Written for my own Kesha challenge.

Disclaimer: Is this even necessary?

So I haven't been writing much so I challenged myself, (and anyone else who was interested,) to a two-week writing challenge. Every day is a new Kesha song from her newest album Rainbow. I love Kesha, she inspires many. I love her album. I love writing. And I love Harry Potter. So it seemed obvious. This is my welcome-back to Harry Potter fanfiction so R&R and don't hate me if I'm not as good as I used to be, please!

Bastards

CossetteLune

Nymphadora Tonks had a sweet tooth. And as much as Andromeda tried to keep sweets away from the child, she always managed to find some. And if she didn't she would throw a temper tantrum that not even her two parents combined could calm down. In all other ways she was an amazing daughter. She loved her mom and her dad, she cooperated at bed time. She was quite a messy child, but Andromeda didn't mind cleaning up after the toddler. The only time she screamed was if she got her heart set on a certain sweet and couldn't get it. So after two hours of complaining about ice cream, Andromeda finally gave in and took her to Florian Fortecue's Ice Cream Parlour.

It was rare that Andromeda would venture out into the wizarding world. Partly because her husband was muggle-born and they spent most of their time with his family and friends, and also because she had a young daughter that she spent her days at home or at the park with, but mostly because it frightened her now. After she had left her own pure-blood family, going back raised anxiety of running into one of them, or hearing any sort news about them. Today though she was particularly surprised when Nymphadora pointed at a magazine, "Mummy, mummy!" She tugged on the older woman's sleeve for attention. "Mummy, it's you!"

Andromeda's eyes wandered to the article, expecting it to be about her sister, rather than her, however the second she saw it her heart dropped, it was a picture of her, Nymphadora peaking out beside her robes every few seconds, (making the real pink-haired child beside her giggle.) Reaching for the magazine she read the headline, 'Ex-Black Makes For Poor Mother.' Immediately she threw it back down, picked up her daughter with a huff, and strutted down the street, ready to go back home. "No, mummy, I wanted to stay and look at the animals!" The metamorphous whined, reaching her hands out towards the street. After getting their ice cream, she loved going to the Magical Menagerie just to look and play. And they had been on their way before her mother suddenly took her away. "Mummy," her eyes welled up with tears that Andromeda knew to be fake after seeing the difference many times.

"Not today, Nympadora," she said harshly, exiting to a spot they were allowed to disapparate from. Noting the shortness in her mom's voice, the girl did not try to argue, but instead snuggled into her moms arms, wrapping her tiny hands around her neck and kissing her cheek. "I love you mummy, don't be mad!"

It was nearly impossible to still be angry when her daughter was this sweet and this adorable, "I'm not angry, sweetheart, just… Well it's complicated. But we can make grilled cheese for lunch if you want!" She had hoped the temptation of the toddlers favourite food would distract her, which it did. The rest of their afternoon went no differently than an average day and when she finally got Nymphadora into bed, she returned to the living room, curling up with her favourite book but not reading a word. Instead she let the article cover swirl around in her head, bothering her. No one knew her anymore, she wasn't relevant since she had been disowned from the Black family for years. But they still had to try to pull her town. As if her status in the wizarding community made her any less of a mother. It was infuriating and when Ted finally arrived home after a very long day at work, he immediately caught on to her mood.

"Droemda," he said cautiously, removing his shoes and jacket before walking towards her to kiss her lightly on the lips. "What's wrong love?"

Knowing that Ted would brush it off a lot more easily than she did, she was reluctant to say anything. Since she left her family she had tried to act like it was easy for her, like it didn't rip apart her heart to leave her cousins and her sisters and like it was all for the best with no regrets. And for the most part, she did not regret it, she loved her husband and her daughter more than words could ever describe but hearing what her family now said about her absolutely crushed her. Ted took a seat next to her and wrapped one arm around his wife, stroking her lovingly and pulling her closer into him. Falling into his arms, she took a deep breath before replying. "It's just a stupid article," she admitted, annoyed when she heard a slight chuckle come from the man beside her.

"So you saw it then? I was rather hoping you wouldn't notice," he said truthfully. "Myself and Dora both know you are a fantastic mother. And I think you do too. Don't let the bastards take down, it's been years since you've left them. I know they were your family and it's impossible not to miss them to some degree, but you've moved on. All they can do is spit out the occasional article on you, and hope you react. They're just mean girls stuck in their Hogwarts days." He tried to comfort her, placing a careful kiss on the top of her head.

"I know," she agreed, "But it's not like they wrote than themselves, its just what the wizarding community thinks of me now."

Ted pulled away from her slightly and made it so that their eyes were adjacent from each other, "First of all, why do you care what they think? You have two people in this house who would die for you in an instant. Secondly, no they didn't. But you know those magazine's are catered to witches just like Nar- the stay-at-home trophy wives who have nothing better to do but feel good about themselves because they made a good marriage." He tried to dodge Narcissa's name but Andromeda's slight grimace told him that he didn't do a good enough job. "You're better than all of them, Meda. I love you." He added sweetly in the end.

Leaning back into his chest, Andromeda shook her head, "She's not the worst of them, you know. She actually loves Lucius, I watched them fall in love." The dark haired witch wasn't sure why but she still felt like it was her job to defend her younger sister whenever she was mentioned. Even though she turned her back on Andromeda just like everyone else did the day they found out that she was in love with a 'mudblood.'

"Okay, whatever," he shrugged. "I don't really care what she does with her time now. I only care that you are happy and you're not letting one stupid article take away the fact that your daughter absolutely adores you, you are raising her well and in a much better home than if you had stayed and married that Carrow."

"I'm glad I left, I never would have married him, he's creepy, and I think in love with his sister," she joked lightly. He was right, as time passed it was easier for her to deflect their words. "I just… I don't know why I care."

"Because you're a good mother," Ted responded, smiling. "Any good mother who loves her daughter, wouldn't want to see that sort of thing, but as Dora grows up, she is going to understand why those articles exist and that you left because they have a very medieval way of thinking. She will respect and love you even more for it too, just you see," he finished confidently.

Biting her lip slightly Andromeda added in, "And she will start liking her name again too?" From the second the girl learned to talk, she would scrunch up her nose whenever 'Nymphadora' was said. For a while Andromeda though she just didn't like being called, but when Ted started referring to her as 'Dora' the child got a lot happier.

Letting out a loud laugh Ted grinned at his wife, kissing her firmly on the cheek, "Don't get too ahead of yourself darling. I have a feeling the name is never going to grow on her," he caught her eye as she challenged him to go on and so he recovered by adding in more, "As beautiful of a name as it is." He never was particularly fond of it either, but Andromeda loved it and he loved her and was just happy to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Moreover, he knew better than to fight her on the name, so he went along with it, but was sure he would never say it in full again for as long as he lived. "Come on Dromeda, I've had a long day and I know you'r not really reading that book, shall we go to bed?"

She agreed, all thought of her family and the article out of her head. She was truly grateful for Ted and for Nymphadora. Without them she would lead a lot worse of a life and even when she did get down they could cheer her up in an instant. The pure-blood couldn't even get angry later that night when Nymphadora woke up screaming at 2 o'clock in the morning because she wanted more ice cream. And again at 4 o'clock for some chocolate frogs. Her family was perfect and nothing could ever change that.

Was it okay? It's just pure Andromeda fluff so it can't be horrible right? Let me know!

XO

CL