shove their wands up their noses—and she ended up storming out of the dorm to breakfast. She brooded at the end of the Slytherin table, sitting by some skittish third-years that keep glancing her way.

She sipped her pumpkin juice idly, thinking thoughts that bordered murderous while people trickled into the Great Hall. Others seemed to be in good moods generally, causing Andy to curse her stupid dorm mates yet again.

Almost like her cousin knew she needed a reset in that moment, the pumpkins that resided in the Great Hall as decor, spontaneously explode. It reeks of dungbombs, a smell she wouldn't be familiar with if it hadn't been for her cousin.

Sirius!

Sure enough, there he was at the Gryffindor table, unaware of an angry McGonagall heading their way as he cackled with his friends. He caught Andy's eye right before McGonagall reached them and he winked. She shook her head and laughed as the people around her hurried away to escape the scent of fart-ridden pumpkins.

...

The explosion of the pumpkins turned out to give Andy's mood a one-eighty flip. Her classes pass by like a breeze, and soon enough she's strolling the corridors with Jack.

"I'm serious, people were so afraid of you I thought you'd have to be part giant or something," Jack recalled of their earlier years. "Then I met you, and was like 'okay, she may be a little mean looking-"

"Hey!"

"Don't try to deny it!" Jack practically exclaimed as Andy continued to laugh. "Your resting face can be a bit scary."

Andromeda made a noncommittal noise even when she knew it to be true. It was a common trait of her family to look mean or harsh when their faces were set, so she wasn't surprised that she had one too. In fact, Jack would not be the first person to tell her this.

Their conversation would be cut short by one Professor McGonagall that called Andromeda's name from outside her classroom door. She shared a look with Jack before making her way towards the room.

Once there, she could see the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff first-years inside. She waved to Marlene and Lily, who both looked excited to see her. There was no doubt in her mind the other four boys she knew were causing chaos in the back of the room.

"Miss Black, I'd like to ask you a favor," McGonagall prefaced.

"Alright, I'm listening."