Tourjours pur

Part 46- A Christmas meal

I sit next to Andy for the meal, with Nymph in a baby sling round her front. She eats quickly, talking across the table to different people. Ted slips a little bit of wine to me, and I raise my eyebrows. He winks, and I nod, downing it in one. It's not the most I've ever drank at once. At the betrothal, everyone got drunk, including me to a degree. Andy scoffs as she looks at me, and I shrug quietly. Ted asks, "So, how are you finding Hogwarts?"
"Hogwarts is fine," I shrug, "Maman has been sending more and more letters about the wedding, and it's gotten to a point where I've told her she can do what she wants with it. That's stopped the letters."
"Whose wedding are you planning?" A woman I don't quite know asks. I look at Euphemia for help, who nods. She's fine with backing up whatever I say. Slowly, I say, "Oh... my wedding."
The woman's jaw drops, and Euphemia explains, "Cassiopeia's family are still into betrothals. Do you want to tell people when your wedding it?"
"The day after my sixteenth birthday," I say, "The boy will be seventeen."
Everyone tries steering clear of wedding talks, which is a little bit of a relief. A tipsy Mr Potter stands up, and says, "A toast! To friends, old and new."
"To the Potters," Andy nods, responding with her glass in the air, "Protectors of outcasts and black sheep everywhere."
"I think I'm the biggest outcast," Sirius scoffs, "I'm a Gryffindor."
"To Gryffindor!" Mr Potter laughs. Andy smiles, the twinkle returned to her eye. She laughs, "Try marrying a non relative."
"He'll have to now," I say, "All us lot are taken. Bella and Rodolphus, Cissy and Lucius, you and Ted, and I've got Xav."
Andy grins. She smirks, "There's Dora."
Ted groans, covering his daughter's ears. He laughs, "Let's get through one Christmas before making a match for our daughter, Andy."
Hearing Ted call Andy... well, Andy, makes me irritated. Something in me just gets all riled up. I twist my ring round, and smile as we all head to the living room. A tonne more guests come, and I have to keep answering questions about my ring.
"Lovely ring-"
"Sixteenth birthday?"
"So young-"
"It'll be fun-"
Getting married and planning weddings is not fun. I don't understand why people want to do it when they have a choice. When I'm married, I'm going to be so relieved it's over. Mr Potter is insistent that we all play charades. He has the same, convincing smile as James does, so it's clear why James is so good at getting away with things. I sit with everyone, and suddenly realise something. I don't know what charades it. Sirius looks at me, his eyes wide with confusion. Neither does he. I groan, "What is charades?"
"You know, the miming game," James says as he stands. I sigh, "James, you know my family are mental. I've never played charades."
Mr Potter laughs, "That's no issue! Someone will stand there, doing an action and everyone else has to guess it."
"And this is a game you play.... regularly?" I ask. James nod, and I just go along with it. The Potters are weird. James walks over to the record player with me, and I ask, "Can you dance?"
"Not a chance," James scoffs. I refuse to take that as an answer, and lead him to the middle of the room. I convince him to ballroom dance with me, but he has absolutely no clue how to. Two left feet. I stumble over for the millionth time, and laugh, "After seeing you on a broom, you'd assume you could dance a little!"
"Leave him alone," Andy laughs, "I've seen you on a broom."
"Not for years," I roll my eyes. Andy smiles sadly, and I go sit with her. She strokes my hair, watching as Ted dances round with Philomena. Andy's eyes flash with sadness, and she breathes a little shakily. I walk up to their guest room with her, and peer at Nymphadora as she sleeps. I've never seen a new born baby. It's weird. Andy, really suddenly, sighs, "I'm sorry you thought I'd just abandoned you."
"Maman used to set fire to your Christmas presents in front of me," I whisper, careful not to stir Nymph, "Used to say exactly what she thought of you. Maman has stopped doing that."
"Since when did you call Druella Maman?"
Listening to Andy call Maman by her name makes me cringe. I know she's an adult now, but I hadn't seen her since she was still desperately trying to be a good heir. Shrugging, I say, "Since the betrothal. Andy, I'm sorry for not writing."
"I understand why you didn't," Andy hugs me. She picks Nymph up, and hands me to her. I hold her, as gently as I physically can. Andy continues, "You have the right to be angry at me. Once you're married though, you'll be able to come see me more often, since you wont be living at home."

I don't respond, staring at Nymph. In her short life, all she has known is love. Andy whispers, "You really don't want to get married, do you?"
"No," I mutter, "I really, really don't want to. But Maman is so proud of me for agreeing, so I've got to do it. Also, I can't deal with disappointing anyone more than I have been already."
"You haven't-"
"Andy, please," I kiss Nymphadora. Andy and I walk downstairs, joining everyone with Nymph in my arms. Nymph babbles something, reaching her hands out to my. I'd be willing to make an unbreakable vow to always protect her. This might be the most desperate I've ever been to protect someone so little and helpless. Regulus, even though he's under a year younger than me, was always my main priority to protect. Now it's Nymph too. I ask, "Why have you given the poor baby such a long name?"
"Long names never hurt anyone," Ted shrugs. I scoff, "Your name is three letters. Bellatrix is nine letters, Narcissa is eight, Andromeda is nine, and Cassiopeia is ten. Nymphadora is ten too. This feels cruel."
"She can go by whatever she wants," Andy laughs, "We don't care."