Ted, Spring, 1971.

The weirdest part about being Muggleborn was getting off the Hogwarts Express, which was invariably hectic as the unsupervised student body rushed to exercise all the magic from their systems before the restrictions of home set in, then heading across the platforms to catch a quiet, ordinary train out to Reading. Ted always bought a magazine and a packet of Minstrels to savor while he caught up with the news of the Muggle world.

It was strange to think about, it had only been three years but already he felt more out of place on the Muggle train than he did on the Hogwarts Express.

That was probably because of Alice.

{ - }

Alice Prewett had been the third Wizard Ted had ever met. Professor Dumbledore had been the first. He'd sat with Ted while they waited for Ted's parents to get home and talked about Hogwarts and Magic and all the strange things Ted could do.

The second was Arthur Weasley, who had been standing on the Muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron examining a parking meter while Ted was trying to help his Father see the pub that was very clearly right in front of his face. Arthur had been twelve then, a second year, and he had stared at Ted's Dad in wonderment as he suggested that Mr. Tonks should close his eyes and let Ted lead him inside. Ted's Father thanked Arthur, and that might have been the end of that, if Arthur had not made the irresistible offer to introduce Ted to more Hogwart's students.

Next Ted met Alice and Molly Prewett who had come over to investigate – Ted would later learn that he was not the first Muggle Arthur had dragged in from the street – Molly was in Gryffindor with Arthur but she was a third year already. Alice was going to be a Firstie with Ted. She pulled a face at 'Firstie,' but she had been delighted to meet someone who knew less about Hogwarts than she did. The group swelled as Molly's twin brothers, Gideon and Fabian, Gryffindor sixth years appeared on either side of their sister and all the excitement attracted Alice's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Prewett. They must have seen how overwhelmed Ted's Dad was, because they offered to show them over to Gringotts, since Muggle money wouldn't be accepted in the Alley, and it wouldn't be any trouble since they were meeting the Longbottoms over that way anyway. Good thing too, the Tonks' would have never have made it through that brick wall.

Ted was flanked by Alice and Arthur as they walked and by the time the group reached the bank he had been thoroughly introduced to Diagon Alley. The shock of the whole day in addition to the very specific shock of Goblins was a bit much for Ted's Dad and Mr. Prewett offered to take Ted around and make sure he got all his supplies – they had another first year to take care of anyway. Ted could tell his Father felt guilty for leaving him, but it was arranged that Ted would be picked up on the Muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron at six o' Clock. It would be a very long time before Ted's parents were disabused of this enchanting picture of Wizard-kind.

Meanwhile, Ted had a truly amazing. Diagon Alley was the single most fantastic place he had ever seen in his life. Once the group met up with the Longbottoms, and Ted was proudly displayed to Arthur's best mate, Frank, Arthur eased up a bit. He and Frank hung back a bit from the cluster of parents and Firsties, disappearing altogether with Molly, Gideon and Fabian as they each spotted their own groups of friends.

Alice and her parents were endlessly helpful to Ted and he would be forever grateful to them for the unconditional acceptance and assistance they showed to him on that day.

When Ted first held his wand it shot hot sparks from the tip. He dropped it in an embarrassing mix of surprise and fright. A group of students behind them burst out laughing, undeterred by disapproving glances from the adults. Alice just darted to pick it up and offer it back to him, she smiled when he took it and said, "It's okay Ted, the stronger the reaction the better, right Dad?"

It felt natural for them to sit together on the train. Ted quickly learned that Alice didn't have a lot of confidence when they weren't with her parents or cousins. The other students seemed to make her almost nervous, but there was no waver in her voice as the explained the magnificent enchanted ceiling in the Hogwarts Great Hall.

Ted couldn't take his eyes off the twinkling stars, the slowly moving clouds, almost like there was a breeze up there. He was so mesmerized by it that McGonagall actually had to call his name a second time.

A voice in the darkness called him brave. Alice had explained the four houses to him on the train, he knew what brave meant. Alice had admitted her deepest secret to him; that she wouldn't be enough to join her family in Gryffindor. That she wasn't brave enough. He had watched her walk to the Hufflepuff table with a pronounced slump in her shoulders.

No, thought Ted, as hard as he could, not sure how to communicate with a hat via thought, I want to go with her.

Ahh, breathed the voice, Loyal are you? Care to hear a secret, boy? Ted felt as though the voice was smiling, That's the best one.

Then, out loud, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The hat was lifted from over his eyes just in time for him to see Alice's head snap up and she was beaming.

{ - }

Loyal, it turned out, was more subjective than it might originally appear. The girls in Alice's dorm made fun of her second hand supplies, the lack of attention she paid to her hair, they called her fat and, once classes started, they called her stupid. Ted convinced her to go to a Prefect, but the girls demonstrated their own loyalty by denying any bullying whatsoever. So Ted went to Molly, who came down on the girls like a vengeful God. After that the overt bullying stopped, but Ted knew it had to hurt Alice to be so left out by her roommates.

While Alice was tormented within Hufflepuff itself, Ted was tormented outside. It was not a good thing, Ted learned, to be a Mudblood.

He and Alice spent a lot of time with Frank and Arthur, initially because Arthur was endlessly fascinated by Ted's Muggle knowledge, though as an eleven year old Ted was ill equipped to adequately explain electricity, but they became good friends by the end of the term. Otherwise Ted and Alice explored the castle and grounds on the weekends, being careful to avoid the dungeons. During the week they did homework together in the library. She wasn't stupid by any measure, but academics did not come as naturally to Alice as they did to Ted, but he lacked a great deal of assumed background knowledge so they helped each other out happily.

It was into this routine that Andromeda fell, almost three years later.

Ted was well aware of the Black family. Beyond their general infamy, Bellatrix had once put a tripping hex on him because, "Mudbloods belong in the dirt."

Usually he would have stood up for himself, but Bellatrix was a special case.

"Special head-case," Alice had corrected.

Andromeda was polite though. She made a nice addition to their study table. And, best of all, she was willing to give as well as receive, trading her Transfiguration genius for Ted's arithmatic assistance. She had even migrated from her seat in the back corner by the other three Slytherins to sit next to Alice at the front. She passed an empty desk by Ted in order to get there, but Ted understood it wasn't a blood thing – even in the library she gravitated more naturally towards Alice.

So her absence from class on the first day back was concerning.

"Maybe she's ill?" whispered Alice, as Vector welcomed them back with a series of viscous formulas. Ted was too busy concentrating to respond, Andromeda would need his notes.

{ - }

They found her in the library at the usual time but not in their usual place. She was back at the single desk she'd used at the beginning of the year. She looked up at them as the approached her, but quickly looked back down at her parchment.

Ted and Alice exchanged worried looks.

"Hi Andromeda," Alice offered. Andromeda looked up and smiled weakly at them, Ted felt awkward standing in front of her with Alice while she was still seated so he moved to lean on the bare stone wall in front of her desk.

"We brought you the notes from Arithmacy," Alice continued, "were you ill?"

Amdromeda looked down at her neat stack of books. Ted noticed she wasn't sitting as straight as usual either. She looked... defeated.

"No, thank you for doing that, but I won't need them," she looked up at Ted now, "I'm not in Arithmacy anymore."

Ted frowned, "Why'd you drop? You were doing really well at the end of last term!"

Alice, also frowning, asked, "Wait, I thought you couldn't drop a class in the middle of the year like that?"

Andromeda shrugged, looking a little embarrassed, "My Father wrote to Slughorn to get me out of it."

Ted snorted, "Wish my parents could get me out of hard classes," he joked, though it came out sounding harsher than he'd intended. Alice shot him a glare, and Andromeda was instantly on the defensive.

"I didn't ask him to!"

"Sorry," Ted offered, awkwardly.

"That's a shame you won't be there anymore, Andromeda," said Alice, "we can still study though, right?"

Andromeda pulled her lower lip in between her teeth, something Ted had only noticed her doing when she was well and truly stuck with an assignment. She darted her eyes around the library, checking for witnesses, he realized. He was suddenly worried she had simply been polite while she needed something from him, and now he was going to hear about how Andromeda would never sully herself with his Mudblood presence. It made him furious – Alice had really enjoyed having a female friend.

Just as he was preparing to storm out, leaving her in her miserable corner, she surprised him.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can do that."

Alice clapped her hands together and helped Andromeda gather up her books and parchments so they could move to a bigger table.

{ - }

A/N – Writing this story makes me really sad. But it's the good kind of sad :) I have this picture in my head that (Nymphadora) Tonks grows up visiting Alice in St. Mugo's, because Ted's still visiting his best friend, and that's what inspires her to become an Auror.

And I am abiding my JK's example that the first Wizard you meet is instantly your lifelong BFF.

This story is going to include a lot of characters, not all of them will get POV chapters, but I'm going to try and get as many people in as I can. I've changed their ages pretty drastically for the sake of the story, which I think might get confusing. For example, we're going to suspend our disbelief that Andromeda and Lupin were four years apart at school (please and thank you (Nymphadora technically attends Hogwarts 14 years after her parents... shhh)) but I have a chart made up of how old everyone is in relation to each other to help me keep track. I can post it if anyone thinks it would be helpful?

Also, I have to admit something to MelodyPond77: I honest to God, in over a decade now of loving Harry Potter, never once realized that it was Narcissa. Every time she was mentioned in the books, every time I wrote her name, every time I said it, it was always Narcissia. I feel pretty stupid but also a little sad. I liked the name Narcissia. But thanks, I would have just kept on looking stupid without you, glad you're reading and enjoying the story :)

Thanks everyone who's reading! My long exposition stage is finally coming to an end! Love to hear what you think!