A/N: Hi! Welcome to another one of my fanfictions! This one's a Tedromeda (and I'm actually going to finish this one). It's five parts and just a Christmas present from me, although the story has nothing to do with Christmas at all.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story. I just thought of it and decided to write it.

Disclaimer: I own the storyline and nothing else. Sadly.

Part One

There were five of them Ted counted. Too many Slytherins. Too many for him to take on alone. His opposition had him surrounded, their wands out, leers in place, as they made to attack him. He was just scum to them, a patch of stubborn dirt that was about to be removed. Oppressed. Silenced even.

Ted supposed they must have discovered his actions. They must have found out it had been him making and spreading about those posters. They hadn't liked them at the Slytherin table. He couldn't ever recall that much uproar from the usually stiffly silent table as on that one morning when the school had come to breakfast to see his posters plastered all over the walls.

Muggle-borns Matter.

An End to Voldemort.

We Must Fight.

They're Murdered Not Missing.

Avenge the Dead.

No, he mused, a small smirk breaking across his features despite the snarling snakes that coiled and writhed around him, they hadn't liked those posters at all. Clearly.

Mulciber. Lestrange. And whoever else. He supposed she must have put them up to it. The Slytherins always did as she told them. Like a collection of thuggish sheep rather than the creatures of their house's founder. They were greedy too and her family had a great deal of wealth.

'Well, well, this does look like fun.' a voice crooned from the end of the corridor.

Ted caught sight of a head of long dark hair, another drawn wand and a black hooded cloak before the corridor was plunged into total darkness. An invisible force threw him back against the walls, his eyes watering as the side of his head collided with a torch bracket, and, judging by the several other grunts and cries of shock, his original opponents had been similarly thrown. Ropes twisted their way around Ted's body in the dark as he made to stand up.

'Forgive me,' the voice purred, 'but I do hate it when my Slytherins try and undermine me.'

A cold chuckle echoed around the corridor making Ted shiver.

'In fact, I expressly remember requesting – no, ordering – that no one investigate who was the person behind those delightful posters we enjoyed at breakfast a few weeks ago.'

The click-clack of their company's heeled boots made itself known. Ted sensed them moving in his direction.

'I must admit you were all far slower disobeying me than I had expected. I've been waiting a whole two weeks for you to come after Tonks. But I'm glad you chose to do so tonight, or I wouldn't have been able to remind you in quite such a dramatic fashion why I am to be obeyed at all times.'

Ted felt his ropes leave him and sensed someone kneel down beside him. The dark-haired speaker brought their lips to his ear.

'I've saved your neck here tonight, Tonks.' they hissed in his ear. 'But next time you might not be so lucky, so I suggest you put an end to your career in propaganda writing until you leave school. Try to stop that habit of graffitiing similar things in my common room also; my first years are becoming quite distressed at you criticizing their parents' politics.'

They helped him to his feet.

'You must excuse my actions in the next minute or so.'

Ted felt himself pushed up against the wall and, a second after the torches flickered back into action, he felt a wand pushed against his throat.

'I shall, of course,' the owner of the wand driving perhaps a permanent dent into his neck announced, 'be awaiting your grovelling apologies in the morning as well as your thanks at saving you all from expulsion.'

There was a murmur of assent from the Slytherins and at this their ropes disintegrated into grey ash.

'It was my intent to go after the Hufflepuff myself but then you began to plan to undermine me and I couldn't exactly let that happen.' The Slytherins were getting to their feet. 'So I suggest you all return to your dormitories before my wrath at your actions kicks in.'

As soon as the Slytherins had scurried out of sight, Ted felt the wand on his neck withdraw and the pressure holding him to the wall leave him. Slowly, he turned around to face his saviour.

It was her all right. She stood before him in all her crowning glory, her face less haughty than her predecessor and far more beautiful for it. The hood of her cloak cast a little of her face in shadow so that he could barely see her handsome dark eyes and hardly fail to notice the smiling of her dark red mouth. Ted wondered if it was intended to be friendly but to him at least the said smile appeared more like that of a cat about to pounce.

'Good evening, Tonks.' she murmured, bowing her head briefly.

Andromeda Black stood before him, her hands clasped together almost humbly. The sight alone baffled him enough for him to remain silent.

'You are spoken of often in my common room.' she informed him, her cheeks flushing slightly as if she were embarrassed. 'Though not – as you can imagine – with particularly kind words.'

He still said nothing, gaping shamelessly at her. She was watching him with something almost resembling interest which was unsettling to say the least because Andromeda Black was the most frightening woman Ted had ever met. And that included Professor McGonagall.

'W-why?' he finally managed to stutter out. Andromeda frowned. 'Why did you help me?'

'Because you are now in my debt.' she explained as if it was obvious. 'A debt you will repay with your silence on the events of this evening.'

'Oh.'

The two of them stood there for a moment, silence stretching between them. Ted wished she would look away from his face, which she continued to observe appraisingly.

'You are a strange Hufflepuff, Tonks.' she told him after a while and he started, so used to the silence. 'You are too Gryffindor for my liking. It makes you reckless.'

'Oh.' he said, wishing he had a more intelligent response to her statement. She smiled again, making his insides curl nervously, and indicated with her wand that they make their way back to their respective common rooms.

'It was quite amusing to watch Lucius desperately try and work out who was behind those posters before me. Especially after how obvious you were.' She chuckled, making the hairs on Ted's neck stand on end. 'Unfortunately for Lucius, I saw you do it and alas that gave me quite an advantage.'

'Malfoy? But he wasn't th–'

'Lucius knows better than to openly take part in such a plan – even if it was of his own making.' This time her smile was bitter. 'He hopes to take over from me, though whether he intends to wait until I am graduated or not I cannot be sure. He certainly plans to have control over Narcissa in due course if his wish to court her is any indicator. I doubt he will settle for a shared throne.'

Ted coughed.

'Forgive me,' Andromeda bowed her head. 'You needn't hear about such things.'

'Did you leave the castle?' he asked suddenly, and she appeared momentarily surprised. Ted's eyes were on her cloak and the small amount of mud on her heeled boots.

'I do not think that is any of your business.'

'So did you?'

Andromeda raised her eyebrow.

They didn't speak again and silently bade one another goodbye as they went their different ways. Andromeda strolled down into the dungeons, lazily gave the password as she reached the stone wall concealing the entrance and walked into the Slytherin common room.

'Dromeda?' Narcissa greeted at once from the staircase down into the girls' dormitory.

Andromeda turned to face her sister. The fifteen-year-old was dressed only in her white nightgown, her silvery blonde hair draped across her shoulder in a plait and her expression worried.

'Dromeda, what's going on?' she asked, biting her lip. 'I thought I heard lots of people coming in earlier…'

'Do not concern yourself with it.' replied Andromeda, crossing the room and enveloping her little sister in her arms. She rocked her slightly.

'Lucius kept talking about catching the person behind those posters, so I thought –'

'Everything has been resolved.' Andromeda assured her, stoking her head in motherly fashion. 'For the time being.'

'Lucius wants to be in charge, doesn't he?'

'You are quite wise, Cissy.' murmured Andromeda, her forehead creasing as she stared over Narcissa's head at one of the windows into the lake.

'I like him, Dromeda…' Narcissa whispered.

'He does not pose a particular threat as of yet to my rule – he is too young in comparison to me – but to you, Cissy, he is an opponent.' Andromeda continued to watch the window as she spoke. Narcissa sighed. 'While your feelings are nothing to be ashamed of, I would be careful that they do not begin to control your actions. Don't let him gain too much of a hold on you; he will be sure to exploit your feelings should he discover them.'

'Yes.' Narcissa nodded, letting go of her sister. 'Yes, you're right.'

'If he reciprocates your feelings you may use that to your own advantage.' Andromeda smiled ruefully, stepping away from Narcissa. 'Now, however, the best use of your time would be to go to bed.'

'Yes indeed.' Narcissa made to descend the girls' staircase but then noticed her sister hadn't followed her. 'Aren't – aren't you coming?'

'No.' Andromeda bowed her head. 'I want to sit by the fire for a while.'

'Goodnight then.' Narcissa murmured, nibbling at her lip and climbing down the stairs.

Andromeda went to sit in one of the leatherback chairs by the dying fire. She waited until she could no longer hear the sound of Narcissa's feet on the stone steps. When the soft thud of her door shutting met Andromeda's ears, she let out a small sigh of relief.

Carefully, she rolled up the sleeve of the deep red robes she wore beneath her cloak to reveal a gash running the length of her forearm. Finally, she could address her injury. It had been bleeding for at least an hour by now. She would have tried to heal it earlier but of course Lucius' plan had to be executed the very same night that she received her injury.

She winced at the stinging sensation induced by her chosen healing spell. Perhaps Madame Pomfrey could have provided a painless alternative, but she couldn't afford any prying questions or word to reach her parents of the results of her late-night activities. She sighed as the gash finished healing.

She had failed again that evening. She hadn't managed to find a single Thestral. Since the start of the school year, Andromeda had spent every night in the Forbidden Forest but trying to locate Thestrals was a recent addition to her activities. The raw meat she had brought with her that night hadn't managed to attract any Thestrals but a single Hippogriff, which had refused to bow back, that she had barely escaped from and received a wound for her efforts.

But she would go back tomorrow. And the day after that. And after that until she could guarantee at least one Thestral would arrive every time she visited. It was the only way.

…

Ted lay awake in his four-poster, staring at the ceiling. She had saved him, hadn't she? That had been Andromeda Black and not someone who had swallowed a vat of Polyjuice Potion, hadn't it? Her smile burned in his eyes; it had been sight so strange he could not forget it. Even now.

Andromeda Black. Her name swirled around his brain as he tried to make sense of it all. She had saved a Muggle-born and from her own thugs to boot. What was she playing at? Had he imagined it all? Perhaps this was all part of some elaborate scheme. She had spoken of being in her debt after all. Then again, she had also said his silence would repay it.

He closed his eyes, allowing her face to haunt his thoughts. Her smile again. The way she had looked at him. Everything was so confusing; it didn't make any sense. She didn't make any sense.

Hi... it's me again. Did you enjoy part one? If so, make my day and leave a review! I love constructive criticism too so if you got any of that bung it in a review!