September 3, 1971
In the Great Hall on the second day of school, ANDROMEDA enters, looking rather tired, and places herself next to NARCISSA and ANDREW at the Slytherin table.
NARCISSA: Rough night?
ANDROMEDA: (pouring a cup of coffee) Thank Merlin it's Friday. Dolores had me patrolling the corridors at nine. I didn't get any work done until one in the morning.
ANDREW: What do you have today?
ANDROMEDA: Potions, Charms, Defense, and Alchemy.
ANDREW: You're taking Alchemy?
ANDROMEDA: Yeah. I always wanted to. What elective are you taking?
ANDREW: I didn't. I took another free period.
NARCISSA: Are you allowed to do that?
ANDREW: I dunno. They didn't stop me yet.
NARCISSA: (shrugging) Weird. But who's excited for tonight?
ANDROMEDA: (sipping her coffee and closing her eyes) What's tonight?
NARCISSA: It's the first Slug Club dinner of the year!
ANDROMEDA: (under her breath) Merlin help me.
ANDREW sighs loudly.
NARCISSA: Don't you guys like going to those things? Only the best get invited!
ANDROMEDA: It's not as great as it seems, Cissy. After a couple years of old Sluggy's nonsense parties, the novelty kind of fades away.
NARCISSA: I don't care. I'm looking forward to it. Pandora said we should bring dates, is that true?
ANDROMEDA: You can if you want, it doesn't matter.
The doors to the Great Hall open again, and LUCIUS hurries over to the table. ANDREW checks his watch and begins to pack his bag.
ANDREW: I better get going. I wanted to ask Flitwick a question before class.
ANDROMEDA: (looking up suddenly) I thought we were walking together?
ANDREW: You stay and eat, I'll see you there.
ANDROMEDA: And you'll brave through Slughorn with me tonight?
ANDREW: (smiling) I'll see you there. (He brushes his hand across her shoulders as he gets up to leave. NARCISSA casts a wary look to her sister before LUCIUS sits next to her).
LUCIUS: All right. We're on for tonight.
NARCISSA: What's the plan?
LUCIUS: So Borgin told me that the caretaker confiscated the cabinet when he was using it at school, right? So I figure we take a stroll through old Apollyon Pringle's office and see what we can find.
ANDROMEDA: You really think he would just leave a huge cabinet like that in his office all these years?
LUCIUS: It's worth a shot. You got a better idea?
ANDROMEDA: (shaking her head) This is a bad idea. You're just asking for trouble, you know.
LUCIUS: We're all gonna be in much bigger trouble with much more important people if we don't find it, 'Dromeda, you should know that.
ANDROMEDA: Bella's driving me insane. How does she think we're supposed to do this?
NARCISSA: We are doing this.
LUCIUS: And you two are both gonna help me tonight, right? I figure we can go around five o'clock when he's at dinner, before the Slug Club.
ANDROMEDA: Fine. But we take one look and then we're gone, you understand? I don't need more trouble with Pringle this term.
LUCIUS: Sounds good. See you then. (He gets up and leaves the Hall; ANDROMEDA makes to follow him, but NARCISSA stops her).
NARCISSA: Set yourself back down. We need to talk.
ANDROMEDA: About what?
NARCISSA: You're going with Andrew to the Slug Club tonight!
ANDROMEDA: So what?
NARCISSA: So! You said you weren't together!
ANDROMEDA: And we're not! We've been going to these dinner parties together for over two years.
NARCISSA: That's not what I heard. Ted Tonks used to accompany you to these things, didn't he?
ANDROMEDA: Oh, lighten up. You don't know what you're talking about.
NARCISSA: (skeptically) I'm not sure. I can read people, 'Dromeda. I saw the look on his face.
ANDROMEDA: Would you mind your own business for once? I'll talk to him tonight, all right? Is that good enough for you?
NARCISSA: Whatever's good for you is good for me.
ANDROMEDA: You're infuriating. (She picks up her bag and makes her way out of the Hall; NARCISSA, smiling, follows her).
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