Love The Heartless

Chapter Nine

February 21st, 1970

"'Dromeda! I'm home from work!" Aurora called as she shut the door to their little apartment.
It hadn't taken long for the two girls to move their items into the apartment that Aurora had rented.

For the price, it honestly wasn't a terrible place to live. It was a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment, with a tiny kitchen. They had managed to cram a small dining room table into the spacious living room. Aurora had insisted that Andromeda take the larger of the bedrooms so that she would be able to have a desk to do her studying at.

"Hey." Andromeda waved absentmindedly as she flipped her focus back and forth between two books.
"I stopped by the shops to grab stuff for dinner. You have a good day?" Aurora put the bags on the kitchen counter, and began putting the items in the small refrigerator.
"Yeah, I'm just about finished with my transfiguration homework. How was work?"
"Boring. You wanna finish it up after supper? I can make us some jacket potatoes?"
"Sure," Andromeda marked her spot and closed the books. "I need a break anyway."

The two girls moved in sync, Andromeda clearing the table, and Aurora throwing the potatoes in the electric oven to heat them up.

They heard a tapping on the window, and saw a pure white owl perched on the wooden frame.
"Hello there." Aurora greeted the owl as she opened the window. She took the letter from the owl's leg, and it hopped around the inside of the home.

'Athena,

Hope all is well. Your presence is requested at Hogs Head Inn on February 22nd, at noon. You will then be escorted from Hogs Head Inn by Auror Moody to a secure location. Please come alone, and rest assured that your friend will be well protected in your residence. Please send confirmation of your intention to come.

Sincerly,

Minerva.'

"Minerva?" Andromeda questioned.
"McGonagall. I wonder what's so important?" Aurora mused as she wrote her reply.
"What does she mean when she says that I'll be well protected here?"
"I guess Dumbledore is sending someone to watch the place while I'm gone."
"But what if I wanted to go with you?"
"Nope. Not happening. I have no idea what's going on, or what this is about. Could be dangerous." Aurora shook her head while attaching the letter to the owl's leg, sending him off into the night.

"All the more reason why I should go. You don't need to be charging blindly into something like this." Andromeda crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Aurora with disapproving eyes.
She looked identical to Narcissa Black, with that scowl on her face.

"Andi," Aurora pressed gently. "You're a very capable witch, you're a very smart girl. But, you're still a child."
"Don't call me Andi. And I'm not a child. I'm nearly sixteen." The younger witch snapped.

Andromeda had grown to hate the nickname that her sisters had given her as a child, asking Aurora to call her something else instead. But sometimes it slipped out.

"I'm sorry 'Dromeda." Aurora stood and crossed the room and went to the kitchen, turning a kettle on. "But you're my responsibility, and I need to make sure that you're safe. That is my one and only care in the world right now, that you're safe, and happy, and loved."

Andromeda huffed and plopped down on the couch.

"I understand that you want to do something to help. And we can revisit this conversation when you turn seventeen," Aurora added the hot chocolate mix into mugs as the water in the kettle began to boil. "But not a moment before. I applaud your bravery, and your kind heart. But there are things that a child does not need to be involved in." Aurora poured the water into a mug, adding a dash of cinnamon.

She brought the mug over to Andromeda, setting it on the small coffee table in front of the young witch.
"I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just... trying."

Aurora didn't know how to be a stand in parent to a fifteen year old. Sure, she and Andromeda had always had a connection when they were at Hogwarts. And Aurora had always been overprotective of the younger witch. But actually being a 'parent'? That was new territory to Aurora, and she was just hoping she didn't fuck it up.

"I'm sorry. You're right." Andromeda sighed and picked up the mug from the coffee table. "I just feel useless."
"You're not useless," Aurora grabbed her own mug and joined the younger witch on the couch. "You're here learning. You'll be able to duel with the best of them once your schooling is finished." She nudged Andromeda's arm gently.

"Here's a thought. Why don't we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning before I head out to Hogsmeade, and get us an owl? That way you can write letters to Ted?"
"Really?" Andromeda's face lit up at the thought.

"Of course. We'll share the owl, of course. Just consider it a very early birthday gift."
"Thank you! I can't wait. I miss him so much. I just hope he hasn't forgotten me." Andromeda sighed.

"I saw the way that boy looked at you. He could never forget you."

"How did you know that you loved... her?" Andromeda asked softly.
"Well..." Aurora sighed. "I think I always had feelings for her. But I didn't realize what those feelings were till fifth year. I remember, we were sitting in old Sluggy's classroom. We had been paired together that term. Our assignment was to brew amortentia, the love potion. It has a different aroma for everyone who smells it, reminding each person of the things that they find most attractive, even if the person themselves doesn't acknowledge or is unaware of their fondness for the object of their affection. I smelled fresh parchment, and hot chocolate with cinnamon, a fireplace and new books." Aurora closed her eyes with a small smile on her face at the memory.
"Hot chocolate with cinnamon. Like B- she used to make?"
"Exactly. She said she smelled vanilla, butterbeer, and chocolate."

"And then?"

"Then, she and I finished the potion, bottled it up and left it for Slughorn to check in the morning. We made it back to the common room, long after everyone had gone to bed, and she offered to make me something to drink. Her 'special" drink she called it. It was hot chocolate with cinnamon. We sat down in front of the fire place and talked for hours. We both admitted to having feelings for each other, but not knowing how to go about it. I told her we could either pretend that that night had never happened, or we could buck up and give it a try. So we decided to try. I didn't realize that I loved her till a few months later. But the feelings were always there."

"Are they still there? After everything?" Andromeda asked.
"Honestly? I think a small piece of my heart will always belong to Bellatrix Black. But, I have no feelings for Bellatrix Lestrange. To me, they're two separate people."