Disclaimer: The characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.
The Mudblood had always hated black. "You look so much prettier in colors," he had always said. How he would loathe the fact that it was because of him that she had worn black whenever she had left the house lately. "Ah, but it's well over a year, now," his voice chided her in the back of her head. "Wear your green dress robes."
She pulled them out and looked at them. She'd worn them last at Bill Weasley's wedding. She was wearing them as the Death Eaters had arrived and as her hand had found and clasped the hand that always meant comfort to her. Moments later they were safe in their own home. Soon after that, those hands had undressed her. They had touched her in comfort and arousal, bringing her the bliss she had known countless times over twenty five years but would never know again after that night.
He had gotten up and started dressing before she awoke. She had expected him to do that and had raced downstairs to put some things together for him. He wouldn't starve the first night, at least. He had stood by the back door and pulled her close. "It will be over soon, and we'll be together again. It will come out all right. You'll see."
There had been time for one last kiss, one last caress. "I love you, Mudblood. Look after yourself."
He had smiled down at her. "I will if you will."
Andromeda went to the first anniversary reception at Hogwarts in silvery gray dress robes that she'd worn to her daughter's wedding. She'd lost weight in the two years since, and now they hung from her. Had it really been two years? Teddy wriggled in her arms. He was over a year old now, and he probably wanted to get on the floor and walk all over the castle.
"Be still, you. We're only here so everyone can ooh and aah over you while your parents are honored."
She very carefully didn't look in the one corner where they had brought her the year before. She had stepped over bits of rock and things she didn't want to think about as she had followed the boy. She was led to where Harry Potter had been kneeling between them.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't want them to die. I told him—"
"I know what you told him," she had answered. Remus had come back that fall, full of apologies and promises to stay by his wife and child. In the end, the desire to be part of this battle had been too much to overcome, both for Remus and for Nymphadora. Andromeda had been left by them, by all of them.
"Andromeda?" Harry Potter's voice was so soft that it was almost possible to believe that they were simply continuing the conversation of a year ago.
She shook off her memories and looked at the serious young man. Good gracious, had he grown some more since she'd seen him in April? "Harry, it's good to see you."
"I was wondering if I could take Teddy to see some people."
"That would be fine. Just don't let him get lost."
"I also wanted to introduce you to my friend Neville Longbottom. He told me that he wanted to meet you."
Andromeda held out her hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Longbottom. I knew your parents for a while."
He shook her hand as Harry and Teddy wandered away. "They have drinks over here. Would you like something?"
"Perhaps some tea," said Andromeda. Tea would soothe her. She was never good in gatherings, and having something to hold in her hands always made it easier.
Neville stared at the witch by his side. He felt himself turning dark red. "I wasn't expecting you to be so young."
Andromeda choked on her tea. It was embarrassing to pat a woman on the back, but after he'd said something so stupid it was the least he could do. "Pardon?" she wheezed.
"I shouldn't have said that. I've been thinking about Teddy Lupin this past year, about how he's going to grow up like me, without his parents."
Her smile softened. "I see."
"I guess the way I pictured it, his gran was exactly like mine."
"Oh, I hope I'm not a disappointment," she said with mischievous smile.
"Oh, no," he answered seriously. "I had just gotten all ready to face one situation, but—" He shook his head and looked at her again. "Did anyone ever tell you that you look almost exactly like your sister?"
Some sort of imp passed over her features as she asked, "Which sister?" He looked again and saw a blonde streak slide over the top and back of her hair.
"Oh! Both I guess, now. How did you do that?"
"Have you ever met my daughter, Nymphadora?"
"Just for a minute or two, right before—" It would be better not to bring that up. "I've heard about her."
"She inherited her Metamorphmagus abilities from me."
"Does anyone else in your family do that?"
"Not really. Narcissa was able to do just enough to make that absurd attempt to fit into her husband's bleached existence, but that's about it."
"Oh." The moment became awkward. He should just make his suggestion and get on with it. "The thing is, Mrs. Tonks, I've been thinking about Teddy growing up with just his gran, and you seem to be as wonderful as mine is, but it must be lonely. So I wanted to ask if I could come over some times and help, in case he could use another person around."
She looked at him kindly, and then with a truly friendly face that reminded him of his all-too-brief meeting with her daughter. "Why, yes," answered Andromeda, "that would be lovely. Why don't you come around noon with Harry on Thursday afternoon? I'll give you your lunch and tea."
Harry brought Teddy over. "They're going to start in just a minute. I hope I'm not cutting you short, Neville."
"It's fine, Harry," said Neville. "I'll be there, Mrs. Tonks."
He wasn't sure what to expect when Harry brought him to the place—Blue Moon Cottage, he thought he heard Harry say. The front garden was glorious, with several shade trees. In rings around them were -shade-loving herbs that could be ornamental but were also quite useful. Along the walk there were hedges made up of roses of varieties that were often used in soothing emollients. But right around the door there was sunlight and a patch of daisies of a type that was useless except to look cheerful and lovely.
"Someone has put a lot of effort into this garden," he murmured.
Harry looked around as if seeing it for the first time. "Oh, I suppose," he said. "Andromeda's always out doing something with it." He rang the bell.
A very natural-looking witch opened the door. Instead of being dressed in grand robes, she was wearing a pretty but relaxed-looking robe that was stained on one shoulder. "Hello, gentlemen. Come right in. I hope you don't mind me giving you lunch in the kitchen."
They weren't in any position to argue, especially after they started eating. Andromeda knew they were still growing boys and laid out plenty of food. She washed up a few dishes as they ate and did something with a large kettle on the back of the stove.
"Teddy should be up from a nap in a few minutes. He's in his play yard in the lounge, Harry, and he's always delighted to see you. If you don't mind, I'll be looking after some bushes that need to be tied up before they take over the back garden."
"All right, Andromeda," replied Harry, "we'll get along fine. May we play with his trains?"
"Oh, you boys," she said with a shake of her head and a laugh. "Mind you clear them up properly this time. It's a horrible thing to step on that track with a bare foot."
She grabbed a woolen sweater and headed out a back door.
"Where is she going?" asked Neville.
Harry shrugged. "You heard her. Something about a shrub that she needs to tie up. Let's go look in on Teddy."
It turned out that babies weren't that interesting when they were asleep. It was mildly amusing to see the child curled up with his diapered end sticking in the air, and the shades of blue and green mixing in his hair were definitely not normal, but beyond that, he just slept there.
"Do you mind if I go outside and see if Mrs. Tonks needs any help?" he asked Harry.
"Sure. I'll bring him out when he wakes up." Harry sat down and pulled a scroll out of his pocket. Based upon the perfume that wafted up, Neville guessed it was from Ginny. He wouldn't be missed here, so he wandered toward the door Mrs. Tonks had gone out.
He found her a little way around a pond. She was struggling with a Tentacula bush that had gotten leggy. As he watched, she gently captured a cane and brought it close to a trellis that stood along the length of the garden bed. She held it fast with one hand while using the other to tap the trellis and plant with her wand. A tie formed and wound around, holding the Tentacula cane fast. She worked her way around the plant, tying it safely to the trellis.
As Neville walked closer, she moved to the next plant and reached for a cane. A frond reached mischievously for her skirt, but she slapped at it playfully with her gloved hand. "Not today, dear. I'm saving you for a special healing potion." The frond pulled back.
"Why do you bother with that?" He asked. "Isn't it venomous?" He looked more closely. It was more green than red. "It's not Venomous Tentacula?"
"No, it's Climbing Tentacula, and it's useful in healing potions. The venomous form was the result of some unfortunate cross breeding and particularly spiteful Doxies. These ones are full of mischief, but they're all right. Unfortunately, I need to keep the canes tied up or the fronds get into the dittany. It will be a horrible tangle if I don't do this before the weather coming later today."
"Can I help?"
"Do you know the tying spell?"
Neville nodded.
"Here, then." Andromeda held a cane still with two hands and Neville took out his wand and tapped the spot where it should be tied. Then he held his breath, worried for the first time in years that he'd gotten a garden charm wrong.
Of course it came out just right. He let his breath out in relief as she smiled and moved to the next cane. He could hear her humming something under her breath as she did.
"What's that?" he asked.
She turned a little pink. "It's a nursery rhyme, actually. Tie them up, make a neat row, water them well, watch them grow...It seems to keep them from being too troublesome, but maybe it just relaxes me so that I work more efficiently."
"Will you teach me, Mrs. Tonks?"
She smiled conspiratorially. "As long as you don't tell anyone that the Widow Tonks spends her time in the back garden mumbling nursery rhymes. I don't care to develop thatsort of reputation for a very long while, yet."
He stood up straight and looked her in the eye. "Of course not." Then he realized she was laughing.
"I think we're going to be good friends, Neville. Why don't you call me Andromeda?"
She decided that the boy knew what he was doing. After a few tying spells, which were perfect, he went to her shed and got some gloves for his own hands. He started working at the other end of the row, and they were done by the time Harry came out with Teddy.
She gave the boys their tea as promised and then they left. The house was entirely too quiet afterward, but she was happy enough to have a respite from the commotion and the fretting she had done before they arrived. Teddy ate his dinner and, after a bath and his night time bottle, he went fast asleep.
Andromeda puttered around the house, making sure the doors were properly shut and sealed against intruders. She looked over her preparations for breakfast and picked up stray toys around the house. Her own bedtime finally came. As she always did, she brushed her hair and wore a pretty nightgown. Then she snuggled up to Ted's old pillow, which she kept sideways on the bed. "I've made a new friend, my love," she said. "He's going to come once a week to play with Teddy and maybe help me in the garden. He knows what he's doing out there and promised to bring a seed catalog next week. He has some ideas about that bare patch by the pond where nothing grows."
Ted-in-her-head seemed to approve. That voice had always complained that she was too young to spend her life tucked away in her house with just the baby for company. She was altogether too close to becoming a crazy widow humming stray tunes to herself in the back garden. It would be good to have young people around, bringing energy and excitement into the house.
She went to sleep thinking that the hurts of her life were a little bit comforted, now.
A/N: Special thanks go to Kyria of Delphi for beta reading!
