If there was one thing Ted stood by, it was that you had to take care of kids. Maybe it was because he’d stopped being one so young, or maybe it was the result of so many years looking out for students younger than himself. But he had never outgrown it. Granted, things had changed - a lot. They were at war, but that somehow made it infinitely more important. People had lost too much already, to say nothing of the kids.
Losing his father had been hell, but to lose them both that young…
He had made sure to close the greenhouse early that day, to make a withdrawal at Gringotts to donate what he could. It wasn’t much, not by a long shot, but it was something. Anything was better than nothing, and honestly, getting out of his house or the greenhouse was an improvement. Gave him an excuse to be out in the world, around people, instead of continuing to hide behind his work or time to make up for with his mother.
The whiskey had yet to kick in much, but the music and crowd alone were enough to give him a contact high - hard to be at a concert without feeling the adrenaline, if you were doing it properly. Not that Ted had been to one in far too long, though better late than never. Treading through the crowd for a breather, he was lurking near the tents, debating if it was worth eating when a familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “Ah, the eternal question,” Ted chimed up, a knowing grin on his face. “Could always get one now and the other later.”
There were very few people in Mary’s life that she fully trusted – Lily and Marlene were at the top of the list, which anyone could easily assume if they knew her at all. The rest of the Order members fell beneath, none in any particular order; though the ones she wasn’t as familiar with naturally gravitated towards the bottom. Anyone else she was constantly on edge with. Her patience for those who straddled the line, however, was wearing thin. After everything she had been through… she had to be careful. So careful. Nearly to the point where, at times, she didn’t fully recognize herself.
Ted, though – Mary knew she could trust Ted. She knew that as much as she did with Lily and Marlene, though their relationship was different. More-so with Marlene – Lily had a similar protective nature. She understood it. She never felt as if she needed it, she never wanted anyone to feel as if they had to look out for her; but she knew that with the two of them, it was wasteful to wish for such a thing. This was how it was.
“Ted Tonks, advising that I buy not one – but two – types of sweets? I can honestly say, I never thought this day would come. Have you been drinking? I mean, I know I have, but that’s expected.” Was it wise? Likely not – but so few of the decisions that she made were. She was young. She was learning. Slowly.
“That would, however, still requiring making a decision as to which one I want now, so I think.. I’ll get both and alternate. That way I have something on me for the rest of the night.” A wise decision, if you asked her. Granted, the likelihood of them actually lasting for longer than an hour was small, but there was no need to vocalize such faults with the plan. “Do you want anything?”
