Author's Note: This was written for the Embrace the Majors Competition at the HPFC forum. The prompt was writing about somebody making a difficult decision.
"He was totally in to you," Teddy Lupin grinned as his grandmother glared at him.
"Edward Remus Lupin," Andromeda Tonks said through gritted teeth, "if you don't drop this right now, I swear to Merlin I'm disowning you."
She trudged angrily across the grass, the short but sturdy heels of her boots leaving indentations in the mud. The sooner she got back to Hogsmeade and got the next train home, the better. Right now, Andromeda wasn't sure she had the strength to deal with her grandson.
Teddy Lupin was a bright boy, very bright, and mostly well behaved. "Head Boy material", their family friend Percy Weasley was always saying proudly. His father had been a prefect and it was one of Andromeda's proudest moments when Teddy had received his badge last year. However, Teddy, as well as his father's knack for leadership, had inherited his mother's tendency to randomly and accidentally cause complete havoc at the last minute. Andromeda had been summoned to a meeting with an irate Minerva McGonagall to discuss Teddy's latest incident.
"I still don't know how you managed it," Andromeda said as they walked, her voice exasperated.
"We wanted to play exploding-snap," Teddy explained, "but we didn't have the cards, so-"
"-so you thought you'd enchant a Muggle deck yourself?" Andromeda cried incredulously, "Honestly, for a smart kid, you really can make some interesting calls sometimes."
"It was a bit advanced, I'll admit," Teddy said with his characteristic grin, hands in his pockets, "Would've been an impressive charm if it had worked. I'm surprised Professor Armer was so ticked off really."
"Half his classroom is missing!" Andromeda exclaimed, "I'd be a bit ticked off as well!"
"Wasn't all bad for him though," Teddy smirked, "He got to meet you."
Richard Armer was Teddy's charms professor and the owner of the unfortunate room in which the Hufflepuff had attempted the spell. He had joined the meeting half way through and had seemed to Andromeda to be far more forgiving than she would have been in that situation.
"He didn't stop looking at you the whole time," Teddy went on, "Do you reckon he'd let me off my detentions if I offered to set you two up?"
Andromeda spun around violently.
"Stop trying to play cupid," she said, slightly aggressively, "and just be thankful you're not expelled. You're a prefect Teddy, does this situation bother you at all?"
The young wizard looked abashed, his eyes holding the serious look that had belonged to his father.
"You know it does," he said soberly, "Sometimes I mess up, I know that, but I only ever want to do what's right."
Andromeda sighed.
"And sometimes what's right is exploding snap?" she said, her voice softer, a note of amusement in it.
"Sometimes it is, yeah," Teddy replied.
The witch smiled, a fond smile, and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead.
"I'm proud of you everyday," she said, "whatever happens."
It was the summer holidays and Teddy Lupin was lounging in a chair reading the newspaper. Victoire Weasley sat nearby, painting her nails in a vivid blue. Both were staying with their families at the Leaky Cauldron, the two Hogwarts students currently occupying a small sitting room that connected the bedrooms of Teddy and Andromeda. The latter entered the room only seconds after Teddy had finished reading the sports section.
"Hello, you two," Andromeda said brightly, as she dropped down onto the couch.
"Hello, Grandmama," Teddy said, something he never called her unless he was about to make a joke, "How was your date?"
Andromeda reddened and Victoire giggled, the sound suggesting that this had been a subject of conversation long before the older witch had come in.
"It was not a date," Andromeda protested, sitting up and looking at her grandson firmly.
Teddy shrugged, his expression one of teasing disbelief.
"You sat at the same table," he said.
"Well, in that case we're practically married," Andromeda said with deep sarcasm, "Teachers have to eat lunch as well, you know."
"You have been spending a lot of time with him," Victoire piped up.
Andromeda gave the girl a sharp look, although the statement was in fact true. Richard Armer, Teddy's charms professor, happened to be spending his summer break at the Leaky Cauldron as well. He'd politely reintroduced himself to Andromeda at dinner one evening, though the witch hadn't forgotten him since their last encounter. He proved an interesting man, quiet and softly spoken, but widely read and with a subtle, biting wit. He was also, Andromeda noted briefly before pushing it to the back of her mind, incredibly good looking. His thick, greying-black hair, carefully trimmed beard and arresting grey eyes gave him an appearance that was both elegant and startling. And he probably worked out, a thought that had come to Andromeda as she watched him walk away a few nights ago. The thought, one that had highly embarrassed her when she realised what she was thinking, came back to her now and brought butterflies to her stomach.
"He's interesting," the witch replied to the teenager's earlier point, "Am I not allowed to spend my time with interesting people?"
"Sure," Teddy said with a mischievous smile.
His grandmother picked up a pillow and threw it at him.
"Edward Remus Lupin, if you don't drop this, I swear to Merlin I'll-"
"-disown me. You need to get new threats, Gran."
Victoire, who had always been observant, saw that there was something beneath the dry smile Andromeda had given, something she didn't want to share.
"Teddy," the blonde said, turning with a smile to her friend, "I think I've changed my mind about the colour. Could you get my pink nail polish from my room? Please? Pretty Please?"
Muttering something about being "far too nice a person", Teddy jumped up from his seat and left the room. When the door had drifted shut, Victoire turned to her senior.
"So what's the problem?" she didn't waste time mincing words.
"What do you mean?" Andromeda asked in surprise.
Victoire folded her arms.
"Professor Armer. You think he's interesting."
"Well, yeah, I do."
"And?"
"And" Andromeda thought out loud, "he's funny, in a clever way. He listens. He's polite. And you could cut yourself on those cheekbones, my God!"
Victoire smiled a knowing smile as the older woman reflected on the strong facial features of their shared acquaintance.
"You like him," she said, a statement rather than a question, "Like, you like him like him."
Andromeda considered this. It was true that when she was with him, she felt a mix of comfort and exhilaration that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was true that even the sight of him made her smile, just a little bit. And, it was true, she had had more than a few perhaps inappropriate thoughts about him.
"Maybe I do," she admitted quietly, "Yes, alright, I probably do."
"So ask him out," Victoire said excitedly, "If anything, I feel like he's trying to work up the courage to ask you. Get a drink. Have dinner. Whatever!"
"Whatever," Andromeda mimicked with a slight laugh.
Then she sighed.
"It's not as simple as all that, Victoire."
"Why not?"
The beautiful young witch had not come across many obstacles in her own love life. The older witch looked uncomfortable, shifting on the couch, her eyes fixed on the floor.
"I haven't dated, or done anything like that," Andromeda said hesitantly, "since Teddy's grandfather died. It's been a long time."
"It's never too late," Victoire cried in earnest, "And you're kind of a GILF!"
"A what?"
"Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about."
Andromeda shook her head.
"Every time I've met somebody and had, shall we say, more than friendly feelings for them," Andromeda explained, "I can't help but think of Ted, my late husband, and wonder if having feelings for anybody else is a betrayal. I know that's silly; he's been dead for years. But I loved him so, so much and I don't want him or anyone else to think that I've forgotten that feeling. Because I don't think I ever will."
"But," she continued, half glad that she could finally spill what had always been a pent up agony, "I'm so tired of being lonely. I don't want to be lonely anymore. And, if I'm totally honest, Richard Armer is high on my list of people I'd like to be not lonely with. So that's my problem: do I try to continue to honour a man who gave me so much for so long, or do I start something new, knowing that I could be so happy, but knowing that I'd have to at least loosen my hold on the past? And in doing so, risk disappointing my first love and also my daughter. That worries me too. What would Nymphadora have thought of it all?"
"She'd have been so proud of you, Gran."
Teddy, unnoticed by the others, had slipped into the room and was standing by the door, his eyes glistening a little.
"She would have been proud of you everyday," he said, his voice hoarse.
Andromeda, with tears also in her eyes, beckoned the last remaining link to her family towards her. When he came, she wrapped in a crushing hug, which he returned.
"And," Teddy said, when he was finally released, "she'd want you to be happy. They both would."
He looked at his grandmother very seriously and said, "don't hang back with the ghosts, Andromeda."
And in that moment, Andromeda saw all her history in his eyes: her daughter's reverence of life, her son-in-law's sincerity and the kind, understanding aura of her late husband. It was as if the people she had lost were all reaching forward, pushing her out, telling her to live while there was life still to be lived.
A brief silence passed.
"So what are you going to do?" Victoire asked.
Andromeda pondered for a second and then took a deep breath.
"I think," she said, "that tonight I am going to have a drink with a charms professor and see where that takes me."
Teddy smiled broadly, whilst Victoire cheered.
"Yes!" the young witch cried, throwing a fist in the air, "Go, ask him now! And then come back and tell me every detail."
Andromeda had not been planning to rush into action right away, a slight look of alarm passing over her face as she stood up hesitantly.
"Right," she said, to no one in particular, "Right."
And, before she could change her mind, she marched out of the room.
"Awwwww," Victoire cooed, "She's adorable, your Gran."
"Don't let her hear you say that," Teddy laughed, stretching out on the couch.
Victoire smiled and then set about finishing her nails.
"Hang on," she said suddenly, "we just set your Gran up with a teacher. A teacher. As in, they'll be all cute and stuff and we'll still have to be in his class!"
A look of apprehension spread over Teddy's face. Somehow, that aspect of it hadn't occurred to him before.
"Oh dear," he said slowly, "Let's hope she doesn't break his heart. Or we could be in for a lifetime of extra homework!"