Author's Notes: Yes, I know that this was the first chapter of another story of the same title, but I'm revamping that story a bit, so i can get over my writers block, cus the plots a bit mish mash. The story previously known as 'Black to Tonks' is now known as 'After My Sister Left'. Sorry for anyone who was looking forward to a new story - however I have put up an AU fic that I hope you'll review and enjoy :)

Andromeda Black was lying on her bed, rolling a ring in between her fingers.

And it was that ring that would destroy her family forever, sending shockwaves rippling through the family tree - another burn would soon be added, her name forgotten.

There was a tiny diamond set on the silver - it was all Ted could afford and it was nothing special - but she loved it all the same.

The rain pattered miserably on her window, the green and silver curtains drawn over them flapping slightly, as a gentle breeze blew through the open window.

She rolled over onto her front, and reached under her bed and pulled out from underneath a drawstring bag she had bought out shopping with Ted.

There was nothing in it except the cardboard that was used to keep it shape at the muggle store they had bought it from, she pulled it open and removed the cardboard. There was a flash of lightning, and was soon followed by a crack of thunder.

She closed the window.

Immediately she went to her wardrobe and pulled out a few things - most she wouldn't take - the posh dresses and frocks she'd been clothed in all her life would stay, but a couple of the skirts and blouses would go, underwear obviously and one of her simple summer dresses (she remembered with a pang, that Bella had given her for her birthday a couple of years ago) would also go.

Throwing them on her bed, she plucked a couple of shoes out of the many that she had and lay them on her bed.

She closed the wardrobe.

Walking over to her bedside table, she pulled a few pairs of socks out of the bottom drawer and placed them in the bag - the neater they went in, the she could get in.

As she went to shut the drawer, she saw something move.

Shifting a pair of socks, she pulled out the moving thing. It was a picture, with the occupants of the picture moving.

She smiled briefly and scanned the picture:

She was standing on a beach - not alone, of course: she had such a large family she was hardly ever alone.

Her arm was around Narcissa's shoulder, Cissa's blonde hair fluttering in her face and her pretty blue summer dress swirling around her knees. Bella was standing to the right of them, her arms securely around Regulus, who was balanced on her hip - a smile lightening up her beautiful features and her ebony curls swirling over her shoulder into Regulus' face - his chubby fists trying to capture the hair in his equally chubby fingers. Regulus himself was giggling his head off. And then there was Sirius, running in and out of the photo, being chased by a playful black Labrador puppy. Then an irritable Walburga would come and scold him.

They where happy there; Regulus and Sirius completely innocent, at the ages of five and six. Narcissa, as pretty as ever - she was eleven, her last summer before she went to Hogwarts. She, Andromeda, was twelve and fresh from her first year at Hogwarts. Last was Bellatrix - the oldest, just at the age of sixteen - when she was (in Andromeda's eyes) , still innocent and carefree. Yet, now she was older, she saw for the first time looking at this photo, a girl with too many troubles - way to many for a sixteen year old. She was soon going to snap, Andromeda could see it in her eyes, the strain of carrying the honour of the family too much, Bella wanted to break free...

She shook her head.

Why couldn't she see Bella in this photo? Why did she have to see Bellatrix? The sister that was angry and rebellious, instead of the girl who would laugh in a carefree manner with her sisters?

She slammed the photo on the bedside table. Then, after a few moments thought - she slid the photo out of the frame and popped it in her bag. She grabbed her willow and unicorn tail wand off the table too, and stowed it away in her pocket. She grabbed a necklace her Mother had bought her when she was nine, and a pair of earrings that her other sister Narcissa had given her.

Placing those in her bag too, she stood up and neatly packed the rest. When she was done, she closed her new bag and slung it over her shoulder. She walked out of what was her room.

She closed the door.

She trod lightly across the landing, careful not to wake anyone - that was the last thing she needed.

As she walked, she noticed a mirror hanging with an ornamental frame at the base of the staircase. She studied her reflection - she had a slight bump, only Narcissa had noticed it - but she had been satisfied with the answer 'I've been eating more recently'.

She smiled, and placed a hand on the bump - barely noticeable now, but in a few months...

She had to leave now - or else the cat (or, rather - the baby) would soon be out the bag.

She crept into the Tapestry Room, she sneered at the words 'Tojours Pur' - load of prejudiced snobs whoever came up with that motto. Walking past her long dead relatives (who would be no doubt, sneering at her in heaven - or hell, wherever they had ended up), she paused by her name.

Out of her pocket, she pulled an package - in which, were four envelopes - one for Mother and Father, one for Narcissa, one for Bellatrix and one for the Family as a whole. Conjuring up a piece of spellotape, she attached it over where her picture was.

Then, she knelt down on the floor and looked at her family.

She kissed her Mothers picture and her Fathers. She moved to her sisters and kissed foreheads on their pictures - she couldn't look into Narcissa's doleful eyes, or Bellatrix's face, which even though in her eyes, was beautiful and so alike her own features, she could not bear to see the pain in Bella's eyes.

She shifted slightly, for her cousins where further along than her. She kissed Sirius' portrait on the cheek and whispered softly 'Padfoot - don't torment that Snivellus person to much' - and did the same on Regulus' except, on his she whispered 'Be good - and listen to your brother, he's always right,"

She then stood, spat on Walburga's picture and smiled at both her Uncle's pictures. Then she walked out of the room as silently as she came in.

She closed the door.

She paused by the front door. This was it. A few more steps and she will have done it - escaped, like the Andromeda in Greek mythology, escaping from her chains and running off with the hero.

Tears slipped down her cheeks - this is all she'd ever known - could she really abandon it? Maybe living with the Lestrange man wouldn't be so bad...

She looked at Ted's engagement ring on her finger - no. She'd made her choice - how could she stay? She was nineteen years old, an adult and she was pregnant with Ted Tonks' child. She could not do this alone - her family would abandon her soon after they'd found out she was pregnant and a 'Mudblood' was the Father.

Bella and Cissy - they'd manage, Narcissa was already promised to Lucius Malfoy who she was head over heels with anyway - and if what Andromeda had planned went according to plan, Bella would be... happier soon too.

Mother and Father - they'd cope, after she'd been blasted off the tapestry and Bella and Cissa where married, their pride would be restored.

Aunt Walburga - Screw her, I'll pray she'll die of a heart attack when she finds out.

No this was her life. Her decision - and what she'd seen from Bellatrix since she was small, is that you should take control of your own life and not let it be run for you. This was her choice.

She walked out of the door, into the thunder storm. Where a young man of around twenty was waiting for her. His sandy blonde hair was plastered to his face, a grin spread wide across his face.

She smiled and stepped out into the rain and closed the door behind her.

She closed the door to the life she had had as Andromeda Black - and stepped into the life of Andromeda Tonks.