Written with Kit.

Andromeda awoke. Her wand was in her hand instantly. Her ears strained for sound. Something had woken her up. All she heard was the thud thud of blood in her ears. But she was sure she heard something. The wind was low. The house felt still. It was dark and she was alone. The bedside clock ticked softly. Her wand light lit it enough to see the hour. Twenty to four in the morning. The middle of the night. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She decided to do a lap of the house. Be sure.

Andromeda’s feet felt cold on the floor. The bedroom latch lifted silently with magic. She crept lightly along the upstairs passage. Using all her auror stealth. The blood thud thudded in her ears. Her shallow breaths joined them. She forced herself to breathe slowly. She lifted the latch of Orion’s room. Found an empty bed. The covers turned back. Books open on the bed. Scattered on the floor.

She crept forward. Why was her brother reading in the dead of night?

Andromeda lit her wand. Held it over the first book. Was Orion reading alchemy? These were books of symbols, instructions for complicated potions. Far beyond her NEWT in potions. She reached for the next book.

A floorboard creaked behind her. Andromeda’s fingers released the book. She extinguished her wand. Swung round and fired her hex. The figure came out of nowhere. They landed with heavy on the bed and wrestled. One of the books jammed between Andromeda’s shoulder blades.

"Ri!" She yelled. The figure released.
"Andie!"

Light filled the room. Orion was sprawled on the bed beside her. In t-shirt and underpants.

"Fuck!" Exclaimed Andromeda. “I thought you were an intruder!”
"Same as!" Her big brother replied. "I just went to the toilet! Merlin Andie."

Andromeda scrambled to sit up. Grabbed the open book. Shoved it at her brother.
"Since when did you read alchemy?"
"Alchemy?" Ri asked. "This is Portuguese. I’m brushing up. Can’t sleep. I know it’s foreign, but it’s still the same alphabet, sister."
"What?" Andromeda studied the book. She had been sure she had seen alchemist symbols. But the book pages were just translations for maladies and illness. The previous page a diagram of the body with labels. In Portuguese. She dropped the book. Reached for another. The whole thing was written in Portuguese. And the next. And the next.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Course I am." Andie said in a hurry. Had she still been dreaming? Did she need glasses? Had it just been too dark? She sprang up from the bed. "Do not go creeping round the house for a piss. Right?"
"Alright." Ri replied. He sounded bemused. "… Goodnight again?"
"Yeah, night."

Andie closed the bedroom door behind her. Heard her brother turn pages of his book. Mutter something in Portuguese. Thud thud thud. Her heart was still pounding. I could have knocked my own brother out. Andie thought. Pull yourself together Auror. She walked back down the passage to her own room. Climbed back into bed. Stared at the ceiling.