An: As always thanks to everyone who's reviewed, and favourited and alerted. I love hearing from you guys, especially your opinions on what you think ought to happen next, because it always makes me smile. (Also, they often give me ideas ;P) Thanks if you're still reading this. Enjoy.

Chapter 20 – Premier League

"Where're you going?"

Ted stopped by the portrait hole, turning slowly to face his best friend. "I'm…going to the library."

"What for?" Tom didn't believe him. It was his job to know what was going on with Ted, and he didn't, which worried him.

"My…transfiguration essay." Ted wasn't good at lying, but he was stubborn. After picking a lie, he stuck to it.

"I thought you finished it," Tom pointed out.

"I did," Ted said slowly. "But I forgot…to check one of my points and it's due tomorrow so…"

"Have fun," Tom said curtly, as his friend left the common room. Tom was frustrated; short of following Ted there was nothing left to do.

][][][][][][][][][][

"I hate lying to Tom." Safe in the room of requirement, Ted was upset. "He's my best friend and he knows I'm lying to him."

"Titus doesn't ask." Andromeda mused. "It's like he doesn't care."

"Dromeda." Ted's voice was imploring. "Can you just-" He trailed off. "This is really hard."

She froze. Was he about to break up with her? Because she knew it was hard to sneak around, but she was actually happy. It was nothing like being with Dolohov, when she hadn't really cared whether she saw him from one day to the next.

"And I know I was the one who said it'd be fine, and it will be. Just… maybe we shouldn't see each other quite so often."

She watched him for a moment, before she asked, "Do you not want to see me anymore?"

"No, Dromeda." He laughed and hugged her. "I love being with you. I just don't want to annoy Tom."

She smiled tentatively. "Okay. I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend a little more time in the common room."

He beamed and kissed her. "It'll be fine."

][][][][][][][

With the final game of the Quidditch season rapidly bearing down on them, Titus was outside in all weathers, pushing his team to train harder and harder. Every time Andromeda walked past the pitch, she saw Holly watching, cheering them on, even when they were only running drills.

She couldn't stand the Gamp girl. She had never liked her, not really. She was too new money; preferring Spain to France, wine to champagne, cheating to abstinence. And since Holly had managing to turn Titus against her, Andromeda had little time for her. She was just using Titus, playing a long game to further her own social position. It suddenly struck Andromeda that six months ago, she wouldn't have thought twice about that. Six months ago she was dating Lestrange, and congratulating herself on landing a wealthy firstborn. She was imagining her long and happy future as one part of one of the most respected pureblood families. And now she was judging Holly for trying to do the same. What had Ted done to her?

][][][][][][][

"A pony."

Ted laughed, as she poured over his transfiguration essay, looking for points that she'd missed and could use to lengthen her own essay. "I'm not buying you a pony. You're not five."

She pouted. "I wasn't allowed one as a kid. Mother said the only boys were allowed horses."

Ted stretched, a grin lolloping across his face. "I never had a horse."

"What did you have?" she asked, turning to her own essay and beginning to scribble another paragraph.

"A dog. Labrador. Chocolate." Ted lay back on the sofa, throwing a beanbag above his head. "Called him Fudge."

At that Andromeda looked up. "Like the Minister?"

Ted laughed. "No. Parents are muggles, remember?"

"Oh yes." She flashed him a smile. "It slipped my mind."

Grinning, Ted sat up. He still couldn't believe that he was dating Andromeda Black. If someone had told him that at the beginning of the year, he would have laughed them out of the room. And now she was starting to forget that he wasn't pureblood. It was a good time to be alive. Spring was finally here, Hufflepuff had a shot at the Quidditch cup, and his girlfriend was amazing. Though he still had no idea what to buy her for her birthday.

"What about flowers?" he asked. "All girls love flowers, and I can get them easily."

She wrinkled her nose. "Dolohov always bought me flowers."

"Dromeda, I can't not do things your other boyfriends did," Ted explained patiently. "That would mean not kissing you, or holding your hand, or-"

"Proposing?" she asked innocently.

He almost choked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Well, Dolohov did it after four months," she told him. "I don't see why you shouldn't." He gaped at her, until she burst out laughing. "I'm teasing," she said, in between gasps. "Oh, you should see your face."

As his heart rate slowed to normal, he wondered at how much she'd changed since they'd first met. Then, she'd been supercilious, arrogant, haughty. But now… well, she could still be all those things, but now she teased him, she laughed, she smiled. Sometimes it shocked him.

][][][][][][][

"You're going to be our good luck charm," Titus told her, as she opened her Ancient History textbook. "It's your birthday and you'll be there so-"

"Do I have to come?" The whine slipped out before Andromeda could stop it.

"Yes." He sounded shocked that she could even consider not going. "We're fighting Hufflepuff for the cup. Hufflepuff." Somehow Gryffindor had managed to lose to the badger house and to Slytherin. It had been a bad season for them. Two of their chasers, a beater and their keeper had all been seventh year the previous year, which meant they'd been left with only three experienced players and not much else.

"I don't like Quidditch," Andromeda protested. "You know I don't. If you make me come, I'll give off bad vibes and make you lose."

Titus raised an eyebrow. "Thankyou. Glad to know how loyal you are to the house."

Andromeda sighed. "This isn't news. You know I hate Quidditch. It's a stupid sport." As she flicked a page of her book, she caught sight of Titus shocked face. "That's not to say you're not good at it. You're very good at it."

Mollified slightly, Titus smiled. "Come on. Bring a book if you want to, but you have to come."

She rolled her eyes. "I might come. But if Hufflepuff win…"

Titus scoffed. "Them? Win? Never."

][][][][][][][

"Ready for the match?" Tom asked Ruth. They were outside, sitting near the broom shed. Now that it was May, the sun was beginning to shine properly and many people were taking advantage of it.

Ruth shrugged as she reached for her broom polish. "As ready as we'll ever be. Bane's got us training in all weathers, even made all of us play in different positions in case." She shook her head. "Turns out I'm a sucky seeker."

"I could've told you that," Tom said with a smile. "Just keep aiming those bludgers at the Slytherins."

Ruth nodded. "I will. Especially Nott. If I injure their seeker, then only ours can end the game."

"Ours is Hannan, right?" Tom asked. ""What happened to Brooks?"

"Peeves," Ruth said glumly.

"Death by Peeves, the only way to go," Tom joked, lying back on the grass.

Ruth frowned. "She broke her arm," she told him. "Hannan was only the sub. He's never played a full game before."

"Ah." Tom understood how bad that was. Nott was an excellent seeker; even the Gryffindors had to admit that, and pitching an inexperienced player against someone like Nott spelt suicide. "How screwed are we?"

"Well," Ruth put down her broom to deliberate. "Me and McEndry are as good as Dolohov and Mulciber, but Mulciber's built like a brick wall, and when they start to lose, he starts collisions. Their seeker's more experienced, but our chasers are better than Greengrass and his goons. So it comes down to the keepers, which means Malfoy and Bane. Malfoy's alright, but Bane's not afraid of getting hurt." She shrugged. "It'll be an interesting match."

][][][][][][][

"The Quidditch House Cup."

"Ted, I swear if you try and teach me anymore about that stupid game, I will hex you."

Ted laughed, and threw a ball to her. "Let me finish." The room of requirement had taken many guises since they had been dating. There was a common room, a library, a games room with a pool table. Once there had even been a record player and he'd made her listen to The Beatles and The Jackson 5, before she'd put some classical music on and taught him to waltz. Currently, it was a mix of the study room and the games room. Beanbags and skipping ropes and hula hoops littered the floor, and Ted was intent on teaching her how to hula. So far she'd refused, so he was seeing how long they could play catch for. "It's your birthday and everyone'll be at the match."

"So?" Andromeda asked, almost dropping the ball.

"We won't have to hide," he said with a grin. "We can walk down the corridors hand in hand. I can give you your birthday present without having to be in here."

She smiled. "That's a great idea. But wouldn't you rather be at the match?"

He shook his head. "I'd miss the World cup if it meant I got to be with you outside of this room." She beamed, but cursed when he threw the ball too hard at her head.