August 1969

Andromeda watched as her mother looked through the racks of dress robes. "Really, Bella, I do wish you would consider going to Paris to shop," Druella Black disdainfully commented.

"Mother, I never did have a taste for speaking French. Besides, the London fashions are more appropriate for a traditional wedding," Bellatrix matched their mother's tone.

"Mother, this is taking forever. Can I go to Flourish and Blotts while you do this?" Andromeda asked. Narcissa gave her a look like she was crazy.

"Andromeda, I'm surprised at you. Don't you want to help pick what you'll wear for your sister's wedding?" Her mother sounded surprised and disappointed.

"Bella's going to make us wear whatever she wants, unless it looks so terrible that Cissy cries," Andromeda was realistic. That was how things often went; Bella would try to control everything by force, but Cissy would get her way in the end through manipulation. No one really cared what Andromeda thought most of the time.

"She has a point. That's one fewer person to argue with, anyway. See you later, Annie," Bella dismissed her younger sister.

Her mother opened her mouth like she might argue, but seemed to think better of it. "We'll be there to pick you up no later than 4pm, and I won't let you slip away when it comes time for fitting. Do you understand?"

"Yes, mother, thank you!" Andromeda didn't need told twice. Normally, she wouldn't have been so desperate to go to the bookstore, but when she told Ted that she would be in Diagon Alley to go shopping, he had suggested they should try to meet. He had hoped to meet her mother, but Andromeda couldn't let that happen- not yet, anyway.

She hurried along the narrow alley until she made it to the correct building. It was odd, walking around Diagon Alley alone. She always was there with her mother or at least one of her sisters. She somehow liked the anonymity of exploring it alone. Once she entered the store, she wandered around until she found him.

She gave him a quick hug. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you, too. Where's your family?" he asked.

"Still at the bridal shop. Mother can't find anything that pleases her," Andromeda explained.

"Have they found anything that makes your sister happy?" Ted inquired.

"Which one? Bella would be happy just to pick the ugliest dress on the rack, so she's sure to be the prettiest in the wedding party. Most of the reason my mother's looking so hard is because she knows Cissy will throw a fit if she has to wear an ugly dress," Andromeda explained.

"Who was it Bellatrix was marrying again?" Ted truly seemed to be trying to remember.

"Rodolphus Lestrange. She doesn't love him. I think even she realizes it," Andromeda speculated.

"Why is she marrying him, then?" Ted pried.

"Because that's what purebloods are supposed to do- make honorable, loveless marriages with other purebloods," Andromeda replied, the distaste evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he truly meant it.

"I won't do that. I'm not going to sacrifice my own happiness for my parents' outdated views on blood purity," Andromeda insisted.

"Your sister believes in it, too, doesn't she?" he led her.

"Both of them do to a point, but yes, Bella is a bit passionate about it," Andromeda acknowledged.

"Then she probably thinks she's doing the right thing. Who knows, maybe they'll be happy, even if not in love," Ted suggested.

"Maybe. They deserve each other," Andromeda darkly commented.

"'Dromeda, I was wondering if you would like to meet my parents," Ted cautiously suggested.

"Your parents? They're here?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Well, no, not in the alley. They're in this little teashop on the outside. I was thinking you might go there with me," he explained.

"Ted, I'm not wearing Muggle clothing," Andromeda seemed disbelieving of his suggestion.

"That's the interesting thing; the shop is an odd combination of wizards and Muggles due to its location. Some of the Muggles are parents, but some are just artists and Wiccans thinking they're with other like-minded people," he told her.

"Sure, let's go," she impulsively agreed.

There was something exhilarating about sneaking out of the alley into the forbidden Muggle world- his world. They walked quickly along the busy London street to a hole-in-the wall shop. There was the scent of incense and something else Andromeda couldn't quite place. Ted led the way to a table by a window where two adults read while sipping tea.

"Mum, Dad, this is Andromeda," he introduced her.

"Oh, yes, we've heard quite a bit about you," Mrs. Tonks smiled. "I'm Anita, and this is my husband, Edward."

"I'm pleased to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Tonks," Andromeda curtsied.

The Tonks family all chuckled. "What a lady! Please, Miss Black, sit down," Mr. Tonks winked at her.

They bantered about school, books, and what exactly Quidditch was for hours, and Andromeda felt truly at home and happy for once. She couldn't believe how readily this family that she didn't even know welcomed her, while her own treated her like a stranger. That afternoon tea did for her what one hundred Muggle Studies classes could not have. She realized that what her parents had said about Muggles being jealous and hostile was entirely untrue. They were people just the same as wizards and witches.

Finally, she checked her watch and realized it was 3:45. "Ted, I had better go back to the book store. If I'm late, my mother will be most upset," Andromeda explained.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Mrs. Tonks told her.

"Just don't be so formal next time," Mr. Tonks joked.

Ted walked her back to the bookstore, but at the sight of her nearly frantic mother, Andromeda quickly abandoned him. "Mother," Andromeda called.

"Where were you?" Her mother yelled.

"I saw a friend. I'm sorry," Andromeda apologized.

"Never mind, I don't wish to make a scene. I'll let your father deal with you when we get home," her mother regained her composure.

As they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron to take the Floo Network home, Narcissa leaned over to Andromeda and whispered, "I saw you were with that Mudblood again."

"Don't call him that," Andromeda hissed.

"Don't sneak off with him, then. Mummy won't like that," Narcissa argued.

"It's none of your business. Besides, at least you could decide what we'll wear," Andromeda pointed out.

"No, Annie, Bella picked, but Mummy did buy me a dress I liked to make up for having to be seen in such terrible dress robes in public," Narcissa confided.

"That's not fair. What do I get in return for dealing with public humiliation?" Andromeda asked.

"You did spend the afternoon with the Mudblood," Narcissa serenely replied.

Andromeda didn't argue, because her mother seemed to be taking notice that she and Narcissa were having quite a conversation. She was willing to agree that wearing an ugly set of dress robes was worth it to spend the afternoon with the Tonks family, anyway.