three times andromeda found it impossible to ignore ted:
first year ;; days imagining for the lick of freedom--- just an escape from the Black family walls, even if it was to be surrounded by mostly familiar faces day in and day out. Andromeda was actually excited to get to the Slytherin table to sit amongst her friends. Perhaps her excitement was what caused her to not pay attention to her surroundings, because after a surprisingly brilliant first week at Hogwarts she stepped right into one Ted Tonks; a fellow first year who was now wearing her chocolate custard dessert she’d been looking forward to. Normally acting on her spoiled upbringing, the young Black daughter was about to unleash her anger on him running into her when it was entirely the opposite way around.
However, there was something which stopped her. At the time Andromeda had no idea what it was because she didn’t even know what the Hufflepuff’s name was. Nonetheless, she grabbed the boy’s hand, dragging him into the women’s bathroom. Despite Ted’s protests, she insisted on helping him clean his robes because he looked utterly ridiculous with chocolate all over him. The secret was she had wanted to know who the boy was who smiled when he had dessert spilled all over him.
second year ;; not ever one to actually contribute to the bullying (unless someone personally pissed off Andromeda), the middle Black daughter stood off to the side as her friends terrorized a first year Ravenclaw. Alecto and Rodolphus were like two peas in a pod, and while they were wonderful friends Andromeda often had to turn a blind eye to how they treated others. She justified it because she wasn’t the one being cruel--- sure, she may not be actively stopping her friends, but she wasn’t participating. That was enough. That had usually always been enough. Ted Tonks was in the courtyard that day, and he caught the forced chuckle Andromeda made as Alecto continued to tease the muggleborn.
He hadn’t been close enough to say anything to Andromeda, but the look the Hufflepuff gave her was enough to make a chill run down her spine. She was used to disappointment, but that was something worse. What did she owe a random Hufflepuff boy who she only spoke to on occasion? Andromeda knew the answer was nothing, but still she wanted to apologize to Ted. She would, but not until years later.
third year ;; at sixteen, all of Andromeda’s friends were going on dates with other students for the Hogsmeade weekend. She’d agreed to go with a Slytherin a year older than herself--- his name was Henry, and Emma had insisted it wouldn’t be impossible to sit through a couple of hours with him at the Three Broomsticks. He was incredibly polite, and he complimented Andromeda at the right times. She’d honestly been starting to enjoy herself, that is until he mentioned her father. Something about being interested in an internship for a Ministry position in her father’s department. That’s about when Andromeda stopped listening, and Henry must have caught her disinterest because he found a reason to excuse himself not long after.
Rather than going off to find her friends and have them ask about the disaster that had been her date, Andromeda ordered another butterbeer and sat by herself in the corner away from other students. Normally that was an indication to just about anyone someone wanted to be by themselves, but for some reason Ted Tonks seemed to have a terrible time reading the room. He told her she looked like she could use some company, and she’d thought that was the last thing she needed. However, after sitting in the booth, still talking to the Hufflepuff several hours later, Andromeda found that’s exactly what she had needed. Who knew?
