"We'll take what we want and give the rest away."
-The Kinks

Ted figured she wasn't like the girls she was always around. To him they were all eyelashes and curls, very attractive, and nonetheless lacking. But Andromeda was different, because what he saw hidden behind the flawless inhibition was something exceptional.

He knew this for two reasons: The first was an instance in fifth year where he stepped on his own shoelace making his way out of potions class, and fell swiftly forward onto the floor. (Tripping was never new for him, so he didn't scream or yelp or anything, only was the sound of his body crashing to the ground).

Per usual everyone laughed. No hard feelings; Ted's clumsiness was always worth a good chuckle. Among the group that was in front of him, which was full of Slytherin girls, was Andromeda Black. And while all of her friends around her burst out in a cruel, chittering kind of laughter that is to be expected from them, she was wincing. Something remarkably akin to concern. He caught her eye, and once he replaced his surprised expression with a cheeky grin, she smiled so sweetly his tooth began to hurt, and his heart began to beat.

The second reason came to him just about a month ago. Ted sat across from Andromeda in History of Magic class, and he watched silently as she doodled in the margins of her parchment. There where no hearts or flowers or smiley faces, but a small vignette of a sun peaking over hills, and delicate billowing clouds above. As she scratched away on the paper, her chin rested on her hand and her shoulders sloped in a pleasing manner.

With secret affection, he saw those moments when she had forgotten to act high-strung and self-important and was merely herself; in her own world, rather than the one her family forced her into.

Their first connection went as follows:

"I've never minded being unnoticed, but when I'm ignored I have to make a correction," he said, turning her gently by the shoulder one day in the corridor.

She looked to her left and then her right, and then back at Ted again. "Teddy from Hufflepuff," she declared in a polite inquiring way. Surprised, and then charmed by the use of his name, Ted responded in the first way that came to him.

"I would like to know you."

Her manner was a confusing mixture of grave and hesitant. A confliction she had figured would never happen with the means of her situation. Being a member of the Black family, she could have any who what or where she wanted.

And what she subconsciously wanted scared her into indignation.

"You are confused."

He shook his head slowly and decidedly, and she continued.

"You're not expecting me to agree to that are you?"

He only cocked a single eyebrow.

"Stay out of my sight, mudbl—" she stopped herself and a wave of horror flitted across her face. There was a long pause, and even though her would-be insult gave him a jolt of bad adrenaline, he kept his composure. It was still just a façade, he told himself.

The next thing she said was articulated so softly and with such apparent affirmativeness that it might have been an apparition.

"Muggle born."

Ted nodded.

And Andromeda smiled.

Please tell me what you think!

I disclaim all of this, except that story itsef :-]