Ted never fell asleep that night, although Andromeda soon did. He knew he should leave soon, but he was loathe to do so. It took all of his willpower to finally pull himself out of their warm bed and away from her sleeping form.

The bedroom was cold compared to the warmth under the covers. He shivered and threw on his sweater before walking softly to his closet where he had stashed his bag. It had the essentials and nothing more. He hoped that he'd only have to be in hiding for a couple weeks, that the war would be over sooner rather than later. But, he knew this was not likely.

Ted quickly and quietly changed into light traveling clothes. He then picked up his backpack with a heavy heart and made his way to the where his wife slept. She looked so small and lonely lying alone in their big bed. He placed a letter where he had previously lain and cast a quick warming charm on her so she wouldn't be cold. He leaned forward to kiss her cheek, but stopped himself. He couldn't wake her. She mustn't wake till he was long gone.

Ted pulled back, his throat tight. He wouldn't even get to kiss her goodbye.

Despite the pain in his chest and the burning in his watering eyes, he slowly walked backwards towards the door. The whole way he kept his eyes trained on Andromeda's sleeping form. He felt his tears threatening to overflow, but he wiped his eyes, took a deep breath, and forced himself not to cry anymore. He didn't want his last memory of Andromeda to be clouded by tears. Ted reached the door and stopped.

His beautiful wife still slept peacefully; her light breathing the only sound in the room.

"I love you." Ted whispered softly.

Then he was gone, closing the door quietly behind him.

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.

As Ted walked down the hall he felt a million memories of his life in this house on the edge of his mind, threatening to overflow along with his tears. But he pushed both back. He could reminisce and mourn his losses once he was gone, but now he had to run.

As he passed Dora's room, he was tempted to look in to say goodbye and see her one last time, but he knew he couldn't. Dora had always been a light sleeper and the war had not helped that. And more importantly, the sooner he left this house, the sooner his family would be safe.

Ted stopped by the kitchen table where the letters from the Ministry were still laying. They were all requests for him to make an appointment to become registered as a muggle-born, something he refused to do, which was certain to have serious repercussions. He knew the only way to escape imprisonment or perhaps even death for the entire family was to run away. He would never ask Andromeda or Dora to come with him, even if Dora wasn't pregnant. Their safety was a billion times more important than his. Once he was gone Andromeda's blood-status would keep Dora and her safe.

With a heavy and broken heart, Ted took once last look at his beloved home, sighed, and walked out the door. He closed it softly and apparated away, leaving behind both his home, his family, and the life he had led so far.

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.

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The next morning Andromeda was woken by the sun shining through her closed eyelids.

"Ted..." She mumbled, still half asleep, keeping her eyes determinedly closed. She reached a slender, pale arm out to where she knew his warm body to be, but she was greeted only by cold sheets.

Andromeda was awake in an instant, sitting up and kicking off the blankets frantically.

"Ted?" She said again, much clearer this time, desperation in her voice.

She glanced at the floor and noticed an white letter lying innocently among the half-fallen off blankets. With a trembling hand, she picked it up and began to read.

To my dearest Andromeda,

I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. I wish I could have stayed, to not have left you, but it was impossible. They're rounding us muggle-borns up everyday now. I was bound for Azkaban if I was lucky. You see, I didn't have a choice. I had to run. If I'd stayed you and Dora would have been in danger and if you came with me with you'd be in even more danger.

The Death Eaters were willing to torture us when we were just suspects. Imagine how much worse it would be if I had stayed and resisted. Please, my love, try to understand. I'm doing this for you, Dora, and our grandchild so no matter how much it hurts, it's the best choice we have.

I feel as though I should write something more, something deep and meaningful, but everything I could say has already been said. Just remember that no matter what happens I will always love you. Every night and every day I spend away from you and our daughter, my thoughts will constantly be of you two; of Dora's laugh and her excited smile; of your smirking lips but your kind brown eyes. I love you two more than anything else on this Earth and nothing can ever change that. Please stay safe and keep our daughter out harm's way. I love both of you so very much, my dear.

Eternally and unconditionally yours,

Ted

The letter fell from Andromeda's weak grasp and fluttered to the floor. She sat on her bed, immobile, a blank expression on her paling face except for the terror in her eyes. Her daughter found her like that half-an-hour later.

When Dora read the letter, tears streamed freely down her face and she collapsed into a chair. Andromeda however, didn't cry or even move until Dora recovered enough to help her downstairs and make some tea.

It took several days for Andromeda to show any real emotion and a few more to stop responding in just monotone one word answers. Although her expression was blank for so long, Dora knew that inside of her mother there was a raging sea of emotions. Andromeda had reacted this way as well when Sirius had died. It was her only way of coping with emotional pain.

Dora had never seen her mother cry once in her whole life. That wasn't how Andromeda worked. She didn't express her pain and sorrow, at least Dora had never seen her do so.

But Dora never saw Andromeda softly crying in her room at nights and Dora wasn't there when tears rolled down Andromeda's cheeks while she was washing the noticeably smaller amounts of dishes. Dora didn't awaken frantically when Andromeda did, panting and sweating, for in her dreams Ted died over and over and she could do nothing to stop it. And Dora wasn't around to see Andromeda then tightly hug the shirt of Ted's which she clung to every night for it still smelled like him and that was all she had left of him.

For Andromeda, all that remained of her beloved Ted was a few drawers of his clothes, several knickknacks, a lingering smell, and her ever fading memories.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! I would love to know how you think this story is going so that I can improve it in anyway you seem fit, also reviews make my day!

The next chapter will be up either Wednesday or Thursday.