Just a little attempt at something a bit angsty.

As she put a few personal items into a purse to be brought along on this new chapter of her life, Andromeda found herself thinking about the past. Of course, leaving everything she had ever known for her true love Ted Tonks could hardly be called the past, but right about now it was hard not to.

She picked up her favorite quill and remembered Bellatrix giving it to her for her most recent birthday. A dried-up, dead flower reminded her of when little Regulus had given her that and told her to keep it forever. Andromeda had no use for the flower, but she packed it anyway. She was never one to break a promise.

After packing a few other favorite items, snapping the purse shut, and standing up to leave, Andromeda found herself looking under her pillow. Under the pillow was a long red string, curled up like a serpent and rather brittle from being in the same place since Andromeda had put it there years ago. She picked it up and let the story of the string draw her in.

The September after Bellatrix had left for her first year of Hogwarts, on one of those days that seem to be the perfect temperature, the girls' parents had wanted to talk about adult things and sent Andromeda outside to do whatever nine-year-old girls did outdoors. Without even being told, Narcissa had run outside after her. They both sat down by the garden planning to do nothing other than sit and enjoy the smell of the flowers.

Andromeda had been debating whether or not her mother would notice if she picked one when Narcissa abruptly stood up and practically plopped down on her sister's lap. "Why doesn't Bella come look at the flowers too?" she asked.

"Because she's at Hogwarts," Andromeda replied, wondering why her parents hadn't already discussed this.

"Do they have flowers at Hogwarts she can look at?"

"I don't know. You would have to owl her and ask her yourself."

"I just can't," Narcissa got up and dramatically threw herself into a lying position on the grass. "Daddy took the owl for business stuff. And I don't exactly know how to spell her name."

"Maybe later Daddy will give the owl back and we can work on spelling Bella's name..." Andromeda trailed off when she realized Narcissa was more interested in a string on her dress than what she was saying. "Don't pull on that, or you'll rip it and Mum will make me sit through a lecture."

"Could you pull it off, then?"

With a snap Andromeda was acquainted with the red string, which she transferred to her non-dominant right hand. "It's gone. Now will you listen to what I'm saying?"

Narcissa thought about this. "Andromeda, will you promise me you will never leave me?"

"For Hogwarts? Or in general?"

"Well, I wish you didn't have to go to Hogwarts and leave me all alone, but in general."

"In general, I won't leave. Even when we're all grown up and have children." Personally, Andromeda didn't want to have children, but knew that as a pureblood, she had no choice.

"Pinky promise?"

Andromeda extended her pinky and wrapped it around Narcissa's. "Pinky promise."

But that was years ago, before her family had gone down, down, down into a sea of darkness. Andromeda had made that promise once, but that was before she met Ted. Before everything changed. Before her betrothal to someone she had only spoken to twice.

Andromeda slipped the string back under the pillow, and the dried flower back where it had been. She was never one to break a promise, but it was time to move on.

Reviews are always appreciated.