Chapter Eighteen: Rush of Fear
Disclaimer: Most everything in this belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Andromeda and Ted followed McGonagall up to Dumbledore's office in silence. Ted didn't know what to say. He hadn't been involved in this; he didn't want to be. Next to him Andromeda was grim-faced. He took her hand consolingly.
Dumbledore was pacing. He looked up and greeted them with a wan smile. "I wish I could say 'good morning'. But we've had a few problems, haven't we?"
"I know all about Derrick and Priscilla," Andromeda said at once. "I was with them when they left."
"Why? Why did they leave?"
With an encouraging smile from Ted, Andromeda told him the whole story. He and McGonagall listened attentively, never interrupting her.
"Well, if that is the case than there is little we can do," said Dumbledore. "Perhaps they are better off where they are. Thank you for your honesty."
It was a subtle dismissal. But Ted couldn't help it. As they turned to leave, he blurted, "Is it true? Is there going to be a war coming?"
"I'm afraid there is," Dumbledore said gravely. "We will be doing all we can, of course."
"All we can with the Ministry's permission," McGonagall said disdainfully. "But it needn't worry you two; you have to get on with your NEWTs."
"Yeah," Ted muttered sarcastically. "NEWTs. That's what's important, isn't it?"
"Come on, Ted." Andromeda tugged on his arm. "Let's go."
Ted walked down the corridor, thinking back on that day months ago. Since then, he hadn't said a word to Dumbledore. He and Andromeda simply got on with their lives.
Without Derrick, Andromeda didn't have a single friend in Slytherin. She spent time with Alice and Talia instead. At night, she'd compose letters to Derrick in her head.
By day, she and Ted would study. They were ready when they took their NEWTs. Ted wasn't ready to leave school. He still had no idea what he wanted to do. Neither did Andromeda. They were scared to even talk about the future.
"So," Andromeda said one night, bringing up the subject, "Er...you're going to work at the Ministry, right?"
"Dunno. I don't really want to."
"But...what else is there? I mean, for someone like you..."
"I don't know! Can we please talk about this later?" And Ted took her by the waist and pull her in for a kiss.
That was another thing they never talked about: marriage. Inside he was terrified about it. He didn't know much about wizarding engagement customs, but in the Muggle world he would have to get her a ring. But should he? After all, they were only eighteen—very young. They had plenty of time to think about those things. And they'd never even talked about it...
He knew that she loved him. He loved her. But...what did they do now?
"Enough," he told himself on his way to the Room of Requirement. "I'll ask her tonight. Not in the bend-on-the-knee sort of way. I'll just...bring up the subject."
He flung open the door and called out, "Andromeda, I've—"
His voice died out. Standing there, in the middle of the room, was a girl with hair not black like Andromeda's, but blonde. She turned around.
"Narcissa?" he blurted.
"Well, well, well," she said, sneering. "If it isn't Edward Tonks. So good to meet you... at last."
"How—how did you find out about this?"
"I followed my sister last week. And read some quite incriminating diary entries. She seems to fancy you."
"Narcissa," Ted growled, "Did Bellatrix put you up to this? Where is she? She's got to be here!"
"Bella's too interested in other things to care about Andromeda's slumming. You're lucky she doesn't know about this."
"And you had better not tell her! I mean it! You forget that I'm a seventh year and of age, while you're only thirteen—"
"And a Black," she interrupted, "Which makes all the difference in the world. You're only some pet project my sister's taken up."
"What is it with you people?" he shouted, losing his temper. "You're all raving—raving mad, the lot of you!"
"Then why don't you leave us alone?" Narcissa shouted back. "Leave Andromeda alone! It's what's best for her!"
"Am I to believe that you really care about what's best for her? You've got to be joking."
Narcissa looked down and whispered, "You should. After all, I found out about you two months ago and didn't say a word."
"What? How? And why?"
"At the masked Ball, of course. You were dancing." She cleared her throat. "But I've come to tell you—you've got to end it now."
For a fleeting moment her façade dropped and she became what Ted knew she was inside—a very confused thirteen year old.
He forced himself to speak calmly. "Narcissa, I appreciate your concern and your, uh, tact. But if I want to mar—see Andromeda, that's her business and mine—not yours!"
Her eyes flashed in anger. "Do you really think she'd marry you? Do you really think you'd be greeted at Black Manor by all the family? You're even stupider than I thought."
Ted was at a loss for words. But before he lost control, the door behind them swung open and Andromeda herself swept in.
"Hello, Ted. I was just—Cissa, what the—? Oh, damn," she said, seeing their infuriated faces.
"Your sister's lovely," remarked Ted.
She responded with a smirk.
Andromeda rushed over to Narcissa. "You won't tell, will you? Because if you do I swear I'll jinx you at every opportunity I get. I've been practicing, remember."
Narcissa looked rather mollified by this. She looked back and forth from Andromeda to Ted, as if sizing up the enemy.
The older two had gotten their wands out, pointing them threateningly at her. Narcissa gulped, as if just realizing what she got herself into.
Ted said, "I know some pretty powerful memory charms."
Andromeda added, "And other ways of making people forget."
"You—you'd be expelled," Narcissa sputtered. "Silly too, when you've only got two weeks left until you're out of here. Don't expect to be coming home when that time comes!"
"I don't," said Andromeda.
"You don't?"
"You don't?" Ted echoed.
Andromeda gulped. "Actually, I was planning on living in Diagon Alley and working there. You won't tell me what you want, Ted, so I don't know if that would work out for both of us."
"I don't know what I want, Andromeda. Except..."
They both turned to see Narcissa edging towards the door.
"Well, you obviously have lots to talk about. I'll just be going, then."
"I don't think so!" Andromeda flicked her wand, locking the door with a snap. "We still have to work out how I'm going to live after school without dear old Mum and Dad trying to barge down the door of my flat."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Ted raised his eyebrows. He was wondering the same thing.
"You're going to help us, Cissa. You're going convince the family that I'm going to work at Durmstrang, or something, and then I'll simply disappear."
"Why would I ever do that?"
"Do you want your memory intact?" Ted chimed in. Andromeda shot him an exasperated, grateful look.
"It'll be especially difficult fooling Bellatrix. You figured out about us; she's not far behind. But helping us is well worth it. If you do it, you'll never hear from me—"
"Or me," said Ted.
"—again. Are you in?"
Narcissa bit her lip. "Fine. It's your disgrace, not mine. Though...convincing Bella will be harder than anticipated."
Andromeda's stomach plummeted and Ted groaned—this was not what they wanted to hear.
When Andromeda spoke, she hissed quietly but vehemently, "Why?"
"Because...sorry, Tonks, I lied. I've told Bella. I've told her everything."
A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I'm going to be busy in the upcoming weeks with exams, but I'll update as much as I can.
Disclaimer: Most everything in this belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Andromeda and Ted followed McGonagall up to Dumbledore's office in silence. Ted didn't know what to say. He hadn't been involved in this; he didn't want to be. Next to him Andromeda was grim-faced. He took her hand consolingly.
Dumbledore was pacing. He looked up and greeted them with a wan smile. "I wish I could say 'good morning'. But we've had a few problems, haven't we?"
"I know all about Derrick and Priscilla," Andromeda said at once. "I was with them when they left."
"Why? Why did they leave?"
With an encouraging smile from Ted, Andromeda told him the whole story. He and McGonagall listened attentively, never interrupting her.
"Well, if that is the case than there is little we can do," said Dumbledore. "Perhaps they are better off where they are. Thank you for your honesty."
It was a subtle dismissal. But Ted couldn't help it. As they turned to leave, he blurted, "Is it true? Is there going to be a war coming?"
"I'm afraid there is," Dumbledore said gravely. "We will be doing all we can, of course."
"All we can with the Ministry's permission," McGonagall said disdainfully. "But it needn't worry you two; you have to get on with your NEWTs."
"Yeah," Ted muttered sarcastically. "NEWTs. That's what's important, isn't it?"
"Come on, Ted." Andromeda tugged on his arm. "Let's go."
Ted walked down the corridor, thinking back on that day months ago. Since then, he hadn't said a word to Dumbledore. He and Andromeda simply got on with their lives.
Without Derrick, Andromeda didn't have a single friend in Slytherin. She spent time with Alice and Talia instead. At night, she'd compose letters to Derrick in her head.
By day, she and Ted would study. They were ready when they took their NEWTs. Ted wasn't ready to leave school. He still had no idea what he wanted to do. Neither did Andromeda. They were scared to even talk about the future.
"So," Andromeda said one night, bringing up the subject, "Er...you're going to work at the Ministry, right?"
"Dunno. I don't really want to."
"But...what else is there? I mean, for someone like you..."
"I don't know! Can we please talk about this later?" And Ted took her by the waist and pull her in for a kiss.
That was another thing they never talked about: marriage. Inside he was terrified about it. He didn't know much about wizarding engagement customs, but in the Muggle world he would have to get her a ring. But should he? After all, they were only eighteen—very young. They had plenty of time to think about those things. And they'd never even talked about it...
He knew that she loved him. He loved her. But...what did they do now?
"Enough," he told himself on his way to the Room of Requirement. "I'll ask her tonight. Not in the bend-on-the-knee sort of way. I'll just...bring up the subject."
He flung open the door and called out, "Andromeda, I've—"
His voice died out. Standing there, in the middle of the room, was a girl with hair not black like Andromeda's, but blonde. She turned around.
"Narcissa?" he blurted.
"Well, well, well," she said, sneering. "If it isn't Edward Tonks. So good to meet you... at last."
"How—how did you find out about this?"
"I followed my sister last week. And read some quite incriminating diary entries. She seems to fancy you."
"Narcissa," Ted growled, "Did Bellatrix put you up to this? Where is she? She's got to be here!"
"Bella's too interested in other things to care about Andromeda's slumming. You're lucky she doesn't know about this."
"And you had better not tell her! I mean it! You forget that I'm a seventh year and of age, while you're only thirteen—"
"And a Black," she interrupted, "Which makes all the difference in the world. You're only some pet project my sister's taken up."
"What is it with you people?" he shouted, losing his temper. "You're all raving—raving mad, the lot of you!"
"Then why don't you leave us alone?" Narcissa shouted back. "Leave Andromeda alone! It's what's best for her!"
"Am I to believe that you really care about what's best for her? You've got to be joking."
Narcissa looked down and whispered, "You should. After all, I found out about you two months ago and didn't say a word."
"What? How? And why?"
"At the masked Ball, of course. You were dancing." She cleared her throat. "But I've come to tell you—you've got to end it now."
For a fleeting moment her façade dropped and she became what Ted knew she was inside—a very confused thirteen year old.
He forced himself to speak calmly. "Narcissa, I appreciate your concern and your, uh, tact. But if I want to mar—see Andromeda, that's her business and mine—not yours!"
Her eyes flashed in anger. "Do you really think she'd marry you? Do you really think you'd be greeted at Black Manor by all the family? You're even stupider than I thought."
Ted was at a loss for words. But before he lost control, the door behind them swung open and Andromeda herself swept in.
"Hello, Ted. I was just—Cissa, what the—? Oh, damn," she said, seeing their infuriated faces.
"Your sister's lovely," remarked Ted.
She responded with a smirk.
Andromeda rushed over to Narcissa. "You won't tell, will you? Because if you do I swear I'll jinx you at every opportunity I get. I've been practicing, remember."
Narcissa looked rather mollified by this. She looked back and forth from Andromeda to Ted, as if sizing up the enemy.
The older two had gotten their wands out, pointing them threateningly at her. Narcissa gulped, as if just realizing what she got herself into.
Ted said, "I know some pretty powerful memory charms."
Andromeda added, "And other ways of making people forget."
"You—you'd be expelled," Narcissa sputtered. "Silly too, when you've only got two weeks left until you're out of here. Don't expect to be coming home when that time comes!"
"I don't," said Andromeda.
"You don't?"
"You don't?" Ted echoed.
Andromeda gulped. "Actually, I was planning on living in Diagon Alley and working there. You won't tell me what you want, Ted, so I don't know if that would work out for both of us."
"I don't know what I want, Andromeda. Except..."
They both turned to see Narcissa edging towards the door.
"Well, you obviously have lots to talk about. I'll just be going, then."
"I don't think so!" Andromeda flicked her wand, locking the door with a snap. "We still have to work out how I'm going to live after school without dear old Mum and Dad trying to barge down the door of my flat."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Ted raised his eyebrows. He was wondering the same thing.
"You're going to help us, Cissa. You're going convince the family that I'm going to work at Durmstrang, or something, and then I'll simply disappear."
"Why would I ever do that?"
"Do you want your memory intact?" Ted chimed in. Andromeda shot him an exasperated, grateful look.
"It'll be especially difficult fooling Bellatrix. You figured out about us; she's not far behind. But helping us is well worth it. If you do it, you'll never hear from me—"
"Or me," said Ted.
"—again. Are you in?"
Narcissa bit her lip. "Fine. It's your disgrace, not mine. Though...convincing Bella will be harder than anticipated."
Andromeda's stomach plummeted and Ted groaned—this was not what they wanted to hear.
When Andromeda spoke, she hissed quietly but vehemently, "Why?"
"Because...sorry, Tonks, I lied. I've told Bella. I've told her everything."
A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I'm going to be busy in the upcoming weeks with exams, but I'll update as much as I can.