wotcher

[alciavikkander]

[tcdwrdtxnks]

@andrmdablck

[tcdwrdtxnks]

andromeda.

*

The tent was… quiet so far. No major injuries, nothing that couldn’t be fixed in a few moments time; it was just the sound of her and the music playing in the background. Well, now it was just that, as Andromeda had told the other Healer to go enjoy the concert for a bit. They weren’t needed here; not in that moment, at least, and there was no reason for both of them to sit around instead of being out there. Might as well be her. Twirling her wand around as she paced back and forth, unable to sit down, a voice immediately caught her attention as she came to a stand-still, face lighting up.

Arms outstretched at her side, palms facing the sky (well – ceiling of the tent, but semantics) as she confirmed what he likely already knew to be true. “Do you even have to ask?” A bit of a laugh at that admission as her arms came back down, knowing that anyone who knew her well enough would assume as Ted had. It was only fair – they’d be correct, after all. “I mean – someone has to do it, right? Might as well be me.” The people she worked with, they were… tired and over-worked and they needed a night of just fun and not caring about anything else. She was okay. Really. Mostly.

Truthfully, she knew that if she hadn’t offered to do this, it likely would have been Lily taking her spot – and that was the last thing she wanted. Lily, of all people, deserved to enjoy the concert.

“It’s fine, though. It’s been quiet, so it’s… really nice to see you.” It was always really nice to see Ted, and she hoped he knew that; this wasn’t an exception but a common occurrence. Andromeda had merely meant that right now, particularly, it was nice to have a familiar face come in. For a non-medical reason, of course. “And it’s nice to see that you’re having fun.” A brief flicker of her eyes to the pint in his hand, smile still on her face. Unlikely to leave anytime soon. “Have one for me as well when you’re done, yeah?”

☘

Ted’s eyes lit up at the demonstration, a laugh warming his chest a moment later. He didn’t expect anything less; if there was half a chance that his work could be useful at something like this, chances were he’d also be working, too. Sometimes it was easier to work than to take time off - a fact that he had been doing his best to fight against over the holidays, even if it was falling short now. Even though he had taken the night off, no shortage of Ted’s thoughts were stuck at work, trying to make sure he’d really caught up on holiday orders and ensured things would be fine when he made it back in. That he wasn’t really doing the wrong thing by taking a night for himself, regardless of if it was under the guise of doing something for the right reasons instead. 

When the hell had self-preservation become so bloody difficult?

“Y’know -- a good friend of mine likes to say it’s important to take time for yourself so you don’t wear thin. It sounds complete shit, but I think she might be onto something.” Ted told her with an easy laugh. Taking your own advice was always an impossible thing, but he couldn’t help sending it back her way all the same; for as much time Ted spent working, he didn’t know anyone who spent half as much of their life doing their job as Andromeda did. It was admirable, really, and one of the many things he respected about her - but it worried him, too. Because he could see it, the weight. No matter how hard she tried to hide it.

“A nice, quiet night. So you must be going mad with boredom, yeah?” A good thing, no doubt; he couldn’t imagine that anyone would really want hospitals to need to be busy. But Ted did horribly with spare time as it was, to say nothing of how much Andromeda seemed to hate it. Glancing down at the pint in his hand, Ted’s wrist twisted as if to use it to gesture, and he let out a short laugh. “Figured might as well have at least one, if I’m gonna be here,” he admitted with an easy shrug. “Next one will be for you, I promise.” Ted agreed, another laugh working into the words. “You hungry or anything? I can grab somethin’ from another tent and bring it in. Least I can do.”

[tcdwrdtxnks]

mary.

The moment Mary heard about the concert, she knew she had to go – price of a ticket be damned. It’d been… months at this point since she’d done anything fun, which was entirely valid all things consider, but she desperately needed to feel like a person and someone in a war for just… one night. Just one measly little night, that’s all she asked for. A simple request. Right?

Cup of Dragon Scale in hand (her third one, mind you), her hair swung back and forth as her head shook to the beat of the song, entirely unaware of anyone else around her. Potentially not the best situation to put herself in, all things considered, but she had passed the point of caring about… oh, half an hour ago. Now, she was singularly focused on having a good time – and that meant getting snacks.

Shoving her way through the crowd, Mary made her way over to the Honeydukes stand, staring up at the menu in awe – and unable to make a proper decision, spoke her choices out loud to the nearest person. “All right – chocoballs or pumpkin fizz? It’s a tough choice.”

☘

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.”

[tcdwrdtxnks]

andromeda.

For a fleeting moment, Andromeda found herself wishing that just once, she could attend an event as a patron and not as a staff member – but that had never been her reality, and she wasn’t exactly holding her breath in anticipation. Besides, it wasn’t entirely terrible; she was a part of the Healers that were set up in the St. Mungo’s tent in case anything went wrong, but at least she was still technically here. The view of stage wasn’t the best, but it gave her enough to see the band and Merlin knows she had absolutely no issue with hearing them.

It certainly could have been a lot worse; and at least she wasn’t actually at St. Mungo’s during this.

Still, it felt weird being at work while hoping no actual work had to be done. That was the irony when you worked in health care; having tasks meant that something went wrong, and while she loved being a Healer and thrived on keeping herself busy, she always hoped for the exact opposite – for everything to just go smoothly. So when she noticed a figure approaching the tent, she quickly made her way over to the front, the words automatic before realization of who it was even kicked in.

“Hello there – did you need some help?”

It had felt like an impossibly long winter, one that somehow managed to end more quickly than Ted expected. Maybe it was finally having gone home, spent the holiday with his mother that helped it move so fast - because it sure as hell wasn’t anything happening anywhere else. The war had started taking more of a toll on him than he was quite ready to admit just yet, but being home had felt good. Worrying about what might happen if his mother’s house was compromised, not exactly a reassurance, but he would take what he could. 

Ted was well aware of the irony in considering a charity concert a light at the end of a tunnel. Maybe more fitting would be to think of it as a stop before the actual end. At least it gave him the chance to feel like he was doing something, even if the orphanage would never have enough. That was always the trick, the small, pessimistic voice in the back of his mind he so frequently tried to lock away kept telling him. There never would be enough, but Ted knew how much that just meant having to try harder. Besides, there was something almost comforting in how many people seemed to have shown up for it - even if the band was the large selling point he imagined it was. 

Even by himself, he was having fun. A fact that in itself had felt impossible, recently. One that still seemed too fragile to say aloud, on the chance it disappeared, or the night went sideways. A pint of firewhiskey was in his grasp (despite wanting to keep his wits about him, even Ted knew his limits; a few drinks wouldn’t be the end of the world), he found himself approaching the tent for St. Mungo’s, almost as if his feet were moving on their own. Maybe they were. Or maybe he just hoped the question eating in the back of his mind would be right - and it seemed to be.

“Ah, I just had a feeling if you were here, this is where you’d be.” Ted shrugged, an easy grin flashing across his face, as it so often did when he saw Andromeda. Eventually he’d have to face what that had to mean. “Did they put you to work tonight or did you volunteer? Be honest.”

[sammy-bryant]

[tcdwrdtxnks]

daisy.

Daisy stood near the entrance of the walking trail in the park as she waited patiently for Ted. She found herself rather excited to be hanging out with him, she always did somewhat look up to him. He was great company - very laid back and easy going, exactly the type of person she loved to surround herself with. Severus was working, and Daisy had finished up in the greenhouse much earlier than usual, so she had written to Ted asking to go for a walk with her. His answer was almost immediate and he agreed to meet with her an hour later. Without anything else to do while she waited, she made her way out to a nearby café and grabbed each of them a hot chocolate before going to the park.

When she spotted him, her smile lit up and she held up one of the cups in her hand as a way to wave at him. “Hey!” Daisy called out, bouncing slightly in place. As he grew closer, she handed one of the cups to him with a grin. “I know that you’re usually the one with sweets, but I figured since I was dragging you along with me it was the least I could do.” Daisy giggled, turning towards the walking path. Spring was right around the corner, which meant the snow was finally starting to melt, but that also meant things were getting rather muddy. “I hope you’re not wearing shoes you’re in love with. My boot almost got stuck in the mud the last time I was here.”

@tcdwrdtxnks​

Despite his better judgment, the need to keep his mother away from the war and anything that might tell her what he was living through, Ted had gone home for the holidays. It had been good to be home, to be with his mother for Hannukah and feel like there was at least something that was normal, even if only for a little while. The problem was, it made returning to the real world all the more difficult; even more to stay away now. For all the effort Ted put into trying to stay away from his childhood home to protect Evelyn, it was all for naught now. Somewhere deep down, he knew that was for the best. It was good to have that back. 

Still, he felt guilty - going home had put her at more risk. It meant his work in the greenhouse fell further to the wayside. And while Ted more than trusted Daisy in his absence, he still felt a surge of remorse that he hadn’t been around more often, so when he got her letter it was a relief. It was always good to see her, and Merlin only knew that it had been too long. Apparating to their meeting place, an easy grin spread across his face. “Wotcher, Daisy.” He greeted, letting out a warm laugh as he took the cup from her. “Ah, great minds. I brought you some rugelach, my mum keeps sendin’ me home with too much.” Ted admitted, reaching into his coat to pull out a small bag full of the pastry, trading her. “And don’t worry about it, you’d have to be mad to wear fancy shoes onto a trail like this.” He shrugged easily, nodding his head in the direction of the path. “Shall we?” 

[sugarbabywenkexing]

[tcdwrdtxnks]

@andrmdablck

[greysanatomydaily]

top 15 grey’s anatomy ships as voted by our followers → 13. alex and jo  

[tcdwrdtxnks]

@andrmdablck

[the-memedaddy]

[fanonical]

i found that the last name tonks is hebrew. do u think nymphadora could be jewish (and by extension ted)????

100000000%. good headcanon, anon

[dearemma]

[tcdwrdtxnks]

@marymacdnld

[tcdwrdtxnks]

mary.

“I can’t remember the last time I was on a bike.” Her voice was wistful, a bit distance – an automatic reaction before she even realized who exactly she was speaking to. Ted. Preferable company, someone she enjoyed more than most; though she had a feeling that if he saw her on the rink, he’d damn near have a heart attack. He was always so protective, over her, over people, she couldn’t begin to imagine how he would feel once something inevitably happened to her. The thought clenched her heart, but not as much as it had in the beginning; she didn’t know if it was accepting it or becoming numb to it. Either way, she knew she didn’t want to dwell on it – and she knew whole-heartedly that such thoughts would not be expressed to him. That was not a conversation she needed to delve into.

Instead, Mary did her best to focus on this conversation, eyebrows raising at his admission. “Really? You never went skating?” It always kind of took her by surprise; they were all just people living in the same world but everyone’s experiences was so vastly different from others. “Winter’s always been my favourite holiday so I made my brothers go with me when they were younger – which wasn’t that hard because one of them played hockey, so he always offered. My parents weren’t that much into it, but they’d watch from the stands. Usually had hot chocolate for me when we were ready to go.” That… that clenched at her heart, too. Things were so much easier back then. “I miss them.” Her voice was quiet again before she cleared her throat, already trying to push down those thoughts as well. A skill she was nearly masterful at. “But that was a long time ago, and I really doubt I’d be as good now as I was back then. Or any good at all, really.”

So much of Ted’s life had been spent taking care of other people. Growing up and putting everyone above himself, that had become his life at such a young age that now it felt more like a comfortable jumper than a decision. His mother, before magic. And after, it became his friends, other Muggle-borns, anyone who needed it. Better to take care of other people than focus on his own problems. Anyone else, and Ted would likely argue that - but he had seen firsthand what his own wallowing could do to him. Grief had nearly swallowed him whole once, made a child into a man years before it was meant to. Maybe that was why it became such a difficult habit to break now, or maybe it was just that Ted always felt more a sense of relief in it. And Mary, well, Mary was near the top of the list. Overbearing and infuriating as Ted was sure he’d been over the years, it was an impulse he couldn’t control. “Yeah,” he sighed, almost wistfully, suddenly having a hard time remembering the last time he’d been on a bike either. “It’s been awhile for me, too.”

Ted shook his head, tucking his hands into the pockets of his coat. “My dad promised to teach me, but he passed before getting the chance. I never got around to it after that. Believe it or not, I wasn’t always the delightful pain in your arse that I am now,” the latter was an obvious joke, though Ted couldn’t help but notice the surge of relief he felt. Eighteen years. His heart twisted each time he thought of it, but there was no getting around that. At least now, it was easier to discuss him, to keep a smile on his face without feeling as if it was disrespecting his father’s memory. That sort of thing came to mind more often now, especially around the holidays, worse after visits home, however sparing Ted desperately tried to keep them. His smile spread, letting out a warm laugh at Mary’s reminiscing. No happy memories like that to share, being the only child. Holidays away from Hogwarts had always been met with baking and sharing herbology facts with his mother over tea. Definitely not the same. “They sound great,” Ted assured, trying to offer whatever he could, knowing it was bound to be impossible for everyone. “Me, too. It - never gets any easier, staying away.” He sobered for a moment, thinking of his mother. An impossible thing. “Eh, y’never know. You’re here, might as well give it a shot if you miss it.”

[upschittcreek]

[tcdwrdtxnks]

@sirivsblack

[robert-nash]

[tcdwrdtxnks]

@andrmdablck

[tcdwrdtxnks]

mary.

Mary was currently sat on a bench, eyes staring out at the frozen lake as people skated around it; some gracefully and others…. Not so much. Those were the ones that were more fun to watch, though. The struggle to get up and often times the person who was helping them get back up. Those were the ones she could relate to more. Her own skates (well, rented skates) were laced up and on her feet, of which were aimlessly swinging back and forth. A half-empty cup of hot chocolate remained in her gloved hands as she inhaled the cold air. Winter.

It had always been her favourite season – the snow, the drinks, peppermint anything, the candle scents. Everything was… better in the winter. This year, however, was much more bleak than the others. Always clouded with the air of what if? and when? She couldn’t remember the last time she felt… safe. But for right now, she was content to sit outside, surrounded by lights, sitting on her bench. As another person sat beside her, she smiled slightly while looking down at her feet. “I haven’t worn a pair of these since I was a kid – I’m a bit nervous to actually go out there. I don’t think it’ll fare well… for anyone.”

Despite his better judgment, Ted hadn’t been able to shake his mother after the holidays. He had gone home for Hanukkah - of course he had - but after the attacks on Muggle villages, it had been impossible not to go back. She had needed him, and Ted had needed to be sure that she was safe. If that meant the distance had to stop, then so be it. He rang in the new year in his childhood home, leaving only to pick up his mail. Announcements for the festival had been tucked inside work orders, and Evelyn had insisted on going, to see the lights and celebrate a new year. She’d no idea why it was dangerous, the direct result of Ted’s denial to come outright and worry her over the war. They had gone, but after awhile, she had made the decision to go home and rest, start on dinner. Don’t be late, Teddy. 

He hadn’t wanted to return, but she had insisted, and at least this was Ted knew he had good reason to leave once the sun started to disappear. Hands wedged into his coat, Ted dropped onto a bench near the rink, gazing out aimlessly towards the skaters. It had never been his thing ( most childhood staples weren’t, not until Hogwarts ), but there was a certain kind of appreciation that came from that sort of balance. Snorting out a laugh, Ted looked over, his grin spreading once he realized it was Mary he’d sat beside. Had he really been so distracted he hadn’t noticed? “Y’never know. Might be like riding a bike and come right back once you’re out there.” He offered up with a shrug, letting out a laugh. “You’ll do better than I would. Can’t remember a time where I would’ve ever been out there.”

[andrmdablck]

@tcdwrdtxnks

[tcdwrdtxnks]

☾ Ted Tonks & Andromeda Black

@andrmdablck