Introducing || Mr. & Mrs. Tonks
Everything was perfect, aesthetically speaking. Their friends were out there, waiting for things to begin, the flowers, the officiant, the wedding party- everything was ready. Even Andromeda was ready, with not a single hint of apprehension, nervousness, or fear to be found.
A few things were missing, though, things Andromeda found did not dampen her happiness, but made this- the last few moments she had as a Black- a little bittersweet. Her sisters weren’t here, nor were her mother, father, or her cousins (excepting for Sirius, who had promised to attend). She’d always imagined spending the last few moments of primping, perfecting, and preparing with them. Instead, she had Alice and Mary at her side, gathering their bouquets and getting ready to make their way down the aisle before her. That wasn’t a bad thing. Over the last year, she’d grown closer to both girls, and every day they got closer. Their friendship meant a lot to Andie, who had never really known pure companionship from people she wasn’t either related to, or about to be related to.
They’d both given her gestures of strength, and good wishes, and good luck, and affection, and Andie had smiled, squeezing their hands, and kissing their cheeks, and releasing them so the ceremony could start. Amos had come and gone already, the well-protected dress delivered, displays of affection shared, and she knew that she’d find him beside Ted at the altar. Oh, that Amos. She truly did adore that man. He’d been such a help to her, a comfort in a way that Ted could not be, that the girls could not be, and that was something she couldn’t thank him enough for. They were like a family, of sorts, she realized, and suddenly, she felt less lonely than she had before, feelings of warmth taking the place of her feelings of bittersweet loss.
She was excited, eager, to get out of this little room and make her way to Ted, and towards the little family of sorts the six of them had become. She couldn’t wait to marry him, couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him, and leave the empty shell of who she used to be behind. It wasn’t just friendships she’d gained since the loss of Hogwarts; she’d gained a sense of self, grew stronger, learned when to stand up for herself, and learned that it was okay to put herself first sometimes, too.
A lot of those things had come from spending time with Ted, with Amos, with Mary, and Alice, and Frank. Amos, she knew, had been a larger help and comfort than most could understand, and part of that, she knew, came from a place of mutual understanding: they both understood the pureblood world in a way that the others in their group did not, and further, he understood some of the things were ingrained in her because of that world.
But, most of her growth, she was proud to realize, had come from within.
She could hear the music swelling again, realizing that her cue to go was coming swiftly, and she plucked her bouquet from the side table near the door, and stepped out, ready to head towards the future. Her bittersweet moment was long past, and now, as she reached her entrance point, the excitement threatened to overcome her again.
Hovering at the start of the aisle, she looked across the room, her eyes meeting Ted’s, and she smiled as she took her first step- towards him, towards their future, and towards happiness. He looked like home, he looked like the future.
He looked like everything she had ever wanted for herself, and for her life, all rolled into one delectable package, and wrapped in a suit. Ted was everything, and as she moved towards him, she had eyes for no one and nothing but him.
There was no one to walk with her. Maybe she could have asked Amos, or Sirius, or Uncle Alphard (if he’d still been alive, bless him), but this- taking this walk alone- was important to Andromeda. She would give herself away, and would give all of herself to Ted.
It took less than a minute to reach him, but in her mind, it took half a lifetime. But reach him, she did, finally, and as she lay her hand in his, her smile threatened to overtake her once more.
“I love you, Handsome,” she whispered, squeezing his hand.
