Andromeda walked around in a daze for a week after hugging Ted Tonks. One thought burned in her head: What’s wrong with me? How could I betray my family like that? At the same time, though, Andromeda suppressed her outrage that it should matter whether or not she was friends with a Muggle-born. She enjoyed being around Ted. Nobody would change her mind about that. She’d even returned the Charms favor by helping him out during Transfiguration the previous day. She kept trying to snap herself out of the coma, but even her sister Narcissa, a third year, took notice.
–You don’t look like yourself, Dromeda,†Cissy observed one day during lunch in the Great Hall. –Your face is all flushed. And you’ve barely touched your food.â€
Andromeda put a hand on her arm. –Thanks for the concern, but I’m fine, really. Just a little stressed because N.E.W.T.S. will be here in a month. Trust me, be thankful for the amount of homework you have now. When you’re a N.E.W.T. student, you’ll ask yourself, ‘Why can’t I be back in third year, when school was so much easier?’â€
Narcissa looked at her sister like she was insane. –Are you kidding? I have three essays and one dream journal due in two days. You call that a small load?â€
The elder Black chuckled. –I’m only trying to make you feel better, Cissy.â€
–You still didn’t reply to what I said about you,†Cissy teased. –I think it has to do with a boy…â€
A rebellious smile escaped from Andromeda’s lips when she realized that she didn’t care if Narcissa was talking about Rupert or Ted. She stuck her tongue out at her sister. Cissy returned the gesture and went to go sit with other friends.
Later that day, Andromeda sat with Rupert in the Slytherin common room, which was packed with students who were studying together.
Out of the blue, he asked, –So, how’s Tonks doing?â€
–Oh, Ted’s doing just fine,†she said calmly. –He was such a big help, working with me when he barely knew me.â€
He eyed her suspiciously. –Since when did you start using his first name?â€
–Since we became friends.â€
–Why would you want to be friends with a Mudblood?†he snapped.
Andromeda stood up and shot him an angry glare. –Don’t you dare call him that! He’s shown himself to be very good with magic, and he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.â€
An awkward pause filled their conversation. Did I just defend a Muggle-born? Finding that she wasn’t sorry about it, Andromeda felt a defiant rush of pride.
–Don’t think that I’m the jealous type,†Rupert said with an impatient wave of his hand, –but he’s obviously smitten with you.â€
–Really?†It didn’t seem so bad to know that Ted was looking out for her, yet Rupert had every right to be envious.
He stood up to meet her height. –You heard me. And I’m starting to think that maybe you’re in love with him, too!â€
Andromeda’s mouth opened in protest. –What? Now that’s just ridiculous, Rupert.â€
–Is it? Then tell me I’m wrong.†His girlfriend didn’t respond to that interrogation. –Aha. I knew something was up with you two.â€
She poked him threateningly. –Listen here, mister! You can’t go making unfounded accusations. Read my lips: Ted is my friend. That’s it.â€
–What if I don’t want you to be friends with him?â€
–You don’t control my life!†Andromeda shouted.
–You’re right,†Rupert agreed hotly. –I don’t control your life. But I do control this relationship. Since you won’t stop associating with Mudbloods, I’ll just have to end it.â€
She glowered at him, feeling tears begin to roll down her cheeks. –What a childish thing for you to do, Rupert Thompson! I don’t see any difference between you and Ted. I’m still that girl you met on the first day at Hogwarts.â€
–No you’re not! That girl cared about her bloodline and hated everyone who wasn’t half-blood or pure-blood,†he argued. –I can’t have a girlfriend who goes all soft on me!†He strolled away to the boy’s dormitory, leaving Andromeda by herself. She ran upstairs to the girl’s dorm and fell onto her bed with her arms crossed, pouting.
This was all Ted’s fault. Stupid, Muggle-born Ted Tonks, with his kindness, humor, and that wonderful smile… Oh no. Andromeda slapped herself on the forehead.
Against her best wishes, Rupert had been right. Something had to be done about this.
I had to stop myself
From saying something that
I should’ve never thought.â€
Just Another Day
Ted was hard at work studying for his N.E.W.T. exams in the common room when a second year Hufflepuff boy came up to him.
–Ted Tonks, right?†Ted nodded. –There’s a Slytherin girl outside our entrance who wants to talk to you. Andromeda Black, I think she said her name was.â€
Ted’s face lit up. She came to see me? A girl actually came to see me? Wow. This was a first.
The girl he met outside the common room looked incredibly upset. He’d never seen her this way before, almost… vulnerable. Before then, she’d always carried an air of confidence wherever she went. Something must have happened with her and Rupert, he thought. I have to remember not to look too excited…
–I hope you’re happy,†Andromeda spat. –Rupert broke up with me.â€
Ted frowned in a confused manner. –I’m sorry to hear. But where do I come into this?â€
She scoffed. –Like you don’t know!â€
He still didn’t comprehend her words. –No, I don’t know.â€
–He did it because of you. Because he hates anyone who makes friends with a Muggle-born.â€
Ted felt a surge of anger rise inside him. –What is it with Slytherins and hating my bloodline? I have magic, just like you do.â€
–Maybe Rupert has a point,†she replied without emotion. –Maybe our friendship isn’t good for me, and you’re contaminating my outlook on things. Those lessons were fun and all, but honestly, he’s not wrong. I don’t know what got into me when I said yes to your teaching offer.†Andromeda turned to leave.
–Hang on for a moment!†Ted pleaded. –What did I do-â€
–Just go away. I never want to see your filthy face again.†Each word she used was injected with venom. After saying this, she kicked her heels and walked off.
All of a sudden, studying sounded like the worst thing in the world. Ted headed to the boy’s dorm. Good thing none of my roommates are here. He tried to hold back tears. That didn’t last long.
I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna stay,
So there’s nothing left to say.â€
Days, then weeks, went by. They might as well have been an eternity for Andromeda. Her Hogwarts days were winding down, but that wasn’t the only reason for the slowing of time. Stupid Ted Tonks kept popping up into her dreams. And his image seemed to follow her everywhere. She knew she’d been vicious to the sweet boy. Still, there was nothing she could do about her family rules. People like Ted weren’t meant to have a place in her heart. But it was there.
In the Great Hall, she kept resisting the urge to look over at the Hufflepuff table, until one day, she sensed a pair of eyes watching her. Ted. Andromeda couldn’t fight it any longer. She glanced at the other side of the Great Hall. Those eyes… They pierced all the way into hers. Oops. Can’t let him know that I’m watching him. Andromeda went back to eating. I really hurt Ted’s feelings, she thought sadly.
I’ll make it up to him tomorrow.
When Worlds Collide
Ted boarded the train to leave Hogwarts for the last time, but he wasn’t in the mood to see anybody. He sat alone in a compartment, wondering where the future might lead him now that his school days were over, wondering why he’d bothered to tutor Andromeda Black in the first place. Love can either make you crazy or make you regretful, and Ted was both. A moment after the Hogwarts Express took off, he noticed that someone was peering into the glass door of his compartment. His stomach dropped a mile. Not her. Anyone but her.
–I know you probably don’t want to talk to me,†Andromeda said warily, opening the door, –and I know the horrible things that I said, but can I come in to apologize?â€
Ted thought it over. There she goes, reeling you in again. A strong young man wouldn’t let her come in. But I’ve never been that kind of guy, have I?
–Sure,†Ted eventually replied. What did he have to lose but his sanity?
She sat down in the seat across from him. Andromeda sighed, and then she began her apology. –I didn’t mean any of what I said. You have to understand that I come from ‘The noble house of Black’. We’ve been pure-bloods for centuries. My mum and dad raised me to think that Muggles and Muggle-borns were useless, but deep in my guts, I always knew it was wrong.â€
Ted knew she wasn’t kidding. She seemed truly upset by her family values. –When I met you,†she continued, –it became clearer to me that the family ways were outrageous.â€
Andromeda moved to sit right beside him. Ted’s heart was now beating out of control. This isn’t happening!
–You’re probably the kindest person I’ve met in a long time,†she went on earnestly. –But, going back to my family, talking to Muggle-borns in a friendly way would give them the grounds to punish me. I had to make sure that my younger sister Narcissa hadn’t noticed us together, and lucky for me, she didn’t. I’ve been completely petrified because I’m doing just what the Black family doesn’t want me to do: making friends with a Muggle-born. That’s why I was so terrible to you. I’m risking everything just by being here.â€
Ted was glad that Andromeda had the courage to explain herself. He’d started to assume that she hated him specifically. He was still getting used to life in the Wizarding world, and he’d never heard much about the prejudice some pure-blood families carried. All he’d known was that the Slytherins would pass by and call him –Mudbloodâ€, for no reason. Every time, it had struck him as utterly stupid.
–I guess you’d be in loads of trouble if your parents knew that we were friends,†he realized out loud.
Andromeda took his hand. –Yeah. I would.†Now it was Ted’s turn to feel goose bumps.
She leaned in to kiss him gently. Ted gave her a questioning look. –Are you sure?â€
She answered with another kiss. He pressed his lips back on hers this time, lacing his fingers through her raven hair. When they broke apart, they just smiled at each other. Andromeda laid her head on his shoulder, he put his arm around her, and they stayed like that for the rest of their final train ride home. Ted couldn’t believe this beautiful girl was his. He thought Andromeda Black was insane to choose him. For now, though, he would just go with it.
Who you gonna call,
When you know it's time to play the game?
What's your mystery?
Who's it gonna be,
When you know it's time to play her game?â€
-Kevin Max