Written for SeriouslySiriusBlack's 'The Christmas Prompt Challenge'.
Pairing: Andromeda Black/Ted Tonks
Prompt: bells
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas...
The Ravenclaw Common Room was more-or-less empty, and it was cold.
Outside, she heard shrieks of laughter and sounds of snowballs hitting thick fur coats. She heard the melodic ringing of the bells that hung on the massive Christmas tree that had mysteriously appeared a few metres away from the Whomping Willow yesterday, and the faint voices of the carolers singing Chrismas carols. She heard the sounds of Christmas Eve, and longed more than ever to join in.
She tore herself away from the window and stepped down from the window pane, shivering slightly. The coat that Bella had given her for her birthday was really more for couture than comfort – it was cream-khaki, with a wide open collar and about a million buttons. The tiny silver-white snowflakes that decorated the the collar of the coat pricked her neck uncomfortably, and the satin lining did little to keep the cold out.
Regardless of the feezing temperature, she slipped her stockinged feet into her favourite pair of shoes, wrapped a cashmere scarf around her neck and made for the Great Hall, intending to grab some lunch and pick up a book from the Library before cuddling in her warm bed to read it. She quickened her footsteps at the thought – and accidentally walked into what seemed to be either a very soft pillar, or a very hard curtain.
"Oof!" the pillar/curtain cried at the contact. Her eyes shot upwards and stared right into the face of Ted Tonks.
"I'm so sorry!" Andromeda exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
Ted, almost unrecognisable wrapped up in all those layers of snow-covered clothing, grinned. "No harm done," he said good-naturedly, and looked at her closely. "You're one of the Black sisters, aren't you? Bellatrix, is it?"
"Nope," she said, "I'm Andromeda Black. Glad to meet you." She held out a gloved hand.
"Ted Tonks. Likewise." He shook her hand, his coffee-coloured eyes interested. "So, why aren't you outside? Everyone else is."
"I don't like the cold," Andromeda stated bluntly. "It scares me. Freezing to death in the ice and snow, no-one being able to hear or help you...it's my worst nightmare." As soon as she'd said that, she wondered why she'd said all this, a secret she'd never revealed to anyone else, to a stranger she'd met about two minutes ago.
But Ted didn't seem to mind. He smiled, and took her hand. "You won't freeze if I'm with you." With that, he practically dragged her out, laughing. Andromeda grinned, starting to relax at Ted's natural friendliness. "Hey – wait! I never agreed to -" He pushed her out of the door without another word, and it was like she'd entered another world.
"I haven't been out in the snow for so long, I'd forgotten how wonderful it is," she said softly. Watching from the Ravenclaw window seat, no matter how large the window was or how comfortable the seat was, just wasn't the same as actually being in the snow, the cool air rushing at you from all directions, the snow falling lightly onto the ground and the soft coldness when it touched your skin.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ted said, obviously in delight. It was. Icicles glistened from the now-bare branches of the Whomping Willow, which was covered with light frost that made it sparkle whenever a ray of light hit it. The snow was pure white, unlike how it was in the Muggle world, with those horrible car tracks and litter. Frost glittered on the glass windows, and snow was piled on the sills.
It was enchanting.
"Come on, Andromeda," Ted said, taking her hand gently, "you haven't seen the lake yet."
When they reached, she gasped audibly. The dark, cold water was replaced with a thick, shimmering sheet of ice. The sun shone in the sky, its rays reflecting off the ice to create a beautiful rainbow effect. Ice and frost decorated the trees so prettily it looked like it had been done on purpose.
She looked up at Ted. "Thank you for dragging me out here," she said quietly, "it's been too long since I've actually been outside during winter. Six years, if I remember correctly." She smirked slightly.
He shrugged, looking uncomfortable at her thanks. "It was no problem," he said modestly, his eyes honest and kind. "Well, whatever," she said carelessly, "thanks anyways – oh!"
He was kissing her. And she was kissing him back, in the midst of the frozen beauty.
And then he broke away, looking surprised with himself. "I'm sorry," he apologised, "I don't know what came over me, you were just so pretty standing in front of the lake and-"
She kissed him again, and he shut up.
"Well," she said, when they finally broke apart, "I don't usually kiss people I don't really know, but hey," she shrugged, "we're still young. We have plenty of time to get to know each other. Who knows, we might get married one day and have a daughter with pink hair and a werewolf son-in-law." She laughed lightly, and he offered her his hand with a smile.
"Merry Christmas, Andromeda,' he said softly.
"Merry Christmas, Ted," she countered with a smile, and they kissed again.
And a Happy New Year..
Years later
"How on EARTH did you know?" Ted Tonks asked his wife in astonishment as they saw their daughter, hand-in-hand with the man whom she hadn't known personally a years ago, and apparently a werewolf as well. "I mean – HOW?"
She laughed. "Lucky guess."
Sometimes, love at first sight really does happen.