Word Count: 504

Andromeda lingers outside the little tea shop, praying for the courage to to inside. Ted is in there; this is as public as they've ever dared to be. With her final days at Hogwarts swiftly approaching, it feels like her destiny is unrolling before her eyes, waiting for her to take the first step.

She takes a deep breath. Why did Ted have to choose Madam Puddifoot's? The place is a nightmare. Still, if they're going to make their intentions known, she supposes there's no better place. Couples only go to the cozy, obnoxious place if they want the world to know.

She steps inside, all her anxiety leaving the moment she sees Ted. Her lips tug into a grin, and she hurries forward, taking a seat across from him.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you " he tells her. "Earl grey, two sugars, with a raspberry scone on the side."

She smiles. "You know me too well."

"I should hope so. It's been two years, Andi."

She laughs at that, shaking her head. It feels like longer. Maybe it would be longer, but they always had to worry about her sisters. Not that it matters anymore. Even with Bellatrix gone, Narcissa can still see them and write home.

Andromeda doesn't care. Let her family find out. She has made her choice, and nothing will make her change her mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Ted asks.

"I love my sisters more than anything in this life," she tells him. "I always put their happiness before my own, and it feels strange to put myself first for once."

He reaches across the table, taking her hand. There's something soft and kind in his eyes that almost breaks her heart. Relief? Maybe that's it. Maybe there's a part of him that's worried she wouldn't choose him.

"You're sure?"

Andromeda nods, laughing softly. "I've never been more sure about anything."

"Good." He swallows dryly and gives her hand a squeeze. "Because I… I love you, Andi. So bloody much. I don't have a ring yet. My mum is trying to get in touch with my aunt to see if she will let me have Gran's ring."

Ring. Of course Andromeda understands why he would need a ring, but her mind still struggles to comprehend it.

"I want to marry you," he says.

She doesn't have to think about it. "Yes," she answers without even a second's hesitation.

And as their tea and scones arrive, Andromeda can't shake the feeling that everything is about to change. She had planned to start a new beginning today by admitting her feelings for Ted to the world. Now, it's gone so far beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Maybe she should be terrified. Her parents will find out, and she knows her father will be all too happy to blast her from the tapestry.

She isn't afraid. If she has to make sacrifices to achieve her own happiness, so be it. She has Ted. Everything else can wait.