Ted and Andromeda didn't get a moment alone for the rest of the evening. His mum made sure of that. He was pretty sure she saw it as some form of punishment for keeping things from her. Ted would admit he'd botched this whole situation, but how did she expect him to fix it if she didn't give them a moment alone to discuss everything they'd brought up tonight?
Maybe that was the point. She didn't want them to fix it.
Bedding arrangements were discussed. Ted was on the couch, as his Mum didn't want him alone with either his girlfriend or his ex-girlfriend. He hadn't thought this when his Mum first invited Liv, but he starting to think his mother was trying get him and Liv back together, since she obviously liked her more than Andromeda. He didn't know what his Mum was thinking, as he and Liv had only dated for a few months the beginning of his fifth year before realizing the spark just wasn't there. He doubted pointing that out would help anything, however.
Andromeda and Liv had a disagreement about who got the bed. Olivia immediately volunteered for the floor, while Andromeda insisted she should sleep on the floor. Maybe she thought that would somehow win her points in his mum's and Liv's eyes. She'd done the dishes too, and then deep-cleaned the kitchen in all of about five minutes, but that had only earned her a half-hearted thank you.
"Are you sure can handle it, princess?" Liv said scathingly.
"The floor is actually quite comfortable," Andromeda said. She met his gaze and he winked, which made her smile. Liv watched this interaction, eyebrow raised, before giving in. Ted and Meda needed more than just a shared inside joke though. Which was why, in the brief moment when his mum was in the bathroom and Liv's back was turned he scribbled a quick note on a parchment and shoved it into Andromeda's palm.
She raised an eyebrow, but made no sound, especially since Liv used that moment to turn around.
It was sometime before midnight that Ted made his way outside. His note had been simple. Barn. 12:00 am. Andromeda wasn't there when he got there. He smiled as he remembered the last, and only time, that had happened. That had been the night they'd been discovered by Remus and Lily, of all people. It was so crazy to think how much had happened since then, to all of them.
The minutes ticked by, and Andromeda still hadn't arrived. Ted was just starting to get concerned when she suddenly appeared, breathless, in the barn door entrance.
"Sorry," she said between gasps. "I had to make sure she was asleep."
Ted chuckled. "You know she's out when she starts snoring."
Andromeda cocked her head, confused why he would no that. He'd never told her Olivia was his Ex. That was probably something he should bring up, just not tonight. They'd had enough for one night.
"This is some kind of déjà vu, isn't it?" he said. She smiled, and moved closer to him. This part was familiar too, slowly moving closer to each other, unsure of how to close the distance but knowing they wanted too, desperately.
She placed her hands on his chest, sighing, and said, "I'm sorry."
"No." he took her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I never should have let it come to that."
"They're right, you know." She looked close to tears. "Everything they said, it—"
"Don't," Ted said quietly, "Please. I can't talk about this right now."
"But we have too," she countered. "We've only got one more night, and then—"
"Exactly," he interrupted. "We've only got one more night. And then we'll be back. With all those people who hate us. Or think we're insane. Or want to rip us apart." He moved closer to her, wanting desperately for her to understand. "But we've got one more night where we don't have to think about my family, or your family, or these dark times we're living in." He pulled her gently next to him, so his face was barely an inch from hers. "This is our last chance to be just us. So please, let's take it."
She stared at him. He thought about everything Liv had said. About how he didn't think. He knew she was right, and he knew half the things that had happened last year were a result of that. They'd survived, barely, and he knew it was only a matter of time before their luck ran out.
But he couldn't think about that right now. He just wanted to be with Andromeda.
She nodded, and his whole body seemed to fill with warmth. He almost kissed her right then and there, but he'd been planning this moment all night, and he wanted it to be special.
"I want to show you something," he said. He led her outside, to the far side of the bar. There were several slightly crumpled stacks of hay next to it. Ted jumped up onto one of the more stable patches, and then pulled her up alongside him. As they settled down, he threw his arm around her shoulder, while she threw hers around his waist. Their other hands found each other on top of their legs. For a moment they just sat there, enjoying the moment with just two of them. Ted was practically mesmerized by the sound of Andromeda's breathing, and her warm body next to his.
"I used to come out here all the time," he said. "When I wanted to stay up past my bedtime, when I wanted to think, when my parents were fighting," She shifted a little when he mentioned that bit, but didn't interrupt. "I came out here the night I found out I was a Wizard too. I remember staring at the stars and realizing my life finally made sense. I'd always felt the magic in me, I just didn't know what it was. And being out here, everything just felt… right." Kind of like it did now, he thought, but for some reason didn't say.
Andromeda let his words roll over her, thinking. He knew better than to rush her, so he waited. Finally, she said, "I used to do the same. Whenever my parents became too much, or my sisters drove me crazy, or I just needed a moment to myself, I would sneak out into the courtyard." She sighed. "It was nothing like this though. Everywhere looked I still saw reminders of my family. I was still under their watch. Caged in. Not like this. Everything feels so open."
"Maybe's that just you," he said quietly, turning to look at her. "You're not in their cage anymore." She turned to look at him, and neither of them looked away. Once again, he was overcome with how breathtakingly beautiful she was. He hoped he never got used to do that.
She leaned into him, closing her eyes, while he did the same. The moment their lips touched, warmth spread through his whole body again. He couldn't believe he'd gone a month without kissing her. They had so much time to catch up on, and this time, there would be no interruptions.
He ran a hand down her back, and her body arched into him. A low growl played in the back of his throat as he leaned into her. She started to fall underneath him, and he did his best to be as gentle as possible as he slowly moved on top of her. He still didn't have the specifics of went down between her and Rodolphus, but he was going to guess being gentle hadn't been high on Rodolphus' list of priorities. The last thing he wanted to do was trigger any past trauma, so he tried to be as unRodolphus-like as possible.
That got a little harder when her legs wrapped around him, and his hips were pressed firmly against hers, among other things. He couldn't help but moan a little at the feeling of her thighs around him, and the way her body trembled underneath him. He wanted her. It was a want that consumed every part of his body.
But he wouldn't do that to her. He wouldn't force or coerce or pressure her into something she wasn't ready for. Otherwise that moment wouldn't mean anything at all. Besides, just being with her was enough. And it would be enough for as long as she needed it to be.
In the meantime, he focused on trailing kisses around every part of her body, and enjoying the way she would moan or gasp underneath him. At some point his lips found their way to her ear, and he whispered. "I don't want to love you in secret, again."
She stiffened, then turned to him, confused. Sighing, he eased himself off of her, so they were lying next to each other instead. He could see how that comment would confuse her, since she hadn't heard the conversation between him and Liv.
After a moment, she said, "I don't either." She sighed again, "But that question your mother asked, about whether I could keep you safe." Her voice broke. "You know the answer is no Ted, and no you know it's not the just talk. They're never going to leave us alone."
"I know," he whispered, "But I don't care. I'll let them break every bone in my body if it means I get to be with you." He felt a tremor at his own words, because he meant them, which was as terrifying as it was electrifying.
The tears that had been pooling into her eyes, spilled out onto her cheeks. He wished he could take them away, but he knew he couldn't. They'd never talked about what her sister did to him. The torture. They hadn't had a chance too. He still had nightmares about it, of course, but when he was with Andromeda it was easier to push all of that out his mind.
Which was why he simply chose to gently wipe her tears away, never taking his eyes off hers.
"I love you, Ted Tonks," she said. His heart pumped manically. He hoped he never got used to hearing her say that, either.