While she dressed the next morning, it hit Andromeda it was Christmas. It had been Christmas for a while and despite all the bitter things Ted had said (that made far too much sense) and the fact she'd woke to find the bed empty, the holiday was upon her.

She walked down the stairs, her hair brushed to the crown of her head in a manner her mother had told her wasn't suitable because it wasn't honourable to show her neck. But it felt right to be pulled up higher than the nape of her neck when an unsettling dread had wormed its way into the pit of her stomach. The thought of seeing Ted after her confession hours earlier wasn't bright in her head.

"Andromeda!" Tom called from behind the bar, walking around it and enveloping her in a hug. His sour disposition upon their first meeting had wholly changed just because of Ted, she thought, realizing that she never knew having Ted Tonk's name with hers could ever be a good thing.

"These are for you!" Tom said brightly, pulling a lumpy package and a small box from behind the counter.

Andromeda was taken aback, knowing full well her mother would never have allowed a package to be sent from the house in such a disheveled state and wondering who it could be from. She first edged the lid off the box and looked up at Tom and back at the necklace inside.

"It was Ted's mother's, she wore it constantly. Helen and I figured it would only be right for you to wear it now," Tom explained, smiling while Andromeda pulled the necklace on. It was a silver chain with a small black gemstone on it, simple but gorgeous.

"The second came from Molly this morning, seems you've become one of the many to recieve the traditional Weasley sweater," Tom explained as Andromeda pulled a blue sweater from the lumpy package that read 'Mrs. Tonks' on the back. She smiled weakly at Tom, asking him for a hot chocolate before settling herself at a table.

A note fell out of the sweater and Andromeda read the neat cursive:

Miss Black;

It is good to see you've learned, like I had, that there is a world where love is excepted rather than shunned aside because of the matter of pure blood.

- Molly R. Weasley

A certain sadness filled her as she learned her facade was soon to end and she was to go back to hating Ted, who seemed to be one of the best males to occupy the planet. She fingered the sweater and the chain around her neck, thinking what it would have to be like to return them. She wasn't sure that she was ready to return to her life knowing people like Tom and Helen and even Molly, who didn't care that she was Andromeda Black, but rather that she cared for Ted.

But, afterall, she tried to tell herself, she didn't have feelings for Ted. Even in her head, however it sounded weak.

Then the bell above the door tolled to announce the entry of a cold gust of wind and Andromeda turned, wiping a tear and wondering when Tonks had caused an emotional response of her, to find Ted in the threshold. His cheeks were pink with the cold and snowflakes stuck to his cap as he removed his heavy coat and hat to cross the room, sitting across from Andromeda.

"Happy Christmas!" he greeted her as Tom rushed him a mug of steaming hot chocolate before leaving the couple.

"Happy Christmas," she replied as strong as she could muster.

"Look, Andromeda," he said brightly and Andromeda couldn't help but anticipate with some hope what he was about to say, "About last night, what I said," she held onto his every word, waiting for some encouraging note about him helping her escape her fate, "I apologize, pent-up bitterness from being called poor names my entire Hogwarts career. But I'm ready now, if you are, to return to being your enemy."

She nodded, breaking eye contact and telling him she was heading out for some air. He offered to come with her, but she declined - saying she wished to spend some time alone. The cold air froze her lungs and she headed indoors to a store to warm up, suprised it was open on Christmas. It was a restaurant, a counter service type place, and the men behind the counter who were the servers were singing Christmas carols, their arms wrapped around one another with brotherly unity.

Andromeda tossed five galleons onto the counter as she turned to head back toward the Leaky Cauldron, but, instead came face to face with an older girl whose features were similar to her own.

" 'Meda!" Narcissa said brightly, smiling and kissing Andromeda's cheeks, what the two did every time they had the fortune of meeting one another.

"Fancy meeting you here, 'Cis!" She responded, her tone matching her sisters but it was feigned.

"I was just enjoying Christmas alone. I know it sounds dreadful, but I'd rather be here than Montague's!" She said, and Andromeda agreed, nodding her head.

- -

Ted climbed the stairs to the room, opening it to find Andromeda packing the last bit of her stuff.

"It's settled," she said, smiling though inside her heart was breaking, "Narcissa is meeting me at King's Cross and we're heading back to the Manor for a couple of days, it'll be good to go home even if it is the two of us."

"So, I'll see you at school?" Ted said, emotionless, and Andromeda nodded. She handed him a package.

"It's a pair of gloves," she said as he looked down at the gift, "I bought them the other day, to thank you for your graditude for sharing the room."

He nodded and she glided out of the room, he watched her back descend down the steps with her luggage in tow, trying to fathom how hard it was going to be to pretend he hated her again.

- -

"Stupid train delays," Narcissa groaned from the millionth time, filing one of her nails. The train had a thirty-minute delay and the only thing Narcissa had managed to do was whine unmercisslessly as she sat like a princess on her leather luggage. Andromeda would come up with mono-syllable responses before Ted appeared before her.

She gasped, but Narcissa was too preoccupied with her fingernails to pay attention.

"Here's your present, Black," he said sourly, "I can't eat them so there's no use in me not giving them to you. Blood pops, since you're so obsessed with the matter of blood."

She cocked her head, wanting to say something to convince him she was over who she was, but nothing more than a weak, "Get out of here before Narcissa notices you," fell from her tongue and he walked away, hands deep in his pockets.

Narcissa looked up from filing her nails in time to see Andromeda the same way she'd left, not noticing the parcel in her hands but instead the necklace on her neck.

"What dreadful excuse of jewelry is that you've got on?" She said, studying the necklace as Andromeda's fingers clasp it in suprise.

"Narcissa," Andromeda said firmly, "I love you, I really do."

- -

And the train came to a halt in front them and Tonks turned his head from the two. He walked past the platforms as the rickety train that was to carry the sisters home rushed passed him. This was how it was supposed to end, he thought dejectedly, rubbing his fingers against his new gloves.

"Theodore!" he turned in disbelief to see Andromeda with a mile-wide smile on her face, running toward him. She reached him and he looked at her quizzically.

"I waited on you to say this, Tonks, but I do not see any reason for me to return to Black house when you're still here."

His face was still puzzled as he tried to respond, but she interrupted, "Just shut up for once and kiss me." And Ted could only be happy to oblidge her wishes, for the first time.

Narcissa twirled her hair round her finger as she fingered her luggage, puzzled by why exactly her sister had told her she wouldn't be returning. She sucked a Blood Pop contendedly as the train raced her back to her home.

The End.

Author's note: it's over, it's over, it's over! ::throws celebratory confetti on Pedagogie, Anna Ierse, and Eraserhead:: How did you like it? The ending? I'm in disbelief that I actually completed a multi-chapter story. Squee! I love you all! And this is the LAST time I write multi-chapters for a while, they're exhausting! Well, truth be told, this was semi-inspired (the whole gosh darn fic) by the vewy first fanfic I ever ever read, a Ron / Hermione by Queen:)B, called Nothing More, Nothing Less, which had the two posing as a married couple. So, yeah, rock on to that. Squee, it's done! I feel all happiness!

Review, please?