‘ you wanted to say mudblood, it’s okay- you can say that out loud.’ eunhee said with a shrug, it’s not like she could hide from it in any way and despite her words, andromeda wasn’t the worst. for sure. ‘ that too, but i meant mostly because i’m a metamorphmagus. and as you said i’m a muggleborn, you can just imagine what everyone taught of me and how they looked at me until we found out what this actually is. so yeah, you kind of get used to it.’
﹙ *☆ ┆𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖐, 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑎.
𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖆 𝖓𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖉 𝖍𝖊𝖗 eyes at the other girl, unsure of how she was supposed to react. was this some sort of test ? she lifted her chin haughtily, giving the other girl a vaguely nettled look. “ —— if i wanted to say mudblood, i would’ve said mudblood. ” she tilted her head, curiosity now glinting in her eyes as she regarded the other girl. “ —— if anyone’s staring at you because you’re a metamorphmagus, it’s only because they’re JEALOUS. ” andromeda’s words weren’t meant to comfort, or ally herself with the other girl. she was only speaking the truth. she couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like, to change appearance at will. the power, the intoxicating freedom of it. if she was being honest, she was jealous.
‘ all my life i had been stared at-’ eunhee starts, shoulders shrugging as she moves a hand through her hair. her eyelids feel heavy, only because she might have drank too much and now felt obligued to stay and prove everyone she ain’t a light weight. prove herself more. ‘ -so, staring at other isn’t really rude in my perspective, no.’
but then, she smiled, like nothing had ever been wrong. ‘ just wanted to check if you’re alright, that’s all- you look…terrible.’
﹙ *☆ ┆𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖐, 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑎.
andromeda stared in disbelief at the girl, a scalding, haughty retort prepared on her tongue. but instead, she was half-tempted to laugh. maybe it was the alcohol running through her veins, but a part of her appreciated the girl’s honesty. andromeda was no stranger to finding herself with her foot in her mouth. “ —— impossible, ” she merely said. and then before she could close her mouth and move on, she found herself asking, “ —— why do people stare at you ? is it because you’re a mu – a muggleborn ? ”
around him , the party goes on . friends & foes alike flit throughout the forest , & curiously enough , he finds himself most preoccupied with the latter . ( well— is andromeda his enemy , truly ? not as though she’s done anything to him , all these years . but she’s a black . regulus is already a death eater , people tell him , & ted himself is nothing more than a mudblood . surely , it’s a question of when . ) around him , people laugh , dance , & chatter . any other night , he’d happily be among the throng . instead— he leans forward on his elbows , watching andromeda watching them . a voyeur of a voyeur of a voyeur . mother would be proud . not long before she catches him , & though he does not glance away , an inexplicable feeling dampens his spirits . he wonders what she sees in his face , in that moment . he knows it was neither fear nor affection . he wonders if it was pity . ❝ hasn’t anyone told you ? ❞
﹙ *☆ ┆𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖐, 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑎.
𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖔𝖊𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝖇𝖆𝖑𝖐 at the challenge, so neither does she. flinching is not part of a black’s body language. she doesn’t care what he thinks of her – after all, her mother’s voice says in her head, he’s nothing more than a mudblood. and yet, her hackles rise. she doesn’t let her expression change, however, merely gazing back at him with a vaguely intoxicated, haughty stare. “ —— i wasn’t staring. ” a complete lie, and they both know it, and yet she delivers it while making direct eye contact, without a sliver of guilt or deceit. “ —— you must have been mistaken. ”
𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖆'𝖘 𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖐𝖘 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 rosy with drink, her eyes gleaming even darker than normal in the dancing firelight. she was staring, and she knew it, but she couldn’t look away. it wasn’t even that the girls she was watching were doing anything out of the ordinary. they were just existing, talking and laughing. she wondered what they were laughing about. she pictured herself laughing with them, sharing firewhiskey and inside jokes.
𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖘𝖔𝖔𝖓 𝖘𝖍𝖊 was interrupted. an experienced people-watcher knows when she is being people-watched, and andromeda was no exception. at the feel of someone’s eyes on her, her head swung languidly around to meet their gaze with an imperious, half-lidded stare. even intoxicated, she held all the haughty grace bred of a black. ❛ — hasn’t anyone ever told you staring is RUDE ? ❜
。・ * ✧ marc stood hesitantly at the edge of the edge of the forbidden forest , simply watching the party commence , for a moment , as he contemplated his own attendance . part of him ( the prefect part , he’d realized ) had begun to regret the decision – briefly but entirely flooding his thoughts with ones of both guilt and fear – but the other part ( the gregarious one ) had prevailed . he had , after all , vowed to himself to at least attempt to be more rebellious . besides , what’s the worst that could happen ? he thought , now finding himself by the drinks . he eyed them all for a moment , before looking at the person next to him and asking , ❛ which do you think is the worst option ? or , no … best , ❜ though he hardly gave them enough time to answer before waving his hand as if saying to forget about it and grabbing whatever . ❛ nevermind , i doubt it matters . ❜ the hufflepuff held the beverage in his hands , almost too scared to actually drink it . maybe it did matter , after all . he spoke up again a moment later . ❛ do you think any of the forest’s residents will make an appearance ? i hope not … could you imagine if one did , though ? i mean , imagine everyone being chased off by an acromantula or a centaur , ❜ he paused his blabbing for a moment as if he himself were trying to imagine such an event . ❛ i doubt that’s ever happened or ever will , but i do suppose that , either way , those are the risks we take when breaking rules simply for a bit of fun , ❜ he shrugged , holding his beverage up in a silent toast before taking his first drink.
﹙ *☆ ┆𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖐, 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑎.
𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖆 𝖈𝖚𝖙 𝖍𝖊𝖗 eyes at the boy, half-amused by his rambling. she was surprised she’d even come, given his obvious discomfort. a prefect out of his comfort zone. she waited until he’d taken a sip of his drink before speaking, watching his face with idle curiosity for a reaction. ❛ — could i imagine ? you can’t be serious. didn’t you hear about widdershins’s run-in with a WEREWOLF last year ? he’s lucky he escaped with his life. ❜ it was all a pack of lies, of course, but she doubted he’d know that. ❛ — you know, you’ve got some GUTS. most folks would be pretty terrified since the werewolf was never found, but, well … those are the risks we take, ❜ she echoed, raising her glass to him.
best friend: someone andromeda can actually be herself around, who she can goof off with and be vulnerable around. ride or die bih. she finds it really hard to relax around people so i’d love someone who is easy for her to be around yanno ?
pureblood squad: they’ve probably known each other for ages, ever since they were wee pureblood chillun. would stab each other but would also stab a person for each other. this is exactly the kind of dynamic i’m thinking of
friends currently drifting apart: no matter the reason, they used to be close and now they’re not. this is super vague im sorry. bring me the angst
bad influence: someone for andromeda to smoke / drink / get high with i guess ?? honestly let andromeda skip class & be nihilistic as fuck with someone
unlikely friends: probably a muggleborn, or a hufflepuff / gryffindor who andromeda finds herself strangely comfortable around ? or someone very different than andromeda, but somehow they just click.
fwb: andromeda doesn’t do romantic feelings yet but this is someone she’s fallen into bed with on multiple occasions. maybe it’s messy, maybe it works smoothly, idk.
almost lover: they had a connection, but andromeda distanced herself & made sure it didn’t become anything more. now it’s just cold and awkward between them
wrong foot: someone who andromeda accidentally said the wrong thing to, and now it seems like they always rub each other the wrong way.
enemies: just give me some good old fashioned. hate. andromeda has many flaws !!! someone’s gotta dislike her for em !!!!
rain on dark windowpanes, the heavy sweetness of red wine, ink-stained fingers. dark curls escaping from pins, cold coffee dregs and burnt out matches from a guilty cigarette. holy places long since abandoned, the simmering wildness of a bird caged, and the ancient ache for freedom. ┊ if you’re looking for ANDROMEDA BLACK, you’ll probably find HER in the SLYTHERIN dorm with the rest of the SIXTH years. they’re the TWENTY year old PUREBLOOD who looks kind of like KATIE DOUGLAS. they seem SELF-RELIANT, INQUISITIVE, ELOQUENT to me, but apparently they’re also CONTRARY, CYNICAL, HAUGHTY. maybe that’s why their patronus is A RAVEN.
PINTEREST !!
( rain on dark windowpanes, the heavy sweetness of red wine, ink-stained fingers, greyish purple of dawn, cold bones, fastening the clasp of a silver necklace. dark curls escaping from pins, starched white shirts under wool coats, cold coffee dregs and burnt out matches from a guilty cigarette. fog over the scottish moor, the soft tick of a grandfather clock, stars peeking through an overcast sky, the stark echo of a single violin. the pages of a book turning in a library past midnight. holy places long since abandoned, the simmering wildness of a bird caged, and the ancient ache for freedom. a tempest barely contained within a girl. )
PRE-HOGWARTS !!
andromeda & her mother have what u can call a strained relationship. from her moment of birth, druella saw everything andromeda did as an act of rebellion, whether it was a childish question asked in the wrong place at the wrong time, or getting so absorbed in a book she forgot to come down for dinner, or a bit of accidental wandless magic born out of a moment of frustration. every day was a trial against andromeda, with her parents acting as the judge, jury and executioner, & over and over again she was found GUILTY.
andromeda never meant to defy her mother, at first, but no matter how hard she tried to please druella, nothing she ever did was quite good enough. there was always some fault, whether it was a lock of hair tumbling free from its pin, a corset come unlaced, posture ruined from hunching over a book. her wrists were too bony, her lips were too thin, her skin too easily flushed.
[ ABUSE TW ] it didn’t escape andromeda’s notice that every flaw her mother criticized was one druella shared as well, and when she grew older she realized her mother’s dissatisfaction with andromeda was merely a product of her own dissatisfaction with herself. but that didn’t feed her the nights she was denied dinner for her ‘ misbehaviour ’. it didn’t take back the days andromeda went unable to speak thanks to a punitive silencio, and it didn’t grant andromeda’s wish to have a real mother who loved her. [ END TW ]
did druella love her children ? who knows. maybe she did, in her own twisted way. but druella was first and foremost a business woman, and her main trade was her daughters. andromeda grew up listening to endless warnings that her mother would “ never be able to find andromeda a husband if … ” and then came whichever grievance she’d chosen to focus on that day.
it cannot come as a surprise that andromeda learned to live in the shadows, away from her mother’s disapproving glare; that she learned to rely on herself and herself only, that she learned to watch & observe & test the waters, to think before acting. ( of course, druella did not approve of this either, and informed andromeda that no man would want a girl who was so serious all the time. )
her parents often dragged her and her sisters to various pureblood functions, where andromeda stood off to the side in uncomfortably starched dresses, disappearing like smoke any time someone looked like they were heading over to strike up conversation. she would explore the pureblood manors, all silent footsteps & watchful eyes, making observations on how the wizarding world’s elite lived their lives, noting separate beds in the master bedrooms & half-empty whiskey bottles in the washrooms. it seemed like everyone was only looking out for themselves in this world, trying to further their own social status and wealth.
at home, she would escape to the roof with a book, whether it was a history of warlocks or the kind of torrid romance novel druella pretended she didn’t read, dark eyes hardly looking up as the sun sank lower in the sky, fingers blackened with ink by the time she closed her book and descended into the house to face her mother’s wrath that she missed her piano lessons.
is it strange that such a cynical girl could have such a yearning for beautiful things ? or would that merely be a side effect of cynicism, to long for something to thaw a hardened heart ? andromeda loved beautiful things, perhaps a bit too much, but she did not trust them. nothing beautiful was made to last, and if it was, it wasn’t truly beautiful. sunsets faded to darkness, books ended, lovers grew apart. the inherent transience of beauty made andromeda crave it all the more.
HOGWARTS !!
hogwarts was a breath of fresh air for andromeda, the chance to experience life outside her parents’ regime. to her inquisitive, probing nature, an ancient, magical castle full of history & secrets was paradise, let alone all the classes it housed. and the people — andromeda had never seen so many people in her lifetime. hundreds & hundreds of students filled the castle, all with their own thoughts and lives and desires.
an introvert by nature, she didn’t interact, merely observed. she made best friends with the library & the constellations, sneaking out of the dorm to sit with her legs dangling over the fifty-foot drop of the astronomy tower, eyes finding her constellation, andromeda, and wondering if her fate was written in the stars too; drunk on the beauty of an untamed scottish night.
the unidentifiable yearning she’d always kept tucked inside a corner of her heart ballooned until she could hardly stand it. it was a yearning to be something more than the perfect pureblood wife her mother was trying to groom her to be, a thirst to prove herself in some way she didn’t even understand yet, and it was this ambition & drive that got her sorted into slytherin.
if druella & cygnus had thought andromeda was unmanageable before hogwarts , when she wasn’t even trying to be, she was downright wild when she returned for winter break in first year. now that she knew life could be better than what she was currently living at home, she buzzed with a restless energy that alarmed her parents. andromeda may have been troublesome before, but this was bordering on dangerous. druella made the decision that andromeda would not be returning to hogwarts. [ ABUSE TW ] this sparked one of the worst fights they’d ever had, and culminated in a rare but unforgiving physical beating. [ END TW ]
eventually druella conceded, and andromeda was allowed to return, but she was much more cautious now. she only made friends who her parents would approve of, she kept her nose clean, and at home, she played the part of the dutiful daughter. there were still small rebellions, though — long curls cut short with a silver flash of the kitchen scissors; a nicked pack of her father’s cigarettes smoked cross-legged on the roof, coughing into her fist so nobody would hear. as she got older, she paired the cigarettes & book with red wine , the finest she dared steal without risk of being caught. this was her escape, her small patch of beauty in an ugly world.
andromeda keeps to herself at hogwarts as much as she can. the only people she spent time with were those her parents approved of, and she didn’t like most of them. she threw herself into her schoolwork instead, easily landing herself a spot among the top students.
but she loves hogwarts, loves it with all her heart, as so many abused children do – it’s a safe haven, a place where she can at least pretend she’s free. she loves learning everything that she can ( in fact, she was very nearly sorted into ravenclaw ). her favourite place to be is the astronomy tower, and she still escapes there whenever she’s feeling a bit too claustrophobic.
she was chosen to be a slytherin prefect for her year and although she thought she wouldn’t like it, she’s grown to enjoy the position. not for the power it gives her over her fellow students, but for the escape it brings. she can associate with people she would normally never talk to, and roam the castle freely past curfew. and andromeda isn’t a naturally nurturing person, but she’s found that she enjoys talking to and helping the younger years. she sees their wonder at hogwarts in their eyes, the same wonder that she felt, and has grown quite protective over quite a few of them.
she’s technically in slug club, due to her prowess in potions and her illustrious family name, although she hardly ever goes – she does not like slughorn at all, nor most of the people he’s selected to be in his little club. other than that, however, andromeda doesn’t make a habit of joining clubs or teams or anything that would involve her being forced to interact with people.
PERSONALITY !!
those who don’t know andromeda might say she’s aloof, proud, detached, all flint eyes & sharp edges. and they wouldn’t be wrong. andromeda’s habit of keeping to the shadows has carried on into her hogwarts years, and as an introvert, her solitary nature can sometimes come off as downright anti-social. she’s naturally pensive, and her pensive face just so happens to look pissed off.
she finds it hard to trust people. she’s so used to a world shaped by selfishness that she rarely meets someone she doesn’t suspect of having ulterior motives. after all , beautiful people, like beautiful things, are temporary. everyone turns ugly sooner or later; everyone’s claws are eventually revealed.
andromeda carries an unmistakable air of wealth that, although entirely unintentional, can rub people the wrong way. she has a taste for the finer things in life — an aged wine, a silken scarf — and sees no reason why she shouldn’t enjoy them. she’s well read & well bred, and has a vocabulary and accent that can seem pretentious to some.
do not confuse eloquence with smoothness, though — just because she knows more four-syllable words than most doesn’t mean she knows how to use them. awkwardness comes off as aloofness and snobbery. think mr fitzwilliam darcy.
but those who do know andromeda, those precious, precious few, know of her vivacity, her independent streak, her love of learning, her dry humour, the dimples that appear with every mischievous smile. they know the fire she’s kept hidden in her heart for so long, and the proud, apathetic mask she slips on so easily whenever she’s hurting.
OTHER !!
gender / sexuality: cis female / bisexual
birthday / zodiac: jan 11 / capricorn
mbti: intj
moral alignment: chaotic neutral
temperament: melancholic
patronus: raven
amortentia: dried ink, pine, petrichor, dark chocolate
