Year 5

Twinny – Thank you for the review! Xxx

"Do you want to sit with me?" Andromeda asked the young boy who stood near her, ignoring his parents.

"Nah, I want to annoy my parents; might go find some Gryffindors to talk to," from any other member of her family Andromeda would have thought this was a joke but this was Sirius.

Sirius was Andromeda's favourite cousin by far, she had always felt very protective of Sirius – they stuck together, both outcasts: him by choice and she had just ended up like that. He normally attained a cool, calm manner in the presence of his parents but Andromeda knew him as a prankster who lived to laugh and that was how she liked him.

"Okay but if you can't find anyone I will probably be somewhere where there aren't many others," Andromeda nodded and Sirius winked cheekily at her.

"Great, I can't have someone else marrying you before I'm old enough can I now?" he asked, flicking his long curls over his shoulder.

"I'll wait." Andromeda laughed in the first time in what felt like an eternity but felt her stomach sink. She knew who she would marry and it wasn't Sirius. It was Antonin Dolohov, seventh year Slytherin. Great.

"Oh, look it's the Potters!" Sirius exclaimed in excitement.

"And? We don't know them," Andromeda frowned.

"Now my little Andy, you must learn this lesson from cousin Sirius. You want to be a blood traitor; you want to disappoint your parents; you want to annoy the Slytherin out of them; you be-friend some of the biggest blood traitors around. The Potters." Sirius nodded with a comical expression on his face making Andromeda laugh again.

"All right, kid, I'll see you around," Andromeda smirked.

"I am not a kid!" Sirius predictably exploded.

"Bye," was all that Andromeda said as she left Sirius so he could find some Gryffindors.

"I think that's the first time I've seen you laugh," a voice commented from behind her.

"Don't get used to it," Andromeda scowled at Lucius Malfoy who leaned casually against the doorway onto the train.

"Believe me, I wont." He said, pulling Andromeda's trunk into the train and letting her pass.

Andromeda continued tugging her trunk through the train peering into the compartments for a vaguely empty compartment.

"See ya Snivellus!" It was Sirius' voice, Andromeda sped up and ended up running into a red headed girl. Even with a tear streaked face, she was very pretty. Her fiery hair fell in waves to her shoulders and her eyes – puffy from tears – were deep emerald in colour and the delicate almond shapes were surrounded with long lashes which fluttered as she seethed with anger.

Behind her however was her complete opposite. He had the school robes on already and his hair surrounded his face like greasy curtains, his eyes were dark pools hat flashed with embarrassment. Whilst her skin was livened by a smattering of freckles his was a white pasty colour – it was obvious he didn't see much sun.

Andromeda, however, didn't like to judge people by their looks.

"Are you okay?" She asked, worried by the flushed anger in their faces.

"Yes, we're fine thank you." The girl replied, gripping the boy's wrist tightly and pulling him up the train in search of a new compartment.

"Andy!" It was Sirius again, he was sitting inside the compartment talking in amusement with a boy next to him.

"Hi, can I sit with you? There is nowhere else." She questioned and Sirius waved her in.

"Andy, this is James Potter, he wants to be in Gryffindor like his dad," Sirius' grey eyes twinkled with mischief and Andromeda had to suppress a smirk. "James, this is my cousin Andromeda, she's in Slytherin but I promise you she's decent."

"Decent, is that the best you could give me?" Andromeda laughed as she nodded hello to James. He reminded her of Sirius, he had the same prankster twinkle in his hazel eyes but other than that in looks they were completely different. While Sirius cared about his long dark hair to a point of vanity James' dark hair had a quality of cool nonchalance. It was wind swept and ruffled, for all Andromeda knew he could have run all the way to the station; his cheeks were slightly pink in a way that Black's could never replicate, he looked healthy, happy and well-cared for to the point of spoilt.

"Sorry Andy, you are a Slytherin," Sirius winked before turning to James and discussing their looming adventure. Andromeda pulled her trunk into the overhead compartments and searched in it until she located her book.

The year for Andromeda was something of a miracle. Everything seemed to have been turned on it's head. Andromeda no longer felt obliged to please her parents; she was sick of doing things for them. The war shows people in new lights and it seems to have enlightened the Andromeda with a backbone. When Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor Andromeda clapped. When Bellatrix tried to hex him she stood in the way.

No longer were the Gryffindors bullying her, they had found a new found respect for the Black girl. There were times when they even helped her in standing up to Bellatrix, she wouldn't say they were friends but allies seemed a better way to describe them.

Andromeda had chosen her side, she would not bow to the power of Lord Voldemort, she would fight. She would not join the so-called Death Eaters. But this new found knowledge came with consequences. Almost every week Andromeda was in the hospital wing, not for illness or wounds sustained from the Gryffindors but for injuries applied by the Slytherins. Her house had turned on her.

And little did Andromeda know that this new side of her was gaining the attention of a certain fair-headed boy.

A/N – Sorry for the wait, I have had really bad writers block so if you are reading any of my other stories I will try and update soon! We are getting nearer the proper story now! Yay! Please review? And thank you for the lovely reviews I have received so far!