Stay

A/N: I don't own anything you recognise.

This is my submission for the Quidditch League round 10. Chaser 1, this time, had to write about the forbidden love pairing: two characters of different blood status. Andy and Ted seemed like an obvious choice, so hopefully this isn't too mushy or unoriginal. Like some others, this fic isn't yet beta'd (although its in progress- a huge thank you to TwiBeams for all the amazing work so far!) but I'm putting it up to see some initial responses first :) I've always wanted to write a Tedromeda about Andy's thoughts on Ted being out in hiding, and so I've decided on this plot. I don't know if I'm 100% happy with it, nor do I think I've given it the justice as I thought I would in my head. However, I always imagined Andy, though she loves her husband dearly, would always be stubborn and annoyed that he left her- how could anyone not in that situation, even if it is saving them?

It sort of fit the prompts I selected too, especially with Lea Michele's song 'Thousand Needles)... at least I thought it did haha. My other prompts were: (word) careless and (dialogue) 'What do you want from me?'.

I hope this isn't too bad... and please let me know of any improvements, including SPaG/ flow/ characterisation, I could fix before I submit. Oh, and before I forget, Nymphadora was born in 1973, so the flashback with her in it she's still technically a baby - just in case you were wondering lol.

Above all, though, thank you for reading! - tigger x.

March 1998

"… Amelia Samuels, Cecile Davenport and Lucy Reeds. Let us now take a moment to honour our latest fallen."

Andromeda allowed a sigh of relief to escape her full lips as Ted's name was not called out. She was sure that he would be on the list this time; sure her husband could not be so lucky as to escape a fifth month from capture, or worse...

Blinking away unshed tears, Andromeda straightened her back. She quickly slowed down her rapidly thudding heart and unclenched her fingers from the table's edge. A lump had risen to her throat, constricting her breathing further, and she had to take several sips of her now cold tea before it would dissipate. She would not allow herself to shed a tear knowing Ted was alive. He was safe for now – not that he'd let her know. Five months on the run with no owls, no Floo, not even a patronus to keep her fear for his safety at bay.

Turning to the large bay window, Andromeda glared out at the yellowing hills. Her grey eyes canned the horizon, wandering aimlessly over the depressing scenery. The usual array of cattle and deer that often grazed on the once emerald grass had long disappeared, yet she paid their absence no mind. Golden dandelions and tiny purple wildflowers swayed in the swirling winds, yet they couldn't capture her attention. Where was he anyway? Hiding in a forest? Sleeping comfortably in an inn? Holed up in a cave near giants?

Andromeda's eyes narrowed as they focused on a lone sparrow gliding across the fields. She watched as it made its way hurriedly to a nearby clump of trees meters from the house, not daring to stop to find food on the empty ground as the dark grey clouds close in above. She could hear its urgent cheeps through the glass, echoed by those of its family.

Closing her eyes against the sight and noise, Andromeda breathed deeply. How many other women like her feared for their families? How many others had been abandoned, unsure if their partners were somewhere safe, or even breathing? Did their partners not know how much pain this fear caused? Were they selfish enough to not realise that it felt like a thousand needles were pricking apart their hearts at each mention of new victims being discovered?

No, they never seemed to care what they put them through.

December 1971

"Why is it that in war, it's always the cooking that suffers?" Andromeda moaned, trying to pull the wooden spoon out of the lumpy gravy mix.

"I wouldn't say your cooking's that bad; I'm still alive after a year of your cooking, aren't I?" Ted laughed, sticking his finger into the gooey mess.

Andromeda swatted his hand away playfully, trying to appear offended despite the smile threatening to show. Placing her hands on her hips, she frowned.

"Is that so? Well, perhaps I should allow you to show me how it's done and cook the dinner for once?"

"And deny you the chance to poison me? No, that's quite alright," Ted grimaced as he tasted the gravy.

Andromeda laughed at the way Ted scrunched up his nose and shivered as he hastily wiped the mixture onto his robes. At this, Ted moved even closer to her and tried to wipe his fingers onto her pristine blue cloak.

"Serves you right!" she giggled as she moved away. Then, as Ted went to sit back down, she sobered up a little. Sighing, she tried to fix the goo before her. "What I mean is, it's a shame I can never get the ingredients for now. For one, I've had to substitute the flour I normally use for some tasteless powder because no one seems to want to sell it anymore. Even Madame Esme's All Natural Foods has packed up shop after all those attacks last week."

Sighing again, Andromeda gave up on saving the dish and began to peel the few carrots she had managed to buy. The damn things were much too skinny for her liking, and after a few moments of trying to avoid cutting her finger with the knife, she gave up and withdrew her wand.

"Ted, could you give me a hand with the potatoes? Ted?"

Wand in the air, Andromeda turned to the table where her husband had been sitting. Where he should have been there was only an empty seat, save for a mug of hot coffee he had been sipping.

"Ted?" Andromeda called louder, wondering where he had gone. "Are you in the bathroom?"

Alarm bells immediately began to ring as no answer came. She had not even heard Ted leave, and in this time of uncertainty, he would never leave her side without a detailed itinerary of what he was doing – and that was not an exaggeration.

Grasping her wand tighter, Andromeda tiptoed to the door separating the kitchen from the front hallway. A lump had risen to her throat and her pulse had quickened, all sorts of horrible possibilities coming to mind as to what had happened to her husband. Had these Death Eater people come and taken him whilst her back was turned? Did they possess some sort of power to do so without so much as a sound? Had Ted heard a noise outside and gone to investigate whilst she was too busy preparing those carrots? Where was he?

'Pop!'

A scream escaped Andromeda's lips as her heart leapt into her throat. Spinning around, she pointed her wand at the man standing behind her in the kitchen.

"It's ok, it's ok, shh, it's just me," Ted hushed her, holding his hands up.

Andromeda placed her hand over her heart, trying to control her breathing. When she managed to do so, she fixed Ted with a fierce glare.

"Don't you ever do that again! Where did you go? What happened?"

Ted allowed a goofy grin to grace his face as he held up a small brown hessian bag, "to get some flour. I knew a friend who probably had some to spare and went to investigate."

Andromeda held her glare for a few more moments before a reluctant smile replaced it. Sighing, she gave in and ran to give Ted a hug.

"Don't ever leave me like that again!"

Ted put down the bag and wrapped his arms around her tightly, rubbing her back. "I won't leave you."

"Thank you. We will be back with another broadcast as soon as possible, but for now, this has been Potterwatch and we hope you are keeping safe!" the wireless crackled, interrupting her thoughts.

Sighing, Andromeda reopened her eyes and turned to the old radio sitting atop the kitchen table. Taking out her wand, she flicked it lazily and shut the machine off, ignoring the mess strewn around it. Old copies of The Daily Prophet sat scattered about the radio, competing for space amongst empty tea cups, smashed plates, broken ink bottles and unwashed, torn tea towels. A foul smell came from one of damper towels; presumably mould that had been allowed to grow upon it.

Andromeda stood and picked up her tea cup. Walking to the sink, she poured the milky contents down the drain. She'd clean up another day – it wasn't like there was a point to cleaning anymore. Ted was always the messy one; and now that he was gone, someone had to replace him.

February 1974

"Ted!"

"What?"

"You're dragging mud all over my new, clean floor! Honestly, how many times do I have to tell you to take your shoes off at the front door?" Andromeda sighed, clutching tightly onto the mop.

She had been working on that floor for half an hour now, ensuring it shone. She could've just flicked her wand and allowed the mop to work itself, but she did not trust the mop to remove all the miniscule pieces of dirt. After all, it wouldn't do to have a floor riddled with germs with a new baby in the house.

"I had to come in, it was an emergency!" Ted boomed, ignoring her eye roll. Striding over to where their young daughter, Nymphadora, sat in a high chair, he picked her up and spun her around. Nymphadora waved her chubby hands in the air, giggling at Ted's antics. "You see, I have come to tell you I have great news! Fantastic news!"

Ted stopped spinning and put Nymphadora back into the chair. He ticked her chin with his fingers, laughing as her hair turned from pink to blue to violet, before he turned and faced Andromeda.

Sighing again, Andromeda sent the mop to the corner of the room with her wand and waited patiently for Ted to reveal whatever news he had. She did not expect for him to grab her around the waist, however, and promptly squealed as he twirled her around too.

"Ted! Ted, stop!" she laughed, panicking a little as the nausea seeped in. "Ok, ok, prey tell what is this news?"

"I…. your wonderful husband, have just gotten a promotion! The galleons will come rolling in, let me tell you!" Ted all but sang.

"That's wonderful!" Andromeda smiled, but it quickly faded. Pressing against his chest, she made him stop dancing them around. "But… is it safe?"

Ted's own smile faded slightly, and he shook his head. "Please, Andromeda, I need this. I'm sick of being cooped up in here in fear for my life… besides, it's with goblins, who He Who Must Not Be Named couldn't care less about. I'll be perfectly safe, and with the money I'll earn, you, Nymphadora and I can live like kings and queens! You can hire a house elf to clean up, if you'd like," Ted looked into her eyes, a hopeful smile lingering on his lips.

Andromeda shook her head, unable to say no to his puppy-dog eyed expression. Drawing him into a hug, she leaned her chest into his head. "Alright, alright. Its wonderful, it is. But I hope you know, I'd much rather have you than a house elf any day."

"Are you sure?" Ted laughed, stomping his muddy boots on the now brown tiles.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Andromeda frowned, before leaning in for a kiss.

Nymphadora, who was now staying with her, had offered to help Andromeda clean up. When Andromeda had refused to allow her, claiming that she was only offering as an excuse to not deal with the fact that her own husband had abandoned her, Nymphadora had come up with a funny theory the other day. She claimed that Andromeda was leaving the house messy on purpose; not because she was lazy, but because the mess reminded her of Ted.

Andromeda had reprimanded Nymphadora for such a silly notion and sent her off to rest her swollen ankles.

Looking now to the broken plates littering the floor, however, Andromeda shook her head. No, the mess wasn't left because it reminded her of Ted's presence; not entirely. It was because, deep down, she needed the memory to remain of their last encounter – their last kiss, and the promise Ted made to return to her.

November 1997

"Don't you dare walk away from me!"

"Please, Dromeda, don't make this harder than it already is…" Ted stopped and turned to her, his blue eyes watering, pleading for her to understand.

Andromeda narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. Her left foot tapped against the stone kitchen floor, the pace matching the steady thudding of her heart. Glaring down at the battered bags he held by his sides, she willed the power of her stare to be enough to make him drop them and come to his senses.

Ted's gaze did not waver, nor did his grip on his luggage. "I have to go."

"Have to, have to? Have to leave me, more like!" Andromeda's eyes snapped back up to his crumpled face, nostrils flaring.

For the first time, she noticed that Ted's face looked gaunt; months of stress and worry finally showing through. The fine lines etched around his brow and upon his forehead were shadowed in grey, made only the more prominent by the determined set of his jaw.

"You know I can't stay! We've been over this; they're in the area as we speak, searching for unregistered Muggleborns. And after their last visit, I don't think my chances of surviving an attack again are too likely. I've been too careless – Dromeda, they want me dead!"

"Sod them! What about me? I need you here!"

"Please, Dromeda, not this again. You were the one who told me to go, remember? You'll be safe; you're a Pureblood, and like it or not, a Black. They won't harm you if you stay."

Ted put down his bags carefully, shrugging off the rucksack on his back at the same time. His eyes searched her face for any sign of understanding, and he slowly walked back to her.

Andromeda inched away, swatting at his outstretched hands as they tried to grasp hers. She could see the hurt in his eyes at the rejection and felt her throat constrict. Her eyes stung as salty tears threatened to spill, and she blinked rapidly to prevent them from trickling down her red cheeks.

She knew Ted was right; she had been the one to suggest he go and hide; to find somewhere safe where her sister and friends could not find him again. To the Death Eaters and now the Ministry, Ted was the enemy – he shouldn't even exist. Deep down, she knew he had couldn't stay.

However, she didn't think he would actually agree with her plan.

"Then take me with you. I don't mind where we go – the woods, a resort, even a different country! I'm trained; I can defend myself if necessary. Please, let me come," her voice was now no more than a whisper as she tried to sway him.

Ted hung his head and slumped his shoulders, "I need you to stay here with Dora, make sure she stays healthy and rests."

Then, picking up the bags once more, Ted made his way closer to the door. Andromeda clenched her fists by her sides, glaring at his parting back through blurry eyes. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest, making the room spin a little as a low buzzing filled her head. She couldn't believe it.

"So that's it? You're giving up and just going? I'm just a housewife who has to stay behind and keep house? You know what, my mother was right – you're nothing but a coward! She told me I was a fool; stupid, idiotic, insane. How could I trust someone whose blood isn't pure? You'd be bound to leave me, she said, bound to break my heart. Well congratulations, you're proving her right!" Andromeda shouted at him.

Ted stopped in his tracks again, but did not turn around. In a voice full of anguish, he asked, "Andromeda, you told me to go. I'm not safe here – going is my only chance to keep both of us out of danger. What do you want from me?"

"Stay, please."

"I can't," he whispered, voice cracking slightly. Then, turning around with fresh tears glistening on his cheeks, Ted walked back to her. Pressing a kiss to Andromeda's cheek as she turned from him, he promised, "I will be back, I swear. I love you."

Her own traitorous tears began to fall to the ground, plopping onto the kitchen tiles in splashes. She watched as they stained the stone, feeling Ted's gaze on her as he paused at the door.

"Just go, I'll be fine," she muttered as he sighed.

As soon as she heard the door open and click shut, her head snapped up to the door. Anger and disbelief washed over her likes the waves of a stormy sea, crashing over her and making her stomach churn. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice over her head. Part of her wanted to run to the door; to wrench it open and chase after him, to hold him in her grasp.

However, a stronger part spurred on by the fire now coursing through her veins made her pick up a plate lying upon the kitchen table. Looking at the door; its clean, white surface staring at her mockingly, she threw the plate as hard as she could, watching in satisfaction as it smashed into a thousand tiny, china pieces. It didn't stop there though; her world was crashing down. Another plate, a glass, an ink bottle, a chair; Andromeda kicked, and screamed, threw, chucked, and smashed.

"Come back, come back!" Her sobs were choking her, driving her to cause more havoc and mess. "Don't you dare leave me!"

It was only when she picked up a fragment of plate and cut her palm on its jagged edge, intent on breaking it further, that she stopped. The plate slipped from her hand, falling to her side and joining the rest with a thud.

Andromeda's heart beat was almost audible now, its pounding reaching her ears as she slid to the floor. Her robes were tangled about her and her russet hair stuck to her cheeks. Placing her hands against her face, she rocked herself back and forth, trying to still the trembling of her body.

"Come back…"

Andromeda hadn't realised that the remains of the tea in the sink had been washed away as she touched her cheek. Five months since she had last been kissed. Her eyes wandered to the faucet, devoid of any water, already knowing that it was the steady plop of her tears that had cleared the sink.

Shaking her head roughly, she wiped her tears with the sleeve of her robes. No, she would not cry. Turning to the mess before her and keeping her back to the window, she summoned the broom lying in the corner – she would clean her kitchen up instead. She would not give Ted the satisfaction of coming home to a messy house and assuming she had fallen apart. No, she would clean it up, and if – when – he came back home and messed it up again, as he had promised, she would admonish him all she wanted for it.

Because he would be home and safe, with her.