Ted hated the common room. He used to not mind it, but ever since he'd become a sort-of Hogwarts celebrity, staying in the common room meant enduring the stares and whispers of his housemates. At least most of them knew not to ask his questions anymore, and his responses were less than amicable.
However, as winter approached and the drafty castle became almost unbearably cold, Lorie refused to hang out anywhere else. He missed the time with his friends too much to skip out on them now.
"You don't have plans with Andromeda today?" Olivia asked, sensing his mood.
Ted shrugged. "She's working on the Transfiguration project." That was true, except she'd been working on it the past three nights, and Ted knew she was too smart to need that long to finish it. He feared if he called her out on it though, it would only make things worse. Andromeda loved to spend their meal breaks together, and she'd often stroll with him the hallways, but any time they could be alone, she'd make some excuse to avoid the situation.
"At least you have Hogsmeade coming up," Lorie said, then she suddenly brightened. "Oh! We could do that double date we were talking about!"
"What do you think, Ted?" Jake asked. "Would you and Andromeda like to endure our presence this weekend?"
Ted shrugged again. "Sounds good to me."
Jake and Lorie missed the note in his voice, but Liv didn't. She frowned slightly, staring at Ted, before she said, " Merlin's beard, I just realized I left my favorite quill in the Great Hall." She stood up. "Ted, mind accompanying me while I retrieve it?"
Ted merely raised an eyebrow at her. Olivia wasn't the kind of person that required constant companionship. She was perfectly capable of retrieving the quill by herself. When she gave him a pointed look, he reluctantly pulled himself off the sofa and followed her.
The moment he was gone, Lorie and Jake clambered into the coveted sofa space he'd left behind, and he sighed. Whatever Liv wanted from him better be worth it, because he wasn't getting his spot back.
Once they were far enough way from the common room that no one could hear them, she turned and asked, "What's going on with you and Andromeda?"
"Nothing," Ted said quickly, "We're great."
Her pointed look became more pronounced as she said, "Ted." That was all she said, his name, but it was packed with enough understand, enough history, to break down his defenses.
"You remember what I told you," he said quietly, "about what happened to her the night before… before her wedding?" He could have saved before his birthday, but he'd rather not remember his birthday that way. Like Andromeda he had a hard time saying the word out loud, but luckily Liv understood. She nodded, her eyes darkening. "Well," Ted continued, "It's still impacting her. I want to help, but I have no idea what I'm doing."
Saying all of this out loud was like breathing again after being underwater, but it also brought the reality of their situation crashing down around him.
Liv was silent for a moment before she asked, "Does this impact come when you two are . . . you know . . ."
Ted nodded. Under different circumstances talking about his sex life with his ex-girlfriend would have been uncomfortable, but Ted was so desperate for help he didn't care.
"You can't push her, Ted," Liv said.
"I know," Ted said harshly, then softened his voice, "Believe me, I know. But now she's got it in her head that if we don't . . . then I'm going to get bored and leave her."
"And you did nothing to give her that impression?" Liv asked.
Ted glanced at her sharply. "You think I could?" His voice was half-defiant, and half an actual question.
Once again Liv let silence spread between them before she said, "I think this is all new and overwhelming to her, and combine that with what she's been through—and what Rita is putting her through—it makes this whole thing more terrifying for her than it has any right to be."
"I keep telling her it doesn't matter," Ted said, "but nothing I say gets through to her, and I'm afraid . .. ." he glanced away so Liv wouldn't see the fear in his eyes, but nothing could hide the fear in his voice. "I'm afraid she's going to leave me before I have the chance to leave her."
Liv sighed, then she slowly crossed over and placed a hand on his arm. "Do you love her, Ted?"
"More than anything," he said fervently.
"Then keep fighting for her," Liv forced his gaze back to her, "if you give up now you'll only prove to her she was right."
Ted started at her. Like always, Liv knew how to cut right to the point and say exactly what needed to be said, and yet he still felt lost. "But what do I do?"
"Start with this weekend," Liv said, "Go with Jake and Lorie, and make is as special and magical as you can. Remind her why she fell in love with you in the first place," she flashed him a teasing smile, "because I guarantee it wasn't your make-out skills."
Despite the heaviness of their conversation, Ted laughed. When he turned back to his best friend, his eyes carried a new light. "You're a good friend, Liv."
He expected one of her sassy remarks, but her eyes carried a similar light as she said quietly, "I learned from the best."