A/N: Quidditch Fanfiction League Round Ten
Wigtown Wanderers, Chaser 1.
Challenge: Forbidden Relationships; Different Blood status
Prompts: 1. (myth) carrots help you see in the dark
10. (dialogue) "What do you want from me?"
11. 'Never, ever allow yourself to feel. Feelings kill.' - Malorie Blackman, Knife Edge
...
Andromeda sighed as she slumped down onto a stool in the kitchens of Hogwarts. She's missed dinner because she'd been put in detention by Professor Kettleburn because she had flicked a flobberworm into the hair of Sally Fellow, a Ravenclaw prefect, who then proceeded to scream and cry over dramatically about her inexplicable fear of the small creatures.
"Hard day, Mistress Black?" squeaked one of the house elves.
"You wouldn't believe my day, Whimsy. I missed dinner, do you think you could make me something?" Andromeda asked politely.
"Of course, Mistress Black. We have some carrot soup if you would like it," offered the elf.
Andromeda nodded in response. Hot soup would be perfect after spending two hours outside sorting flobberworms.
Whimsy brought her a bowl full of carrot soup and Andromeda tucked into it eagerly.
"You know, carrots help you see in the dark."
Andromeda twitched backwards and her bowl dropped to the floor, smashing across the tiles. The house elves hurried to clean up as Andromeda apologised profusely.
"It's okay, Miss," squeaked one of the elves.
Andromeda whipped around to face the person who startled her. She found a familiar Hufflepuff staring at her. She recognised him from some of her classes.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, idiot?" raged Andromeda.
"Just sharing a fun fact, Andromeda," shrugged the boy.
"Uch, you muggleborns and your stupid myths! Carrots have no properties that have an effect of the optic nerve."
"Ahh Dromeda. Lighten up. will you?"
Andromeda's nostrils flared. "Don't call me Dromeda. I am not your friend, Tonks."
"Ahh come on, Black. Thought we were past last names," coaxed Ted.
Andromeda huffed and picked up her bag. She marched straight passed Ted, holding her head high. Ted chuckled and shook his head.
"Got any of that soup left?"
…
Ted was walking down to the Quidditch pitch with some of the boys from his dormitory. Today was Hufflepuff's match against Gryffindor. Naturally, most of the school was heading down to watch the match. Ted noticed a group of Slytherins walking slightly ahead of his group. He spotted Andromeda immediately, her long, dark hair and her musical laughter was hard to miss.
"Hey Andromeda!" he called.
Andromeda glanced back and narrowed her eyes when she realised who had called her name. She turned back around and continued walking.
"What do you want from me, Tonks?" she asked in a bored voice, not bothering to turn around.
"Just wanted to see if you were going to Hogsmeade next weekend," stated Ted.
"And why did you want to know that?"
"To see if i had any chance of having the pleasure of your company in Puddifoot's Tea Room."
This earned a few incredulous looks to be shared between the Slytherin girls and a few smirks shared between the Hufflepuff boys.
"None whatsoever," spat Andromeda, walking ahead to the Slytherin stands.
The Hufflepuff boys walked towards their own stand.
"Ted, Andromeda Black is a Slytherin pureblood. You've got more of a chance with McGonagall than her," chuckled his friend, patting Ted on the back.
…
Slughorn stood in front of a large cauldron, writing instructions onto the chalkboard with the flick of his wand. He turned to face the class.
"Well, today we're going to do things a little different. You will be paired up and work together to create a draught of living death."
Andromeda automatically turned to her friend Delilah Rosier and smirked.
"But here's the twist," continued Slughorn. "I will be mixing you up to be paired with someone you don't usually work with, then you will work together outside the classroom to right a report on any potion of your choice."
A number of the Slytherins groaned as Slughorn began pairing the class up.
"Black," called Slughorn. "You'll be pairing with Tonks."
Andromeda sighed and groaned inwardly. The annoying, Hufflepuff muggleborn was the last thing she wanted to deal with.
She shifted over on her desk as Ted crossed the room to join her. He grinned widely.
"So, we're finally able to spend some alone time," teased Ted.
"Shut up, Tonks. Can we just get on with making this damn potion, please?" requested Andromeda.
Ted held his hands up in mock surrender. The pair worked silently for a few minutes, chopping up their respective ingredients. As they added the ingredients, they began to chat about school, Quidditch and interests. Andromeda found that Ted wasn't half as annoying as she had expected. He was actually quite funny when he wanted to be. Ted found that he and Andromeda had a similar sense of humour, and that she wasn't as serious as he first thought.
They finished their potion and began to pack up.
"So, when do you want to do the essay?" asked Andromeda.
"Tomorrow after dinner. Library?"
Andromeda nodded.
…
Andromeda and Ted sat laughing at a desk in the library. Potion books and old journals laid ignored on the desk in front of them.
"You know, Tonks, you're not half bad," laughed Andromeda.
"Why thank you, Princess Slytherin," chuckled Ted sarcastically.
Across the room, Narcissa was sat sucking on a sugar quill trying to find the right chapter of a Goblin history book. She leaned back in her chair and glanced around the room. She noticed her sister in the corner laughing with a boy. Narcissa smiled. Her sister had never had any boyfriends and had always denied liking any when she and Bella teased her. She noticed the Hufflepuff colours of the boy's robes.
At least he's not Gryffindor.
She watched her sister laugh at the boy. She didn't recognise the boy, which wasn't unusual. Narcissa tended to keep to the Slytherins. She was sure there was a Brown in Hufflepuff or maybe he was a Fawley. She couldn't think of any other pureblood families with teenagers who might be in Hufflepuff.
…
After finishing their essay, Ted insisted on walking Andromeda down to the dungeons.
"You really didn't have to walk me all the way down," argued Andromeda as they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room.
"I know. I'm sure you Blacks can take care of yourselves," smiled Ted.
"We definitely can," laughed Andromeda.
There was a long moment of silence before Ted leaned into Andromeda.
"What are you doing?" stammered Andromeda, pulling away.
"Will you relax?" exasperated Ted. Andromeda breathed as Ted leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Her cheek burned as Ted stepped backwards. Before Andromeda had time to respond, the bricks on the wall opposite began to move and several seventh years strutted out of the passageway. Bellatrix Black led the group.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" mocked Bellatrix. She noticed that it was her sister and stepped towards her. "Dromeda, what are you doing with a Hufflepuff?" she hissed quietly.
"It's not like that Bella, we got paired for a potions assignment. The whole class got mixed up, everyone got paired with a Hufflepuff," defended Andromeda
"Doesn't explain why he's here," countered Bellatrix. When Andromeda failed to respond, Bellatrix turned to Ted. She walked around him, sizing him up. "I know you. You're Tonks, the mudblood."
"Bella!" gasped Andromeda. Bellatrix gave her sister an icy stare.
"I'm a muggleborn," said Ted pointedly.
"You can leave now," commanded Bellatrix. However, Ted ignored the elder Black sister and looked over at Andromeda. Andromeda looked at her feet. Ted huffed and walked off. Bellatrix turned to her friends. "You guys go ahead, i need to have a word with my little sister."
…
Ted hadn't spoken to Andromeda in two days. In truth, she had really missed his annoying comments thrown across classrooms. She was sat at a desk in the library trying to complete an essay on grindylows for Defense against the dark arts, but she was distracted by Ted, who was sat with his Hufflepuff friends across the room, intentionally not looking her way. Narcissa walked into the library and saw her sister staring at the Hufflepuff boy. She sighed and sat down next to her.
"Hey Cissy," greeted Andromeda.
"Hey Dromeda. Bella told me what happened," said Narcissa sadly. "You know it would never work. He's a muggleborn, can you imagine papa's reaction?"
Andromeda sighed.
"I know, Cissy."
"When it comes to anything but purebloods, you never, ever let allow yourself to feel. Feelings kill, especially with our family. You know what happened to uncle Alphard."
Andromeda nodded but continued to look at Ted. Everything she had found boring and annoying before was starting to seem perfect. From his freckled face, right down to his annoying laughter. Ted glanced up and saw Andromeda staring at him. He saw the sadness behind her eyes. Andromeda looked away and got up to search the bookshelves at the back of the library. Ted got up and followed around the other side. He found her searching a shelf in the magical creatures section.
"Hey."
"Hey," Andromeda replied softly, turning to him.
Ted looked at her big brown eyes and her soft pink lips. Before she had time to notice his closeness, Ted had pushed Andromeda up against the bookshelf and captured her lips with his own. It took a second for Andromeda to register what was happening, but she allowed her body to take over and responded with just as much enthusiasm. Ted slipped one of his hands into her long, flowing hair and cupped her cheek with the other. Andromeda gripped Ted's shirt and pulled him closer. The feel of his warm against her ignited a desire she had never felt before. Ted suddenly pulled away and Andromeda made a small noise at the loss of his lips.
"Do you like me?" exploded Ted. Andromeda opened her eyes but was still dazed.
"I… what?"
"Do you like me?" asked Ted again, more firmly.
"Yes," whispered Andromeda. Ted grinned wickedly. He pushed Andromeda against the bookshelf again and began attacking Andromeda's neck with harsh kisses.
"You sure?" breathed Ted. Andromeda pulled his head up and pushed him back against the opposite bookshelf.
"Yes," she repeated, pulling Ted down for another kiss.
…
Andromeda was sat with Narcissa and Bellatrix for breakfast. across the hall, a muggleborn Hufflepuff caught her eye. She grinned at him and he winked in reply. Not even Bellatrix noticed.