Standing in the doorway was a relatively tall witch with unmistakable aristocratic features. She had a narrow face with striking dark grey eyes and sharply dilated pupils.
Andromeda Black-Tonks. I looked her over from head to toe with keen interest. After all, it was said in the wizarding world that she looked almost identical to her sister Bellatrix. And since Bellatrix was my own mother's twin, I was theoretically looking at the face of the woman who had brought me into the world.
Subconsciously, perhaps I had expected her to radiate some kind of exaggerated goodness or similar sentimental nonsense, but I was mistaken. As she stood there, paralyzed with surprise, she looked like the epitome of a proud, cold, pure-blood witch. She simply couldn't deny her ancestral blood, even if she had been blasted off the family tapestry.
"Hello. Are we intruding?" I asked after a moment of silence to snap her out of her shock.
"Hello... no, of course not," she shook her head instantly, blinking quickly to shake off the shock. "Come in. I was just genuinely surprised you arrived so quickly. And that you brought Draco with you... Cissy didn't mind?"
"I don't have much free time during these holidays, so I wanted to meet you as soon as possible," I shrugged nonchalantly. "And Aunt Narcissa actually has no idea we're here," I added with an amused smirk, glancing at a scowling Draco. He merely gave me a nervous gesture, practically begging me to enter the house first and act as his shield.
It felt to me like Andromeda let out a muffled, amused snort, but she was already turning around to lead us deeper into the hallway, so I could only observe her from behind. She walked naturally upright, with that same strictly trained elegance beaten into her since childhood. Just like Narcissa.
I looked around curiously as we walked through the house. On the floor lay a barrow of white fur, likely rabbit, complemented by various other small rugs that fit the space surprisingly stylishly despite their different colors. It was still bright daylight outside, but the living room Andromeda led us into was cast in a pleasant gloom thanks to the softly drawn curtains. A fire crackled quietly in the hearth, and an entire wall, from floor to ceiling, was covered by massive bookshelves packed with books. It felt unbelievably cozy.
"Make yourselves comfortable," she motioned toward a spacious sofa. "Would you like some tea? Juice? Or just plain water?"
"If you have some, I'd like mint or green tea, please," I requested.
Andromeda nodded with a slight smile and shifted her gaze to the scowling Draco, who was standing there like a statue.
"Draco will have the same as me," I added quickly on his behalf.
In that second, her gentle smile turned into an amused smirk. She gave another understanding nod and walked gracefully into the kitchen.
"Why are we even here?" Draco grumbled the moment she left the living room, flinging himself into an armchair with a look of disgust. "She turned her back on the family. Betrayed our blood."
"And yet, look at her, she seems perfectly happy in her cozy little house," I smirked at him as I settled onto the sofa. "Stop acting like a spoiled princess, or I'll tell Agnes everything. You are visiting a powerful, pure-blood witch who also happens to be family. So pull yourself together, please, so I don't have to be embarrassed by you."
"That is pure blackmail!" Draco protested in a hushed voice. The tips of his ears flushed a deep red again, but after a brief internal struggle, he nodded in resignation. "Fine. But not a word to Agnes!"
I agreed with amusement and took a slow, deep breath through my nose. I concentrated on isolating the individual scents in the room as precisely as possible. For practically my entire life up to this point, I had struggled with distinguishing smells, so I had never really put much effort into it before. However, after the ritual, my senses in this regard had received a massive boost. Lately, I had been deliberately training myself, trying to analyze in detail every single scent that surrounded me.
Naturally, the room smelled of old paper from hundreds of books. I could also smell smoke, but in a pleasant, woodsy way, as if they occasionally roasted a snack over the fireplace just for the atmosphere. The scent of solid wood also hit my nose—vibrant, natural, completely different from the artificial smell of mass-produced furniture. Looking closer at the surrounding pieces and the table, I noticed small design imperfections. Yet, judging by the overall craftsmanship, it was clear that this imperfection was deliberate. It had character.
Suddenly, however, my olfactory senses caught a new, sharp wave—the fresh scent of mint and ripe strawberries.
A few seconds later, Andromeda entered the living room again. Levitating elegantly in front of her was a simple wooden tray carrying steaming tea and a bowl full of the aforementioned strawberries.
"Thank you," I murmured as she placed a cup in front of me with a flick of her wand. I looked at the design on it with amusement. My fresh mint tea was served in a mug featuring a cartoon dog and the words "Scratch my belly."
Next was Draco. He received a mug with a drawing of a cat and the words "Someone said milk?". Fortunately, my cousin didn't let me down. Though he had a slightly uncertain look on his face, he quietly mumbled a "Thank you," to which Andromeda smiled appreciatively and with satisfaction. She took the last cup for herself—unlike ours, it was more traditional, decorated with delicate flowers and without any writing.
"Nice mugs," I smirked at her, raising my cup slightly in a toast.
"Thank you. I quite enjoy the liberating feeling that not every single cup in the house has to be extremely expensive and ostentatious just to show off ancestral wealth," she admitted with a genuine smile.
"It shows," I acknowledged, scanning the room. "And what do you actually do, Aunt Andromeda? What is your occupation?"
"I don't work," she replied completely calmly. "When Nymphadora was little, I dedicated myself primarily to raising her. And honestly... my husband Ted makes enough, and the two of us have never needed more in life than what we have now."
"I like that," I admitted openly, leaning back into the sofa.
Andromeda watched me closely for a moment with an arched eyebrow, as if trying to read my face to see if I was being serious or just putting on an act.
"Really," I assured her with a light smile. "No tinsel, no nonsense. A quiet life and a shelf full of good books..." I waved my hand casually. "I don't need useless luxury mugs, and I don't plan on working twelve hours a day in total stress just to park a new Ferrari in the garage."
"Ferrari?" Draco chimed in curiously, raising his head.
"Something like a Nimbus Two Thousand," I explained briefly. "Though... with the Nimbus, I'd understand the obsession a bit more."
Andromeda chuckled quietly and nodded in approval. "In that regard, you clearly have the same temperament as me... and your mother, Carina."
"And Bellatrix and Narcissa were different?"
Draco scowled instantly at that question. His whole body went rigid with tension, and a warning flared in his eyes—he was ready to defend his mother's honor at a moment's notice. Nevertheless, he sat in silence, waiting to see how Andromeda would respond.
"Yes, they were," Andromeda nodded, giving Draco a reassuring look. "I don't mean it in a bad way, Draco. Cissa and Bella were simply far more ambitious, even from early childhood. They always wanted more toys, more expensive dresses... Both of them had a clear, rigid idea of how they would build their own grand world at the top of society."
"I completely understand Aunt Narcissa in that regard," I remarked with a slight smirk, "but Bellatrix? From what I've heard about her so far, she really doesn't strike me as a woman who would ever care about expensive toys, fashion, or some rosy, wonderful world."
Andromeda frowned, her eyes darkening, and the last of her smile froze on her lips. With a heavy sigh, she stared into empty space, as if traveling back decades.
"When we were young, carefree, and perhaps a bit foolish... Carina suddenly disappeared," she began to explain in a quiet, strained voice. "To me and Cissa, she was a beloved sister. But to Bellatrix... to her, she was everything. Naturally, twins share a unique, almost tangible bond. When she vanished overnight, it broke Bella. We tried desperately to find out where Carina was. But Mother was as cold as ice and ignored us completely. And Father? He would explode with rage instantly, and we were cruelly punished every single time we even uttered her name."
Andromeda paused for a moment and swallowed, but she continued shortly, an old sorrow glistening in her eyes.
"Only much later did I discover the truth. Carina was a Squib. I thought our parents had simply quietly sent her to live with Muggles. But Bellatrix was absolutely convinced of something much worse—she believed Father had killed Carina in cold blood. And in that very second, Bella changed completely. She realized that without absolute magical power, she could never get revenge or uncover the truth about her sister. And so... instead of toys, expensive dresses, and rosy girlish fantasies, she turned to books filled with the Dark Arts and ruthless training in combat spells. All her dreams of a wonderful world went up in flames, replaced by pure, cold cruelty."
Draco sat with his mouth slightly open, his gaze darting between me and Andromeda. He clearly had no idea about this part of the Black family history.
"Hm, that's strange... so what? My mother just vanished and Bellatrix snapped just like that?" I asked curiously.
"No, she didn't snap," Andromeda scoffed, a stern tone creeping into her voice. "It was a long process of growing up. Even before that, if a wand mysteriously went missing in the house, it was Bellatrix's idea. If someone's robes or favorite book caught fire, Bellatrix was behind it. If someone broke into Father's private study in the dead of night, it was Bellatrix again. But back then, Carina took the blame for everything. She covered for her. And when Carina was suddenly gone? There was no one left to hold Bellatrix back. The only thing Bella wanted was to get her sister back. With every passing year, she grew more powerful, colder, and more ruthless. If our own father could coldly dispose of her beloved twin, why should she care about family solidarity? The entire family died to her in that second. Well, except for me and Cissa."
"That is truly interesting," I noted with a genuine smile. "I've always loved hearing about family history."
A brief silence fell over the room. I took a sip of the warm mint tea, in which a whole fresh sprig floated elegantly. I completely ignored the milk, honey, and sugar laid out on the table—the tea was wonderful on its own, pure and intense.
"And my mother? What was she like when you were young?" Draco broke the silence. Pure curiosity shone in his eyes.
"Narcissa? She was always proper, polite, absolutely neutral... but with a massive, selfless love for her family," Andromeda stated, a soft smile returning to her face. "Bella and I used to tease her, saying she must have swallowed a whole handbook on wizarding etiquette when she was a baby."
"And Grandfather and Grandmother? Cygnus Black and Druella, formerly Rosier, right?" I prompted, checking the rest of the family tree.
"Precisely those two..." Andromeda scoffed with a curl of her lip, a flicker of visible disgust crossing her face. "Father's only achievement in life was being born with the surname Black. He was never any good with a wand, he failed miserably in politics... The only thing he actually mastered was constantly criticizing everyone else and boasting about the blood running in his veins. And Mother? She was fair, certainly, but cold as marble. She always behaved strictly according to etiquette. I felt like she didn't even care about us... It was only years later, when Sirius visited me, that I found out she was the one who had secretly hidden Carina away with your family."
So my father basically shagged his own cousin, flashed through my mind with a hint of disgust in the sudden silence. Although this was apparently perfectly normal in these pure-blood circles, it still made my stomach turn slightly.
"But enough of these old topics. Tell me about yourselves instead, my nephews. What do you like? How do you like Hogwarts?" Andromeda broke the silence. She conjured a wide, if slightly strained smile, trying to quickly steer the conversation into safer waters.
"Personally, I like Quidditch best..." Draco took the lead. He caught me by surprise with that, but he must have noticed I had fallen deep into thought, so he wanted to cover for me for a bit.
Our visit then continued in a much more relaxed spirit. We discussed everyday life, our interests, future plans, and whatever else crossed our minds. I liked Andromeda. She was certainly not as amazing as Vespera, but we shared something else. While in my laziest fantasies I dreamed of sipping cold drinks and beer on a sunny beach, she had already built her own little piece of paradise here—in this small, unassuming, yet incredibly cozy cottage. Peace, blessed peace, and a shelf full of books.
I wasn't even surprised when I was suddenly hit by an overwhelming urge to throw myself onto my bed at home, wrap myself up to my ears in warm blankets, pull out some brilliant Muggle fantasy book, and slowly work my way through a rich platter of delicious, crispy food while logs crackled in the fireplace in the background. This living room simply had a perfect, infectious atmosphere.
We spent about another hour at Andromeda's. The tea was drunk, the strawberries eaten, and it was high time to move on—Vespera was undoubtedly waiting. We both mutually and quite deliberately avoided the topic of my mother Carina's death at the hands of Alastor Moody. Neither of us had any desire to bring it up.
"It was lovely meeting you, Aunt Andromeda," I interrupted the looming silence. I noted with satisfaction that Draco immediately nodded obediently beside me, which I mentally chalked up as a massive parenting success. "It's time for us to head back. May we use your Floo?"
"Of course, Patrik," she nodded, immediately rising to show us out. "I have a separate Floo fireplace in the back of the house... I like to keep this one in the living room clean, purely for relaxing," she explained to us with a smile.
We followed her into a back room, somewhat more modest, which housed a plain, small, and narrow fireplace.
"You can drop by whenever you like. I was truly very glad to meet you, boys." She looked as if she wanted to give us both a hug, but... I didn't even hug Vespera the first time we met, let alone an aunt I've known for an hour. So I gestured for Draco to step into the flames first.
"Goodbye," Draco waved at her a little awkwardly, took a handful of Floo powder, and stated clearly, "Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire!"
He threw the powder at his feet and vanished an instant later in a geyser of emerald-green flames.
"I'll definitely stop by sometime, depending on how busy I am. Though it probably won't be during these holidays," I told her honestly and stepped into the empty fireplace. The last thing I caught before calling out the destination was her understanding, warm nod.
A second later, I was stepping out in the luxurious drawing room of Malfoy Manor. On the marble floor, Draco was already waiting impatiently, nervously tapping a fast rhythm with the toe of his shoe.
"That wasn't so bad in the end, was it?" I asked him immediately with a genuine smirk as I brushed nonexistent ash off my robes.
"No, it wasn't," he admitted quietly, the tips of his ears instantly turning pink again.
"Nothing to be ashamed of, Draco," I remarked casually. When he merely gave a mute nod, I thought it best to remind him of our agreement right away: "And not a word to your mother, alright? We simply didn't find anything interesting in Diagon Alley."
"Yeah, I know. But Mother almost always knows when I'm lying anyway," he admitted with a wry smirk and quickly changed the subject. "Want to play some Quidditch?"
"I'd love to, but I certainly have no intention of getting on a broom today. I'm going to pick up Vespera and then I'm off, I still have some responsibilities to attend to."
Draco stared at me, eyes wide. "So you basically dragged me out of the house just so you wouldn't have to go there alone?!"
"Oh, come on, don't be dramatic," I rolled my eyes at him. "I'll definitely come visit you later, but right now I'm swamped." When Draco scowled even deeper, I sighed and added, "Seriously. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"I'm counting on it, cousin," he looked at me with an unexpectedly serious face.
I had to admit, every time he used that formal form of address instead of my name, it carried an entirely different weight. It sounded significantly more serious, and Draco knew how to use it quite manipulatively. Well, what can you do, we apparently all shared that trait in our family.
"Could you call Dobby? Have him let Vespera know I'm back. Please," I asked after a brief, silent staring match. Fortunately, after a moment, Draco nodded.
I couldn't help but admit—one year of growing up had truly worked wonders on Draco.
***
Author's note:
It's not like our MC didn't already know his old man shagged his own cousin... but diving into all this family drama just brought the realization screaming back to the front of his mind :D.
I originally wanted to fast-forward the story a bit, but honestly, these character-building conversations just feel too essential for the plot to skip.
Now that this chapter is finally wrapped up, I'm off to curl up in bed with a good book. Andromeda's cozy living room vibes seriously got me craving some great fantasy!
Want to read ahead? The next chapter is already out for free on my official website! Grab the direct link on our Discord community: tgdTNZYVKt
***
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The shadows are shifting, and the story goes much deeper... If you can't wait for the next update, Advanced Chapters are already waiting for you.
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Upcoming Chapters – Already Written(15):
87. Their Addiction, Our Profit
88. Fake Smiles and Sharp Instincts
89. The Path to Invincibility
90. AD: Piña Coladas and Rainbow Thongs
91. Blood Traitors
92. Before the Storm
93. Arania Exumai
94. Favors and Frustrations
95. Power and Glory
96. Morning Drills and Slytherin Deals
97. Thrill of the Fight
98. Calculated Risk
99. Flight and Fortune
100. Calculated Arrogance
101. GW: A Cunning Kind of Courage
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