Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: For the Forbidden Love challenge. Probably going to be a short multi-chapter - 5 or so chapters max.

---

It started as I got on the train at the start of my fifth year of school. Among the sea of people at the train station, one in particular stood out to me, a Muggle-born in my year whom I was pretty sure was called Ted - not like I was ever any good with names, especially those of non-Slytherins. I had a small reputation as the only Slyth with a heart, though my charming sisters were against this, but I pleased my sisters by sticking within my house where friends and (if I'd been interested) boys were concerned. Yes, my closest friend was a Ravenclaw, but our mothers were friends so Bella and Cissa didn't try to intervene.

"Drom! There you are!" My aforementioned best friend, Claudia Octavian, came rushing toward me, happily dangling an owl cage from her left hand. Claudia's parents weren't fond of her being in Ravenclaw (what self-respecting pureblood parent would be?), so it had taken a fair bit of lobbying for her to get an owl of her own.

"Have a nice summer, Claude?" I asked, trying to take my eyes off the boy.

"Nice? Is that humanly possible when my mum's on the matchmaking warpath? God, I'm fifteen-and-a-half, and she thinks I ought to be seriously considering the merits of various boys in our year. Wait till I tell her my life's ambition is to be a Healer, which I'll probably do over Christmas - you'll probably be able to hear her all the way at your place." Claudia talked too much, but thankfully she realized that my eyes were simultaniously glazed over and focused on something else. "Whatcha staring at, Drom?"

"That boy over there," I whispered, pointing to the one in question. "Do you recognize him?"

"I think he's called Ted," Claude chirped. "Beyond that, I know nothing, Just be happy your sisters aren't anywhere near... speak of the devil, here they come!"

I looked behind me and saw my sisters stampeding towards me. To make things even worse, Bella (who barely approved of me hanging out with Claudia) got to us first. "Andromeda, how many times am I going to have to tell you that spending time with people like her isn't any good for you?" Bella snapped, acting like Claudia wasn't there.

"Really, Andie, if Mum knew, you'd be in scads of trouble," Cissa added. She was thirteen and served as a pet parakeet for Bella on an as-needed basis. If Bella was snapping at me, Cissa was backing her up, no matter what.

"Mum does know that Claudia's my best friend at school," I said defensively, "and she doesn't mind. She likes the Octavians - you two know she does - and she'll have a field day over your behavior if she hears about it."

Usually Bella would fight until she won, but she knew I was in the right this time. "All right, Andromeda, I'll leave you and your friend alone," she said haughtily, turning to leave. "I'll say this much, though - date a boy from outside our House, and you may not even live to regret it."

As soon as Bella and Cissa were out of view, I got such a look on my face that Claudia almost shuddered. "You're not going to date a Gryffindor or something just to piss her off, are you?" Claudia asked me.

"No," I replied, "but if I fall for someone, I'm not going to care what House they're in, Bella be damned."