Chapter Twenty: I Do
Disclaimer: Nearly all of this is J.K. Rowling's, not mine.
"Wonderful! Now what are we going to do?" Andromeda's hands were on her hips, and she was glaring at Ted from across the dingy alleyway.
"Take out our wands, I guess," replied Ted calmly.
Andromeda watched him struggle to find them for a minute. When he looked up uncertainly, she said, "Right. We left them back at school."
Ted muttered, "How typical. Let's get out of here."
"And just where are we going to go? Why didn't you send us to Diagon Alley or something? What were you thinking?"
"I'm sorry if I wasn't thinking clearly, but curses were being thrown at me," muttered Ted with clenched teeth.
Their noise was starting to attract the attention of the Muggle passerby. Andromeda peered at each one as if they were from another species.
"Stay close to me," Ted whispered. "There's some freaks out at this time of night."
"To them, we're the freaks," Andromeda snapped. But she moved closer to him anyway as they headed out into the main street. He knew the Muggle world; she didn't.
One man, as he passed them, yelled out, "What are you two supposed to be? Hippies? It's not Halloween, you know!"
Andromeda was confused until Ted tugged on her robes.
"Muggles are so nice, aren't they?" she commented sarcastically.
"C'mon," said Ted. "Maybe I can find a pay phone to call my parents."
"A what?" Andromeda said, but Ted shushed her. He was looking ahead in the distance, where a lone figure was coming towards them.
Andromeda's heart pounded. The figure was wearing robes! But as he came closer, there was something vaguely familiar about him.
"It looks as if you two didn't go far," the man said. Andromeda could breathe again. It was Albus Dumbledore.
"Professor Dumbledore!" said Ted. "How did you find us?"
"Mr. Black came and told the teachers the whole story right after you left. Miss. Black is still out cold. When she comes to, she'll most definitely be punished for trying to duel in the middle of the night with other students."
Andromeda nodded. She noticed how dark it was in this section of the street, how there weren't any other people around...and she felt safer knowing Dumbledore was there. It was going to be all right.
"I'm sorry you felt the need to leave school," Dumbledore continued. "But I'd be very pleased if you would come back. Miss. Black wouldn't be a problem, I assure you."
Ted looked at Andromeda, and they both realized they were thinking the same thing. He had to speak up.
"Thanks, Professor. But...we're pretty much done with school anyway. We did our NEWT's. We'd feel—more comfortable—if we didn't have to go back."
Dumbledore sighed. "If that's what you want..."
"Yes," said Andromeda. "It is."
"Then of course I will make no move to stop you."
A smile broke out on Ted's wary face. "Professor, you're the coolest teacher."
Dumbledore couldn't have looked more pleased. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Mr. Black said you would be needing these."
In his outstretched hands were the wands. It was over. They were safe. They both thanked him before he Apparated away.
"Ready?"
Andromeda nodded. She took Ted's hand and together they Apparated into the night. The next morning Ted left the Leaky Cauldron, where they stayed the night before, to call his parents.
"You did WHAT?!" they yelled on the other end of the line.
Meanwhile, Andromeda was getting a mouthful from her mother via a Howler.
"How DARE you? How dare you run off with that—that filthy mudblood! How dare you besmirch our family's good name and reputation by even consorting with a mudblood? You blood traitor—"
It went on that way for five full minutes. By the end, Andromeda understood the gist of it: she wasn't welcome home anymore. Or, as her mother threatened, she wouldn't be welcome in the home of any respectable pureblood family.
So. That was it. After three long years of wondering how her family would react to knowing about Ted, they'd gone and done exactly what she expected them to. She lay on her bed, thinking, and trying to cry. But she couldn't. Instead she thought of every happy memory she had of her family, and held on to them.
They picked themselves up and went on with their lives. Andromeda got a job at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions for the summer. Ted worked at a Muggle store and practically lived in his parents' basement, which became known as the "Disaster Zone."
One day towards the end of summer, Ted decided to pop the question. They were in the "Disaster Zone" when he got down on one knee and said, "Meda, will you marry me?"
"Of course I will, Ted." She took a look around the room. "Under one condition, though. Please get a wizarding job and come live in our world."
His shoulders slumped. "Getting a wizarding job is ...complicated."
"Why? You're a great wizard, you got excellent OWL and NEWT scores, and you have a great record..."
"I know, I know. But apparently the Ministry does background checks now, and...they 'need to reserve jobs for pureblooded witches and wizards.' Or so I was told when I tried to apply there."
He wouldn't meet her eyes.
Andromeda had to count to ten to calm herself down. Then she swore—loudly. "Ugh! I hate the Ministry! Those bigoted idiots! I am never working there!"
Ted said slowly, "If we want to get married, I think you should."
"What?"
"Well, I'm thinking about getting a Muggle job and an apartment. If you worked in the Ministry, we could save up enough money to live completely in the wizarding world someday..."
Andromeda thought about it. "That idea could work. I've thought about working in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Just out of curiosity: what kind of Muggle job did you have in mind?"
Ted said somewhat sheepishly, "When I was a kid I'd love watching the news on TV. It was the only thing on. So now, I'm thinking I'd like to be...a newscaster."
They were married the following spring in a little church outside Hogsmeade. The number of guests for each of them was somewhat skewed. On one side sat all of Ted's Muggle relatives, including his parents and grandparents. Behind them were all his friends from Hogwarts, including Kirley (the best man), Talia, and Alice.
On Andromeda's side there was Marlene McKinnon, Uncle Alphard, and Sirius (for once not surrounded by his pack of friends). Derrick couldn't come but sent her a congratulatory postcard from Canada. She had invited everyone in her family, but her invitations weren't answered back to or even acknowledged. Sirius told her that he had to sneak out of the house to come, because he was "forbidden" to go.
But they tried not to let that spoil the lovely wedding. After the "I do's", they kissed sweetly as everyone cheered.
"No matter what happens in the future, I'll always be there," said Ted. "We'll be facing whatever comes together."
"I know what will come," said Andromeda. "We're going to have a happy, full life."
"I love you," they whispered at the same time.
And they kissed once more.
The End
(Well, except for the Epilogue!)
A/N: Thank you so much for all the nice reviews I've gotten. Now I want to work on other fics! After the Epilogue, I'll start a new story for the summer.
Disclaimer: Nearly all of this is J.K. Rowling's, not mine.
"Wonderful! Now what are we going to do?" Andromeda's hands were on her hips, and she was glaring at Ted from across the dingy alleyway.
"Take out our wands, I guess," replied Ted calmly.
Andromeda watched him struggle to find them for a minute. When he looked up uncertainly, she said, "Right. We left them back at school."
Ted muttered, "How typical. Let's get out of here."
"And just where are we going to go? Why didn't you send us to Diagon Alley or something? What were you thinking?"
"I'm sorry if I wasn't thinking clearly, but curses were being thrown at me," muttered Ted with clenched teeth.
Their noise was starting to attract the attention of the Muggle passerby. Andromeda peered at each one as if they were from another species.
"Stay close to me," Ted whispered. "There's some freaks out at this time of night."
"To them, we're the freaks," Andromeda snapped. But she moved closer to him anyway as they headed out into the main street. He knew the Muggle world; she didn't.
One man, as he passed them, yelled out, "What are you two supposed to be? Hippies? It's not Halloween, you know!"
Andromeda was confused until Ted tugged on her robes.
"Muggles are so nice, aren't they?" she commented sarcastically.
"C'mon," said Ted. "Maybe I can find a pay phone to call my parents."
"A what?" Andromeda said, but Ted shushed her. He was looking ahead in the distance, where a lone figure was coming towards them.
Andromeda's heart pounded. The figure was wearing robes! But as he came closer, there was something vaguely familiar about him.
"It looks as if you two didn't go far," the man said. Andromeda could breathe again. It was Albus Dumbledore.
"Professor Dumbledore!" said Ted. "How did you find us?"
"Mr. Black came and told the teachers the whole story right after you left. Miss. Black is still out cold. When she comes to, she'll most definitely be punished for trying to duel in the middle of the night with other students."
Andromeda nodded. She noticed how dark it was in this section of the street, how there weren't any other people around...and she felt safer knowing Dumbledore was there. It was going to be all right.
"I'm sorry you felt the need to leave school," Dumbledore continued. "But I'd be very pleased if you would come back. Miss. Black wouldn't be a problem, I assure you."
Ted looked at Andromeda, and they both realized they were thinking the same thing. He had to speak up.
"Thanks, Professor. But...we're pretty much done with school anyway. We did our NEWT's. We'd feel—more comfortable—if we didn't have to go back."
Dumbledore sighed. "If that's what you want..."
"Yes," said Andromeda. "It is."
"Then of course I will make no move to stop you."
A smile broke out on Ted's wary face. "Professor, you're the coolest teacher."
Dumbledore couldn't have looked more pleased. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Mr. Black said you would be needing these."
In his outstretched hands were the wands. It was over. They were safe. They both thanked him before he Apparated away.
"Ready?"
Andromeda nodded. She took Ted's hand and together they Apparated into the night. The next morning Ted left the Leaky Cauldron, where they stayed the night before, to call his parents.
"You did WHAT?!" they yelled on the other end of the line.
Meanwhile, Andromeda was getting a mouthful from her mother via a Howler.
"How DARE you? How dare you run off with that—that filthy mudblood! How dare you besmirch our family's good name and reputation by even consorting with a mudblood? You blood traitor—"
It went on that way for five full minutes. By the end, Andromeda understood the gist of it: she wasn't welcome home anymore. Or, as her mother threatened, she wouldn't be welcome in the home of any respectable pureblood family.
So. That was it. After three long years of wondering how her family would react to knowing about Ted, they'd gone and done exactly what she expected them to. She lay on her bed, thinking, and trying to cry. But she couldn't. Instead she thought of every happy memory she had of her family, and held on to them.
They picked themselves up and went on with their lives. Andromeda got a job at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions for the summer. Ted worked at a Muggle store and practically lived in his parents' basement, which became known as the "Disaster Zone."
One day towards the end of summer, Ted decided to pop the question. They were in the "Disaster Zone" when he got down on one knee and said, "Meda, will you marry me?"
"Of course I will, Ted." She took a look around the room. "Under one condition, though. Please get a wizarding job and come live in our world."
His shoulders slumped. "Getting a wizarding job is ...complicated."
"Why? You're a great wizard, you got excellent OWL and NEWT scores, and you have a great record..."
"I know, I know. But apparently the Ministry does background checks now, and...they 'need to reserve jobs for pureblooded witches and wizards.' Or so I was told when I tried to apply there."
He wouldn't meet her eyes.
Andromeda had to count to ten to calm herself down. Then she swore—loudly. "Ugh! I hate the Ministry! Those bigoted idiots! I am never working there!"
Ted said slowly, "If we want to get married, I think you should."
"What?"
"Well, I'm thinking about getting a Muggle job and an apartment. If you worked in the Ministry, we could save up enough money to live completely in the wizarding world someday..."
Andromeda thought about it. "That idea could work. I've thought about working in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Just out of curiosity: what kind of Muggle job did you have in mind?"
Ted said somewhat sheepishly, "When I was a kid I'd love watching the news on TV. It was the only thing on. So now, I'm thinking I'd like to be...a newscaster."
They were married the following spring in a little church outside Hogsmeade. The number of guests for each of them was somewhat skewed. On one side sat all of Ted's Muggle relatives, including his parents and grandparents. Behind them were all his friends from Hogwarts, including Kirley (the best man), Talia, and Alice.
On Andromeda's side there was Marlene McKinnon, Uncle Alphard, and Sirius (for once not surrounded by his pack of friends). Derrick couldn't come but sent her a congratulatory postcard from Canada. She had invited everyone in her family, but her invitations weren't answered back to or even acknowledged. Sirius told her that he had to sneak out of the house to come, because he was "forbidden" to go.
But they tried not to let that spoil the lovely wedding. After the "I do's", they kissed sweetly as everyone cheered.
"No matter what happens in the future, I'll always be there," said Ted. "We'll be facing whatever comes together."
"I know what will come," said Andromeda. "We're going to have a happy, full life."
"I love you," they whispered at the same time.
And they kissed once more.
The End
(Well, except for the Epilogue!)
A/N: Thank you so much for all the nice reviews I've gotten. Now I want to work on other fics! After the Epilogue, I'll start a new story for the summer.