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Doing Research

Andromeda now had one more reason to be annoyed with Ted Tonks, and she really hadn't needed a new one on top of all the others. Thanks to those stupid lines of poetry he'd told her about she couldn't forget them and was now obsessed with thinking about snogging. She'd never been obsessed with snogging. She hated snogging. Snogging led to groping and a tongue jammed down her throat so that she choked on it. Snogging was to be avoided the way you avoided hearing a Mandrake scream. It was just common sense.

But she couldn't forget what the Hufflepuff had said no matter how stupid she knew it to be.

Against her will Andromeda found herself on the lookout for people snogging. Much to her fascination and horror, people around her all seemed to like snogging a great deal. She also found it interesting that the students from the other houses appeared to be snogging each other a lot more than her own housemates were. In fact, her fellow Slytherins were a lot more reserved in the public displays of affection period. Normally she would have approved of that, but unfortunately it gave her a really mortifying hypothesis to consider.

Maybe it wasn't snogging in itself that was horrible. Maybe Slytherins were just horrible at it.

Cissy actually liked snogging Lucius and had told her so. But they were both Slytherins and Lucius was the only boy her little sister had ever snogged as far as she knew. So what could Cissy really know about good or bad snogging? And what if Slytherins were just intrinsically bad at snogging and therefore that was why they always married inside their house? Could their constant inbreeding have destroyed that ability too? What else were they crappy at because of it? Just thinking about it made her head hurt and the idea that there was something Ted Tonks could possibly be better at than her was haunting.

The fact that she really didn't have a way to confirm any of her theories royally peeved her off.

)

Walking down the hallway a week after Ted's revelation Andromeda stopped abruptly at the sight of a couple snogging in front of her by the library. What was with the fates, sending these undisciplined people to interrupt her peaceful meditative walks? Were they trying to make her head explode like a dropped pumpkin?

Giving some thought to telling the two of them off for such a public display of affection Andromeda's annoyance and ire was distracted by the fact that she recognized the couple from that day when she'd gone to visit her idiot student in the medical wing. Not that she didn't know who both of them were, their families were as old as hers. Neither of their families was as wealthy or as prestigious, but the Prewetts and the Weasleys were well respected.

And if the way they were snogging was anything to go by, there would be lots of little Weasleys running around the school in twenty years time.

Somewhat amused by the idea Andromeda considered the two people currently busy sucking on each other's faces. Molly Prewett was not a beautiful woman. She was, at best, pretty, but with a figure that indicated her curves were likely to only grow with time. Similarly Arthur Weasley wasn't much of a prize either in her opinion. He was very tall, almost as painfully thin as Ted, and had bright red hair that looked ready to recede already. But the two had been together since their forth year and she could definitely see them being together forever.

Unless of course they both got themselves killed fighting for the Muggle cause once they graduated, Andromeda mentally amended. Their families' political leanings had always been clear. Arthur Weasley wouldn't be much of a challenge in a duel, but the Prewett girl was pretty tough thanks to her older brothers' teachings. Crossing her would be hazardous for the average witch or wizard.

Andromeda was so deep in thought about who she knew in her house who could or couldn't beat Molly Prewett that she didn't even notice the girl in question sending her boyfriend on his way so that she could confront the Slytherin who'd totally ruined her planned alone time with her man.

"What's your problem?"

Snapping out of her thoughts at the bitchy attitude being aimed her way Andromeda looked down and met the gaze of the freckled, hands on her hips Gryffindor. "Pardon?" She responded with so much ice in her voice it was a wonder the hallway weren't encased with it.

"I asked what your problem was. You were totally staring before and you freaked Arthur out. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get him to go past second base without him blushing as red as his hair?"

"His face can go as bright as his hair?"

Molly's eyes narrowed threateningly, her stance combative. "Are you going to tell me why you were staring or not? I mean seriously, it can't be the first time you've seen two people snogging before."

"That's true enough. People seem to be doing it with alarming regularity recently." Tilting her head to the side Andromeda gave the other girl a considering look as an idea occurring to her. They weren't friends, not remotely, but she did know enough about the girl's reputation to know that she was dealing with someone who was a tell it like it is sort. She was someone who definitely wouldn't be the least bit embarrassed to discuss something like snogging either. And as much as she hated the fact Andromeda did now that she needed to talk to someone outside her house if she was going to get anywhere. She didn't know any of the other female students at Hogwarts better than she knew the one before her and she really could care less what the Gryffindor thought of her. A definitely plus in this case, especially if she was careful with her phrasing, the Slytherin thought to herself. "May I ask you a question?" She began, doing her best to keep her tone pleasant and unthreatening. The threatening would come later if need be.

"Is it going to make me want to curse you?" Molly shot back, curious despite herself. It wasn't like the princess to admit she didn't know something after all.

Andromeda considered that for a moment. "I don't think so."

Molly slid her hand into her robe pocket just in case, deciding to hear the other woman out before she answered with words or wand. "Okay…what's the question?"

"You like snogging him, your boyfriend. Why?" Seeing the fiery flames that leapt into the woman's eyes Andromeda quickly realized that she should have been more specific. "I don't mean that as an insult to him, though I admittedly don't see his appeal. I meant in general. Why do you like snogging?"

"Why should I answer you now?" Nobody said bad things about her man but her.

"Because I asked you to and you have nothing to lose my doing so."

"If you weren't a Slytherin I'd find this all very, very weird." Shaking her head Molly weighed her options and the possible consequences, finally deciding there wasn't any harm in answering. Besides, then the Slytherin princess would owe her a question in return which could be somewhat interesting.

"I like snogging because it feels good. You just wouldn't know that because all the guys who snog you are Slytherins. Not to mention I've seen the way Dolohovs snog their women. They look like they're trying to swallow their unfortunate victims whole. I bet you've never been properly snogged in your life." And here she'd never thought she'd have a reason to feel sorry for a Black, Molly thought as her lips twitched.

That was a pretty fair description of her hopefully ex suitor's snogging technique. Andromeda disliked the dig against her house though. It was one thing for her to think it, and an entirely other thing for a Gryffindor to suggest it.

Picking up on the other woman's annoyance Molly figured she should get in her one question before Andromeda caused her to lose her temper. "Since I answered your question I've got one of my own. Are you planning to help the rest of your family kill my friends?"

Andromeda blinked. Well that was direct. "I have no intention of randomly going out and killing Muggleborns if that's what you mean. I think the Dark Lord is as fraudulent and dangerous as you probably do."

Molly's surprise was written all over her face.

"And that's all either of us has to say to each other." Giving Molly her back Andromeda walked off, pausing when the other woman called out her name. Not bothering to turn around Andromeda decided to hear her out. "Yes?"

"Try not to become too evil, okay? Ted really likes you for some reason."

Surprised, Andromeda didn't know quite what the think about the last part of her request. So she kept her response short and sweet. "I'll keep that in mind."

)

That evening Ted entered the Potions lab, silently hoping he was ready for another grueling Potions lesson. Closing the door behind him the Hufflepuff hurried over to set his bag on top of the desk near the caldron Andromeda was standing by. Knowing better than to attempt chit chat Ted withdrew his Potions' textbook and held it out to her without a word.

Taking the book from him Andromeda studied it and then set it back down on the desk beside the Hufflepuff's satchel. Seeing the confusion in the boy's face Andromeda forced herself to not reveal anything in her voice as she spoke her well rehearsed speech. "You owe me for the shirt."

"Okay…" Confusion growing Ted stared at her blankly. "You want me to pay you for it?"

"Please. I probably have more money lying around my bedroom than you have in your whole bank vault."

"Actually, I have a bank account, not a vault. Though I guess it sort of is kept in a vault, but not the way your money is." And she probably couldn't care less, Ted thought to himself, trying to focus. "And sorry, you were saying I owed you. If you don't want money…what do you want from me? What could I possibly have that you could want?"

"I don't want to…but it's going to drive me batty otherwise." Rubbing at her temples in a rare show of tension it was obvious that Andromeda was being stressed out.

Concerned, Ted would have given her a hug if they were friends. But they weren't friends and she'd made it quite clear she wasn't remotely interested in becoming so. So instead he quietly waited for her to explain what she wanted from him. He wished he could tell her that whatever she wanted from him it was hers, but he wasn't quite that stupid. There were far too many things she could ask for that would be beyond him.

Forcing her composure back into place Andromeda's eyes were piercing as she stared into Ted's startled weary eyes. "You told me before, last week, that snogging was a wonderful thing. Everyone from the houses other than mine seem to think so too. I want to know if it's intrinsic to my house or the men who've snogged me are just terrible at it."

Ted blinked, plainly confused. "Okay…how can I help?" She couldn't be asking him to snog a male Slytherin, could she? Because that was just not something he was willing to do. Maybe she wanted him to get one of his female friends to snog a Slytherin? That was only a little less hard to imagine but just as impossible. Well unless Andromeda could guarantee the poor girl's safety and be willing to pay her. A lot.

"You said you weren't a bad snogger. Prove it."

"Uhm…how?"

He couldn't be that thick, could he? Considering what she'd learned about him since their first meeting, yes, yes he could be.

Sighing Andromeda walked up so that they were practically nose to nose, the boy's eyes going as big as tea saucers as he froze like someone had used a body binding curse on him. Reaching out Andromeda flicked him with her fingers between his eyes, somewhat relieved when he blinked. That was somewhat reassuring.

"Andromeda…?"

Crossing her arms in front of her Andromeda glared at him. "I don't think it's asking too much of you to give me one little kiss." And now her eyes darkened even more. "Understanding of course that I will kill you if you even think about bragging about this to anyone later on. And they will NEVER find your body. Ever. I guarantee it. And just one, got it? And you have to stop as soon as I tell you to." She was not being snogged by him longer than she had to be.

She'd lost him at the kiss request. Ted didn't even hear the death threats.

Annoyed with him Andromeda was quickly losing her patience with him. "If I just snog you I won't know if my theory is right or not. So will or won't you? We don't have all night, you know."

"You're..sure…really? You really want me to kiss you?" Ted thought about pinching himself, but not even his vivid imagination could conjure up something like this. For one thing, if he was dreaming she wouldn't look so annoyed with him. And besides, if this was a dream he sure as hell didn't want to wake up.

"It's not that I want to kiss you." Cheeks flushing with color it took all of Andromeda's composure not to fidget like a little girl. "I just don't have any male acquaintances in any of the other houses that I would trust to be…discreet about this. Don't flatter yourself into thinking I would want a Muggleborn of all people to snog me."

Wow. He'd never flattered himself enough to think she would ever want to kiss him. But she trusted him, Ted thought with a small smile. She trusted him enough to believe he wouldn't tell anyone about her request. That was almost as nice as the fact that she'd picked him. Maybe he was the only man from another house that she was on speaking terms, but there were purebloods in the other houses too. He was still a Muggleborn after all. But she'd chosen him anyway. Double wow.

"Well?"

Getting the fact that it was now or never Ted gulped hard, his forehead breaking out in a sweat as he forced himself to lift his shaking hands to frame her face. Well, Ted, this is going to be your one and only chance to snog the girl of your dreams, he told himself sternly as he leaned in. Don't screw up.

Lightly brushing his lips against hers Ted carefully settled his mouth against the softness of her, keeping the contact sweet and gentle as he sampled what he'd always thought of as the most forbidden of fruits. Sweet, so sweet, Ted thought as his lips moved against hers, keeping his touch light so that if she wanted to get away she could. He prayed she'd never want to though, because she tasted better than Coke, chocolate and cherry pie. Better than anything he could have ever imagined.

Andromeda had never been touched or snogged by a man this way. His touch and lips were so gentle, so soft and kind that they left her breathless and shaky. He was like a hummingbird, she thought in some dim corner of her mind, tasting her mouth with such beautiful, bewitching care. She wanted it to go on forever and ever.

But she was still a Black, and he was still a Muggleborn, and when he pulled back to give them both some air Andromeda automatically took a couple steps back while her body loudly protested. Head clearing slowly but surely Andromeda wrapped her arms almost protectively around her waist.

"Thank you for giving me my request." She finally said stiffly.

It took Ted a good minute or so to answer. "My pleasure."

Making a concrete effort not to blush again Andromeda looked over at the textbook she'd set down on the desk. She knew she should begin the lesson, and act like nothing had just happened, but she wasn't quite that in control just yet.

Well she had her answer now, Andromeda thought with dark humor. It was just Slytherins who sucked at snogging. They sucked big time in comparison. The men anyway. But what about the women?

Eyes automatically moving towards Ted's direction Andromeda wasn't sure what to think. He didn't look angry or smug, that being the way men usually acted and looked after snogging her. The difference in reactions was probably a good sign all things considering. But that didn't mean he'd necessarily enjoyed being snogged by her and she had too much pride to ask.

Lost in his blissful state of being it took Ted a while to clue in to the fact that they were both just standing around like idiots. And while that wasn't exactly unusual for him it was for her.

"Is something wrong, Andromeda?" Maybe he'd offended her, or she hadn't liked it, Ted thought frantically, his facing losing all its color. What if she didn't want to tutor him anymore now? What if she didn't want to even talk to him? Those thoughts alone were enough to have him close to ringing his hands in a panic.

Pride had Andromeda's shoulders straightening as she stood up to her full height. "Nothing is wrong."

Ted's face brightened a little. "So my snogging wasn't horrible?"

Andromeda was so surprised that she blurted out the truth without thinking it through. "Of course it wasn't horrible. It was wonderful."

Then realizing what she had said Andromeda's cheeks went as red as Arthur Weasley's hair.

Oh Dash It All!