tital wave on an ocean of emotion
...
The last thing Ted Tonks expects at two in the morning is the sound of the doorbell ringing several times. It's not that he was asleep or anything even close — he's always been a night owl ever since he was a child — but most normal people would be asleep at this time and he's not foolish enough to think otherwise.
"Give me a sec," Ted calls, slipping his bookmark into his paperback and placing it softly on the couch as he heads out of the living room towards the doorway. "I'm almost there!"
Ted opens the door carefully, trying to make sure that the door doesn't snag again. It's an older house, the only thing he could afford when he decided to stubbornly move out of his parent's house at the age of seventeen, fueled by stubbornness and teenage angst. Half a year later, he doesn't have any regrets. Well, until it comes to cooking.
Ted opens the door and almost trips over his feet. "You scared me," he exclaims in shock at the girl standing before him on the doorstep
"Well, I'm naturally scary. Hi, Ted," Andromeda Tonks says weakly, forcing a smile as she stands up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I know you weren't expecting me this early, but I had nowhere else to go. I hope you don't think this is too much of an imposition."
As she talks, Andromeda's normally wild black hair turns a dull brown, and Ted forces himself to breath through his fear. His girlfriend's shapeshifter talents are widely known and he loves her with every atom in his body, but sometimes she scares him with the way she transforms before his eyes.
"You're never imposing," Ted assures her, grabbing her coat off her shoulder and hanging it as she makes her way to the living room. "But I thought you were going to stay and see Narcissa's wedding before… well, you know. Before you told them about us."
Andromeda lets out a humorless chuckle and Ted winces, grabbing her hand and a blanket to pull over the two of them. Andromeda sigh contently as he envelopes her with heat and lays her head on his shoulder with a practiced ease. "It turns out I'm not as subtle as I thought I was."
"Couldn't keep me your dirty little secret for that long?" Ted asks, only half-kidding, but Andromeda pales at his words, her body turning scaly and and her hair going from brown to snow white in fear.
"They burned me off the family tree," Andromeda confess, sounding almost as if she's apologizing to him. "I couldn't do damage control. They're after us now. We have to put wards up — Merlin, I'm so sorry — and maybe some curses? I'll think about it, I promise — "
Ted grabs his girlfriend's hand, sighing to himself mentally. Andromeda is a whirlwind normally, but he's never seen her this distraught. Never, not in the seven years he's known her. "Dromeda, you haven't told me how they found out yet. Slow down and explain, my love."
If it's even possible, Andromeda pales further. "You're going to hate me for this," Andromeda confesses. "I know you will."
"I could never hate you," Ted says back, and he means it. He loves his girlfriend, all of her — the madness and the passion and the history she comes with. He loves her ever-changing appearance and the way she takes all the air out of his lungs when she walks into the room.
"My mother…" Andromeda takes a deep breath, holding his hand tighter. "She said I was pregnant."
Ted almost chokes on his own tongue, but forces himself to keep breathing steadily. He can't afford to scare Andromeda anymore then she already is tonight. So what if she's pregnant? There's a diamond ring burning a hole in his bedroom drawer anyways.
"Okay," Ted says simply, kissing her cheek. Inside, he wants to scream and freak and celebrate, but Andromeda relaxes a fraction of an inch, and it's worth it. "How do we test this out?"
Andromeda shakes her head at him. "You're such a faker. I can see your hand trembling, you know. I wasn't born yesterday, Ted. You can admit you're scared to me. Trust me, I'm not exactly relaxed either."
At that, Ted lets out a tiny laugh. That's his Andromeda peeking out, blunt and honest and close to rude sometimes. Her words just certain his resolve — they're going to get through this.
"There's a spell," Andromeda continues and begins to explain. Enthralled, Ted hangs onto her every word as she begins to cast until finally there's a light around her and when it starts to glow, Ted feels like he's weightless. Andromeda is pregnant and they're… they're having a child. For Merlin's sake, he's going to be a father!
"I wonder how she knew," Andromeda says quietly. "My mother, I mean. I wish sometimes we had a chance to love each other truly, not in these twisted games."
"You could still try," Ted offers weakly, but they both know his words are just a formality. Once you turn your back on House Black, there will be no future for you within those walls.
"You're a good man, Ted, but no. I'm as brave as soggy potato salad and I hope I'll never have to see anyone in my family again. None of them tried to help. Even Sirius, he froze. Now that I'm gone, I refuse to look back. I'm a snake alright, and I know when to cut my ties."
Ted takes a deep breath at her words. He can't stand by and let Andromeda think she's lost all her family in one night. "Marry me, Dromeda. I can't promise you a lavish mansion or riches, but I won't let you be a victim ever again. We'll beat this world at its own game together. I promise."
Andromeda watches him as he falls down to one knee, holding his breath in anticipation. "Of course I'll marry you, sap," she says teasingly, but Ted doesn't fail to notice the tear she swipes away quickly. "You're hilariously predictable, you know. I knew you wouldn't let our child be born out of wedlock. Though I still am waiting for that ring"
"Don't believe everything you read," Ted says back softly, standing up and wrapping her tightly in his arms. "My innovation will leave you in the dust as I dazzle, and I promise, with a ring"
Andromeda shakes off his laughter with an amused tilt of her head. "I love you, you know."
"I love you too," Ted confesses honestly. "You've given us the greatest gift of all and I love you for it."
"I thought you'd be devastated," Andromeda says and Ted shakes his head.
"Never. This chance has always been worth taking with you."
...
Written for:
Muggle Music: Task #9 - "I Just Can't Wait to be King" (The Lion King): Write about someone look forward to the future.
Character Appreciation: Character - Nymphadora Tonks
Disney Challenge: Ariel - Write about being able to have both family and love
Shannon's Showcase: Happiest Minute of the Week - Write about the happiest minute of a character's week
Book Club: Tucker Beaumont: (word) protective, (creature) snake, (dialogue) "No. I'm as brave as soggy potato salad."
Showtime: All I Care About - (object) Diamond ring
Days of the month: True Confessions Day - Write about someone confessing something
Count Your Buttons: (song) "Self Inflicted" by Katy Perry, (object) Basket, (dialogue) "Don't believe everything you read," (word) Moon
Lyric Alley: And there's tears we'll cry, but those tears will fade
Restriction of the month: Write a story that does not contain any characters that attended Hogwarts whilst Harry was there, (emotion) doubt
A Year In Entertainment: Book: Northern Lights/The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - (word) Dust
Liza's Loves: The Pharaoh - Write about making an important discovery
Caffeine Awareness: Cappuccino - Write a story using only two characters
Scavenger Hunt: Write a Marauder era fic that doesn't contain any of the four marauders or Lily
Triwizard, Team Gryffindor: (AU) Shapeshifter, (dialogue) "You scared me!" / "Well, I am naturally terrifying," (word) Hilarious, (word) Victim, (emotion) Fear
Mother's Day: Write about someone the moment they find out they are pregnant
Jewel Challenge: Ring - Write about a gift, Bracelet - Write about a prediction, Necklace - Write about the truth or a lie told by a lover
Library Lovers: The Sweetest Taboo by Carole Matthews
(Plot Point) Write about taking a chance
(word) Gorgeous
(Dialogue) "I hope you don't think this is too much of an imposition."
Crafty Cooking Corner: Onion - Era: Marauder, Emotion: Devastated