Responsibility

A/N: This is Ch. 7 of my Ted and Andromeda series, Run away with me. I wanted this for free week to make some wrap-up of their situation. - DG

Ted opened the back door to the inn, letting Andromeda step in first. "Ah, Ted, sweetie," his Mum kissed him on both cheeks. "How did it go with the in-laws?"

His face darkened immediately.

"Oh that doesn't look promising? Do I need to send an owl to them to smooth over any ruffled feathers?"

"Mrs. Tonks," Andromeda spoke up first. "I'm afraid that your letter would be met poorly. I have been banished from my family for choosing to marry your son." She stood up straight and hid the pain behind her features. "They have disowned me, for marrying without their approval and consent."

"Well that is a load of rubbish." She waved the wooden spoon around like a first year with a wand.

"It's true, Mum. I had to pull my wand to protect my wife from her father."

"Mrs. Tonks?"

"Nonsense, dear. You can call me Estelle."

Andromeda smiled slightly. "Estelle, might I go upstairs and freshen up a moment?"

"Yes, of course, by all means, dear. Ted's room is up on the third floor, under the eaves. There is a loo across the hall from his room."

"Thank you," She replied quietly before ascending the stairs.

"Ted? What do you mean you had to pull your wand on her father? Did he threaten her?"

"He threatened both of us, for what we did. He was irate and thought he could bully us into complying."

"And she witnessed it, didn't she?"

"She did. I would have preferred not to do that but I had no choice. Even her mother was cruel, casting a spell on her to see that we were telling the truth that the binding couldn't be broken."

"What did her mother do to her?"

Ted turned away, looking at the pot of chicken stew cooking on the stove-top.

"Ted, answer me. What did her Mum do?"

Ted turned and his face was fierce. "Her own mother cast a spell on her to verify that she was still a virgin. She said terrible things when she realized her daughter had consummated our marriage." He blushed at his admission.

"She did not?"

"She did and had no regrets performing that in front of her husband."

"What are you planning on doing about it, Ted?"

He looked around the modest kitchen in the inn. "We talked about this happening. It's almost as bad as she anticipated. So I think we'll stay here until she's ready for us to move to the flat in London."

"You and Andromeda are welcome here as long as you want. You know that."

"I know. But Mum, this life is so different than the one she grew up in. I don't know how she can handle it?"

Mrs. Tonks patted him on the cheek. "Edward," she smiled with some sadness behind her eyes, "you would be surprised what you can accomplish if given enough determination and liberty to do it."

"Are you talking about you and Dad after the war ended?"

"Oh yes, dear. We managed to get by on very little. I'm sure you and Andromeda will fare better."

Ted leaned over to hug his Mum before racing up the stairs for his bedroom. He stopped twice to assist a guest with their question before finally making it to his door on the third floor.

He heard a distinct sniff behind the oak door. "Andromeda?" He tried to open the door and found it locked. He glanced around before tapping the knob with his wand and it opened for him.

He stepped in and locked it behind him. She was standing at the window, looking out onto the small garden his Mum kept for fresh herbs and tomatoes.

"I know it's you because you're the only one who could get through that door."

"Mum wouldn't pry even if she did wonder." He took a few hesitant steps into his room and sat down at the desk. She turned slightly, hiding her face from his gaze. He sat patiently, waiting on her to share with him what she was thinking.

"I'm scared. What we are going to do about meals, lodging, and making a go of this?"

"The best we can, like we said the last year. No one's going to interfere, not while I'm around."

She turned to him and he hid his own expression. Her eyes were bloodshot, like she had been weeping and had tried to hide it as hard as she could. "Bellatrix."

"She wouldn't dare come here and raise a wand against you."

"If Mother casually mentioned it, she would. If Father asked, she'd consider it a point of family honor." Andromeda stood up tall, and schooled her face to stoic resignation. "Let's go outside and put wards on the property. I don't want my sister making her presence known by murdering everyone beneath your parent's roof."

"Wait," He reached for her hand as she was passing by. "What else is troubling you? I know there's something else wrong."

She looked at him with new eyes. "Either you're a legilimens or I'm humiliating myself in front of you and others." Her features turned even harder.

"Don't," he pressed a thumb into her knuckles and put her hand on his unshaved face. "You don't have to hide from me."

"I'm not hiding," Andromeda replied scornfully, "but I am thinking ahead in case Bellatrix decides that my life is forfeit."

"Since you put it like that, I'll join you."

"After we're finished securing the property, I'd like to have some lunch. I should have been kinder to your Mum downstairs when she was cooking lunch for the guests. I will help her later if she'll allow me."

"She will. I already talked with her. But let's go do what we can to protect the property before lunch."

They descended from his attic bedroom and slipped out the kitchen door into the garden. "How should we do this? We can't do a Fidelus charm since Mum and Dad get some walk-up guests from time to time."

"I'm sure there's a way we can work around it, like Muggles do."

"It would have to be something that Muggles would get, that Purebloods would be boggled at."

"The Fidelus Charm works with a Secret-Keeper, and it's passed orally or on paper, right?"

"That's how it works. You were in Charms NEWTS with me."

"We'll have it at the Post office inside where there is a listing of the town lodgings. That will work while we put the house under a Fidelus Charm, with me as the Secret-keeper. Guests will come and go and it will also not be seen by your sister."

"The charm will have to be replaced weekly and you will have to busier bringing in more guests."

"Won't you help with that?"

"Ted," Andromeda put her small hand into his, "I have so much to learn in so little time that I won't be out of the inn to help. I have to learn how to cook, wash clothes, darn socks, what to look for in purchasing food for us. I know it might not sound like much to learn but I didn't have the domestic upbringing you did. "

"Who said you have to learn those things by yourself? You do have a husband to help, if you'll let me."

She didn't reply but smiled his way.

"Now, I need to cast it since I am the secret keeper. But I will tell you first before we tell Mum and Dad."

"Ted?"

He lowered his wand and away from his wife.

"Thank you."

He smiled again, squeezing her hand before he turned and applied the securing charm to the property. It took a while, getting every single inch of the property covered and secured but managed it without much hassle.

"Done. Now we can get a spot of lunch. But first," He pulled her close, making it appear that he was going to snog her out in the open. Instead, he pulled her ear close to his lips and whispered the location of the Inn where they would be residing.

She felt her head clear and the frisson wash over her skin. "Ah, better."

They walked into the house and saw his Mum looking slightly glassy-eyed. "Bugger. I didn't think to warn Mum or the other guests. Would you see to them while I take care of Mum and Dad?"

Andromeda went into the dining room and saw two guests. But she also couldn't tell them, not without Ted's consent.

"There's a pair of guests in the dining room but I can't tell them. You have to do that."

Ted pushed through the door into the dining room, leaving Andromeda with her mother-in-law.

"So tell me why Ted did that?"

Andromeda poured herself a cup of tea and put a cube of sugar in it. She took a sip and deemed it adequate. "My sister."

"Can you tell me about them?"

"I have two of them, Bellatrix and Narcissa. Narcissa is 15 and already betrothed. She likes him and he's smitten with her, even if he is two years older than her. His family is very old money and well respected. She'll do her duty to him and the family will celebrate her nuptuals, whenever they happen.

"But my older sister, Bellatrix, she'd have no qualms coming here and hurting you or anyone else, if my father made that request. So, what Ted did was to protect the home, his family, and me from any potential harm she might decide to inflict."

"She sounds rather mad if you ask me."

Andromeda smiled. "She is, in her own ways. She was always cordial with me, if not always pleasant. I'm just upset at abandoning Narcissa. I know she won't forgive me for what happened."

"All the residents are fine now. Where's Dad?"

"He might be still at the post."

"Bugger. I need to go get him and get him sorted. Mum, can we get lunch when we return?"

"Of course. Lunch today is a ham, beans and tomatoes, and bread."

"Sounds good," He yelled as he ran out through the kitchen.

"Mrs. Tonks? I'd – "

"Nonsense, child. You're family. And we're going to make the most of it."

Andromeda smiled as her mother-in-law turned back to the stove top to cook the turnips. "Yes we will," she said to herself. "I can't cry over spilled milk. I have responsibilities now, to Ted and my new family."