Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will own any of the characters and places that are the sole product of the imagination of J.K. Rowling.
Written for Hogwarts School Charms Class
Assignment 1: Dialogue prompt: "You just don't understand, do you?"
May 1, 1998 closed gray and cloudy. Andromeda's mood was on par with the day's gloom. First her son-in-law, Remus Lupin, had bid her a hasty good-bye as he left for Hogwarts. Members of the Order had been summoned due to a disturbance. Soon he was followed by Nymphadora who pressed a kiss on her mother's cheek as she laid the sleeping baby in her arms. Her daughter and son-in-law had sparred verbally because Remus wanted to protect his wife and son. Dora on the other hand had was a trained auror and felt the "Light" could use her talents. Dora's hair had turned a mixture of fiery red and blazing orange showing her inner anger and determination to be included in the danger that was ahead. The foreboding air hung around the small cottage like a black funeral veil over the face of the widow. The depression was palpable and the sun just could not break through the clouds. She knew that the final battle against Voldemort was looming over them. One did not need to be a seer to know that this would not end well no matter which side won. She felt so helpless, let useful. She was excluded from fighting, but she had the next generation to care for and protect. After laying the sleeping Teddy Lupin, with his blue hair in his cot, she returned to the sitting room. There Andromeda approached the table in the center of the room. There she lit a white candle for protection, a pink candle for perseverance and a dark blue one for loyalty to the light and sent the wishes to the winds. She did this knowing that three was a powerful magical number and would add more strength to her hopes.
The Order had been made aware that things were moving quickly and that Aberforth had let Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley into the Hogs' Head. He had summoned Neville Longbottom from the Room of Requirement to lead the trio into Hogwarts. The battle would begin soon because this was where there would be a last stand. Both sides knew that the one that won Hogwarts would win the war. They also knew that Voldemort has specifically given orders that he, and he alone, would be the one to kill Harry Potter.
The night wore on and it felt like there were a series of earthquakes engulfing the whole of Britain. Indeed there were reports on the muggle news about these. Their Prime Minister had given a press conference and tried to assure the populace that the emergency protocols were in place and those in danger were being evacuated from an area in central Scotland. The rest of the country was to remain in place until the danger had passed. Andromeda smiled warily and thought of Ted, her knight in shining armor, who had been a television news reader/reporter for the muggle news service until he had to go into hiding. She had word only a week ago on Potterwatch that he had been captured and killed by Death Eaters. Sighing she rose and went to pick up the whimpering baby.
She hated waiting and not knowing more than anything, but right now her priority was taking care that the next generation lived. Andromeda pulled Teddy close and hugged him. She placed a kiss on his head then walked across the room and sat in a rocker. She was not aware that she had fallen asleep until she was startled awake by a voice from her floo. "Andromeda, are you awake? I need your help!" came the urgent call from Minerva McGonagall.
"Do you want to come through, or do you need me there?" Andromeda replied. "If you need me to come, I need a house-elf to keep an eye on Teddy."
"No, I just need you to open your wards so I can get a patient through for you to tend," Minerva replied. "Don't jump to conclusions, just have something to lay him on. We can move him when we have two of us. I will have Hermione help me with the side-along."
Andromeda quickly laid Teddy on the sofa and cleared the dining table. She was throwing a large comforter over it for some semblance of padding as she heard the pop of her favorite Professor coming through the wards. She opened the door and then helped them to get through into the dining room. Only then did she realize that the dark haired wizard the dirty, battle-worn, under nourished witch and the professor were transporting was Severus Snape. She could now see why Minerva asked her not to jump to conclusions.
"Snake bite to his neck," said Hermione succinctly. "Only he would think ahead to have an anti-venom vial on him. Well, I have one, but I've been on the run for almost a year …. Damn, I'm rambling again."
"What in the name of Morgana are you thinking? Why are you bringing HIM here? You know that Remus and Nymphadora have left Teddy with me, well Dora did when Remus left her behind. Does anyone not think I am able to do anything because of Ted? Stop walking on egg-shells and get to the point. I am not a porcelain doll to put on a shelf. You just don't understand, do you? I am a rubber baby that can be drug through the mud," Andromeda asked. "Oh, hi, Hermione!" she went on. "When did you get back?"
The professor and young witch continued arranging Professor Snape on the table, which they had lengthened to comfortably fit his height. "I need more of the blood replenishing potion and anti-venom," Minerva stated. "What else do you have in your bag that would be helpful?" she then asked as she took the two vials from her student. "We need to hurry and get back. Pamona is in need of a lot of help and they will be transporting many to St. Mungo's."
"Why don't I leave some Essence of dittany and some pain reliever potion, plus extra of these," said Hermione as she pulled the medicines from her beaded bag which was obviously charmed with an undetectable extension charm.
"Then hurry girl," the professor prodded.
"You know what to do, Dromeda?" She nodded. "Good, then we will be gone."
"MINERVA!" Andromeda was shouting to get her attention. "What am I doing and why did you bring Severus here?"
"Oh, sorry," Minerva answered. "You know how he was helping us and the other side didn't know. His 'fearless leader' decided he was expendable. Hermione mentioned something about the elder wand and Dumbledore and Harry checking his memories. She went to check on him and found him still alive and called me to move him before someone else found him. Yours' was the safest place we could think of off the top of our heads. We will be back when we can."
"I can't take care of him and Teddy, too!" Andromeda exclaimed. "Both will be a handful when awake."
"You can do it," her professor replied. "I know of what you are capable, more than you do I would wager."
"Here, you might need this," Hermione said as she offered another two vials. "One is a pepper-up potion for you and the other is phoenix tears under stasis. I used a couple of drops earlier, along with a bezor when I first found him."
With that the witches were gone. Andromeda sank into the rocking chair. Her gray day had just darkened by a couple of shades. Then she heard the whimper of the baby awakening. She rose again and picked up the blue-haired boy and cuddled him close. She did that bouncing walk that mothers do when comforting a baby as she crossed the room to check on the sleeping wizard.
"You are, you know," he whispered. "Stronger than anyone thinks. You're Slytherin and you can do it."