Supposed To Be

-you kept it-

She's seven, and he's six.

He hands her a flower, smiling, blond hair falling over his eyes. She giggles as he places it in her hands, grinning back at him toothily.

She admires it, lying back in the grass, the sun heating her skin. "It's pretty," she tells him, flashing a smile his way. "Thank you."

Lucius shrugs. "It was nothing."

That's the first moment she falls in love with him.

He's eight, and she's nine, dancing in the rain.

"Come inside!" he bellows out for the doorway, staring at her. He's sleeping over tonight, in a separate room of course, because his mother and father have been called away on business and there is no one else to take care of him.

She just laughs, shaking her head, feeling the water drip down her back.

The rain pelts down, making her already transparent dress almost crystal clear. Her hair is loose and wet down her back, and her feet squish into the mud happily, her smile wide. "No!" she yells back, laughing once again. "Why don't you come join me?"

"I'm not stupid," he tells her, shaking his head. "You'll catch cold if you keep going, Andy."

She shrugs, hair wet. "So? At least I'll get a few sick days in bed," she says, giggling.

"So you'd rather get catch cold and get sick, then come inside and drink cocoa with your sisters and myself?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. It frightens her when he does that, suddenly looks beyond his years. He's eight, and he is still a child, no matter what he might say.

Andromeda pulls a face. "My sisters are boring," she complains, standing still for a moment. "All Bella wants to talk about is how amazing Hogwarts is, and Cissy's too young to be any fun at all."

Lucius sighs. "Well, I like them well enough," he tells her. "I'm going inside."

"Whatever!" she calls after him, but he's already gone.

The door shuts with a soft bang.

"Stupid girl," he murmurs, resting against the doorway once again. His hair is dry and not wet like hers, he doesn't have a raspy cough like she does. "I told you so," he says, sitting down beside her.

"Hush," she tells him, placing a hand on his. "That's what Bella has been telling me all day long, and I don't need to hear it from you, Lucius."

He sighs. "You're still stupid," he tells her, smirking softly at her.

Andromeda pulls her hand from his. "I don't need this from you," she murmurs, shaking her head softly. She buries her head in her pillow, sniffling softly. "I don't need it!" she yells, glaring up at him with wide brown eyes.

He tries to run a soft hand down her back, but she shrugs it away, sighing. "Please, Lucius, just leave me," she whispers, eyes teary as she looks at him. "Please."

He stands up and walks out of the room, blond hair covering his face.

It is the first time she has rejected him.

He's ten, a year off Hogwarts. A year of seeing her everyday, being around her all the time.

She's eleven, giggling and smiling as she prances around the room.

He's been forced to attend by his father, forced to enter the home he hasn't been in for at least a year, ever since she had discarded of him. A tie wrapped around his neck, and his longer hair tied back into a green ribbon, he walks slowly towards the giggling girl.

"Andromeda," he greets curtly, smoothly. Lucius is bred to be a Malfoy. "And Bellatrix."

"Lucius," they both murmur in response, Bella glaring at him.

"How are you?" he asks, directing the question to Andromeda.

She smiles softly. "I'm good," she says, laughing softly. "And yours?"

He waves a hand in the air for a moment. "Fine, fine."

Cissy comes up to them, smiling softly. "Mum wants to see you Bella," she tells her sister, laughing softly at them. Bella scowls, but trudges off, her thirteen-year-old legs too big for her body. Narcissa smiles once more at them, and then follows her sister, blonde hair loose down her back.

Andromeda stretches a hand out and touches the green ribbon draped over his shoulder. "Who did this?" she murmurs, eyes looking up at him. Even though she is a year older, he towers over her.

He shrugs softly, smiling. "Mother did, of course. At the request of Father," he tells her.

Andromeda laughs gently, before shaking her head. "I don't like it," she whispers softly, her fingers still touching the ribbon. Then, with a gentle tug, she pulls it loose and pulls it from his hair, letting the blond hair fall down to his shoulders.

"That's better," she says, grinning at her.

She might think that he has missed it, but he sees her tuck the ribbon into her dress before wandering off.

He touches a strand of blond hair, smiling softly at Andromeda.

"I don't want to go back to school," she complains, legs pumping through the air. "I don't want more homework, more tests, more work!"

Lucius shrugs softly. "Well, I'm looking forward to it," he tells her, plucking at strands of grass.

They're lying in her backyard, Bella watching them from underneath the shade of a tree, black eyes hard to read. Narcissa is inside, writing something.

Andromeda snorts softly. "Oh, of course you are!" she exclaims, sitting up for a moment. Strands of grass linger in her brown waves, and he resists stretching forward and tugging them out. "You're so delusional about the idea of actually attending Hogwarts that you fail to see what exactly you will have to do when you get there!"

There is a soft squeal from Sirius, the five-year-old being chased by his younger brother. Andromeda laughs at this, all thought of their conversation fleeing her mind as she stands up and starts to run, laughing still. Regulas is scooped up into her arms, and showered with soft kisses, the three-year-old squirming away.

He stands up softly, just missing being knocked over by Sirius.

Andromeda speeds past him, Regulas on her back. "Come on, Lucius!" she shouts, laughing softly. "Join in!"

He laughs softly, before running after Sirius, the black-haired boy squealing.

Father,

I've been Sorted into Slytherin, just like you wanted. The House is welcoming, and almost everyone has offered their congratulations to me. I know quite a few people here, just like Mother had suggested. I haven't attended classes yet, but people say that they are quite good.

Regards,

Lucius.

----

Son,

Congratulations.

Your Mother says hello.

Regards,

Father.

He threw the short letter down in disgust, shaking his head heavily.

Andromeda appears quite suddenly, flinging herself into the armchair beside him. "Homework," she sighs, shaking her head. "How I hate you."

He just nods, staring into the fire softly, the letter crumpling in his hands.

Andromeda sits up, looking at him. "Hey, what's up?" she asks, moving to sit beside him on the couch. Her hand runs down his back, and she smiles softly. "Care to share?"

"Not really," he mumbles.

"Aw, come on!" she exclaims, shaking her head. "You can't do this to me!"

"Do what?" he asks, trying to move the conversation along, trying not to draw attention to the crumpled letter currently in his hands.

Andromeda arches an eyebrow, looking at him sternly. "You know what!" she exclaims, laughing at him. "You cannot leave me in suspense, Lucius Malfoy. That's not something a gentleman would do."

"And I'm nothing but a gentleman," he murmurs, slowly unclenching his fist with a sigh. "My father wrote a letter back to me," he explains. "Though you could hardly call it a letter. Two lines, Andy, just two! And after the rambling on about how I had to be in Slytherin, and if I wasn't I'd be disowned, when I finally get in, he just writes two lines back!"

Andromeda laughs, which shocks him. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Lucius," she tells him, shaking her head. "When I told Father and Mother I had gotten into Slytherin, they didn't even write a letter back. Sure, it hurt, not receiving a reply, but I think I understand now. They known, seriously know, that we were going to get Sorted into Slytherin, so why should they even have any doubts?"

Lucius nods softly.

"And anyway," Andromeda says. "You got a congratulation of me, didn't you?"

She places a kiss on his cheek before bounding away, humming softly underneath her breath. His face flushes with colour, and he raises a hand to touch his cheek.

The letter falls to the floor, forgotten.

She's thirteen, and he's twelve.

She is off to Hogsmede for the very first time, thick scarf winded around her neck and a coat resting on her shoulder, buttoned up. Her brown curls are loose down her back, almost reaching her waist now.

She should be the envy of all the other girls, but for some reason, unknown to him, she isn't. She stays in the shadows, outshined by her demanding sister. And he's glad that it is that way, because she is never seen by guys, never looked upon. They never have a chance to whisk her away from him.

He watches her from the highest window in the castle, book lying beside him not opened.

Andy has promised to bring back all sorts of lollies and chocolates, and he holds her to her word. The care packages from Mother have stopped almost three months ago, and even though he misses them, he acknowledges the fact that for them to have stopped, his father must have realized that he is growing up.

His only regret is that he isn't in third year like Andy, and he can't experience Hogsemede with her.

Lucius is sure that she would look beautiful, rugged up against the cold, with a Butterbeer in her hands.

"See?" she says, poking her tongue out slightly at him. "I did bring you back food, like I promised." She tugs off her gloves, and pulls her coat off, flashing him a soft smile.

The lollies and chocolates and bottles of Butterbeer are stacked high on his bed. He stares at it, the extragent packages and the golden liquid stored inside a clear glass bottle. "I knew you would," he murmurs softly, smiling lightly.

Andromeda laughs softly.

"So, how was Hogsmede?" he asks, chewing slowly on a Chocolate Frog. He looks up at her. Too bad he is a year younger, and he would never have a chance with her.

She settles back down on the bed, tugging a package away from him with a giggle.

Sometimes he wishes that he was a year older.

Sometimes.

"I hate you!" she screams, tears running down her face.

She's sixteen, and he's fifteen.

Lucius shrugs.

"Don't you care about that?" she yells, approaching him. "Don't you care that I hate you?"

"No," he says, shrugging once more. "I don't."

"Why?" she sobs out, sniffling. "Why did you do this to me? Sure, I don't care if you go out and snog any random girls, but honestly, Lucius, I thought that being your best friend bought me a little bit more respect that all those, those skanks!"

"It doesn't," he tells her.

"So I'm just another piece of trash you can back-stab?" she screams.

"Basically."

"My god, I can't believe you!" she says, tugging at her hair. The tears have stopped, for which he is thankful. "I never thought you would be like this, Lucius Malfoy. Honestly, I do know why you have changed, but I never thought it would be this much."

"And why have I changed then?" he asks, looking at her.

"It is the people who hang out with!" she yells. "They've warped your mind so much you can't go back to who you once were!"

"You hang out with them too," Lucius points out, smirking lightly.

Andromeda huffs. "Yes, I do. But I don't let them change me with all their propaganda about freaking Voldemort! I'm big enough to know that what matter is what I think, not them."

"Do not say his name!" he yells back.

"See? The Lucius I knew wouldn't let a silly thing like a name stop him from doing what he wanted. What is wrong with you, honestly?"

"Maybe we shouldn't talk anymore, if you feel this way," he murmurs, head bowed.

Andromeda nods stiffly. "Fine, whatever. I can't stand to be around you anymore. I'm not going to let you warp my mind like they warped yours."

He might have meant everything he said, but that doesn't stop the pang in his heart as he watches her walk away.

They see each other almost everyday, but she never pays him any mind. It's not her fault that their whole friendship went to ashes, it's his. She never did anything wrong, just stood up for what she believed it. And if he didn't like it, then fine. She really doesn't care anymore.

Andromeda just tries to tell herself that everything will be alright; that she won't miss his careful small smiles, his laughter, and the way that he knew something was wrong, just by looking at her.

He's not worth it.

Honestly.

She's seventeen, lounging around in the library.

No summer has ever been this boring.

Bella is off playing 'house' with Rodolphus, and Narcissa is obsessed with staring into the mirror, making flaws where no exist, and asking her constantly if there is anyone at Hogwarts that she knows that would be suitable for her. She's been tempted to mention a Hufflepuff or two, just to see Cissy's reaction. They're not all that bad, honestly, no matter what her father and mother might say.

She doesn't see just because someone might be half-blood or muggle-born that it instantly lowers their worth. Andromeda met a few nice Muggle-borns over the last year, and even though she would never bring them home to introduce to her family, they're interesting to talk to.

Life doesn't always have to be set by a bunch of rules made a hundred years ago, anyway.

Don't associate with muggles.

Don't do anything that puts shame on the family name.

Blah, blah, blah.

Bella might follow them, and Cissy might adore them, but she'd rather be dead than be a Black robot like her female ancestors. Forced into loveless marriages, thrown to the side when they couldn't have children anymore, not having any say in anything.

It's not for her, seriously.

She doesn't know how Bella did it, but at least she had the advantage of actually liking Rodolphus before they were engaged to be married.

She doesn't ever want to be married off.

He's sixteen, and trying to read all the books in his father's study before the summer is over. Of course, that doesn't work. There are always the daydreams of lying in the grass with Andy, running around with Sirius, trying to escape the girls.

But he's made his choice, and there's no going back.

His father catches him one day, an eyebrow raised as he looks at him. "What are you doing?" he questions bluntly, staring at him.

Lucius closes the book with a heavy thud, glancing up. "Nothing," he says, waving off the comment softly.

His father sighs, leaning again the doorway. "Well, anyway. Your mother and I are heading out to the Black's, and we thought to ask you if you would like to come," he says. "Your mother noticed that you haven't been spending much, if any, time with the Black's, and she thought that now would be the best time to catch up with them. If all goes well, you might be finding yourself married to one of them in the future, son."

His eyes snap up, shock written all over his face. "What?" he bellows, dropping the book on the floor.

His father smirks lightly. "You heard me son, loud and clear," he tells him, looking him dead in the eye. "It's all been arranged, ever since you were young. Signed, sealed and practically married, without the ceremony. You're going to marry one of the Black girls, not matter how much you might protest about it."

"And what if I run away and refuse the marriage?" he asks. "What will you do then?"

"Skin you alive," his father hisses, scowling at him deeply. "The Black's are powerful and their daughters are beautiful, even if the youngest might have a few problems with her skin, and Andromeda might be a little bit to caring for my liking. If we can manage it, I would like to have you married off to Bellatrix. She would be a fine pureblooded wife."

Lucius shakes his head softly. There's no way in hell he would ever marry Bella, even if she was free to marry. She was just too controlling for his liking, and he would hate her ever second of their married life. "I'm sorry Father, to have to ruin your perfect plan, but Bellatrix is engaged to be married. In the summer sometime, I believe."

"To who?" his father questions.

"Rodolphus Lestrange."

His father scowls. "Curse them. She would have been a fine bride for you. No matter though, there is still the youngest two to fall back on. Now, Narcissa seems a bit vain and self-centered to me, but Andromeda also has the problem of being just too open-hearted. It doesn't sit well with me. I suppose both are in your age group, and your mother has suggested that you should have the choice of your final bride. I suppose I should let you do so."

Lucius sighs softly.

Andromeda's not going to like this.

She whirls around, staring daggers at her mother. "What did you just say?" she screams out. "I refuse, plain and simple. I will not marry him!"

Her father grabs her arm, and stares at her. "Oh yes you will," he tells her. "Otherwise you will be out of this door so quick that you won't know what hit you. I swear to you, I will do that, and I will feel no remorse, what so ever, daughter of mine."

Her mother looks at her, forcing a smile. There are small, red marks where her father's nails have dug into her flesh, and they sting painfully. "Andromeda, the Malfoy's are rich," she says, trying to reason with her. "You'll be set up for a long life filled with all the things in the world you could ever need. I'm sure Lucius isn't so bad, he seems like a nice boy."

Andromeda huffs. "Sure, on the outside."

"You will marry him, no questions asked," her father barked, then turns away, his shoes clacking on the tile.

Her mother looks at her, raising an eyebrow. "It would be best," she says carelessly shrugging.

"For who?" Andromeda breathes out. "You and father? Or for me? Because from where I'm standing, it honestly doesn't look that good."

She shakes her head, sighing softly.

Bella leans against the doorway softly, eyes studying the party in front of her. She fingers her gold engagement ring, her hair loose and wild down her back, like he adores it to be. She does hate it so, the gigantic mass of curls. She longs for Andy's tamed waves, or even Cissy's dead-straight, long blonde hair.

"Bella!"

Andy rushes towards her, a green ribbon tied in her hair. She wraps her arms around her, sniffling softly. "I don't want to marry him, I don't, I don't!" she says, shaking her head wildly. Her eyes are red and blotchy, and she looks like a woman possessed.

"Who?" Bella asks, running a hand down her back.

"Malfoy!"

So they arranged it then. After all these years of talking, a Black was going to be married to a Malfoy. She knew that if this had been arranged two years earlier, Andromeda would have accept the fact that she was going to be married to him. But to arrange it now, after they had fought and never spoke anymore? Sometimes she didn't believe that her father was so clueless.

She had lucked out with Rodolphus. He was caring, sweet and handsome. He had money, he adored her. And she actually liked him.

"Oh," she says, looking at Andy.

"I don't want to marry him Bella! I hate him, I hate this!" she sobs out, sniffling loudly.

"If it is what Father wants, you have to comply, Andy," Bella murmurs, rubbing her back lightly. "You just have to grin and bear it, sweet Meda."

Andromeda's mind is made up with those fatal words.

He stands back, away from the crowd, watching as Andromeda dries her tears and walks away from her sister, eyes red. She's wearing a dark green ribbon in her hair, pulling back the stray waves from her eyes. It was probably forced onto her by her father though, so it means nothing.

There is a tug on his robes, and he glances down, surprised.

"You're going to marry Andy or Cissy aren't you?" the eleven-year-old boy says, glaring up at him. Sirius eyes him carefully, hair flopping over his forehead messily. "I don't like it," he grumbles.

Lucius chuckles. "I'll be the best husband to whichever of them I marry, I promise," he tells him.

"Good. Because if you hurt Andy, I'll kill you myself."

Lucius raises an eyebrow. "And what about Narcissa, hmm?" he asks. "Am I not supposed to be considering her as well, Sirius?"

He waves the comment off, a hand in the air. "I think you want to marry Andy," he says, grinning. "I've seen the way you look at her."

"Oh really?" he asks, shaking his head. "And which way would that be then?"

Sirius's laughter bellows loudly, as the boy doubles up, a hand clutching his side. "You're in love with her!"

His heart stops.

Andromeda turns around, her hair down her back, and spots him, standing in the shadows, Sirius's laughter still echoing around the hall. She glares at him, sniffing softly.

Then everything returns to normal, and Sirius is dragged away by his mother, still laughing hysterically, Regulas following behind them, sighing.

No, Andromeda does not like this at all.

"I need to speak with you," she tells him, looking up. It has always been like this, he has always been taller than her, always been stronger, always been better. She hates to think that they are not equal. If they are going to be married, she needs to know that if she cannot love him, at least she can have someone that regards her as his equal.

"Yes?" he questions, grey eyes staring into her brown. She feels like she is being scrutinized underneath his gaze, like she is a bug underneath a microscope, trying desperately to escape.

She clears her throat gently. "Did you, or did you not, know about the arrangement?" she asks, tearing her eyes away from him to stare at the couples dancing. Cissy stands moodily in the corner, waiting, wishing, for someone to ask her to dance.

"I did not," he whispers in her ear. "I swear to you, I didn't."

"Good."

"Do you not wish to marry me?" he asks, looking straight at her. Andromeda scoffs.

"That's rich, coming from you," she tell him, shaking her head. "Do I not wish to marry someone who hasn't talked to me in a year, and the last words we said to each other we that we never wished to see each other again. Of course I don't want to marry you, Lucius!"

"Oh," is all he can manage to say, shock written on his face. "But I have money, and connections. Surely," he trails off.

"Money isn't everything Lucius," Andromeda whispers, head bowed. "Maybe, possibly, if I had known about this earlier, a year ago perhaps, I might have found it in my heart to love you. But I can't now, after everything that's been done." She sighs softly, wiping a single tear away. "I always thought we would marry, you know, when I was younger." She laughs softly.

"So did I," he tells her, smiling.

She smiles sadly back at him, reaching up to her hair. The ribbon is pulled out off her waves, and he is reminded back to that night, when everything seemed like whatever he wanted could happen. "Here," she murmurs, placing it into his hand.

He longs to pull her away, escape, and convince her to marry him.

But he doesn't. His hand just curls around the ribbon.

"You kept it," he remarks, noticing the 'M' stitched on the edge. Andromeda grins.

"Of course I did," she says, still smiling.

He looks at her. "We could make this work you know," he tells her, grabbing her hand. "I can try to be the best, and maybe you could try to love me?"

She sighs, pulling her hand away. "Maybe in another world, or a different time Lucius," she tells him, looking up at him sadly. "Maybe if I wasn't falling in love with another man and maybe if all those dreadful things in our past hadn't happened."

He sighs softly. The ribbon is slipped into his pocket. He turns to walk away, when her hand grasps around his arm, and she pulls him into a hug, sniffling.

"Narcissa will make a good wife," she murmurs to him, head burrowed into his neck. "She adores you, you know that. She won't make a complaint against it, and she will be a great mother. Just love her, if you can, and if you can't, adore her."

They pull away, and he notices for the first time since they have begun to talk, that she is wearing a heavy black coat. She sees him eyeing her, and grins. "I'm going away," she says. "Tonight."

"So I'll never see you again?" he asks, heart breaking when she nods softly.

"Tell Bella and Cissy I love them please?" she asks, looking back at him, a hand resting on the door. He nods softly, hand curling around the ribbon in his pocket. Andromeda smiles. "Goodbye Lucius."

He nods, bowing his head so he doesn't have to see her walk out off the door, and out of his life.

The door clicks behind her, and his heart shatters.

Her hand runs over the bark of the tree, and she sniffs lightly, wiping a tear away.

LM + AB

It was supposed to be forever.

Ages should be right, if they're not, tell mee? Review, pleaaaase? ;D