I do not own anything of "Harry Potter" merely the ideas and concepts that are my own.

Almost a year had passed since the Great War that tore her family apart and the run down witch still struggled to sleep each night. It was around two in the morning as she rolled over to adjust her position, she let out a moan as her hand touched on the right side of the bed, Ted's side of the bed.

"Shit." she whispered as she sat up to push tears from her eyes. Andromeda Tonks had been through hell this year; the Second Wizarding War had taken everything away from her, her only daughter, her doting husband, and her deranged estranged sister.

Along with the emotional hit came a financial one that was delivered to many of the UK's Wizarding families. For some reason, money was hard these days. Diagon ally was still trying to make a comeback so jobs were scarce. Thankfully, George Weasly offered Andromeda a job at his Joke Shop. She sold novelty products, handled currency, and balanced budgets, but in these trying times, George could only pay her so much and she still struggled to provide for her orphaned grandson Teddy. Teddy's godfather Harry, tried to help earn a little extra money by doing news interviews and taking on odd jobs, but that ended when he began Auror training and Andromeda wouldn't ask him to give up the whatever money he was making, especially with his wedding coming up. So, for now, Mrs. Tonks was in a crunch.

The creek of a floorboard snapped Andromeda to attention. Then a suspicious bump caused a shot of panic to shoot through her. Somebody is in my house! She thought as she threw off the sheets. She quickly threw on her robe and made her way toward the fireplace to contact Harry or the Weaslys. But then there was a creek near Teddy's room. She may not have enough time to summon someone. She darted as quietly as possible to her nightstand, snatched up her wand, and crept out into the hallway. Teddy's door was open ajar. Wand at the ready she rushed to the door and opened it wide. She saw a cloaked figure standing over Teddy. She immediately swallowed her fear as the figure noticed her.

"No you don't!" Andromeda hissed, with a jabbing motion made with her wand she a fatal jet of green light whizzing at the invader. The cloaked person leapt backwards on to their back just in time. Andromeda sprinted to check on Teddy. Still breathing, relief. The witch zeroed in the intruder as they tried to crab-walk away from. As Andromeda tried to gaze upon her opponent's face, they kicked in the air, colliding with her wrist and knocking the wand from her hand.

The housebreaker struggled to their feet as they made a mad dash out the door, Andromeda gave chase. The intruder just made it out the door when Andromeda pounced on them, as the two slammed into the opposite wall the invader let out a feminine groan, the attacker was a woman.

The two women struggled, Andromeda to unmask her attacker, the other to make an escape. They fall to the ground in a wrestling match. Andromeda winds up on to as the intruder desperately tries to hide her face.

"WHO ARE YOU!" Andromeda screams as her hand finds the other woman's throat. She's mere inches away from getting the invader's hood down when her opponent goes on the offensive and seizes her brown curly hair, pulling Andromeda's head down, obstructing her view. Andromeda tries to pry her attacker's hands off but just can't. She seizes both sides of the invader's head and slams it into the floor. She repeated the move about five times before her delirious opponent placed her feet on Andromeda's chest and pushed her upwards. Andromeda grabbed her rival's leg to keep from flying backwards while throwing novice punches with her right hand. Her frantic opponent clung to her hair with her right while throwing with her uncoordinated left.

All of a sudden, Andromeda heard a rip and fell backwards on the floor. She quickly put her arms up expecting a kick that never came. She got to her feet to continue her pursuit of the feeling woman. She catches her halfway down the flight of stairs and both women lose their footing. They tumble to the bottom and hit the ground with rough sounding thuds. The combatants struggled to their feet, the concealed on was up first with Andromeda up seconds after.

They sprinted into the kitchen, the invader grabbed her broom off the counter and barely sidestepped Andromeda's attempt to take her down as she beelines for the backdoor, Andromeda hot on her heels. Andromeda Tonks was so close she could almost snatch her rival's veil. She saw the burglar reach into her cloak for what Andromeda assumed was a wand. Instead, she saw her draw out an emerald green purse and then saw the purse come flying toward her face.

Andromeda ducked just in time, dodging what she was sure was some fatal, thing of some sort. But, just as she makes it to the back door, the cloaked woman is thirty feet in the air on her broom.

"Damn." Andromeda exhales before sprinting back to check on Teddy. He's slept though the whole confrontation, he probably isn't even aware of the potential danger.

Before Mrs. Tonks can feel even remotely relieved though, she marches over toward the fireplace in her bedroom and summons Harry through the Floo network.

"Are you alright Mrs. Tonks?" Harry inquires as he comes through the fireplace, along with Ginny Weasly, his bride-to-be.

"Yes, some mad woman broke in. I got into a scrape with her, she ran." saying it out loud really made Andromeda see the danger she put herself in, she attacked this woman without her wand, but then why didn't this mystery prowler hex her?

"Okay, me and Ginny are going to do a sweep of the area. Some members of the Order should be coming though. Just wait here." and with that Harry and Ginny were out the door.

"What the hell?" Andromeda wondered aloud as she fixed her hair in the mirror, thinking about what took place; the hair pulling, head slamming, punching, the wrestling, and the purse throwing. Andromeda's mind immediately flashed to that emerald purse that was chucked at her head. What could possibly be in it?

After about three minutes, curiosity took over and Andromeda reentered her kitchen, the purse exactly where it landed. The small shimmery emerald bag was somewhat heavy when she picked it up, but nothing happened so she could only assume it was safe, apprehensively she opened it. Inside laid a note on top of a generous heap of gold galleons. Tears of shock and awe filled Andromeda's eyes as she picked up the note.

I already lost one of you and I want the other back. Take this gold along with my apology for not being there like I should have. I'm also sorry for breaking into your home but I honestly, after all we've been through I don't believe you would've spoken to me in person or responded to my owls. If you would like to sit down with me, simply send me an owl, if I do not hear from you I understand. The events of this past year have really given me a new perspective and I feel so terrible now due to these years of not being able to know you as a mother or ever really meeting my niece. No secret, we've made many mistakes when it came to each other and I would like to start rectifying those critical and superfluous errors of our past. If you do not feel the same way, I understand entirely.

Andromeda was quite puzzled by the letter; she had been burned by many people, who was left to resolve things with now? And at that second, she recognized the handwriting, as well as the handbag. It was her last year of school and she was packing to leave when her little sis Narcissa stole it from their mother, one of her favorite heirlooms from the Noble House of Black.

nt here...