When Andromeda awoke the next morning, the bed was empty except for her. She pushed the covers aside and hopped out, pulling on Ted's bathrobe and gathering up her clothes from the night before. She hurried back to Shannon's room to shower and get dressed, then headed downstairs to find Ted.
She peered into the kitchen. Ted's grandmother was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. She was staying with them until Ted figured out where he wanted to go, if he wanted to move in with her and her husband or if he wanted to find his own flat. Either way, this house and farm were being sold.
"Have you seen Ted?" Andromeda asked.
His grandmother looked up, giving her a slightly disapproving look. Andromeda wondered if she knew that she had spent the night with Ted.
"No, I haven't," she replied. "I thought he was still asleep."
"Oh," Andromeda said. "Well, he's not. His bed was empty."
His grandmother frowned, setting down her coffee cup. "I don't know, dear. I'm sure he's around though."
Andromeda couldn't help but think that she actually didn't look too sure at all.
She walked through the house one more time, checking each room. She even peered out onto the roof. But he was nowhere to be found. She opened the front door of the house and stepped out onto the porch. That's when she finally saw him. He was leaning up against the side of the house, staring at nothing, clutching a bottle of firewhiskey in his hand.
"It's nine in the morning," she called out as she approached him. "Should you really be drinking?"
He turned, smiling at her with bleary eyes. "Morning," he murmured, taking a swig straight from the bottle.
"I'm serious, Ted," she said, coming to a stop in front of him, her hands on her hips. "This isn't healthy."
She wanted to help him, so very desperately. Here he was standing in front of her, so handsome, so broken. It seemed to her that he was standing on the end of a crossroads in his life. One false move and he could spiral out of control completely.
"It's the only thing," he said. "The only thing that somewhat numbs the pain. All the emotions that I'm feeling right now, they're too much. One person can't feel all this, Andromeda. Not without exploding. This is the only thing that controls that."
She reached out, trying to grab the bottle from him. But he was too quick for her, catching her wrist in his empty hand and pulling her up against him.
She pressed herself closer to him, wrapping her hands around his neck. His arms wound around her waist and she could feel the cool glass of the firewhiskey bottle against the back of her leg.
"I love you," he murmured into her ear, his breath warm against her face.
"You smell like alcohol," she whispered back.
He ignored her, nuzzling his face into her neck. Knowing he was distracted, she took the opportunity to reach behind her and grab the bottle from him.
"Hey," he said, pulling back. He tried to snatch the bottle back. "I need that."
"No, you don't," she replied, tilting it upside and letting the amber-colored liquid drain out into the grass.
She expected Ted to be angry, but he merely shrugged, reaching inside his pocket and pulling out a small silver flask.
"Always best to be prepared," he said, unscrewing the lid and lifting it to his lips.
Andromeda sighed heavily. "Ted…"
"You can't help me, Andromeda. Nobody can."
"I don't believe that."
Ted leaned back against the wall of his house. His back scraped against the chipping paint, causing flakes of it to fall to the ground. He and his dad had been saying for years that they would repaint, but they had never gotten around to it. And now they never would. The house and farm were being put up for sale. Which was for the best, really. The entire place reminded him too much of everything he had lost. When he walked through the rooms, it was almost as if they had voices. He could practically hear his mother's sweet, melodic singing echoing out of her bathroom, where she used to sing as she got ready in the morning. His father's laughter still seemed to fill the kitchen, laughing at his own jokes at the breakfast table. His sister's loud chatter swirled out of her bedroom, as if she was still in there, gossiping on the phone with one of her friends. Every little object suddenly seemed to have a story, a reminder of something that he had, until then, forgotten about.
He couldn't stay there a minute longer than necessary. It would drive him insane, worsen the depression that already seemed to have sucked every bit of emotion out of him. The only thing he felt anymore, other than despair and loneliness, was love for Andromeda.
He needed her.
Because even though he said that nobody could help him, not even her, he was still so relieved that she wanted to try. She was the only one he had left who was even willing to do that.
"Ted," she said, breaking the silence. "Where are you going to go?"
He shrugged. "I guess I'll get a flat in London. There's no way I can move in with my grandma."
Andromeda bit her lip, like she wanted to say something, but didn't know how.
"What?" he asked.
She hesitated for a moment. "Do you think that we could maybe get a flat together? I don't…I don't have anywhere to go either."
"Oh," he said. "Erm, yeah, that makes sense."
He expected her to smile, or at the very least look a little happy that he had agreed. After all, she had been the one who had suggested it. But instead, her frown only deepened, as she stared down at her shoes.
"Andromeda?" he asked. "Are you alright?"
She lifted her head, and the look on her face made him want to take her in his arms and never let go.
"I'm just worried," she whispered.
"About what?"
"Bellatrix, of course. She's not gonna forget our deal. If we're together, she'll come after you."
"She doesn't have to know," he said.
"But what if she finds out?"
"Andromeda," he said, taking her hand in his, "that's a risk I'm willing to take."
"But why?" she asked quietly. "It's your life that you're risking."
He shrugged. "It's not much of a life without you in it."
Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she smiled, her eyes so bright, so full of life. They were alive, both of them, if only for that moment. And he did not want to waste a minute more of whatever time he left without her.
"I'd rather live one day with you than one hundred years without you," he added.
Andromeda was feeling a little bit light-headed. Was this really happening? Nobody –not even Ted – had ever said anything that romantic to her before.
"I could write to my uncle Alphard," she said breathlessly. "He's not like the rest of my family. I'm sure he'll send us some money if I ask. So we can have enough money to rent a flat and get things started."
Ted nodded, but he didn't seem to be listening. "Do you want to go swimming?" he asked suddenly.
"Excuse me?"
"Swimming," he repeated. "The temperature is at a record high for this time of year, you know. It would be a shame to waste it."
"Erm…okay," she agreed.
He tightened his grip on her hand, and a second later they were gone, appearing at the lake they'd gone swimming in the summer before.
It looked exactly the same has it had a year ago. But that was how many things were. Everything around you stayed the same, while you were the one who changed so drastically. Last year, she and Ted didn't have a care in the world. They might have thought they did, but in comparison to now, it had been nothing. Just silly worries and conflicted feelings about each other. She'd been embarrassed about losing her swimsuit top and confused about why she was having so much fun with a muggleborn.
Now, they both stripped off their clothes without the slightest bit of embarrassment, having seen it all plenty of time before.
"I've never been skinny dipping before," she said, as they edged into the water, getting used to the temperature.
He laughed. "Me and Mark used to when we were little kids." He paused. "Merlin, that seems likes ages ago."
Her eyes narrowed when she saw that he was still holding that stupid flask. "Couldn't you have left that behind?" she asked, when he took a large gulp.
He shook his head, and then held it out to her, offering her a sip.
She almost said no, but then she decided against it and grabbed it from him. The firewhiskey burned her throat on its way down and by the time they finished passing it back and forth, she was feeling a bit tipsy.
And then they were kissing, sloppy, drunken kisses, and he was pulling her as close as possible.
"Ever had sex in the water?" he whispered in ear.
"Of course not," she replied, giggling. "You're the only boy I've ever shagged."
And then his expression was serious again, and she cupped his face and asked what was wrong.
"I wish you were the only girl I've ever shagged," he replied.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "It doesn't matter if I wasn't your first, as long as I'm your last."
He gazed into her eyes, this broken boy whom she loved, and knew that her heart belonged to him forever.
Later, when they opened the back door of the house and stumbled inside, giggling loudly and dripping water all over the floor, they found themselves face to face with Ted's grandmother. She was a tiny woman, but the look she was giving them made Andromeda shrink back.
"Where have you two been?" she asked, her arms crossed across her chest.
"Swimming," Ted replied, tilting his head up defiantly.
His grandmother's eyes narrowed. "Your parents and sister are dead," she hissed. "And this is how you mourn them? Going off with some girl and having fun at the lake." Her gaze dropped to the flask in his hand. "Getting drunk at the lake too, I see."
"People mourn differently," he said quietly. "Not everyone can sit around, with only their thoughts to keep them company. I need to forget. It's the only thing keeping me sane."
His grandmother pursed her lips. "You were always such a good boy," she murmured quietly.
As she turned and walked away, Andromeda could hear her murmuring to herself. "Such a shame. Such a shame."
Hope you guys liked this chapter. Don't forget to leave me a review!
Also, if you want to make me really happy (and the happier I am, the more likely I am to update quicker), then you should check out my Teddy/Victoire story 'Mine Again'. I just posted its second chapter a few days ago and I'd love if it got some more reviews!