The Sun Has To Set Sometime
November 20th, 1969
Great Hall, Hogwarts
8:53am
Ted adjusted the tie around his neck irritably. It had been such a lousy morning already. His alarm had refused to go off despite him setting it three times. He knew that Doc had been irritated by the idea of three alarms from Ted but he doubted that his best friend was the one to turn the damned thing off. He supposed it was because of all the magic in the air. He would have to go get an enchanted clock sometime despite his attempts not to use too much magic.
As he raced up to the Entrance Hall with his tie crooked and his robes only half-on, Ted hoped that some karma would repay him throughout the day to balance out the negative beginning. He spotted some Slytherins nearby snickering at his unfortunate appearance but chose to ignore them. None of them were Andromeda so he figured he was safe. Sure, he and Andy had made progress in their relationship and sure, he was less afraid of her judgement than he had in the beginning but he still did not want her to witness him in a state of distress.
Before entering the Great Hall he fixed his clothes as best he could and slid into place at the Hufflepuff table. He did not look to see who he had sat himself by, instead Ted began to stuff his face full of buttered toast. He just needed some sustenance before he dove back to the dungeons for Potions class. If he had to smell the fumes of whatever disgusting concoction without something in his stomach he was worried he would pass out.
He had not been paying attention when the morning mail arrived given that his mother was not due to write to him for another three days. Ted and Marissa had a very strict schedule that they followed when it came to their correspondences so as not to have too many owls showing up at her cottage. It was less suspicious that way. So when a letter dropped in Tedâs lap he was a little dazed and it took him a few moments to compute what had occurred.
The handwriting on the front was definitely not that belonging to Marissa Tonks. It was stock-straight and official-looking rather than the curved and distracted handwriting he was used to. The letter was addressed to Edward Tonks, a name that no one called him due to his dislike of his full name. Clearly the sender did not know him at all.
He carefully removed the parchment from the envelope and began to read
Mr. Edward Tonks,
I regret to inform you that your mother, Ms. Marissa Tonks, has passed away due to breast cancer late last evening. In her Will she advised me to contact you as well as Mr. and Mrs. Dearborn about where you shall reside after her passing, though you are now seventeen and may make whatever decision you deem appropriate.
A Ministry official will meet with you tomorrow evening at seven to go over the details of your motherâs Will at length.
My condolences,
The letter was signed by some Ministry employee whose name was not familiar to Ted. How had his mother contacted them? How had she not told Ted that she had cancer? How could she be--
No. It was not possible that Marissa Tonks, the greatest woman Ted had ever met, could just be gone without a warning. Ted would know, wouldnât he? He would surely feel the hole in his heart from her departure. He cursed Hogwartsâ anti-technology atmosphere and ripped out a piece of parchment to send a letter to his mother. Surely she would clear this horrendous mistake up for him.
Mum,
Some Ministry man is claiming you have died from breast cancer but I think itâs bollocks. Youâre not dead and you do not have cancer, right? You would have told me? You would have given me some preparation for something like that. You would not leave me to deal with this while at school with no idea of whatâs to come.
Please Reply,
Ted
He left the rest of his food untouched as he rushed to the Owlery to send the letter. He barely remembered the trip there and vaguely remembered telling the owl to hurry as he desperately tied the letter to their ankle.
November 20th, 1969
3rd Floor Empty Classroom, Hogwarts
3:47pm
The rest of the day went by in a blur. He had swirling memories of Doc and other classmates asking if he was all right. Looking back, Ted could not recall what exactly he had done in response. He was currently hiding in the classroom that he oftentimes met with Andromeda to work on essays in. Ted was curled up under what was presumably the nonexistent professorâs desk, reading his copy of Around the World in Eighty Days that his mother had bought him for his birthday. She wanted him to read muggle literature alongside the magical. He had neglected to even open the novel til just then, having very little interest as a reader.
Tapping was heard at the window and he scrambled to open it, seeing the school owl that he had sent with the letter that morning. Hope rose in his chest at the sight of a letter in response attached to the creature. He ignored the howling wind spraying the winter air into his face as he accepted the letter and ripped it open without a second thought.
Unfortunately that same handwriting from this morning stared back at him.
Mr. Edward Tonks,
I am very sorry to hear that your mother did not warn you of her tragic passing but I felt the need to reply to your message as you sounded distraught and I wished not to give you false hope, my boy. As I said, my associate will be visiting you tomorrow and if there is anything we may assist you with in the meantime do not hesitate to let me know.
My condolences,
Ted crumpled up the parchment and chucked it out the window before slamming it shut. He collapsed to the ground, feeling his chest tighten with the sheer amount of effort it took to take air into his lungs. He crawled under the desk once more. Ted felt as though he was about to explode with grief. Tears created hot streaks down his face and moistened the cover of his novel.Â
The last birthday gift he would receive from his mother.
November 22nd, 1969
Stamford Cemetery, England
4:46pm
Ted stuck close to the Dearborn family as the service went on. Heâd already spoken a eulogy but he could not remember what he had said. The last few days were wiped out of his memory, his brain attempting to protect him from his grief. He heard the soft sounds of Docâs mother crying and would have reached out to take her hand if he was not feeling as though he had no control over his limbs. It was as if part of Ted was tucked away in that casket with his mother, as though he would never be whole again.
People were speaking their condolences to him repeatedly. He hated that word now, condolences, ever since those letters had come to him. He would hold resentment toward the phrase for the rest of his days. He knew it was silly, knew that there was nothing about those words that could really harm anyone but they just sounded so fake and so flat when they fell on his ears. The speaker sounded like a robot, trained to say the right things but unable to add the meaning behind them.
Ted was nudged forward to toss the first rose and a small amount of dirt onto his motherâs casket, the only sound registering in his ears was the crunch of show beneath his best shoes. His mother had insisted that, on top of having dress robes, every man needed a suit. She had taken him to have it tailored and everything. He had complained most of the time despite finding the whole trip rather entertaining.
Ted regretted complaining about anything in his life.
He could not be sure how long he stood beside his motherâs grave but was broken out of his mindless staring by Caradocâs hand upon his shoulder. He said something about saying goodbye and having to go back to school. Ted did not understand. How could he go back to school when his entire world had crumbled from beneath him. How could he go back and try to learn about this new world he supposedly belonged in when his connection to his old world was now buried in the earth?
Marissa Elizabeth Tonks was dead.
An arm was wrapped around his shoulders and he finally looked up. Doc was holding him in what could be considered a rather protective embrace. The one thing Ted could vividly remember about this day looking back years later was his best friend pointing out at the horizon and whispering âThe sun has to set sometime, Ted.â
