the lucky ones. [eleanora]

"They don't have Chinese take-out in the countryside," he told her, but only seconds before he realized for a witch that wasn't entirely true. They could have things delivered from anywhere in a matter of minutes with the use of a few good spells. "Oh, wait," he said with a chuckle, his realization written all over his face. Dimpled cheeks puffed out as he shrugged his shoulders. Still, he didn't want her to turn into a recluse. "No, we ought to. Partially because it'd be fun to go together, and also because... well, I don't remember where she lives." Andy laughed again, shaking his head some and then sitting back into his seat. He hadn't been there since he was tiny, and he wasn't exactly going to ask his mother for the directions. No, thank you.

Rolling to the side a little, he howled with laughter at her spinster response. He spoke between laughs and breaths, "Hey, I don't make the rules, sis," Andy clutched his side, a cramp coming on from laughing more than he had all summer. "Maybe this Danny will be the one, we don't know," His cheeks were red and starting to burn from all of the smiling he was doing tonight. The mask was nearly dry, and it pulled at his little chin hairs as he grinned.

Andronicus felt giddy tonight after all of the day's stressors had been wiped away with fabulous greasy take-out and some self-care. He felt ginger sitting there with her, in the seat, he was quickly wearing in, and like he could conquer the world. Andronicus had always appreciated the relationship he had with his older sister. It was more than just the jokes, of which they had many, but it was also the support. He felt like he could do anything when they talked about the future. Which was far better than what he felt when talking about his future with their parents.

"Eleanora," he started, suddenly a much more severe sound to his voice. Andronicus sat forward and began to pull at the mask's edges until he could easily remove it. Without turning back to her, he spoke, the discarded peel crumpled up in his hands. He'd known what he was thinking for a while now, but he hadn't really told anyone, especially not their parents. Andronicus loved Quidditch, but more than that, he loved tinkering, love the spells and charms, and things that went into making brooms, and that was what he wanted to pursue.

"I don't want to be a potioneer."

“Oh, you’ve a good point there; how will I survive without my Chinese takeout?” Eleanora said with much mirth, glad that her brother had turned such a sensitive topic into a point of fun conversation between the two of them. Andy had always had a talent for that, making light of otherwise complicated issues. And it certainly helped that he, too, was living through it as well. “You don’t even know where your grandmother lives? Shame on you,” she smiled, “bet you’d be able to to make it to Jacq’s house in your sleep, huh?” she looked at him suspiciously. “Your priorities are backward, Andronicus,” she said sternly, much in the high pitched manner that their mum spoke in. Eleanora had heard her say it before, and it had made her laugh, so much so that she, too, had gotten called down for a proper scolding.

Eleanora felt her smile widen just a little bit more at the mention of Danny, but didn’t want to give too much away. “We’ll see,” she said with no commitment. “You just don’t go around telling mum, or she’ll start poking her nose in my business,” she warned him. Eleanora knew that her brother was trustworthy, surprisingly more so than even some of her close friends, but wanted to make sure to say it anyway just in case he thought otherwise. There was a reason Eleanora never discussed her love life with her mother, primarily when that love life did not involve the guys the woman had chosen.
 
Eleanora looked over at him curiously as he said her name, her full name, the one he hadn’t used for as long as she could remember. The one that he usually said whenever there was something serious that he wanted her to pay attention to.

“Ooh—” she grimaced slightly in wry amusement, “that’s going to be an argument when you bring it up to dad,” she said slowly, leaning over to rest a hand on his shoulder in commiseration. “What are you thinking of? Pro Quidditch or something? Don’t think we’ve ever had a Lovecraft pro Quidditch player that’d be something…” she considering it as she thought about how fun that might be. She’d go to every game, that was for sure.

"I don't want to fight with him about it, though," Andronicus admitted. Sighing, he sat back into the cushion again, fell back into it more likely, resigning to the fact that it was going to be an argument no matter what he wanted. No matter how much they joked about their parents and their persnickety natures, Andronicus hated fighting with them. He didn't like to deal with the drama, disagree, and especially be forced to do something he didn't want to. From the time he was born, it was basically predetermined that he would one day lead the company. That he would take his father's place as a potioneer and continue the tradition and family line. Up until a few years ago, everything had been on track. Quidditch had always been more than a passing obsession, but Andronicus had still planned to join the apothecary.

Now, the older he grew, the more he wanted to rebel against what he was supposed to do. It was more than just wanting to break the rules, though; it was also that his interests had changed. Andronicus wanted more than only to inherit a title and position at a company. He was adequate when it came to brewing potions, but he didn't really have fun with it. Not like he did with brooms and enchanting.

"Not exactly," he told her with a shrug, his shoulders pushing into the plush sofa behind him. "Like playing professionally would be amazing, don't get me wrong," Andronicus had thought about it, more than just a few times, dreamed about it even, but there was something else that was pulling him. "But more than that, I'd want to be able to actually make the broomsticks. Like enchant them, fix them, maybe even invent new ones," Andronicus had learned about his passion for fixing up old brooms when the Flying instructor had assigned him the task during a detention years earlier. She'd thought he would hate it, that it would teach him a lesson, but he ended up staying well past the hour and had been returning to the broom shed ever since to maintain the school brooms.

"Did you know each broom is spelled individually, so like even though they are the same brand, same series, they can be just the tiniest bit different depending on who performed the enchantments. It's like an individual fingerprint, no two brooms are the same." He spoke with the kind of reverence an artist might talk about his craft, and to Andronicus, broom work was an art. It was clear that he was passionate, but just like their mother would try to set them up for good marriages regardless of who they were dating, their father wouldn't care about which careers they were passionate about. At least not when there was already a job waiting for him.

“I know,” she looked at him with sympathy. Their father was easier to “talk” to than their mum in a way, but their answers somehow ended up synching by the end of the conversation. It didn’t help that they had power over them in the form of their inheritance and their name. Now that she considered it, she thought it was funny how some of her classmates thought her like to be full of luck. On the contrary, she felt cursed to have been born into this life.

Eleanora hated that they had to fight their parents on everything: love, manners, travel, careers were all a point of discussion, one in which their mum always had the final say. It didn’t seem fair to her, especially when one considered how many other people were given a world of opportunity to explore and make their way. Eleanora understood that in their way, they wanted to protect them from the dangers, had experienced things that they did not want their children to experience. But at the same time, such measures of overprotective behavior only made her want to break the rules further. Andy probably wanted to do the same thing, try things on his own and make his own decisions about life and all it had to offer them.

She leaned forward to toss the mask into the bin next to the couch, only momentarily wondering if she was supposed to do that before deciding that she didn’t really care that much. Listening to him closely, she nodded along, a little surprised that her brother hadn’t gone the professional Quidditch direction she had initially anticipated. “That’s pretty brilliant!” she said with a smile, “Imagine that, a Lovecraft with a broomstick business, that’s our enterprising spirit at work,” she half-joked. At least he hadn’t said he wanted to become a radio DJ or a muggle rights activist; being a business owner sounded like a career path that her parents wouldn’t fully oppose to, but it would take some convincing.

“I don’t think much about my broom, don’t think I’ve touched it since school, to be honest,” she confessed. Even though their interests were different, she was certainly curious about what he had said. “But I think you should do what you want—” she encouraged, “and sort of let things sort out on their own. Maybe Morgana can be our shining Potioneer, but she won’t get dad’s position,” she continued, pausing for a moment. “You should talk to Grandpa Lovecraft, that’s how I got out of Hogwarts next year and this apartment,” she smiled. “He’s actually not as scary as he looks in the portraits at home, not kind but reasonable,” she added. “Do you go to school for that? Broom making and the like?”

Andronicus felt like she really understood him when she said I know, it was the look, and the shared history made him feel some little bit of comfort. While there was no fixing the fact that he'd have to talk to their father, and it would become a fight, at least he could take some small solace in the fact that he wasn't alone. He knew his big sister would always be there for him, even when he did something dumb, which happened more often than not these days.

"You think?" He asked her, perking up when she did and suddenly feeling even more energetic about his career aspirations. Andronicus hadn't thought she would dismiss it or truly make fun of him, but he hadn't expected this much excitement either, and it was invigorating. Her words had him rethinking his entire approach, which had him soaking up the inspiration and confidence he would need to approach their father. If he went at it from an angle of starting a business, furthering the Lovecraft enterprises, building a wider reach, then maybe he might just be able to convince his parents after all. It wasn't like he was trying to do something entirely silly.

Andronicus nodded when she told him to do what he wanted, still felling the encouragement like it was a suit of armor that fit just perfectly. Head held high, he kept nodding, until she brought up Grandpa Lovecraft, and the smile began to fade. Their father was demanding and intimidating, but their grandfather was even more so. They had actually spoken only a few times, but he had never been cruel, which was a lot more than some of their other family members. So there was that.

Shrugging, he took a deep breath and mulled over the idea. If he had helped Ellie, perhaps, he could help Andy, too; it was undoubtedly an opportunity to take seriously. "Do you think he'd approve, though?" She'd mentioned he was reasonable but was Andronicus' dream practical? He thought so. "I think it'll be more of an apprentice, learn on the job kind of thing. I don't know of any secondary schools for enchanting, but I could get a broom shop job to learn the trade. And then eventually, start my own company."

"I'll have to talk to a professor about it, but I think I'm taking all the right NEWT classes for it." Some careers had concrete tracks; to become an Auror, it was easy to know which classes to take and where to sign up at the Ministry. It was the same for medical students, potioneers, and even quidditch professionals, but Andronicus hadn't seen much on broomstick manufacturing at the last career day. He'd have to do his own research before he approached their grandfather or their parents. Andronicus knew better than to go in without every possible piece of supporting information he could find.

Eleanora nodded at Andy with much encouragement. Sometimes she, too, wished that she had the mental energy to focus on the things she enjoyed and to make a career out of them. Unlike Andy, Eleanora had felt that she had let life happen to her rather than be an active part of it. This feeling likely stemmed from the control her mother exercised over her life and the fact that Eleanora felt powerless when she depended so much on the Lovecraft’s financial assistance to get by daily. But also, from the general mental exhaustion she felt lately. Eleanora had to choose her battles wisely, there had been too much warfare had in past few years and though only nineteen, she felt much older in experiences she did not wish on anyone else.

However, Eleanora was not only being supportive of her brother because it was the right thing to do. Rather, she fully believed in him and if his personality was anything to go by, she was sure that he would be brilliant when left to his own devices. If forced to follow the standards set before him, Eleanora wasn’t too sure that he’d do his best. In the worst-case scenario, he’d leave everything behind and follow his own path. But then that would also mean that she, too, would be left behind. Considering how awful that sounded, she was intent on supportive him as best as she could, though even her best might not be good enough in the face of their mum.

“I guess it depends on whether you catch him on a good day or a bad day,” she smiled, “but I’d probably work my way up to it, spend time with him and you know how much he loves talking about the family business. I think he feels indebted to it because of his brother,” she explained. They were part of the secondary line but much of their wealth they owned to the primary line who Grandpa Lovecraft believed had been generous in letting them benefit. Eleanora did not agree. They had worked just as hard, the project of the apothecary had been co-owned from the beginning, there had been no argument where that was concerned. “But I think if you take the sowing seeds for future generations approach, he might bite,” she offered. “And if he doesn’t well—I’m sure there will be plenty grannies relieved to have you back at the salon doing all the hair washing,” she teased.

She walked over to the bathroom while he continued to speak, reaching into the cabinet for a couple of lotions before returning to plop herself on her couch. “You must be an ace in charms,” she offered, “you remember Phillip Donnelly? I think he’s your year, anyway if he hadn’t helped me pass the class Id probably be nowhere near getting ready for NEWTs,” she continued, Eleanora still hated Hogwarts but was glad that Lip had been helpful. Eleanora handed him one of the tubs of face lotion. “This one’s for you, I had it concocted last time I went to the apothecary, figured you’d need your own, so you’d stop stealing mine,” she teased.

“When you’d get so intro brooms anyway? I don’t remember you being that excited about them your first year,” she noted. But in reality, she couldn’t quite remember. 

"Ha, ha, very funny," Andronicus said as he narrowed his eyes at Eleanora, "Not," The idea of returning to wash old witches hair was something Andronicus did not find nearly as amusing as his sister seemed to, but in the end, he smirked anyway. "You are right, though, I'll have to spend some more time with him, figure out that best way to bring it up. But, even with his blessing, do you think Mother will let me do it?" Andronicus hated that their mother had such a say in their lives, but he was too young to do anything about it right now. Maybe one day he'd stand up to her, tell her to take her ideas and keep them to herself, but they all knew that day was nowhere soon. Besides, like his sister, Andronicus still needed all of the things their wealthy, connected parents could provide. With his own business, perhaps, he wouldn't need them forever.

Andronicus gave her a smug, over a confident smile, as she walked toward the bathroom. He seemed to think he was pretty good where charms were concerned. He'd even started dabbling in inventing his own, not that many of them had worked, and even less had done what they were supposed to, but he had to start somewhere, right? A disbelieving eyebrow raised when Eleanora brought up a Ravenclaw wizard in his year, still finding it amusing (and curious) that the two of them had somehow become friends. Andy didn't know much about Phillip, but he had never seen the guy talk to anyone besides some blonde underclassman. "Still can't believe you two are friends," He said with a shrug as he sunk back into the couch and placed his socked feet up on the coffee table. Crossing them at the ankles, Andy waited for her to return from the bathroom and caught the bottle she'd handed to him with cupped hands.

"Oh, hey, thanks," He said, the smile on his face giving away that he was entirely planning on stealing hers before leaving. Eleanora always had the best stuff, and even though Andy wasn't ashamed to go into the apothecary, he wasn't quite as good at picking out the best concoctions for his skin type. "I would never," he lied, and then laughed. Tucking the vial into his pocket, he folded his arms across his chest and relaxed. "Always loved flying, and Quidditch, but I guess it started a few years back." Andronicus had loved flying from the day his father had bought him a broom. His obsession with the magic behind it hadn't always been there, however. "Got assigned to the broom shed for a few detentions, I had to maintain and repair the house brooms for two weeks, and I ended up really enjoying it," He shrugged, feeling weirder about explaining his passion for manual labor than he was about admitting to getting detention. Potions aside, their family wasn't really the 'get your hands dirty' type. Everything was done by magic or hired staff, so Andronicus couldn't help but feel some way about enjoying hard work.

"What about you, any new hobbies? I mean, do you work all day and then come home and do it all over again?" The seventh-year certainly hoped not; it would shatter all of the imaginative ideas he had about being free of Hogwarts.

“Even mum’s power doesn’t extend that far, once grandfather says you can, there really isn’t much she can do about it,” she explained with a light shrug, having experienced how that power dynamic had worked in her favor when she had complained to her grandfather about her mother’s relentless behavior. In the end, she was no Lovecraft and in comparison to the higher, more important members of the family, she had little say in how things were resolved. It was, among a few other things, a sort of saving grace for Eleanora and she hoped that it would be for her brother as well. At least for the sake of his sanity and his self-esteem. “But I’m sure she’ll come around,” she added in hopes of encouraging him, “especially if you make a big name for yourself, you’ll be the highlight of the conversation at afternoon tea,” she added with a smile.

For a long time, Eleanora, too, had hoped to become someone that her mother could proudly brag about while chit chatting with her friends. Unfortunately, she had failed to meet the woman’s standards on several occasions and had more or less been hidden from view from others. From her understanding, Eleanora knew that her mother rather talked about what she was up to or how she was doing. In the beginning, it had made her sad to know that outside of her successes she practically did not exist but it also opened her eyes to the reality of what it meant to be a Lovecraft.

“You mean to say that you’re surprised I have any friends at all?” she teased in retort to his comment but she knew what he meant. Phillip wasn’t the sort of person one would automatically associate with someone like Eleanora. A long time ago, the young witch had had a reputation of her own, and though she wasn’t never as popular as some of her contemporaries, she was certainly friendlier and much more outgoing than Phillip would ever be. “He’s really nice actually, not that he’d admit to it, but most importantly, he’s refreshingly honest don’t try to impress anyone, it’s really hard to find someone like that these days,” she continued in her explanation. Eleanora wondered if Andy had anyone like that in his life, that was completely honest with him all the time.

She listened to his story closely, very intrigued by the journey he took from Quidditch to brooms, “Sounds like a good story for an interview, you know,” she pointed out. “Not the sort of hobby one would expect you’d take up after detention, Hogwarts would be proud to know their disciplinary system works,” she half joked. But most importantly she was indeed happy that he had found what he believed to be his calling. “I’m pretty boring, Andy,” she confessed with a small laugh, “But I guess lately I’ve been sort of trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. Can’t work at a nightclub forever, especially not with my broom connoisseur of a brother, need to set my aim higher,” she teased. "I still really love Potions but sort of want to rebel and not go into it, to not give mum the pleasure I mean. I've been getting a few tattoos, reading,” she shrugged, "visiting every restaurant in the vicinity, might take on another job to pay more bills myself but I don't know what I'd be good at. Any ideas?" 

The idea that anyone had more power than their mother was foreign to Andronicus, but of course, he believed his big sister when she reassured him. It sounded like going to their grandfather was the very best plan and he nodded sharply, finding himself more committed to doing so the more they spoke about it. Eleanora always helped him with stuff like this, she was a good big sister, and Andronicus had always appreciated having her. Andy's smile faded slightly as they began to talk about a wizard in his year he didn't actually know much about other than he was pretty rude. Phillip was not the type of student Andy could be friends with. Even if he tried.

"Maybe just a little," Andy teased at the idea of her having no friends, and he smiled brightly. How she described the Ravenclaw did not really track with how Andronicus had seen him behave in classes, but he supposed at least the brutally honest part did. Maybe he was different in school than he was around her. Either way, Andy was glad that she had a friend to be honest with, someone who wasn't judging her or waiting for her to break. Andy remembered the looks and the kid gloves, (well her version of kid gloves) their mother had used after everything happened, it was awful.

"Tattoos?" Of course, Andronicus' teenage brain latched onto that nugget instead of anything else she had just told him and he looked at her expectantly. She had helped him get his one and only tattoo, so in a way, it was like a thing between them, but really he just wanted to know what she had gotten. "Uh, no not really, I know the Ministry is always hiring? Or you could go work at a different apothecary if you really wanted to piss off mum. No potioneer in their right mind would refuse to hire a Lovecraft." Andronicus howled with laughter at the thought of Ellie going to another apothecary and the fallout that would come of it. He could picture their mothers scrunched up face clear as day.

“I’ve gotten a few,” she confessed. In actually, it wasn’t really a secret; Eleanora really only went out of her way to conceal her tattoos from her parents for obvious reasons but didn’t put in that effort in doing so whenever she was in the company of her friends. All of her little drawings, as she affectionately called them, were reflections of who she was and the things that she valued. “You haven’t told mum about yours, have you?” she teased but she supposed he had not. If he had, the woman would have come down to Eleanora demanding an explanation as to why she was so insistent on corrupting her son. “I got this one recently,” she added, taking off one bunny slipper, then leaning over to pull her socks down where a sprig of lavender had been etched into her skin in purple and green pigment.

Pulling her sock back she considered what he told her about career choices, the prospects didn’t look too good. “I suppose I could work for the Ministry, like in the office or something?” she said, shrugging her shoulders a little to imply she had no idea what she’d do there. That was a common theme with her, not knowing where she might be able to go or what she could do. “Unless mum paid them enough,” she retorted with a laugh of her own. “But imagine the look on mum’s face, I might do it next time I want to make her upset,” she added. At this point, making their mum upset had become a sort of a game.

“So apart from spending time with your favorite sister, what are your plans for summer anyway? We ought to do something,” she suggested.

Andronicus shifted where he was sitting so he could get a better look at the newest tattoo his sister had on display. "Oh, that is cool," He confessed, and he meant it. While he didn't know the meaning behind the lavender sprig it almost didn't even matter. The style was cool, and he liked the way it followed the curve of her foot, clearly placed in that spot for a reason and not just because it was convenient. Andronicus wanted more, but he had no idea what he'd get, even if he could somehow sneak another past their parents. He'd be old enough soon that it wouldn't matter, but not quite yet.

Talking about things they could do to go against the current their parents so desperately seemed to want them on had always made Andronicus feel better. Powerful, even, like as long as the three of them, Morgana included, stuck together, they could handle anything their overbearing parents through their way. And in a way, it was the truth. Andy never worried about whether or not his sister would stick up for him. Even if he did the wrong thing, she always found a way to support him, and then help him fix his mistakes after.

"Probably get another job," He told her with a little bit of a sigh, trying to smile, but the thought was depressing. He didn't need the money but like Eleanora, Andy very much wanted to stand on his own feet. He hated asking his mother for things, there was always some kind of bargain to it, and eventually, he'd have nothing left to trade. Besides, he felt like a fool taking his girlfriend out on his father's sickles. "It's my last summer vacation," He told her, the grim realization wiping any remnants of a smile from his face. "Yeah.." The wizard said softly like he was still convincing himself.

“Thanks,” Eleanora smiled, happy that her little brother still used words like cool when he talked to her, making it almost feel like he thought she was cool, too. The witch had spent the last year or so trying to rebuild how she understood the world around her and what she was willing to give it but that never took away her desire to be liked. Even so, the compliments that Andy gave her felt more authentic, much more special than the baseless conversations she had with almost everyone else. He knew what she had gone through, seen her at her worst, and still found reasons to think something of her. And it meant much more than she could express into words.

Eleanora sighed dramatically at his statement, “You keep working this hard and mum’s going to take away my inheritance,” she teased, though she didn’t believe the woman would ever take it that far. “Last summer before you’re a proper grown up,” she encouraged, patting him lightly on the back, a gesture she hoped would be encouraging. “Don’t look so sad, Andy, for Merlin’s sake it’s not the end of the world! When you start your little business, you’ll be networking with all sorts and probably find that being an adult is much better than having to sit through lessons!” she continued. Eleanora had been enjoying that part the most, though she did occasionally miss taking Potions classes.

“What are Jacq’s plans after graduation?” 

He knew she was right; somewhere deep down, Andy knew it would only get better after Hogwarts. The freedom and everything that came with it would be so much more fun than anything Hogwarts had thrown at him. Probably safer too, if he was honest, and the thoughts were comforting. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling like one part of his life was coming to an end, and he had to prepare for it. In a way, it was true. All he'd known the last six years was school, and in less than a year, it'd be all over. He'd still have Jacq, and his family, so a lot of things would be the same, but so many things wouldn't. Andronicus was nervous but also excited about the change.

"I'm not sure," He shrugged, though he might have an idea. Jacqueline was a singularly gifted witch; she would be able to go and do anything she wanted to, especially with her grades and new Head Girl title. Andronicus had wondered where he would fit into her big plans, but he tried not to let the worries get to him. They were strong, so strong, so he convinced himself that he wasn't terrified that she would leave him behind. Besides, he'd follow her wherever she wanted to go; it was that simple. "I think she might like to work for the ministry," He began, but Andronicus wasn't entirely sure how much of Jacqueline's possible hopes were his to share. "Maybe an unspeakable, she would be good at that,"

"She would be good at anything though," Andronicus sat back again, so blissfully unaware of how late in the evening it was and the fact that if he didn't return home soon, their mother would send out the search parties. "I just home whatever her plans are, that I will still fit into them," Andronicus had told himself he wasn't going to say it, that it didn't matter, and he wasn't worried about him, but his mouth betrayed his thought.

Eleanora momentarily wondered if they’d be having the same conversation had River been alive, or even if the two of them had still been together. When he had passed on, Eleanora had promised never to forgive herself and for the majority of the time between then and now she had not but she had also grown, changed, and transformed herself into a woman that wasn’t so exclusively tied down to her past.

The witch wasn’t sure how long young love lasted have been denied the opportunity herself but just smiled at Andy’s comment instead of questioning whether he thought things would go past graduation. The two seemed pretty serious and what would she know, she had been so young then. River had been important to her but in retrospect, a lot of that affection felt tied to the fact that she had lost him and her teenage emotions. “Business owner and Ministry worker sound like a good pair,” she offered kindly. She didn’t want to overwhelm him with her thoughts when they became negative like this.

“I think she would be too, but so would you,” Eleanora responded. “I think it’s cute, how close the two of you are, and how hard you’re trying to make this work. So I’m sure that regardless of what you want to do after graduation, it’s going to work,” she gave him a smile. “Why you so worried anyway? Enjoy being a kid for now!”

"I'm not sure why I'm worried," Andronicus admitted, and it was the truth. Jacqueline had given him no reason to worry, and he was pretty sure they were on the same page when it came to most things, but he couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. "I guess I'm just worried; I almost lost her once," Andy reminded his big sister with a knowing look. They didn't talk about it very often, all the times he chose their wicked cousin Genevieve and her goons over doing the right thing when he was younger.

Andronicus had been so easily manipulated that it was embarrassing. He'd gone against everything he learned from his good-hearted big sister and his brilliant best friend, Jacqueline. He'd nearly gone down the dark path but pulled himself out of it in the nick of time. And he had a good time after that trying to convince Jacq to forgive him. Even though plenty of time had passed, and she was his girlfriend now, Andy could still feel the pain of losing his best friend just as acutely as he ever did. He never wanted to experience something like that again.

But Eleanora was right. They were still young, with plenty of time left at Hogwarts, and figured out all of the big questions. Besides, they were magical, so even a 'long-distance-relationship' wouldn't really have to be all that long distance. They would make it work; Andronicus could feel it. Sighing, he nodded and agreed with his wise older sister. "Yeah, you are right, plenty of time,"