A/N: This is for Assignment #2 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Home economics and the prompt was cleaning charms. Just to warn you the fic is quite angsty. 742 words.
Andromeda Tonks cursed herself.
After already raising one child she should have known not to take her eyes off Teddy for more than a second, but an important floo call had distracted her.
When she had come back into the playroom everything was splattered with an array of different coloured paints; the table, other toys, and even the ceiling. There was, however, no Teddy in sight.
"Terego," she cast followed by a scourgify.
Looking around the room, Andromeda remembered doing the same almost twenty years ago after Nymphadora had done something similar.
"Nymphadora, what happened?" she asked calmly.
"The paint went on the floor," Nymphadora said innocently.
"Did it make a picture of the sun when it fell, or did you do that?"
The young girl hung her head.
"If you're paint spills on the floor you tell me or your father right away so we can clean it up. You do not, under any circumstances, paint a picture on the carpet. Do you understand?" Andromeda asked firmly.
"Yes, mother."
"Good. Now I think you should go for a bath to clean up."
Andromeda felt pain tug at her heart.
It had been four years since her beloved daughter had died along with her husband Ted, and son-in-law. The pain was still as fresh today as it had ever been, and Andromeda wasn't sure it would ever go away. The only thing which had kept her going was her grandson Teddy, and although at times he would shock her with how similar to Nymphadora he was, he still remained the light of her life.
I have to find him. Merlin knows where he is, she thought.
There was no telling just where Teddy would be as there were many spots inside the house that her grandson liked to hide. He only did this when he knew he had done something wrong. Her daughter used to do the same.
Walking out of the door, Andromeda found blue footprints leading towards the stairs and followed them casting each cleaning charm as she went. They lead to the guest room and she knew he must be hiding in the wardrobe.
She crept silently into the room to find him sitting at the end of the bed playing with one of the teddybears that had been left in the chair by the bed.
"Teddy," Andromeda called softly.
The toddler turned around with such an innocent expression on his face it took Andromeda's breath away. He had looked so much like Dora in that moment she almost couldn't have told the difference between them.
"You know you shouldn't come upstairs if you've had an accident, you're supposed to come straight to me so I can clean it up. What happened?" Andromeda chided lightly.
"I thought about what it would look like if there was paint all over the table and the toys, and then it just happened. I thought you would be mad," Teddy explained and his bottom lip started to wobble.
"That was accidental magic, Teddy. I could never be mad at you for doing something like that. Next time though you come and tell me, okay?" she said as she pulled him into a hug after kneeling down next to him. It didn't matter that he was covered in blue paint as it should come out of her robes easily enough.
"Okay, grandma."
"Good boy," Andromeda said as she held him tightly trying to reassure him that he had done nothing wrong.
"May I play some more now, grandma? I promise I won't make a mess," Teddy asked hopefully.
"Of course, but you will need to change and have a bath first. I don't want you walking around dirty," she replied.
"I love baths!" he exclaimed.
"I know you do. Now let's get the bath running and then we can get you undressed."
Teddy immediately pulled away from her and ran out of the room.
"Come on, grandma!" he hollered as he rushed to the bathroom.
Andromeda followed and shook her head.
Although she knew logically that Teddy was half Nymphadora and half Remus, all she could see was her daughter. It was a bittersweet feeling. The joy of seeing Nymphadora in Teddy also brought great sadness as it only reminded her of the loss she had suffered.
Andromeda hoped that one day she would look past that and just see Teddy, but until then she would just enjoy the time she had with him.