A/N: We finally get to meet Ted! I just adore him, he's such a sweetheart in my head-canon. I'd love to hear what you think of him!

WC: 1,174

Tuesday 22nd December 1970, 11AM

"Who's he?" Andromeda asks, nodding at the fat man with the red suit who is waving at the children running around the Christmas Market. Christmas. The word feels slightly strange on her tongue. She's always said Yule, and so has everyone in Slytherin around her. She knows some at school already use the Muggle term, but never her. But when she's around Ted, she uses it, and it tastes like something forbidden, but exceedingly sweet, like the candy cane he bought for her a couple of stall hack.

"It's Father Christmas," Ted explains.

"Father Christmas. What does he do?" she asks.

They're holding hands, walking through the Christmas Market. Ted has the same hat as 'Father Christmas' on, which is just adorable, and their cheeks as nice and rosy. It's the most marvellous feeling in the world, walking around with Ted like this, in the middle of Muggle London, where no one recognises you, and you don't have to hide.

"Children write him letters telling him what they want, he makes them, and on Christmas night, he goes around the world distributing all the presents," Ted explained.

"All the children in the world?" she asked.

"Well, a good part of the Muggle children with a Western culture."

Andromeda frowned. "But, there must be about several million children who do then, how does he make all those gifts?"

"He's got elves to help him."

"The elves make the Christmas presents for all the children?" Andromeda said, thoroughly discombobulated. "As in, house elves?"

"No, not really."

"And how does he even manage to distribute all those presents, in just one night?"

"He flies around the world in a sled with magical reindeer."

"Magical reindeer? Are you sure he's a Muggle?"

"It's a legend, Ana. Family and friends give the presents, but the kids like to believe in Father Christmas."

"That's mad!" she exclaimed with a laugh, "But absolutely amazing."

"Well, now you see how discovering the magical world must be like," he told her with a smile.

"It must be absolutely brilliant," Andromeda said, snuggling up to him a little more. Discovering the Muggle world with Ted was almost as much fun as rediscovering the magical world with him. His constant amazement and easy smile were two of the biggest things she loved about him.

"But, you know," she said, "There's probably some magical basis to that legend, probably some books that explore-"

"Oh, Ana, come on, let's not talk about books right now," he said and she laughed.

They walked on, and Andromeda held his hand a little tighter, keeping him close to her. Out of the corner of her eye, at one moment, she could have sworn she had seen Regulus, but she shook the thought away. It would be absolutely preposterous if it was him. The apparition was gone as soon as she had seen him, so she didn't say anything and they continued walking.

"Oh, look!" said Ted suddenly.

She whipped her head around. "What?"

"A post box to the North Pole!" he said.

"Who would want to send mail to the North Pole?" Andromeda asked, confused.

"It's where Father Christmas lives," he explained.

"Why does he live in the middle of the Arctic?"

"I didn't say legends made sense!"

"They don't often do."

They strolled over to the post box. Andromeda noted there was a little stall next to it, with pens and pieces of paper – all Muggle – and a sign where it was written 'write your letter to Father Christmas!'. The paper was green, red or gold, and the pens were silvery. There were even a couple of paper snowflakes to decorate the letter.

"How about we write a letter to Father Christmas?" Ted offered.

"Sounds fun!"

They settled at the table, where a couple of children joined them. Andromeda picked a green piece of paper. Though she didn't believe what Slytherins usually believed, she did believe in Slytherin, and its values. Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin after all.

"What can you ask for?"

"Anything!" Ted told her.

"Like, I don't know, an elephant?"

"Not sure he'll bring it to you, but you never know."

She laughed and he smiled at her.

Dear Father Christmas, she wrote, Her handwriting was a little wobbly, because she wasn't used to the Muggle pens, but altogether, not bad. They did slide more smoothly over the paper than a quill over parchment. There was also the advantage of not having to dip the nib in ink all the time.

Once again, she was struck by the stupidity and the stubbornness of wizards, who refused to see the progresses of Muggles, thinking them inferior. These pens were works of genius.

I don't know a lot about you. I've actually only just heard about you. I know you're only a legend, but I like the concept of you, so here I am, writing to you. I suppose it must sound strange to you, a 17-year-old girl who has never heard about you, all the little kids around me seem rather used to writing to you, but you see I'm a- wait, does anyone read these? I probably shouldn't write too much.

So, Father Christmas, dear, since I can ask you for absolutely anything I want (even an elephant, apparently), I really, really wish Ted won't have to stay a secret forever, and we can stay together forever. I love him so much.

I don't know if that's something you can do. After all, I don't really think you can bring me that, but it would make me so happy if you could. It feels really strange, telling you all this, I'm used to hiding all my feelings, so writing this all down to you in quite against my nature.

But after all, I'm just writing to a fictional character. I must be going mad.

Thank you so much, Father Christmas, and lots of love,

Andromeda

Andromeda smiles, but something in her heart feels a little broken, like a tiny fracture. There is something bitter in her mouth, like her words are lemon drops, sweet but spicy, bringing a frown to her face.

"What did you ask for?" Ted questions as they post the letters. He's pasted those little paper snowflakes all over his envelope and Andromeda can't help but find it ridiculously endearing.

"It's a secret," she tells him, blushing.

"Well, I can tell you what I asked for," he declares.

"And, what's that?" she asked.

"A kiss," he tells her, "From you," he adds, bringing her close and wrapping his arms around her.

"Isn't that what you're supposed to get for Christmas, and not now?" she teases.

"I suppose I can get my present a little early."

"And here?" she asks, "With all these people?"

"Why ever not?"

She huffs, rolls her eyes, pretending to be annoyed, but secretly, she's absolutely overjoyed when he brings his lips to hers, and the little children at the table pretend to gag, and someone whistles at them. If only it could be like this all the time...