With Love, || N.B.

𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

The crackling of leaves sounded beneath her boots as Nora walked up a long and winding path. Atop a small hill, there sat a quaint house with smoke billowing from its chimney. She knocked on the bright yellow door and behind it, rushed footsteps immediately followed after.

It was almost uncanny, Nora thought, at how much Andromeda Tonks looks like her older sister-the same hooded eyes, the dark hair, the jawline, everything. But with her past, it wouldn't be wise to bring it up.

"I could see it in your eyes," Andromeda remarked with a faint smile as she guided Nora to a small sitting room.

Nora looked puzzled as she removed her jacket and scarf, throwing it over the back of her chair. "See what?"

"That double-take that everyone does when they see me," Andromeda chuckled. "Yes, I know. My sister and I could be twins." After cutting across the room to poke at the fire, Andromeda stood up and wiped her hands on her pants. "Ted is at work until five. Can I get you anything? Tea? Water?" She paused and sighed. "...Vodka?"

"Some tea would be lovely, thank you," Nora responded, smiling brightly.

Despite the brightly lit room filled with sunlight, it felt almost eerie. Nora looked around, glued to her seat as she took in the silence and admired the moving pictures on the pastel walls. Her attention was turned to the doorway with the clacking of metal on metal.

"Got tea, sugar, honey, milk-the works," Andromeda chuckled. She took her own cup as she sat down in the armchair beside Eleonora's. "So, how's my darling Nymphadora doing in training?"

Eleonora smiled before taking a sip of tea. "I've heard some good things through Kingsley! But, as you know, I'm currently at Hogwarts teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Well, I'm glad Dora is doing well!" Andromeda beamed. "Lucky for her to be a metamorphmagus."

A thick silence sat itself in between the two. The only sound was the popping of the fireplace and the spoon that Andromeda held as she stirred her tea. She opened her mouth and took a deep breath before looking up at Eleonora. "Does Narcissa know that-"

"No." Cutting Andromeda off, Eleonora set her tea down on the table. "Narcissa doesn't know I'm here."

Andromeda shook her head slowly as if she were deep in thought. "Alright," she muttered.

Eleonora glanced down, only to see Andromeda's bare forearm. A long-healed white scar ran up the length of it reading one word:

Blood-traitor

"She told me everything," Eleonora said softly, nodding to the exposed scar.

Andromeda shifted in her seat as she took another sip of tea and set the cup down. "Ted's is worse. I can hardly even remember that night it was so awful. I'm surprised she's told you, though. Cissy's never been the type to let out word vomit. No matter how many times Bellatrix or I teased her or poked and prodded at her to tell us who her crush is, she'd never tell." Andromeda sipped at her tea again before shifting her gaze to Eleonora. "But now I see why."

"Since third year," Nora smiled. "That's when she said it started. To be more specific, it was at lunch when I punched Lucius in the face."

Andromeda giggled. "Ah, yes. I remember seeing that go down in the Great Hall. I applaud you for that, Eleonora. I really do."

Laughing with her, Nora sighed. "She showed her affection in a very...unique way. I didn't know teasing and taunting was her love language-she was, however, the only one who didn't use my blood status against me."

"She may be harder than a diamond on the outside," Andromeda mused, "but if you somehow manage to chip that away, you'll find a soul softer than talc."

Nora's eyes widened and she chuckled into her teacup as she took a sip. "Oh, don't I know it."

"I can tell how much you love her," Andromeda sighed. "You have that look in your eyes when you hear her name. The same way Ted and I were when we were younger. My question is, though, how the bloody hell did you two end up together."

Eleonora laughed. "It's quite complicated. There was a Yule Ball, Lucius took another girl, Narcissa told me she wanted to get back at him and that resulted in us going to the ball together, and then being separated for twenty-one years until her son taunted a hippogriff, and I pushed him out of the way and landed in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey called Lucius and Narcissa, and now, here we are."

Andromeda took a long drink of her tea. "Well...that's quite something. Of course Lucius knew, but how didn't our-oh." Her face dropped at the sight of Eleonora's.

"Bellatrix found out," Nora said, her voice straining. "I have no idea how, but it's left a permanent scar on Narcissa."

Andromeda's eyes flashed with a fury like no other. "What?"

Nora nodded solemnly before changing the subject. "I don't know the details of it, but anyway." She took a deep breath. "Narcissa has told me everything. And she's also told me...that it is her biggest regret. She said that she loses sleep over it."

"She does?" Andromeda muttered. "Well I knew there couldn't have been complete satisfaction. When our mother called her in, she was crying. I know she'd never intend to harm me."

Nora paused before answering. "I told her she should see you. But she said that her biggest fear was you cutting her off for good."

At Nora's words, Andromeda's demeanour seemed to have changed entirely. The rage she was filled with before at the thought of Bellatrix once again finding pleasure in torturing some-a 15-year-old girl, to be exact-had left her body. Her eyes now drooped with sorrow. "She thinks I'd do that?"

"She's convinced you will," Eleonora responded. "She said you're a very forgiving person, though."

"Narcissa was fifteen," Andromeda said, her voice cracking as her eyes locked with the floor. "She was fifteen. That was three decades ago." She looked back up at Nora with curiosity. "Does she genuinely think I haven't forgiven her-15-year-old her-after thirty years?" With a nod from Nora, Andromeda let out an exasperated sigh.

"She wasn't trying to get me in trouble. If anything, despite the fact that everything awful happened that night, I am slightly relieved. I had no clue how I was going to leave that family for Ted. I was betrothed already, to some pureblood man three years older than me. And I don't think I would've found a way out if it weren't for her.

It sounds so silly to say, considering everything that happened, but nevertheless. I have an amazing life. A beautiful daughter. A husband who loves me dearly. And more family than I could ask for. I've always been optimistic-I've always had to be, being a part of that family. Narcissa knows that. She always has."

"So you forgive her?" Eleonora asked. "You hold no grudge?"

Andromeda took one last sip of tea before setting the cup back down on its saucer. She looked Eleonora directly in her eyes. There was a sense of fierceness in the gaze, yet at the same time, there was contradicting tenderness that made her dark eyes seem just a bit brighter-something she had only seen with Narcissa.

And with a warm smile, Andromeda hesitated before answering. "There is nothing to forgive, as there was no grudge to begin with."

__________

A/N: Woah there. Another chapter??? No way. Anyway, I was really excited to write this chapter because I love Andromeda. I'm glad to be able to write her a scene where she isn't tortured, so that was my main motivation. Okie dokie, ily all<333 Remember to take your meds, drink some water, and eat something (even if it's a single potato chip).