he adjusts his ice warrior costume awkwardly, and carefully puts the green helmet back onto his head. he stares at her through the holes in the mask, his pale eyes not quite as warm as they usually are. “we really don’t have to do this,” he says, and his heart skips a beat in his chest. any form of confrontation, no matter how small, makes his heart clap in a hummingbird’s song, blood quickly pulsating through his veins, drumming in his ears. “you don’t have to be seen in public with me outside of the library. i don’t care about any of that, i really don’t.” there’s a sigh, and he scratches his nose. his gaze wanders towards the end of the alley, towards the festivities. towards his friends. his eyes are gaining a tired quality that is not yet his new normal. though it will be soon. “or is this the only night of the year that no one cares?“ he pauses, holds his tongue. he can’t help that sarcasm seeps into his voice, into his thoughts. he’s wearing a muggle costume. someone always cares. they both know that. “come on, dromeda. let’s not do this.” at that, his voice almost gains a pleading quality that isn’t quite like him.
WHEN: december 16th, 1968
WHAT TIME: late (or early) night
WHERE: the hogwarts grounds
WITH: @andrmdatonks
the grounds look like they’re covered in powdered sugar, and snow is slowly falling from the skies, making the castle appear like it’s taken straight from some sort of idyllic post card. ted is walking next to one ANDROMEDA BLACK, his hands dug deep into the pockets of his coat ( which he has, for the record, offered her more than once - just in case she happens to be cold -- politeness is a knee jerk reaction to him, after all ), his boots making crinkling sounds against the ground. there’s a quick glance in her direction, and he accidentally kicks up a bit of snow with his foot. “ so ---- “ he says, shoulders hunching slightly upwards. his cheeks are a shade of light pink, though if that is because of the biting cold or because of present company is unclear. “ what are you doing for christmas? “ he asks, a bit sheepish. being in her presence makes him feel so --- uninteresting. as if whatever he has to say, she has always heard something better before, from someone who is far more interesting than him. which is unfortunate, because that also means that every mildly suave thing he could normally come up with... goes out the window. typical, really. ted himself thinks it’s because she’s a year older. and a slytherin. must be. right? “ what’s it like? christmas at your place, i mean, “ he finally asks, and there’s a careful pause following his words. what he really wants to ask is what are THEY like - the famous BLACKS. from what he has heard about them, they would loathe him. he’s not entirely sure why andromeda doesn’t. or maybe she’s just really good at hiding it. he’s not entirely sure, yet.
DATE: september 5th, 1968 ( ted’s fifth year, about a week into the semester )
TIME: a little after midnight
WHERE: the hogwarts library
WITH: @andrmdatonks
WHAT: Ted & Andromeda are planning out their new study groups
“ with all due respect, “ he says, his words slow and careful, calculated. well thought out. “ i think you’re wrong. “ there’s a slight pause, and he clears his throat. he’s watching HER with an almost apprehensive look in his eyes, as if he’s still not quite sure how to handle this SITUATION that he has gotten himself into. which, he definitively isn’t. so he’s sitting opposite her, his books splayed haplessly across his desk, his posture a little tense. shoulders are hunched a little forward ( far from that usual, laid back ted tonks stature ) and his gaze is steadily focused on her. never, ever wavering. even though she makes him a little nervous - she’s older, and he has heard RUMORS about her family, what the sacred twenty eight are like. but he doesn’t know enough about ANDROMEDA BLACK to place her, just yet --- and he’s not the type of guy to jump to conclusions. or he tries not to be. “ first years should start with a history of magic. if we lose them there.... “ he trails off, awkwardly putting his books into a tidier pile, straightening the backs against the table’s edge. he really, really wants this arrangement to work. though he doesn’t exactly require the extra credit the study groups give him, he wants to remain the top of his class. and it also helps that he likes the idea of helping out the younger kids. so he takes a shallow breath and leans back in his chair, an elbow rested against the armrest. grey eyes turn a few shades lighter, warmth pulsating through their depths. “ --- well, there’s no knowing what they’ll turn into. “ a quick wink follows his words, and his lips tug into a smile that lights up his eyes, making him look less tired than he is.
NICK DUNNE from gone girl the novel ( there’s a definite line where nice guy-nick ends and where something much darker begins, super chill, has perfected the craft of looking both like an asshole and the guy next door at the same time, so so so loyal.... until the moment that he’s not and you never hear from him again, pathological smiler, chronic people-pleaser ). ARTHUR PENDRAGON from bbc’s merlin ( has honor coming out of his ass / but also sass, main goal is to do the right thing, very dutiful, would die for what he believes in, unfortunately - doesn’t 100% know what he believes in, can be very fickle and indecisive ). NEWT SCAMANDER from fantastic beasts and where to find them ( have you ever met a man so kind? and has he ever met a person or a beast that he couldn’t love? incredibly dedicated, could easily be a hufflepuff too, book smart, quiet, so so so curious, witty and a little awkward ). SCOTT LANG from ant man ( does too many chewbacca impressions, total nerd, tells cheeky jokes when you least expect them, winks at people way too often, man of honor, would totally hack a corporation and give back to the wronged workers if the opportunity present itself, dad of the year, tongue in cheek humor, falls over himself ), JACKSON AVERY from grey’s anatomy ( just a very good man, values kindness, great with kids, born to be a dad, protective of what he loves, always tries to cheer people up, charismatic ). NICK BURKHARDT from grimm ( chose his job because he wants to help people, that ‘i can’t believe you’ve done this vibe’, doesn’t see everything in black and white, can find good in anyone if he looks really hard, becomes apathetic and cynical in dire situations, pretty laid back ), CHIDI ANAGONYE from the good place ( likes to overanalyze things to the point of self destruction, a little quiet, book smart, very curious about other people and their intentions, loves riddles, over thinker, can’t make up his damn mind to save his life, bends easily for authority ), STEFAN SALVATORE from the vampire diaries ( ultimately a good guy probably, mostly concerned with other people’s happiness and forgets about himself like 24/7, is the little brother but acts like the big brother, lowkey indifferent at times ), BEN WYATT from parks and recreation ( total dad, always there for you, that friend that pretends not to judge you but deep down totally does, super dedicated, extremely stubborn, always supportive ) and MERLIN from bbc’s merlin ( selfless and kind, pretty chill, very sarcastic, way too indulgent of other people’s shenanigans and shitty behavior, pokes fun at himself, tries to fix everyone else but totally forgot to fix himself & his nonsense first ).
WHEN: June 12, 1979
WHERE: The Three Broomsticks
WHO: Open
To say that Sirius was currently distracted would be a bit of an understatement. He hadn’t been able to focus on work since he had arrived that morning. Granted, he wasn’t exactly a model employee. Being known for frequent breaks and flirting with customers, it was a pure MIRACLE that Rosmerta hadn’t fired him yet. But, that day the male seemed to be far away. When the accusation of Remus Lupin had come out, the former Gryffindor had been certain that he hadn’t been capable of such. There was no way that he could have attacked Benjy Fenwick. But, now? Now, he wasn’t so sure of his own beliefs. After all, something had to be amiss–given that Remus refused to let his friends run with him on the full moon the night prior. All these thoughts currently ran through Sirius’s head and kept him from noticing the customer that was motioning his way.. until they practically yelled at him, that is.
“ Oy, alright alright, “ He spoke to the person that finally grabbed his attention, “ Merlin’s beard, calm down. I’ll be right with ya. “ He sighed to himself before he moved down to where the customer sat. “ What can I get ya? “
a quick smile flashes past his face, and he looks off to the side, just a hint of amusement in his eyes. “ so that’s how it’s gonna be, “ he says, shrugging, elbows placed casually against the bar counter. “i’ll take my usual. club soda.” he leans back into his chair, and his gaze grows warmer. he’s dead tired from working all day ( today was one of those days when they called him into st mungos, which was never... an enjoyable experience ), and he’s pretty sure that he looks about as exhausted as he feels. though that doesn’t stop him from offering sirius an inviting smile, tugging his lips just slightly upwards, radiating kindness. but he’s still not tired enough for a drink. he hopes that he will never be. “ are you all right? seem a bit out of it. “ there’s a pause, and an eyebrow raises. “ if you don’t mind me saying. “
TED TONKS. former healer, current mediwizard. chronic fixer. lover of baked goods. family man. bit of a slob. kinda tired. if there wasn’t a war, ted would be running a bakery and solving crossword puzzles all day.
PINTEREST.
PLAYLIST.
hello pals !! i’m liz and i also write bellatrix ( ted’s polar opposite™ ty ) !! thank u for coming to my ted talk ♥ it’s a bit long, but i’ve tried to highlight important bits with capital letters / bold letters and stuff so hopefully it should be easier to read!! also i won’t be offended if u don’t read everything obviously since i’ve written a mini essay about teddy : ~ ) ♥
CHARACTER INFLUENCES:
bill weasley ( very chill, that ‘ i could kill you but i definitively won’t ‘ aesthetic, likable, would die for his wife, academic overachiever ), chidi anagonye ( kinda pretentious, likes riddles, overthinker, a little bit quiet ), terry jeffords ( family guy, probably digs yoghurt, strong and friendly, stays in his own lane ), nick burkhardt ( that ‘ i can’t believe you’ve done this ‘ vibe, moral compass pointing in the right direction most of the time, doesn’t see everything in black and white ), jackson avery ( values kindness, protective of what he loves, willing to fight for what he believes in, tired of stereotypes about his family background ), scott lang ( cheeky jokes when you least expect them, man of honor, would definitively hack a corporation and give back to the wronged workers if the opportunity presented itself ), merlin ( selflessness has no bounds, very smart, tongue in cheek humor, pokes fun at himself ), newt scamander ( can find good in anything, quiet, a little awkward, kind ), nick dunne ( there’s a line where the nice guy ends and something else begins, somehow manages to look like a teddy bear and an asshole at the same time, fiercely loyal until he’s not, pathological smiler ) and ray palmer ( smart, persistent, likes science ).
ANTHEMS:
gimme shelter - the rolling stones // bel air - the church // midnight rambler - the rolling stones // this must be the place ( naive melody ) - talking heads // close to me - the cure.
AESTHETIC / VIBE:
mick jagger during the late 60s, a quick wink in the corridor as he walks past, hands dug deep into washed out jeans, tears burning in your eyes as someone dies in your arms, the smell of vintage books, waking up screaming, blood splatter on your neck, always carrying medical supplies ( there’s always a fight, somewhere ), the smell of freshly baked cookies, a heart beating out a hummingbird’s melody, soft eyes slowly growing colder, muggle pens behind ears, rock and roll playing from old gramophones, never getting the blood out of your favorite shirt, raised eyebrows, faded hickeys and fake smiles to make someone feel better.
QUICK STATS:
name: edward ambrose tonks
nicknames: ted, tedward, teddy
occupation: mediwizard
former house: ravenclaw
date of birth: may 7th
age: twenty six
+: easy going, altruistic, sharp and kind.
-: phlegmatic, guarded, detached and indulgent.
wand: 13′’, unicorn hair, acacia wood.
patronus: a brown bear.
BACKGROUND:
Ted grew up on Valentia Island, a small muggle town on Ireland. His father was a science teacher, and his mother a mathematician and researcher. He grew up on formulas and numbers and facts and science. Anything that he could make sense of, he found comforting. Like home.
[ Alcoholism tw:// ] Money was always an issue and they could just make ends meet, never any room for luxuries. Though that didn’t stop Ted’s father from finding himself looking down the barrel of a bottle a little bit too much. That also put a strain on the family, and the economics.
His mother, Eliana Tonks ( née McNamara ), mostly worked from home. She balanced her research career in maths ( trying to get published, applying for grants, doing the occasional guest lectures at schools ) with motherhood. She had two children from a previous marriage, both older than Ted. She was a caring mother, but also somewhat unstable, prone to mental breakdowns.
Ted also spent a considerable amount of time with Eliana’s mother, Dorothy McNamara —- and some of Ted’s fondest memories are from her farm, the scent of newly baked cinnamon rolls seemingly always hanging in the air.
Also helped out at her farm a lot and took care of her animals.
[ Alcoholism tw:// ] His father, Brian Tonks, the secondary school science teacher, was mostly just very tired. For years, he constantly worked overtime, took on extra work, barely ever saw his kids or his wife. Still couldn’t quite make ends meet. So he found comfort elsewhere, whiskey numbing his feelings, his soul, his thoughts.
Ted has four SIBLINGS — two older half brothers, and two younger sisters. Pretty early on, Ted took on a lot of responsibility regarding his siblings (really wanted to help his mom out, mostly), and spent countless hours playing with his sisters, taking them out on the ferry, trying to distract them from the problems at home. Ted is great with kids so !!!! That’s that!!!!
HOGWARTS YEARS:
The LETTER arrived with a peculiar man on a rainy Monday morning. It was explained to the Tonks family that their middle son, Edward, was a wizard. Brian got a good laugh out of that one. It would take a couple of weeks ( and another few visits ) to convince him that this wasn’t a con. Brian was a man of science after all - and men like him did not believe in magic.
So Ted was shipped off to Hogwarts, and became a HATSTALL ( just for long enough that Ted was sure that the hat had changed his mind about him, send him right back to Ireland ). Stuck between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, the hat eventually settled on Ravenclaw.
Ted was SHAMELESSLY MUGGLEBORN, from the very start. Homework was written with a pencil, instead of ink, muggle bands could be heard playing from his dorm (mostly the Rolling Stones), his mother sent him issues of national geographic and new scientist, which he read over breakfast at the Ravenclaw table. REBELLING against the wizard norms was 100% Ted’s brand.
But also fully EMBRACED WIZARD CULTURE!!!! Was that kid who always asked questions, tried everything that he could and always craved more!!!
Had a FROG for the first three years at Hogwarts ( called Toad, we love being practical ), and then got a cat instead ( called Neptune ).
During the summers, Ted was enrolled in SUMMER SCHOOL, and took muggle classes.
His FAVORITE CLASS at Hogwarts was probably arithmancy, but he also excelled in charms, herbology and transfiguration.
Attempted to join the QUIDDITCH TEAM during his third year, but didn’t make it. Continued being an avid supporter instead.
While at Hogwarts, Ted was FAIRLY POPULAR. He was always taking care of the younger kids ( even though he was never made prefect ), could be seen wearing jeans and a tshirt on his off days, was quite charming, told cheeky jokes to make people around him smile and overall just gave zero shits about what people thought of him. He was also that big, muscular dude who at first glance, you’d totally expect to be a crude jock, but then he’s not, and instead walks you to your dorm, always the perfect gentleman. Ted was lowkey just everyone’s cool older brother.
Ted was mostly interested in LEARNING. He wanted to learn about everyone around him, about magic, about their history. Also studied his ass off, and was at the top of his class.
As a person, Ted was always KIND, a nice guy to his very core. But he was also COLD, somehow used to dulling his emotions, his senses, his heart ( he really is his father’s son, isn’t he? ). Instead focusing on other people - their hardship, their emotions, how can he help? He got used to always PUTTING HIMSELF LAST early on, already as a young child, so it was hardly any different at Hogwarts.
Definitively sneaked into the kitchen a couple times a week (and definitively found the house elf situation mortifying too, lbr).
Ted was of the conviction that if he tried hard enough - he could MAKE FRIENDS with anyone. Never met a stranger. Unfortunately that wasn’t quite the case, and he became the target of BULLIES during his first four years at the school. Ted always gave as good as he got though, quickly finding where his kindness ended - and where something darker began.
Had a pretty CAREFREE HOGWARTS EXPERIENCE, overall though? Mostly stayed in his own lane, studied a lot, went to parties, probably read every book in the library. Made a lot of friends but also some enemies.
AFTER HOGWARTS / PERSONALITY:
Ted graduated with top marks, but had no further great ambitions beyond that. The dream was to open up a BAKERY, run it for a few years, and then move on to the next big thing. He’s a firm believer in that there is a certain science to the perfect cake - that it takes more than a recipe. He’s also a firm believer in getting to know people, and what better way to do that than over cake, right?
Unfortunately, the war looming on the horizon pulled him in another direction. So after Hogwarts, he studied to become a healer, a work that although meaningful, never really excited him. So he worked at St Mungos for a couple of years, and did what he had always done. Stitched people up, put them back together. Completely detached from what he was doing, everything just felt like PRETEND. He perfected his bedside manner, a false smile always resting on his lips. He pretended not to notice when someone’s dark mark slipped. Everyone’s the same, to Ted, when he’s working. He doesn’t differentiate between the sinners and the saints, the good and the bad.
After two years at St Mungos, he had a sudden change of heart, and made a swift career change. Hospital was changed in for the battle field as he became a MEDIWIZARD.
And suddenly, he found himself in the center of the storm. Quickly patching people up, dodging spells, finding body parts. Somehow he finds himself always covered in someone’s blood. Sometimes it’s his own.
10000% uses muggle techniques out in the field too! If it works, why shouldn’t he?
He only works in the medical field because of NECESSITY. He has no great aspirations to become a high level healer, and the job itself doesn’t draw him in. Though being in the field gets his heart racing, it’s not something he particularly enjoys and he mostly just does it because he wants to HELP. Can’t stand seeing all this mayhem, all this pain. It’s in his very nature to want to pick up the pieces, it doesn’t matter who it is. Ted grew up in an environment where he was the constant fixer of things, the glue that kept the family together, the little diplomat. That never changed.
What did change however was his DRIVE! Over the years, Ted has grown more and more DETACHED from what he does, what he sees. It’s incredibly hard to stay gentle in the society he lives in ( where a large group of people want to see him dead ), so Ted has grown more and more closed off. His heart is still made of gold, but he’s detaching himself from it. Coldness seeping into his bones, his blood. He hasn’t realized it himself, but he stopped properly caring a long time ago. He’s so tired.
LISTEN! These days, the only thing that Ted really, really cares about is his family!! Can you blame him? People want to kill him for who he is and meanwhile all he’s trying to do is save people :/// damn it :///
OKAY SO - let’s talk about THE ORDER!!! Ted helps out, when he can. But he doesn’t directly involve himself in their business, because 1) he suspects that some of his wife’s family members are death eaters, and he doesn’t want to do that to her / to have to fight his extended family. 2) Ted is definitively not a fighter - he’s the fixer, the healer, the guy you go to when you have a problem you can’t quite figure out on your own.
Aligning himself with a side thus doesn’t feel quite right to him, since he’s out in the field, trying to remain objective, trying to help people on both sides. Not saying it isn’t a challenge, but homeboy is trying!
SO ----- Ted is a big old SOFTIE with a heart of gold. He embodies kindness down to his very core, and there usually isn’t a mean bone in his body. His name suits him well --- Ted is a teddy bear.
Ted is also incredibly TIRED. Years of working right in the middle of the war has taken its toll on him, and he’s getting fed up with all of it, tbh. Not that he’d ever say so.
At this point though, Ted is starting to become more and more RESERVED, because as a medic, he has seen the things people do to each other, the things they are capable of. It makes him sick, and he’s growing increasingly detached from the people around him because of it.
Though guarded, Ted is pretty OUTGOING still! He just doesn’t let anyone (except for his wife!!!!) too close, anymore. Prefers to keep everyone at a distance. Ted has buried a lot of his friends and he’s getting pretty tired of that too. :/
Ted is so nice that he can be sort of INDULGENT? Lets people get away with a lot, and is overly permissive / forgiving & lenient at a great personal cost.
Also very SELF SACRIFICING. Puts EVERYONE before himself, always. It’s a problem.
Total OVERANALYZER and occasional overthinker. Typical Ravenclaw.
But also very easy going - literally the most chill guy ever. For better or for worse.
Try getting a rise out of this man!!!! You can’t!!! You could literally spit in his face and he’d just wipe it off and continue on with what he was doing. He does not give a single fuck - his skin is made of steel.
Tip: insult his wife / daughter and he might crack!!!
Can be incredibly APATHETIC!! Every now and then, the light in his eyes goes out, flickers and fades, and his usually SOFT HEART grows cold.
With that said, you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of Ted’s hatred. It’s very rare, but absolutely SEETHING. Ted’s a patient guy. He can wait until the moment is right to strike back, ya feel.
Ted is sort of OBSESSIVE. Especially with the idea of fixing things ---- putting things back together. It stems from his childhood ( which I talked about earlier ). He’s a problem solver, a chronic fixer, a helper. He doesn’t know any other way to be, so he physically can’t stop himself from getting involved.
In Ted’s mind, there is ALWAYS a solution. ALWAYS. Hence why he is taking this war so hard. He can’t solve a whole war, but he’s having a hard time coming to terms with that. Unfortunately, logic and reason can’t fix this. SUCKS.
[ PTSD tw:// ] Ted is slowly developing PTSD. He is ALWAYS there for the worst parts of the war and its aftermath. He has seen so much. So the nightmares never stop - at this point, they continue when he wakes up too.
In chaotic / dangerous situations, Ted just SHUTS DOWN. Acts on auto pilot. Becomes incredibly stoic, calm, lifeless. Phlegmatic to a fault.
Currently, Ted is mostly just done. #over this war!!
OTHER STUFF:
Definitively a vegetarian!!
Favorite color is green.
LOVES cooking and is lowkey an experimental chef? Likes seeing what happens when he adds stuff together.
But leans more towards baking!!! He’s still chasing that perfect cake. There’s a chemical reaction out there, somewhere, that he WILL find. Give him time!
Very Dad!! Loves Dora SO much. Wants to change the world for her.
Quietly teaching Dora math and science at home. Also slowly introducing her to muggle history and muggle technology and muggle music. It’s important to Ted that Dora knows where she comes from. That there is nothing wrong with who she is ( who they are ).
On that note, Ted cares so much about math and science! He loves anything that just makes sense. To this day, Ted will still read science books and magazines.
LOVES animals and is so good with them too, which he learned when he worked his grandmother’s muggle farm as a teenager !!
Would... adopt ten dogs and five cows if he could.... someone hook this man up....
Doesn’t drink alcohol... yet. Doesn’t want to turn into his dad. I may do something with that later.
Wears a lot of washed out jeans and rolling stones shirts.
❝ you wake up with the taste of war on your lips and blood behind your eyes, and yet you just fire off another kind smile. it takes a special kind of bravery and grace to remain soft in cruel situations like these, my love. ❞
BASICS :
[ NAME ] : Edward “Ted” Ambrose Tonks
[ AGE ] : 26
[ HOUSE ] : Ravenclaw
[ BLOODSTATUS ] : Muggleborn
[ OCCUPATION ] : Mediwizard
BIO :
you never faced a problem you couldn’t solve, but then you ran headfirst into a war. unfortunately, you can’t help it. you’ve always been the one to pick up the pieces of other people’s ruins, why would a war be any different? so you risk your life, you’re the first person on the scene. like you’ve always been. it’s not that different from when you picked your father up from the floor when he had had a little too much to drink. or when you carefully put your mother back together after one of her meltdowns. it’s not even that different from when you used to run after your sisters, when no one else would. you’re always there. but who will be there for you? —- kind man, you always put yourself last, do you even remember your dreams? way back when, you wanted to open up a bakery - lead a quiet life with the people you love. and now you’re in the eye of the storm, trying to make sense of a senseless war, picking up the pieces where you can. when will you realize that your mission was doomed from the start? a good heart can only take you so far, after all. —– kind man, you can keep putting up walls, but we both know that it’s only a matter of time until you fall apart.
Ted is the husband of ANDROMEDA TONKS and the father of Nymphadora Tonks. He and his wife are not members of THE ORDER but they assist them occasionally. During the Second Wizarding War Ted goes on the run and is eventually murdered by Snatchers in March 1998.
