Soul Bound 11

“This is not a nice house.”Bellatrix said as she walked up the pathway to Andromeda’s house. She had assumed when her sister moved out of Ted’s parents home she moved into something respectable. The house in front of Bellatrix was not respectable at all. It was a two story very small home. The paint on the outside was chipping and the gate they walked through needed to be repaired. The flower beds were full of weeds and the lawn was overgrown. Bellatrix didn’t know why that was because Ted did not work and the idiot had magic to help him with the chores. The size of the structure was equally a problem because Andromeda was extremely claustrophobic and preferred open spaces. Something Bellatrix doubted the house before her contained.

“Give it a chance Bella.”Narcissa was having the same thoughts as her sister. She didn’t understand why Ted hadn’t done anything to fix up the appearance of the home.

“I’ll try.”Bellatrix grumbled as she stepped up to the front door and knocked. There were sounds of things falling then the door was opened revealing a purple hair girl who Bellatrix took to be her niece.”Hello Dora I’m Bella and this is Cissa. Is your mother home?”

The girl stared at them for a moment then turned her head and yelled.”Mom there are two ladies here to see you!”

“Dora what did I say about yelling in the house?”Andromeda asked as she joined her daughter at the door.

“Don’t do it.”Nymphadora said as she went back in the house.

“Exactly.”Andromeda turned her attention to her sisters and willed tears to fill her eyes.”Hello Narcissa, hello Bellatrix.”

Bellatrix pulled her into a hug.”None that Bellatrix nonsense.”

“I missed you Bella.”Andromeda sniffed a few times to add to the illusion of her crying.

“We missed you as well Andy.”Narcissa told her.

Andromeda pulled out the hug and turned to Narcissa.”Can I hug you Cissa?”

“Of course.”Narcissa held her arms open and happily hugged her sister.

“I’m glad you are both here.”Andromeda pulled back and wiped her eyes.”Why don’t you come in and officially meet Ted?”

“Yes let’s go meet Ted.”Bellatrix had a few words for the weak man.

“Bella be nice.”Narcissa was only saying that as part of her role when in reality she was happy that Bellatrix was going to say something.

“Follow me.”Andromeda led them into the house stopping in a well used living room.

Bellatrix looked around noticing the furniture was old and worn and there were nicknacks everywhere. It was extremely cluttered and the only positive she could see is it was clean. Something she credited to Andromeda. Seeing a man dressed in much higher quality robes than her sister standing nervously behind a chair Bellatrix glared at him.”Hello Ted.”

“Hello Bellatrix.”Ted may have been happy his wife was reuniting with her sisters but he wasn’t happy that Bellatrix was likely going to be a fixture in his life in the future.

“How have you been Ted?”Bellatrix asked.

“Good.”Ted was extremely confused why she was being so polite.

“Are you healthy Ted? Any bones broken? Do you suffer from a disability?”Bellatrix held back a smirk when she noticed Ted starting to sweat.

Ted had a feeling that he was going to feel a lot of pain if he answered those questions wrong.”I’m very healthy, have no broken bones and I suffer from no disabilities.”

“If that is the case tell me Ted why is the front of your home in shambles? As a matter of fact why is my sister living in this small cramped space? I remember telling you that I expected you to provide for her. Why have you not?”Bellatrix raised an eyebrow when she saw Ted move his hand towards his wand.

“Well you see… I mean… I tried… Unjustly let go…Watch Dora.”Ted stuttered out his various excuses.

Bellatrix pulled out her wand and tapped it on her chin.”You know what I think Ted. I think you took advantage of my sister’s situation all those years ago. You don’t actually love her you love the idea of a pureblood woman leaving her family for you. To further puff up your ego you make her work and support you while you contribute nothing to the family vault or the upkeep of your house. Why I bet after a long day at work she comes home to a dirty house and no meal prepared for her.”

“That not true.”Ted said.

“What part did I get wrong?”Bellatrix hadn’t planned to push Ted so far but Andromeda’s living conditions pissed her off.

“I do love your sister and I help out a lot. Especially with Dora.”Ted told her.

“Andy what part am I wrong about?”Bellatrix was hoping that her sister would use this chance to begin the talks about divorce.

Andromeda easily caught on to what Bellatrix was doing and was more than happy to play along.”I honestly don’t know if Ted ever loved me but the other things you said are true. He can’t keep a job, doesn’t clean the inside or outside of the house and barely helps out with Dora always leaving her at the babysitter’s when he is supposed to be watching her.”

Bellatrix pointed her wand at Ted.”Give me one good reason I shouldn’t kill you where you stand.”

“I’m a good husband and father. Yes I don’t contribute to the vault but we still live a good life. We are happy. Tell her you’re happy Andy.”Ted thought they had a good life and marriage.

“I haven’t been happy in a long time.”Andromeda told him.

“What do you mean you haven’t been happy?”Ted asked in disbelief.

“The dream you sold me never came true. Yes I wanted to get out of marrying Rodolphus but the main reason I ran off with you is because you promised that we would have an equal relationship. You promised you would treat me better than any pureblood man would. That we would build our own home and fill it with children. Instead we lived with your parents for the first three years of our marriage and now live in a house so small I avoid spending any time in it. I’m constantly taking extra shifts to cover your crazy spending. Plus I’m the one keeping the house clean and cooking all the meals. I also am the one who takes care of Dora by myself. You don’t pick her up from the babysitter. I have to do it after my shift is over and most of the time when we get home you have already gone to bed. It’s all to much and I’m miserable.”Andromeda slumped her shoulders and lowered her head in defeat to sell the lie.

“How can you be miserable? We have a great life. You would’t have stayed with me if we didn’t.”Ted said.

“You and your family are my only personal contact in the magical world. My family and friend shunned me when I married you and everyone on the Light side doesn’t trust me. If I left you I would have no one to even talk to.”Andromeda wasn’t going to say she purposely didn’t talk to others.

Narcissa pulled Andromeda into her arms.”You are not alone anymore Andy.”

“I think it would be in your best interest to pack up your shit and get out of this house.”Bellatrix wanted to pat herself on the back for orchestrating this whole event into happening.

“You want me to leave my own home?”Ted wasn’t going to leave.

“Bella it’s up to Andy if she wants him to leave but before you decide Andy you are more than welcome to move into Malfoy Manor with us. Dumbledore has given us a guarantee that Lucius will be convicted and put in Azkaban.”Narcissa would prefer that Andromeda live at the manor with them.

Andromeda looked around pretending to think about the offer.”I think it would be nice to live with my sisters again.”

“Good then we will help you pack.”Bellatrix like Narcissa would prefer Andromeda living at the manor.

“Andy you can’t be serious. Your sisters are Death Eaters.”Ted knew there was no way Bellatrix was not one of the Dark Lord’s followers.

“We aren’t Death Eaters you idiot and if you don’t believe us ask Dumbledore. He will vouch for us.”Bellatrix knew the man would be happy to tell anyone that asked that she and her sister were innocent.

“Dumbledore was the one who encouraged me to reach out to you.”Andromeda told them.

“I think a man like Dumbledore would actually encourage Andy to leave a loveless marriage and reunite with her family after they were forced apart.”Narcissa figured he would help Andromeda pack if it brought her closer to her sisters.

“You aren’t taking Dora.”Ted wouldn’t let them take his daughter.

“Dora is coming with me.”Andromeda held a hand up to stop him from arguing.”You are not responsible enough to be left alone with her and because the vault is only in my name you don’t have the gold to pay for a babysitter.”

“It’s your fault my name isn’t on the vault. I wanted to be on there but you claimed it made you feel more secure knowing no one could touch what was in it.”Ted had asked many times for access to the family’s vault.

“That was a smart move.”Narcissa would never have a joint vault with anyone but her soulmate or her sisters. People changed and relationships sometime didn’t last. It wasn’t smart to trust anyone with your only means of supporting yourself.

“Let’s get to packing.”Bellatrix was over dealing with Ted.

“I don’t have a lot of stuff.”Andromeda didn’t buy many things because she knew living with Ted was temporary.

“Well if most of this stuff isn’t yours that means it’s Ted’s and is just more proof of what a waste of space he is. Did it make you feel good spending Andy’s gold? Do you get off on the knowledge that she is working herself to death while you are wasting her salary on useless trinkets that you don’t even take care of?”Bellatrix grabbed a plate off the wall and smashed it on the floor.

“What are you doing? That was expensive.”Ted flinched when Bellatrix smashed a second plate out of the six piece set.

“How many hours of my sister’s time did those plates cost?”Bellatrix grabbed another one then one by one smashed the rest of them.

“Bella calm down.”Narcissa hated that she couldn’t help Bellatrix wreck Ted’s stuff but she was supposed to be the polite sister.

Bellatrix moved on to a shelf full of figurines. Smashing each one.”I’m not calming down. If anything I’m just getting started.

“Please stop.”Ted really didn’t want his belongings destroyed but he had no way of physically stopping Bellatrix.

“Where is your bedroom?”Bellatrix was going to burn all his clothes.

“No!”Ted ran up the stairs hoping to save his stuff.

Andromeda shared smile with her sisters.”Bella you really didn’t have to do that.”

“I should have done it a long time ago.”Bellatrix was ashamed of herself for not checking in on Andromeda’s living conditions. 

“Mom, dad tried to cast a ward on your room and now the whole room is missing.”Nymphadora told her as she came down the stairs.

Bellatrix laughed.”What a moron.”

“Come here sweetheart.”Andromeda kneeled on the ground so she was on the same level as her daughter.”My sisters have offered to let us live with them and I agreed. So after we pack our stuff we are going to be leaving this house and not coming back.”

“Will I still have my own room?”Nymphadora asked.

Narcissa knelt down next to Andromeda.”Not only will you have your own room but it will be three times the size of your current one and will have it’s own bathroom attached. So you will have your very own bathroom as well.”

“Whoah.”Nymphadora said.

“Would you like that?”Andromeda hoped Nymphadora did so she wouldn’t have to fight the young girl.

Nymphadora nodded.”It’s too small here.”

“I agree with you.”Nymphadora had inherited Andromeda’s preference for open spaces.”One thing you should know is that your father isn’t coming with us.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to go on any more boring shopping trips with him?”Nymphadora asked hopefully.

Andromeda smiled.”You may have to see him but I will speak to him about what you do when he is spending time with you.”

“I would rather spend time with you.”Nymphadora told her.

“Now that we will be living with my sisters I won’t have to work as much so I will be able to see you more.”Andromeda was planning on going part time at the hospital so she had more time for her daughter and Hermione.

Nymphadora threw her arms around Andromeda’s neck.”Yay!!”

“How about Cissa takes you to your room and helps you pack your stuff.”Andromeda suggested.

Narcissa stood and held out her hand.”I would gladly help you.”

“She doesn’t have to take any of the dolls her grandmother gave her.”Andromeda hated the things and knew Nymphadora did as well.

“We can handle it.”Narcissa took Nymphadora’s hand in her own.”Let’s go to your room.”

Andromeda stood and watched them walk up the stairs.”You ready to go save Ted?”

“If I didn’t know for a fact you have items in that room you want to keep I would just leave him in whatever void he sent himself to.”Bellatrix thought it would be a fitting death for the man.

“Regardless of the circumstances everyone would blame you for him going missing.”Andromeda bet Bellatrix would be the number one suspect.

“I’m glad you will be done with the idiot now.”Bellatrix followed Andromeda up the stairs.

“Things are moving faster than we planned them to happen but so far the results have been good.”Andromeda led them to the end of a short hallway stopping at a white door.

“They have been good. As a matter of fact there are a few things Cissa and I discussed that will help in the future.”Bellatrix told her.

“Are you planning on visiting our friend today?”Andromeda had wanted to but now that she had Nymphadora she wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

Bellatrix nodded.”We are waiting for them to get back from the healer appointment.”

“I want to go but I have Dora.”Andromeda pulled out her wand and waved it over the door.

“I think you could bring her. I mean it’s not like she will know the roles everyone plays. Plus if you are going to be living with us she is going to find out anyway.”Bellatrix followed Andromeda’s example and waved her wand over the door. When a bright white light flared from the bottom of the door she sighed.”Are you sure we can’t leave him there?”

“I will ask Cissa what she thinks about Dora and no we can leave him there. Especially not when we know where he is.”Andromeda didn’t want to deal with the headache of leaving Ted where he was.

Bellatrix sighed as she began casting spells over the door. When a green light flashed she pushed the door open rolling her eyes at Ted who was curled up on the floor crying his eyes out.”Get up you imbecile you’re safe now.” 

“Andy?!”Ted shot to his feet and ran to Andromeda but before he could get his arms around her to give her a hug he was thrown back violently.

“You do not touch her!”Bellatrix wouldn’t even allow the man to brush his sleeve against her sister.

“Let’s just get my stuff and get out of here. I want to go with you and Cissa on your visit.”Andromeda wasn’t going to miss out on a chance to see Hermione.

“Do you have a couple bags I can charm?”Bellatrix asked.

“Yes in the closet.”Andromeda made her way into the closet stepping over Ted who was laying on the floor not moving. Andromeda knew he was faking so she just ignored him.

“Please tell me we can burn these?”Bellatrix held up some very conservative underwear.”This is something a grandmother would wear.”

Exiting the closet with the bags Andromeda blushed seeing what her sister was holding.”It didn’t feel right wearing anything else.”

“I understand that but wearing sexy underwear is good for your self esteem. I know no-one is going to see them but when I put on a killer bra and panty set I feel like I can take on the world. The same with my corsets. They give me strength and confidence.”Bellatrix told her.

“I never really thought of it like that.”Andromeda just didn’t feel comfortable wearing anything sexy while she supposed to be married to Ted.

“I’ll take you shopping.”Bellatrix was going redo Andromeda’s whole wardrobe. 

“We have more important things to take care of before we will get the chance.”Andromeda wasn’t worried about buying new underwear.

“Yes like getting you packed.”Bellatrix took the bags from Andromeda and charmed them.”Set everything you are taking with you on the bed.”

“I can do that.”Andromeda went into her closet and only took clothing she was fond of. It was a given that she was going to be buying new clothes. Now that she could actually act like a lady of her station Andromeda was going to look the part as well. That meant designer outfits and high end footwear. The same thing for her daughter. They were members of the Black family and that came with certain benefits. Benefits like living in a manor with house elves and having the best of the best in all things. Something that living with Ted would never be able to provide for either of them. A happy home being another thing Ted couldn’t provide. That wouldn’t be a problem living with her sisters. Andromeda knew without a doubt she and her daughter would be very happy living with the pair. The only thing that would make all of them a lot more happy would be living with Hermione. That couldn’t happen yet though. They had to deal with Rodolphus and Lucius’ trials first. Then they would be able to do what they wanted.