Chapter 6 ~ Here Comes the Sun
June 1970
"Well," Andromeda said, stopping abruptly underneath a large candelabra in front of the Prefect's Lounge. "I guess our patrol is done for the night."
Ted sighed frustratedly, shoving his hands in his pockets. He and Andromeda had been assigned their final patrol of the term, and after a very curt greeting, the two of them had embarked on their quest. The entire patrol had been incredibly awkward; neither of them seemed to know how to act around each other anymore. Andromeda moved through the corridors at a breakneck pace while her eyes were glued to the floor, falling up staircases as she ascended them and on six separate occasions, bumping into suits of armor in the corridors. Ted himself had been beyond anxious about his self-imposed task to tell Andromeda about his soul mark and that he fancied her. He found that he'd suddenly come down with an acute case of aphasia, although Andromeda's insistence at checking the towers as fast as possible left very little time for conversation anyway. As a result, they completed their patrol in record time, finishing their duties in just under an hour and a half as opposed to the three hours it normally took.
Leaning against the door to the lounge, Ted let out another exhale. He glanced at Andromeda, anxiously rolling on the balls of his feet. For the first time that night, she looked at Ted directly, her soft eyes locking onto his before journeying downward. Ted felt a flutter in his stomach; the way Andromeda's wavy brown hair framed her face made her look extremely kissable, and her skin shone in the bright candlelight, taunting him to touch her. She was beautiful and alluring, and although Ted wanted to run over to her and snog her senseless, he discovered that his feet had decided to join his mouth in not working properly and were unexpectedly glued to the floor.
Andromeda's gaze lingered on the lower part of his face before she returned to staring at her feet. "Goodnight, Ted," she mumbled, wringing her wrists. She turned away and began walking down the corridor.
It's now or never, Ted thought to himself. O.W.L.s begin in two days, meaning that this is my last chance to talk to her alone. If I can't manage to tell her everything right now, I don't think I'm ever going to.
"Wait," Ted said, with much more conviction and ease than he anticipated. Andromeda turned back toward him, a curious expression on her face. Fighting his feet's urge to remain rooted to the spot, Ted strode over to her.
"Come with me for a minute," he said, taking her hand in his. He relished the fireworks of passion that seemed to explode in his fingertips just by touching her, their echoes radiating up his arm and causing it to tingle. Andromeda's hand was small and soft, and Ted thought that being forced to hold it forever wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
"But Ted-" she started.
"I need to show you something," Ted interrupted. He gave Andromeda's hand a comforting squeeze and led her down the corridor to the Prefect Bathroom, ignoring her flurry of protests.
Once inside, Ted locked the door behind them. They weren't in the bathroom proper, but the dimly lit changing area. Wooden bureaus for storing clothes and towels lined the walls surrounding them, and several long benches filled the center of the room.
Reluctantly, Ted let go of Andromeda's hand and sat down on the nearest bench.
"What are we doing here, Ted?" Andromeda asked, frowning. "We need to get back-"
"Please, I just need you to listen to me for a minute," he begged. "It won't take very long, okay?"
Andromeda looked at him, her eyes full of an inexplicable emotion that seemed to waver between concern and sadness. Once again, Ted had to fight the urge to close the distance between them and take her into his arms to comfort her.
"Okay," she agreed. Her legs began to wobble slightly, and she walked over to one of the bureaus and leaned against it for support.
Ted had his entire speech to her memorized. He intended to explain that she deserved to know the truth about his soul mark and feelings, as well as promising to help her achieve her goals, no matter what they were. His feelings and kindness were not contingent on her reciprocating anything, and regardless of what her own soul mark depicted, he would be there for her. However, since Ted suspected that the instant he mentioned soul marks Andromeda would immediately unlock the door and bolt out of the room, he decided it would be best to show her his own mark to her before saying anything else.
Hands shaking, he tossed his school robes on the bench and unbuttoned his shirt, standing so that he could more easily see the individual buttons in the shadowy light. Ted looked over at Andromeda, surprised that she wasn't protesting him stripping in front of her. She seemed to be too shocked to say anything, her brown eyes wide and mouth agape. Turning around, Ted lowered his shirt just enough so that she would be able to see the pine and gardenia motif etched on his shoulder.
For several long moments, all was quiet.
Finally gathering the courage to begin his speech, Ted opened his mouth. Before he could say anything though, a discordant wail pierced the silence. He spun around, finding that Andromeda had collapsed to the floor and was sobbing uncontrollably.
"W-What…?" Ted mumbled, hastily rebuttoning his shirt the best he could while running over to her. Why was Andromeda crying? Was his soul mark that terrible? He knew that Andromeda wasn't likely to take his planned monologue well, but he hadn't expected the mere sight of his soul mark to make her cry! Ted felt like a failure for making the girl he fancied upset, and he wasn't sure how to go about fixing whatever he'd broken within her.
Maybe she hates you, said a small voice in his head. After all, you're kind of doing the same thing that Rosier did to Alex…
Ted ignored the voice, pushing both it and the worry that Andromeda hated him out of his mind. He'd cross that bridge if and when he came to it.
He sank down next to Andromeda and fished a worn handkerchief out of the front pocket of his trousers. "Hey," he said gently, handing it to her. "I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean to. Are you okay, Andromeda?"
"I-I don't know!" she sniffed, taking the handkerchief and wiping her eyes. "B-But your soul mark… it looks exactly like mine, Ted!"
Andromeda's words hit him like a ton of bricks. Ted felt a euphoric bliss creep into his chest that slowly replaced his anxiety. He had found his soulmate! He could feel himself smiling, and as he opened his mouth to resume his speech, he found that he no longer remembered any of what he had planned to say.
Wordlessly, Andromeda cast a Cleaning Charm on Ted's handkerchief and handed it back to him. She rose from her spot on the floor and began unbuttoning her ivory blouse, revealing a light blue camisole underneath. Before Ted could ask what she was doing, she turned around, lowering her robes and blouse so that her shoulders were exposed.
Ted gasped. Between the strands of her ash brown hair and the straps of her camisole, he spied elements of the very familiar pine and gardenia mark on her left shoulder. Heart beating rapidly, he scrambled to his feet and approached her, shoving the clean handkerchief back in his pocket.
She didn't move away. Gingerly, he pushed Andromeda's hair off her shoulder, reveling in how silky and fine it felt between his fingers. Ted wanted to spin her around and kiss her but managed to keep his desire to at bay. Being this close to her was exhilarating, and he decided that regardless of what could happen in the future, he wanted to continue to bask in Andromeda's exultant and luminous presence long after tonight.
He felt a strange flutter in his stomach as he pushed aside the thin strap of Andromeda's camisole- the final object obscuring the image on her back. Once her soul mark was fully visible, Ted couldn't help but trace its outline. It truly was identical; the direction of the petals of the flower and the small details of the sprigs of pine matched the image on Ted's back exactly. Underneath his fingers, Andromeda's skin was far softer than Ted could ever have imagined, and he had to force himself to withdraw his hand.
"They're even in the same place," Andromeda lamented, her voice shaking.
Ted recalled his conversation with Gideon and Alex about soul mark placement, which seemed to have taken place a lifetime ago. "It's pretty rare for that to happen, right?" he remarked.
Andromeda pulled her robes and blouse back onto her shoulders and turned around. "Yes," she whispered as she rebuttoned her blouse. "Extremely rare."
She walked over to one of the benches and sat down in front of it, leaning against its wooden planks. "I've been so afraid since I got this mark, Ted," she sighed. "I haven't known what to do- what I should do. I knew immediately that you were my soulmate, but I also knew that given my own situation and family's prejudices, I couldn't say anything about that to anyone, at least, not if I wanted to eventually be free from them. And I didn't want you to get hurt either."
Andromeda wrapped her arms around herself before continuing. "But everything's gotten so much more complicated since then," she tearfully said. "I've started to fall in love with you, Ted. I don't know if it's because of this stupid soul mark, but for the past few weeks, I've been scared that you'd reject me if you knew the truth. Or worse, felt the same way."
Ted joined her on the floor, somehow even happier than he had been before. It seemed that all of his fears had been for naught; they were soulmates, and even though Andromeda was reticent about the entire situation, Ted knew that with enough luck and planning, they could be together. All he had to do was convince Andromeda to give into her feelings and for once in her life, do something that she wanted.
He took her hand in his. "Why would that be worse?" he asked. "I'd think it would be the opposite. I would never reject you, Andromeda. I also care-"
"We could never work!" she cried, pulling her hand away. "My family hates people like you, Ted! If they learned that we had matching soul marks or that I have feelings for you, they'll immediately betroth me to someone else. You know this! And keeping a potential relationship a secret is out of the question! What if Bellatrix found out? She and her new friends would probably kill you! So no, Ted, fancying you has been a nightmare while awake, and when I'm asleep, I'm plagued by dreams of you holding and kissing me!"
Impulsively- and because in the moment it seemed to be the right thing to do- Ted pulled her on top of him and wiped the tears from her pale cheeks. The delicious smell of her gardenia perfume was inviting, enticing him to hold Andromeda even closer.
"It doesn't have to be a dream," he said quietly.
He wasn't sure which one of them leaned in first- perhaps they both moved at the same time- but all of a sudden, Ted's lips were on hers, savoring their sweetness and wanting even more. It was a messy and uncoordinated kiss, full of desperation and passion as they came at each other again and again. He tried to touch her everywhere- her face, her hair, the soft skin peeking out from the top of her hastily buttoned blouse- a fiery explosion of ardor erupting each time his hands came into contact with her body.
Ted kept a firm hold on Andromeda's waist, pinning her to him. However, she didn't seem interested in escaping. She had finally given into her emotions, or maybe she'd lost control of them entirely, softly moaning as she ran her hands through Ted's hair. She was still crying, and her hot tears landed on Ted's face and lap as their tongues hungrily sought each other out, each of them barely stopping in between kisses to breathe.
Ted's heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. He let out a quiet and satisfied groan as he shifted Andromeda against him, gradually slowing his kisses. Being with her like this felt good and right, as if it was meant to be. And, given the matching marks on their backs, Ted could only assume that it was meant to be. But now that he'd experienced what being with her could be like, he absolutely wasn't going to give it up. Feelings of ardency and bliss flowed through him; Andromeda was addicting, her touches and caresses sating urges and impulses he hadn't even been aware of.
He pulled away from her, stroking her face as he stared into her beautiful brown eyes, which were simultaneously both foggy and alight.
"I fancy you too, Andromeda," he gently murmured, shifting against the wooden planks of the bench behind him. "And I want to help get you away from your family. You deserve to make your own choices, both about your future and about how you want me in it."
Her lower lip trembled. "I want you, Ted," she replied. "But I just don't see how it will be possible, not without you getting hurt in the process. I'd rather you stay far away and be alive than get injured or killed for trying to be with me. It's better that way. You can go off and live your life doing what you want. I'll likely be stuck married to someone else, but I'll manage."
Ted refused to accept that answer. "I'm your soulmate, Andromeda," he said, taking her hand again. "I'm not going anywhere."
"But-"
"We have years before graduation," he continued. "That's plenty of time for the Ministry to catch your sister and the others rampaging across Britain. And it's probably enough time for us to plan your escape- together. Yeah, we'll have to keep our relationship and everything else a secret, but it'll all work out in the end."
Andromeda gazed downward, grasping the front of Ted's robes. "But what if it doesn't, Ted?" she asked. "What if you change your mind partway through because it's all too hard or your feelings change or we find out that Bella-"
"None of that is going to happen," he interrupted, tilting her pretty face upward so he could look at it once more. "Well, okay, so I don't know what's going to happen with your sister, or if the Ministry will stop her friends from hurting more people. But I know that I won't change my mind about you."
"How can you say that for certain?" she asked shakily. "How can you possibly know how you'll feel in two years' time?"
"It's simple, Andie," he grinned, lightly kissing her nose. "After all, the universe has marked us for love!"
Andromeda had no rebuttal to that, and instead, she relaxed against Ted and kissed him again.
We sat on the floor of the prefect bathroom until almost midnight, wanting to remain in each other's arms for as long as possible.
I was so happy that I felt like I was going to melt into a little puddle of contentment. Ted was incredibly gentle, and though most of my worries about the future remained, my anxiety about everything else dissipated the second he kissed me. Yes, it would take a lot of work and secrecy to ensure that we could be together, but as Ted had pointed out, we had plenty of time to thoroughly plan everything. I felt safe with him, and after experiencing what it was like to kiss and hold him beyond the confines of my dreams, I didn't want to give up those feelings of warmth and passion. Not to mention, we were soulmates; if I chose to ignore that, I knew that I would eventually become just as bitter as Mother, always regretting what might have been.
Snuggling into the very comfortable crook of Ted's arm, I thought about what I truly wanted for the future. Yes, I wanted to have control over my life, but the more I questioned my desire for independence, the more I realized that my motives were far more complicated than simply wanting the ability to make my own choices. I wanted to be independent, but I also wanted to be accepted by the people I cared about. My parents and sisters had repeatedly made it clear that their love for me was conditional; liking the wrong people or having inappropriate hobbies was grounds for condemnation. However, I had a small circle of people who seemed to like me just as I was, never asking me to change: Ruth, Laura, and most importantly, Ted.
And living a life beside someone who wanted me to be myself seemed just as important as gaining self-autonomy.
I turned to face Ted, who smiled at me. Reaching up, I stroked his cheek. A tingling sensation filled my stomach as my hands moved up and down, continuing to caress his face until I was no longer satisfied with only touching him. Pulling him closer, I kissed him as tenderly as I could, pouring all of my unsaid words and lingering feelings into action, finally allowing the emotions of passion I had repressed for months to fill my soul and letting my instincts take control of me. Ted wrapped his arms around my waist and met me with equal tenderness as he trailed kisses down my neck, the light touch of his lips like butterflies as they brushed against my skin. The sensation was unlike anything I had ever experienced, so pleasurable that I couldn't help but softly cry out.
Ted rested his head against my shoulder and laughed. Blushing and embarrassed, I snaked my hand under his robes and shirt and began rubbing his muscled chest, causing him to let out a deep, guttural sigh. He tightened his embrace, and I let my hand wander further down his torso, thoroughly enjoying how Ted moaned and shuddered in response to things that I was doing. Just as my hand found the waistband of Ted's trousers, the small clock on the wall began to chime, signaling that it was midnight. I let out a sigh and withdrew my hand.
"We probably should head back before people realize we've taken longer than normal and come looking for us," I said, giving into the temptation to touch Ted again as I ran my hand through his silky golden hair.
"Probably," Ted lazily muttered, taking my hand from his hair and kissing it. "I don't really want to, though. Not when it means I have to say goodnight to my soulmate- who just so happens to be my beautiful girlfriend."
I blushed again and stared at my feet. However, I supposed he was correct; he was my boyfriend now, even if we couldn't be open about it.
"Yes, I'm your girlfriend," I agreed. "But there's no way that you actually think I'm beautiful. I'm too plain and my hair and eyes are the color of mud."
Ted placed a gentle hand on my chin and tilted it up so that I was looking directly into his eyes. "Of course I think you're beautiful," he said sincerely. "I've thought that for a long time now, you know."
I felt my face turn even redder as my insides melted into goo. His words made me so happy, and I couldn't believe that this delightful and wonderful person was destined to love me one day.
"Y-you're very good-looking too," I stammered, and Ted laughed again. "Still, it's a shame. We only have a few weeks left before summer to spend time together, and one of those is full of O.W.L.s. And then I won't see you for months."
Ted lightly kissed my forehead. "I'll write to you every day," he promised. "As long as you write back."
"I'd like that," I said. "Perhaps we can let Ruth and Prewett in on our secret. It might make it easier for us to orchestrate dates and meet-ups without anyone else knowing."
"Maybe Alex and Rosier should join us too," Ted joked.
"You know," I remarked, resting my hand against his cheek. "That's not a terrible idea. I think it's inevitable that they fall in love with each other too. Maybe if we all work together, getting disowned in a couple years won't be as difficult."
He kissed me lovingly, somehow even more tenderly than before. "You don't need to worry about that yet," he said. "Right now, it's time for other things."
"Such as?" I inquired curiously.
"Happiness," Ted replied. "And snogging. Lots of it. How about one more round before we call it a night?"
I laughed, warm and content, and somehow, certain that everything would work out in the end.
"That sounds like a fantastic idea," I agreed, leaning in to kiss him once again.
June 1972
I ascended the steps to board the Hogwarts Express for the final time, moving out of the way once I was aboard so Cissy could climb up too.
"I can't believe that you've really graduated," my sister sighed, nonverbally levitating her trunk behind her. "It's odd to think that I'll be here all by myself next year while you and Lucius are off in the real world."
"It's odd to me too," I said as we walked down the somewhat cramped corridor. Students were beginning to fill the compartments, but most were still loitering on the platform outside, talking with their friends, checking their trunks for their belongings, and making extremely last-minute trips back up to the castle for forgotten items.
Cissy pushed an errant blonde curl behind her ear. "Well, I want to snag a compartment before all the good ones are filled with mudbloods," she said. "Come with me?"
"I can't," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. After this conversation, I would likely never see my little sister ever again.
"Right, you have prefect duties like Lucius," she groaned. "I forgot. Do you want me to take your trunk while you wrap things up out on the platform and do your rounds?"
I shook my head and stepped out of the way of some third years running past us and off the train, presumably on their way back up to the castle to fetch some misplaced possessions of theirs. They sped by us with such force that the entire car trembled in their wake.
"No, I shrank my trunk and put it in my pocket," I said.
"You know, I'm kind of jealous, Andie," Cissy sighed. "Even though Mother says that spells like that are beneath us- and she is right about that since we have house-elves, after all- they're so useful. I wish that I were half as good at them as you."
I smiled at her. "If you keep practicing, I'm sure you'll refine your technique," I said. "You did pass your Charms O.W.L., so I know you can perform the spells just fine. What Mother doesn't know won't hurt her."
Unlike what I'm planning on doing, I thought to myself, shivering slightly as I pushed the thought from my mind.
Cissy sighed again, placing her right hand in front of her mouth. On her wrist, I caught sight of her soul mark, a beautiful narcissus and peacock feather motif. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't exactly identical to Lucius' mark- his peacock feather was pure white while hers was not- but it was close enough to his that as soon as she received it, Father and Abraxas Malfoy began drafting betrothal contracts for the two of them.
Soul marks… I thought. So much has changed since I received mine two years ago… And even more change is about to happen…
I pulled my sister into a hug, ignoring the other people clambering past us as they boarded the train. Cissy let out a small yelp, but I only tightened my embrace, knowing that it was the last time I'd ever physically be this close to her. Our relationship hadn't fully recovered from when I'd initially gotten my soul mark; she stopped being distant to me that summer, but I'd already started pulling further away from her by then. How could I not when she fancied someone who thought my soulmate was worth less than garbage?
"See you later," I muttered, swallowing to prevent myself from bursting into tears. Even if we had significant differences in our values, she was still my baby sister, and I was going to miss her terribly. She would never forgive me for what I was about to do, but perhaps one day she'd understand why I had done it. "Goodbye, Narcissa."
Cissy wriggled away from me. "You're so weird, Andie," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to try and find a compartment near the back of the train. See you in a little bit."
She spun on her heel and walked down the corridor, her trunk bounding behind her. I watched her as for long as I could, but very quickly, I lost sight of her. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward the front of the train to find Ruth.
Ruth was standing outside the mostly empty prefect cabin hand in hand with Gideon Prewett, who was whispering something in her ear. She laughed, causing her blonde hair to ripple behind her. I smiled; the two of them were very much in love, and although there had been no public announcements yet, I fully expected them to become engaged within the next few weeks. And once they did, hopefully I would be able to attend the wedding.
I cleared my throat, interrupting whatever quiet conversation they were having. Ruth and Gideon turned to face me, their bright grins softening somewhat.
"Is it time?" Ruth asked, a worried shadow crossing her face.
"Yes," I replied. "Will you cover for us?"
Ruth stepped toward me and gave me a quick hug. "Of course we will," she assured me, moving back to Gideon's side. "We know how long you've been planning this."
"Thank you," I said quietly, blinking away tears. "Thank you so much."
Gideon crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Be safe, okay, Andromeda?" he said. "Ruth and I will see you later. And if something goes wrong, try to let us know as soon as possible. We'll come and help if we can."
"Thank you," I repeated. A loud whistle suddenly cut through all the other noise on the train, signaling that it would be departing in ten minutes. I sighed. "I think that that's my cue to leave," I added.
"Yeah," Gideon nodded. "Good luck."
Ruth hugged me again. "See you soon," she beamed. "Goodbye!"
"Goodbye," I whispered. With a curt nod, I walked the slowly filling prefect cabin, leaving Gideon and Ruth to resume their public displays of affection for the audience of students meandering through the corridor.
Reaching the front car, I descended the steps back down to the platform. I Disillusioned myself, shuddering as my body was overcome by the sensation of being submerged in frigid pond water. Taking a deep breath, I began to walk along the platform, watching as the remaining students frantically attempted to close overflowing trunks with the help of their friends. Further down, I saw Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick helping a girl whose hair had somehow been transfigured into a flowering shrub. No doubt, she was the victim of someone's last minute prank. Needless to say, everyone on the platform was so preoccupied with their own activities that they weren't going to notice an almost-invisible person moving past them.
As I strolled down the platform, I thought about how my life had changed in the past few years. Even though I'd initially been afraid, discovering that Ted and I shared soul marks had opened up an entire new world of possibilities for me, changing the trajectory of my future.
We all ended up passing our O.W.L.s, and later our N.E.W.T.s. Ted and I spent the final few weeks of our fifth year studying, barely finding the time to meet in secret in between chaotic review sessions, classes, and sleeping. Once we were home for the summer though, as promised, Ted wrote to me every day. The rosy clouds of dawn rolling past my window became the highlight of my life, as that was when Ted's owl would appear. His messages were always full of joy and love, and he detailed the mundane activities of his Muggle summer in explicit detail for me, such as the many conversations he had with his family or some program he saw on his parents' television. I would respond in kind, telling him stories of the parties I was forced to attend and my opinions on the various books I was reading. Of course, I always ended my correspondence by letting him know how much I cared for him and how grateful I was that he was in my life.
Although it was difficult, Ted and I did manage to meet a few times that first summer together. Very quickly, we told Ruth and Gideon our secret, and once Laura informed us that she would in fact be forced to transfer to Beauxbatons, she and Alex were roped into our circle as well. Despite the risks of more people finding out that a muggleborn was my soulmate, having friends I could trust was exceedingly helpful. Laura, Ruth, and I could very publicly arrange to meet-up, only for us to scurry off and spend time with our respective soul mark pairs. Our parents remained none the wiser, and our scheming was successful for everyone involved. Ted and I became much closer and even more comfortable around each other, Ruth and Gideon were able to sneak off and be intimate without interruption, and Alex and Laura were able to become proper friends, their feelings for each other eventually blossoming into so much more.
Our final two years of Hogwarts went by so quickly that they were practically a blur. They were the best two years of my life, filled with stolen kisses in alcoves and intimate moments in abandoned classrooms. Of course, I made sure to do well in my classes, but the reality of my situation- a pureblood who wanted to leave her privileged life behind to be with her muggleborn soulmate- meant that Ted and I spent many sleepless nights figuring out how we were going to secure that future together.
The two of us had scrimped and saved whatever gold we could, Ted from various part time jobs he took during summers and me from whatever I could sneak from my Gringotts account without my family noticing. Somehow, we'd cobbled enough together to pay the first and last month's rent of a tiny flat in Hogsmeade down the street from J. Pippin's Potions, where I'd managed to secure a job over the Easter holiday. By contrast, Ted had been recruited to join the Pride of Portree's reserve Quidditch team, an opportunity that both of us were thrilled about. We were hoping that with his job being so far away in the Hebrides and mine in close proximity to Hogwarts, my family wouldn't be able to easily retaliate against us for my decision to defy their antiquated expectations.
I glanced behind me at the scarlet locomotive, which was now more than half a Quidditch pitch away. There were still a handful of students that hadn't boarded the train loitering around with the professors. Very slowly, I sauntered off the platform and into the grove that sat adjacent to this end of the station, making my way to a giant oak tree that stood vigil over this small section of the world, its size indicating that it had watched thousands upon thousands of students coming and going throughout its long life. This particular tree, however, meant something else to me right now. It was along the demarcation line of where Hogwarts' anti-Apparition wards ended, meaning that once I was behind the canopy of its branches, I would be free.
I stood behind the tree peering out at the Hogwarts Express, when suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder, accompanied by the comforting smell of pine.
"Hey," a familiar voice called out.
I spun around, catching sight of the undulating transparent edges of another Disillusioned figure.
"Ted," I replied softly, feeling the hints of a smile tug at the corners of my lips.
He pulled me to him in an icy embrace, the only warmth coming from our shallow and nervous breaths. We stood there together for several long moments, watching as the train let out a high, shrill whistle before slowly chugging out of Hogsmeade Station.
"I can't believe we're really doing this," I mumbled. "I feel like a Gryffindor."
Ted let out a small laugh. "Me too," he admitted. "But just think, Andie. In about an hour, you'll be completely free, with a new name, too!"
My heart started beating faster, although I didn't know whether it was because I was excited to finally become Andromeda Tonks or nervous that something would go wrong. Most likely, it was a bit of both.
Looking back out at the platform, I saw the remaining faculty members start to make their way to the castle, none of them aware that the Hogwarts Express had departed with three students fewer than at the start of the year. Once our former instructors were completely out of view, I lifted the Disillusionment Charms on Ted and me. Seeing his dazzling smile and radiant golden hair gleaming in the rays of sun that filtered through the tops of the trees, I became overwhelmed with emotion. This wonderful man was my soulmate, and by the end of the day, he would be my husband. I launched myself at him, hungrily kissing him and touching him wherever I could. Ted reciprocated in kind, and I knew that he was more than content to remain in the grove for a while longer while we explored each other further and-
"Ahem," another familiar voice uttered from behind. "Not to intrude, but we don't really have all that much time before our friends on the train sound the alarm. We have like three hours at most, if that."
"Alex," Ted greeted breathlessly, pulling away from me. "What took you so long?"
Alex was covered in dirt and leaves, and there were a few twigs stuck in his hair. "Sorry," he said. "I got spotted leaving the train before I could Disillusion myself, so I had to lie to Slughorn about forgetting something and double back to the castle. Then when I got off the train again, I stepped on a branch while entering the woods here, and I got so anxious that I accidentally broke the spell and became visible. I gave up on trying again and hid under a log until the train left."
"Scourgify," I muttered, removing the dirt and muck from my friend. "Well, at least you made it. We're just waiting on Laura now, aren't we?"
"Yeah, my parents have to work and can't come, so it's just going to be us four. Laura should be here soon though," Alex assured us, glancing at his watch. "Three minutes, to be exact."
Nervous, I reached into my pocket, my hand brushing against a folded envelope. In it was a log of all the misdeeds Bellatrix had both directly and indirectly admitted to me, and once we were finished filling out the paperwork to get married, Ted and I were planning on stopping at the Auror Office to drop it off. Unfortunately, my sister's involvement with her little terrorist group, now eponymously known as "Death Eaters," had only increased since I'd received my soul mark, and their crimes had grown even more violent. There was not an insignificant chance that they would one day come after Ted and me, given that I was about to throw my prior life and privilege away to be with someone they thought was worse than filth.
But I didn't care. As soon as I'd learned that Ted and I shared soul marks, there was no going back.
Gingerly, I withdrew a ring from my pocket. It was a simple and cheap trinket with a piece of cleverly cut glass masquerading as a diamond. Ted had given it to me months ago when he asked me to marry him, but opportunities to wear it were slim. I generally could only put it on when we were alone together, and the only time I'd worn it for an extended period was during Easter holiday, when I'd snuck away from home for a few hours to eat dinner with Ted's family.
I placed the ring on the fourth finger of my left hand and moved it up and down so I could watch the glass stone twinkle in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the leaves above us.
"In a month or two, we can exchange that for a better one," Ted said with a grimace. "I'll have enough gold to get you a real diamond, or whatever other stone you want."
"No," I replied, shaking my head. "I don't want to exchange it for another ring. It wouldn't have the same meaning or sentimentality behind it. And it's quite pretty, even though it's only glass."
"But-"
"You have the rest of our lives to buy me fine jewelry," I smiled, standing on my toes so I could kiss his cheek. "I want this ring, not another one."
Ted sighed. "Fine," he said. "But if you change your mind, let me know and-"
He was interrupted by a loud crack coming from behind us, and, turning around, I couldn't help but smile when I saw Laura. Unlike the rest of us, she wasn't in her school uniform, as she'd returned home from France last week. Instead, she was in sparkling white dress robes, with almost every inch of fabric covered in either rhinestones or sequins. She was the very picture of a quintessential bride, glowing with happiness and exuding exultance.
"Sorry for taking so long," she said. "I had to wait for my parents to leave before I could sneak out."
"You're right on time," Alex replied, holding up his watch for her to see. He looked at her with such focus and care, as if nothing else existed in the world but her. "Did you end up telling them about us before they left?"
She shook her head. "No, but I left them a note," Laura sighed. "I wish that it didn't have to be like this. I wish they could watch me get married. Oh, well. At least I have a couple of friends as witnesses! And tonight, when we have our super-secret party, we'll have a blast!"
"Laura, I hardly think that six people qualify as a party," I said, inching closer to Ted. The actuality of what we were moments away from doing was starting to sink in, and I suddenly felt very apprehensive. Sensing my unease, Ted wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"Anything can be a party if you want it to be!" Laura giggled as she spun around, the fine fabric of her robes swishing against the fallen leaves and branches on the ground. "I take it you didn't tell your families that you're getting married today?"
"My parents know," Ted said. "They aren't thrilled about it, but it's not like they can stop us. We're both of age and this is what we want."
"I'm not telling my family anything," I added. "And I've left no notes or hints of where I've gone either. It's too risky otherwise."
Laura frowned. "You're stronger than I am," she said. "Even though I know it won't make a difference, I need the closure of at least knowing that they know about it. I don't think I'd be able to move on with my life otherwise."
I felt my eyes burning as I tried to hold back tears again. I had made peace with it, but knowing that I would never see my sisters or parents ever again was incredibly disheartening. Until they figured out where I'd gone, they would be extremely worried and frantically search for me. But when Ted's and my livelihoods hung in the balance, I couldn't afford the luxury of telling them my decision. At least not until I knew that we were safe from my sister and her Death Eater posse. Perhaps I'd write to my father in the coming weeks to inform him of my marriage, but I would need to make sure that wherever I sent it from couldn't tracked back to me. I didn't think that either my family or Death Eaters would risk attacking us out in the open when we were at work, but there was no way I would give them the opportunity to hurt us in private by making it easy for them to find out where we lived.
Ted removed his arm from my shoulder and took my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "We should probably head out," he said.
"Agreed," Alex said.
"Ah, I can't wait!" Laura cheered.
"You ready, love?" Ted asked somewhat shakily. His stormy eyes were full of emotion, and although it was subtle, I could tell his breathing was shallower than normal. I reached up to cup his cheek, so grateful that in this moment we were here together.
What would have happened if we hadn't revealed our soul marks to each other? How would the past two years have turned out? Would Ted have dated other people? Would I have become so despondent and upset by that that I would have followed Laura to Beauxbatons? I couldn't imagine getting through the past two years without Ted by my side, and at this point, I couldn't picture a future without him. The desires and aspirations of my fifteen-year-old self hadn't changed or been replaced, but the avenue to achieve them had been reborn; instead of struggling to accomplish my goals alone, I had someone who loved me that I could rely on as I tackled each of them in turn.
"I love you, Ted," I said, warmth radiating out from my chest and spreading to the tips of my fingers and toes as I spoke my feelings for him. "As long as you're here with me, I'll always be ready for anything."
Ted smiled one of his dazzling bright smiles, and with one final kiss, the four of us departed the woods, ready to begin the next chapter of our lives.
Ted stared out the bedroom window, watching the gray clouds of night morph into the matutinal corals and ambers of dawn. The past day had been exhausting, but he was too anxious and overjoyed to fall asleep.
After leaving Hogwarts, he, Andromeda, Laura, and Alex immediately apparated to the Ministry, where each couple acted as witnesses for the other's marriages. Ted had been concerned that whatever employee they dealt with would find the situation odd enough to ask them questions about what they were doing, but the clerk, an older man with facial hair that reminded Ted of a walrus, barely batted an eyelash when the four of them walked in. He simply handed them the forms, signed them, and attached his official seal. The entire process took less than fifteen minutes.
Once they were finished, the four of them split up. Alex and Laura had plans with the Devons, and Ted and Andromeda made the neve-wracking trip down to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to turn in the letter detailing Bellatrix's Death Eater activities. That too had been relatively painless; the receptionist directed them to a small, dusty box in the lobby where they could drop tips for the Aurors to look into. While Ted was glad that it was so simple- Andromeda had been so pale the entire time that he was convinced she would pass out- admittedly, part of him was frustrated. If they'd been able to speak directly with an Auror, Andromeda's information would have been relayed to them immediately and not stuck in a box for an indeterminate amount of time. To him, it seemed that the Ministry either didn't care to try and save the lives of a significant portion of wizarding Britain, or perhaps, they didn't have the resources to.
Once Gideon starts his Auror training, I'll have to ask him to check that box, Ted thought to himself as he let out a long sigh.
Immediately after their errands at the Ministry were done, they met with the rest of the Tonks family at a fancy restaurant in London for a celebratory lunch. Ted's mother and father warmly welcomed Andromeda into the family, but even though they didn't outwardly express their disapproval of their new daughter-in-law, their smiles were stilted and didn't fully reach their eyes. It was understandable; soul marks weren't something that Muggles were familiar with, so to his parents, getting married to someone based on an identically matching magical tattoos must have seemed rash and reckless. Ted was optimistic though; he and Andromeda had the rest of their lives to convince his family that they truly loved each other and had planned their future long before signing their marriage license.
They'd then returned to their new and sparsely furnished flat, where they consummated their marriage several times. That evening, Alex, Laura, Gideon, and Ruth came over to celebrate all of their graduations as well as the two weddings that had occurred that day. Even though it was only the six of them, they drank and partied well past one in the morning, only calling it quits when Gideon realized that he had to be at his Aunt Muriel's house early the next day to help her with a particularly bad Doxy infestation.
Once their friends left, Ted insisted they consummate their marriage a few more times just for good measure, a sentiment with which Andromeda had wholeheartedly agreed. When they finally decided to turn in for the night, they didn't even bother to put on pajamas. Andromeda had fallen asleep almost immediately, but Ted remained restless, unable to sleep for more than an hour or so at a time.
The soft light from the window steadily grew brighter, and Ted looked down at Andromeda, who was curled up against his chest, fast asleep. She looked so peaceful and content, and, feeling a rush of affection for his wife- God, it was so weird to think of Andromeda as his wife- Ted pulled her closer and kissed her hair, letting his face linger near hers so he could take in the calming floral scent of her perfume. Through the strands of her hair resting haphazardly against her back, Ted saw the pine and gardenia motif that decorated her shoulder. Gently, so as not to wake her, he brushed her hair aside so he could gaze upon the soul mark they shared.
Ted never tired of looking at Andromeda's soul mark. It was a comforting sight; no matter what was going on in his life, seeing physical proof that there was somewhere- and with someone- he belonged brought him a sense of wonder and joy, as well as reminding him of just how lucky he was. He and his soulmate were madly in love with each other, he was surrounded by friends and family that cared for him, and he was about to embark on a career as a professional Quidditch player.
"I love you," he murmured in barely a whisper, stroking her soft hair. She was beautiful, and she was finally free from those who wanted to control her.
The ambers and corals of the clouds outside were rapidly turning into fiery vermillions and bright scarlets. Ted turned his head toward the clock on the bedside table, uttering a quiet grumble when he saw that it was only four-thirty. They still had over an hour before they had to wake up, pack, and apparate to the Ministry.
Ted might not have had the money to buy Andromeda a fancy engagement ring, but he'd managed to scrape enough together to pay for a honeymoon. Since he had two weeks before he needed to report to the Pride of Portree's reserve team and Andromeda wasn't scheduled to start working until the middle of next month, Ted booked them a week and a half long vacation to Australia, with their portkey scheduled to leave just before seven that very morning. He hoped that both the distance of their destination as well as the duration of their stay would not only allow them to finally relax, but also serve as another obstacle for the Black family to overcome as they attempted to look for Andromeda. Ted was hoping that her parents would find out about their marriage while they were away and that they'd decide to just disown her in absentia, but he had no idea if they would be so lucky.
The state of the world wasn't the same as two years ago. Muggles were being killed en masse and muggleborns continued to vanish at alarming rates. Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters took credit for nearly every attack, and the Auror Office seemed unable to do anything to catch any of them. Ted was hopeful for the future though; with any luck, within the next year or so he and Andromeda would be able to move from their cramped Hogsmeade flat to a proper house on the Isle of Skye, which they would be able to charm and ward to the brim with anti-detection spells. While it wouldn't protect them while they were working, they would at the very least be safe at home.
Andromeda stirred again, and Ted noticed that a sliver of sun was now peaking over the tops of the buildings of Hogsmeade, seeping through the window of their flat and bathing them in a golden light. If Ted didn't know any better, he would have sworn that his and Andromeda's skin had been transfigured into gold. He looked down at his beautiful wife once more, his heart exploding with love. Ted wanted nothing more than to freeze time so that they could remain entwined in the aureate rays of dawn for more than a fleeting moment.
"'Here comes the sun,'" Ted began to sing softly, relaxing against the pillows as his eyes began to droop. He shifted Andromeda slightly so that she remained flush against his chest. "'Here comes the sun. And I say, it's alright."
And it was.
Thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, and followed along with the story! It was fun to explore these characters again and I appreciate you all for coming along on their journey with me!
See you next dream~