"She moved!" Andromeda exclaims, taking Ted's hand and placing it on her stomach. "Can you feel it? Nymphadora kicked me."
Ted laughs, sitting up in the bed and pulling Andromeda into his arms before placing both his hands on her stomach. "I can't feel her," he pouts.
"Here," Andromeda laughs, guiding his hand. "Now be patient. She just needs to know that you're there, and she'll come say hello."
"Little Dora, little Dora, come say hello to your father," Ted says, his hand warm against her stomach. "Hello? Little one?" He raps gently against her stomach with his knuckles. "Anybody home?"
"Oh, you, stop that,"Andromeda demands, making his hand lie flat again. "You've got to be patient. She'll kick again, I just know it. This little girl is a fighter." As if in agreement, Andromeda felt the baby kick again, just below Ted's hand. "Did you feel it that time? She kicked! This girl has a powerful little foot."
"I felt it," he grins, kissing her cheek. "She's going to kick right through you if you're not careful."
Andromeda laughs, nestling back into his arms. "You happy now? You've got firm proof of our little girl now, wiggling inside me."
"You're after a foot massage, aren't you?" he laughs, resting his lips against her shoulder. "Trying to soften me up with having me feel our daughter kick… I do believe I refused on grounds I didn't want to."
"Mmm," she pouts, kissing his jaw. "I'll soften you up yet."
He laughs, wrapping his arms around her and letting her settle comfortably in his arms.
Andromeda lets out a sudden sigh, her thoughts going to her family. "How do you suppose my family took it all?" she asks.
"You'd know better than I," he says softly. "But from what I know of them… not well."
Andromeda nods, thinking about Bellatrix. "Cissy isn't that bad," she says. "She's just… young. She doesn't know any better. I mean… You've seen Trixy at her very worst. My father is the same way. She doesn't know any better."
"Somehow, you turned out better," he says softly.
"I was always a nutter," Andromeda says, feeling his heartbeat with her head pressed against his chest. "Always the crazy one… It's going to be worse now for Cissy, I just know it. Ted, the way she already idolizes Trixy… And Trixy is just as protective with her. And then there's Lucius as well. Cissy is crazy about him, and he's just as terrible as the rest of them. They're all so vile. I don't… I can't…"
"Dora needed you," Ted says softly, petting her hair. "Dora needed you, Dromeda. You did the right thing. And Cissa'll be alright. Your sister and Lucius? They'd never hurt her. They might not be the best people, but Cissa is one of their own. They'll look after her. Dora… Dora is not. She needs you, she needed you to get out of there. To be here, safe in my arms." He raps gently against her stomach again and Andromeda smiles softly.
"You're right, you're right," she cedes. "I just feel guilty. I wish there had been more I could do."
"You know what you can do?" Ted says. "Make the world a better place. Raise Dora to be a better person. The world is going to need better people in it."
Andromeda smiles and nods, moving so that she can curl up in his arms. "I love you, Ted."
"I love you, too, my little Dromeda."
Nymphadora kicked once more, as if stating that she didn't want to be left from the conversation.
