Summary:
"I promise you that someday—" Andromeda said resolutely. She carefully placed the flowers in front of the tomb and stood up. "—someday I will join you and no one can get in the way. No one." Song fic to Alicia Keys' No One. Andromeda Black and Ted Tonks.
Link to song: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v (equal sign) ktUSIJEiOug
(take out the spaces)
No One
Andromeda Black slumped against the wall of the deserted corridor and slowly slid down, sobbing uncontrollably. A letter was clenched, crumpled into a ball, in her fist. Tears continued to pour relentlessly down her face. It was her seventh year at Hogwarts; she should be worried about NEWTs like every other teenager in her year, but instead, she also had to worry about her parents' wrath on top of the exams. In the letter, her parents had demanded that she had better find a suitor for herself soon or else they would disown her. It was typical that once a Pureblood daughter graduated, she would be married to an eligible man.
Andromeda had managed to drive away all the would-be-husbands that her parents had set her up with, but they had finally got fed up with her. They had said, and she quote "if you do not find someone you like to marry, we will –and be assured that we will– find someone for you, whether you like it or not." By this point of the letter, even Andromeda could feel the anger radiating through the parchment because the quill had dug into it so deep that it was in danger of ripping right through.
It wasn't like Andromeda didn't have someone in mind; it was just that she was sure her parents wouldn't like him at all. Heck, she would be lucky if they don't murder him on the spot. His name was Ted Tonks, a Muggle-born. They had been dating since the beginning of the year, keeping it a secret from not just everyone, but also her nosy little sister.
Andromeda sniffed, stifling her sob. She had really been naïve to believe that once she graduated, she would somehow still be with Tonks and her parents would magically accept it. She laughed bitterly at herself. It really was time to leave her little fairytale and return to reality. But she couldn't bear thinking about living her life without Ted in it. He had been, literally, a shining star in her pitch-black night. After meeting him, he had showed her many things: peace, warmth, laughter, and most of all, love. Thinking about him just made her tear up once again. She buried her face in her hands in defeat. She was so miserable that she didn't even notice the quiet footsteps approaching her.
"Dromeda, what's wrong?" asked a concerned voice, somewhere very close, yet somehow, so very far. She looked up and saw Ted looking down at her, which only made her cry even harder. He didn't deserve her; he deserved someone who would stay with him forever, someone whose parents would accept him, someone who could promise to stay with him forever. And she was going to have to leave him and marry some snobby guy who was probably twice her age.
Andromeda was dimly aware that Ted had knelt down so he was closer in distance. She felt gentle hands wiping the tears off her face and carefully tilting her head. Looking up, she saw worry and concern flowing through his blue eyes. This only made her heart ache even more painfully.
"Is it your parents?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "They want me to marry right after graduation, probably with someone that I don't even know. But do I have a choice?? I want to stay with you but you know what they're like; they'll force me to marry some Pureblood so that their stupid family line can stay pure. They disgust me! But what can I do? I can't just get up and leave. I'm sure that my dad would take away all my gold if I even hinted running away…" she trailed off and continued in an almost inaudible voice. "And after we graduate, we're just gonna be going are separate ways. And I will never see you again, or hear you laugh, or hold you, or–"
"Dromeda, look at me," Ted said commandingly, cutting her off. "Who says I'm going anywhere? Who says I want to leave? Who says that I'm scared of your parents? Haven't we been through enough this year to prove that I won't run away at the first sign of difficulty?" By the time Ted had finished, he sounded almost angry.
She looked at him, only to burst into tears, but this time in relief. Her fear of him leaving her vanished almost instantly. She had been sure that he would desert her because of her maniac family. Andromeda threw her arms around him and he hugged her close, making soothing sounds.
He rubbed her back gently up and down while she continued to cry into his shoulder. "Shh… Everything's gonna be alright," he whispered. Ted gently pulled Andromeda off his body and held her shoulders so that she was facing him. "We'll figure something out, but right now, we just gotta live with what we've got, okay? I love you, Andromeda Black, and I don't ever plan on letting you go, you hear me?"
She hiccupped, and smiled shakily. Wiping her tears off, she replied, "I love you, too." Ted leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips and then on the forehead. He pulled her into his lap and hugged her close to him. Sighing contentedly, she snuggled closer to him. "Hold me close, and never let go."
"I won't, ever," Ted promised.
I just want you close,
Where you can stay forever.
You can be sure,
That it will only get better.
You and me together,
Through the days and nights.
I don't worry cause,
Everything's gonna be alright.
People keep talking,
They can say what they like,
But all I know is everything's gonna be alright.
"Isn't she adorable?" Andromeda whispered excitedly to her husband, who was sitting on the hospital bed closely beside her. They were both staring down at the pink-hair baby within her arms.
"I know," he replied, "I see she's got her good looks from her mother and I can't believe she's a meta– meta– what again?"
"Metamorphmagus," his wife answered. Shortly after the baby was born, her hair had turned from a shade of chocately brown to bright pink. Needless to say, the couple was quite shocked. The healers quickly explained to the worried couple that the infant was very healthy and did not have any sort of disease. She informed them that their baby actually had an extremely rare gift; one that allowed their child to morph her physical appearance to whatever she desired.
She is going to be quite a handful, Andromeda predicted. Her baby had already showed signs of rebellious traits in the few hours.
"What shall we name her?" Ted asked, looking at her in inquiry.
She thought about it for a while before replying. "You know what; I'd like to name her Nymphadora."
"Nymphadora," Ted said, pronouncing each syllable clearly while trying out the name on his tongue. He smiled at his wife. "I like that name; it suits her quite well. Nymphadora it is." The two parents looked down affectionately at their newborn child. She slept peacefully within the arms of her mother, surrounded by both her parents who love her very much.
"Welcome to the world, Nymphadora Tonks," Andromeda whispered.
No one, no one, no one,
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling.
No one, no one, no one,
Can get in the way of what I feel for you.
You, you,
Can get in the way of what I feel for you.
Andromeda stared out into the dark, rainy night through the window her and Ted's room. He had been gone for about two months now. When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry, they both knew that Ted would not be safe if he stayed in their cottage. If he had remained, it would not be long before he would be tracked down as a "Mudblood." Andromeda was certain that Bellatrix would have personally made sure that Ted Tonks was hunted down. She shuddered at the thought. Even when they were children, Bellatrix had always loved torturing small animals. She was glad that Ted was on the run and safe.
However, that did not stop her from worrying and her heart from aching. Ever since Ted had left, she was always anxious on the constant alert for any piece of information that might give hint to his current situation. Through the hard days, Nymphadora and Lupin dropped by often to make sure she wasn't too lonely. Although Nymphadora tried to stay positive and happy for her mother, Andromeda could see the worry and anxiety behind her eyes.
She sighed heavily, fogging up the windows. She walked away from the window while stretching tiredly. After blowing out the lantern, Andromeda crawled into bed; Ted would not have wanted her to tire herself too much. This would be, however, one of the many nights that she would roll relentlessly in her bed before she could fall asleep.
"Stay safe, Ted," Andromeda prayed, "and come back to me."
When the rain is pouring down,
And my heart is hurting.
You will always be around,
This I know for certain
You and me together,
Through the days and nights.
I don't worry cause
Everything's gonna be alright.
"Did you hear?–"
"Yeah, Andromeda Black and Ted Tonks…"
"Can you believe it?–"
"I always thought something was fishy between those two…"
"I wonder what her parents would say…they're so scary…"
Mutterings from the students followed the couple all the way as they walked down the train. It was the last time that they would ever be on the train. At their last night at Hogwarts, Ted had asked Andromeda to run away with him and to his pleasure, she agreed. Andromeda knew that sooner or later, she would have to choose between her family and Ted. Although, she did love her family (even though they were terrible to her, they were still family) her love for Ted was stronger.
They decided that on the day they were eloping, they would show the whole world of the love they have. As the train was reached London, the teenagers walked down the train holding hands with their heads held high. Andromeda barely even noticed Narcissa and her boyfriend, Lucius, glaring venomously at them as they passed.
Andromeda and Ted left the last of the whisperings behind them as they hopped off the train. She smiled at him, both excited and scared at what they were doing. Ted smirked at her. "Did you hear what they were saying back there? It was like they were seeing ghosts or something?"
"They can say what they like," Andromeda snorted, "Nothings going to change the way I feel for you."
Ted smiled happily at her. Together, with their hands entwined, the couple walked through the barrier of the train station, ready to face the world.
People keep talking,
They can say what they like,
But all I know is everything's gonna be alright.
No one, no one, no one,
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling.
No one, no one, no one,
Can get in the way of what I feel for you.
You you,
Can get in the way of what I feel for you.
Ding, ding, ding. Sirius knocked his champagne glass with his fork.
"Can I have everyone's attention please," Sirius said loudly. Once the noise had settled, he continued. "I would like to propose a toast to the handsome groom–" he raised his glass at Ted, "–and the lovely bride," he shifted the glass towards Andromeda. "Ever since starting at Hogwarts, I could see that there was something special between my dear cousin and Ted. They were always bickering, just like an old couple." Everybody chuckled in agreement while Ted and Andromeda blushed. "They are very special people. They have been through so much just so they could stay together. So many people, mainly our lovely family, have tried to stop this–" Sirius gestured at them, "–inevitability from happening, and yet, they have pulled through. They helped me out when I ran away from my lovely family and I will forever be in their debt. They are both great people who deserve each other perfectly," Sirius concluded. "To Ted and Andromeda Tonks, may their love be with them until the end."
"Ted and Andromeda," everyone toasted. Andromeda was very touched by his speech. Her cousin wasn't usually very serious and to show that he could be on her wedding day meant a lot to her.
Ted and Andromeda chose to have a small wedding. The guests consisted of Ted's parents, a few of Ted's and Andromeda's friends, and also Sirius and his friends. Sirius had brought his four best friends and Lily Evans who, to the shock and delight of everyone, was here as James' date.
"I would also like to propose a toast," announced Remus Lupin as he stood up. Everyone quieted down again for his speech. "I would just like to say on behalf of everybody here that we are all very happy for you both. This love and connection between you two is something that some people have searched the world for, something very special." He raised his glass and everyone followed, "To everlasting love."
"To love," the whole table chorused.
I know some people search the world,
To find something like what we have.
I know people will try,
Try to divide,
Something so real.
So till the end of time,
I'm telling you that
No one, no one, no one,
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling.
Andromeda knelt in front of a grave, tears pouring silently down her face. Her fingers unsteadily traced the words on the tomb that read:
Ted Tonks
1953-1997
A loving Husband, Father, and Friend
Three years had passed since her husband had died. There wasn't single day that Andromeda had never thought about him or that her heart had never stopped beating emptily for him. If it wasn't for Teddy Junior, she wouldn't have known how she could survive through these past years.
"Oh Ted," she whispered painfully, "my heart has long since been dead since you have left. I wish you were still here. Teddy is quite the handful, just like Nymphadora was..."
She trailed off, involuntarily bringing back painful memories. Thinking of her deceased daughter made her sob even harder. She had lost so much to the war: her husband, her daughter, and her son-in-law. Only help from the Weaselys and Harry Potter had she been able to raise Teddy properly. Andromeda didn't know how long she knelt there, reminiscing past memories, before her tears had finally ceased.
"I promise you that someday—" Andromeda said resolutely. She carefully placed the flowers in front of the tomb and stood up. "—someday I will join you and no one can get in the way. No one."
No one, no one, no one,
Can get in the way of what I feel for you.
Oh oh oh...
A/N: Review please!!
Okay after reading over the story again, I realised I screwed up the timeline. The time of Ted and Andromeda's wedding is really off unless they married after Nymphadora was born, becuase Sirius didn't run away from school until after she was born. So that also means that James and Lily techincally won't be dating yet.