Her heart jumped. In the way she knew she was doing something wrong, in the way she didn’t stop nor turn back. In the way she didn’t shuffle her footsteps, like trying to dig them onto the concrete ground when she walked into the Great Hall with Rod earlier. Andromeda was lifting them, running with him. Away from the school, wandering eyes, the judgemental cloud that hung above her head. The nattering of what she should do, and who she should be, and what she should say and think and feel—it felt like shedding a skin, as she moved alongside of him, falling in line. It was echoed, the small smile, the exuberated shock that befell Andromeda. It wasn’t his fault, as much as it was the adrenaline, the rule breaking, the unnecessary bequest to do and be and say everything that would upset those who loved her most. That guilty voice would always be there.
But freedom, even temporary, was something she craved desperately. How he’d moved, taken her from the crowd and she followed, like there wouldn’t be a path she could get hurt on, and he was gentle. Did she allow the slip up? One night wouldn’t hurt. Fascination hit her like a brick with him. She’d seen him, she’d been constantly looking at him—but she didn’t notice him. And there’d been no doubt in her mind, he’d never heard her until that night in the tower. And now tonight. “You trust me too…” She repeated, nodding slowly. “What a silly, silly, mistake.” Cheeks flushed, blaming the liquor from the juice she’d shared with her sister, unable to hide the grin against her lips, like it was electric. He spoke of his home, and she was confused. How out of place it would’ve been, how dangerous it would’ve been, someone like her. No wonder they keep selling us off to stay away from another world. She considered silently, the smile faltering.
But it wasn’t as much as when his leg shook. Andromeda reached over, both hands pushing against the joint, as brows shot up. “Why are you so jumpy?” She half-shouted, a result of the intoxication flowing in her veins. “I don’t bite.” She recalled to her first comment when they’d spoken properly. This time it was accompanied with smile, one that had the tip of her tongue perched between her teeth, and yes, Andromeda was far too close for her sober self to know it was wrong. That her sober self would’ve been shouting that she had a fiancé somewhere in the castle, and even if she was comically nervous about becoming his wife still, there was no need to be all but flirting with another boy. A boy like Ted Tonks. They very idea that her family scorned, belittled and caged her from getting too close too. Even with them around here I’d sleep outside here on the Grounds. “You sleep outside?” She spoke with wonderment, eyes searching his. “I don’t do that, people would come looking.” People. She thought. Rodolphus, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Alecto… The list went on. “Well, good. Because—because you could catch a cold, and if you did I wouldn’t be able to stop it and then you’d be sick and—“ She stopped, looking back to him. “And you’d be sick.” She whispered.
“Are you a good liar, Ted?” She asked. “Teddy? Ted-ward?” That last one was met with a confused expression. “Teddy. Or Ted. Do you even like to be called Edward?” She asked him, and yes—Andromeda did know his real name. But all the same. “Every time I lie to them, I feel guilty. I love them—“ And she did. She really did. “They’re my family… I guess… the lie would have to be worth it. Like tonight—I definitely won’t be telling them I was here with you.” She whispered, looking away from him, hands held onto the bench for support, as the light smell of cigarette smoke drifted from his jacket. For once, it was a welcomed scent. Like it especially his. “They would get mad at you if they ever found out. So—so it’s best tonight is our little secret.” Andromeda didn’t want to look at him, shame echoed from her. She hated lying, being a liar, dishonesty radiating out of her. “Besides, I wouldn’t even know what to do with my free time, I mean, Christmas is around the corner, and—and I could never lie and then escape, I’d be a mess in the Muggle World.” Another reason to keep her from it.
“Really?” It sounded as bad as she considered the surprise to his quip. She’d had endless ball gowns, expensive fabrics lined up in a closet, collecting dust, one after the other. Andromeda had looked the part in the finest clothing, diamonds. Regality met no end when it came to being a Black family member. Even now—the dress was to be worn tonight, and possibly discarded once she sent it back to her mother. It was endless, the needless money they held. But she knew no other life. No other means where she didn’t have everything she wanted at her feet. It made Andromeda consider all that made her unhappy when she could have it all. And I may not know you all that well, but I want to get to know you. Her breath caught in her throat. Wide-stare, almost forgetting what she was doing with his tie, as hands fumbled from the comment.
He wanted to get to know her? Her? Andromeda Black? “There’s—“ Her voice was terribly soft. “There’s really not much to know about me.” Not what the school hadn’t told him about her family. “I’m Andromeda—Im’ a seventh year, I’m in Slytherin,” She was listing the obvious. “I love the stars.” And I’m unable to choose my own happiness. That was her own thought, one she wouldn’t share. One Sirius knew of. Another secret. “You’re probably infinitely more interesting than me, I mean, you live in the Muggle world—all I am is a little rich girl from a family who—who sees the world in one way.“ She shook her head. There were many ways to describe the Black family. Monstrous was one of them. She’d meant the gesture as a joke, as an appeal of affection that didn’t come forward to even her fiancé, but as he pulled her forward, she forgot to breathe, eyes locking with his.
Andromeda felt hooked, like some no good scoundrel like Ted Tonks would break that endless cycle of rules and rituals her family held. She didn’t break the bond, shifting closer, unable to bite back the flush of her cheeks, pink—she could blame the cold air that night. “You don’t think this is annoying?” She asked him, tilting her head. “Oh, Ted.” And then, like shedding a silk robe, she let go. “Oh, Teddy, Ted, Tedward.” Andromeda stood, still laden in his jacket, and hidden from the view of the world, just the two of them, as she wobbled on too high heels and the cobblestone of the castle grounds. “I am so annoying. Ask my cousin, I can be a real pain when I want to be!” She meant it was Sirius, but could never expose that kind of secret to anyone. “For one—“ She had bent down to the snow pile as she spoke, grasping and forming a snowball, as she stood up, cradling it to her chest, hidden under the sleeves of his jacket as she moved closer. “I know if you don’t quit smoking, you’ll get a face full of snow.” She whispered, grinning and laughing as she tossed the snowball, watching it hit her mark.
He regarded her comment about his misplaced trust with a roll of his eyes and a chuckle, but not much else. Ted Tonks likely put his trust in people far too quickly. He put his trust forward others had good intentions, with his friendship, and other things like that most would probably reserve a bit longer. He always let people prove they were bad rather than making them prove they were good. The Hufflepuff liked to look at the world as a glass half full rather than half empty, even if the year had been making it harder. Ted wasn’t blind to the things going on around Hogwarts even if he didn’t vocalize his thoughts about it all too much. The world had enough negativity spread through it without him adding to it naturally. However, he wouldn’t say he was completely naive. Ted’s trust towards things such as his family was much more guarded--- talking about muggles with certain people didn’t seem like such a smart idea.
Why are you so jumpy? The accusation startled him, light brown hues moving to where her hands settled on his knee. Ted more often than not was always moving some way or another. Frank even swore he couldn’t stay still when he was sleeping, and even if Ted didn’t have much proof he believed it. His anxious movements were put to a halt. I don’t bite. A grin settled on the man’s lips and he shook his head. “It’s not your fault. I’ve always had a hard time sitting still.” The Hufflepuff then stretched out his legs in front of him, less likely for his leg to bounce when he wasn’t immediately paying attention to keeping still. “And you care far too much about what people would think.” Sure, there were plenty of people Ted cared about. He would always take his mother’s or younger sister’s opinions to heart because they meant the world to him. However, he couldn’t imagine living a life where his loved ones picked apart every aspect of his life to scrutinize. “You really don’t want me to get sick, do you?” He was teasing her again. “You’re in luck, Dromeda. My immune system isn’t all that bad--- common colds are usually the worst of it.”
“It would depend on who you’d ask.” Ted could never get a lie through his younger sister, even when she was younger. Over the previous summer when he had spent the night over at his neighbor’s and got drunk he spent the entire next day dealing with Angie saying ‘You could’ve looked further than our next door neighbor so I don’t have to talk to the person you slept with’. It certainly made for a shitty hangover, and he tried lying his way out of it. He really did. Ted had quickly realized it was easier to just groan and nod rather than arguing. “I’ve always gone by Ted. Nobody besides my mum calls me Edward--- and she’s never called me Ted; said if she wanted that to be my name she’d have named me it when I was born.” He wasn’t going to say he was surprised Andromeda even knew that was his name, but he was. “And I don’t think you’d be a mess in the Muggle world. Well, maybe the first time. But if you went there enough you’d get used to it. I got used to this...” Ted trailed off, gesturing around them before he continued. “It didn’t happen the first day--- it was a lot to take in actually being surrounded by magic, but I learned enough to make it a normal everyday thing for me.”
He couldn’t understand why she thought she’d be the boring one. It was almost as if Andromeda didn’t understand why he’d want to bother in the first place. Ted thought she had it the opposite way around. He wondered why she’d even give him the time of day of sitting next to her, let alone listen to Ted talk about his life and things which interested him. But she did...and Ted wanted to know why. What made Andromeda Black so different from the people who surrounded her? As she listed off her name and other things Ted already knew he grinned, shaking his head at the Slytherin. “I’m hardly that interesting. I’m Ted--- Hufflepuff who made the Quidditch team much easier than any academic work...I hate sitting still long enough to study. I love being outside and am an annoyingly overprotective older brother--- at least so I’m reminded often enough. I don’t drink too much which is why I probably have sounded like a complete mess the past twenty minutes.” None of that sounded as interesting as what she had to say, and as Ted held her hand in his he shrugged his shoulders. “And you may come from a family with a strict view of the world, but yet here you are flirting with me. So call me crazy, but I’m interested in the reasoning behind Andromeda Black slumming it with the likes of me.” Flirting. Ted hadn’t meant to quite call her out, but he was curious all the same.
Then she was stepping away from him, and for a second he thought he pushed her too far. Oh, Teddy, Ted, Tedward. Tedward. Ted smiled, watching her with a hint of curiosity. He completely missed her picking up the snowball, but he didn’t get much of a chance to say anything before said snowball hit him square in the face. Good aim, Andromeda. Using just his sleeve the Hufflepuff wiped away the majority of the snow before his gaze moved back up to the Slytherin standing before him looking awfully proud of herself. She looked cute, too. “You’re lucky you look as good as you do otherwise you’d find yourself in the Black lake, love.” That was all he said before darting forward, not caring if he pushed the boundary they might have. It took Ted no time at all to scoop her up, wearing his grin proudly as he did. “I should warn you I’m a bit competitive at heart, so if you start a fight I can’t help but pick up the gauntlet,” he taunted, walking as he spoke. Ted stopped in front of a pile of snow which had been made from the paths created for the students to walk. “Any last words before I let go?”
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