I NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED THIS

[Deleted]

i think the spotlight always gives you stage fright
WISH THIS ALL WOULD END RIGHT

STOP MAKING MY HEAD SPIN
it's over but what if we just pretend

It had been several days since Ted had come home from the riot with burns on him, and while he continued to heal, Andie didn’t want to take any risks. Her store of her homemade burn salve was running low, and while her plants were thriving in the sunroom, she was low on other ingredients. Since her needs were a bit more immediate than the mail order catalog would allow, Andie found herself apparating to Diagon Alley for the second time in one week- but hopefully this time, she wouldn’t be running into any in-laws.


She pulled her list out of her pocket, glancing over it. It seemed like an easy enough task- a few minutes, provided the shop wasn’t very busy. She pulled her cloak more tightly around her slender frame as she headed down the street, digging around for the spare money in her pockets. She had forgot to grab her purse on the way out, and while apparating home wasn’t exactly difficult, it was still a nuisance. She would make do with the bare minimum instead.



Walking into the ingredients shop, she was almost immediately distracted from her original quest by a set of new weightless pestles on display by the door. Andie had long been fascinated by potions, finishing off her school years as third in all the classes- outdone by one Lily Evans and Severus Snape. At the time, Andie had hoped that being third would get her into the Slug Club, but all it had ever got her was a prime seat in advanced potions. While Andie had moved on after school from most of her childhood, potions had been one thing she had not given up- in fact, she spent a lot of her time alone working on new concoctions in her other favorite area of learning: healing.



It had long been Andie’s dream to be a healer- something that Druella Black never would have approved of, to say the least. Andie, in a rebellious spirit, had signed herself up for the classes anyway, knowing that it wouldn’t matter one way or another once she graduated, as Druella would marry her off and she could begin her life of boredom. When she had been disowned, Andie had not only gained a lifetime with her true love and future husband, but a chance to follow her dream- and for a few years, she did. When she found out she was pregnant with Dora, she had given up her career, but she hadn’t lost her interest in it. Andie’s healing concoctions were famous and hard to come by, as she didn’t share the recipe with anyone.



Finally tearing herself away from the pestles, Andie headed to the other side of the store, nodding to the clerk in passing as she began to open the various drawers, pulling out the ingredients she needed. She worked through her list quickly, getting down to the last ingredient before her luck waned. “Excuse me,” she called out. “I’m looking for wormwood? The drawer is empty.”

( WORDS ) 506
( TAGGED ) LILIANNE
( BANNER ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
( LYRICS ) camera shy by school boy humor
( LAYOUT ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
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[Deleted]

It was rather hard to keep the scowl off her face, for of all the things Lilianne considered herself, an errand girl wasn't one of them. It wasn't even like her mother actively practiced potions anyway, so why was she requesting Lilianne's help in retrieving ingredients all of a sudden? True be told, she didn't mind, but it seemed sort of silly and a waste of her time to go shopping . . . in Diagon Alley. Per her Mrs. Burke's instructions, the ingredients she desired could not be found in the local apothecary in Knockturn Alley, and so, with a small pop!, Lilianne found herself once again walking the streets of London. It was rather odd, to say the least, for the witch hadn't been back to Diagon Alley since the night of the pro-werewolf rights protest. The shops hardly seemed touched, having been repaired to their normal aged appearance during the days following the chaos. To herself, Lilianne smiled. She preferred Diagon Alley in its aged perfection rather than in utter chaos. It was a place of childhood memories for her, as well as many other witches and wizards.

The streets, though, were more quiet than should be allowed. Deathly, almost. It was almost sad, but Lilianne reminded herself that it was the middle of the day and most of Diagon Alley's customer-base attended Hogwarts or had day-jobs. There was nothing sad about a simple lull in daytime business. Knowing, however, what had occurred days ago made it harder to remember such trival facts though. She had, of course, been apart of the opposing chaos that night, and it was partially her fault. It hadn't mattered what the protest had been about -- simply that people had been hurt. Hugging her thin traveling cloak a little closer, Lilianne ducked her head and continued on to Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary. Weightless pestles displayed by the door, but the witch ignored them. On her way in, she pulled out a small slip of paper her mother had given her and familiarized herself with the names of the ingredients. . .

And then realized, she really didn't know what most of them were.

"Fuck," she cursed under her breath, drawing her brows together in fustration before forcing her face to arrange in a pleasant, happy smile. She was a pureblood Burke, and though they weren't known for bravery or honor, she still had to put on the facade of lady-ship. Drawing her shoulders back slightly and walking with a slight regal purpose, Lilianne strode through the store and began looking at the few labels displayed. Unfortunately, none of them were what she required. Stopping her pursuit, Lilianne allowed herself a frustrated sigh before spotting a beautiful woman, slightly hunched over in her quest to find her desired ingredients. Perhaps asking someone more versed in the art of potions might be best, although really she should have asked her mother before she'd left their shop. Well, too late now. Forcing a friendly smile to her face, Lilianne approached the woman. Just as she was about to tap the woman on the shoulder and introduce herself, the witch began to call out, asking for assistance finding wormwood. Apparently, their stock had run out. Biting her lip softly, Lilianne waited a moment before tapping the witch's shoulder and laughing nervously. Play along, now. "Um, hello? I'm sorry, but I . . " too sweet. Huffing, Lilianne decided just to drop the act, and be honest. Immediately, her voice became slightly lower and more serious.

"My mother, who doesn't ever make her own potions, sent me here to get her ingredients and I don't have a clue what these look like anymore. It's been a few years since my Hogwarts days, you know?" Frowning, Lilianne stared at the woman, holding her list in front of her in wait. "Think you could help me?"

Aconite
Deadlyius
Fluxweed
Goosegrass
Moly

CODED BY DELL AT BTN:V5

[Deleted]

i think the spotlight always gives you stage fright
WISH THIS ALL WOULD END RIGHT

STOP MAKING MY HEAD SPIN
it's over but what if we just pretend

The attendant was wrapped up with another customer, and Andie sighed. As it seemed the clerk was the only one working, she knew she’d be waiting a few minutes and was nearly ready to sneak into the back room herself when she was tapped on the shoulder, almost as if the person behind her could read her thoughts. Andie turned and raised her brows curiously at the other woman, waiting for an indication as to what she wanted.


"Um, hello? I'm sorry, but I . . "



Andie waited, too surprised and curious to be impatient. It wasn’t often that people paid attention to her when she went out, other than cursory glances. Most didn’t recognize her the way they had in school, and therefore when they did pay attention to the willowy woman, she was caught off guard.



"My mother, who doesn't ever make her own potions, sent me here to get her ingredients and I don't have a clue what these look like anymore. It's been a few years since my Hogwarts days, you know?"



Oh, she wanted help! Well, Andie was at least capable of that, at the least, and it would certainly pass her wait time. “I’m sure you’re not the only one. Half the time, I’m not sure my husband would recognize any of the ingredients in his pre-packaged potions, either.” She rolled her eyes but was clearly joking, judging by the tentative smile she gave the other woman. Andie had never had very many friends, and she didn’t quite know what to do when people were regarding her warmly. Ted had always pushed her to get outside of her shell, but the truth was, Andie liked being alone. It was the only time she could really be herself.



"Think you could help me?"



“Certainly.” Andie took the list from her, giving it a cursory glance before setting her own ingredients down on the cutting board provided for the bigger plants in the corner. Tapping her lips thoughtfully, Andie handed the list back to the girl and began to open drawer after drawer, pulling out the ingredients one by one. Instead of handing them directly to her, she walked to a bagging station and placed them all neatly in the satchels, labeling each one before bringing them back to the other woman. “Just what is your mother making, anyway?” Andie asked curiously. She knew the properties and proper names of every single ingredient, and she knew damn well that, when combined with some other properties, some of them could make rather nasty stuff. “Aconite’s not exactly for the faint of heart potions maker.”



She gathered her own stuff again, surveying the girl. She looked generally well cared for, and seemed to be mild enough tempered to speak to a normal stranger. If Andie was placing bets, she would have pegged her as a halfblood- but it had been a while since Andie had bothered herself with worrying over any of that. Still, as the riot earlier in the week had reminded her, blood really could be everything sometimes. “I’m Andromeda. I don’t think we’ve met before.”

( WORDS ) 523
( TAGGED ) LILIANNE
( BANNER ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
( LYRICS ) camera shy by school boy humor
( LAYOUT ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
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[Deleted]

In an attempt to stay out of the way, Lilianne stayed by the small stash of ingredients belonging to the oddly familiar lady, keeping an eye on them in a way. While she waited, Lilianne found herself leaning her hip against a nearby desk casually, gradually losing the lady-like posture her mother insisted on when she was in public. Lilianne could really care less what others thought of her, but it was the 'family name' she supposedly represented when she left the shop, or even when she was in the shop. Really, there was hardly ever a rest for her, except when she escaped her parent's gaze. Would she ever be free of them? It seemed like a dim future.

As the woman dashed around, Lilianne absently kept an eye on her movements, intrigued by the natural grace that accompanied her movements. That, too, was familiar . . . except, that quality was more close to home. Actually, the more Lilianne watched, the more she began to identify it as a 'lady-like' quality -- one that was pressed into most pureblood girls as they grew up. In fact, the witch was almost certain by the time the woman came back with Lilianne's ingredients that she was a pureblood lady. Interesting. Taking the wrapped ingredients from the witch with an appreciative grin, Lilianne listened for a moment and then was silent in thought. "Well, I really don't know, actually," she eventually said. "What exactly is aconite? I was always a charms sort of student."

Before she received an answer, the witch was introducing herself. Tucking her mother's ingredients into her shoulder bag, Lilianne gave a little wave. "No, I don't think we have. I'm Lilianne." A moment later, all the pieces came together. "Wait . . Black?" The Noble house of Black. It was a wonder Lilianne hadn't put two and two together sooner, but the name 'Andromeda' was certainly helpful. Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa Black were practically famous among the pureblood community. The three Black sisters, often flashed before society as the prim and ideal model of a pureblood lady. Well, that was before Andromeda Black had been disowned. Lilianne knew that it was likely a very shameful event for their family; however, the whole event had become gossip fodder for the lesser families.

Andromeda Black had, at some point, become an example to all younger pureblood girls as to what happened when you fell from grace and married one of impure blood. It had be hailed as a sin against their lineage, and Andromeda became sort of a household tale. Furrowing her brows together as she recalled her own mother warning her against abandoning her pureblood lineage, Lilianne dropped Andromeda's gaze. Perhaps . . . well perhaps Andromeda hadn't been quite so famous for her marriage as she remembered, but certainly the gossip had consumed the community for quite some time. Now, her name was fading from importance due to many pureblood families having the same 'problem'. Really, despite her mother's warnings, Lilianne didn't care. Sucked for Andromeda though to have had to go through abandonment.

"Well, I'm Lilianne Burke. Call me Devon, though, if you'd like." Lilianne's smile was suddenly very warm and genuine. "You, my dear lady, have some serious courage," she chuckled. "Hey, thanks for helping me with these ingredients. To tell you the truth, I don't have a clue what my mother wants with these. I think maybe she really just wanted me to get out of the shop for a while. I guess she isn't as strict as I make her out to be."

CODED BY DELL AT BTN:V5

[Deleted]

i think the spotlight always gives you stage fright
WISH THIS ALL WOULD END RIGHT

STOP MAKING MY HEAD SPIN
it's over but what if we just pretend

“"Well, I really don't know, actually. What exactly is aconite? I was always a charms sort of student."


Andie couldn’t help the small smirk that came to her lips- not because what the woman had said was particularly funny, but because the very mention of Charms class reminded her so much of Ted. Not for the first time, Andie had to marvel at how much she missed her husband when she had seen him that very morning over breakfast. Andromeda wasn’t one for passionate romances or lovesick meanderings (in fact, she prided herself on being extremely level headed in that regard,) but there was something about Ted that undid all of that. “Aconite is a foundation. You can make plenty of potions starting with aconite and building up from there. It’s particularly bitter tasting, but if you mix it with wormwood and wolfsbane, it makes a rather deadly poison.” Andie had seen the effects of that poison close up, but that wasn’t a memory she exactly cherished, so she pushed it away and quickly changed the subject.



"No, I don't think we have. I'm Lilianne."



“It’s a pleasure,” Andie replied politely, finding that she meant it. She didn’t know much about the girl, but she liked her. She was honest- and completely unabashed to ask for help. Both were things Andie greatly admired, as neither were her particular strong suits.



"Wait . . Black?"



Oh yes, the recognition. It didn’t happen to Andromeda now as much as it used to, but there were still those sideways looks, the instant flash as people recognized who she was- and then the recoil. It was part of the reason she so rarely left the house. “Yes,” her voice was cautious, but she set her jaw stubbornly, eyeing the other girl as if daring her to start something. “But not anymore. It’s Tonks now.”



Andie was no stranger to how “her kind” viewed her, the mixture of disgust and fear, and she was more than prepared to see it on Lilianne’s face. There was nothing more that Andie wanted to do than set the record straight, once and for all, that she didn’t regret a minute of what she had done and the choices she had made. That she might be a blood traitor, but she was, for the most part, happy. She was loved and cared about and made to feel important, which was more than she had ever felt in her familial home. All of these things mattered to Andie, but didn’t seem to matter to anyone else. Instead of a cherished housewife, most people saw a disgusting leper, someone who had chosen to sleep with the beasts rather than her own kind. It didn’t matter- Andie knew that Ted was worth ten of them any day. But that didn’t mean that she wanted to get into a fight in the shop, necessarily.



"Well, I'm Lilianne Burke. Call me Devon, though, if you'd like. You, my dear lady, have some serious courage,"



The silence between the two was ended when Lilianne spoke, and it took Andie a minute to comprehend the words. In all of her time in public over the years, no one had ever said that to her before, and she didn’t respond for a long moment as she tried to figure out what to say. “Thank you?’ She asked finally, seeming uncertain.



"Hey, thanks for helping me with these ingredients. To tell you the truth, I don't have a clue what my mother wants with these. I think maybe she really just wanted me to get out of the shop for a while. I guess she isn't as strict as I make her out to be."



“You're welcome. Which shop is yours?” Andie asked curiously. “Perhaps she just wanted you to get some fresh air.”

( WORDS ) 636
( TAGGED ) LILIANNE
( BANNER ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
( LYRICS ) camera shy by school boy humor
( LAYOUT ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
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[Deleted]

Lilianne had never been described as the sharpest in her class, but she was damn near close. With an analytical mind, she watched Andromeda's reactions to her own, struggling to come to terms with what they meant. 'It's Tonks now.' Very tense and stubborn. Even without knowing why Andromeda was likely this way, it was obvious by her body language that she'd had to defend her choice in life many times over-- likely to no avail. Clenching and unclenching her jaw absently, Lilianne continued to observe, wondering how hard this woman's life must have been. Such a shame to have fallen so far for the sake of love. In meeting her though, these details didn't matter. Only what could be seen and interacted with now mattered. No real pity would be awarded.

Silence grew between the two witches as Andromeda ingested Lilianne's causal praise. As it stretched out even further, Lilianne found herself staring at the witch with lips pressed tightly together. Had she hit a nerve somehow? Lilianne was quite sure she'd conveyed her approval of the Black sister, but perhaps it had come across wrong? This sort of situation was new to the woman, so dealing with a closed off witch would be difficult. All in all, though, Lilianne found Andromeda striking. She was beautiful and strong, willing to stand up for her choices instead of backing down like most might have. There was respect to be had with that sort of personality. Being tough was essential to any woman's survival, especially in these harsh times.

Eventually, Andromeda responded uncertainly. A gentle smile in return pushed the conversation along. It was often that Lilianne had to remind herself that many, especially ladies of the pureblood lineage, were not used to her more direct and impulsive ways. Despite this, Lilianne yearned to display who she really was, if not to all, then to the one person who knew what it was like to brave those consquences. The harsher personality that she possessed did not compare to the blood traitor title that Andromeda had earned, but Lilianne's views when it came to common pureblood issues might eventually land her in the same sort of trouble.

"My father co-owns Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley." After that, Lilianne stilled, expecting some sort of grimace or recoil. Knockturn Alley was not a particularly well-thought of place. Mostly dark wizards browsed their wares. When no immediate response registered, Lilianne continued. "Likely. ." Then, the witch dropped the conversation for several moments, taking her turn in stilling the exchange of words. Then, out of no where, Lilianne smiled and changed the subject. "Would you like to come with me for a drink? I'll buy."

A bright smile suddenly lit up the woman's face as she began to step over to the counter staffed by a short, round woman. Paying for her ingredients took only a few moments. After, Lilianne made her way back to Andromeda, leaning slightly against a nearby desk for support. "Once you are done with your shopping, that is." The thought of some company for a while was enlightening, and there was something about Andromeda that was interesting. Who better to understand her then one who had forsaken the beliefs of her family for that of her own? It was eerie how similar they were, in the end.

CODED BY DELL AT BTN:V5

[Deleted]

i think the spotlight always gives you stage fright
WISH THIS ALL WOULD END RIGHT

STOP MAKING MY HEAD SPIN
it's over but what if we just pretend

It was so easy to get her feathers ruffled when it came to meeting new people, given all that Andie had been through over the years. She had never questioned her devotion to Ted or her relationship, but even that devotion wasn’t enough to keep her from being completely unbothered by the way other people seemed to think they could dictate her life. What did it matter what status Ted came from? He was funny, and kind, and a wonderful father and husband- hell, he was a better person than Andie ever hoped to be. Shouldn’t that matter more than who his parents were? While Andie seemed to think it didn’t, apparently other people hadn’t got the memo- and years of having to put up with such ignorance had made her more than a little wary. However, as she looked at Lilianne, Andie didn’t see any of the usual expressions that people made after they found out who she was. If anything, Lilianne just looked curious.


"My father co-owns Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley."



Andie blinked. That certainly explained some things, but just as Lilianne had been graceful enough not to judge her based on her identity, Andie was going to afford her the same courtesy. Andie herself was living proof of how little parents and children could be related. “I’ve been there,” she said neutrally, clearly not sure how to read Lilianne’s admission. Was the other woman ashamed? Proud? Or merely matter-of-fact, as Andie herself was? Andie had been in Borgin and Burkes with her parents many times over her childhood, and she suspected it hadn’t changed much. It was a dark little rat hole, all of the joy of life sucked out as soon as one crossed the doorstep. It was also a haven for dark wizards- and a favorite of her elder sister’s. Andie had no intention of stepping foot in it again.



"Would you like to come with me for a drink? I'll buy."



Judging by the expression on her face, Andie clearly hadn’t expected Lilianne to say that- but she recovered quickly. “All right,” she agreed. She had to admit she was curious as to what this witch could possibly want to talk about with her, but even the risk of being hexed and kidnapped by dark wizards seemed preferable to going home to the empty house, given that Ted wouldn’t be back until early the next morning. If there was one thing Andie was growing to hate, it was being left with her own thoughts.



"Once you are done with your shopping, that is."



Following the woman to the counter, Andie placed her ingredients in front of her. It didn’t take long to have them bagged (and to have the missing ingredient pulled from the back and bagged as well,) and the next thing she knew, they were leaving the shop. The wind had picked up enough to swirl the last of winter’s dead leaves around Andie’s feet as she gestured for the other woman to lead. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been out of the house like this,” she mused. “I don’t get to hang out with people very often.”

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( WORDS ) 531
( TAGGED ) LILIANNE
( BANNER ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
( LYRICS ) camera shy by school boy humor
( LAYOUT ) © BRYBERRY of caution 2.0
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