Ficlet: The Tricks Fate Played
Character(s): Andromeda Black, Ted Tonks
Word Count: 510 words
Notes: Andromeda at her last Sorting Ceremony, after the break Sirius being sorted. Rated PG.
The Sorting Ceremony. Andromeda sighed, not terribly interested. Yes, it was the last Sorting she'd ever see, but she'd never found them particularly interesting to begin with. She knew that she should, as a prefect, be listening for the new Slytherins, but they were only first years. (Even Slytherin first years were a bit too wet behind the ears to cause much trouble. Next year, though - but next year, she wouldn't be back at Hogwarts.)
She tuned out the Sorting's Hat song, although Ted's eyes met hers when the hat began to talk of bravery. No, she knew it was not brave of her to break with her family, merely sensible. She'd tried to tell Ted that before, but he always insisted otherwise. Of course, she didn't really mind him calling her brave, but comparing her to a Gryffindor? Ted didn't understand the insult.
Still, she smiled suddenly when the Hat started to speak of Hufflepuffs. She'd thought Hufflepuff was the "default" house when she first got to Hogwarts: the place they put you if you weren't good enough for the other houses. She knew better now: Ted had taught her that. Loyalty and hard work were always something to be proud of. She caught his eye, and he grinned back at her.
The Hat moved on to Ravenclaws and their wit, and to her Slytherins. She'd always thought that the Sorting Hat was bit biased against her house: cunning wasn't the complimentary description she could think of for Slytherin. Strong, yes. Talented, yes. Stubborn, yes. (At least it didn't call Slytherin the pure-blood house, like so many of Ted's friends. It took more than blood to be called a Slytherin.)
Finally, the Hat stopped its (rather off-key) ditty, and the Sorting proper began. There was a Black in this year's class: Sirius, her favorite cousin. She didn't want to know what he thought of her now. What her family had said to her face was bad enough...
Yes, sure enough, "Black, Sirius" was called up. He was sure to be a Slytherin: everyone in the family was. (Idly, she wondered what was worse, in her aunt's eyes: a Slytherin niece who married a Muggleborn, or a non-Slytherin son. Unfortunately, she knew the answer.) She knew Ted was trying to get her to look at him - he knew that she had once loved Sirius. He still didn't understand her family (and never would) - but that didn't matter anymore, because they weren't her family now. He was her family, and she was his.
Her reverie was rather rudely interrupted by a single shouted word: Gryffindor. Had she missed Sirius' sorting altogether? No, he was still up there, taking the Hat off his head, a dazed look on his face. Could she have heard right? Was Sirius - eldest son, the heir of the Black house - a Gryffindor? A Gryffindor? (Such a lovely shock for her aunt.)
Sirius - rule-breaking, troublesome, "cunning" Sirius - a Gryffindor? She leaned back and laughed, laughed out loud, at the tricks Fate played.
Word Count: 510 words
Notes: Andromeda at her last Sorting Ceremony, after the break Sirius being sorted. Rated PG.
The Sorting Ceremony. Andromeda sighed, not terribly interested. Yes, it was the last Sorting she'd ever see, but she'd never found them particularly interesting to begin with. She knew that she should, as a prefect, be listening for the new Slytherins, but they were only first years. (Even Slytherin first years were a bit too wet behind the ears to cause much trouble. Next year, though - but next year, she wouldn't be back at Hogwarts.)
She tuned out the Sorting's Hat song, although Ted's eyes met hers when the hat began to talk of bravery. No, she knew it was not brave of her to break with her family, merely sensible. She'd tried to tell Ted that before, but he always insisted otherwise. Of course, she didn't really mind him calling her brave, but comparing her to a Gryffindor? Ted didn't understand the insult.
Still, she smiled suddenly when the Hat started to speak of Hufflepuffs. She'd thought Hufflepuff was the "default" house when she first got to Hogwarts: the place they put you if you weren't good enough for the other houses. She knew better now: Ted had taught her that. Loyalty and hard work were always something to be proud of. She caught his eye, and he grinned back at her.
The Hat moved on to Ravenclaws and their wit, and to her Slytherins. She'd always thought that the Sorting Hat was bit biased against her house: cunning wasn't the complimentary description she could think of for Slytherin. Strong, yes. Talented, yes. Stubborn, yes. (At least it didn't call Slytherin the pure-blood house, like so many of Ted's friends. It took more than blood to be called a Slytherin.)
Finally, the Hat stopped its (rather off-key) ditty, and the Sorting proper began. There was a Black in this year's class: Sirius, her favorite cousin. She didn't want to know what he thought of her now. What her family had said to her face was bad enough...
Yes, sure enough, "Black, Sirius" was called up. He was sure to be a Slytherin: everyone in the family was. (Idly, she wondered what was worse, in her aunt's eyes: a Slytherin niece who married a Muggleborn, or a non-Slytherin son. Unfortunately, she knew the answer.) She knew Ted was trying to get her to look at him - he knew that she had once loved Sirius. He still didn't understand her family (and never would) - but that didn't matter anymore, because they weren't her family now. He was her family, and she was his.
Her reverie was rather rudely interrupted by a single shouted word: Gryffindor. Had she missed Sirius' sorting altogether? No, he was still up there, taking the Hat off his head, a dazed look on his face. Could she have heard right? Was Sirius - eldest son, the heir of the Black house - a Gryffindor? A Gryffindor? (Such a lovely shock for her aunt.)
Sirius - rule-breaking, troublesome, "cunning" Sirius - a Gryffindor? She leaned back and laughed, laughed out loud, at the tricks Fate played.