Chapter Text
“There were once three sisters wandering down a lonely road at twilight,” Bella read, cross-legged on the carpeted floor, the book of tales spread across her lap.
“Isn’t it supposed to be three brothers?” Cissy asked, twisting her hands into her maghoney hair.
“I’m reading the story, so it’s whatever I want,” Bella said, sticking her chin in the air in a haughty way that reminded Andromeda of their mother.
“It’s fine, Cissy,” Andromeda said, patting her sister’s knee.
“But it’s not the story—”
“Cissy, I’ll stop reading completely if you don’t shut your mouth,” Bella warned.
Cissy’s jaw locked up, and she gestured for Bella to continue. Predictably, Bella’s expression shifted into mischief, and she took to teasing Cissy about being too upset to start the story up again.
Andromeda sighed and leaned back on her palms, looking up at the stars on their bedroom ceiling and ignoring her sisters. Father had spelled them up there to mimic the sky outside. They glowed like real stars and danced across the rich, navy paint. It was October, so Andromeda was able to find the constellation she was named after, sticking her finger up in the air and tracing it with the tip of her nail. Bella and Cissy never had much interest in astronomy, but Andromeda was relentlessly studious despite her young age. After all, she had big plans, and those could not happen without top marks at Hogwarts.
“What are you doing?” Bella demanded.
Andromeda dropped her hand. “Nothing,” she said, not wanting to be her sister’s next victim, “When are Mother and Father returning?”
“Dunno,” Bella said with a shrug.
“It’s late,” Andromeda said, glancing at the clock on the wall with the window, which was pointed at eleven twenty-eight pm.
“Who cares?” Bella asked.
Bella was eleven and about to enter Hogwarts. She was already itching for the freedom and fluidity that came with living without one’s parents and delighted in any chance to microdose in the experience. Despite not knowing her house, she had taken to stealing Father’s ties and having the house elf shrink them so she could wear them with her school robes. One of those ties was wrapped like a scarf around her neck now, stretching around her throat like an emerald snake.
“What if something happened?” Cissy asked nervously.
“Nothing happened, the Halloween party is just taking longer than they thought,” Bella said.
“I wish we could’ve gone,” Cissy said, “I’m old enough, aren’t I?”
“Those things are so stuffy,” Bella grumbled as the only one of them who had ever accompanied Mother and Father to a Ministry event (and the only reason that none of them had been invited to one since), “Trust me, it’s all itchy dresses and boring adults. You would hate it.”
Andromeda privately disagreed. Cissy would love to put on robes of pale blue and drift around clumps of important officials and obscenely rich families and be absolutely adored for it. And as for Andromeda—she wanted to meet the Minister of Magic. She wanted to see what power looked like. She wanted to see what she would one day become.
Though she agreed with Bellatrix about the part about dresses. Neither of them cared for those as much as Cissy did.
“Aren’t you going to finish the story?” she asked.
“Fine,” Bella said, “Only if Cissy won’t interrupt.”
That would be very difficult for Cissy, but the girl nodded anyway. Bella, satisfied, looked back down at the page.
“There were three sisters who were travelling down a lonely road at midnight. In time, they found a river that was too wide and too dangerous to cross. But these sisters, superior in the magic arts, simply waved their wands and created a bridge to cross the treacherous waters. They were halfway across it when they were met by Death. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three sisters and said each of them deserved a prize for being so clever to evade him…”
“The first sister is an idiot,” Cissy said.
“Quiet,” Bella hissed, “I haven’t gotten to that part yet.”
“This is boring,” Cissy said, “Sirius tells this story much better.”
“Sirius can read?” Bella asked incredulously.
“He doesn’t,” Andromeda said, “He m-m-m-em—”
“Take your time,” Bella drawled.
“Memorized,” Andromeda said, glaring at her, “He memorized the story and flipped the pages to pretend he could read the words.”
“No! He said he could really read!” Cissy said.
“Don’t believe anything Sirius says,” Bella said, “He’s ridiculous and a liar. Anyway, can I continue?”
“Fine,” Cissy said.
"So, the oldest sister, who was a combative woman, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. A wand that must always win battles for its owner. A wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death. So, Death had crossed to an Elder Tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that had hung there, and gave it to the oldest sister,” Bella said.
“See, I wouldn’t ask for a wand,” Cissy said, “Wands don’t make wizards, or any muggle could use magic.”
“Some do,” Bella said darkly, “They even go to school.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Tell me about it,” Bella said, “Mother says that I’ll have to sit in classes with them if any are dumb enough to get sorted into Slytherin.”
“Which is why asking for a wand is dumb,” Cissy said, “Doesn’t he…she already have one?”
“But this one makes you more powerful than anyone ever,” Bella said, “It is unbeatable. It’s the best gift if you aren’t idiotic enough to go bragging about it. Anway…Then the second brother…I mean sister, damn it, Cissy, you messed me up, who was an arrogant woman, decided that she wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So, Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second sister, and told her that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.”
Andromeda thought that was the best gift. Real power came from leverage, and what better leverage could someone get than the promise of seeing their loved ones again? But she did not want to fight with Bella, so she stayed quiet.
“Finally, Death turned to the third sister. A humble woman, she asked for something that would enable her to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.”
“That’s the best gift,” Cissy stage-whispered.
“That’s what the story wants you to think,” Bella said, “Doesn’t make it true.”
“But you never die!”
“But you’re never seen,” Andromeda said wistfully.
“But you never die!”
“I would kill Death with my all-powerful wand,” Bella said, “He couldn’t lose a duel against me. And then I wouldn’t die either.”
“You can’t kill Death.”
“Can too!”
“Can not!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Andromeda saw the fireplace flicker with green. Curiously, she crawled towards it, wondering if Mother and Father were going to floo right into their room. It would be irregular; she couldn’t remember the last time they had come in. Actually…it might’ve been when Father put the stars on the ceiling.
A face appeared in the fireplace. It was a woman with dark hair pulled back into a severe bun, emphasizing the thin sharpness of her face.
“Aunt Wally?” Andromeda asked.
“Andromeda,” Walburga said gravely, “Fetch Bellatrix.”
“I’m here,” Bella said, scooting towards the fireplace.
Cissy ducked behind Andromeda. She had always been frightened of Aunt Wally for reasons Andromeda couldn’t decipher. Wally was no more terrifying than any other member of the family, in her opinion.
“I’m afraid I have terrible news,” Wally said, “Your parents…they’ve been killed. They were walking through a Muggle neighborhood and were hit by one of those…motor veckules.”
The news shocked all three sisters into uncharacteristic silence. Cissy clutched onto the back of her shirt, her grip tight enough to tear through the expensive fabric. Bella, on her part, had grown as pale as snow, the blood draining from her face.
Andromeda felt like her heart had stopped, leaving her frozen in a moment of wretched disbelief. Her hands and feet felt numb with cold. She could not hear the clock tick on the wall.
Vaguely, she realized that Cissy was crying into the back of her shirt, snot and tears smearing into her back. Bella had begun to converse with Wally, presumably making arrangements. After all, they would need a place to stay. Andromeda and Cissy could not take care of themselves while Bella was in school.
Wally glanced over to Andromeda, briefly catching her eye. Andromeda blinked, her lips parting as she watched her aunt.
Why would Mother and Father be in a Muggle neighborhood?
Her aunt’s shoulder was visible in the fireplace, draped with an expensive gown. She would’ve been at the Halloween party with her parents.
After a great deal of time, Bella and Wally were finally done speaking, and Wally disappeared from the fireplace.
“Pack your things,” Bella said, “We can live at Grimwauld Place. Andy—help Cissy, she’ll only pack her dresses and forget everything else. And get Muffy to carry the bags.”
“Muffet,” Andy corrected softly.
“Whatever,” Bella said, “Cissy, go get your dolls and bring them here.”
Cissy did as she was bade, sniffling the entire time. Andromeda did not move, but instead looked at Bella with wide eyes. “I think Wally—”
She did not get the chance to say her entire thought before Bella pressed her hand to her mouth. “Andy,” Bella said seriously, “Family over all.”
Andromeda shook her head away. “But—”
“No,” Bella said, “ Family over all. Do you understand?”
Andromeda bit her lip, glancing between Bella and Cissy. Her sisters. Her family. She gulped and then nodded. “I understand,” she whispered.
“Good,” Bella said, “Help Cissy pack.”
“What are you doing?” she asked softly as Bella walked towards the door.
“Finding the will,” Bella said, “Before anyone else can.”